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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by SD70Dude on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 3:31 PM

Does the 1963 Princeton Dinky robbery count?  

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 9:54 PM

NO.  The guns were not real, and what was stolen was not money (although probably worth considerably more!)

Try 1952.  This question is past its sell-by date and I'm prepared to do some deep discounting with hints...

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, June 2, 2022 6:29 AM

All I can find without buying subsriptions to several newspapers is a sketchy reference to a robbery on NYC's westbound Wolverine on December 31, 1951.

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, June 2, 2022 2:35 PM

Be interesting to see details on that one.  You're getting warmer, though.  'Buffalo' is a common link... but not the same one as the Wolverine.

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, June 18, 2022 3:09 PM

This question has gone unanswered too long.

The equipment in question had a PRR road number at one time.  The robbery occurred during a particularly acrimonious strike, which I think may well have had something to do with it at this (comparatively) late date.

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, June 25, 2022 5:02 PM

Final hint before letting someone else put up something interesting: the equipment manufacturer made quite a range of options for what was basically a simple service.

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, June 25, 2022 5:04 PM

Final hint before letting someone else put up something interesting: the equipment manufacturer made quite a range of options for what was basically a simple service.

And the car didn't have a road number, but something else, to identify it at the time of the incident...

 

... and now.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, June 27, 2022 2:43 PM

Horse-thief?

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, June 27, 2022 5:08 PM

No horses involved... not really any room for them on that 'train' in the first place.

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, June 27, 2022 5:09 PM

No horses involved... not really any room for them on that 'train' in the first place.

Do I have you buffaloed?  is your guessing up the creek without a paddle?  Is the question galling?

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 12:49 AM

Yor hints sggest that, while it was an incident on RR property, it was not really a train robbery.  It was an attack on RR employees or contractor employees.

Sperry Rail Inspection?

Maintenasnce crew  on a track speeder?

You ask good questions.   No problem with them, except they are tough ones, often.

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, June 30, 2022 3:13 AM

Actually a robbery -- and recognized historically to be the last.

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Posted by Backshop on Saturday, July 2, 2022 8:41 AM

October 3, 1952, on the Buffalo Creek and Gauley during labor unrest.

FreightOps (buffalocreekandgauley.com)

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 7:45 PM

Thank you!

You're up.

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Posted by Backshop on Thursday, July 7, 2022 5:32 PM

I'm suffering from cranial vaporlock due to the heat.  If someone else wants to pose a question, go for it.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 3:42 AM

OK:  Here is one.   A location, a town, visited by North American touristsm but not in North America, where you can board for a ride in summer months, during the day, even enjoy a round trip on three lines in one day. All three are narrow gauge, but with three different gauges.  All are primarily run for tourists, one of the three primarily by and for railfans.

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 5:04 PM

I think this was already posed and (eventually!) answered, so I won't spoil the fun.  Is there a funicular or something like one in the tourist mix nearby, too?

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, July 14, 2022 12:29 AM

Still needs the answer.  The answer is in a posted thread.  A funicular is not involved, but one line does serve a somewhat similar function, uses a specific technology not used anywhere else, still operating with original equipment (true of all three operations, with two really very old). also newer second-hand propulsion equipment replaced the original after WWII, does not have its own repair shop, and so there is a short bit of dual-gauge trqack which can be seen on this Forum in a different thread, with at least one photo of each of the three lines.

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Posted by daveklepper on Saturday, July 16, 2022 2:25 PM

' At the specific town, here is a picture of the only dual-gauge track, used in overhauling the cars of the line using the niqur technology.  Both narrow-gauge lines use very, very old eqipment, at least as  far as the car bodies.  Indeed, possibly San Fransisco's "dinky" may be the world's electric railway equipment as old  and used  with some reglarity.

The location is also asslciated with a gigantic wheel, also a symbol and useful for an old technology.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, July 18, 2022 2:57 AM

The atill-operating waterwheel:

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 4:56 AM

The smalst of the three lines at the location, both in distance traveled and in gauge.  But was originally built for freight.  Now has two replidca steam locomotives and one battery locomotive.  The tunnel is under the grade of the three-foot gauge line that is  part of the dual-gauge track above.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:14 AM

From this location, where there  are three different operastions with three  sifferent narrow gauges, one can ride the over-Cerntury-old equipment of the three-foot gauge line to a joint terminal waith another of the  same gauge, one that uses the most primitive form of motive power in regular use, anywhere.  That fourth narrow-gauuge operation will take to point where a few-blkocks will bring you to a fifthm as illustrated.  All photos are from Jack May and have been posted forso me time on a thread in the Trains magazine Transit Forum.

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 8:39 AM

On the widest-gauged line of the three narrow-gauge lines at this location, although the car bodies are original. and over 120-years old, the traction equipment is second hand from German trams and possibly about 70-years old.  The braking system is the unique technology, is the only application anywhere of this technology, and the technology was originally conceived for traction, as well as brake effort.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 2:19 AM

Another Jack May photo.   Location, please?

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 6:30 AM

Isle of Man, U.K.

The Isle of Man Railway (Steam) and Manx Electric Railway are 36" gauge.  The Snaefell Mountain Ry. is 42" gauge and the Great LAxey Mine Railway is 19" gauge.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 9:29 AM

So the exact location is.....

And then go on to aswik nthe next question

5 and  6 on the right in bthye photo are two 3'-6"-guage cars, with about to start for the top of Snaefel Mountain, with 6 to follow.  The car on the left came from Douglass and will proceed to Ramsey.

 

_____ is about mid-point on the Dougklass - Ramsey coastal tram line.

 

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 9:54 AM

Looks like Laxey is the location according to the maps I can find.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, August 17, 2022 2:21 AM

Yes

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, August 22, 2022 1:32 PM

So RC ua up for questions on hoth threads.

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, August 25, 2022 6:18 AM

This northeast regional's "navy", which justified a water level construction project in 1900, was killed off by the Panama Canal act in 1915.  The shipping line operated under one name before 1865, another until around 1900, another after.  All three names were tied to the name of the railroad that met the boats at the time.

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