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[quote user="SactoGuy188"] I think my concerns about electrifying rail lines in the USA comes down to this: the ENORMOUS up-front cost of the installation. I cite the following problems: 1) The cost of putting up many thousands of miles of overhead wiring. And I do mean many thousands of miles.[/quote] In real terms the cost of this has come down, particular with the development of 50KV Electrification in South Africa; a country where a high proportion of its network is electrified. Whilst
A very intersting thred! I think it was MurphySiding who raised the question about self contained industrial lines built to broad gauge to suit local circumstances. Well I do know of such a line, at a nuclear power station in Scotland that is built to the unique (as far as I know) gauge 5' 4". The reason for this gauge is purely and simply that the line's sole purpose is transporting containers containing nuclear material around the site. From a stability point of view the designers
[quote user="dinwitty"] they are not in that kind of condition. 1118 could run again and 1134 is also possible. All the engines when delivered to the scrap yard were in running condition, TLC can bring them back. These engines have along career and N&W took care of them those they kept running. [/quote] Indeed! Some of the restorations done in Britain on locos that spent several decades in Barry scrapayrd is proof of that. Furthermore the seaside location of Barry combined with the
Great pics! Glad you had a good trip! Just digressing slightly, on Saturday last I was at Bristol Temple Meads station. I was lucky enough to see one handful of the Class 57/6 locos First Great Western use to haul sleeping cars on ther London Paddington - Penzance "Night Rivieria" service. (One of the few remaining such trains left in Britain) Just before noon #57 602 "Restormel Castle" showed up from the London direction on a set of sleeping cars. Anyway, the train pulled up
[quote user="jeaton"] Based on what my wife paid for new kitchen counter tops, the railroad might want to put armed guards in the gondolas with those granite blocks. [/quote] In Wales, the newly re-opened Corris Railway, built in 1859 to serve various slate quarries, has for display purposes a flat car loaded with a piece of slate cut to the right shape for a pool table. (One of the few slate quarries in the valley still in business specialises in making slate slabs for pool and snooker
[quote user="alphas"] I was told by a retired VP of the PR years ago that another contributing reason for why the electrification never went west of Harrisburg both right before and then shortly after WWII was some of the coal companies, ones who had the Pennsy as one of their major steam coal customers, threatened to ship all their coal via other rairoads as much as possible if the Pennsy electrified to Pittsburgh. [/quote] Surely the coal companies would WANT them to electrify, as that
[quote user="alphas"] I was told by a retired VP of the PR years ago that another contributing reason for why the electrification never went west of Harrisburg both right before and then shortly after WWII was some of the coal companies, ones who had the Pennsy as one of their major steam coal customers, threatened to ship all their coal via other rairoads as much as possible if the Pennsy electrified to Pittsburgh. [/quote] Surely the coal companies would WANT them to electrify, as that
In Ireland, the preserved Suir Valley Railway near Waterford is a 3' gauge line built on the trackbed of a standard gauge (which in Ireland is 5' 3"!) line. In fact when the preservationist took it over most of the standard gauge was still in place so they just moved one of the rails inward to make it 3' gauge. (all their rolling stock was 3' guage hence the decision to convert the line). As for re-gauging existing rolling stock, the Tal-y-llyn Railway in Wales are the experts
I think where the private sector can help is with financing. One of the more successful aspects of UK rail privitization is that the rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) have financed one or two speculative builds of rolling stock. Even before privitization, British Rail had on occassions leased locomotives, the class 50's for example, from the manufacturers. Also the quarry company Foster Yeoman financed its own wagons and locomotives which were operated by BR staff on secondment.
Some interesting pics there. I will tell the guys on the UK signalling forum at http://www.signalbox.org/forum/index.php as some of them are interested in American practice too. I like the shot of the old lever frame; it looks similar to what we have in our old manual towers over here.
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