Author Topic: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!  (Read 13077 times)

Stephen Hussar

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Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« on: January 08, 2009, 10:03:06 AM »
ok, put on your "I can't believe they run that fast on that track" glasses, and click here: http://vimeo.com/2578284

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2009, 10:33:56 AM »
Wow. I was waiting for the loco to tip over. Also liked the livestock playing chicken with the train. Great clip!
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John McNamara

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2009, 11:53:57 AM »
The telephoto lens emphasizes the imperfections in the track. In particular, the track looks substantially better when the camera widens out just after the "chicken scene". That said, it's still terrible!

Allan Fisher

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2009, 01:01:18 PM »
Having worked for Penn Central during the worst of the deferred maintenance, and also having read Earl Keef's journals and realizing that he was still operating at 40-45 MPH on WW&F track that was far worse than this in the early 30's, I don't think it is scary at all.
Allan Fisher

Steve Klare

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2009, 01:52:52 PM »
I kinda like the human EOT device: no cabooses needed there!

Keith Taylor

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2009, 02:23:35 PM »
I've run train much faster than that, and over worse track. In fact, there is an advantage to running fast. On the Lehigh Valley RR's line over Penobscot Mountain in Pennsylvania, there were timetable special instructions that said that if you could not maintain a speed above 30 miles per hour, you had to reduce to 10 mph. This was because with stick rail (with joints...not welded rail) there is what is known as a "critical speed." Critical speed on std. gauge lines is around 14 mph, and this is a speed where the rocking of cars will set up an harmonic motion that will quite literally rock a train off the tracks. Below 10 mph and above 30 mph, you don't develop the bad rocking of the cars. Back to the LVRR, I used to run piggyback trains at 60 mph on tracks where you couldn't see the tracks for the weeds, and the piggy back cars rocked so badly the wheels lifted off the rails. You learned to never look back at the train!
Keith

Ira Schreiber

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2009, 04:01:23 PM »
Love it, Keith.
Telephoto lens does distort but the motion sideways gives away the track conditions.
The chickens playing chicken is priceless.
Where's Dana and his lining bar when you need him?

Stephen Hussar

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2009, 04:43:44 PM »
I know, it's not really as bad as it looks, but when you can't see any ties...you start to wonder what exactly is holding it together! By the way, this is the site I'm hoping to upload my HD Victorian Christmas footage to...as soon as I can figure out the proper compression...

Mike Fox

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2009, 05:44:32 PM »
All I can say is wow. Definately not passenger track. And at the begining of the chicken scene, they are cleaning the firbox. Too bad the didn't do the windows too.
Mike
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Erik Z. Missal

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2009, 06:34:50 PM »
On the Lehigh Valley RR's line over Penobscot Mountain in Pennsylvania, there were timetable special instructions that said that if you could not maintain a speed above 30 miles per hour, you had to reduce to 10 mph. This was because with stick rail (with joints...not welded rail) there is what is known as a "critical speed." Critical speed on std. gauge lines is around 14 mph, and this is a speed where the rocking of cars will set up an harmonic motion that will quite literally rock a train off the tracks. Below 10 mph and above 30 mph, you don't develop the bad rocking of the cars. Back to the LVRR, I used to run piggyback trains at 60 mph on tracks where you couldn't see the tracks for the weeds, and the piggy back cars rocked so badly the wheels lifted off the rails. You learned to never look back at the train!
Keith

Keith,
When I was growing up in the 70's my grandparents lived next to the LVRR wye in Luzerne. There was a platform from an old RR storage barn between their house and the tracks. I have a picture of me and by brothers and sister sitting on the platform with a Penn Central train going by. There was also a steel fab company across the tracks from there. When did you operate in that area?

Erik

Keith Taylor

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2009, 07:46:55 AM »
Erik,
I worked there between 1974 and 1991. Wonderful place to live and work!
Keith

Erik Z. Missal

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2009, 07:03:11 PM »
Keith,
The photos I have is of Erie-Lackawanna #446 SW9, a Penn Central boxcar and a Lehigh Valley caboose. It was taken about 1975 or 1976. We used to run down and wave at the crews when we heard the train coming. :D

Erik

Matt Latham

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Re: Chinese narrow gauge steam video in HD!!
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2009, 07:08:39 PM »
Wow! That video reminds me of the Rock Island tracks in North Fort Worth, just before the Rock stopped running.

Very nice video though. Thanks for the link.
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