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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:19 AM

If not Cincy I think it must be Columbus whose streetcar track gauge was 5'-2". There were several sections of dual gauge on which standard gauge interurbans also operated. I don't know if there were others, but the interurbans I know of were the Scioto Valley Traction and the Columbus Deleware & Marion.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, August 20, 2012 3:41 AM

You got a winner who came up with two correct answers!

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, August 20, 2012 6:41 AM

KCSFan has the  answer I was looking for.  While Cincinnati did have some dual-gauge track the interurban lines avoided city lines as much as they could due to dual overhead wire. 

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, August 20, 2012 9:02 AM

What two railroads rostered the largest numbers of Baldwin center-cab diesel locomotives? How many did each road buy and what were their model numbers?

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, August 20, 2012 12:19 PM

EJ&E had 26 DT-6-6-20s in two slightly different models, one (one unit) with a pair of non-turbo 608NA engines and 25 with 606SC engines.  About half of the 606SC versions were re-engined by EMD with most of the remainder getting upgraded 606A baldwin engines.  Some of the EMD-repowered units lasted into the mid-1970s.  The repowered units had EMD switcher hoods with upward slopes to the cab and a sharp taper at the bottom (matched with bent handrails) to fit the Baldwin frames.

PRR had all but one of the RT624's (around two dozen) built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton.  Pennsy also had all of Lima's centercab production.  I can't imagine that any of these were crew favorites, and I don't think any of them lasted into the PC era.

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, August 20, 2012 3:00 PM

Correct and the next question is yours.

The difference is of little consequence but my source shows that the "J" bought only 24 of the total 46            DT-6-6-20's that were built. While Baldwin billed the RT-624 as an improved version of the DT-6-6-2020 they were able to sell only 24 of them, 23 to the PRR and a single other unit to the Minneapolis Northfield & Southern.

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, August 20, 2012 6:23 PM

The Second Diesel Spotters' Guide say the EJ&E had 100 (608NA) and 101-126 (606SC) making 27.  The site http://www.ejearchive.com/page_dieselroster.html concurs, so I was wrong, too. Looks like 14 were re-engined by EMD.  In a wierd renumbering move, units rebuilt by Baldwin (608A) got the first digit changed to 7, by EMD to 9, with missing numbers in both blocks.  The MN&S RT624 was technically on the roster when Soo got the MN&S, but was stored unserviceable. The DSS&As were long gone by then.

When the Soo Line merged (WC, MStP&SSM and DSS&A) in 1960, the resulting company had 236 locomotives.  Only one locomotive in the fleet had dynamic brakes.  Why was that one different?

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 3:44 AM

I presume the Deluth South Shore and Atlantic had one dynamic brake equpped transfer locomotive or switcher to handle ore dock transfer moves,

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 6:26 AM

It may have been used in dock moves, but it was just part of the pool.   Hints:  The DSS&A was always looking for bargains, even in "new" power.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 4:03 AM

Possibly they picked up a demonstrator equipped with DB's?

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 6:50 AM

Correct.  The DSS&A's only AS616 was BLH's demonstrator.  The Soo didn't get any DB equipped units of its own until the mid 1970s.  Some of the FP7s and passenger F7Bs owned by the MSPSSM and WC were ex-demonstrators built with DBs, but they were removed before Soo service.

As a side note, DSS&A's Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500s only had MU connections on the short hood end.

Your question.

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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, August 24, 2012 4:56 AM

Name all the three-foot gauge common-carrier steam-operated railroads that connected with the D&RGW's three-foot lines after conversion of the D&RGW's Denver lines to standard gauge and interchanged frieght cars with the D&RGW narrow gauge.   Name the connecting points and the points most distant from the D&RGW connections they served.

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, August 24, 2012 7:22 AM

Dave, I'll take a shot at it. In my list the first towns shown are the connection with the D&RGW followed by the most distant points they served.

Colorado & Southern: Leadville - Denver & Georgetown

Florence & Cripple Creek: Florence - Cripple Creek

Rio Grande Southern: Durango - Ridgeway

Silverton Northern: Silverton - Anias Fork

Silverton Gladstone & Northerly: Silverton - Gladstone

Denver South Park & Pacific: Buena Vista & Leadville - Denver

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Friday, August 24, 2012 8:58 PM

Mark...  Not the F&CC.    I think that connection was with the Midland Terminal, or previously the Colorado Midland.    Also, that would be Animas Forks.     And don't forget the 3rd little line in the Rainbow Route, the Silverton RR.      

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Posted by narig01 on Friday, August 24, 2012 10:15 PM

Just a question were their any narrow gauge connections at Grand Junction?

By the way during the latest updates all the automatic replies have to be reset.

Thx IGN

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, August 25, 2012 5:49 AM

Buck's comments lead me to revise my list as follows:

Delete the Florence and Cripple Creek since its connection at Florence was with a standard gauge line of the Rio Grande.

Add the Silverton Railway: Silverton - Albany

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Saturday, August 25, 2012 10:00 PM

IGN asked about narrow gauge connections at Grand Junction.  Well, maybe way way back when this was the Rio Grande Western , but this part of what was to become the D&RGW was standard gauged early on.  

OR

I would have mentioned the Uintah Ry.     Cool

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, August 26, 2012 3:52 AM

Correct, about Grand Junction.   The original Salt Lake line was narrow gauge through Marshall Pass and Ridgeway to Grand Junciton and a separate railroad, three rail eventually and jointly owned by Denver and Rio Grand and the Colorado Midland from Grand Junction to Salt Lake Cityi, the Rio Grand Western Railroad.  When the Tennesse Pass standard Gauge route was built and Denver - Pueblo narrow gauge rail removed, the D&RG and RGW merge dto the D&RGW.

 

In additonal to connecting at Durango,the RGS also connected with the D&RGW standard gauge to Grand Junction and narrow gauge Marshall Pass line to Pueblo, fomring part of the Narrow Gauge Circle.   I forget the name of the locaton where the line NORTH from Alimosa met the Marhsall Pass line, and someone can remindme.

 

The Uinta railroad may have been built while the RGW was still three rail.   Someone can check on that.

 

The Denver Souoth Park and Pacific and the Colorado Southern narrow gauge were essentialliy the same railroad, at least the Leadville - Denver line was the same railroad.   Just hink, the last narrow gauge into Denver was not D&RGW but was owned by the Burlington System, and the Pioneer Zerphyr did meet a narrow gauge passenger train at Denver Union Station.

 

OK KCS, the nest is yours.

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, August 26, 2012 8:50 AM

 

Dave, The RGS only ran as far north as Ridgway leaving it some 20 odd miles short of a possible connection with the Marshall Pass line. However at Ridgway it did connect with the Rio Grande's Ouray Branch that ran off the Marshall Pass line at Montrosde.

On to a new question.

With the exception of tourist railroads, roller bearings have eliminated such things as journals, cotton waste, hot boxes and car knockers from our glossary of railroad terms. My question is when were roller bearings first used on passenger and freight cars? Name the year(s), the type of cars and railroad(s) which owned the cars on which they were first applied.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Sunday, August 26, 2012 9:22 PM

One final Rio Grande shot here.   Dave mentioned the Marshall Pass line....the place of connection with the Gunnison (or Marshall Pass) line was Mears Junction.   Further on, the connection to the Monarch Branch was at Poncha Junction.

I almost loathe to admit it, but at one time my head was 3'-0" gauge.   

Ok...onto Mark's question.

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, August 27, 2012 7:49 AM

FlyingCrow

I almost loathe to admit it, but at one time my head was 3'-0" gauge.   

Ok...onto Mark's question.

Better to be narrow gauge than narrow minded.

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, August 27, 2012 4:37 PM

I need to add that I'm looking for the first use of roller bearings in revenue passenger and freight service in the US. I don't know but they could have been used earlier in Europe or elsewhere and/or in non-revenue service.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 4:52 AM

KCSFAN is right, but I considered the whole line to Ouray as part of the Marshall Pass line.   The point that the RGS connected with D&RGW narrow gauge at Ridgeway stands, however, and there was also the D&RGW standard gauge line from Ridgeway north to Grand Junction.   I think this may have been abandoned in the 1970's, or is it operated by a short line?

 

I think the new question is a good one, and rather than guess, I will wait for someone who has the right info at hand and can come up with definite answers.   However, I would suspect that the first passenger carrying railroad rolling stock in North America may have been the Twincoach experimental streetcar of 1929, a demonstrator. 

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 9:07 AM

Dave, the demo streetcar you mention was not the one - the first passenger car to ride on roller bearings debuted a few years prior to 1929.

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Posted by narig01 on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 10:27 AM

According to Tinken's(roller bearing) web site their 1st railroad use was in 1925.                                                                            Rgds IGN   a   

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 11:19 AM

narig01

According to Tinken's(roller bearing) web site their 1st railroad use was in 1925.                                                                            Rgds IGN   a   

Actually their first use on both passenger and freight cars was prior to 1925. I believe these were demontrations to show the feasability of applying roller bearings to railroad cars but haven't been able to confirm this point.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 3:53 AM

I wonder if any of  the McKeen gas-mechanical motor cars used roller bearings, and if it was the first passenger carrying rail equipment to do so.

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 4:27 AM

Here's a hint. The first passenger car equipped with roller bearings was an interurban.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 10:19 AM

Could it have been one of the Indiana Railroad's predicessors, say Union Traction, the Interstate, or Indiana Public Service?  Or Terre Haute and Eastern?

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:20 AM

Lehigh Valley Transit 800?

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