Electric Trains...

[awalker1829]

Steam locomotives were capable of immense speed and tractive effort. Problem was that you could have one but not the other. The heaviest steam locomotives used in the US weighed in at over a million pounds and developed the most tractive effort at speeds of 15-20 mph. Milwaukee Road had the fastest steam locomotives in the US bar none. Their streamlined Atlantics (4-4-2s) were capable of 100+mph running as were the Hudsons (4-6-4s). Hudsons were acquired when passenger demand required that the trains be lengthened such that the Atlantics could not maintain the schedule.

Of course, the fastest verified speed record for a steam locomotive belongs to the London and North Eastern Railway's Mallard, an A4 Class Pacific designed by Sir H. Nigel Gresley. The record was set on a trip that the locomotive was working a test train to perform testing on a modification to the Westinghouse vacuum brake with a train of a determined weight. Most importantly, the train included the LNER dynomometer car which had instrumentation to measure (among other things) drawbar pull, steam efficiency and speed. The top speed attained during the return run to London was 126.5 mph. HNG readily stated that the locomotive could have unquestionably attained 130 mph had a speed restriction not been in place at Grantham on account of maintenance being performed on the tracks.

[kjohn]

Trains, particularly older diesel locomotives, hold a fascination for me. I go and ride on a shortline occasionally. They use rebuilt SD40-3's. I get to run them light engine on the return from delivering loaded grain cars. I actually got to pull a 30 car train of empties once. The engineers are happy to teach and monitor. I also get to throw the odd switch and couple/uncouple cars. Great times.

[awalker1829]

Trains, particularly older diesel locomotives, hold a fascination for me. I go and ride on a shortline occasionally. They use rebuilt SD40-3's. I get to run them light engine on the return from delivering loaded grain cars. I actually got to pull a 30 car train of empties once. The engineers are happy to teach and monitor. I also get to throw the odd switch and couple/uncouple cars. Great times.

Most modern power we had on the line I worked on were GP-7s. 1500 hp each and we had two that were operable and a third that was stored inoperable. We had three ALCO RSD-1 locomotives, two operable and one inoperable. All of the units had full height hoods and the RSD-1s were set up to run long hood forward. We usually ran them with the short hood leading, but that usually put the engineer on the wrong side of the cab to see approaching signals. The major railroad there was the Southern Railway and their operating practices were held over from the days of steam. Until the mid-1980s, all locomotives owned by the railroad had full height hoods and were set up to run long hood forward.

One benefit of the GPs was that they could be operated as multiple units with each other. The RSD-1s required a crew for each locomotive as they lacked MU connections. We doubleheaded a few trains with the RSD-1s but most of our doubleheading involved steam and diesel locomotives. When we ran steam, the steam locomotive would be coupled ahead of the diesel on the front of the train. The diesel would be the road locomotive and the steam locomotive was the helper. We would permit cab riders on trains that stayed on our road. However, cab rides were strictly prohibited on interline trains such as our Georgia trips because those trains were run over foreign lines-other railroads. I was qualified as passenger train conductor on our road, the Norfolk Southern, and our partner short line in Georgia. Each road had its own operating rule book and timetable, each of which I was required to carry and be familiar with. Each road also used its own switch keys, which I was required to carry too. I also had to pas the annual rules examination for each road.

Biggest train I got to handle was three heavyweight coaches (80 tons each) and a 2-8-2. Our local run was a six mile round trip and the road foreman at that time would give younger fellows a chance to run under supervision when possible. At first, he'd start you out riding in the engineers seat once the train was under way. Once he was satisfied that you had the ability to take direction, you got to do more, up to running an entire trip start to stop. Mind your, this was in regular service with passengers aboard. Our Georgia trips were long days with a lot of work. 12 hour days were the norm. Consist was usually eight cars with up to 200+ passengers and crew. That's a hell of a lot of responsibility and only a few of us were qualified for those trips. You had to know the equipment inside and out and be able to make temporary repairs to get the train over the road if need be.

[Brake Weight]

Good stuff. Old trains amaze me.

I've worked on drilling rigs built in the early '80s that had EMD generation based off of train systems. Our electrician from Arkansas was so good at it he would help out locally on a few rails that still ran these systems. Word got out and he had a few hotshot flights over the years to the middle of nowhere and handed a $5000 or more check for an hour worth of work. He said our storeroom had over a million dollars worth of obsolete gear these few trains still used.

[awalker1829]

EMD 567 prime movers were commonly used as power for emergency electrical generators and used in marine applications. The diesel motors our subs used in WW2 were stock EMD power plants. When we needed to pump up the air brakes, the engineer would open the isolation switch, cutting out the traction motors. Then he could open the throttle and increase the rate at which the air pump would recharge the line.

[Darryl]

My wife bought me a N scale set Christmas of 2017. It sits in the corner of my closet (unopened). I wonder why she bought it for me? Maybe she is trying to get me hooked on a "cheaper" hobby??

What do you think?

I wouldn't think much of it because she also got me a rock tumbler, and a crystal growing kit. I'm thinking after 40 plus years, she is running out of "new ideas"!!


Actually, what I really wanted is one of those ant farms.

[awalker1829]

“Cheaper” hobby?

Model trains can be much more expensive, especially the ones that I like. My fantasy model railroad is a fifteen inch gauge point to point line. Gotta have acreage for that. One steam locomotive will cost anywhere from $15k to $70k depending on condition and size. A decent gas or battery powered locomotive starts at about $4k.

A friend of mine has an HO scale trolley layout. Scale Pacific Electric cars and a fully operational catenary system-cars draw power from the trolley wire. You could buy a nice milsurp for what each car costs.

[entropy]

Wow, I always thought that trains just had a go and stop lever. They are on tracks so how can you make a wrong turn? Do you have the gray and black striped hat, Big Ben overalls and a big red hankie hanging off the rear pocket?

Didn't know you were into that sort of thing.....

[awalker1829]

I just looked at the most recent Lionel catalog the other day. The prices on their diesel electric models was in the $800 dollar range. Steam locomotives were anything from $800 to $2,000 depending on the model. Hardly a “cheap” hobby.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Not for kids anymore I guess

[Longcolt44]

Not for kids anymore I guess

Just a sign of the times Jim. Most kids are getting arthritis in their thumbs from the $600.00 phones they are glued to.

[awalker1829]

Not for kids anymore I guess

Just a sign of the times Jim. Most kids are getting arthritis in their thumbs from the $600.00 phones they are glued to.

And some are getting run over in the streets too. I can’t tell you how many people I see walking around while looking or using their phones, not paying attention to the traffic in the streets.

[Longcolt44]

It's called, "Culling the herd my friend", just culling the herd.

[awalker1829]

It's called, "Culling the herd my friend", just culling the herd.

Fine by me, as long as I don’t get culled. Crossing the street here is putting your life on the line. I always pay attention when crossing the street and that saved my life last week. Went out of the office for lunch and was going to the sandwich shop across the street. Waited to cross with the light and had just stepped off the curb when an approaching car caught my eye. Stepped back to the curb just as the car flew through the intersection and a red light at thirty mph. Mind you, the light had been red for at least five seconds when he ran it. Driver didn’t even attempt to slow down, much less stop.

[Junk Yard Dog]

We get that here now too with the influx of assholes from the city moving this way in greater numbers. Few things more dangerous in smaller towns than New York City drivers, red lights and stop signs are suggestions, passing on the right is normal, yield means speed up, and who needs turn signals.

[awalker1829]

I have a hard time explaining to people that it’s unfair to judge New York State based on New York City. The real New Yorkers don’t live in the City. NYC is where the freaks live.

One of the old timers on the railroad hated it when people assumed that all of New Jersey was like Hoboken or Newark. New Jersey actually has some very nice places. Of course, they’re located in the countryside-like in New York.

[Darryl]

I have a hard time explaining to people that it’s unfair to judge New York State based on New York City. The real New Yorkers don’t live in the City. NYC is where the freaks live.

One of the old timers on the railroad hated it when people assumed that all of New Jersey was like Hoboken or Newark. New Jersey actually has some very nice places. Of course, they’re located in the countryside-like in New York.

It's like that in most big cities. They are very different then the rest of the state. Look at San Francisco. I'm 25 miles for SF, but it is nothing like SF here. And don't talk to me about "freaks".

Darryl

[awalker1829]

Most of the freaks in Arizona are in the Tucson area. That pretty much guarantees that Tucson gets “special” attention from our conservative Legislature. If Tucson gets too out of line, the Legislature sets Tucson straight, occasionally enacting statutes that are pretty much specific to us.