"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[LoveDomes]

Good Morning Kapitan Tom and fellow travelers at the bar!

[bday]passengerfan Al [bday]passengerfan Al [bday]passengerfan Al [bday]
[tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow][tup][bow]


Ok – I’ll ask, WHERE’S trolleyboy ROB[?][?][?]


I have to hand it to the Cards they are providing some exciting baseball lately. Last night “our boy” Jason Marquis pitched a terrific game and Senor Pujols did it again – his 4th consecutive home run. I think he became the 35th major leaguer to do that in 4 straight at bats. Not bad, huh[?] Of course, my Mets are rolling along, chalking up another victory. Early in the season, you say[?] Hey! “We takes what we gets when we gets it!”[swg]


Good to see ya back at the bar “bookend of mine!” I must say that I’m not thrilled with the prospects of you spending so much time away – but then again, we all DO have lives, huh[?][swg] In fact, I’ll be gone quite a bit between May and September. So, we’ll just have to tough it out![tup]

Nice stuff from the boys this morning and I see the return of 20 Fingers! Nice post on the Canadian Pacific – but, but, the “theme” is Boston & Maine!<grin> I see that Shane (aka: Coal-what’s-his-face!) tried to bail him out with the “tie in” between the two – nice try! No cigar![swg]

Those RDC shots of the B&M surely should “flick the switch” of our Proprietor. Wonder if he rode aboard any of those particular cars during the time he lived up that way[?] Anyway, BK tell your honey that “she done good” finding not only the RDCs but each one a different model! Now that sez a lot to me![tup][tup][tup]


Hey barkeep – set up the house, wudja[?] A round on me on the occasion of Al’s B’day! I’ll take a Jack on the rocks if you please.

I’ve had a bit of difficulty with the ‘puter this morning – so I’m a bit behind with my contribution to the “theme” – but take heart – I’ll get there![tup]


I want to share a bit of an idea with you guys that originated with Tom some pages back – and by email with a few of us (I think). It involves the future of the bar and how to make it function a bit better WITHOUT having Tom present virtually all of the time.

Here’s the pitch: Why not have the guys take a day – yes, take a day of the week and become the “bartender” for that particular day![?] It sounds like the way to go. I mean, how difficult would that be[?] Even taking a “half day” would be a good start . . .

Now, before anyone goes off with the “I’m too busy” crap – just think about it. Nothing would require any of us to sit in front of the ‘puter from sunup to sundown. It would just mean that for that particular day, we would check in to the Thread periodically just to see what’s up and who might need an acknowledgment, etc. So, it could be nothing more than a morning – noon and evening thing at a minimum. More, of course, if one wanted to.

For the working crowd, what’s wrong with picking up a Saturday here and there[?] What’s wrong with overseeing the Sunday Picture Day[?] I mean right there are two days we could offer up as “freebies” for Tom . . . let’s give this some POSITIVE thought. Hasn’t “the man” earned that much[?] You bet![tup][tup][tup]

Send me an email if you wi***o talk about this some more, I’m willing to exchange thoughts![swg]


Ok guys, time for me to skedaddle – have some things to attend to if I’m gonna be back for the Bash! which I’m planning on.



Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

Now arriving on track #1 …..
Railroads from Yesteryear! Number Fifteen


Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources.


Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M)
passenger operations




Reporting marks: BM, BMZ

Locale: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont

Dates of operation: 1836 –

Track gauge: 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)

Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts



1898 map

The Boston and Maine Railroad (AAR reporting mark BM), also known by the abbreviation B&M, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century. It is now part of the Guilford Rail System network.

History

The Andover and Wilmington Railroad was incorporated March 15, 1833 to build a branch from the Boston and Lowell Railroad at Wilmington, Massachusetts north to Andover. The line opened to Andover on August 8, 1836. The name was changed to the Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, reflecting plans to build further to Haverhill (opened later that year), and yet further to Portland, Maine with the renaming to the Boston and Portland Railroad on April 3, 1839, opening to the New Hampshire state line in 1840.

The Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835, and the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839 in Maine, both companies continuing the proposed line to South Berwick, Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to Exeter, New Hampshire, and on January 1, 1842 the two companies merged with the Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad.

On February 23, 1843 the B&M opened to Agamenticus, on the line of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad in South Berwick. On January 28 of that year the B&M and Eastern Railroad came to an agreement to both lease the PS&P as a joint line to Portland.

The Boston and Maine Extension Railroad was incorporated March 16, 1844, due to a dispute with the Boston and Lowell Railroad over trackage rights rates between Wilmington and Boston. That company was merged into the main B&M on March 19, 1845, and opened July 1, leading to the abandonment of the old connection to the B&L (later reused by the B&L for their Wildcat Branch). In 1848 another original section was abandoned, as a new alignment was built from Wilmington north to North Andover in order to better serve Lawrence.

A new alignment to Portland opened in 1873, splitting from the old route at South Berwick. The old route was later abandoned.

As the B&M grew, it also gained control of its former rivals. These acquisitions included the following:

Eastern

The Eastern Railroad was leased by the B&M on December 23, 1883. This provided a second route to Maine, as well as many local branches, ending competition along the immediate route between Boston and Portland.

Worcester, Nashua and Portland

The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was organized in 1845 (opened 1848) and the Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1847, forming a line between Worcester, Massachusetts and Rochester, New Hampshire via Nashua. The W&N leased the N&R in 1874, and the two companies merged into the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883. The B&M leased the line on January 1, 1886. This acquisition also included the continuation from Rochester to Portland, Maine, incorporated in 1846 as the York and Cumberland Railroad. It opened partially in 1851 and 1853, was reorganized as the Portland and Rochester Railroad in 1867, and opened the rest of the way in 1871. It was again reorganized in 1881 and then operated in conjunction with the line to Worcester.

Boston and Lowell

On April 1, 1887 the B&M leased the Boston and Lowell Railroad, adding not only trackage in the Boston area, but also the Central Massachusetts Railroad west to Northampton, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad into northern New Hampshire, the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad to northwestern Vermont, and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad from White River Junction into Quebec. However, the BC&M was separated in 1889 and merged with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad, which the B&M leased on April 1, 1895, gaining the Concord Railroad's direct line between Nashua and Concord. Additionally, the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad, owned by the B&M through stock, was leased to the Maine Central Railroad by 1912. The Central Massachusetts Railroad stayed a part of the B&M, as did the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (as the Passumpsic Division).

Northern

The Northern Railroad was leased to the Boston and Lowell in 1884, but that lease was cancelled and the Northern was on its own until 1890, when it was released to the B&L, then part of the B&M. The Northern owned a number of lines running west from Concord.

Connecticut River

On January 1, 1893, the B&M leased the Connecticut River Railroad, with a main line from Springfield, Massachusetts north along the Conencticut River to White River Junction, Vermont, where the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (acquired in 1887) continued north.

Concord and Montreal

As discussed above, the B&M acquired the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1887, but gave it up in 1889, allowing it to merge with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad. That company did poorly on its own, and was leased by the B&M on April 1, 1895, giving the B&M the majority of lines in New Hampshire.

Fitchburg

The B&M leased the Fitchburg Railroad on July 1, 1900. This was primarily a main line from Boston west via the Hoosac Tunnel to the Albany, New York area, with various branches.

At one point, the B&M also owned a majority of stock of the Maine Central Railroad, stretching from Quebec via northern New Hampshire to southern and eastern Maine.

The B&M flourished with the growth of New England's mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but still faced financial struggles. It came under the control of J. P. Morgan and his New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad around 1910, but anti-trust forces wrested control back. Later it faced heavy debt problems from track construction and from the cost of acquiring the Fitchburg Railroad, causing a reorganization in 1919.

Beginning in the 1930s, freight business was hurt by the leveling off of New England manufacturing growth, and by new competition from trucking.

The popularization of the automobile doomed B&M as a passenger carrier. It gave up on long distance passenger service around 1960 and was able to continue Boston commuter service only by the aid of subsidies from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. In 1973 the MBTA bought the rolling stock and tracks near Boston from the ailing B&M. The B&M filed for bankruptcy in December 1970. During bankruptcy, the B&M reorganized, leasing new locomotives, rolling stock, and securing funds to upgrade its track and signal systems. It limped along through the 1970s, and reportedly was on the brink of liquidation during 1973-1974. The B&M was offered to merge its properties into the new Conrail but opted out. Finally, in 1983 the B&M emerged from bankruptcy when it was purchased by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries for $24 million.

Branches

In addition to the major systems described above, the B&M also built or leased many shorter lines.

Medford

The Medford Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed by the B&M in 1846, opening in 1847. It provided a short connection from Medford Junction to Medford center, which the Boston and Lowell Railroad had bypassed.

Saugus

The Saugus Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1848, opening in 1853 as a branch from the B&M at Edgeworth to Lynn via Saugus. The Eastern Railroad bought the line soon after and cut the connection to the B&M in 1855, connecting it instead to their new main line (the Grand Junction Railroad) at Everett Junction.

Newburyport

The Newburyport Railroad was incorporated in 1846. It opened from Newburyport on the Eastern Railroad to Georgetown in 1849 and 1850, and west to the B&M at Bradford in 1851. The Danvers and Georgetown Railroad was organized in 1851 and opened in 1853, running from the Newburyport Railroad at Georgetown south to Danvers on the Essex Branch Railroad. Finally, the Danvers Railroad was incorporated in 1852 and opened in 1855, continuing the line from Danvers southwest to the B&M in Wakefield. The first two companies merged in 1855 to form a new Newburyport Railroad. The B&M leased the Danvers Railroad in 1853, and the combined Newburyport Railroad in 1860, making the line from Wakefield to Newburyport the main line and the old line to Bradford a branch.

Lowell

The Lowell and Andover Railroad was organized in 1873, after the Boston and Lowell Railroad's monopoly on Boston-Lowell service ended, and the line opened in 1874 from the B&M at Lowell Junction in Andover west to Lowell, immediately being leased to the B&M.

Methuen/Manchester

The Methuen Branch Railroad from the B&M in Lawrence through Methuen to the New Hampshire state line opened in 1849. Concurrently, the Manchester and Lawrence Railroad was chartered in 1847 and opened in 1849, continuing the line in New Hampshire to Manchester. The company leased the Methuen Branch, and leased itself to the Concord Railroad in 1850. That contract was terminated, and the B&M leased the line in 1887.

Merrimac

The West Amesbury Branch Railroad was organized in 1868 and opened in 1873, branching from the B&M at Newton Junction in New Hampshire to Merrimac, Massachusetts (originally West Amesbury). The B&M immediately leased it.

Alton Bay

The Cocheco Railroad was chartered in 1847 and opened in 1849 and 1851, running from the B&M in Dover to Alton Bay, New Hampshire. It was reorganized in 1863 as the Dover and Winnipiseogee Railroad and leased to the B&M. When the B&M leased the Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1895, it acquired the Lake Shore Railroad, a continuation past Alton Bay to the old Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad mainline at Lakeport.

Somersworth

The Somersworth Branch, originally the Great Falls Branch, connected the main line at Rollinsford, New Hampshire to Somersworth, where the Great Falls and Conway Railroad (later part of the Eastern Railroad system) continued north.

Kennebunkport

The Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Railroad was organized in 1882 and opened in 1883 as a branch of the B&M at Kennebunk, Maine to Kennebunkport. It was immediately leased by the B&M.

Orchard Beach

The Orchard Beach Railroad was incorporated in 1876 as a branch from the B&M in Old Orchard Beach to Camp Ellis on the Saco River. It opened in 1880 and the B&M bought it in 1893.

References

• Railroad History Database
• Edward Appleton, Massachusetts Railway Commissioner, History of the Railways of Massachusetts (1871)


Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****


Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]


Did you miss any of the previous fourteen[?] Click the URL:

#1: Baltimore & Ohio (B&O
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=233&TOPIC_ID=35270
#2: Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=234&TOPIC_ID=35270
#3: Pennsylvania (PRR)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=237&TOPIC_ID=35270
#4: New York Central (NYC)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=240&TOPIC_ID=35270
#5: New Haven (NYNH&H)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=242&TOPIC_ID=35270
#6: Santa Fe (ATSF) (Two Parts)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=246&TOPIC_ID=35270
#7: Southern Pacific (SP)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=253&TOPIC_ID=35270
#8: Northern Pacific (NP)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=259&TOPIC_ID=35270
#9: Coastline/Seaboard (ACL – SCL – SAL) (Two Parts)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=267&TOPIC_ID=35270
#10: Southern Railway (SOU)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=276&TOPIC_ID=35270
#11: Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RG)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=282&TOPIC_ID=35270
#12: Great Northern Railway (GN)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=287&TOPIC_ID=35270
#13: Missouri Pacific (MP)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=293&TOPIC_ID=35270
#14: Illinois Central (IC)
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=299&TOPIC_ID=35270

[BudKarr]

Good Morning Captain Tom and all assembled!


[bday]passengerfan Al!![bday] I will do my best to be present for your party today. For me, that’s 1 PM to 5 PM. A round on me, if you please! I will have #3 from the menu board with some coffee and a “splash” just to make it interesting!

Another busy weekend has ended as we draw closer to our wedding in May. Hope you all had a joyous Easter. It was certainly a new experience for me and it appears as if I am truly heading toward domestication![swg]

We returned late yesterday afternoon and have not had time to peruse the pages since my last posting. However, I expect to catch up before too long as I will be spending a few hours alone in the house while my intended tends to wedding plans. (There always seems to be more to do than needs to be done!)[swg]

The month of May and perhaps into at least mid June may involve infrequent visits to the bar from yours truly. We will be heading off on our wedding trip (honeymoon, as it is called – but that is a rather “spongy” term for the likes of me!) and doubt that we will be spending time browsing the internet.<grin> Sorry, gentlemen, but there are no rail plans for our trips.[tdn]

I have finally put to rest any notions of returning to my career and am now officially and fully retired. We will, however, be spending a bit of time in Europe, however, strictly as tourists. There are quite a few places and people that I would like to revisit and “show off” to my wife-to-be. So, we shall!

This all spells repeated absences and for that, I pass along my regrets. I do enjoy the interaction and substantive material posted on this thread. One good thing is that it will still be here upon my return![tup]

I have skimmed through the pages since my last posting and want to offer my congratulations to barndad Doug on his selection to the “Permanent Stool” status within the “Order of the Stools!” <did I get that correct, Captain>[swg] A well earned and deserved elevation![tup]

Sorry to have abandoned you, “bookend Lars” – but life must go on![swg] You seem to have carried on quite well without my tandem operation!

I see there has been an awful lot of talk about baseball. I have not had the time to fully appreciate the spectator sports scene, but now that I am in a new situation, no doubt the satellite programming will have me captivated, in time that is.

Those RDCs posted by Captain Tom on Sunday were absolutely captivating insofar as the scenery was concerned. We both enjoyed your efforts – and of course the efforts from Doug and Pete!


Theme day again, so here are some photos that my ever loving found for me. She said it took quite a bit of research to find these, but these most certainly will be of interest to our Captain and the rest who enjoy the B&M:


B&M RDC-1 #6114 (Photo credit: Jerry Appleman)




B&M RDC-2 #6202 (Photo credit: Jerry Appleman)




B&M RDC-3 #6304 (Photo credit: Jerry Appleman)




Hope to rejoin you later!


BK in beautiful Alberta Canada’s high mountain country!

[siberianmo]

”Our” Place RR Book Relay!




Status report: The fifth mailing is en route central Missouri and pwolfe Pete from Theodorebear Ted.

Last leg coming up . . . . There is STILL TIME to join in on this idea - ship me an Email with your address and I'll add you to the list of recipients.

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]



REMINDER! To get the MOST CURRENT Posts - use the REFRESH/REPOST" feature as soon as you log into this Thread and repeatedly thereafter!

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.

Red Sox in the a.m. yesterday - because of the Marathon (no Boris, not the oil company!)

Interesting material posted this a.m. The information on locomotive bells was a nice addition to my binder. Also enjoyed the shot of the B&L interlocking which leads us to the Boston and Maine which handled Canadian Pacific passenger equipment in Boston. How was that for tying stuff together?

Anyway, today is B&M day so I twitched a previous post which some of you may have missed (it was a loooong time ago, and added in a couple of URLs which will well repay your investigation. I'll check back later for the birthday bash as I believe it's not underway yet.

Boston and Maine – The Way It Was

Think of the Boston and Maine and you think of utilitarian North Station; a building that crouched along Causeway Street, hemmed in by the elevated trolley tracks and the Manger Hotel and surmounted by Boston Garden.

I always associated North Station with winter even though I traveled from there in all seasons. Maybe it was the name – North Station – that made me think of ice-encrusted freight cars, steam-heated passenger coaches, and trains plowing through deep snow “up country.”

North Station’s lobby was neither large nor ornate. It was a low, wide space, somewhat dark, with ticket windows on one side and train gates on the other. It was not a space designed for travelers to spend much time. Buying tickets was simple; tell the agent where you wanted to go, pu***he money under the bars in the window and get your ticket and change back with minimal conversation and no wasted motion; a truly New England process.

To the trains, then, ticket in hand. Umbrella sheds protected the platforms and it was always cold under the sheds in the winter and cool under the sheds in the summer. From North Station, the B&M sent commuter trains to the suburbs and long haul runs to all corners of northern New England, west to New York State, and into Canada. Passengers could not see much as the tracks were close together and it was dark so the scope of operations at North Station was not apparent until a train cleared the umbrella sheds and moved out into an area that was a little more open.

North Station was a busy place with cars and locomotives come to the big city from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Canada. There was also a horde of commuter trains. In the morning, empty trains backed out of the station as loaded trains arrived. In the evening, this complicated ballet occurred again. Loaded outbound trains threaded their way among empty trains backing down from the coach yard to the station.

The station tracks quickly narrowed to a pair of drawbridges; truly a yard “throat.” A tower just past the bridges controlled all of the activity. Bridge tenders were responsible for raising the bridges to allow shipping to pass, which was mostly tows of barges. The tracks fanned out after crossing the bridges. Mystic was next.

Mystic was truly the operational heart of the Boston and Maine. Across the Charles River from North Station, Mystic was in the shadows of the grim walls of what the newspapers always called the “infamous Massachusetts State Prison at Charlestown.” Mystic combined freight yards, team tracks, and a coach yard. The Boston Engine Terminal was part of the larger Mystic facility.

The names on the cars in the coach yard told where the B&M went and the places it served. There were coaches, lounge cars, sleepers, RPOs and baggage cars from the Canadian Pacific, Boston and Maine, and Maine Central. Commuter coaches were, of course, most numerous.

The B&M (in common with other New England lines) terminated a lot more freight than it originated, so many offline cars were interspersed with home road cars. So, framed by the coach window, I could see cars from far away roads. They snapped by like slides; Chicago and North Western “Route of the 400s,” Milwaukee Road, Santa Fe, SLSF “Ship It On the Frisco,” Union Pacific, Baltimore and Ohio, Chesapeake and Ohio. There were a lot of cars from eastern roads; Pennsylvania (with the keystone and lined PRR letters), New Haven, Maine Central, B&M, of course, and New York Central. Dull red (boxcar red or tuscan) was the predominant color although refrigerator cars were yellow or orange and there were some red, white and blue “State of Maine” cars to break up the monotony.

Sometimes there would be cuts of ratty looking single dome tank cars or loaded and empty coal cars on the yard tracks. There were also indescribably filthy hide cars in the yard along with livestock cars with open, slatted sides. Gondolas were there, too, with loads of scrap of other cargo in large wooden crates. There I could see flat cars with loads of machinery or other equipment, sometimes in the open and sometimes covered with tarps. In any case, freight on flat cars was blocked and tied down to keep the loads from shifting.

The engine terminal was a wondrous combination of steam and diesel engines of different types. At the clangorous steam shop, the fleet of aging Pacifics, Atlantics, and Moguls received inspections and running repairs. I also saw 4-8-2s at the steam shop. These engines had enormous pedestal tenders. The diesel house, newer and much cleaner than the steam shop, handled all types of Alco RS-type units, and EMD E units from passenger trains and FTs and geeps from freights.

The B&M's splendid red and gold color scheme was highlighted by a herald of the Concord Minute Man. B&M engines shared terminal space with Maine Central's green and gold units that came down from the north on passenger trains. Painted a light green, an E unit's engine compartment was hot and noisy even when the engine was idling.

Steam engines pulled commuter trains when I was very small. Diesel power replaced steam in the mid 50s. Every business day a fleet of Alco RS and EMD GP7-powered trains converged on North Station to discharge a host of businessmen, secretaries and others who worked in the city. The B&M's wine-red commuter cars were, at best, spartan. Air conditioning did not exist as steam heat tried to subdue New England's winters and open windows did their best to cope with summer heat and humidity.

A caste system applied on commuter trains as “regular” passengers, who were on a first-name basis with the train crew, sat in certain seats. Casual riders made sure not to deprive regulars of their seats. Tickets were stuck into hatbands (men wore hats then) or inserted into clips on the tops of the coach seats. This system allowed trainmen to pass through the cars to collect tickets without disturbing the passengers who read, napped, or played cards. The cars had walkover seats whose backs could be flipped to accommodate groups of up to four passengers who played on wooden or composition lapboards big enough to hold the cars and/or score pads depending on what the game was. I don’t recall there ever being any clear winners or losers, and the game clearly had been going on for a long time.

The train was now past Mystic. There was still a fair amount of manufacturing in the Boston area when I was a child, and I always liked the factory buildings with their rail sidings that seemed to be so close to the main line.

Historians tell us that the Boston and Maine was cobbled together from other small (and large) lines including the Fitchburg Railroad, the “original” Boston and Maine, the Boston and Lowell and the Eastern RR. Many of these predecessor lines had absorbed other roads which accounted for the skein of branch lines around Boston. You could see some of this near the yards at North Station as the tracks suddenly diverged; some heading north by east to the suburbs and northern destinations. The Fitchburg Division turned west through industrial cities, towns and suburbs, and into open country to eventually pass through the frightening Hoosac Tunnel and on to the impossibly far reaches of eastern New York to places such as Mechanicville, Troy, and Rotterdam Junction.

The train passed through a series of block-lined cuts. These stone blocks were grimy from the passage of countless trains. Water was in the ditches beside the tracks here; no matter how hot the weather. There were high wooden fences atop the cuts and three-decker houses were close to the tracks just beyond the fences.

Our train was now on the Fitchburg Division, but not for long as we switched over to the farthest right track to get onto the Lexington (Bedford) Branch which began just east of where the Alewife Brook Parkway crossed over the B&M on the Fresh Pond bridge. Now we were heading northwest and a runaround track was on our left. The train clanked across the Freight Cut Off, a line that served as a route for oversize loads to and from Boston as well as a secondary freight line. The track now passed through a low, swampy area with high grass and cattails. Immediately after the swamp, the track passed beneath Route 2. A trailing switch here led back to the Freight Cut Off. The train slowed and a crewman dropped off to flag us over the crossing to our station stop at Lake Street.

After passengers detrained we got underway again. A passing track ran from Lake Street to Pond Lane and we could see Spy Pond on our left, its water sparkling through the trees. Here the train passed through a landscape of backyards and light industrial buildings. Past Lake Street, outbound trains encountered a 5½ mile long grade which lasted until just beyond North Lexington. It was enough to make the locomotive work, but not so steep as to require any special operational restrictions.

Arlington Centre was next. The branch crossed Massachusetts Avenue where the crossing was controlled by a traffic light activated by a key carried by a trainman. The train stopped and waited for the signal to clear before it clumped across the street. The Arlington Centre stop was just past the crossing. There was a small yard, but I don’t recall ever seeing much activity there. A small bridge carried us over Mill Brook past another set of sidings. Brattle Station was next. Now we ran through alternate patches of woodland, wet areas and suburban homes. The vegetation was sometimes so close to the tracks that it slapped against the sides of the cars as we passed by. There were more sidings along the route, many with boxcars or refrigerator cars spotted on them. We entered Lexington right after passing under the Park Avenue bridge and by the site of the Arlington Heights station. The engine was working as we had climbed 130 feet in elevation since departing Lake Street. There used to be a station at Brattle Street, but it was long gone. Not so Lexington which had five stations: East Lexington, Pierce’s Bridge, Monroe, Lexington, and North Lexington.

The Lexington station was a white wooden structure. It was one of the few stations in New England to have a train shed. Under the shed it was dark and damp and smelled of oil, creosote, and coal smoke from engines that had passed long ago. The platform was cement and dirt; mostly dirt. A taxi company occupied the north end of the station. The rest of the building was devoted to railroad business.

A small yard east of the station handled cars picked up and set off by local freights. Other industries scattered along the branch, such as coal and lumber yards usually received loads. The lumber yard received aromatic loads of wood from Canada and the west. Local trains spotted coal hoppers at different industries along the branch.

More than a few residents still heated with coal so anthracite often came on Lexington branch trains. There was a small coal yard in North Lexington that had a wooden storage facility. Metal signs advertised the different brands of coal that were available such as Blue Coal, Reading Anthracite, and D&H Anthracite. These signs were very colorful with red and white, blue and white, and blue and orange lettering. Conveyors carried the coal to different pockets where it would be loaded into trucks that carried the coal to the customer.

In late November, from Canada, came my favorite cars, loaded with fragrant Christmas trees. The cars of trees did not arrive until late November because back then the Christmas holidays did not "officially" start until after Thanksgiving.

The branch also originated cars. There used to be farmland in Lexington and farmers raised broccoli and celery and shipped their produce by rail. On the siding behind the station, I saw ice cooled wooden Pacific Fruit Express or Western Fruit Express refrigerator cars being loaded with loamy smelling wooden crates of celery. The refrigerator cars had orange or yellow sides with brown or black ends and tops. The cars had logos from foreign lines such as Union Pacific, Santa Fe, or Great Northern. Men loaded ice through the car's roof hatches into bunkers.

This activity presented a better geography lesson than in any schoolbook because it gave me a sense of the ecology of the railroad - how the branch was part of a larger system that brought products from the outside to our town and sent other products out to the rest of the world.

Lexington Branch trains tied up at Bedford. I remember going with my father on different weekend errands and seeing cuts of cars and red and gold diesels spotted by the Bedford station. These engines were RS3s or GP7s. Later on, of course, the diesel hauled trains were replaced by Budd cars.

Check out these web sites for additional B&M information – they are very detailed and well-organized; some with vintage pictures and video clips as well.

Friends of Bedford Depot
http://www.bedforddepot.org

Unofficial Boston and Maine Page
http://www.faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/bmrr/b_and_m.html


work safe

[siberianmo]

THEME for the DAY! - THEME for the DAY!
First Posted on page 139

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads:

Boston & Maine (B&M) – (passenger ops)

Headquarters: Boston, MA

Mileage:

1950: 1,700 1995: 1,350

Locomotives in 1963: Diesel: 235

Rolling stock in 1963: Freight cars – 5,490 Passenger – 155

Principal routes in 1950:

Boston-Dover, MA-Portland, ME
Boston-White River Junction, VT
Boston, MA-Troy, NY
Boston-Portsmouth, NH-Portland, ME
Springfield, MA-Berlin, NH
Worcester-Lowell Junction, MA
Worcester-Gardner, MA
South Ashburnham, MA-Bellows Falls, VT
Dover, NH-Intervale, NH

Passenger trains of note:

Alouette (Boston-Montreal, QC)
Ambassador (New York & Boston-Montreal)
Cheshire (Boston-White River Junction)
Day White Mountains (New York-Berlin, NH)
Flying Yankee (Boston-Bangor, ME
Green Mountain Flyer (Boston-Montreal
The Gull (Boston-Halifax, NS)
Kennebec (Boston-Portland-Bangor)
Minute Man (Boston-Troy, NY)
Montrealer & Washingtonian (Washington-Montreal)
Mountaineer (Boston-Littleton & Bethlehem, NH)
Pine Tree (Boston-Portland-Bangor)
Red Wing (Boston-Montreal)
State of Maine (New York-Portland)


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]


THEME for the DAY! - THEME for the DAY!

[siberianmo]

[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]


Railroads from Yesteryear –

Boston & Maine (B&M) arrives on track #1 at 9 AM today –

WATCH FOR IT!


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]


B'day Bash for passengerfan Al begins at NOON (Pacific) - 2 PM (Central), etc.

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a Coffee and a crumpet from the Mentor Village Bakery.

Sent the last request for extension and received approval at 23:49 last night. The rush may be over but their is many weeks of taxes yet to complete, probably won't be finished until October.

Hopefully, I'm back without any more major interuptions. Really missed "Our Place" and will take a few days to catch up with what's been going on.

CANADIAN
PACIFIC Sttreamlined Observations
by Al

The first lightweight streamlined Observation owned by Canadian Pacific was constructed in there own shops on a frame supplied by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1938. This was a flat ended or blunt Observation numbered 6630. Number 6630 was also fitted with a diaphragm at the observation end for mid-train use. This car has the distinction of being the only non-Budd built lightweight streamlined Observation ever owned by the Canadian Pacific. The Canadian Pacific assigned the car to the ROYAL YORK between Detroit and Toronto. In 1968 the car was sold to the Quebec North Shore and Labrador for further service.

BUFFET 17 SEAT COCKTAIL LOUNGE 22 REVENUE SEAT PARLOR OBSERVATION (Blunt) Canadian Pacific Shops 1938 (Built for and assigned to ROYAL YORK)

6630

In 1954 the Canadian Pacific received eighteen Budd built lightweight streamlined stainless steel Sleeper Lounge Observations with Domes almost identical to those built for the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR some years before. In fact it is rumored that the Canadian Pacific people while on a visit to Budd at their Red Lion facility outside Philadelphia in December 1952 happened to see CB&Q 378 SILVER LOOKOUT being prepared for delivery to its owning road. After going through this one car the idea for the CANADIAN was born. Each of the Dome Sleeper Lounge Observations delivered to the Canadian Pacific rode on Canadian built trucks using the patented Budd disc brakes. The trucks were manufactured by DOFASCO and shipped to Red Lion for installation. Some of the interior details of the PARK cars as they were referred two were installed in Canada as well. The new premier train of the Canadian Pacific was the CANADIAN operating daily between Montreal-Toronto and Vancouver by way of Sudbury, Thunder Bay Winnipeg, Regina, Moose Jaw, Calgary, Kamloops and Vancouver. It was at Sudbury where the Toronto Section and Montreal section were combined westbound and separated eastbound. Each of the PARK cars was named for a Canadian Park either National, or Provincial.
Besides the CANADIAN the PARK series Observations were assigned to the number two train across Canada the DOMINION. The DOMINION operated with a mixture of the new Budd built cars, several lightweight CPR built cars and several heavyweight sleeping cars as well. Even the CANADIAN operated for several years with heavyweight Tourist Sleeping Cars with Budd fluted stainless steel side panels applied above and below the windows the rest of these cars was painted stainless steel to match the rest of the train.
All PARK series cars were transferred to VIA Rail Canada ownership except for FUNDY PARK that had been written off some years earlier in a wreck of the CANADIAN.
Today these cars still operate in VIA Rail service after extensive remodeling and conversion to HEP power from the former steam.

3 DOUBLE BEDROOM 1 DRAWING ROOM 12 SEAT MURAL LOUNGE BUFFET 24 SEAT DOME 14 SEAT LOUNGE OBSERVATIONS (Swallow-Tailed) Budd Company 1954 (Built for and assigned to CANADIAN 7 DOMINION)

ALGONQUIN PARK

ASSINIBOINE PARK

BANFF PARK

EVANGELINE PARK

FUNDY PARK

GLACIER PARK

KOKANEE PARK

KOOTENAY PARK

LAURENTIDE PARK

PRINCE ALBERT PARK

REVELSTOKE PARK

RIDING MOUNTAIN PARK

SIBLEY PARK

STRATHCONA PARK

TREMBLANT PARK

TWEEDSMUIR PARK

WATERTON PARK

YOHO PARK

The final four streamlined observations purchased by the Canadian Pacific came used from the New York Central in 1959. The four cars when in NYC service were assigned to the NEW ENGLAND STATES between Boston and Chicago, the OHIO STATE LIMITED between New York and Cincinnati and the SOUTHWESTERN LIMITED between St. Louis and New York. These four Budd built sleeper lounge observations were assigned two to overnight pool train service between Montreal and Toronto with Canadian National. The other two were initially assigned to the ATLANTIC LIMITED. This was only for a short period of time and they were reassigned to CPR-CNR POOL TRAINS BETWEEN Montreal and Toronto. These four Observations lasted 10 years in CPR service before being resold.

5 DOUBLE BEDROOM BUFFET 24 SEAT LOUNGE OBSERVATIONS Budd Company May - June 1949 Plan: 9506 Lot: 9664-023 (Purchased used from NYC for Pool train service)

EAST VIEW originally NYC 10562 FALL BROOK

RIVER VIEW originally NYC 10563 PLUM BROOK

SEA VIEW originally NYC 10560 BABBLING BROOK

5 DOUBLE BEDROOM BUFFET 24 SEAT HIGH-WINDOWED LOUNGE OBSERVATION (Swallow-Tailed) Budd Company June-July 1949 Plan: 9508 Lot: 9636-023 (Purchased for and assigned to Pool train service)

MOUNTAIN VIEW originally NYC 10564 SINGING BROOK

TTFN Al

[siberianmo]

[bday]HAPPY BIRTHDAY to AL (63)[bday]



from: www.viarail.ca

We open at 6 AM. (All time zones - Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]


TUESDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS


Tuesday, the 2nd day of the new work week (for most)! Before venturing out into that cruel, cold world – start the day with some pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery, perhaps an order from our Menu Board for a <light> or <traditional> breakfast, and of course a least one mug of our freshly brewed coffee![tup]


Daily Wisdom

Close friends are folks who’ve sopped gravy out’n the same skillet.


Info for the Day:

Railroads from Yesteryear – Boston & Maine arrives TODAY!

Birthday Bash for passengerfan Al set for TODAY from Noon to 4 PM (Pacific) – 2 PM to 6 PM (Central).


* Weekly Calendar:

Wednesday: Pike Perspective’s Day!
Thursday: Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday: Pizza Nite & Steak Nite!
Saturday: Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite! – and –
ENCORE! Saturday


[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]


Comedy Corner

Yarns from the Barn
(from barndad Doug’s Posts)


[:I] A engineering student was walking along and one of his engineering buddy rode up on a nice new bicycle.
"Wow, Where'd you get that," he asked.
"It was amazing! I was walking through the park and a beautiful blonde on a bicycle rode up, jumped off her bike, threw off all of her clothes, opened her arms and exclaimed, 'take whatever you want.'"
"Good choice" came the reply, "The clothes probably would not have fit!" [:I]


[:I] A man walks into a bar after leaving the courthouse, after his divorce was settled, being in a very bad mood, because he lost most of his property, he figure he would drown some of his problems, after a few drinks, and not feeling and better, he stood up and shouted all lawyers are a-holes. The only other person in the bar was a little guy at the other end of the bar, and he replied sir I resent that remark! The first man said why are you a lawyer? No he replied, I'm a-hole. [:I]


[:I] Two tourists were driving through Louisiana. As they were approaching Natchitoches, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town. They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch. As they stood at the counter, one tourist asked the blonde employee, "Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are...very slowly?" The blonde leaned over the counter and said, "Burrrrrrrr, gerrrrrrr, Kiiiiing." [:I]


[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]



The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre

NOW SHOWING:

Double Features and Three Stooges Short Subject!

. . . Sunday, April 16th thru 22nd: The Molly Macquires (1970) starring: Sean Connery, Richard Harris & Samantha Eggers – and – It Happened to Jane (1959) starring: Doris Day, Jack Lemmon & Ernie Kovacs. SHORT: Punch Drunks (1934).



SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 05:19:51 (306) Monday’s Info & Summary

(2) barndad Doug Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 05:34:41 (306) Early visit & joke!

(3) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 07:25:58 (306) Bear meat![swg]

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 07:33:11 (306) B’day Ad

(5) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 08:22:29 (306) Monday pick-us-up!

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 10:14:35 (306) Acknowledgments, etc.

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 12:10:21 (306) Nostalgia #84 – NYC Ad (1953)

(8) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 14:28:24 (306) Lars Report!

(9) pwolfe Pete Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 16:28:10 (306) Wolfman Speaks!

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 17:09:55 (307) Acknowledgments, etc.

(11) pwolfe Pete Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 17:23:04 (307for Tom

(12) barndad Doug Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 20:41:24 (307) Barnyard Yarns: Bells, Joke, etc.

(13) wanswheel Mike Posted: 17 Apr 2006, 20:57:42 (307) GB URLs




That’s it! [tup][;)]


Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom, everyone else and especially the birthday boy Al !!!![bday]
I'll hve the usual two lite breakfasts, as you all know, I have plenty of capacity for the birthday ales and toasts later. Here's a little something to read with your morning coffee:

From Railroad History in Photographs R&LHS

Although the principle of interlocking protection signals and switches at junctions was patented in England in 1856, its use spread slowly in both England and the United States, encountering opposition from railroad employees, including officials. One of the earliest successful interlocking switch towers in the United States was erected at Lowell, Mass., after the general manager of the Boston & Lowell Railroad, the Honorable Hocum Hosford, had traveled in England and on the continent and had seen the advantages of interlocking systems in handling congested traffic. The Lowell tower was erected soon after his return.

Though erected in 1881, the Lowell tower was not officially opened until December 26, 1882, with only partial use of the interlocking before that date. The Boston & Lowell was leased to the Boston & Maine in 1887.

This photograph shows the interior of that tower, with its first operator, James P. Ramsay, standing at right. Ramsay had previous experience with towers in England, and assisted in the installation of this tower’ he continued as foreman of the facility for twenty years thereafter. Seated are his two daughters and, between them, his wife. Also present were Thomas Pickles, standing at left, and Ellen Hawes, standing to the right of the Ramsay family. The inevitable pin-up images of over 100 years ago can be seen on the walls. Photo donated to R&LHS by the Ramsay family in 1940.



[:I] An Irishman, Englishman and Scotsman go into a pub and each order a pint of Guinness. Just as the bartender hands them over, three flies buzz down and plop into each of the pints. The Englishman looks disgusted, pushes his pint away and demands another pint. The Scotsman picks out the fly, shrugs, and takes a long swallow. The Irishman reaches in to the glass, pinches the fly between his fingers and shakes him while yelling, "Spit it out, ya moocher! Spit it out!" [:I]

[wanswheel]

Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house.

The Mets can beat the Braves! Until tonight I wasn't sure they could.

Pete, thanks for checking out the St. Albans train shed. That structure stood for a century and sheltered untold thousands of arriving trains. I enjoyed the links you put to Steam in England, particularly
http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_steam_in_the_sixties_lmr_011.html Interesting Station
http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_flying_scotsman_009.html Flying Scotsman
Mike

[Anonymous]

Good evening Tom and friends! I'll have the usual bottomless draught please, and gladly buy a round for the house. I even found a Michigan quarter inside my boot for the coal scuttle! Nice NYC ad Tom ... thanks! Also , thanks for the well wishes from yourself and Lars today concerning my hectic week. Interesting info on the Brit Peter. Thanks for the history lesson.

And now ..... I'll bet none of you expected an article about:

Bells From December 1944 Railroad Magazine

Easy on the steam pressure and the ear, the locomotive bell mouths its warning at terminal and crossing.


Three-flask bell mould. Wooden pattern has been removed, leaving hard-packed Albany sand impressions.


From the earliest days the bell has played an important part in the lives of men. It has been a mechanical voice of joy and of sorrow, of religious fervor and warning. From this last-named field it gained its Saxon name bellan, meaning to “howl” or “bellow” – hardly a misnomer to those who heard the dread vibrations of the great alarm bells set in the watch towers of old England.

Today the situation is about reversed. More often the bronze lips call their warning from the source of danger – the hidden reef or shoal, the tilting bridge, the speeding train. No one can say exactly when the first bell was attached to a steam locomotive. But in all probability it did not lag far behind the whistle, which made its debut in 1833.

Creating a tone less raucous than the steam or air quill, it served its purpose no less effectively in yards and terminals, at stations and crossings. Too, it consumed less energy and so could be used for longer periods of time with a greater degree of efficiency. Its place, then, was assured and today we find more than forty-two thousand of its railroading counterparts in the United States alone. Located on smoke-box fronts and boiler tops and sides, they form a giant carillon whose notes are never stilled.

As a result of centuries of attention to contour, weight and texture, the properly made bell of today is a masterpiece of acoustical design. More effective than saucer-shaped gong or the cylindrical tube, it produces a rich, penetrating sound consisting of five notes, beginning with a striking or fundamental tone and ending with a long, low hum.

Experimenters, from the first, tried every material at their disposal as a casting agent. Glass, iron and finally steel came in for their share of attention. The first, while producing a tone of great clarity, was obviously too brittle. Iron and steel, on the other hand, reversed these properties. The latter is finding temporary favor as a wartime substitute for more critical metals but the “flat” voice of the welded steel bell is deficient in carrying power and it is strictly an emergency proposition.

Long ago the foundry men hit upon the alloy most effective for combining pleasing tone, volume and structural strength. This was a mixture of eighty parts copper to twenty parts tin. Heated to a temperature of 1400 degrees and poured into a thee-section sand mold (head, outer shell and core), a bell so constructed may be unflasked at the end of six hours, ready for machining and with an age expectancy far greater than that of the average locomotive.

If a railroad is musically inclined, it may insist upon one standard pitch for every engine bell on its line. In that event the amount of material turned off the casting (approximately one-quarter inch) will be determined by repeated checking with a tuning fork. Once in service the unit is frequently transferred from one engine to another several times before condemning. Even then, more than likely it will be returned to the foundry for remelting and recasting.

While the bell has undergone little change in size or form since its adoption more than a hundred years ago, the method of ringing it has passed through three distinct phases. At first it was the natural thing to attach a rope to a crank on the end of the bell yoke, thread this cord through eyes along the boiler side and lead it back into the cab. A simple yank on the rope produced the desired warning. But as locomotives grew larger and more complex, engine men found plenty to do without tugging on bell cords at times when their duties were invariably heaviest. Neither did firemen particularly enjoy the business of crawling through the front cab windows at speed, to mend a broken line or untangle it from pops or generators. Hence the demand for an automatic bell ringer – one which was first fulfilled in the early Twenties. Steam, compressed air and vacuum systems have all been tried out as sources of power and the latter two retained.

Because it is known that on advantage of the bell swinging motion, which projects sound in a broad arc, manufacturers of automatic ringers for years retained the hinged yoke, coupling the crank to the motivating device. This consisted of a cylinder attached to the bell frame and controlled by a valve within easy reach of the hogger. Reference to our drawings shows how the movement is obtained. Within the cylinder is a two-section piston. When the bell is at rest these two pistons are at the bottom of the cylinder, but as the engineman opens the valve to start the bell, air enters through port A. Slipping between the two pistons it forces the ping between the top one upward, moving the bell crank and bell. When the stroke reaches a predetermined length the bolt C, tapped into the upper piston, engages the lower one, pulling it upward. This lower piston then shuts off intake port A. At the same time exhaust port B opens. With the air released, gravity returns the whole assembly, together with the bell, to lower position, allowing the latter to pass beyond center-line, so that when air again enters the cylinder the movement at the crank is in the opposite direction.

Pneumatic Bell Ringer. Air enters cylinder at A, lifting piston B, which swings bell yoke. Bolt C engages auxiliary piston D, which also lifts, closing intake ports A and opening exhaust port E. Piston B drops and yoke returns to a point beyond dead center, ready for an upward swing in the opposite direction


This type of bell ringer has given excellent results for many years, but it has its faults. Piston rings develop leaks causing sluggishness of action. Also, if not properly adjusted, the bell may get to swinging in a complete circle, sometimes so fast that the tongue is held hard against the lip, creating no sound whatsoever. When this occurs the rope which is used for emergencies, becomes tangled, causing more trouble.

Another feature to be considered is the amount of air that is being used in the operation. A bell has considerable weight and requires a good bit of energy to move, particularly if the yoke bearings get dry. Sleet and snow can further increase the burden. In view of this fact, along with the nature of the service to which the bell is put (one does not demand widespread carrying power) the thought occurs: Why swing the bell at all? An air-actuated clapper, moving in a stationary bell, would obviously use less air, and the mechanism might be completely shielded from the weather.

Our second drawing shows how this is accomplished. We still have the air pipe extending from the valve in the cab. Tapped through the crank, the line continues as a copper tube to the interior of the bell. This allows the unit to be rung manually, should the machine fail.

Sketch 1 indicated the position of the piston when the clapper is at rest. It will be noted that this piston has a notch at its center to receive the end of the clapper, and that this clapper is machined to two diameters. The larger, air-actuated head is hollow for some distance back, with a transverse port at its inside extremity. When air is turned on, with the bell at rest, it strikes the left surface of the piston head, forcing it to the right and swinging the clapper to the left. But the piston, in moving (sketch 2), lines up the intake port with the hole leading to the hollow cavity, allowing air to enter the center of the piston. Because this area of the piston head affecting movement to the left is now much greater than that offered by the opposing surface, back comes the piston, swinging the clapper to the right, where it strikes a blow upon the lip of the bell. At the same time an exhaust line is opened up at the center of the cylinder. Gravity can now return the clapper to its vertical position, where the cycle of operation is ready to be repeated.

Clapper Swinging Mechanism


With this type of ringer the clapper strikes the bell once with each stroke. The ports can be sized to make the sound occur with great rapidity, or in a very slow manner. Also, the ringer may be adjusted to beat out its warning with amazing emphasis, outdoing the volume of its old-fashioned brother. From an economical standpoint, it relieves the air pump of a material part of its work – a factor which is not to be sneezed at in view of the fifteen-cent cost of compressing every thousand cubic feet of air – six minutes’ work for the most modern pump.

Old-Timer is an ornate bracket. Silver was frequently added to copper and tin to improve bell tone. Scrap value of a locomotive bell, before Pearl Harbor, was around $35.


[:I] There were five people on a crashing air plane. Britney Spears, George W. Bush, Pavarotti, the Pope, and a boy scout. There were only four parachutes, not enough for the five important people on board, so they had to decide who would be left. President Bush said he should go first since he is the president of the greatest country in the world. So he jumps and lands safely. Then Pavarotti says that he has the greatest voice in the world so jumps and parachutes to safety. Britney Spears says she's a role model for young girls, a sex icon, and the smartest woman in the world so she jumps out. Then the Pope says to the little boy scout, "I am old and feeble and I don't have much longer to live...You must take the last parachute." The boy scout replies, "We can both take a parachute because the smartest woman in the world took my backpack." [:I]

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom. A quick Bathams please.

The link would not work for me either .I cant find it now, it was there earlier[%-)]. Anyway I have put up a new link which has some great black and white photos of some Brits, In England if I mention brits to anyone under 45 I doubt of they would know what I was on about ether.
Thanks for the Busch info I have got my bearings now[tup] PETE.

[siberianmo]

G'day!

What a slooooooooooow afternoon 'round the "Hit 'n Miss bar 'n gril" it's been. Pleased to see at least two of our guys show up - Lars 'n Pete!

Pete Here's the layout for Bush Stadium: The left field foul line is parallel to highway 40 - which means that anyone seated on the 3rd base side of the stadium will have their backs to highway 40. The railroad tracks are parallel to highway 40 as well. The streets in downtown that are closest to the stadium and run parallel to highway 40 are (from north to south) Market Street - Clark Street and Spruce Street.

Lars Yes, I think there is a similarity with Ebbets Field but when you look at all of these "retro" stadiums, you can pretty much crank in any of the old parks and see 'em somewhere in the design.

As far as the CN and BC Rail WAS concerned - there never was any intent to maintain the passenger operations. Even B4 CN actively entered the picture, there was much public discussion over BC Rail talking about discontinuing those trains. While there were 'some' communities depending on the train, they were really far 'n few between and didn't generate the revenue required to keep those RDCs running on a regular basis. The fares would've simply knocked your socks off. It was tourism that kept 'em on the tracks, according to the bit of reading I've done on the subject (from Vancouver and other BC sources).

Pete Those Pix that your Mate sent are really good looking. Perhaps you can get him to join us at the bar - who know, he may become "hooked!"[swg] Also, that URL on the loco comparisons didn't come through - apparently it's not functioning as I get a "File Not Found" message.[tdn] Anyway, your explanation of it probably means much more to a "Brit" than a "Yank," for you see - if it's located in Great Britain, we tend to label it "Brit." Sorry![swg] The 2nd URL that you provided is where I found my Pix from yesterday!

Lars Thanx for the "plug" for "my other Thread." It appears that only the 4 of us really care to use it and lately, without Al 'n BK it's been rather quiet over there.

RR BOOK RELAY! is winding down. Ted\ will be sending it to Pete and then it comes back to me. No sweat - it was a good "ride." I'm still astounded at the participation - or lack thereof. But, I've done all I'm gonna do to "push" this idea. I'm pleaesd that we had five who were interested and said "yes!"[tup]

Still thinking about that UNBELIEVABLE ending to yesterday's game . . . something for the "ages."[swg]


Leon the Night Man will take the bar at 9 PM (Central)!


Thanx to all who bought rounds and to CM3 for the quarters![tup][tup]


Later!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


REMINDER:
Using the "reload/repost" features enables you to view
THE MOST CURRENT POSTS.

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

I'll have a Bathams that LARS as kindly offered to get in[tup].

Mike Thanks for the links[^][tup] Those black and white photos of St Albans are great. Good to see pics of the loco works and some of the people who worked on the railroad. It was an interesting time when the railroads changed from steam to diesel traction. Loved the pic of the circus elephant tied to the steam loco. [tup]

Good to see you DOUG, TED and LARS. [tup]. Glad you enjoyed the pics taken by a friend from across the pond. I have some more showing engines from Derbyshire, Yorkshire Somerset and some Welsh narrow guage. I have asked him for some details on the photos .

TOM I' ve looked at the link to the Busch Stadium does the RR run behind Clark St or Eighth St[?].
Great Nostalgia Ad on the NYC[tup].

The reason I picked up on the "Brit" was when the British Railways were nationalised in 1948 a range of 'Standard" steam locos were designed, although the " Big Four" companies still built their own designs for quite a few years, in fact the former Great Western were still producing their 0-6-0 pannier tanks as late as 1956. The first Standard loco class built was the 4-6-2 class 7 mixed traffic engines which appeared in 1951. The first loco #70000 was named Britannia and were known to us as BRITS. When the Duke was built in 1954 it was used on the ex LMS West Coast Main Line which ran through my home town along with a few of the Britannias( in their later days they were all allocated to ex LMS sheds).
The Brits and the Duke look simular from the front ends from a distance and when spotters from other areas visited, on seeing the approching loco, would yell "ITS A BRIT" only to be pleasently surprised when they saw it was the solitary Duke of Gloucester ( if they had not seen her before) which was common through Rugby. Thanks for stirring the memory Tom [tup].
To compare the two locos I have found a URL.
http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_steam_in_the_sixties_lmr_033.html

CM3 In the photo of the Dukes front end just ahead of the cylinder is the cam-box for the drive to work the inside cylinder valve gear. Before her present main running they have modified the gear which has been explained on their web-site, under Carprotti. A great site for anyone interested in the loco [^] the site is
http://www.71000trust.com/index.html
We are very lucky to have the Duke as it was delivered to wrong scrapyard. if it had not gone to the yard at Barry South Wales it probably would have cut up quickly. She certainly looks a lot better than when I first saw her in Barry in 1968. The 71000 Trust have done a marvellous job.[bow][tup][tup][tup].

I'll have another Bathams please Tom with a round for all, looking forward to ALs party and the B&M tomorrow[tup] PETE.

[LoveDomes]

G’day Kapitan Tom and fellow travelers at the bar!


Barkeep, I’ll take a frosty mug of Coors Light and a 2 foot hero – ham, Swiss, buttAH & mustAHd with two large pickles from the barrel. And, here’s a ten spot for the next round, or “The Lars Box,” your choice.


Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I did. The Easter weekend is always something special around my house and it’s really nice to spend it with family. I always take time to reflect on just how fortunate we are.[tup]


I saw the highlights of the game you attended, Tom and must agree – a truly UNBELIEVABLE event! You sure know how to “pick ‘em!!” Looks like we had both ends of the weekend pretty much covered with some great baseball, huh[?] I checked that URL out regarding the new Busch stadium and it looks like a “keeper.” Some facets of it reminds me of old Ebbets Field, what say you[?] These “retro” parks that have sprung up all over the country are obviously the latest. Seems like yesterday that the “cookie cutter” multi-purpose stadiums were in vogue.

I see where the Mets will be in your town for YOUR birthday on May 18th. Now that would be a great Birthday Bash, huh[?][swg]

Getting back to the game, I just realized that one of “our own,” Jason Marquis (a pitcher) is from Staten Island (but was born in Manhasset) and began that terrific ninth inning comeback with a pinch hit single! The guy is quite a hitter. Of course the “Staten Island Advance” always makes sure we get the ‘skinny’ on how he’s doing. A 1996 grad from Tottenville High – quite an athlete, but you already know that![swg]

That "Top 10 Contributors" list is something else! Don't know if I would have the patience, much less willingness to keep track of and compile all of that! Nice work![tup][tup][tup] Pehaps you should consider posting it again, only because stuff on the weeknds somehow gets 'lost' in the shuffle - as you've mentioned many a time![swg]

Some really nice pix for the Sunday Fest and between you, Doug & Pete we were treated to some interesting sights. I really think that BC Rail trip is something that must be resurrected, what a pity to let such a scenic route simply die on the vine. What in the world do you think Canadian National will do with it for passenger travel[?] I’m not talking about excursion trains – I’m speaking of scheduled passenger runs. As with you, I never did quite understand the rationale of letting all those RDCs go.


Doug sounds like you’ve got some work ahead of you at the home front. The setting must be pretty nice, especially with kids involved. Being a New Yorker – even on Staten Island – it’s rather hard to find any place where there’s acres of land to call “home.” Good luck with your moves . . .

I checked out a few of those URLs that Mike dropped off yesterday - interesting baseball park stuff, but far too much to handle in one sitting for me. Guess that's why it is called "Sunday Photo Posting Day!"[swg]

Sorry I didn't provide anything for the weekly event, but as predicted, the 'puter was the last thing on my mind - as it shudda been!

Tom Like that NYC ad from days of nostalgia! Anything with that herald and I'm "in!"[swg][tup][tup][tup]

Nice to see The Bear stop by this AM! The guy really knows how to put together a great inclusive post - a talent, no doubt![tup][swg]

I see that you are running the NEW HAVEN over on your "other thread!" I dig that road too!! One of my all time favorites and no matter how many times I see those posts, they always bring back some GREAT recollections of days gone by. I think Shane (aka: Coal-What's-His-Face) would concur with that assessment![swg] You guys who aren't checking out that thread are really missing out . . . .

So, where are you with the "RR BOOK RELAY!" thingy[?] Just curious, since I haven't seen anyone wanting to join in . . .

Just wanted you to know that I WILL log in during tomorrow's B'day Bash for Al - wouldn't miss it! Will be interesting to see if this guy we have all come to "affectionately" call 20 Fingers! will have some humor to share - or perhaps a 100 or 200 paragraph passenger train "essay!"[swg] Can't wait!<grin>

Ok gents - have one on me - Boris ding the ring, or is that ring the ding[?] Hmmmmm - no matter - drinks on Lars!


Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

G’day All!

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #84

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the New York Central (NYC) in a 1953 advertisement from my private collection:


ALTOGETHER, it’s more fun on New York Central!

On family trips, you’ll enjoy the spaciousness of a New York Central streamliner. Plenty of room for youngsters to roam, stretch their legs and avoid “back-seat fidgets.”

You’ll enjoy Central’s fresh and varied dining car meals. There’s a favorite dish for everyone in the family. Plus a special, money-saving menu for children.

You’ll enjoy and learn a lot from the beauty and history that parade past your picture windows. Those close-ups of the scenic Water Level Route hold youngsters quietly fascinated, mile after mile.

Best of all, with your family on New York Central, you’ll enjoy a deep sense of all-weather security no highway or skyway can match.

And together you save on Central’s Family Fares! They let youngsters under 16 ride half-fare, and under 12, free . . . when making a complete coach round trip with a parent. Ask about them.


New York Central Railroad

The Scenic Water Level Route




Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

Good Mornin' Gents!

A bit like old times 'round the bar with Doug - Ted 'n CM3 kickin' things off on this rather dismal Monday morning - after a wonderful weekend - start to the work week.<phew>

Temps have dropped quite a bit since our high of 93 the other day, with the high supposed to be about 20 degrees cooler. I can handle that![tup]

Doug Appreciate your taking the time to be with us, even if there is NO time! Been there, done that . . . The "big" priority of course is Al's B'day Bash! - "Pike Perspectives" can be slipped into the following week, fer sure, fer sure![tup]

Ted on a Monday morning - seems rather "normal," eh[?] [yeah] I'm checking my Air Canada itinerary quite regularly, just to avoid those 'surprises!' Was following that Delta strike situation rather closely, wonderin' - but all seems to have been worked out, which clears YOUR flight path![tup]

CM3 Yes, indeed, we managed to provide some excellent Pix yesterday - and I sure in heck would appreciate it if we could get a couple of more guys to particpate. It's becoming quite a labor as of late to keep the Pix flowing . . . Anyway, looks like Pete has joined the PhotoBucket Club and that's one less that I have to oversee. So, there's room for another![tup]<hint, hint, nudge, nudge!>

Doug Times like this week "happen" and believe me "pardner," there's more where "they" came from! Just take "it' one step at a time, and B4 you realize it - you'll be all settled in your "new (temporary) digs" - gettin' ready for round two![swg]

Mike An impressive array of URLs - and I too have not gone thru 'em all yet . . .

CM3 You are correct, Sir, in your assessment of Red Bird pitching - aside from Mr. Carpenter it is indeed an "iffy" situation. I look for it all to settle down - can't lead the pack from end to end all of the time. [swg] Anyway, overall, the team looks like they have what it takes to come from behind, and once we get a healthy Jim Edmonds back into the lineup - the offense may very well be most impressive. Those homers hit by Sir Albert 'n Sir Scott were monster blasts to the upper reaches of the soon-to-be-completed far left field stands. Unbelievable![tup]

The local media has done a rather poor job with describing the 'set up' for the comeback in the 9th inning. If Tony hadn't sent Marquis up to pinch hit - who knows how the game would have ended. That really was a "clutch decision."

Okay boyz - I'll be here for the remainder of the day! Gotta get some work done on the week's planned Posts, etc.

Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]


REMINDER: Use the "refresh/repost" button once you log on to this Thread. It will provide you with the MOST CURRENT INFO Posted.

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the Jukebox.

Let's play (for Theodorebear ) that toe-tapping classic by the Jug Band section of the Mentor Pro Musica (featuring Tex on washboard); "I'd Rather Have a Bottle In Front of Me Than a Frontal Lobotomy."

All kinds of neat material for a supposedly quiet weekend. Iliionois Termional, Pacific Electric (soemething I wish I had seen as the Big Red Cars have a fascination all their own), GN, CP, BC Rail and reruns of other pieces as well. Lots of great pictures as well.

Hokey Smokes Bullwinkle! A three-cylinder steam locomotive with Caprotti valve gear? As the kid in the ad said about the lime green hatchback, "Sweet Mercy! It's a thing of beauty!" The heck with the excursion - let's get underneath and see how it all works.

Our 'steamed proprietor got an interesting trip to the ballpark over the weekend - and now, ladies and gentlemen, in the center ring - the hurler's horror, the chucker's concern, the tosser's terror - the Adonis of the Arch - Albert Pujols! My, my! He better keep hitting as they sure as !@#$ don't have a whole lot of pitching.

A double header tomorrow - Birthday bash and the Boston and Maine! I'd better go and rest up.

work safe

[siberianmo]

[bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow] [bday] [bow]



REMINDER! BIRTHDAY BASH for passengerfan AL is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) from NOON to 4 PM (Pacific) – 2 – 6 PM (Central), etc. Let’s show 20 Fingers Al how much we appreciate all the Posts he has provided by trying our best to show up while he’s on line!



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[Anonymous]

Good Monday mornin' to each and all. Tom please, a couple of Prune Danish and I'll grab a large, hot "Joe" from the urn on my way to the water closet, thanks. Just when I get one fire put out, along comes another. Still, I'm making time for more participation come "hell or high water." Pete, Doug, Mike, you guys sure made a liar out of me![^] Easter Sunday photo posting was colorful and lively with wonderful input along with Tom's (18 pix) breath taking shots of the Cariboo Prospector.[tup] X 5. By Gadfrey, I revere those steam contributions like "mana from heaven."

You were correct Tom, the linguering effects of Pete, Boris and Leon's brewing efforts were "tell tale" as per my last post.[}:)] I'll be doing a recon on my flight tickets today for a little peace of mind. Rob, I'll get there if they need to ship my carcass UPS.[(-D] Dave, as always, your periodic data on the old PE plus related U.P. and S.P. ROW regarding the future plans in the "Golden State" is fascinating and appreciated.[bow] Hey, lots of wild humo(u)r and sports graffiti happening at "Our" Place of late.[(-D] Sorry but my old "one liners" are so stale and dated that the drummer (tat-tat-crash) would throw the sticks at me while Tom gave me the "hook."[V] I know I've over looked some details this time and apologize in advance for omissions. The Kamazi traffic (Tampa) looms just ahead, so I must bite hit the "dusty trail" post haste.[tdn] So Boris, get your cloven hoofs over here and "ring dat ding!" BOINK....this time with the clapper please.[:(!] Happy rails to all.

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and all! I'll have the usual two light breakfasts if you please. Terrific Cariboo pix from yesterday Tom, and really enjoyed the steam pix from Peter. Way to go guys! Mike, I'll have to get back to your URLs a bit later. You always have terrific links!

This is going to be a busy busy week for me, and one which I have been dreading for months. Though we are slow (which means I work harder to keep others busy), my son is also off for the week, and I theoretically am to cover for him as well. It just can't be done. So yuck! [xx(]

I hope to get something typed for ya'll later today. We shall see. I am ready for the Pikes Perspective on Wednesday, and have a little material for our theme tomorrow. I guess the worst news is that I still have more jokes!

[:I] A man is in bed with his wife when there is a knock on the door. He rolls over and looks at his clock -- it's half-past three in the morning. "I'm not getting out of bed at this time", he thinks, and rolls over. Then, a louder knock follows. "Aren't you going to answer that?" says his wife. So, he drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs.
He opens the door and there is man standing at the door. It didn't take the homeowner long to realize the man was drunk. "Hi there," slurs the stranger, "Can you give me a push?" "No. Get lost, it's half past three. I was in bed," says the man and slams the door. He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what happened and she says "Dave, that wasn't very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby-sitter and you had to knock on that man's door to get us started again? What would have happened if he'd told us to get lost?" "But the guy was drunk," says the husband. "It doesn't matter," says the wife. "He needs our help and it would be the Christian thing to help him." So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and, not being able to see the stranger anywhere he shouts: "Hey, do you still want a push?" and he hears a voice cry out "Yeah please." So, still being unable to see the stranger, he shouts: "Where are you?" And the stranger replies: "I'm over here, on your swingset. [:I]

[siberianmo]

from: www.viarail.ca

We open at 6 AM. (All time zones - Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]


MONDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS


Easter Sunday and we’re CLOSED! However, we do observe Sunday Photo Posting Day!


Daily Wisdom

The hottest fire is made by the wood you copy yourself.


Info for the Day:

Railroads from Yesteryear – Boston & Maine arrives Tuesday!

Birthday Bash for passengerfan Al set for Tuesday, Apr 18th from Noon to 4 PM (Pacific) – 2 PM to 6 PM (Central).


* Weekly Calendar:

Wednesday: Pike Perspective’s Day!
Thursday: Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday: Pizza Nite & Steak Nite!
Saturday: Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite! – and –
ENCORE! Saturday


[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]


Comedy Corner

Yarns from the Barn
(from barndad Doug’s Posts)


[:I] Billy Bob says to Lester, "You know, I reckon I'm about ready for a vacation, only this year I'm gonna do it a little different. The last few years, I took your advice as to where to go. Two years ago you said to go to Hawaii, I went to Hawaii, and Marie got pregnant. Then last year, you told me to go to the Bahamas, I went to the Bahamas, and Marie got pregnant again."
Lester says, "So what you gonna do different this year?"
Billy Bob says, "This year, I'm takin' Marie with me..." [:I]


[:I] A man goes to see the Rabbi. "Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it." The Rabbi asked, "What's wrong?" The man replied, "My wife is poisoning me." The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, "How can that be?" The man then pleads, "I'm telling you, I'm certain she's poisoning me. What should I do?" The Rabbi then offers, "Tell you what. Let me talk to her. I'll see what I can find out and I'll let you know." A week later the Rabbi calls the man and says. "I spoke to your wife...spoke to her on the phone for three hours. You want my advice?" The man said yes, and the Rabbi replied, "Take the poison." [:I]


[:I] God said, "Adam, I want you to do something for me."
Adam said, "Gladly, Lord, what do You want me to do?"
God said, "Go down into that valley."
Adam said, "What's a valley?" God explained it to him.
Then God said, "Cross the river."
Adam said, "What's a river?"
God explained that to him, and then said, "Go over to the hill..."
Adam said, "What is a hill?" So, God explained to Adam what a hill was.
He told Adam, "On the other side of the hill you will find a cave"
Adam said, "What's a cave?"
After God explained, he said, "In the cave you will find a Woman."
Adam said, "What's a woman?" So God explained that to him, too.
Then, God said, "I want you to reproduce."
Adam said, "How do I do that?"
God first said (under his breath), "Gee..." And then, just like everything else, God explained that to Adam, as well.So, Adam goes down into the valley, across the river, and over the hill, into the cave, and finds the woman. Then, in about five minutes, he was back.God, his patience wearing thin, said angrily, "What is it now?" And Adam said "What's a headache? [:I]


[tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup][tup]



The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre

NOW SHOWING:

Double Features and Three Stooges Short Subject!

. . . Sunday, April 16th thru 22nd: The Molly Macquires (1970) starring: Sean Connery, Richard Harris & Samantha Eggers – and – It Happened to Jane (1959) starring: Doris Day, Jack Lemmon & Ernie Kovacs. SHORT: Punch Drunks (1934).



SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) pwolfe Pete Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 01:04:02 (306) 4 Pix & descriptions!

(2) barndad Doug Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 06:27:51 (306) 5 Pix & descriptions & joke!

(3) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 07:24:31 (306) Easter Sunday Info & Summary

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 08:30:06 (306) Now Playing at the Gazette!

(5) barndad Doug Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 08:49:01 (306) 5 Pix & descriptions & joke!

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 08:51:04 (306) Acknowledgments, etc/

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 08:58:20 (306) for Doug

(8) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 10:37:10 (306) 18 Pix!

(9) pwolfe Pete Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 16:29:49 (306) 3 Pix & descriptions, etc.

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 18:21:54 (306) Comments & 2 Pix

(11) wanswheel Mike Posted: 16 Apr 2006, 20:42:43 (306) Lotsa URLs



That’s it! [tup][;)]


Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[wanswheel]

Tom and Doug and Pete, nice pictures today.

Here's some links if you got time....

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/sportsmans7255.jpg Saw this one on TV many times, site of 1964 World Series
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/future/mets702.jpg Opening 2009, supposed to be reminiscent of
http://www.ballparkwatch.com/images/ebbets_field_1.jpg

For Dave and Rob some oldies
http://jpg2.lapl.org/spnb1/00017175.jpg Pacific Electric Railway Station
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013100.jpg Pontiac
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013098.jpg Chevy & Buick
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics14/00006891.jpg Hollywood
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics30/00034811.jpg Bad Brakes

Aerial photos of Promontory Point
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/07375.jpg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/07373.jpg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/07161.jpg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/02167.jpg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/03776.jpg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/07160.jpg

http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/00960.jpg Arkansas River (Royal Gorge)
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/02443.jpg Steam near Strasburg
http://www.airphotona.com/database/stock/images/02471.jpg Mt. Rushmore

Central Vermont Railway
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1011907384&id=49 Panorama
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=48305705&id=55 Steam train approaching
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/structures/index_view.cfm?photoid=39212548&id=37 The Train Shed
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1605072807&id=53 Gov. Smith
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-865848423&id=55 601 shined up for the
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1274675160&id=51 100th Anniversary
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=56550296&id=55 8015
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1073662655&id=55 1859
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=37475508&id=55 1859
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=84794484&id=55 First Diesel
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1668991749&id=48 Freight yards
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=926690786&id=48 Freight yards
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1092405285&id=55 Turntable
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1700731494&id=56 Coaling tower
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=990997848&id=56 Coaling tower
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1592739821&id=56 Sand
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-2042343500&id=55 4549
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=59291237&id=26 Shops
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=55954352&id=26 Shops
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=51194725&id=26 Punching Out
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1108028983&id=26 Dispatcher's office
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1188559220&id=26 Engineer in Steam
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=813693029&id=26 Engineer in Diesel
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=402270918&id=26 Brakeman
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=2023666915&id=26 Conductor & Porter
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-389222185&id=55 Auto Boxcar
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1660833928&id=54 Milk Car
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-1561221095&id=54 Milk Car
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1579183234&id=54 Caboose
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1609131970&id=58 Baggage REA
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=-503838128&id=60 GMC Trucks
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index_view.cfm?photoid=1515592683&id=62 Snow Plow
hthttp://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=1761716511&id=27 Elephant
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=-537095052&id=27 Horse
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/people/index_view.cfm?photoid=633753701&id=27 Camel
http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/structures/index_view.cfm?photoid=1775812032&id=36 Ambassador

[siberianmo]

G'day!

I'd say Pete wins the "I've come to save the day!" award for this Sunday Photo Posting Day![wow][yeah][tup]



Fully expected a slow day and even contemplated not hosting our Pix Posting for this day . . . but it turned out just fine - THANX to Pete 'n Doug!! - Reminder: Pix Posting ends at "sunset!!"[swg]


Pete regarding today's game - only one word applies - UNBELIEVABLE! Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE! Albert Pujols hit three home runs, with the last one occuring in the bottom of the 9th inning, one man on - one run behind. WHAM! Game over! Cards 8 Reds 7 - UNBELIEVABLE![wow]

It's quite the stadium - but especially so, should you wind up in seats like we had - field level boxes. The way the place is laid out (check that URL I provided yesterday) my guess is the only way you could view the railroad bridge across the Missiissippi would be to get into the upper level along the left field line and then it would be in view. Otherwise, cannot be seen. The views of the Arch and downtown over the outfield wall is impressive. Again, check out those Pix that the URL takes you to - click 'em and you'll have a good idea of it all.[tup]


BR 71000 Class 8 Pacific Duke of Gloucester (Foto: K. Langston)


Looking forward to the 'story' from Wolfman Pete!

See y'all in the 'morrow![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.
Another 3 pics.
The 1st is of a Great Western 2-6-2 tank engine at the Llangollen terminus of the railway of the same name in North Wales.While more of a LMS fan myself I have to admit when the GWR locos are polished they look a fine sight.

The second two are of an industrial 0-6-0 tank built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn. Althogh the loco is in the LNER wartime black livery this loco was never in main line ownership. The location is on the Battlefield Line and the loco is running round its passenger train at Shenton. The line got its name as it is adjacent to the fields on which the Battle of Bosworth was fought in which King Richard III fell on the August 22nd 1485. For more info on the battle and a map of the area a good web site is
http:/www.r3.org/bosworth/index.html

Great two sets of photos DOUG many thanks [tup][tup][tup]. The one of theboxcar being moved by hand reminded me of an experience at work when we had to move a 4-wheel flat wagon by hand and made me[:)] at the memory.
Those steam pics are superb, I dont believe we had that type of valve gear in the UK.but I may be wrong.

The farmhouse sounds a great place I hope to move goes smoothly.


TOM Great Easter one-liners and the Easter Bunny train[tup][tup][tup]. Another good selection of films at the Emporium this week I sure CM3 will like the first film.

Many thanks for sharing the Cariboo Prospector photos They certainly are a great set of pics with unbeliveable scenery and you can almost here those RDCs To travel that line as got to be a wonderful and unforgetable exprience

Glad Doug and you enjoyed the BR pics. The Duke is not a Brit. I will explain tomorrow[:-,].
TOM Just caught the end of the Cards match. What a game[bow][wow][yeah]. PETE.

[siberianmo]

Even though ”Our” Place is CLOSED on SUNDAY’s –
We do observe Sunday Photo Posting Day!

I had planned to Post these in sections/parts . . . but given that I will be gone for all of the afternoon AND we try to have our Sunday Photo Posting Day! run from “sunrise to sunset,” here’s the whole ‘shebang’ . . .


BC Rail and the Cariboo Prospector route from North Vancouver to Prince George, BC


These Pix are reflective of my trip aboard the Cariboo Prospector several years ago and are reproduced here with permission from the respective owners. Perhaps one day I will scan my 35mm photos into digital format – but for now, these are every bit as good to view![tup]


(1) The Cariboo Prospector at North Vancouver, April 1991





(2) BC Rail sights : Howe Sound, BC (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)





(3) BC Rail sights: Cheakamus River Canyon and Brandywine Falls (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)




(4) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector climb hill at Furry Creek, B.C.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(5) BC Rail: Budd Cars approach Whistler, B.C.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(6) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector along Anderson Lake. (courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(7) BC Rail Cariboo Prospector along Anderson Lake.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(8) BC Rail Cariboo Prospector at Anderson and Seton Lakes (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)




(9) BC Rail: Budd Cars along Seton Lake south of Lilloet.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(10) BC Rail sights: Seton Lake (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)




(11) BC Rail sights: west shore of Seton Lake (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)




(12) BC Rail Cariboo Prospector at Lillooet (courtesy: Chris Guenzler/trainweb.com)




(13) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector at Marble Tunnel up in the Cariboo.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(14) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector cross Pine River Trestle.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(15) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector along curved fill in the Cariboo.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)




(16) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector in the Cariboo.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)





(17) BC Rail: Combined highway and railroad bridge in the Cariboo.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)





(18) BC Rail: Cariboo Prospector on siding at Buick Creek, B.C.(courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)



If you are browsing, how about letting the guys know that you’ve enjoyed their efforts!


Enjoy![tup]


Tom [4:-)] [oX)]


[bday]REMINDER!
Bash for passengerfan Al is Tuesday, April 18th from NOON to 4 PM (Pacific) - 2 - 6 PM (Central), etc.

[siberianmo]

Hye Doug!

Just caught your 2nd Post . . . haven't got much time this AM, but just wanted you to know that your efforts are (always) apprecited! Furthermore - the jokes do brighten up the place, a tad that is![swg]

Too bad 20 Fingers can't find the time to "come up for air" these days, for I know he'd make comment about that Siliver Meteor car - great looking, eh[?] Nice 'steamers,' fer, sure, fer sure![tup]

Gotta run . . .

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Just a brief word of THANX to Pete 'n Doug for providing those Sunday Pix!

Great to see that you've "mastered" the Pix-Posting "mystery", Pete - it's like taking the "training wheels" off the bicycle, eh[?][swg]

Doug That RDC really "flicked my switch!"[tup] Other Pix entertaining as well! That Illinois Central E7 looks terrific and would've been a great addition to our recent IC "theme."

The Rock Island #9002 was built on July 9th, 1953 as RDC-3 #5906 (builder's number). The RPO section was enlarged by removing the baggage section. It was rebuilt to a coach in December 1964.

As the first RDC purchased by "The Rock," RDC #9002 was put into service in August of 1953 between Oklahoma City to Little Rock as train Nos. 23-24. Two RDCs (#9003) made individual runs of 355 miles on a daily basis. A year later, the run was extended on both ends to include Memphis, TN to the east and Amarillo, TX in the west.

Originally the service was named Choctaw, but was later changed to the Choctaw Rocket. When the RDCs entered service, the name changed again to Rockettes. 'Nuf for now![swg]

Pete Wonderful selection for us this Easter Sunday and those "Brit Beauties" really bring another dimension to our discussion of Classic Trains. Well done, Mate![tup]


Okay boyz, as previously mentioned - I'm going to be away for most of this day, so it's up to our Sunday "regulars" to pick up the slack![tup]

One more Post B4 we leave for "the old ballgame!"[swg] But that will be a bit later this AM . . . .

Enoy this Easter Sunday![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Anonymous]

Nice touch on the Easter jokes Tom. [tup] Looks like we have some interesting films coming up at the emporium as well. I just happened to see the Doris Day film about 6 months ago, as she took-on the cold-hearted/business oriented president of the train line. There was sufficient footage on the train she "acquired", and all in all it was a good flick.

Here are some more random pix from me before I toil away at the farmhouse:

Probably the first and only stainless steel piece of equipment to visit GM yards in Gainesville was Seaboard’s prewar coach-lounge No. 6400 built for the Silver Meteor. The car became the observation car for the Wildwood-Tampa, Florida, section of the Meteor and was used as an observation car on the Gainsville Midland Steam Limited, as well. David W. Salter


Coaling facilities didn’t get much more primitive or picturesque than this. As one laborer shovels a buggy’s burden into the tender, two more buggies wait their turn and four more laborers trundle another across the platform. An archetypal southern farmhouse overlooks the scene.


Canadian National class H-6g 4-6-0 1576 arrives at Palmerston, Ontario, with the Kincardine-Palmerston mixed train on July 24, 1957. A May 1913 product of the Montreal Locomotive Works, the 1576 began life as Canadian Northern 1390 and retained that number when the Canadian National took over in 1918; it was renumberes in 1956. It sports the indirect Walschaerts valve gear often seen on CN power.


Borrowed Grand Trunk 5589, a Pacific, arrives at Blackwater, Ontario, with the westbound Lindsay-Uxbridge way freight on July 17, 1958. The K-3b is spiffy indeed, with white running board edges and handrails. It began life in 1911 as Grand Trunk P-214, later reclassed P-7.


Running extra, D&RGW 2-8+8-2 3615 and 4-8-2 1526 power an eastward Civilian Conservation Corps special, climbing the 3 percent grade on Tennessee Pass near Mitchell, Colorado, on March 24, 1940. The Mallet and the Mountain are making 25 mph with the 15 cars.


[:I] One Sunday morning, a priest wakes up and decides to go golfing. He calls his boss and says that he feels very sick, and won't be able to go to work. Way up in heaven, Saint Peter sees all this and asks God, ''Are you really going to let him get away with this?”
''No, I guess not,'' says God.
The priest drives about five to six hours away, so he doesn't bump into anyone he knows. The golf course is empty when he gets there. So he takes his first swing, drives the ball 495 yards away and gets a hole in one.
Saint Peter watches in disbelief and asks, '' Why did you let him do that?''
To this God says, ''Who's he going to tell?'' [:I]