I live in the Poconos, (Pa.). Delaware Lackawanna runs a short line through the area. I have been trying to find out what the twenty two little motorized cars were doing when they traveled the whole (?) line on a cold Oct. or Nov. day, over a year ago. I was lucky enough to see them travel in both directions. some open air, some enclosed. Any ideas?
These are probably privately owned 'motor cars' which is what railroaders called them. The private owners call them 'speeders' and this was likely an organized group who take these trips peroidically. They make an 'Agreement' with the owner of the track to operate when the owner is not operating trains. They are required to have adequate insurance before the track owner allows them on the property.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
When I lived in Poughkeepsie, New York from 1979 to 1995, there was an active club that restored and operated Fairmonts on various unused rail lines in the areas west of the Hudson River- these are probably those guys.
NARCOA is quite organized when it comes to these speeder trips - they have their own radio channel, bosses, specific rules, etc. Here's a group headed out of Thendara Station enroute to Lake Placid on the Adirondack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_osWIgNirEM
The black specks you see are blackflies - it was that time of year...
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...
Ah, yes, speeders. I do not know when I last saw one; now, almost anybody who has work to do along the right of way travels by truck.
I did get a short ride on one about 55 years ago, when I lived across the street from the main line of the Main Line of Mid-America. One say I saw a signal maintainer working on the battery that was connected to a crossover switch (which of course, was connected to the ABS circuit), went over to talk with him--and when he had finished his task invited me to go with him for some coffee, and we rode his speeder to as close to a certain cafe as we could.
I am sure that there are many people interested in railroading who have never seen a speeder, much less ridden one.
Johnny
tree68 NARCOA is quite organized when it comes to these speeder trips - they have their own radio channel, bosses, specific rules, etc. Here's a group headed out of Thendara Station enroute to Lake Placid on the Adirondack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_osWIgNirEM The black specks you see are blackflies - it was that time of year...
We older lads, eighty seven, rode them without the cover, windshield other than a canvas one, no radio, relied on line up from the dispatcher and timetables, and operated on tracks with trains at 90+ MPH. Like Dodge City to La Junta when there were many passenger trains and a 'fast mail'. And then there were the green flag additional passenger trains.
diningcarWe older lads, eighty seven, rode them without the cover, windshield other than a canvas one, no radio, relied on line up from the dispatcher and timetables, and operated on tracks with trains at 90+ MPH. Like Dodge City to La Junta when there were many passenger trains and a 'fast mail'. And then there were the green flag additional passenger trains.
And some wonder why the carriers have moved on to absolute authorities for MofW being on track.
The advantage of a Speeder in those days was that a man could move it off track by himself virtually anywhere - the same cannot be done with a hi-rail truck.
When I moved to Toronto in 1995 there was a CPR locomotive shop on Keele st just south of St. Clair Avenue. I drove around it once and there were over 40 Fairmonts sitting on the grass behind the shed. Most all had full cabs with split windshields like the third and fifth ones in the video. I wondered where they all went when the building was demolished in 1996.
For more motorcar information on safe and legal excursions go to Narcoa.org and railspeeders.com. You will find trip announcements, speeders for sale and how to become a member of Narcoa.
Narcoa- yeah, those were the guys back in New York. Looks like they're doing OK. It would be nice to own a Fairmont, but even better is to have a friend who takes you for rides on his.
The NARCOA.com linked @ https://www.narcoa.org/
Website offers all kinds of information on this organization.
In the past out here in Kansas NARCO has spondored trips on the weekends on some of the WATCO rails. { Heart of the Heartlands RRClub offers events see linked @ http://www.heartlandstrainclub.org/motorcarexcursions.html
Another website mentioned in this thread is Rail Speeders.com @ http://www.railspeeders.com/
BaltACD diningcar We older lads, eighty seven, rode them without the cover, windshield other than a canvas one, no radio, relied on line up from the dispatcher and timetables, and operated on tracks with trains at 90+ MPH. Like Dodge City to La Junta when there were many passenger trains and a 'fast mail'. And then there were the green flag additional passenger trains. And some wonder why the carriers have moved on to absolute authorities for MofW being on track. The advantage of a Speeder in those days was that a man could move it off track by himself virtually anywhere - the same cannot be done with a hi-rail truck.
diningcar We older lads, eighty seven, rode them without the cover, windshield other than a canvas one, no radio, relied on line up from the dispatcher and timetables, and operated on tracks with trains at 90+ MPH. Like Dodge City to La Junta when there were many passenger trains and a 'fast mail'. And then there were the green flag additional passenger trains.
I'll never forget an AAR safety poster tacked on the wall of the RI depot I frequented in my youth. A picture of a speeder going down the track, being chased by a train. Two guys riding the speeder, one asks the other "Have you checked your (train location) Line-Up lately?" Of course the local sectionmen had written in names for the riders, names of MOW officials.
Jeff
jeffhergert BaltACD diningcar We older lads, eighty seven, rode them without the cover, windshield other than a canvas one, no radio, relied on line up from the dispatcher and timetables, and operated on tracks with trains at 90+ MPH. Like Dodge City to La Junta when there were many passenger trains and a 'fast mail'. And then there were the green flag additional passenger trains. And some wonder why the carriers have moved on to absolute authorities for MofW being on track. The advantage of a Speeder in those days was that a man could move it off track by himself virtually anywhere - the same cannot be done with a hi-rail truck. I'll never forget an AAR safety poster tacked on the wall of the RI depot I frequented in my youth. A picture of a speeder going down the track, being chased by a train. Two guys riding the speeder, one asks the other "Have you checked your (train location) Line-Up lately?" Of course the local sectionmen had written in names for the riders, names of MOW officials. Jeff
I seem to recall a TV ad several years ago for a battery company with the point being 'when it absolutely HAS to start' use our battery.
The scene showed a hi-rail truck on a high level bridge in one clip and a train 'thundering' down the railroad - so as to lead the viewer to surmise that the hi-rail on the bridge had to get off the bridge in the face of the train.
This commercial was aired long after 'Track Car Line Ups' STOPPED being the method of operations for getting MofW personnel on the track.
On the NARCOA website (mentioned in another reply) there is an "Excursions" tab. Click on this and you will find a list of future excursions (which you can peruse to find upcoming events in your area), and past excursions, where you can find a chronological list that goes back over 10 years. I've been riding on NARCOA excursions since 1995. There is a NARCOA sponsored excursion coming up on May 11th & 12th on the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern. I'm signed up to go on it.
Chuck White, Van Wert, OH
The NYS&W, an active shortline, hosted many NARCOA excursions. Their videos are all over Youtube. I don't think the NARCOA likes to use abandoned routes. Embargoed routes, maybe, but you can't support a good safety culture riding abandoned routes. Railbikes, maybe, but not speeders.
aegrotatioThe NYS&W, an active shortline,
I suspect that the Suzie-Q was more accomodating to such events when Walter Rich was at the helm.
tree68 aegrotatio The NYS&W, an active shortline, I suspect that the Suzie-Q was more accomodating to such events when Walter Rich was at the helm.
aegrotatio The NYS&W, an active shortline,
He was. Walter Rich was quite the railfan himself and not afraid to show it, God rest his soul! Taken from us much too soon.
As soon as he passed away that was the end of the fun stuff on the Susie-Q. Strictly business now.
The Susie-Q has an interesting thing at their headquarters in Cooperstown which has lots to see and do as it is. In their parking lot sits a steam locomotive. No tracks around that I can remember but there it was. I don't recall the type either as I was there to see the baseball hall, but still. A Pacific?
54light15 The Susie-Q has an interesting thing at their headquarters in Cooperstown which has lots to see and do as it is. In their parking lot sits a steam locomotive. No tracks around that I can remember but there it was. I don't recall the type either as I was there to see the baseball hall, but still. A Pacific?
If it was 142, it's a 2-8-2. It's now in Phillipsburg, NJ, running on the Bel-Del.
I had the opportunity for a cab ride on her, and briefly fired as well. A friend is a volunteer with the Bel-Del.
https://www.facebook.com/WMSRailroad/photos/pcb.10157034837857970/10157034832782970/?type=3&__tn__=HH-R&eid=ARDMthCzrYKG4kMyCRweH8pDAdhqPKQLejLNOl5nAdBY3njO4sU-etEyJwhSG1KMAjbDEP6zHbEnh3sa&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARD8wgsJkahg6iymtBFNK9ir_H9e2X8mNTAVmEaciosA71GrYgZVdYuAx9QK08R5ZkdwrBvU-SVmJ-BP9C4WklLTTuRbVuTJzN-XrWLNJXsvD_pn0uWU1Y0zgn3OPEyM7aie0Ki32dn-G1NXgd9h0yTVOKUiEqhPZFmYyqcu_iArBpWRUY-higX-GO--il2BEV6cHcJ3B9lLOaxt-ne8kO8L1ceT7CUQgL4eMsUQQWwh6PMxPgHcRxyh-OpSb6u8oxP3wEi3BHuG20HUmH2D1rHknlfezmc80Xh5BQZBd4RPVjAD2QhQks_QJBgGz7b_Klq2cEfJJTWZRlUQJB8d8ZgRbDX2U3J4Eeuj0XTTMUczwFJniA
Western Maryland Scenic RR (site of BaltACD's post above*) would be a good place for a motocar trip. Well-maintained track, scenic (of course!), a decent length tunnel, and a turntable at the far end to save the difficulty of man-handling each car off then back on the rails to turn it around - not all of these trips are "all play and no work". Not too many grade crossings, either.
- PDN.
*Motorcar painted in CSX colors - looks relatively modern, fully-enclosed cab.
Paul_D_North_Jr...man-handling each car off then back on the rails to turn it around.
Most of the small speeders aren't hard to turn at a crossing or other such platform. The big ones (more like buses - 8-10 passengers) would certainly be a challenge to turn, though.
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