The NYC test with the jet powered RDC car M-497 provided technical data on the effects of high speeds on the then current track structure and train components. This one time trial had a direct result in the development of another piece of railroading still in use today, what is it? Also, the original research on this required the modification of another rail piece, what was it?
(Scale of 1 to 10 as to the question, about a 5.)
We have a winner. Manila Rys has the first Universal line locomotives: U12C 2001-2020 and 1001-1010, b/n 32434-32463.
K4sPRR, you get the next question.
The unit sent to Manilla in the Phillipines? Had a modified cab and numbered 2002.
daveklepper The earlest of these road-switchers delivered to Israel Railways?
The earlest of these road-switchers delivered to Israel Railways?
Israel never got any GE's. The country in question is an island country.
The Chilean U9C's were built and delivered in 1957. There are some earlier Universal line locomotives, the country involved is near Asia.
It seems a U9C was the first delivered.
Visión: Revista Internacional (1956)
La Compañía de los Ferrocarriles del Estado de Chile ordena 11 locomotoras más de las diesel-eléctricas de General Electric.... Las once diesel-eléctricas de 900 h.p. pedidas son del Modelo U9C de la nueva linea stándard universal.
Railroad Magazine (1957)
The first completely standardized export locomotive destined for service on a foreign railroad is enroute to Chile from General Electric's locomotive plant at Erie, Pa. She is one of a new universal-type diesel-electric designed to operate all over the world.
Diesel and Gas Turbine Progress (1958)
The first completely standardized export locomotive destined for service on a foreign railroad was shipped recently from General Electric's locomotive plant here enroute to Chile. It is one of a new universal-type diesel-electric locomotive designed to operate on railroads throughout the world. The Chilean State Railways will use a 990 hp unit for narrow-gage mainline passenger and freight service. The first unit, painted the colors of maroon and gray, was shipped by rail to the Port of New York, then by ship through the Panama Canal to Chile. It is the first of eleven Model U9C 990 hp.diesel electrics being built for the Chilean government as part of a $3 million order placed last year.
Tren Diesel Chile info: Numeración Dt-9001 / 11
http://www.trainweb.org/tdc/html/tec/dt9000.html
Mike
FlyingCrow OH...shucks...the UD18's for the N de M then. I was thinking of more of a production line model, which, coincidentally, is the photo of the day on the Classic Trains front page.
OH...shucks...the UD18's for the N de M then. I was thinking of more of a production line model, which, coincidentally, is the photo of the day on the Classic Trains front page.
Close but no cigar. It was beyond North America and was a standard model.
Thank you wanswheel. Good research!
Excerpt from Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of California (1889)
ARCATA AND MAD RIVER RAILROAD.
First railroad in Humboldt County, California. Incorporated in this State, December 15,1854; called Union Plank Walk Rail Track Company. Building the track from Arcata to the flats in Humboldt Bay, to the ship channel, two miles long, for carrying passengers and merchandise. This track was made of wooden rails; gauge, forty-five inches, with a fourwheeled car, drawn by one-horse power. In the year 1875 the railroad was extended from Arcata northeast three quarters of a mile to Jolly Giant, for the purpose of hauling lumber from the mill to the wharf. In the year 1876 the railroad was extended northwest to the "Dolly Varden Mill," one half mile from Arcata, for hauling lumber. During these years all lumber and merchandise were hauled on wooden track rails, four by four pine, on cars drawn by a horse. This year they built the first steam dummy, called the "Black Diamond," working by two oscillating engines, pulling about six cars on a level track; capacity of cars, two thousand five hundred feet.
http://books.google.com/books?id=IDRWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA20
Excerpt from Southern Pacific Bulletin (1920)
To the Sacramento Valley Railroad is usually accorded the honor of being the first constructed west of the Rocky Mountains; but this property belongs to the Cascade Railroad. The Sacramento Valley, however, was the first in California, and the first for a number of years in importance. This was constructed in 1855 and 1856, from Sacramento to Folsom, a length of twenty-two and a half miles, and at a cost of $1,100,000-a very large sum, considering the level country over which it was made.
The Sacramento Valley and Placerville Railroad is an extension of the first, running from Folsom to Shingle Springs, in El Dorado county, a distance of twenty-six miles.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Fxc9AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA22
Excerpt from Overland Monthly (1875)
He [Theodore D. Judah] talked and wrote about a transcontinental line long, probably, before anyone on this coast seriously entertained the idea of ever investing a dollar in the project. Educated at the Troy Engineering School, and having been resident engineer on the Connecticut River Railroad from Northampton to Vernon in Massachusetts; having surveyed and built the railway from Niagara Falls to Lewiston; having occupied a position as engineer on the Erie Canal; having been resident engineer on the Rochester and Niagara Falls Railroad; and having held the same position on the Buffalo, Corning, and New York Railroad, he was an engineer well instructed in the theory and practice of his profession, and he gave up a lucrative office to come to California to survey and build the Sacramento Valley Railroad - to inaugurate, in fact, railway building on this coast.
http://books.google.com/books?id=LcIRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR2
ALCO-GE sent out seveal all black test locomotive lash ups...the FA's and the DL's. Erie took the FA's while the NH got the DL's.
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narig01 I do not remember the road number. It is shown in the 2md diesel spotters guide. An Erie RR unit. originally built as an export demonstrator. Ended up being used as the Demo unit for GE when they introduced the U series. Also GE had an A-B-B-A (I think) set of test units also built in the late fifties I'll leave it up to someone else to look it up and answer. Thx IGN
I do not remember the road number. It is shown in the 2md diesel spotters guide.
An Erie RR unit. originally built as an export demonstrator. Ended up being used as the Demo unit for GE when they introduced the U series. Also GE had an A-B-B-A (I think) set of test units also built in the late fifties
I'll leave it up to someone else to look it up and answer.
Thx IGN
The four-unit GE test bed eventually became Erie 750 and predates the Universal line. Think beyond our borders.
As noted, the A&MR apparently used iron-sheet-covered wooden rails until the 1880's, though as IGN (nariq1) says above, that sound "more like a plank road."
The first standard-gauge iron-rail road in California is commonly reported to have been the San Francisco & San Jose RR, built in the early 1860's. Around 1870 it was taken over by the Southern Pacific (like almost everything else in California transportation in the late 19th century!), and is today (for the most part) the route of the Caltrain Peninsula commute line.
So, how do you define "first railroad"?
Was this California's very first railroad?
narig01 The wikipedia entry, on Arcata & Mad River shows 4'9 1/2". That is an unusual gauge. As a 1851 RR this would make it Californias either oldest or 2nd oldest RR. Though with strap rails and horse drawn it makes it sound more like a plank road. You learn something new every day. Thx IGN
The wikipedia entry, on Arcata & Mad River shows 4'9 1/2". That is an unusual gauge. As a 1851 RR this would make it Californias either oldest or 2nd oldest RR. Though with strap rails and horse drawn it makes it sound more like a plank road.
You learn something new every day.
IGN,
4'-9 1/2" would be wide, not narrow, gauge and I believe this is another of Wikipedia's frequent inaccuracies. I have a 1937 OG that lists the A&MR narrow gauge to be 3'-9 1/4" which I believe is correct. I also have conflicting info that its predecessor dates back to 1854 and I don't know if that or the 1851 date is correct. In either event it was indeed one of California's earliest RR's.
The road was originally built to link Humbolt Bay with the Trinity River gold mines. However during most of its lifetime it mainly carried redwood logs and finished lumber. It was some years after the NWP reached Arcata before a connection between the A&MR and NWP was established. I believe that was in 1914 making the A&MR completely isolated from any other RR for the first 60 years of its existence. The "Annie and Mary" was definitely unique in many respects!
Mark
A few years earlier. The U25B was a late addition to the Universal Line.
Perhaps the St Louis-San Francisco #804-807, U25B , Ex-Ge Demonstrators. (High Hood units)
GE standardized its diesel locomotive production with the Universal Line. What was the first Universal line locomotive to be built, by railroad and road number?
CSSHEGEWISCH Arcata & Mad River?? Mostly known as a logging road.
Arcata & Mad River?? Mostly known as a logging road.
Bingo, we have a winner and the next question is yours to ask.
The A&MR was listed in the OG's of the 1930's as a common carrier. It is shown as having 12.9 miles of narrow gauge trackage from Arcata to Korbel and 7.5 miles of standard gauge from Korbel to Korblex in the redwood country of northern California. The index section of the OG's used to show the gauge of any non-standard lines which is what caught my eye and prompted me to learn more about this little road.
Does anyone know the unique gauge of its narrow gauge trackage?
Another hint. Locals called this RR the Annie and Mary.
Here's a hint for you. The railroads standard gauge connection was with the Northwestern Pacific.
Yes, this was a U.S. railroad located in a western state and not a Maine 2' road. Not the PE either - this was a steam freight hauler whose passenger service ended prior to 1937. Its early ancestor started with horse drawn cars on strap iron rails.
The Pacific Electric's line to a resort on top of a moutain in California, where the line up the mountain was I think 3-1/2 foot gauge, ah yes, Mount Tamalpas, conencted with the standard gauge at the base station. Some return trips were made by special gravity cars wihtout power, only brakes.
1937 abandonment? One of the Maine 2 footers? I can remember reading somewhere that one or more had some standard gauge(4' 8 1/2") for interchange purposes. I do not recall which.
Rgds IGN
Wracking the brain here....are we staying in the US with this one?
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