http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/11/20-railroad-investigating-runaway-tank-car-in-pennsylvania
This is interesting 2 observations.
The car activated the crossing gates
The car had a clear signal on other side of bridge and knocked the signal down
Now why does UP & CN need 28 axels on the Amtrak trains to activate theeir signals ?
blue streak 1 http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/11/20-railroad-investigating-runaway-tank-car-in-pennsylvania This is interesting 2 observations. The car activated the crossing gates The car had a clear signal on other side of bridge and knocked the signal down Now why does UP & CN need 28 axels on the Amtrak trains to activate theeir signals ?
Appearantly UP & CN must have Lucas Electric signal systems - the smoke in the systems moves slower than the electrons that NS uses in their signal system.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
From the report:
"Norfolk Southern employees were able to slow the car and board it at a slow speed, when they used a hand brake to stop it, she said."
How were they able to slow it?
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Paul of Covington From the report: "Norfolk Southern employees were able to slow the car and board it at a slow speed, when they used a hand brake to stop it, she said." How were they able to slow it?
Most grades don't continue down forever - when the grade begins to rise then gravity becomes your friend.
BaltACD Paul of Covington From the report: "Norfolk Southern employees were able to slow the car and board it at a slow speed, when they used a hand brake to stop it, she said." How were they able to slow it? Most grades don't continue down forever - when the grade begins to rise then gravity becomes your friend.
A steam-era incident on the Northern Alberta comes to mind.
A crew was doubling the 2% hill out of the Peace River valley. A switching miscommunication at the top caused a string of cars to violently back into their caboose, sending it back down the hill on its own. Apparently it took only 7 minutes to race down the 7 mile hill, and then started up the other side. Obeying gravity, it stalled and started rolling back.
The Peace River station agent had seen it race by, and was ready when it came back.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Yes, but she said "...employees were able to slow the car..."
Paul of Covington BaltACD Paul of Covington From the report: "Norfolk Southern employees were able to slow the car and board it at a slow speed, when they used a hand brake to stop it, she said." How were they able to slow it? Most grades don't continue down forever - when the grade begins to rise then gravity becomes your friend. Yes, but she said "...employees were able to slow the car..."
Knowing the physical characteristics of a territory is a employee tool in knowing where gravity will work for you. After gravity does most of its function, the car is moving slow enough for empoyees to mount the car and apply hand brakes to bring it to a stop. Employees are not Superman - they are not faster than a speeding bullet, they cannot top tall buildings at a single bound - they are mere mortals just like the rest of us.
BaltACDEmployees are not Superman.....they are mere mortals just like the rest of us.
Do poling still done? Are their poling pockets on the newer engines?
From what has been said about the practice, I am glad I was never around when such was done.
I have witnessed a dutch drop onto an interchange track which went wrong because the handbrake on the car failed to stop it; as it was, the car rode over the rabbit and yet stayed on the track. The brakeman ran to the MOW foreman's house (right at the scene) to get the key to unlock the rabbit so the car could be pulled back from fouling the other road's siding.
Johnny
DeggestyDo poling still done? Are their poling pockets on the newer engines? From what has been said about the practice, I am glad I was never around when such was done. I have witnessed a dutch drop onto an interchange track which went wrong because the handbrake on the car failed to stop it; as it was, the car rode over the rabbit and yet stayed on the track. The brakeman ran to the MOW foreman's house (right at the scene) to get the key to unlock the rabbit so the car could be pulled back from fouling the other road's siding.
I think poling pockets disappeared from new built equipment starting sometime in the 30's (I could be mistaken).
Another means used to move cars in tight quarters was to chain the cars, mostly to pull them fom industries
Recall a crew being 'forced' against their better judgement to make a 'Dutch Drop' with the car headed to a customer's track that had several tank cars on spot with loading/unloading appratus attached by their Trainmaster. Hand, while tested, wil minimally effective and the dropped car impacted and knocked the other cars off spot with the resultant mess of loss of product.
Trainmaster charged the crew for failure to control the car. Trainmaster's father had him transferred to the hinterlands of the carrier's system (Trainmaster's father was the President of the carrier).
I noticed poling pockets on GP's (I do not know when they were built) in the seventies.
blue streak 1Now why does UP & CN need 28 axels on the Amtrak trains to activate theeir signals ?
All it takes is one axle shunting to trip the signal. The question is how many do you need to shunt in all conditions for high reliability? In order to get the level of reliability, UP & CN require 28 axles. That would cut through most rust, dust and mud.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
dehusman blue streak 1 Now why does UP & CN need 28 axels on the Amtrak trains to activate theeir signals ? All it takes is one axle shunting to trip the signal. The question is how many do you need to shunt in all conditions for high reliability? In order to get the level of reliability, UP & CN require 28 axles. That would cut through most rust, dust and mud.
blue streak 1 Now why does UP & CN need 28 axels on the Amtrak trains to activate theeir signals ?
Naw - it only supports Lucas Electric's smoke operated theory of electricity.
My EE prof told me, if you let the smoke out, they were no good anymore.
rrnut282My EE prof told me, if you let the smoke out, they were no good anymore.
Yep! That is the Lucas Electrical theory, and practice!
Paul of Covington How were they able to slow it? Yes, but she said "...employees were able to slow the car..."
I don't recommend it, but maybe they got ahead of it (or called on the radio to someone who was) and placed a tie across the rails. The additional friction, both points of sliding, will slow it down. Even if the tie snaps in two, some energy will have been removed. I don't know how fast is too fast for a tack skate.
rrnut282 My EE prof told me, if you let the smoke out, they were no good anymore.
Tried to add a picture of a bottle of liquid smoke for quick electronics repair.
timberlane1 Tried to add a picture of a bottle of liquid smoke for quick electronics repair.
Joseph Lucas "The Prince of Darkness" 1842-1903
A few Lucas quips:
• The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."• Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.• Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.• Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.• The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF. • The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.• If Lucas made guns, wars would not start• Back in the '70s, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.
Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators.
timberlane1Tried to add a picture of a bottle of liquid smoke for quick electronics repair.
I'm glad to say that we have managed to reverse-engineer the formula used in Lucas p/n 530433 using the recognition that P. azurescens lycopodium admixed with the material sourced from Pacaya-Samiria is as effective as the material provided in (discontinued) Sparkfun kit TOL-10622 when adsinicated with tetragammatron radication per pp. 6076-7117 of that product's pocket user's guide.
I will see if I can link a picture once the kits have been contract manufactured.
Just brilliant Overmod! I haven't heard such a consise and cogent technical explanation since this gent walked the earth...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzcE0G_OMDA
I tried to find his routine from "Dive Bomber" but it doesn't seem to be out there.
Too bad, it's classic!
BaltACD Paul of Covington BaltACD Paul of Covington From the report: "Norfolk Southern employees were able to slow the car and board it at a slow speed, when they used a hand brake to stop it, she said." How were they able to slow it? Most grades don't continue down forever - when the grade begins to rise then gravity becomes your friend. Yes, but she said "...employees were able to slow the car..." Knowing the physical characteristics of a territory is a employee tool in knowing where gravity will work for you. After gravity does most of its function, the car is moving slow enough for empoyees to mount the car and apply hand brakes to bring it to a stop. Employees are not Superman - they are not faster than a speeding bullet, they cannot top tall buildings at a single bound - they are mere mortals just like the rest of us.
Now that I know how gravity works and that employees are not supermen, I still want to know how the employees did it.
By the way, you said "Most grades don't continue down forever", from which I infer that there exist some that do. Where are they?
Paul of CovingtonBy the way, you said "Most grades don't continue down forever", from which I infer that there exist some that do. Where are they?
DeggestyFrom what has been said about the practice, I am glad I was never around when such was done.
DeggestyI have witnessed a dutch drop onto an interchange track which went wrong because the handbrake on the car failed to stop it;
Paul of Covington By the way, you said "Most grades don't continue down forever", from which I infer that there exist some that do. Where are they?
Those grades that end up in the drink or into a canyon, will continue down until there is no more track.
Three cars in the creek and room for lots more. Keep shovin'.
While it's never been tested (to my knowledge, anyhow), it is supposed that if a car were to get loose on our Purgatory Hill (named after Purgatory Creek - origin unknown) it might well roll almost all the way to Utica, if it stayed on the tracks. That's about 35 miles.
There's a couple of upgrades that might slow a car substantially (or stop it, depending on a number of factors) but otherwise, it's all down hill...
Of course, if the divariable fribersitcher gets out of synch with the framis, the Johnson rod might suffer some damage....
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Never heard it called that. Learned something new.
BaltACD Yep! That is the Lucas Electrical theory, and practice!
BaltACD Paul of Covington By the way, you said "Most grades don't continue down forever", from which I infer that there exist some that do. Where are they? Those grades that end up in the drink or into a canyon, will continue down until there is no more track.
Yes, but if they end in the drink or into a canyon, then they don't continue forever.
OK, I'll stop now.
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