Working rail roads and their tracks.

[MossRoad]

Most likely. You have any pictures of the old South Bend Lathe Company on Sample Street by chance? Another American Icon down the crapper.

About 12 years ago, they tore it down along with most of the Studebaker buildings.

 

[MossRoad]

The link in post #530 says otherwise. The US is #4 in the world; most European countries are almost half that.

The link in post 530 includes vans, buses, freight, and other vehicles. If you look strictly at passenger cars for personal use, the U.S. is way lower per capita.

 

[5030]

"Anyway, with the loss of so many GM Plants most tracks have been taken up too. When the wind is right I can hear a 'horn' in the distance. Two long, one short, one long means approaching an intersection. (q in Morse code) I bought plans to build a five chime air-horn & completed three just in time for new years but couldn't supply enough air to get full volume from the set. That and not having tuned them they'd have sounded awful if I could. I gave a good blast with one and gave up on the whole shebang. (All I want for Christmas is a Nathan P3 )

Interesting. I own a Khalenberg 3 chime whistle. It's mounted on the front of my shop and while it would be better on steam, it's not bad on air. I have the capacity (CFM) to sound it and wake the entire area up. I have a 30 CFM rotary screw compressor and a 25 CFM piston compressor with a 200 gallon receiver. It takes a lot of air but I can do it... My entire shop is plumbed in 1.5" black pipe and the whistle feed is 1". I call it my 'doorbell'. Has a pull chain to the air valve. Of you want me just give it a toot.... Wife isn't overly fond of it however and neither is the dog.

Boys and their toys.............

 

[the old grind]

... I own a Khalenberg 3 chime whistle. It's mounted on the front of my shop ... I call it my 'doorbell'. Has a pull chain to the air valve.

Wife isn't overly fond of it however and neither is the dog. Boys and their toys.............

Ear plug stuff, all, and no New Year's party is complete without a unique sound, say among the 20 round mags being emptied distantly in all directions.

Then there's 4th of July next door & we don't have to blast our gathering to signal other neighbors across the back 100+ ac of woods and fields of our 'block'.

btw, my dream relic to stumble on is an engine's bell. Not for everyday either, but there can be times. :drink:

 

[RoyJackson]

Since we're discussing railroad bridges, on and off...
Here's one of the oldest, if not the oldest RR bridge in the US:

This bridge is located just SW of Baltimore and is, to the best of my knowledge, still in use
Thomas Viaduct - Wikipedia

 

[BackRoad]

Interesting vid on the Thomas Viaduct...commissioned in the 1830's and still used...

Craftsmanship on a grand scale...

Thanks for that Roy.

 

[MossRoad]

Since we're discussing railroad bridges, on and off...
Here's one of the oldest, if not the oldest RR bridge in the US:

This bridge is located just SW of Baltimore and is, to the best of my knowledge, still in use
Thomas Viaduct - Wikipedia

Nice! :thumbsup:

 

[cqaigy2]

I know nothing about most of what is discussed in this thread, but i do enjoy learning about rail roads and such. Very interesting.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Since we're discussing railroad bridges, on and off...
Here's one of the oldest, if not the oldest RR bridge in the US:

This bridge is located just SW of Baltimore and is, to the best of my knowledge, still in use
Thomas Viaduct - Wikipedia

Seen that one a few times.

 

[RobS]

Such a fun thread!

 

[Hay Dude]

Such a fun thread!

Agree.
To many of us, Railroads are Americana.
Huge iron and steel creations of early industrial engineering.
Pioneering people who laid the tracks.
Hard as the work must have been, it must have been gratifying to see the first engine & cars run the tracks.
I was looking at pictures of my area from 1904 when photography was sharp enough to really capture the amazing construction of these railways.

 

[ovrszd]

I've Jeeped on some old railroad tracks high in the Rocky Mountains. Alpine Tunnel SW of Buena Vista Colorado has a "museum" in the old station house at the top of the pass. Great place to visit. No locks on the doors. No one present. Lots of pictures and memorabilia hanging on the walls. Had a turn table up there too. Quite a place. Requires some quiet reflection to truly appreciate it. Altitude above treeline, probably somewhere around 11k ft.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's some pics we took on the way back down. Bad weather was moving in but you get the idea. Several Palisades. Hand stacked rocks. The one in the pic is 100ft or so high. High enough that you can't make yourself step up on the edge and look down.

Tremendously difficult working conditions to build these railways thru the mountains.

 

[Hay Dude]

I would love to check that out and the railroad in California that has miles of track covered by the snow sheds.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm just guessing here, but it looks like the bottom of the Palisade is 15-20ft out from the top. The wall is not standing straight up. It's leaning into the mountain side just a little. No mortar. Can't verify if the rocks are drilled and pinned as they are stacked. Roadbed filled with small rock. A marvel to me that they stand. Can't remember the date this line was finished.

The tunnel has been blasted shut. Too much danger of cave in for the public to be in it. I don't remember how long the tunnel is either. Sorry.

 

[the old grind]

I would love to check that out and the railroad in California that has miles of track covered by the snow sheds.

Central Pacific built sheds over the Donner Summit as part of the transcontinental railroad. Imagine a crew being taken by horse-driven sleigh up a mountainside with shovels in hand to clear snow drifts from tracks. Jobs weren't great during the Reconstruction era.

The history of sheds shows them being 'shortened' in stages over time as rail-borne blowers got better.

 

[ovrszd]

Central Pacific built sheds over the Donner Summit as part of the transcontinental railroad. Imagine a crew being taken by horse-driven sleigh up a mountainside with shovels in hand to clear snow drifts from tracks. Jobs weren't great during the Reconstruction era.

The history of sheds shows them being 'shortened' in stages over time as rail-borne blowers got better.

I've explored a lot of the high Rockies in Colorado and a little into Wyoming. Evidence of the work that was done to put rail thru these areas is astounding. I think it's a reflection of how poor the working class were. They would do anything for a job.

Where did we lose that.

 

[JethroB]

The company I retired from is building a new feed mill. It has a circular or loop siding over a mile around to accommodate up to 100 cars. A 90 hopper car train will be dedicated to make the run from the southeast to the Midwest or Canada every 12 days hauling over 300,000 bushels of corn to supply the mill. The mill will have 15 hours to unload it to qualify for substantial freight discounts. Amazing stuff to me.

 

[Hay Dude]

The company I retired from is building a new feed mill. It has a circular siding over a mile around to accommodate up to 100 cars. A 90 hopper car train will be dedicated to make the run from the southeast to the Midwest or Canada every two weeks hauling over 300,000 bushels of corn to supply the mill. The mill will have 15 hours to unload it to qualify for substantial freight discounts. Amazing stuff to me.

Thats an amazing piece of good news. Are you closeby to it that you can share photos?

 

[FTG-05]

I've explored a lot of the high Rockies in Colorado and a little into Wyoming. Evidence of the work that was done to put rail thru these areas is astounding. I think it's a reflection of how poor the working class were. They would do anything for a job.

Where did we lose that.

Two words: Great Welfare Society.