Working rail roads and their tracks.

[ArlyA]

This photo shows a short Omaha (C&NW) train at Rices Point in Duluth headed toward NP's MN/WI draws on New Year's Eve 1955. The train is mostly loaded DM&IR ore cars. What I've wondered is why ore would be moving well after the season ended and did this come from the Iron Range Division as it was interchanged in Duluth versus South Itasca? Maybe this is taconite sinter from Reserve or Erie's pre-tac plant? Hard to tell from the image. Thoughts? Wayne C. Olsen - Duluth, MN - December 31, 1955.

 

[ArlyA]

Was hiking up and down the incline or cog train line at Quincy mine this morning.

 

[ArlyA]

Film about the reopening of rail line out of southern Ukraine. Looking at the cars and trucks, I only see modest differences with north American ones. In the last few seconds of the film, you see a triple axle engine go past.

 

[dodge man]

It’s been several years ago we engineered a job for a watermain in a nearby town. Apparently there was an abandoned rail line with the tracks long gone. They dug along the edge of the road and they hit rail that was 100% covered up by asphalt. The railroad wanted compensation for tearing up their rails. The city attorney told them to get lost.

 

[MossRoad]

It’s been several years ago we engineered a job for a watermain in a nearby town. Apparently there was an abandoned rail line with the tracks long gone. They dug along the edge of the road and they hit rail that was 100% covered up by asphalt. The railroad wanted compensation for tearing up their rails. The city attorney told them to get lost.

I had to laugh a that!

 

[MossRoad]

While I worked downtown, twice in 30 years, they redid one of the streets next to our office. There are streetcar tracks buried under the pavement. The first time, they just left them there. The 2nd time they pulled them out, as it was more than just a resurface.

There was also a billboard on a building across the street. Every month when they'd come out to put a new billboard on, they'd take the existing one off (they are the one-piece tarp-type billboards). On the billboard itself, there's still a cigarette billboard glued on. There's some recent old history.

 

[/pine]

important things an engineer most learn from a signalman
If the signalman's lantern is moving in a large circle clockwise... that means come ahead.
If the signalman's lantern is moving in a large circle counter clockwise ... that means to back up
If the signalman's lantern is moving slowly in a low arc ... that means slow down
If the signalman's lantern is moving rapidly, back and forth ...
that means to stop the damn train, cause the signalman is running like hell..!

 

[3Ts]

I don't have the picture my uncle took of a derailment, but the story behind it is interesting. He lived next to where the tracks went over a bridge which was over a road. They needed to increase the road to bridge clearance and widen the road so major work on the railroad bridge and the road underneath was needed. While all this work was being done trains were rerouted and a derailler was installed to protect the workers - just in case. Sometime during the work an engine (no rail cars) came rolling down the tracks and hit the derailler. Turns out someone had "appropriated" the engine and decided to take his girlfriend for a ride. No idea as to the repercussions.

 

[MossRoad]

Caught our local South Shore train heading west out of South Bend the other evening around 4:50pm. They are converting from single level cars to double deckers. There are usually 3 doubles or 6 singles when they come to and from South Bend. Not that they ever need that much seating. They just don't want to add or subtract cars in Michigan City.

They used to do that. You'd arrive in Michigan City. The lights would go out for 30 seconds, you'd feel a bump, the lights would come back on, and the train was now longer or shorter, depending on going or coming to and from South Bend. Total stoppage time for that was maybe 5 minutes.

Now, in and attempt to save those 5 minutes and make people "feel" they are on a fast commuter, they add a ton of miles per year to 3 extra single cars on each trip that are always empty. Hey, it's government subsidized, so not their money. Now at least with the doubles, they have cut in half the unnecessary mileage on those empties.

 

[MossRoad]

Forgot to mention this is in front of the Honeywell plant on the west side of town. Used to be Allied Signal. Was Bendix before that.