Toy train operating and collecting

cnw1995 wrote:

Buckeye, of course you're right, it is I-65. I've never been fortunate to ride the South Shore. Though I'm tempted when the weather breaks to take a 'personal day' and ride it to the SB airport from the Randolph St. station and back. The photos of Little Joes going down the st in Michigan City are breathtaking.  As Jack notes, there's still a fair amount of former trolley track buried in Chicago streets. With the potholes we're getting, I've seen some revealed again.

Doug....I wonder if you could take the South Shore to SB, then head over to Elkhart to see the NYC museum.  The Little Joes going anywhere were neat to watch.  I remember a special train they used to work on the cantanary. It was an odd looking unit.

I know that car, Buckeye, it's been preserved somewhere as it was truly ancient - I've got photos and an article somewhere around here - the Little Joe's sure are huge - one  is preserved at the IRM but I think it is ex-MILW.  I've heard that NYC musem has had some trouble. Not sure how I would get there from the S.B. airport. I've timed it so I could head all the way out and make it back in time to catch my regular train home. I'd have to pay extra for this but I've been musing on riding some other Metra lines too; my pass works on all of 'em.

I plan to ride the CTA's Skokie Swift next month - just for the heck of it out and back-  it runs along ex-North Shore RoW.

Jumijo wrote:

Can a train be pulled over for speeding if it's on a city street? And if the engineer cannot produce a valid license and registration, and get's taken off to jail, who tows away the train? Does it get taken to an impound yard?! Jack, I grew up in New England and there were old rail tracks in the woods behind our home. Remnants, really. They were ancient and hadn't been used in decades. I always thought they were from an old trolley line. But a friend suspects they were a branch line for a now defunct railroad. Jim

Jim,

Do you know what gauge track it was near your house?  There used to be many railroads in the US as that was the major mode of transportation for almost 85 years. There are two major track gauges in the USA, one is the 4ft 8&half inch, the other is 3 ft or narrow gauge. Other info on track used in the USA is that coal mines used a smaller gauge track at times and even used horses to pull the ore cars, back in the early 1800's and late 1700's.

Lee F.

Lee,

I have no idea. That was over 40 years ago. We lived on a steep hill and the B&M ran about 300 yards further down that hill through a cut in the granite. The tracks in the woods were a good 30-50 feet higher than the B&M main line and would not have connected, but did go in the same general direction. Since they were so close to the center part of our town, I always assumed they were old, 19th century trolley tracks. It might make for an interesting hike this summer to see if me and the kids can find those old tracks.

Jim 

Great artical!  I thought it was funny about trains in one town having to stop at red lights

 

 

Alex

Street railroading days are numbered. There is a lot of lobbying going on to outlaw street railroad running. A railroad locomotive cannot avoid a collision like an opposing automobile can. Locomotives can not stop anywhere near as fast as an automobile and they cannot turn at all. Whether the motorist is at fault or not, the fact is people are getting hurt and insurance claims are getting high. It's just too hazardous.

3railguy wrote:

It's just too hazardous.

 

Just Darwin doing his job (not that I'm a defender of Darwin).  Anybody who cannot see a train on the street doesn't need to be driving anyway. 

Portland, Oregon is where new light rail and trolly's are running on the streets.  Many of the new light rail systems are being put in exiting streets.  Portland is the best example, but the preliminary plans for Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus were all partial street systems.  I wished I could remember if the light rail stopped at the signals in Portland.  I do remember walking out of my hotel and waking to the light rail station adjacent to the street.   We then followed the street for several miles until we seemed to be out in the open and then we picked up speed as we headed for the airport.  

http://www.trimet.org/video/max/maxtourhi.mp4

 

To all,

Good article.  I enjoyed it.  I am going to try to get to Bedford the next time I go to Bloomington so I can see the street tracks.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

Mike...Are the tracks at Bedford the old Monon?