Messages

586

General Discussion / Re: Gravity Switching - A Grave Mistake

« on: May 13, 2014, 02:00:32 AM »

In addition to the B&SR, the SR&RL also appears to have employed "flying switch" movements on occasion. The "Sandy River Line" DVD of 1930s film footage by Newell Martin, which is sold by the SR&RL group up in Phillips, includes a short but amazing sequence in which SR&RL #18 (if I remember correctly) is moving northbound into Phillips yard with combine #11, and the engine pulls away into the roundhouse lead while the combine continues up the main by inertia and is brought to a stop in front of the Phillips station with just handbrakes, all in a single continuous movement. However, this was all done on level ground and so is quite different from "gravity braking".

One of the more dramatic historical examples of the "flying switch" I've heard about was on the Long Island RR in the early 1900s, in which eastbound express trains from New York City to resort towns on eastern Long Island in the summer season would be split into two sections in Manorville, NY (which is about 15 miles from my home): the engine and the front half of the consist would continue on the main line to Greenport, NY without stopping, while the rear half would take the line to Montauk, NY and couple onto a second engine that was already accelerating away from the junction! This was all supposed to be done at speed and in such a manner that the passengers were unaware of what had occurred. Not safe at all, but I'm sure it must have been amazing to witness.

-Philip Marshall

587

Work and Events / Re: Top Of The Mountain Siding - Official Work Thread

« on: May 11, 2014, 04:47:29 PM »

Thank you Mike for the map and Brendan for the photos. They're really helpful for those of us "from away" who haven't been up to Top of the Mountain in person yet.

588

Museum Discussion / Re: Van transport needed

« on: May 10, 2014, 04:18:27 PM »

Beautiful work. Is it On2?

589

Work and Events / Re: 2014 Spring Work Weekend

« on: April 27, 2014, 09:01:00 PM »

Great pictures -- especially the builder's plate!

590

Work and Events / Re: 2014 Spring Work Weekend

« on: April 26, 2014, 09:07:33 PM »

Great pictures! Thanks for posting them.

I wish I could be there to pitch in.

Also, that's excellent news about the ROW!

591

Work and Events / Re: WW&F No. 9 - Official Work Thread

« on: April 08, 2014, 04:27:22 PM »

Very interesting. Thanks again Stewart.

592

Maine Narrow Gauge RR Co. & Museum / Re: MNG RR Museum - Moving to Gray Maine

« on: April 07, 2014, 06:36:55 PM »

Though I'm not as familiar with the area as some other people here, I'm not willing to write off the potential of this new site just yet, as I see an interesting precedent for it. The odd suburban location on a state highway with a strip mall and junkyard nearby actually sounds a lot like the situation of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO, which I'm sure we would all agree is a successful museum. The suburbs of Denver are a far cry from Durango or Chama (which offer both scenery and authenticity), but easy highway access and the general excellence of the collection are enough to make it work. If the MNGM can raise the money this will require (and if the building they're planning is really big enough for the needs of the collection), then I'm willing to be optimistic.

If you've never been to the CO RR Museum, then have a look at this Google Maps aerial. The museum property is so compact that it looks like a model railroad layout!
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Colorado+Railroad+Museum/@39.7719516,-105.1934765,269m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x876b856ad616b0d1:0x83523605fa442fc8

593

Maine Narrow Gauge RR Co. & Museum / Re: MNG RR Museum - Moving to Gray Maine

« on: April 07, 2014, 05:19:31 PM »

Will 9,500 sq feet be large enough to bring the whole collection under cover? I'm curious what they have in mind.

594

Work and Events / Re: WW&F No. 9 - Official Work Thread

« on: April 07, 2014, 04:24:09 PM »

The Portland Company spec'd oak decking in some of it's plans.  Number 9 had ash decking when we brought it back to Maine in 1995. We believe that some (or most) of the wood was not the original from 1891, due to rot and damage from accidents.  The wood under the tank was in bad shape so the only pieces we were able to re-use were the outer/edge planks.  The edge planks are important because they are the most visible, are mortised for the cab verticles and drilled for the tension rods.  The edge planks were restored by removing some of the paint, light sanding and the application of linseed oil.  They will be painted black to match the cab and tender tank.

The next step is to cut holes for the two tank sumps (one on each side), the ashpan door lever and the blow down valve control.   

Thanks for the information, Stewart. I was curious because I thought railroad car builders in the 19th century tended to use other hardwoods such as ash and maple more frequently than oak, but I didn't know if this was true for Portland Company practice as well. What woods were used for the cab walls and pilot?

The decking looks amazing by the way.

595

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad / Re: Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Coat of Arms

« on: April 07, 2014, 02:52:38 PM »

Something's funky about that!

Shouldn't it be mirror imaged if it was intented for printing?

Yes, you're quite right. Maybe that's why no one's buying it?

596

Work and Events / Re: WW&F No. 9 - Official Work Thread

« on: April 06, 2014, 03:35:42 PM »

Was the original deck oak as well?

597

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad / Re: Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Coat of Arms

« on: April 04, 2014, 04:35:13 PM »

The challenge now is to locate the logo on a genuine SR&RL timetable or some piece of stationery, which is something I've never seen to date. It appears nowhere on the June 4, 1928 timetable in my own collection, so perhaps it's from earlier?

To that end, someone is currently offering a 1"x1" printer's block for it on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141244586138?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2661&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

598

General Discussion / Re: World status of two-foot gauge Baldwin(ish) locomotives

« on: April 02, 2014, 11:11:47 PM »

Some background on the engine in New Jersey:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30716

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30717&hilit=baldwin+new+jersey

It's in very rough shape, so I appear to have jumped the gun a bit by implying it might be restored, but it does exist.

599

General Discussion / Re: World status of two-foot gauge Baldwin(ish) locomotives

« on: April 02, 2014, 10:16:59 PM »

B&SR No. 8 at MNGRR is also listed as "operational", for what it's worth.
< She is not serviceable or under repair as of this writing. >

Exactly, which is why the "operational" status of other engines on steamlocomotive.info shouldn't be taken as fact. The information may be long out of date, or even entirely incorrect.

600

General Discussion / Re: World status of two-foot gauge Baldwin(ish) locomotives

« on: April 02, 2014, 08:46:58 PM »

The steamlocomotive.info site lists several other two-foot gauge Baldwins around the world as "operational", for example South African Railways No. 62 (4-6-2, Baldwin C/N 42634, 1916) in Randfontein, SA, but I don't know how current this information may be. (B&SR No. 8 at MNGRR is also listed as "operational", for what it's worth.)

http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=16552I

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_NG10_4-6-2

Does anyone know the current status of this beautiful engine? It appears quite similar to the 4-6-2 at Brecon Mountain (which I know is not ex-SAR), and strongly resembles SR&RL No. 23.

I see now that the ex-SAR NG10 4-6-2s have already been discussed here: http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php?topic=1538.0