Unusual trains

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

Just posted a reply on one of the other topics and I thought, hang on, let's see what the other guys know about this.
From my desk at work I watch our west coast main line that links London with Glasgow. One of the more unusual trains is a small freight consisting of 2 loco's - push and pull - and 2 or 3 wagons carring one small tank on each. The train is used to carry nuclear waste, hence the 2 loco's in case of breakdown, but I am sure that not every run is actually carrying the stuff. I am sure that it's only low grade stuff transferring between plants and destined for Sellafield on our west coast. This would be an unusual model in any country/continent.
How about your country guys? What unusual trains do you see? Anything similar? In the states you have army trains - we don't. Ian, what about oz?
Look forward to your replies guys.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Hi Kim
Cannot say I see anything particularly unusual pass by during work.
But we have a thing called a roadrailer it is a strengthend semi trailer with a set of railway wheels and air suspention to get the rail wheels down and road wheels up something like that anyway can't say I paid that much attension to them. though other than to notice the train is geting longer and they are starting to appear on the back of standard freight trains.
The Flying Scotsman and Pendenis Castle standing on the main Kalgoorlie platform was unusual why is it you never have the dollars or a roll of film when you want them?
regards John
in West OZ

[Anonymous]

Hi Kim
I,m very lucky in that I live half a mile from the Kent & East Sussex railway.When I sit on the deck in the evenings I can hear them struggling up the hill to Wittersham.Added bonus is that I have real steam sounds for my locos.One of my colleagues at work is a volunteer driver and one summer my 2 sons and I were allowed to go down and drive one.Pure bliss.Troy

[Anonymous]

Nice one guys,
Another nice little set up here in the Uk is the track inspectors car. It's a coach of, I think, the 60's with one end of the coach adapted into a salon with windows in the end and painted in LMS crimson lake. I once saw it close up at Derby stationand I have seen it being used on the west coast main line. The salon section has 2 swivel leather armchairs on each side centered over the rail with a conference desk/dining table behind. The centre section is a fully equipped galley and the forward section is, I think, sleeping compartments. The coach operates on its own pulled by whatever loco is available and the track inspectors sit in the armchairs looking backwards at the track and listening to the rail noise. The train pulls over for meals and I suspect the crew overnight in the coach. I suspect that this exists in many guises around the world and if it has/does in America it would be worth bashing a Bachmann coach around to model.
If any of you guys in the states have a picture of anything like this I would appreciate a look at it & i'll have a go.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[bman36]

Kim,
Our lines are watched over by Sperry (spelling?) Rail Service. It is a self propelled unit. Has all kinds of neat gadgets for checking track. I often see it on the main lines while travelling the prairies. I know they are made for HO but I have not seen one for Large Scale. That would be quite the project. I imagine as more people model modern mainline stuff the chances of one being produced will grow. We also have a unit run by the Greater Winnipeg Gas Co., which is no more. The unit sits idle now as a museum piece but I really don't know what it is. Could be diesel/electric or gas/electric. Weird looking thing to me. Should go and take pics. one day and send em' off to ya'. Also in the same yard are a couple of Alco SW2's sitting very high on the trucks. For what reason, I don't know. I can only wonder if they are being dismantled and this is part of it. Ever see a car when the engine is removed and the nose sits high on the springs??? That is the way these look. Getting a snow storm today...oh joy oh bliss...Not as bad as some parts of Canada though. Ours is mostly rain/snow. Time to go down to the workshop. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

I know this is (slightly) off topic but, when I was in the 3rd Grade I used to day dream about catching southbound train to the Rio Grande Valley. I use to be able to see short trains passing through Premont.

Those sounds have been silent a long time, they took up the trak about a year or so later. [:(]

[Anonymous]

Hi Captain,
Nothing off topic about this. If you're of an age to remember steam as an everyday item then, in my opinion, you can count yourself as very, very lucky. I miss it and I remember some wonderful journies on rails long gone. Troy mentioned that he lives very near to one of our preserved railways & listens to steam from his deck..............bliss!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Kim

Here near Houston, Texas we have what is call a High Rail or in other words a truck that can come on and off the tracks. I don't have a web site just yet so not pictures, sorry [:(]
I do have several early model to now model photos.
A man sometimes know as the Roadmaster makes checks along his section/s of tracks. Our guy comes every Wednesday.
And every night three trains carry nuclear waste to the Port of Galveston.
Makes me think there dumping it in the ocean[?]

[Anonymous]

Bluebonnet - 3 trains per night for nuke waist!! You don't realise how much is generated on a world wide basis and, weapons apart, they use it for boiling water! If they're dumping that in the sea we'll be having a lot of the Simpsons 3 eyed fish.
Keep it coming guys, there must be something out there that's worth bashing a Bachmann for.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Kim

I can let you know that the research of the Texas part of the Santa Fe RR photos show different locos that a Bachmann ba***hat one would have to do if he/she would want it to be correct or time correct.
And boy would I love to [:p][:p][:D]

[Anonymous]

Hi Kim
Have a look at the Colonies narrow gauge a lot of stuff of US apearance was built in Birmigham.
Vice regal or Royal coach, perhaps LMS early Pullman coach.
Bash it into something very loosely based on the Leek and Manifold coaches or Wisabech and Upwell coach.
Titfield Thunder Bolt bar car complete with drunk patron.perhaps.
time for tea I think.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that John, I have a book on the Leek & Manifold somewhere. I like the idea of an American version of the Titfield Thunderbolt bar coach. For those who don't know that film it's an old Ealing Studios classic (1952) with John Gregson, Sid James, Stanley Holloway and a steam engine - wonderful.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Well as I have an opinion on everything, what about this. I was lying in my bunk in my boat (when I had it) and I heard the noise of the horn or whistle of a steam loco and I said to my wife I havent heard that sound for decades and i could even smell lignite (brown coal) burning, which I also gadn't smelt for decades. Considering we were moored in a National Park miles from anywhere this was unusual indeed. I went up on deck and there it was steaming past, a vintage steam powered ferry.

The other train that i think is pretty unusual is "The Ghan", It is 2 miles long and covers the trip from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin in the Northern Territory; 2000 miles in 3 days. This is a new railway line and has the longest straight stretch of north south railway line in the world. It is called the Ghan as it follows the route set out 150 years ago by Afganistahny camel drivers which it replaced.

Hope this is of interest.


Aussie Ian

[Anonymous]

Nothing but grain hoppers and bouble stacks around the twin cities.
I do have our new light rail line only a half block from where I work so get to see that being test run every day. The line is scheduled to start public operation on June 26th so will get a chance to ride it then.

Larry T.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bluebonnet - 71

Kim

Here near Houston, Texas we have what is call a High Rail or in other words a truck that can come on and off the tracks. I don't have a web site just yet so not pictures, sorry [:(]

At this time I am tryn to get a free train web hosting site. Then I can place those photos up.

[vsmith]

Unusual Trains?

I saw something unusual this weekend..

A "real" Frieght Train! A couple of old rusty SP engines that Uncle Pete hasnt gotten around to scrapping or repainting, hauling a mixed string of rusty freight cars, even c had a caboose on it!

See so many intermodal trains around here a real freight train is a rare sight indeed.

[Anonymous]

Hi Vic,
A caboose?! I thought all of these had vanished into railroaders back yards. Where there any roadnames on these freight cars, especially the caboose. I have a weakness
for these little items and I wish I had a real one.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]