Since BART is a diferent gauge "wide" does that make it hard to bring MOW railroad cars and hi-rail equipment?
In general, cars simply need to be retrucked. I suspect that the restricted loading gauge is as much of a barrier. They have a few B-B Plymouths as MOW power.
Are there any other wide gauge transit systems in the U.S. ?
Pittsburgh light rail and New Orleans streetcars use 5' 2.5''.
SEPTA trolley lines and the Market-Frankfort line use 5' 2.25''
In Canada, Toronto streetcars and subway 4'-10-1/2" (or approx.) chosen so that both track unavailable to freight railroad cars AND three-rail track impractical.
MTANYC Subway and Cleveland Rapid Transit(Standerd Gauge) have interchange tracks to connect them to the outside world to the rest of the national railroad network. MTANYC is in Brooklyn NY via Cross Harbor and Cleveland is at East 55 Shops to the Nickel Plate (NS) yard which parallel to it. Not sure about the Chicago EL which had its own freight line up untill the 1970s.
The story I heard was that if Marin County had voted in favor of BART, the line from SF to Marin County would run on the lower "deck" of the Golden Gate Bridge. Since there are some pretty fierce winds blowing through the Golden Gate, a wide gauge would give better stability.
I think the "freight service" issue is s Red Herring, the loading gauge of the tube is likely to be too small for normal freight cars.
CandOforprogress2Not sure about the Chicago EL which had its own freight line up untill the 1970s.
Until recently CTA had an interchange with UP(C&NW) in Evanston where the old local freight line from Mayfair to Evanston crossed under what's now the Yellow Line near the Skokie Shops. UP abandoned it about 2000. The recent delvery of 5000 series cars came on trucks from Bombardier in Plattsburgh NY. CTA maintains (or at least did until very recently) a connection with NS (NYC) near the former Englewood Station leading into the 63rd St. Lower Yard for delivery of rails and other supplies.
Before the North Shore was abandoned CNS&M freights brought in new equipment on flatcars via the CMStP&P interchange in Racine Wisconsin.
The "old" 5000 series cars ordered by CRT were delivered in 1947 via 63rd St (Pullman) and CNS&M (St Louis). They may have been the last cars delivered on their own wheels.
The freight service on CTA to which the troll refers was a contract operation by CRT/CTA which served several coal and lumber yards along the Howard Line from about Buena Ave to Howard St. The service originated when Northwestern Rapid Transit leased that line from the Milwaukee Road, which allowed MILW to discontinue a money-losing local passenger operation. The freight operation was discontinued in 1973.
The Golden Gate Bridge does not have a lower deck. When it was suggested that a lower deck be built for trains , one objection was that the structure could not handle the load. However when the engineering documents were checked it was found that the designers had anticipated adding a deck for trains. I don't think it will ever happen though. There is too much opposition.
The Bay Bridge on the otherhand has a lower deck. It originally had two tracks which were flanked by a single lane on each side which trucks were required to use (one lane for each direction). One night my dad got in the wrong lane on the approach,so we ended up crossing the bridge in the truck lane. Not illegal, but it felt strange to be the only car among the trucks.
When the tracks were removed and the lower deck converted to highway, the vertical clearance on the bridge spans was ok, but they had to reposition the upper deck in the Yerba Beuna Tunnel to increase the clearance. This was done without closing the deck.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
DSchmitt. The Bay Bridge on the otherhand has a lower deck. It originally had two tracks which were flanked by a single lane on each side which trucks were required to use (one lane for each direction). One night my dad got in the wrong lane on the approach,so we ended up crossing the bridge in the truck lane. Not illegal, but it felt strange to be the only car amoung the trucks.
The Bay Bridge on the otherhand has a lower deck. It originally had two tracks which were flanked by a single lane on each side which trucks were required to use (one lane for each direction). One night my dad got in the wrong lane on the approach,so we ended up crossing the bridge in the truck lane. Not illegal, but it felt strange to be the only car amoung the trucks.
Actually, the two tracks were on the south side of the bridge, with 3 lanes for trucks and busses on the north side -- one lane in each direction, and a center, "reversable", lane.
My Dad actually preferred driving on the lower deck -- less traffic amongst professional drivers!
The lowering of the upper deck's floor through the tunnel produced something of a "hump" that can still be felt today.
DragomanThe lowering of the upper deck's floor through the tunnel produced something of a "hump" that can still be felt today.
Wasn't this eliminated when the bridge was rebuilt recently?
DragomanWhether factual or urban myth, I do not know. but it is said that BART's broad gauge was chosen (at least in part) for the same reason. Didn't want the transbay tube being appropriated for freight service.
The Streets of San Fransisco back when everybody had to turn the cable car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mijBMpnS3a4
Back to the Streets of San Fransico in the 1990s when the Cable Car rotation is automated at 1:15
Back to the Streets of San Fransico when Cable Cars turning was automated at !:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axe9oajEwTc
CandOforprogress2Cable Cars turning was automated
I see a man pushing the car.
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CSSHEGEWISCH The freight service on CTA to which the troll refers was a contract operation by CRT/CTA which served several coal and lumber yards along the Howard Line from about Buena Ave to Howard St. The service originated when Northwestern Rapid Transit leased that line from the Milwaukee Road, which allowed MILW to discontinue a money-losing local passenger operation. The freight operation was discontinued in 1973.
I am curious about your comment about a "troll". This seems to be a reference to the post by rcdrye describing CTA's freight operations and connections in Chicago. I'm pretty familiar with this subject, and I was personally involved in the termination of rail service to CTA's Skokie shops. Rcdrye's post is essentially accurate (except for some minor trivia that isn't worth commenting on). Where is the "troll"?
See the post by CandOforprogress (or whatever he calls himself) about a freight operation which petered out in the 1970's.
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