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To Clear Freight Trains for the right way of Amtrak!!!

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Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 8:37 AM
The USA made one that I know of.  As I recall it was called Big Bertha and was a modified 16"gun from a battleship. It's sole purpose was to lob atomic bombs at the enemy since those guns have a range of about 16 miles. Missles made it obsolete very quickly. Fortunately it was never used.  The gun in the picture is not it and is definitely German in origin.
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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, September 22, 2008 9:27 PM
Look at the buffers--it's European, not American or Canadian. The paint reminds me of German camouflage.

Johnny

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Posted by Awesome! on Monday, September 22, 2008 6:45 PM
Can a switcher be able pull this tonnage?
http://www.youtube.com/user/chefjavier
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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, September 22, 2008 6:10 PM
Harvey:  Looking at the rail closely it appears to be very light weight. Don't know european weight measurements --  can anyone be more specific??
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Posted by HarveyK400 on Monday, September 22, 2008 1:40 PM

I hate to rouse you from your dream.

First, I'm just guessing this was a German railway artillery piece (Gothic lettering font) that may be in a museum if around at all.  Even if it is around, the shells wouldn't be. 

The railway gun also doesn't shoot around curves or through hills to clear the track.  There is a danger of damaging the track from both the exploding shell and subsequent derailment.  Furthermore, it may take more than a few shots to completely remove an opposing train from the tracks.

I love the way the gun and carriage bows the rail.

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Monday, September 22, 2008 11:18 AM
Don't laugh.  The new FRA standards will require one of these at each end of a push-pull passenger train.

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by oltmannd on Monday, September 22, 2008 9:35 AM
m1v1 = m2v2

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by ndbprr on Monday, September 22, 2008 8:39 AM
Those big guns were from WW2 and limited where they could be used due to being on the rails.  I often wondered what would happen if they fired one and forgot to set the brakes.  How many miles would they have rolled before stopping?
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Posted by Nataraj on Sunday, September 21, 2008 8:15 PM
LOL...
Nataraj -- Southern Pacific RULES!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The GS-4 was the most beautiful steam engine that ever touched the rails.
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To Clear Freight Trains for the right way of Amtrak!!!
Posted by Awesome! on Sunday, September 21, 2008 3:37 PM

Blindfold [X-)]http://www.mdrails.com/images/anzio_annie_railway_gun.jpg

I think Amtrak need one this baby to clear the obstacles that RR place in from of them.

http://www.youtube.com/user/chefjavier

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