Maybe only one person...

in the line enjoys a moment for removing the derail.

( ;> ))

Nick

you not alone....

I love to wait for a train at a grade crossing, drives my kids crazy!!!!

Definitely not alone

There’s a commuter rail station at a grade crossing up the road that I pass every day on the way home from work.  I am always secretly glad when the gates are down so I can get a look at the train.  On this line the engine is always on the outbound end of the train regardless of direction, so the engine is always right next to the road.  I usually turn off the radio and open both drivers side and passenger side windows so I get stereo sound as it accelerates out of the station.  Even in winter.  Rarely the power is an old F40PH, which is kind of a nice throwback to when I used to ride the train in and those were the new power.  More often it’s a GP40MC.  And not infrequently it’s one of the new HSP46’s.  Here’s one of the HSP46’s heading outbound at the Waltham station, the Charles river is behind the trees on the other side of the track on a rainy sunday morning a few weeks ago.

Pics...

From back in the day.

Some meets...

Andre

First sunlit commuter rail in 2019

For the first outbound train today the sky was heavily overcast, didn’t seem worth bothering.  Although it was just luck, the sun peeked out for some of the shots I got of the second train of the day.  An HSP46 leading a short 4 train (4 car, one bi-level).

Not 2019 But Late 2018...

...some pix from December 16 in OK City. The new Streetcar System opened on December 15 so I went for a Squizz and a ride. The Cars are Brookville Equipment Low Floor Liberty Model and there are 5 in the fleet in 3 colours Red, Blue and Green, they are SG and 750v DC and Lithium-Ion Battery allowing Wireless operation in places where wires are not wanted and at the underpass on the BNSF where the clearance is too tight. There are 2 interleaved routes with 4.6-mile (7.4 km) of track.

Coming from Melbourne (Australia) which has the biggest Tram system in the world I had ridden Trams all my life before moving to the USA and I was pretty impressed with the system as it stands. The cars are smooth and quiet with Good Passenger information. This is a Starter system with plans for expansion.

While I was in OK City I went over to the Stillwater Central yard and got a nice reflection shot of 5 units switching the yard on the bridge over the Oklahoma River.

Stillwater definitely had Still Water!

Nice pictures and documentation Graeme

Do you think they learned about keep alive from us Model Railroaders???

Nick

Streetcar batteries

Nice photos Graeme.  Putting lipos in a streetcar is an interesting idea.  I wonder if third rail systems like Boston’s red line could use it to eliminate a bunch of complication around switches, thereby probably saving on maintenance?

Batteries...

...Nick - Possibly! Maybe I should this to the “Is dead rail dead thread”?

...Ken - I don’t see why not as that would only be for short distances and then the batteries could recharge.

This is a pic of a recharge station in OK City.

A favorite of mine....

The SD70ACe has been a favorite of mine since I got my first Athearn FEC.

This one was waiting to proceed on a coal drag north of Lake Charles, LA.

Here is the rest of the head end.  Sun always shines on the other side....

Nick

Battery streetcar

Hi,

a similar system is being put into operation in the Emirates - just short pieces of overhead rail at stations and stopping points to recharge the batteries.

This has been under discussion in the city of Munich for more than ten years - to have battery operation while the trams are passing through the main Park (replacing a very busy bus line - the environmentalists would rather keep the stinky bus!).

Battery-powered railcars were used by the German Reichsbahn from the 1920s on, some rail lines were still using battery railcars ("Akkumulatortriebwagen") into the 1980s. (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DB_Class_ETA_150). These were usually charged over night and during extended turn-arounds.

Have fun!

San Diego...

Comic Con...


 


 

 


Oops on the last one...

HAHAHA

An Aha too Warflight.  I would have never guessed that couplers were hollow!  Very interesting!

Nick

Knucle failed to fail?

It would be interesting to know how that happened.  The knucles are designed to break before the drawbar, so the sort of thing pictured there doesn’t happen.  The knucle must have failed to fail first.  Or maybe it happened when the loco slammed into something.

Someone pulled the pin too hard?

Hulk work as brakeman. Hulk strong.  Hulk pull cut lever too hard. Hulk trying to figure out how to glue it back on before someone notice... 

Hmmm....

Sort of looks like it was in an un-railment of some kind.

Andre

Other damage

You’re right, I was so busy looking at the drawbar section I didn’t notice the other damage.

Minor........

Actually, that looks pretty minor for 350,000 lbs of iron being slammed around...…...

Just a guess...

From being around railroading, looks as if the unit derailed, got wompus-kitty'd and straddled the rail (note under cut dent on the pilot), said angle snapping resulting in the drawbar.

Yup, in view of all that tonnage and mass and what COULD have happened, this is a mere fender bender dent in comparison.

I've been around worse!

Andre

One of our guys!

Jim Moe with a wave and a smile!  Lookin’ good Jim!

Nick

Highway Sign

Hey, Nick! Why is that highway intersection sign mounted on the locomotive handrail? Souveir of an earlier crash? (LOL)

Matt

Hahahahaha, Matt

You got me!  I was looking at the HCLX and wondering what you were talking about.... Jim maybe???  Then I happened to look at the first photo and saw the road sign....  He musta been doing some street running!

Have a good.

Nick

Rail or marine?

Got a bunch of pictures of this diesel engine yesterday.  What is it?

16 cylinder, 

turbocharged?

Nick

peaker or backup generator