Anyone else a locomotive or train afficionado? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skid Row Joe · #1 01-10-2009, 12:31 AM

Does anyone else dig trains, locomotives and the like?

I live near an east west mainline of Union Pacific RR near Sunnyvale, Texas. When I am not on-the-road, I can usually hear the roar of the diesel locomotives of Union Pacific and Amtrak train whistles blowing through the sleepy town of Mesquite, Texas, bound for Dallas, San Antonio, Texarkana, Little Rock, St. Louis, etc.

Where I grew-up in Omaha, Nebraska we lived in southwest Omaha, about 2.5 miles from the UP mainline next to I-80. The periodic roar of the massive diesel freight and coal trains through the night has always soothed, and comforted my restful sleeping hours.

Recently while in Omaha, I toured Kenefic Park, high on a bluff above Interstate 80, the Missouri river valley, with a good view of the Iowa plains. At Kenefic Park there are two retired UP locomotives. One from the modern age, and the Big Boy, a steam locomotive from the '30s and '40s. Retired UP6900 is below, one of 47 of the most massive and powerful diesel locomotives ever built, beginning in 1969 for Union Pacific RR.

In the diesel era, the tradition continued with the use of the most powerful locomotives available. In 1969 UP purchased the very largest and most powerful diesel ever built, the DDA40X, with 6600 HP provided by two diesel engines (prime movers) mounted on one frame,
These 270 ton, 98 foot long behemoths were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corp. (EMD) and were named "Centennial" in honor of the 100th anniversary of the "Driving of the Golden Spike Ceremony" (May 10, 1869). In all, 47 units were purchased (numbered 6900-6946) beginning in May of 1969 with deliveries continuing through 1971. They were numbered using the "6900" series to mark the '69 dates.

Give yourself a treat if you yearn for the sounds of the diesel locomotive whistle.......for North Platte, Nebraska has an east-west train passing every 8 minutes or so. North Platte also hosts railroad days every September, roughly the weekend between the 15th & 20th for train afficionados to meet.

H-townbenzoboy · #2 01-10-2009, 12:42 AM

I have a small interest in trains. Prior to my birth, some train tracks used to run directly behind our house. Now, they stop about 1-2 miles south of the house. There's also a rail yard about 3 miles east of my place, so I'm always hearing train whistles in the middle of the night.

BTW- Your links aren't working, namely the Electro-Motive and "Driving The Golden Spike" ones.

Johnhef · #3 01-10-2009, 01:02 AM

I was big into trains all growing up. Got to ride a few tourist steam railways when I was younger, mainly N&W's 1218 before it was retired and on the Durango & Silverton, and Cumbres & Toltec NG railways too many years ago. Always had scale trains when I was younger too, started with HO in 1988 as my first set, then N Scale, O and O27 and currently have a G setup at my dad's place in Virginia we started over 10 years ago and are still working on from time to time.

When I bought the place I'm in now, I liked the fact theres a single track line abut 2 miles away, I cross it everyday going to work and I can hear the horn and rumble of the trains from my yard.

Honus · #4 01-10-2009, 08:21 AM

For my money, the best museum I've seen is Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania. http://www.nps.gov/stea/ It is located on what remains of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad yard. They have an incredible locomotive shop where they tear down and rebuild steam locomotives. Just an incredible place.

#5 01-10-2009, 08:38 AM

I love trains. Its one of the reasons I moved to Colorado, lots of scenic/tourist railroads and I'm a drive away from the UP yard in Cheyenne Wy. I also visit Colorado Live Steamers during their yearly open house. www.coloradolivesteamers.com

Model trains are a great hobby, and I was really into it as a kid, but I simply don't have the money for it anymore.

#3985 is still my favorite.

SwampYankee · #6 01-10-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Does anyone else dig trains, locomotives and the like?

Does casual fascination make any sense?

I love watching them and am drawn to steam engines like moths to a light bulb but I've never done much reading or research into them, although I would like to as (in theory) I get a few more periods of quiet as my kids age. If there's a show on the tube I'm watching it or DVRin it.

Growing up I spent my summers in ME and on the other side of the lake was a main freight rail line and I fondly remember hearing them rumbling by and the whistles at the crossing. We used to hang out by the crossing and put pennies on the track so they could squish them flat. They were hundreds of cars long and we'd watch every one of them pass.

Within the past 4-5 years they reopened a little spur here in my town to service a couple of warehouses in the south end of Hartford. About once every two weeks a short train will creep through town at about 5 mph and stop at every crossing so someone can stop traffic to let them by. But every time I hear the whistle blow it brings back memories of my youth.

catmandoo62 · #7 01-10-2009, 09:37 AM

ah omaha.i live a couple hours from there and have 2 sisters there,and my companies headquarters is in council bluffs.so i get down there quite often.coming from council bluffs to omaha that engine is an awesome sight up on the hill.my dad used to have a miniature train.resembled the diesels of the 40's.had 3 cars and about 360 ft of track if you ever get out to craig colorado.the guy that bought it has a small amusement park set up with mini-putt and a couple other things,and my dads old train.

dynalow · #8 01-10-2009, 10:07 AM

I'm not especially a fan of locomotives, but the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has a very unique and interesting steam locomotive in its Train Factory Exhibit. The Baldwin 60000. It was the 60,000th locomotive manufctured by the Baldwin Locomotive Company in 1926 and was experimental, with three cylinders (compound expansion) and a 350 psi superheated water tube boiler.

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/USAhp/USAhp.htm

Here is a lot of technical test data on it:
http://www.cwrr.com/Lounge/Reference/baldwin/baldwin.html

TheDon · #9 01-10-2009, 10:14 AM

trains are awesome. I've always loved trains. I should have my train set and a dozen or so engines around at my grandma's. I need to drive up to CT and get them.

I have two HO scale centenials. They are my fav engines since they are the largest in my collection.

When I was little I would spend hours playing with my trainset, I probably still would. A few people in my subdivision have converted their garage or a room in their house as a train room. man are they sweet setups

Johnhef · #10 01-10-2009, 10:27 AM

Ohh add pics, good idea, thanks to google. Heres the ones I was on:

Chad300tdt · #11 01-10-2009, 10:32 AM

Where's Ralph?

I always make sure to check out the steam train when I visit the New Hope area.

As a bonus, the Triumph Brewery is right next to the station.
http://www.newhoperailroad.com/

LUVMBDiesels · #12 01-10-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dculkin

For my money, the best museum I've seen is Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania. http://www.nps.gov/stea/ It is located on what remains of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad yard. They have an incredible locomotive shop where they tear down and rebuild steam locomotives. Just an incredible place.

I love going to Steamtown. There is also a nice museum in Roanoke, Va. They took the old Norfolk and Southern terminal (designed by Raymond Lowy) and turned it into a museum. Inside there are lots of cool exhibits and outside there are locomotives, both steam and Diesel, and some passenger cars.

I take the MARC commuter train from Brunswick, MD. This runs on the CSK mainline. Every morning I get to see the long coal trains pulling through as well as regular freight. The downside is getting behind a three mile long coal train heading past DC!

When I was a kid we used to go to the Morristown Rail Road in Morristown, NJ. This was a steam powered excursion train. Unfortunately, it has been gone for years.

Luntburger · #13 01-10-2009, 10:40 AM

I prefer to see the world from the window of a train. Has anyone ever seen Baltimore from the window of an Amtrak train? My God...

And if you're ever in Connecticut, check out the Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven.

http://www.bera.org/

diametricalbenz · #14 01-10-2009, 11:30 AM

I have always loved the logging steam engines. Climax, Shays, and Heislers. The latter two were a favorite to ride on in Felton, CA and at the Narrow Gauge Inn at Yosemite South gate.

forcefed44 · #15 01-10-2009, 11:54 AM

I love them myself.. I'm a big fan of eastern intermodal transportation and I model them aswell in HO scale both CSX and N/S... Living between 2 major intermodal yards as a youngster, I've seen many variations of Diesel locomotives. Some rare an no longer on roster being used in yards. I've been involved with the since the age of 8 and it runs along my stride with german performance....