ahem...

[Mookie]

Are we all still a group?

Mookie has been busy cleaning and storing her fur for the summer.

Really fast - saw - BNSF - 2701 - GP39 - moving something around

Saw the back end of I think a MOW - had lots of empty rail haulers and something with "Buffer Idler" printed on it. Mudchix?

Saw a NS - whiteface. Couldn't get close enough to see # - but it was ugly. It was almost all white with just a little black - and no one looks that good in all white!

Saw #6199 BNSF - SD9-3 - had 62 cars pushing them around to make up a train. And then the usual coal and freight as usual.

Saw a sign go by - something about the EOT and dead - anyone know what it may have said?

And the driver had two questions - the brand new GE AC's - have a chain on the rear set of trucks. It seems to be looped around. Any thoughts?

And if the Big Boys went up Sherman Hill - how did they get them back down?

I imagine that would be some process. Anyone have a short history lesson in them?

Mookie

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Are we all still a group?

Mookie has been busy cleaning and storing her fur for the summer.

Really fast - saw - BNSF - 2701 - GP39 - moving something around

Saw the back end of I think a MOW - had lots of empty rail haulers and something with "Buffer Idler" printed on it. Mudchix?

Saw a NS - whiteface. Couldn't get close enough to see # - but it was ugly. It was almost all white with just a little black - and no one looks that good in all white!

Saw #6199 BNSF - SD9-3 - had 62 cars pushing them around to make up a train. And then the usual coal and freight as usual.

Saw a sign go by - something about the EOT and dead - anyone know what it may have said?

And the driver had two questions - the brand new GE AC's - have a chain on the rear set of trucks. It seems to be looped around. Any thoughts?

And if the Big Boys went up Sherman Hill - how did they get them back down?

I imagine that would be some process. Anyone have a short history lesson in them?

Mookie

Buffer Idler is probably a car that goes between something and the rest of the train. Cranes some times will have idlers cars that the boom extends over during transit, or cars that carry extended loads (over the coupler) like rail. Also, back in the days of car ferries, idler cars would be used to put distance between the heavy locomotive and the cars being placed on the ferry, so it wouldn't capsize or dislodge the rail alignment to the boat. Basically any time space needs to be created between the special load in question and the rest of the train.

Big Boys usully took the crew van back down the hill, cause it's easier on their knees and ankles. Course, one fell down and broke his crown. [B)]

[mudchicken]

Mooks:

You were looking at an empty rail train, either set up to load/unload 880 Ft. strings of rail (mini rail train) or 1440 ft strings of rail. If there were three power threader cars on one end of the cars, they are out to pick up used rail to be used elsewhere off the mainline. Empty railtrain w/o threader cars are en route back to Pueblo, CO (CF&I/Rocky Mountain Steel Mill) to load up with rail to go elsewhere.

The "Buffer Idler" cars are safety cars, sacrificial lambs actually, that protect the train when it is moving between locations and not working. If a rail string breaks free in the racks, usually the rail tie-down car has a bolt or clamp problem, then the "buffer idler" car gets "speared" by the loose rail instead of the rail spearing a revenue car. Buffer Idler cars are placed on each end of the train during moves and wind up both on the locomotive end if the train is actively unloading rail. (rail is being dumped off the other end). Buffer Idler Cars are either old reefer boxcars filled with sawdust or old open top coal hoppers/ ballast cars filled with sand, dirt or ballast . Also at either end of the rail racks is a strobelight and cage door system that alerts the train crew about loose rail (Acts like a slide fence signal system....if you see a strobe light on the rail racks working, there is a bigtime problem!) before it spears the buffer cars. A typical rail train has 29 rack cars plus a tie-down rack car in the middle, all semi-permanently coupled together. The tie-down car in the middle has a big bridgework frame & deck on it where a man with an air impact wrench can tighten or loosen bolts that hold the rail on the train. You only tie down rail on the train on one car to keep it from binding-up.. Each rail train handles up to 80 strings of rail, enough rail for almost 11 miles of track. Santa Fe's rail trains are silver in color and BN's are primer brown.

Start looking for the power threader and power ramp cars! (the ones with all the machinery on a flatcar (3 total) plus a "pulpit with a cage"....this is where the action is at)

Iron Feathers

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon


Big Boys usully took the crew van back down the hill, cause it's easier on their knees and ankles. Course, one fell down and broke his crown. [B)]

It wasn't me, I'm parked comfortably behind my keyboard, while my name sake is on display at the Forney Museum in Denver.[swg]

Beside, didn't you know Sherman Hill was uphill both ways.[;)]

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

Mooks:

You were looking at an empty rail train, either set up to load/unload 880 Ft. strings of rail (mini rail train) or 1440 ft strings of rail. If there were three power threader cars on one end of the cars, they are out to pick up used rail to be used elsewhere off the mainline. Empty railtrain w/o threader cars are en route back to Pueblo, CO (CF&I/Rocky Mountain Steel Mill) to load up with rail to go elsewhere.

The "Buffer Idler" cars are safety cars, sacrificial lambs actually, that protect the train when it is moving between locations and not working. If a rail string breaks free in the racks, usually the rail tie-down car has a bolt or clamp problem, then the "buffer idler" car gets "speared" by the loose rail instead of the rail spearing a revenue car. Buffer Idler cars are placed on each end of the train during moves and wind up both on the locomotive end if the train is actively unloading rail. (rail is being dumped off the other end). Buffer Idler Cars are either old reefer boxcars filled with sawdust or old open top coal hoppers/ ballast cars filled with sand, dirt or ballast . Also at either end of the rail racks is a strobelight and cage door system that alerts the train crew about loose rail (Acts like a slide fence signal system....if you see a strobe light on the rail racks working, there is a bigtime problem!) before it spears the buffer cars. A typical rail train has 29 rack cars plus a tie-down rack car in the middle, all semi-permanently coupled together. The tie-down car in the middle has a big bridgework frame & deck on it where a man with an air impact wrench can tighten or loosen bolts that hold the rail on the train. You only tie down rail on the train on one car to keep it from binding-up.. Each rail train handles up to 80 strings of rail, enough rail for almost 11 miles of track. Santa Fe's rail trains are silver in color and BN's are primer brown.

Start looking for the power threader and power ramp cars! (the ones with all the machinery on a flatcar (3 total) plus a "pulpit with a cage"....this is where the action is at)

Iron Feathers

Thanx FE - we got there just in time to see the very end of the train - late again!

But you are right - it was the last car.

Moo

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon


Big Boys usully took the crew van back down the hill, cause it's easier on their knees and ankles. Course, one fell down and broke his crown. [B)]

It wasn't me, I'm parked comfortably behind my keyboard, while my name sake is on display at the Forney Museum in Denver.[swg]

Beside, didn't you know Sherman Hill was uphill both ways.[;)]

And your namesake is also parked in Omaha - somewhere. Gotta go find it.

Must be a school house at the top of Sherman Hill -

Moo

[mudchicken]

You are aware that that rascal 4005 moved from downtown Denver out east to Saudi Aurora/ Commerce warehouse complex? The original Forney Museum building, the old Denver Tramway powerhouse, is now an REI retail store.....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:
And the driver had two questions - the brand new GE AC's - have a chain on the rear set of trucks. It seems to be looped around. Any thoughts?

Why is that?
I saw a CN switcher down at Roberts Bank with some chains in the same place? [?]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Yup Mud Chicken, my man on the ground in Denver has me well informed. I hang out on the MR and CTT forums here too. Jkerklo is a toy train fan over on CTT, he lives in Denver. I remember that you live in Colorado too. I haven't been back in years, but the urge is getting stronger. I get the joke about Saudi Aurora.[swg]

I've heard some of the story of 4005's journey across town, it sounded like the worst of it was at the beginning, once they got away from the river, it got better.

I hear that REI got the old building. I've been trying to find out what happened model railroad clubs that were in the basement, especially the HO club. Any clues???

[mudchicken]

Unless some of those folks went out to GoldenCRRM, they could be anywhere. During the survey of the Denver Tramway powerhouse, we discovered that the basement of that place, catacombs and all, has a much larger footprint than the building above. Almost surprised that some of the outside rollingstock didn't take a quick trip to the basement.

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

No no Mook, there is only one 4005. Some of the other 24 big boys are scattered around the country, but this particular one is special to me, that's why I know where it is. Ask Mark Hemphill.[swg]

There are 8 Big Boys preserved in museums across the country.[:)]
4014 is in the Pomona CA. fairgrounds.[8D]

[edblysard]

By the way, Mookie,
Tell the driver the chain on the rear truck is part of the hand brake, it is connected to the brake assemble and the hand brake wheel take up spool.

The reason it runs out o the long "arm" is for leverage, you wind up about two feet of chain to move the brake shoes about a inch!

Ed

[Anonymous]

Cool sighting thanks for sharing your adventures with us

DOGGY

[UPTRAIN]

4006 is in St. Louis. I took pics of the cab once...took 5 of em!!! [:D]

[hogger42]

Saw a sign go by - something about the EOT and dead - anyone know what it may have said?


If it was a BNSF engine, some of them had EOT Deadhead racks in the rear of
the locomotive. I don't really know if anyone ever used them for their intended
purpose.

hogger

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by hogger42

Saw a sign go by - something about the EOT and dead - anyone know what it may have said?


If it was a BNSF engine, some of them had EOT Deadhead racks in the rear of
the locomotive. I don't really know if anyone ever used them for their intended
purpose.

hogger

It was BNSF and I thank you! It was going by so fast - even eagle-eyed driver couldn't read it. Are those the same racks that hang on the side that I so affectionately named - Yellow Thingies?

Mookie

[CShaveRR]

SJ,

When you mentioned the chains on the new units, the first thing I thought of was the handbrake. I remembered that GTW's two RS-1s had similar setups.

But is this something new with the new units, or something that has heretofore gone unnoticed? I have to admit to not paying attention myself. Last time I put on a handbrake, it required about 120 pumps of the handle on an SD38-2...any chain that was visible down below had to have disappeared after that!

BC...time to Runza!

[chemung]

Mookie,the Big Boy and the DD40 are fenced in bteween Omaha Union Station and the Burlington Station on S.10th st.These buildings are just south of the ButterNut coffee building that was gutted by a fire in January.All can be seen from the 10th St. bridge about 8 blocks south of Dodge St.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chemung

Mookie,the Big Boy and the DD40 are fenced in bteween Omaha Union Station and the Burlington Station on S.10th st.These buildings are just south of the ButterNut coffee building that was gutted by a fire in January.All can be seen from the 10th St. bridge about 8 blocks south of Dodge St.

Oo - thanx for info - backing Millie out of the garage!

My Dad was a fireman on one of the big boys for one trip. He explained it all to me (and the driver, of course), but all I could think was how big it was and how could you ever see clear to the nose? For as big as they were, they were really quite simple inside!

Mook

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

SJ,

When you mentioned the chains on the new units, the first thing I thought of was the handbrake. I remembered that GTW's two RS-1s had similar setups.

But is this something new with the new units, or something that has heretofore gone unnoticed? I have to admit to not paying attention myself. Last time I put on a handbrake, it required about 120 pumps of the handle on an SD38-2...any chain that was visible down below had to have disappeared after that!

BC...time to Runza!

If the forum knew what a Runza was - we would have to wipe the drool off the postings! [;)]