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Todays "Photo O' The Day"

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 9:28 AM

Interesting, that photo of the boxcab.  I can see why the veteran railroaders of the time called the early diesels "streetcars," and not as a complement!

Probably just a little  ahead of it's time, but sometimes if you don't push the technology a bit you don't move forward with it.

In today's photo I see the Wabash crew is running that Train Master short-end forward, like the Jersey Central people preferred to run theirs, and probably for the same reasons.

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 11:30 AM

Flintlock76
Probably just a little  ahead of it's time, but sometimes if you don't push the technology a bit you don't move forward with it.

Looked at a different way, this was the fruit of less than a half-decade's work at GM between the diesel company they bought and the railcar company they bought.  And it is a true passenger locomotive, not a souped-up doodlebug.  Best to compare it with something like a Milwaukee A class -- and while I think Stan Repp is more than a little overboard in attributing 150mph speed to this design as built for ATSF, on a lightweight consist comparable speed to the Hiawathas could be achieved with the 'matching' ex-B&O consist.

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 3:04 PM

Wabash Train Masters were set up to run short hood forward.  There's a little "F" on the frame near the steps indicating that, at least in the later dark blue scheme.  SP's were also set up to run short hood forward.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 6:49 PM

rcdrye

Wabash Train Masters were set up to run short hood forward.  There's a little "F" on the frame near the steps indicating that, at least in the later dark blue scheme.  SP's were also set up to run short hood forward.

 

Very wise.  The visibility would be a lot better short-hood-forward and they wouldn't have to deal with diesel fumes blowing into the cabs which other FM users found out about the hard way.  

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, January 28, 2021 6:23 PM

B&O until the arrival of the GP30's with low short ends; had all geep style road switchers operating as long hood designated as forward - GP7's GP9's FM's & Alcos.  To my recollection Baldwin, Lima and Hamilton never produced road switchers that the B&O bought, though they did buy switch engine from each individual entity as well as the combined entity.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, January 28, 2021 8:28 PM

BaltACD
To my recollection Baldwin, Lima and Hamilton never produced road switchers that the B&O bought, though they did buy switch engine from each individual entity as well as the combined entity

IIRC B&O DID have AS616s, but the got them from C&O, not directly from Baldwin.  Nonetheless I believe the hoods were lettered only B&O...

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, January 29, 2021 9:10 AM

Today's time capsule shot, I wonder if it's 3:10 in Yuma?

Sorry.  Embarrassed

The thought hit me, I'll bet those artefacts the Native American women are selling are starting to show up on "Antiques Roadshow" now!

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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, January 29, 2021 1:25 PM

B&O hasd 16 AS-16s bought new between 1952 and 1955, plus the ex-C&O AS-616.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, January 30, 2021 10:01 AM

B&O's AS16's were the only other power that could run in multiple with their Sharks.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, February 1, 2021 1:45 PM

For you rivet counters, the railcar coming in as the Pekin Express is an EMC.

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, February 1, 2021 2:43 PM

rcdrye
For you rivet counters, the railcar coming in as the Pekin Express is an EMC.

One of an order of four.  By 1959 it was still running, in service to San Angelo, TX.

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Posted by pennytrains on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 7:13 PM

2-2 POTD  Now THAT'S a berkshire!  Big SmileThumbs Up

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by rrnut282 on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 10:11 AM

Re: stainless savior

Did anyone else get puzzled by the line in the caption," This Fargo-Winnipeg train takes on passengers at Hawley, Minn., in 1966. The NP’s last RDCs ran in 1969."

Is it just me, or is that a very out-of-the-way routing?

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by bill613a on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 10:51 AM

The RDC was scheduled to connect with the MAINSTREETER at Hawley allowing for a Twin Cities-Winnepeg schedule. Not as direct as the GN WINNEPEG LTD or the Soo WINNEPEGER but it was a daytime alternative.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 11:26 AM

pennytrains
2-2 POTD  Now THAT'S a berkshire! 

You ain't kiddin'!  It's almost a force of nature as well!

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 12:30 PM

NP B-32 is former Western Pacific Zephyrette 376.  Post-NP it was sold to Amtrak (#30) by BN, getting some additional life in Chicago-based regional trains until 1981 or 1982.

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Posted by pennytrains on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 6:50 PM

I don't know about the routing, but the photo makes me think the motorman(?) above the loaded cart must be yelling "HEY!  Tell them to sit on the other side before we tip over!"  Laugh

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 11:00 PM

I can see the end closest to the camera looks like it's tipped, the the far end looks like it is standing straight. Makes me wonder if the carbody itself was twisted or there is some lens induced distortion.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, February 4, 2021 7:00 AM

It's on a supeelevated curve.  The rear is just as tilted as the front.  Without enlarging, a background tree looks like it is part of the RDC, and fools you into thinking the rear is upright.  Ir's not.

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, February 4, 2021 8:22 AM

Rear is probably more 'superelevated' than the front, hence the visible tilt at the pilot; Mr. Klepper is right about things at the back end (it was clearer in the non-fuzzy version of the picture).

I can't help but be nervous seeing that line of passengers that ends across the other main, on a curve that sharp... with idling 110s to mask any ambient sound...

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, February 4, 2021 10:23 AM

Today's photo is proof positive that interurbans continued to exist even after the wires came down.  Besides P&N, Illinois Terminal and to a lesser extent South Shore, how many interurbans managed to continue their existence cleverly disguised as "steam" railroads?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, February 4, 2021 11:51 AM

Sacramento Northern, Oregon Electric and Bamberger all ended up attached to larger systems.  Cedar Rapids & Iowa City and Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern both continued as freight only.  That's just a single handful.

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 9:55 AM

The "significant snowfall" in February 1967 was locally referred to as the "Big Snow".  While it was only about 3 feet, it plugged Chicago up for several days.  It actually started Thursday January 26th and ran over most of the weekend.  Drifts were still aound in May.

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Posted by pennytrains on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 6:45 PM

ONLY three feet????  Tongue Tied

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 9:49 PM

pennytrains

ONLY three feet????  Tongue Tied

 

Uh-huh.  One winter in the Jersey Skylands we got four!  We had to dig a trench and then a large cleared area for our Basset Hound to take care of "business." 

And even then she wasn't in a rush!  You should have heard us:

"Tobi, it's one in the afternoon, you've been asleep 14 hours, you have to GO!" 

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, February 11, 2021 6:32 AM

It looked like a lot more than three feet to me, but I was smaller then... There's a huge difference between three feet of fluff and a lot of heavy wet snow.  We had a three foot storm here in New England in December and were pretty much cleaned up the next day.

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, February 11, 2021 10:52 AM

rcdrye
The "significant snowfall" in February 1967 was locally referred to as the "Big Snow".  While it was only about 3 feet, it plugged Chicago up for several days.  It actually started Thursday January 26th and ran over most of the weekend.  Drifts were still aound in May.

Was working Salem, IL at the time - would have a member of the B&O System rail gang that would leave on #12 every Sunday night to travel to where the gang was working.

For that storm he left on #12 and then was sent to Chicago to help dig the railroad out - when I go to talk to him afterwards, he was on pay 24 hours a day for two weeks with the 'dig out'.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, February 11, 2021 12:08 PM

I was a high school freshman at the time of the "Big Snow".  We got dismissed early on the first day and I caught the last South Shore for a few days at 115th Street to get home.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by pennytrains on Monday, February 15, 2021 7:01 PM

Today's pic is a local?  An extra?  A symbol?  How DO you classify a loco, a pig flat and a hack?  Laugh  Surely not a Super-C!  Wink

Big Smile  Same me, different spelling!  Big Smile

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Posted by M636C on Monday, February 15, 2021 7:23 PM

pennytrains

Today's pic is a local?  An extra?  A symbol?  How DO you classify a loco, a pig flat and a hack?  Laugh  Surely not a Super-C!  Wink

 

I think I have seen that photo in Trains in the past...

If you have only two trailers paid for on a premium scheduled service, you run the train with one flat car....

Peter

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