|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
209.250.112.162
In Reply to: That syncopated riddum, too. posted by Timbo in Oz on April 22, 2007 at 22:44:25:
I just saw this monster on the Discovery Channel a week or so ago. Fully articulating, 135,000 pounds of tractive thrust, able to pull a 3600 ton train over a 1.14% grade, etc, etc.Tre' cool!
Ergo grex, ergo sum.
Follow Ups:
Allegheny not quite as much tractive effort though.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
Firstly, a bit of "train-trivia" from Aus:
So what exactly was the longest train in the world?
The longest train ever was a test freight train:Length: 7.353 KM
# of cars: 682
# of engines: 8 diesel/electric
Company: BHP Iron Ore
Location: Port Hedland, Australia
Length of trip: 275 KM - 171 Miles
Date of trip: June 21 2001
The regular train on this Port Hedland run is a 240-car, 37,500-ton iron ore train powered by four GE Dash-8, 4,000-hp diesel-electric locomotives.
And, locally here in SA, the regular train runs featuring the most wagons are the coal-carrying trains to Richards Bay which typically are 200-car, 20,000-ton (loaded) trains powered by four Hitachi 7E locomotives.
A 200 wagon coal train crossing the Umfolozi River bridge on the Richards Bay Coal line in South Africa
This takes me back to my schooldays in Rhodesia and my pride and joy - a Marklin train-set with an electric loco and a steam loco sharing the same track with two controllers - one driving the centre-track pickups and the other the overhead conductors. The electric loco looked a bit like this:
several shelves full of Lionel trains going back as far as 1947 and on up until the early 90's. I'd like it better if they were set up and running.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
There is really no better feeling in the world than skinning back the throttle of 13,200 hp of three shiny new GE ES4400ACs and "Letting 'em eat" (some miles).The shitty part is the call at 2200 to go run an all night drag at 0001 after getting out of bed at 0730 that morning.
The best sounding diesel I get to run? An EMD SD40-2. 3000 hp and the turbo screams beautiful 2 cycle diesel music for hours.
--
Al G
Born To Tinker!
- I'd love - kavakidd 07:25:42 04/24/07 (2)
In Reply to: the life I lead posted by anumber1 on April 23, 2007 at 19:03:31:
to go along for that ride just once before I die - even though my real affinity is for old "steam". They're just so damned beautiful. Real engineering feats.Toughest climb in the USA (so they say) is near where I grew up in the Berkshires - thus the name "Berkshire" developed specifically, I think, for that run.
The Alcos were built in Schenectady NY, not far from where I live now.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
- Re: I'd love - anumber1 08:46:01 04/24/07 (1)
In Reply to: I'd love posted by kavakidd on April 24, 2007 at 07:25:42:
I work on the former Pere Marquette. In the early '40s the the Van Sweringen brothers owned the PM. C&O and Nickel Plate.They bought Lima Berkshires for the fast freight on those roads.
Only a few of these survive and two still run. The PM 1225 and the NKP 765. I have rode behind the 1225 on my home rails. That was cool.
When I get off a locomotive, I am tired. When they get off the 1225, they are filthy, exhausted and covered in sweat. Majestic as it is, I'll take a nice new engine for daily bread earning and go look at the steam!
The "pro's" call train buffs "foamers" but you have to have some appreciation of trains to even do the job (most of the time it is quite thankless).
I like trains...
This is me about 10 years ago working as a conductor on a BN SD-70AC pulling 18,000 tons of coal in the middle of the night somewhere between CHI and GRR.
There are a few more RR pics in my gallery.
--
Al G
Born To Tinker!
- Thanks for - kavakidd 11:27:52 04/24/07 (0)
In Reply to: Re: I'd love posted by anumber1 on April 24, 2007 at 08:46:01:
sharing - Yer right - I wouldn't wanna DO it but do love to watch
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
You can not post to an archived thread.