Railroad buffs?

[t walgamuth]

I was talking with my lunch buddies the other day about trains and how fast they used to go when the rail beds were maintained better. I seem to remember my dad talking about trains going 85 across northern Indiana back just before ww2 or so.

I also seem to remember the shiny aluminum train at the Science and Industry building in Chicago going up to 120 mph.

Am I remembering accurately?

[spdrun]

That wouldn't surprise me -- I used to live in a small town outside of Philly. There was an electric train into the city, and you could see into the driver's cab if you sat pretty far in front. There was a digital speedometer, it would routinely get up to about 75 between stops. This was not any sort of special "high speed line", just wooden ties, tracks in decent shape, and a 1930s-era (probably) electrical system.

They were still using the old 1950s cars (pimped out with digital speedos ) with Pennsylvania RR markings 10 years ago, though I think they've since been replaced...

http://www.bcoolidge.com/PRR%20Pix/Silverline%20215%20at%20Zoo%20Junction%20Philadelphia%205_30_67.jpg

[link]

Intriguing comment.

From 1973

We're a thousand wheels of freight train
Hear the diesel engines power
We're the Union Pacific
Doin' ninety miles an hour


A table of train speed records over time. Towards the bottom they have some point to point average speeds.

Land speed record for rail vehicles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Honus]

A fellow who works at Steamtown in Scranton, PA, told me that some steam locomotives designed for passenger service could go 100 mph. The passenger locomotives have taller tires (which is what he called the wheels) than do the freight locomotives.

A train that can go 100 mph on a coal fire is a beautiful thing to contemplate.

As I tell people every time the subject arises, Steamtown is the best museum I have ever seen. Their locomotive shop is un-f'ing-believable.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by link

Intriguing comment.

From 1973

We're a thousand wheels of freight train
Hear the diesel engines power
We're the Union Pacific
Doin' ninety miles an hour


A table of train speed records over time. Towards the bottom they have some point to point average speeds.

Land speed record for rail vehicles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That link has some amazing facts in it. 367 mph on rails! That is fast!

[Skippy]

After living in Carson City for several years and passing the Nevada State Railroad Museum (Nevada State Railroad Museum) probably a thousand times, my railfan friend Dave suggested we take a visit. It was quite interesting, and the guys who work/volunteer there are really into what they do. We saw some of the later steam locomotives and it was mentioned that some of them could run 100 mph.

The place is also home to the Inyo, an 1875 Baldwin 4-4-0 and the oldest self propelled land vehicle maintained in running order. They only run it on the 4th of July, and when Dave and I were there it was sitting inside with the smokebox open drying out from its most recent use.

Another time, Dave and I rode the resurrected V&T Railroad from Carson City to Virginia City. Power was supplied by a 1914 Baldwin steam locomotive fueled these days on waste motor oil. It's one of the slower and more expensive ways to get from Carson to VC and back, but it is interesting and well narrated.

[The Clk Man]

My man Aquaticedge is real big into railroad stuff.

[nate300d]

My father retired from Norfolk and Southern after 35 years. When he started we lived in Montpelier, Ohio which is also where the round house was located where he first work back when it was the Wabash RR. I remember being able to take a passenger train from Montpelier to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
I also remember the train trips to St. Louis to see my father's sister.
Today the rail routes are nil by comparison and passenger trains run on freight routes. (UGH!)
Quite frankly compared to other countries we really don't have passenger train service.

[t walgamuth]

If gasoline were $10 a gallon perhaps they would be valued as they are in Europe.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

If gasoline were $10 a gallon perhaps they would be valued as they are in Europe.

Or we'd be driving electric cars. Either way would be good

This being said, the dirty secret is that US trains carry a much larger fraction of freigh than those in most European countries, where heavy freight by truck is much more common.

[barry12345]

Railway steam engines where later in general being replaced up here in Canada compared to the USA. So as young fellows we used to make frequent visits to the railroads to watch them run. No I was not there to witness the first steam train run. The first engines propelled by diesel engines where basically yard switchers we observed when they appeared.

Yes us gangsters used to trespass on railroad property. The allure was substantial. It was continued with flying model airplanes until we got old enough to steal young ladies hearts as a viable option.. I seem to have been paying for that particular activity ever since.

The railroads where a very large employer of manpower back then. Perhaps the largest in Canada.. Frequency of trains was on average about one every fifteen minutes about a mile away from where we lived. There where four main lines.

Even the road pavement rollers where still steam powered when I was under ten years of age. There was also still a steam powered crane at the boat yard used to launch our boats into the 1960s or a little later. This was the last steam powered piece of equipment I saw in regular service. Steam powered pile drivers where perhaps another though.

I believe at some point the endless shrinkage of rail services will reverse. Our current Canadian railroads have been buying up American railroads for some time now. Still by far the cheapest method of moving freight over land. People like Bill Gates have purchased chunks of one of our national carriers. Shares where around thirty dollars and have rose to about one hundred and thirty per share. I think this was a suggestion of Warren Buffet to Gates.

I have also witnessed massive improvements in the diesel road engines over the years. One would have thought them to be reliable when first introduced but they where not and broke down frequently on the road.

There seems to be no visable stack smoke from the latest diesel railroad engines.. To watch a current diesel engine of that size wind up while producing no visable smoke is quite something. All you see is the thermal difference between the engine exhaust heat and ambient atmospheric conditions as heat wave distortions.

[spdrun]

Oddly enough, I was on a main-line steam train ... in the early 90s, in Eastern Europe.

[sloride]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

That link has some amazing facts in it. 367 mph on rails! That is fast!

I have not looked for it but is there a link to the weight of the freight being carried comparing the same dates. And how much of the speed that trains run at are due to lower speed limits (more regulation) and not the matter of less maintenance on the system.

[sloride]

Originally Posted by link

Intriguing comment.

From 1973

We're a thousand wheels of freight train
Hear the diesel engines power
We're the Union Pacific
Doin' ninety miles an hour


A table of train speed records over time. Towards the bottom they have some point to point average speeds.

Land speed record for rail vehicles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I hear regularly the advertisement on the radio from CSX, that they move one ton of freight >300 miles on one gallon of fuel.

[kerry]

Lots of steam engines on the lines in South Wales in the late 50's and early 60's. I rode them often.

There's one of these at the Forney Transsportation Museum in Denver

Union Pacific Big Boy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia