On the now-defunct Uintah Railway in Colorado and Utah, there was a section where the trains traveled something like 10 miles to actually go less than one mile up the side of a mountain.
CSSHEGEWISCH Perhaps somebody else can fill in the details but the late Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods RR, the "crookedest railroad in the world", should be considered.
Perhaps somebody else can fill in the details but the late Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods RR, the "crookedest railroad in the world", should be considered.
The train rose from an elevation of 300' to a peak of 2586' in a quadrant of 4mi x 5 mi. It had an eight mile marker at 2500'. The Muir Valley spur had a 2 mile marker originating from the main spur 4 mile marker. To model this system in HO, would take a space 239' by 299' by 26'high...just sayin..
or perhaps Pacific Electrics, Mount Lowe Railway
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Lowe_Railway_map.jpg
Boyd What RR line in the past or present has the longest route in track miles going the shortest distance as the crow flies? I'm guessing it would be in a hilly or mountainous area.
What RR line in the past or present has the longest route in track miles going the shortest distance as the crow flies? I'm guessing it would be in a hilly or mountainous area.
Or the highest elevation over the shortest distance such as an incline railway?
In the United States, I would nominate Manitou & Pikes Peak or the Mount Washington Cog RR. There would be numerous contenders in Europe and elsewhere.
Originally the Northern Pacific route from the Twin Cities to Duluth involved going to Staples and then turning east and taking the original NP mainline to get to Duluth. Their route was something like 300 miles; eventually in 1900 they bought the St.Paul & Duluth RR whose direct route was only about 150 miles.
From the Friends of Mt. Tam site:Construction detailsThe original railroad road bed of the Mill Valley & Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway was 8.19 miles long with 22 trestles and 281 curves. The longest straight stretch was in the middle of the Double Bow Knot, the halfway point, a distance of 413 feet. The rails were 57 pound steel with redwood ties. Work crews averaged 200 men, mostly European immigrants, who carved the railroad grade by hand with picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and blasting powder from mountain rock. The cost of construction was reported to be $55,000, with another $80,000 for equipment. Original equipment consisted of one Shay engine of 20 tons, one Heisler engine of 30 tons, six open canopied cars, one San Francisco cable car and two flat cars. Regular operations began August 27, 1896. The grade averaged 5% while the steepest part, just down the grade from the summit a short distance, was a “modest” 7%.https://www.friendsofmttam.org/railroad/history.html
abdkl From the Friends of Mt. Tam site:Construction detailsThe original railroad road bed of the Mill Valley & Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway was 8.19 miles long with 22 trestles and 281 curves. The longest straight stretch was in the middle of the Double Bow Knot, the halfway point, a distance of 413 feet. The rails were 57 pound steel with redwood ties. Work crews averaged 200 men, mostly European immigrants, who carved the railroad grade by hand with picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and blasting powder from mountain rock. The cost of construction was reported to be $55,000, with another $80,000 for equipment. Original equipment consisted of one Shay engine of 20 tons, one Heisler engine of 30 tons, six open canopied cars, one San Francisco cable car and two flat cars. Regular operations began August 27, 1896. The grade averaged 5% while the steepest part, just down the grade from the summit a short distance, was a “modest” 7%.https://www.friendsofmttam.org/railroad/history.html
You forgot to mention the gravity cars....
Have we considered the Denver and Rio Grande line from Denver to Walsenburg, to Alamosa, Antonito, Chalma, Durango and Silverton.
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