Very strange things

[Miningman]

Ahhh...Ummm....Whaaat?!!

 

2) Another weird item from 'over there'... Watzit?

 

3)  Maybe Amtrak should just try this. 

[Overmod]

.

[Overmod]

(1).  A very sensible way to reverse an engine that has only one cab, limited visibility, etc. "anywhere" -- not just where you have fancy little turntables like the ones on that Japanese railway, or at the Gare St. Lazare.  Just be really careful to turn it in opposite directions each time, lest you wind up the cables...

(2) This is actually a sensible thing for maintenance-of-way equipment; double the dorm space in an inherently high-speed-stable configuration, and adaptive use of a car that might have had one end damaged beyond economical repair.  Might even be useful as a wrecking-crane tender...

Makes me think of this rather quickly: PRR G1 #2423... 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/79987520875956327/filePointer/80973530451922645/fodoid/80973530451922643/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/20170115_102942.jpg

(3)  What, you mean like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTnslBYeeqI

Or this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMWfJEBtBw4&list=PLJqUHb9fmj37vHh9KaqH171DMSxfVqy2e

Or everybody's favorite proof of the concept -- you should pay particular attention to Amfleet:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/123939/AMTK%20100%20-1A%20USPS%20Century%20Express%20at%20Springfield%20IL%205-20-99%20%201920LR.jpg

[Miningman]

No I mean a McDonalds restaurant car... as in a real one, as in food service ... or if not then let's assume it's Mikes private varnish. 

[Overmod]

Miningman

No I mean a McDonalds restaurant car... as in a real one, as in food service ... or if not then let's assume it's Mikes private varnish.

As I recall, there was a very serious push to introduce Burger King service on Amtrak in the early days -- this when McDonalds specialized only in fast wretched little burgers wizened under hot-lights, but BK had some of the tastiest flame-broiled-quickly-close-to-serving food on the market -- via equipment that packaged neatly into a railroad car, much more so that a bunch of heavy temperature-controlled griddles shoving vaporized grease into vent hoods.

I don't remember why the experiment foundered; I think it had something to do with Coke vs. Pepsi as the 'house' brand of soda at the time.  But it would have neatly and conclusively solved a large part of onboard 'snack' food service for many of the passengers, this long before 'name brand' fast food became available at airports...

Personally, I think it is still just as practical, and just as interesting to try, now as it was then.

[M636C]

The Germans had one also...

More seriously, using the style of product and logistics of an operation like Subway with a slightly wider product range would allow an acceptable level of service with lower labor costs, if that is the aim...

Peter

[Miningman]

Yes yes, exactly. Thank you Peter. Have to agree with Overmod, worth  an attempt over on this side. 

[Overmod]

M636C

More seriously, using the style of product and logistics of an operation like Subway with a slightly wider product range would allow an acceptable level of service with lower labor costs, if that is the aim...

Actually Subway requires more, not less, up front labor and training, augmented further because of the complex make-to-order requirements.

Interestingly, though, Peter is right for different reasons.  A major original 'franchise' design and selling point was that a Subway as initially conceived could be easily built in an unimproved 20' storefront: no dealing with high heat or risk of fire, no fancy ventilation with staged grease filters, no grease traps or special floor drains, no slick walking hazard behind the line.  Even when they added toasting ovens the space and power requirements did not change much, and the ability to 'turn' the space easily and relatively cheaply when desired remains high compared to almost any competing model.  Firehouse Subs attempted to try approximating this with sous vide heating of a variety of hot fillings, which is intriguing even at the mass scale of a well-patronized lounge car but still has a few quirks that need better ironing-out.

[Miningman]

Barstow Station 

Interesting short video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJMq3AVfeeQ

 

[MidlandMike]

Miningman

Ahhh...Ummm....Whaaat?!!

 

 

Looks like the attachment on the front is a snow blower.  I wonder if they considered having the trolley pole rotate to stay attached to the wire?  I wonder if the turn was battery powered, or if the crewman had a hand crank inside.

I think I saw something like this on the Three Stooges.  Curly turns the loco and knocks over Larry.  Moe says "Watch where you're going", to which Curly turns  the other way and knocks over Moe.

[SD70Dude]

A lot of modern maintenance equipment can do this as well, having a built in 'turntable'.

[Flintlock76]

The Morris County Central, a now sadly gone tourist railroad in New Jersey, had a railbus with a built-in turntable as well.  Here's the railbus.

http://www.tcaetrain.org/articles/tickets/railbus/railbus02.jpg   

Here's the story.

http://www.tcaetrain.org/articles/tickets/railbus/index.html  

 

[Miningman]

1a Once again Ladies and Gents: The Pneumatic Railroad

 

1b 

 

1c 

 

2)  The Great Hotel that never was.

 

3) Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the great Victorian Engineer, was the driving force behind the short lived Atmospheric Railway

 

4)  Did they call it 7 and a halfth Ave? 

 

[pennytrains]

The "will it or won't it" modern incarnation of the pneumatic:

 

[rcdrye]

Miningman

Ahhh...Ummm....Whaaat?!!

The swiveling snowplow belonged to the standard gauge Arth-Rigi Bahn. The ARB was, and is, a rack railway (System Riggenbach), going up from the SBB at Arth-Goldau to the summit at Rigi.  The non-rack section between Arth and Goldau (now Arth-Goldau) was abandoned in the late 1950s.  The snowplow has trolley poles (including a sleet cutter) for the 1500VDC overhead.  The radiators at the rear indicate the presence of internal combustion power as well, maybe for the rotary plow.

[Miningman]

Now we all know what that ARB is. Great description rcdrye and many thanks. I didn't even know it was Swiss, thought perhaps some interurban or electric line over here that I didn't know about. 

Did not see any of those tell tale buffers that give it away as from 'over there'. 

[Miningman]

Mike found that interesting and tells me (us) that 71/2 Ave was never a reality. 

Wonder what the proposed name was?

UBS Ave.? ( suggested by Mike) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Bank_of_Switzerland

 

https://www.ubs.com/us/en.html

 

https://ubsarena.com/

[Overmod]

Miningman

Wonder what the proposed name was?

If it was not Pennsylvania Avenue, someone was asleep at the switch.

[Miningman]

Pennsylvania Ave eh? Well you have their HQ in Philly, Broadway named after their 4 track right of way, Pennsylvania Station, Pennsylvania Railroad and now you want to call it Pennsylvania Ave. 

Were I a New York City elected official I would vehemently object to this stealth annexation of the city and outright disrespect. Sneaking into the city under the water unseen as well, what kind of shenanigans is that?

No siree, vetoed. Enough of this Pennsylvania stuff. I propose Commodore Ave. just to remind them what's up around here. 

 

 

[Miningman]

1)  Maybe not strange but out of the ordinary, quite beautiful and a very well done restoration from the looks of it. Narrow guage to boot!

South Africa. Restored narrow guage Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2

 

2)  Lombard steam log hauler. Bet that's fun to steer. Is there a fireman back there? 

 

 

3) Union Pacific's stealth locomotives for spying on the competition and perhaps making away with some freight? Maybe they should get rid of the logo then. 

Alas no, these are UP's remote control locomotives at Long Beach Harbour, Los Angeles , 2006

[Overmod]

That Lombard is fascinating.  If you even wondered what happened when a Coffin FWH mated with an outhouse...

UP evidently ran afoul of a Schwing pump...

[Flintlock76]

Oh goody!  More fun stuff!  Lemme see here...

Photo 1)  Oh, good Lord, that restorer Garratt looks more like a piece of fine art or jewelry than it does like a locomotive.  Well done South Africa!  

Photo 2)  Now wouldn't that Lombard log hauler be an absolute hit hauling people around a ski resort?

Photo 3)  UP's stealth scheme ain't workin'.  I can see them!

[Miningman]

1)  Must be a new route.

 

2)  Now that's a lengthy boiler and some severe articulation.

 

 

3)  Miss Steam Universe contest.

 

 

4)  Looks likes a monster in a sci-fi series.  Just who at GM went along with this thing?

 

[rcdrye]

2) Now you know why AT&SF cut them back to 2-10-2's.  Maybe if they had tried the jointed boiler on these instead of the 2-6-6-2s...

[Flintlock76]

Here we go...

Photo 1)  New development somewhere?

Photo 2)  I guess if you're trying to explain the principle of articulated locomotives nothing succeeds like excess.

Photo 3)  Last time I saw something like that it was in a "Thomas The Tank Engine" episode when all the engines got together for an indignation meeting.

Photo 4)  Cool!  Is that thing 1930's or what?  Where can I get one?  I wanna party like it's 1939!

[Miningman]

rcdrye-- Ahhh, Santa Fe! Indeed.

Flintlock-- I wonder with that hat if that is Penny's mom? .. or Grandma? 

An 'indignation meeting'... been a lot of those around here lately. 

[Overmod]

(4) is only a transition stage, one of the instars as it were, to this:

[SD70Dude]

Those UP 'grey ghosts' aren't remote control locomotives.  They are unpowered remote control receivers, known as Control Car, Remote Control Locomotives (CCRCL), and perform the same function as the old Locotrol I robot cars or MMA's converted cabooses, in that they translate the remote control into commands that are then sent to other locomotives throught the standard MU control system.  This allowed any locomotive to be remotely operated, even if it was not itself equipped with a remote control system. 

I believe UP got rid of them a few years ago, having equipped enough yard engines with remote control so that the CCRCL's were no longer required.

https://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/upy-ccrcl.php

[Flintlock76]

Overmod

(4) is only a transition stage, one of the instars as it were, to this:

 

As cool as those Futureliners (Have I got the name right?) look, if what I've read about them not too long ago is true they were supposed to have been an absolute PITA to drive, for various reasons. 

 

[Flintlock76]

Miningman

I wonder with that hat if that is Penny's mom? .. or Grandma? 

Not Penny's mom by a long shot, but her Grandma?  A good possibility!

If it is she had a HOT Grandma!  Movie star hot!