Trains |=|=|=|=|[ ]-[ ]-[ ]=|=|=|=| - Page 6

Robert Pence · #**101** Posted **Mar 31, 2009, 3:29 PM**

Things sure have changed in Austin since 1981. Then, the Amtrak station was in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, so isolated that I halfway expected to see tumbleweeds blowing across the tracks.

The station was so freshly rebuilt that it still smelled of new concrete ...

... or maybe that was the cement plant beside the bridge, just a stone's throw away:

The train from San Antonio, then named the Inter-American, approaches the station:

harryc · #**102** Posted **Apr 6, 2009, 1:35 AM**

Green

Blue

harryc · #**103** Posted **Apr 6, 2009, 1:46 AM**

kanhawk · #**104** Posted **Apr 6, 2009, 2:14 AM**

Old engine used for hauling timber

JManc · #**105** Posted **Apr 6, 2009, 2:46 AM**

Kingofthehill · #**106** Posted **Apr 8, 2009, 2:49 AM**

choo choo

Jeeper · #**107** Posted **Apr 8, 2009, 12:46 PM**

The Rail Runner in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

harryc · #**108** Posted **Apr 8, 2009, 11:58 PM**

CTA

photoLith · #**109** Posted **Apr 9, 2009, 1:05 AM**

Photos I took while in Eureka Springs, AR last year

harryc · #**110** Posted **Apr 9, 2009, 12:41 PM**

Some real quality stuff guys.

Robert Pence · #**111** Posted **Apr 9, 2009, 2:51 PM**

I don't have anything to add today, but I just wanted to comment that there's some wonderful photography added, lately.

Harryc, the shot of the CTA train with the snow and ice and the frost-coated chain-link fence makes me want to run upstairs and get my parka out of the closet.

Photolitherland, the once-fully-tricked-out, if somewhat bedraggled '51 or '52 Chevy wagon is a great find. Those conversions with flanged wheels are pretty much a thing of the past, replaced by pickups or SUVs with Hi-Rail conversions, flanged wheels that can be lowered to engage the rails, and retaining the standard rubber tires and drive train for highway use.

The earlier railmobile conversions used solid steel wheels, and were almost always done with cars with really slippy automatic transmissions because the steel-to-steel propulsion didn't absorb driveline shocks the way pneumatic tires do, and manual transmissions didn't stand up to the rough service. Disgustingly mushy transmissions like Buick's Dynaflow and Chevy's Powerglide were well-suited. Starting in the late forties, conversions sometimes used skinny pneumatic tires on flanged wheels.

RBB · #**112** Posted **Apr 9, 2009, 3:29 PM**

I don't have anything that compares to the quality in this thread, but here's what I've got:

These are of South St. Louis - immediately south of the Downtown area, and were taken from the Top of the Riverfront - a revolving restaurant at the top of the Millenium Hotel in downtown STL.

-RBB

harryc · #**113** Posted **Apr 11, 2009, 1:49 PM**

Rob thank you for the discourse on auto/rail conversions, something else I can explain to the kids next opportunity.

RBB those are great.

Rolling parts

Robert Pence · #**114** Posted **Apr 12, 2009, 5:14 AM**

More fun stuff; East Broad Top RR (narrow gauge), Orbisonia, PA

This is a Fairmont, aka motor car, aka track speeder. It's named for the company that built them. This is an early version, with a two-stroke gasoline engine. Later ones had more refinements with Kohler engines and optional enclosed cabs, but none have any sort of suspension. Ten or fifteen mph on typical short line or shoestring-budget tourist railroad track makes you think you're gonna' die. The two-cycle engine will run in either direction, so they don't need any kind of reverse gearing to change directions.

Ummmm ...

Jibba · #**115** Posted **Apr 13, 2009, 3:28 AM**

Great adds, all.

RBB, those are great shots. The perspective is great; I love infrastructure shots from above that show all the components of a collective trasportation system all working together.

ls1z28chris · #**116** Posted **Apr 15, 2009, 9:26 PM**

harryc · #**117** Posted **May 3, 2009, 9:48 PM**

Does anyone know the technical name for these ?
There are several 3 and 4 car sets, where the cars share a truck (set of wheels) - so instead of 4 cars having 8 trucks (32 wheels) 4 cars have 5 trucks (20 wheels). Used for containers.

theWatusi · #**118** Posted **May 4, 2009, 12:27 AM**

^multiple unit well car

harryc · #**119** Posted **May 9, 2009, 11:23 PM**

Minato Ku · #**120** Posted **May 11, 2009, 1:40 PM**

Gare de Lyon