A Classic REAL Trains 'n Traction FOTO site!

[siberianmo]

Good Evening!

Last one for awhile . . . .


CP FP9A #1415 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Good Morning!

Continuing on with the CP . . . .



Royal CP crossing Ottertail Bridge, BC


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Check this one out . . .

Royal CP passing storm mountain lookout, Alberta


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

More CP . . .

CP FP7A #1422 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Continuing . . .


CP FP9A #1413 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

And one more . . .


CP #15407 Kokanee Park as Silver Streak for movie (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Significant events in Canadian RR History during the month of January. Part I of II – 1800’s to 1900:


*January 27th, 1854: - The Great Western Railway opens its Hamilton to London, Ontario section of its main line between Windsor and Niagara Falls. Moving on to acquire other railroads throughout Southern Ontario, it can be claimed to be the first Canadian railway system.


* January 4, 1875: The Inter colonial Railway of Prince Edward Island opened the line between Charlottetown and Tignish for rail traffic.


* January 31st, 1880: The Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Railay opened an Ice Railway between Longueuil and Montreal by placing railway track on large timbers laid on the ice of the St. Lawrence Seaway. A car ferry was used by the QMO&O during warmer months. The ice railway continued each winter until 1883.


* January 1st, 1882: The Canadian Pacific Railway appointed William Cornelius Van Horne as General Manager. Under his tenure, 480 miles of track was laid across the Prairies in the summer of 1882.


* January 13th, 1899: The joining of the Winnipeg Great Northern Railway with the Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company formed the Canadian Northern Railway. By 1915, under the leadership of Donald Mann and William Mackenzie, the Canadian Northern system expanded to 9,362 miles of track.


Information contained in this compilation was obtained from internet public domain sources and materials from my private RR library collection. The use of this information is strictly for pleasure without intent of monetary reward or profit of any kind.


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Signficiant events in Canadian RR History during the month of January. Part II of II – 1900’s to present times:


* January 3rd, 1912: The Canadian Pacific Railway leases the Dominion Atlantic Railway Company of Nova Scotia.


* January 1st, 1914: Twelve miles of what was to become the Pacific Great Eastern Railway opens between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia.


* January 19th, 1923: , January 19 - The Grand Trunk Railway is amalgamated into the Canadian National System by governmental order. The system took in the Canadian Government Railways (including the Intercolonial, the Prince Edward Island and the National Transcontinental Railways); the Hudson Bay Railway; the Canadian Northern and subsidiaries; the Grand Trunk Pacific; and the Grand Trunk (including the Grand Trunk Western and the Grand Trunk New England routes).

* January 31st, 1930: This day commemorates the first use of the new elevated tracks through the new station platform at Toronto’s Union Station.


* January 13th, 1955: The Terrace to Kitimat, BC line was opened for traffic on this date by Canadian National Railways, although the official “last spike” ceremony took place on July 8 with the driving of an aluminum sp-ike produced at Kitmat.


* January 20th, 1960: Canada’s northernmost railroad (at the time) began operations by the Quebec Cartier Mining Company between Port Cartier to Gagnon, QC.


* January 31, 1964: The Canadian National Railways extended its Optic and Chisel Lake line to Stall Lake, MB.


* January 7th, 1969: Technical problems forces the suspension of Turbo Train service between Montreal and Toronto.


* January 12th, 1977: Inter-city passenger rail service is officially granted to Via Rail Canada.


* January 3, 1986: Vancouver’s Skytrain begins operation between downtown Vancouver, Waterfront and New Westminster, BC.


* January 15, 1990: Half of the VIA Rail Canada passenger network gets the budget axe. As a result of this action, a decision is made to run just one transcontinental train between Toronto and Vancouver via CN through Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper, thereby discontinuing the use of CP trackage.


* January 16th, 1990: The Minister of Transport approves the Canadian Rail Operating Rules.


* January of 1993: The Rivard Commission the report of the National Transportation Act Review Commission is published.


* January 7th, 1995: The New Brunswick Southern Railway begins operation over former CP tracks from McAdam to Saint John, N.B. with a line between McAdam and St. Stephen.


* January 7th, 1995: The Wisconsin Central Railway acquires the Algoma Central Railway.


* January 1st, 1998: The Guelph Junction Railway (formerly the Goderich subdivision), is acquired by the Ontario Southland Railway. This line had been leased by CP from the City of Guelph since 1888. The Ontario Southland also took over the 3.1 mile segment of the CP owned Guelph and Goderich Railway.


* January 19th, 1998: The CN tracks between Mont-Joli, QC and Moncton, NB is acquired by the Quebec Railway Corporation through its owned subsidiaries:

(1) New Brunswick East Coast Railway between Pacific Junction, near Montcton,
and Campbellton, NB.

(2) Matapedia Railway between Campbellton, NB and Mont-Joli, QC.


* January 15, 1999: Formal ceremonies of the handing over of the former CP line between Sicamous and Kelowna, BC (including operating rights over the CN tracks between Vernon and Kelowna) takes place under the operation of the Okanagan Valley Railway.


* January 8th, 1999: CP relinquishes operation of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway which is assumed by RailAmerica, Inc.


* January of 2000: The acquisition of 21.9 kilometers of track between Prince Albert and Birch Hills, SK is announced by OmniTRAX.


* January 5th, 2002: Vancouver’s Skytrain opens the Millennium Line section from Columbus to Braid.


* January 9th, 2003: The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Canada Company begins operations through the acquisition of the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad and its subsidiaries, the Canadian American Railroad, the Northern Vermont Railroad, the Quebec Southern Railway and the Van Buren Bridge Company.


Information contained in this compilation was obtained from internet public domain sources and materials from my private RR library collection. The use of this information is strictly for pleasure without intent of monetary reward or profit of any kind.


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Something different . . . .

CN Transfer Caboose (free use assumed; multiple sources)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Yo Tom!

Man, what a drag over here - still at it I see! Lots of free loaders, with nothing to contribute. Isn't that the way[?]

Enjoyed the CP Pix and my guess is you're "warming up" for the April 24th Anniversary date for "The Canadian!"[tup]

So, where's 20 Fingers[?] Oh [yeah] - tax prep "season" and all those last minute people are flooding the offices. Glad I'm not one of those . . . .

Hey! I love cabooses - but not nearly as much as domes![swg]

Ok, mate - here's something from my Post over at the bar!

CN "Skeena" at Jasper (1976)(from: www.trainweb.org) Photo: Chris Guenzler


Until the next time![tup]


Lars

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Good to see ya stop by, Lars! Nice Pix spread over at the bar!![tup][tup]

Have no idea what's up with 20 Fingers, but my guess is he's up to his lower lip in tax returns . . . [swg]

Check out this caboose . . .

CN 79824 Steel Caboose (free use assumed; multiple sources)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Here's something special that was first Posted over at the bar . . .


Number Three
Posted: 03 Feb 2006, page 237

Pennsylvania Railroad


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


Locale: Chicago and St. Louis to New York City and Washington, DC

Reporting marks: PRR

Dates of operation: 1846 – 1968

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

Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. Commonly referred to as the Pennsy, the company was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company's symbol was a keystone (Pennsylvania's symbol) with the letters PRR intertwined inside it. When colored, it was bright red with silver-grey edges and lettering (although it also appears in metal leaf outline on a wooden background on station benches).

The PRR was the largest railroad by traffic and revenue in the US throughout its 20th century existence and for a long while was the largest publicly traded corporation in the world. The corporation still holds the record for the longest continual dividend history, over 100 years of never missing an annual shareholder payment.

Like the Reading Railroad, the PRR served Atlantic City, New Jersey; one of the four railroad squares in the board game Monopoly is called Pennsylvania Railroad.

Standard Railroad of the World

The Pennsylvania Railroad, as the "standard railroad of the world", also strove for an air of permanence, decorating its railroad stations with symbols of itself. For a long time the PRR called itself the Standard Railroad of the World, meaning that it was the standard to which all other railroads aspired, the "gold standard". For a long time that was literally true; the railroad had an impressive lists of firsts, greatests, biggests and longests. The PRR was the first railroad to rid itself of wooden-bodied passenger cars in favor of the much safer steel-bodied cars. It led the way in many safety and efficiency improvements over the years. This advantage lessened as the years progressed, and the PRR eventually abandoned the use of the phrase.

The Pennsylvania Railroad was standard in another way, too - it was an early proponent of standardization. While other railroads used whatever was to hand or available, the Pennsylvania tested and experimented with solutions until they could decide on one, and then made it standard across the whole company. Other railroads bought locomotives and railroad cars in small lots, taking whatever was available from manufacturers at the time. The PRR produced huge numbers of standardised designs. This gave the railroad a feel of uniformity and greatly reduced costs. The PRR was also an early adopter of standard liveries and color schemes.

History

The eastern part of the PRR's main line was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the Main Line of Public Works, a railroad and canal corridor across the state. The system opened in 1834, consisting of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad from Philadelphia west to Columbia on the Susquehanna River, a canal from Columbia to Hollidaysburg, the Allegheny Portage Railroad from Hollidaysburg to Johnstown, and another canal from Johnstown to the terminus in Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad had one inclined plane at each end; the Allegheny Portage Railroad had ten.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature on April 13, 1846. Construction began in 1847 and the first section opened from Harrisburg west to Lewistown on September 1, 1849 (including the original Rockville Bridge across the Susquehanna River). Further extensions opened to McVeytown on December 24, Mount Union on April 1, 1850, Huntingdon on June 10, and Duncansville (west of Hollidaysburg) on September 16, 1850, taking it to a connection with the Allegheny Portage Railroad on the east side of the Allegheny Ridge. On the other side of the ridge, the main line opened from Conemaugh (on the Portage Railroad east of Johnstown) west to Lockport on August 25, 1851. On December 10, 1851, sections opened from Lockport west to Beatty (west of Latrobe) and from Pittsburgh east to Brinton, with a temporary stagecoach transfer between via the Southern Turnpike and a short turnpike branch built to Beatty. Part of that gap was filled on July 15, 1852, from Brinton east to Radebaugh, and on November 29 the full line was completed, forming the first all-rail route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Plane Number 1 of the Portage Railroad was bypassed on April 1, 1852. Other planes began to be bypassed by the New Portage Railroad, completed in 1856, but on February 15, 1854 the PRR's new line opened, leaving the old one on the east side of the ridge in Altoona and running west via the Horseshoe Curve and Gallitzin Tunnel, only using a short portion of the old Portage Railroad near South Fork and a longer adjacent section of New Portage Railroad. A reciprocal trackage rights agreement made March 18, 1854allowed the PRR to use that section for free.

On March 21, 1849 the PRR contracted with Eagle Line, primarily a steamboat company, for through service over the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. The PRR obtained trackage rights over the Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster Railroad, opened in 1838, on April 21, providing a route from Harrisburg to the Philadelphia and Columbia at Dillerville, just west of Lancaster. On September 1 the first section of the PRR opened, with all arrangements in place for service from Philadelphia to Lewistown. On December 20, 1860 the PRR formally leased the line west of Dillerville, renamed the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster Railroad in 1855.

In 1853 the PRR surveyed the Lancaster, Lebanon and Pine Grove Railroad from Philadelphia west via Phoenixville to Salunga on the Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster Railroad. This was done in order to show the state that the PRR was willing to build its own alignment around the Philadelphia and Columbia. On July 31, 1857, the PRR bought the whole Main Line of Public Works. The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad was integrated into its system. Most of the New Portage Railroad, just completed the previous year at a cost of $2.14 million, was abandoned, while short sections became local branches. The canals were abandoned, and short sections were filled and covered by rails. In 1904 the New Portage Railroad east of the Gallitzin Tunnels (through the "Muleshoe Curve") was reopened as a freight bypass line.

Access to New York, Baltimore and Washington

In the early 1860s the PRR gained control of the Northern Central Railway, giving it access to Baltimore along the Susquehanna River (via connections at Columbia or Harrisburg). [1]

On December 1, 1871 [2] the PRR leased the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Companies, which included the original Camden and Amboy Railroad from Camden, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, to South Amboy, across Raritan Bay from New York City, as well as a newer line from Philadelphia to Jersey City, much closer to New York, via Trenton. Track connection in Philadelphia was made via the United Companies' Connecting Railway and the jointly-owned Junction Railroad.

The PRR's Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road opened on July 2, 1872 between Baltimore and Washington, but with a required transfer via horse car in Baltimore to the other lines heading north from the city. On June 29, 1873, the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel through Baltimore was completed, and the PRR initiated the misleadingly-named Pennsylvania Air Line service via the Northern Central Railway and Columbia. This service was 54.5 miles (87.5 km) longer than the old route via the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, but avoided a transfer in Baltimore. The Union Railroad opened on July 24, 1873, eliminating the transfer, and the PRR contracted with the Union Railroad and the PW&B. New York-Washington trains began using that route the next day, ending Pennsylvania Air Line service. The PRR acquired a majority of PW&B stock in the early 1880s, forcing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad to keep its Philadelphia access.

Low-grade lines

Around 1900, the PRR built several low-grade lines for freight to bypass areas of steep grades. These included the following:

• 1892 - Trenton Branch and Trenton Cut-Off Railroad from Glen Loch east to Morrisville (not only a low-grade line but a long-distance bypass of Philadelphia)

• 1892 - Waverly and Passaic Railroad (finished by the New York Bay Railroad) from Waverly, New Jersey to Kearny


• 1904 - reopening of the New Portage Railroad from the Gallitzin Tunnels east to New Portage Junction, then continuing north over the Hollidaysburg Branch to Altoona

• 1906 - Philadelphia and Thorndale Branch from Thorndale east to Glen Loch

• 1906 - Atglen and Susquehanna Branch from Harrisburg via the Northern Central Railway south to Wago Junction, then east to Parkesburg

The Pennsylvania and Newark Railroad was incorporated in 1905 to build a low-grade line from Morrisville, Pennsylvania to Colonia, New Jersey. It was never completed, but some work was done in the Trenton area, including bridge piers in the Delaware River. North of Colonia, the alignment was going to be separate, but instead two extra tracks were added to the existing line. Work was suspended in 1916.

Penn Central merger

On February 1, 1968 the PRR merged with arch-rival New York Central to form the Penn Central. The ICC required that ailing New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad be added in 1969. Penn Central declared bankruptcy in June, 1970.

Successors

Penn Central rail lines were split between Amtrak (Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor) and Conrail in the 1970s. After the breakup of Conrail in 1999, the portion which had formerly been PRR territory largely became part of the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Timeline

• 1916 PRR adopts new motto, "Standard Railroad of the World".

• 1916 First I1s 2-10-0 "Decapod" locomotive completed.

• 1916 A5s 0-4-0 and B6sb switching locomotives introduced.

• 1918 PRR stock bottoms at $40¼ due largely to Federal railroad control, lowest since 1877.

• 1918 Emergency freight routed through New York Penn Station and the Hudson tunnels at night by the USRA to relieve congestion.

• 1918 N1s 2-10-2 locomotives introduced for Lines West.

• 1968-02-01 Pennsylvania Railroad absorbs New York Central to form the Penn Central.

• August 26, 1999: The United States Postal Service issues 33-cent All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains commemorative stamps featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s. One of the five stamps features an image of a GG-1 locomotive pulling the Congressional along Pennsy's route between New York and Washington, D.C., and whose slogan was "Every Mile Electrified!"

PRR equipment, and colors & painting

PRR colors and paint schemes were very standardised. Locomotives were painted in a shade of green so dark as to be almost black, called DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel) but often called Brunswick Green. Underparts were painted true black. Passenger cars were painted Tuscan red, a brick-red shade. Lettering and lining was originally real gold leaf on passenger locomotives and cars, but in the post World War II period became Buff, a light yellow shade of paint. Some electric locomotives and most passenger-hauling diesel locomotives were painted in Tuscan also. Freight cars were painted Freight Car Color, an iron-oxide red.

Trackside, the PRR was virtually alone in its exclusive use of position-light signals.

Steam locomotives

For most of its existence, the PRR pursued a motive power policy of conservatism and standardisation. Almost uniquely among American railroads, the Pennsylvania designed most of its steam locomotive classes itself and built a fair proportion of them in its own Altoona Works - in fact, the PRR is believed to have been the 4th greatest builder of steam locomotives in the United States, after the three largest commercial builders.

Outside builders were, of course, used - the sheer numbers of locomotives the PRR ordered were far greater than its own works could produce. Unlike most roads who left the majority of the decision-making and design to the locomotive builder, giving only a broad specification, the PRR generally used a commercial builder as a subcontractor, building exact replicas of an existing PRR design.

When it needed to use a commercial locomotive builder, the Pennsy favored Philadelphia's Baldwin Locomotive Works over all others. Baldwin was a big PRR customer, for one thing -- its raw materials were delivered by the PRR, and its finished products were shipped over PRR metals also. That the two companies were headquartered in the same city certainly had a bearing - PRR and Baldwin management and engineers knew each other well. The second preference, when both the PRR and Baldwin shops were at capacity, was the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. Only at a last resort, it seems, would the PRR use Alco, the American Locomotive Company, based in Schenectady, New York - serviced by and favorite locomotive supplier to the Pennsy's arch rival, the New York Central Railroad.

The PRR had a definite style that it favored in its locomotives. The square-shouldered Belpaire firebox was a PRR trademark that otherwise found little favor in the United States; almost every PRR locomotive had it. It traded more difficult construction for a greater heating surface and simpler firebox staying. The PRR used track pans extensively to pick up water on the move, so the tenders of their locomotives had a comparatively large proportion of coal (which could not be taken on board while running) compared to water capacity. The PRR was wary of gadgets and its locomotives were not generally festooned with devices; the PRR also favored a neat mounting of such devices when necessary, leaving the lines of the locomotive comparatively clean. Smokebox fronts bore a round locomotive numberboard (freight) or keystone numberboard (passenger) and were otherwise uncluttered except for a headlamp mounted at the top, with a steam-driven turbo-generator behind it. In later years the positions of the two were reversed, since the generator needs more maintenance than the lamp.

The PRR, until its final years, preferred a philosophy of smaller locomotives rather than buying the biggest.

Each class of steam locomotive was assigned a class designation. Early on, this was simply an alphabetical letter, but when these began to run out, the scheme was changed so that each wheel arrangement had its own letter, and different types of the same arrangement were defined by a subsequent number. Subtypes were in turn indicated by a lower-case letter; superheating was designated by a "s" until the mid 1920s, by which time all new locomotives were superheated. Thus, for example, a 'K4sa' class was a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type (K) and of the fourth class of Pacifics ordered by the PRR. It was superheated (s) and was of the first variant type (a) after the original (unlettered). See PRR locomotive classification for details.

Major passenger stations

The PRR built several grand railroad passenger stations in major cities, either alone or in conjunction with other railroads. These architectural marvels served as the hubs for the PRR's extensive passenger service. Many of these stations are still in use today, served by Amtrak as well as regional passenger carriers. See also Pennsylvania Station, the name given to many of them.

Union Station, Washington, DC

Union Station served as a hub for PRR passenger services in the nation's capital, with connections to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and Southern Railway. The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad provided a link to Richmond, Virginia, about 100 miles to the south, where major north-south lines of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railroad provided service to the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.

Penn Station, New York, NY

Penn Station was designed to be a replica of the Baths of Caracalla; it was notable for its enormous railshed and infamous demolition in the railroad's waning years. The station was built in 1910 to provide direct access to Manhattan from New Jersey without having to use a ferry, and was served by the PRR's own trains as well as those of the PRR's subsidiary the Long Island Rail Road. The demolition did not extend to the platforms, or the tracks, or even some of the staircases, however.

Penn Station, Newark, NJ

This Art Deco station was built in the 1930s as part of the Pennsy's Northeast Corridor infrastructure. It still stands, unlike the enormous trainshed of the New York station.

30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA

In classical grandeur, the 30th Street Station displays its majestic - and traditional - architectural style with its enormous waiting room and its vestibules. The station, in spite of its apparent architectural classicism, was constructed in the early 1930s, when moderne and art deco styles were more popular.

Union Station, Chicago, IL

The Pennsylvania Railroad, along with the Milwaukee Road and the Burlington Route, built Chicago's Union Station, the only of Chicago's old stations to still exist as a train station (the rest of Chicago's operating passenger stations have been substantially remodelled). It was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White in the Beaux Arts style.

Company officers

Presidents of the Pennsylvania Railroad:

• Samuel V. Merrick (1847–1849)
• William C. Patterson (1849–1852)
• J. Edgar Thomson (1852–1874)
• Thomas A. Scott (1874–1880)
• George B. Roberts (1880–1896)
• Frank Thomson (1897–1899)
• Alexander J. Cassatt (1899–1906)
• James McCrea (1907–1912)
• Samuel Rea (1913–1925)
• William W. Atterbury (1925–1935)
• Martin W. Clement (1935–1948)
• Walter S. Franklin (1948–1954)
• James M. Symes (1954–1960)
• Allen J. Greenough (1960–1968)

Chief Executive Officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad:

• James M. Symes (1960–1963)
• Stuart T. Saunders (1963–1968)

References:

Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society

PRR Chronology - in depth

PRR Corporate History

Railroad History Database

PennsyRR.com - comprehensive PRR facts and history site, comprising multiple individual websites.

prr.railfan.net - contains a lot of Pennsy information, including equipment diagrams, freight car info.

Keystone Crossing: Hobo's Guide to the Pennsy

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum (2000), General Atterbury. Retrieved February 21, 2005.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2005), RPI: Alumni hall of fame: Alexander J. Cassatt. Retrieved February 22, 2005.

President and Fellows of Harvard College (2004), 20th century great American business leaders - Martin W. Clement. Retrieved February 23, 2005.

White, John H., Jr. (Spring 1986), America's most noteworthy railroaders, Railroad History, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, 154, p. 9-15.

Pennsylvania Railroad Company Inspection of Physical Property, Board of Directors November 10-11-12, 1948


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)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Here's something previously Posted on this Thread (once or twice) - but it "fits" well today . . . .

Another Passenger RR Fallen Flag from Classic American Railroads:

Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)

Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA

Mileage:

1950: 10,000
1962: 9,756

Locomotives in 1963:

Diesel: 2,402
Electric: 254

Rolling stock in 1963:

Freight cars: 139,356 Passenger cars: 3,546

Principal routes in 1950:

Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh, PA
New York-Washington, DC
Pittsburgh-Fort Wayne, IN-Chicago, IL
Pittsburgh-Indianapolis, IN-St. Louis, MO
Pittsburgh-Cleveland, OH
Baltimore, MD-Buffalo, NY
Wilmington, DE-Norfolk, VA
Chicago-Columbus, OH
Logansport, IN-Louisville, KY
Logansport-Cincinnati
Fort Wayne, IN-Mackinaw City, MI
Columbus-Toledo, OH-Detroit, MI

Passenger trains of note:

Broadway Limited (New York-Chicago)
Clevelander (New York-Cleveland)
Cincinnati Limited (New York-Cincinnati)
Colonial (Boston-Washington, joint with New Haven)
Congressional (New York-Washington)
Duquesne (New York-Pittsburgh)
Edison (New York-Washington)
The General (New York-Chicago)
Golden Triangle (Chicago-Pittsburgh)
Jeffersonian (New York-St. Louis)
Kentuckian (Chicago-Louisville)
Liberty Limited (Washington-Chicago)
Manhattan Limited (New York & Washington-Chicago)
Pennsylvania Limited (New York & Washington-Chicago)
Penn Texas (New York-Washington-St. Louis)
Pittsburgher (New York-Pittsburgh)
Red Arrow (New York-Detroit)
St. Louis (New York-Washington-St. Louis)
Senator (Boston-Washington, joint with New Haven)
“Spirit of St. Louis” (New York-St. Louis)
South Wind (Chicago-Miami, joint with L&N, ACL and Florida East Coast)
Trail Blazer (New York-Chicago)
Union (Chicago-Columbus, OH)

Of note: In the New York-Florida market, the PRR was a forwarder for many connecting passenger trains from other roads.


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Repeated because I love this locomotive!

Pennsy GG-1 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)


Enjoy![tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Hiya Tom

Now you're talkin' - my favorite road (or at least one of 'em) - LOVE the Pennsy!

Check this out . . .

PRR doubleheader K4s (1949) (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com)(photo: Fred C. Stoes)



Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Nice one Lars! Too bad 20 Fingers is AWOL, otherwise he'd surely be providing some info on that beauty . . .

I know, I know - you've seen it B4 - but this is a favorite of mine!

Pennsy GG-1 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)



Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

This has been Posted over at the bar and now it's time for this lonely Thread!




RAILWAYS of EUROPE #3 – TGV (France)


“SNCF, gives the train ideas in advance”

TGV

PART I of III


This article is about the French high-speed railway system.


TGV trains depart from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to western and southwestern destinations. (Wikimedia Commons)

The TGV (train à grande vitesse, French for "high-speed train") is France's high-speed rail service, developed by GEC-Alsthom (now Alstom) and SNCF, the French national rail operator, and operated primarily by SNCF. Following the inaugural TGV service between Paris and Lyon in 1981, the TGV network, centred on Paris, has expanded to connect cities across France.

The success of the first line led to a rapid expansion of the service, with new lines built to the south, west and northeast of the country. Eager to share in the success of the French network, neighbouring countries such as Belgium, Italy and Switzerland built their own high-speed lines to connect with it. TGVs under other brand names also link to Germany and the Netherlands through the Thalys network, and to the United Kingdom through Eurostar. Several future lines are currently planned, including extensions within France and to surrounding countries. Towns such as Tours have become a part of this "TGV commuter belt".

TGVs travel at up to 320 km/h (200 mph), which is made possible through the use of specially designed tracks, laid down without any sharp curves, and a range of features which make TGV trains suitable for high speed travel. These features include high-powered electric motors, low axle weight, articulated carriages and in-cab signaling which removes the need for drivers to see lineside signals at high speed.

TGVs are manufactured primarily by Alstom, now often with the involvement of Bombardier. Except for a small series of TGVs used for postal freight between Paris and Lyon, TGV is primarily a passenger service. Trains derived from TGV designs also operate in South Korea (KTX) and Spain (AVE).

Travel by TGV has largely replaced air travel between connected cities, due to shorter commuting times (especially for trips taking less than three hours), reduced check-in, security and boarding formalities, and the convenient location of train stations in the heart of cities. Furthermore, the TGV is a very safe mode of transport, with no recorded fatalities due to accidents while running at high speed since operations began.

History

Main article: Development of the TGV

The idea of the TGV was first proposed in the 1960s, after Japan began construction on the Shinkansen in 1959. At the time the French government favoured new technologies, exploring the production of hovercraft and maglev trains such as Aérotrain. Simultaneously, SNCF began researching high-speed trains that would operate on conventional tracks.

It was originally planned that the TGV, then standing for très grande vitesse (very high speed) or turbine grande vitesse (high speed turbine), would be propelled by gas turbine-electric locomotives. Gas turbines were selected for their small size, good power-to-weight ratio, and ability to deliver a high power output over an extended period of time. The first prototype, TGV 001, was the only TGV constructed with this type of engine. However, following the sharp increase in the price of oil during the 1973 energy crisis, gas turbines were deemed impractical and the project turned to locomotives powered by electricity from overhead lines. The electricity was to be generated by France's new nuclear power stations.

However, TGV 001 was not a wasted prototype. Its gas-turbine powerplant was only one of many technologies required for high-speed rail travel. The TGV 001 platform also tested high-speed brakes, which were needed to dissipate the large amount of kinetic energy amassed by a train operating at high speed. Other technologies tested by the 001 included high-speed aerodynamics and signaling. The train was articulated, meaning that its two carriages shared a bogie between them which allowed them to move freely with respect to one another. The prototype train reached 318 km/h (198 mph), which remains the world speed record for a non-electric train. The interior and exterior of TGV 001 were styled by British-born designer Jack Cooper, whose work formed the basis of all subsequent TGV design, including the distinctive nose shape of TGV power cars.

Changing the specification of the TGV to incorporate electric traction required a significant design overhaul. The first fully electric prototype, nicknamed Zébulon, was completed in 1974, testing features such as innovative body-mounting of motors, pantographs, suspension and braking. Body mounting of motors allowed over 3 tonnes (2.95 tons) to be dropped from the weight of the power cars. The prototype travelled almost 1 000 000 km (621,000 miles) during testing.

In 1976 the French government fully funded the TGV project, and construction of the LGV Sud-Est, the first high-speed line (ligne à grande vitesse), began shortly afterwards. The line was given the designation LN1, Ligne Nouvelle 1 (New Line 1).


A TGV train at Futuroscope, near Poitiers. (Wikimedia Commons)

After two pre-production trainsets had been rigorously tested and substantially modified, the first production version was delivered on 25 April 1980. The TGV service opened to the public between Paris and Lyon on 27 September 1981. The initial target customers were businesspeople travelling between those two cities; as a mode of transport, the TGV was considerably faster than normal trains, cars, or airplanes. The trains soon became popular outside their initial target market; the public welcomed a fast and practical way to travel between cities.

Since then, further LGVs have opened in France, including the LGV Atlantique (LN2) to Tours/Le Mans (construction began 1985, operation began 1989); the LGV Nord-Europe (LN3) to Calais and the Belgian border (construction began 1989, operation began 1993); the LGV Rhône-Alpes (LN4), extending the LGV Sud-Est to Valence (construction began 1990, operation began 1992); and the LGV Méditerranée (LN5) to Marseille (construction began 1996, operations began 2001). A line from Paris to Strasbourg, the LGV Est, is under construction. High-speed lines based on TGV technology have also been built in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to connect with the French network.


A TGV Duplex train leaving Paris Gare de Lyon. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Eurostar Service began operation in 1994, connecting continental Europe to London via the Channel Tunnel. The line used the LGV Nord-Europe in France from the outset. The first phase of the British high-speed line, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, was completed in 2003. The project, built with SNCF engineering expertise, is due for completion in 2007, by which time London-Brussels will take only 2 hours and London-Paris only 2h15.

The TGV was not the world's first commercial high-speed service; the Japanese Shinkansen first connected Tokyo and Osaka on 1 October 1964, nearly 17 years before the first TGVs. The TGV does, however, hold the world speed record for conventional trains (Japan holds it for maglev trains); in 1990 it reached speeds of 515.3 km/h (320.2 mph) under test conditions with a shortened train (two power cars and three passenger cars). It remains the world's fastest conventional scheduled train as of 2005. More recently, a typical journey's average start-to-stop speed was 263.3 km/h.

On 28 November 2003 the TGV carried its one-billionth passenger since the inception of the service in 1981, second in the world only to Shinkansen of Japan's 5 billion passengers reached in 2000. The two-billion mark is expected to be reached in 2010.

Tracks

The TGV runs on dedicated tracks known as LGV (ligne à grande vitesse, "high-speed line"), allowing speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph) in normal operation on the newest lines. Originally, LGV was defined as a line permitting speeds greater than 200 km/h (125 mph); this guideline was subsequently revised to permit speeds up to 250 km/h (155 mph). TGV trains can also run on conventional track (lignes classiques), albeit at the normal maximum safe speed for those lines, up to a maximum of 220 km/h (137 mph). This is an advantage that the TGV has over, for example, magnetic levitation trains, as it means that TGVs can serve far more destinations and can use city-centre stations (for example in Paris, Lyon, and Dijon). They now serve around 200 destinations in France and abroad.

LGV construction is similar to normal railway lines, with a few key differences. The radii of curves are larger so that trains can travel at higher speeds around them without increasing the centrifugal force felt by passengers. The radius of LGV curves has historically been greater than 4 km (2.5 miles); new lines have minimum radii of 7 km (4 mi) to allow for future increases in speed.

If used only for high-speed traffic, lines can incorporate steeper grades. This facilitates the planning of LGV routes and reduces the cost of line construction. The considerable momentum of TGV trains at high speed means that they can climb steep slopes without greatly increasing their energy consumption. They can also coast on downward slopes, further increasing efficiency. The Paris-Sud-Est LGV features line grades of up to 3.5%, while on the German high-speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt they reach 4%.

Track alignment is more precise than on normal railway lines, and ballast is placed in a deeper than normal profile, resulting in increased load-bearing capacity and track stability. LGV track is anchored by more railway sleepers per kilometre than is usual in track construction, and all are made of concrete (either mono- or bi-blocs, the latter being when the sleeper consists of two separate blocks of concrete joined by a steel bar). Heavy rail (UIC 60) is used, and the rails themselves are more upright (1/40 as opposed to 1/20 on normal lines). Use of continuous welded rails in place of shorter, jointed rails means that the ride is comfortable at high speeds, without the usual "clickety-clack" vibrations induced by rail joints.

Track must be at least standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½in), or wide gauge to allow speeds greater than 200 km/h (125 mph). Japanese and Taiwanese LGV networks are therefore isolated from the narrow gauge networks used for traditional rail in the two countries. On the Iberian Peninsula, however, which uses wide gauge track on normal lines, standard gauge is used on LGVs so that they remain compatible with rail networks across the rest of Europe. If tunnels are required, their diameter must be greater than that required by the gauge of the trains travelling through them, especially at the entrances. This is to limit the effects of air pressure changes, which can be more problematic at the speeds reached by TGV trains.

LGVs have a minimum speed limit. In other words, trains which are not capable of high speed generally may not use LGVs, which are primarily reserved for passenger trains. One reason for this limitation is that capacity is sharply reduced when trains of differing speeds are mixed. Passing freight and passenger trains also constitute a safety risk, as cargo on freight cars can be destabilized by the turbulent air that accompanies a high-speed TGV. Slower traffic is generally unable to use LGV track even during the midnight hours when no TGVs are running, because maintenance is performed on line infrastructure during these hours.

The steep gradients common on TGV lines limit the weight of slow freight trains. Slower trains also mean that the maximum track cant (banking on curves) is limited, so for the same maximum speed a mixed-traffic LGV would need to be built with curves of even higher radius. Such track would be much more expensive and difficult to build and maintain. Because of expense, engineering difficulty and safety concerns, mixed-traffic LGV routes remain uncommon. However, certain stretches of less-used track are routinely mixed-traffic today, such as the Tours branch of the LGV Atlantique, and the planned Nîmes/Montpellier branch of the LGV Mediterranée.

LGVs are all electrified. In addition to the constraints involved in refuelling and carrying fuel on board trains, diesel traction cannot produce the continuous thrust required for high-speed operation. All LGVs connected directly to the French network are electrified at high voltage AC: 15 kV, 16 2/3 Hz in Germany and 25 kV, 50/60 Hz everywhere else. The original Italian line between Rome and Florence, currently electrified at 3 kV DC, is to be converted to 25 kV 50 Hz AC to faciliate direct trains from France once new high-speed lines link it with the French network at Lyon via Turin.

Catenary wires are kept at a higher tension than normal lines. This is because the pantograph causes oscillations in the wires, and the wave must travel faster than the train to avoid producing standing waves which would cause the wires to break. This was a problem when rail speed record attempts were made in 1990; power wire tension had to be increased further still to accommodate train speeds of over 500 km/h (310 mph). While trains are on LGVs, only the rear pantograph is raised, avoiding amplification of the oscillations created by the front pantograph. The front power car is supplied by a cable running along the roof of the train. Eurostar trains are, however, long enough that oscillations are damped sufficiently between the front and rear power cars that both pantographs can be safely raised. On lignes classiques (older, normal-speed rail lines) slower maximum speeds prevent oscillation problems, and both DC pantographs are raised.

LGVs are fenced along their entire length to prevent animals and people from wandering onto the track. Level crossings are not permitted and bridges over the line are equipped with sensors to detect objects that fall onto the track.

All LGV junctions are grade-separated, i.e. the tracks are designed so that tracks crossing each other always use flyovers or tunnels in order to avoid the need to cross in front of trains travelling in the opposite direction. Crossing over in front of other trains would require that service be halted in the opposite direction for extended periods of time, thus greatly reducing capacity.

Signaling

Main article: LGV signaling

Because TGV trains travel too fast for their operators to see and react to traditional lineside signals, an automated system called TVM (Transmission Voie-Machine, or track to train transmission) is used for signaling on LGVs. Information is transmitted to trains via electrical pulses sent through the rails, providing speed, target speed, and stop/go indications directly to the operator via dashboard-mounted instruments. This high degree of automation does not remove the train from driver control, though there are safeguards that can safely bring the train to a stop in the event of driver error.


The boundaries of signaling block sections are marked by distinctive boards.

The line is divided into signal blocks of about 1500 m (1 mile), the boundaries of which are marked by blue boards printed with a yellow triangle. Dashboard instruments show the maximum permitted speed for a train's current block, as well as a target speed based on the profile of the line ahead. The maximum permitted speed is based on factors such as the proximity of trains ahead (with steadily decreasing maximum permitted speeds in blocks closer to the rear of the next train), junction placement, speed restrictions, the top speed of the train and distance from the end of LGV track. As trains cannot usually stop within one signal block (which ranges from a few hundred metres to a few kilometres), drivers are alerted to slow down gradually several blocks before a required stop.

Two versions of TVM signaling, TVM-430 and TVM-300, are in use on the LGV. TVM-430, a newer system, was first installed on the LGV Nord to the Channel Tunnel and Belgium, and supplies trains with more information than TVM-300. Among other benefits, TVM-430 allows a train's on-board computer system to generate a continuous speed control curve in the event of an emergency brake activation, effectively forcing the driver to reduce speed safely without releasing the brake.

The signaling system is permissive; the driver of a train is permitted to proceed into an occupied block section without first obtaining authorization. Speed in this situation is limited to 30 km/h (19 mph; proceed with caution) and if speed exceeds 35 km/h (22 mph), the emergency brake is applied and the train stops. If the board marking the entrance to the block section is accompanied by a sign marked NF, the block section is not permissive, and the driver must obtain authorization from the Poste d'Aiguillage et de Régulation (Signaling and Control Centre) before entering. Once a route is set, or the PAR has provided authorization, a white lamp above the board is lit to inform the driver. The driver then acknowledges the authorization using a button on the train's control panel. This disables the emergency braking which would otherwise occur when passing over the ground loop adjacent to the non-permissive board.

When trains enter or leave LGVs from lignes classiques, they pass over a ground loop which automatically switches the driver's dashboard indicators to the appropriate signaling system. For example, a train leaving the LGV onto a French ligne classique would have its TVM signaling system deactivated and its traditional KVB (Contrôle Vitesse par Balise, or beacon speed control) system enabled.

End of Part I of III


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)]


waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Okay - here's Part II . . . .




RAILWAYS of EUROPE #3 – TGV (France)


“SNCF, gives the train ideas in advance”

TGV

PART II of III


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


Stations


Avignon TGV station. (GNU Free Documentation)

One of the main advantages of TGV over other fast rail techologies such as magnetic levitation is that TGV trains can take advantage of existing infrastructure. This makes connecting city centres (such as Paris-Gare de Lyon to Lyon-Perrache) with TGV a simple and inexpensive proposition; TGVs often use intra-city tracks and stations originally built with lower-speed trains in mind.

However, TGV route designers have tended to build new stations in suburban areas or in the open countryside several kilometers away from cities. This allows TGVs to stop without incurring too great a time penalty, since more time is spent on high-speed track. In some cases, stations are built halfway between two communities. The station serving Montceau-les-Mines and Le Creusot is an example of this approach. Another, more controversial example is the Haute Picardie station, which is located between Amiens and Saint-Quentin. The location of the Haute Picardie station was rather controversial; the press and local authorities criticized it as too far from either town to be convenient, and too far from connecting railway lines to be useful for travellers. The station was nicknamed la gare des betteraves, or 'beetroot station', as it is surrounded by beet fields. This nickname is now applied to similar stations located away from town and city centres, whether such stations are in the vicinity of beet fields or not.

A number of major new railway stations have been built to support the TGV service, some of which are considered major architectural achievements in their own right. The Avignon TGV station, opened in 2001, has been praised as one of the most remarkable stations on the network, with a spectacular 340 m (1,115 ft)-long glazed roof which has been compared to that of a cathedral.

Rolling stock


A TGV train in Rennes, in Brittany. (Wikimedia Commons)



Eurostar and Thalys side-by-side in Paris Gare du Nord. (Wikimedia Commons)

TGV rolling stock differs from other types in that trains consist of semi-permanently coupled multiple units. Bogies are located between carriages, supporting the carriages on either side, so that each carriage shares its bogies with the two adjacent to it. Locomotives at either end of the trains have their own bogies.
This design is advantageous during a derailment, as the locomotive derails first and can move separately from the passenger carriages, which are more likely to stay upright and in line with the track. Normal trains, by contrast, tend to split at couplings and jackknife.

A disadvantage of this carriage design is that it is difficult to split sets of carriages. While TGV locomotives can be removed from trains via standard uncoupling procedures, specialized depot equipment is needed to split carriages by lifting the entire train at once. Once uncoupled, one of the carriage ends is left without a bogie at the split, so a bogie frame is required to hold it up.

SNCF operates a fleet of about 400 TGV trainsets. Six types of TGV or TGV derivative currently operate on the French network; these are TGV Sud-Est (passenger and La Poste varieties), TGV Atlantique, TGV Réseau/Thalys PBA, Eurostar, TGV Duplex and Thalys PBKA. A seventh type, TGV POS (Paris-Ostfrankreich-Suddeutschland, or Paris-Eastern France-Southern Germany), is currently being tested.

All TGVs are at least bi-current, which means that they can operate at 25 kV, 50 Hz AC on newer lines (including LGVs) and at 1.5 kV DC on older lines (such 1.5 kV lignes classiques that are particularly common around Paris). Trains crossing the border into Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom must accommodate foreign voltages. This has led to the construction of tri-current or even quadri-current TGVs. All TGVs are equipped with two pairs of pantographs, two for AC use and two for DC use. When passing between areas of different supply voltage, marker boards are installed to remind the driver to lower the pantograph(s), turn off power to the traction motors, adjust a switch on the dashboard to select the appropriate system, and raise the pantograph(s) again. Pantographs and pantograph height control are selected automatically based on the voltage system chosen by the driver. Once the train detects the correct supply to its transformers, a dashboard indicator lights up and the driver can switch on power to the traction motors. The train coasts across the border between voltage sections with traction motor power turned off.

Main article: SNCF TGV Sud-Est


A TGV Sud-Est set in the original orange livery, since superseded by silver and blue. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and operated the first TGV service from Paris to Lyon in 1981. Currently there are 107 passenger sets operating, of which nine are tri-current (including 15 kV, 16 2/3 Hz AC for use in Switzerland) and the rest bi-current. There are also seven bi-current half-sets without seats which carry mail for La Poste between Paris and Lyon. These are painted in a distinct yellow livery.

Each set is made up of two power cars and eight carriages (capacity 345 seats), including a powered bogie in each of the carriages adjacent to the power cars. They are 200 m (656 ft) long and 2.81 m (9.2 ft) wide. They weigh 385 tonnes (424 short tons; 379 long tons) with a power output of 6,450 kW under 25 kV.

Originally the sets were built to run at 270 km/h (168 mph) but most were upgraded to 300 km/h (186 mph) during their mid-life refurbishment in preparation for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée. The few sets which still have a maximum speed of 270 km/h operate on routes which have a comparatively short distance on the lignes à grande vitesse, such as those to Switzerland via Dijon. SNCF did not consider it financially worthwhile to upgrade their speed for a marginal reduction in journey time.

TGV Atlantique


A TGV Atlantique on an enhanced ordinary track. (Wikimedia Commons)

Main article: SNCF TGV Atlantique

The Atlantique fleet was built between 1988 and 1992. 105 bi-current sets were built for the opening of the LGV Atlantique and entry into service began in 1989. They are 237.5 m (780 ft) long and 2.9 m (9.5 ft) wide. They weigh 444 tonnes (489 tons), and are made up of two power cars and ten carriages with a capacity of 485 seats. They were built from the outset with a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) with 8,800 kW total power under 25 kV.

A modified model 325 set the world speed record in 1990 on the new LGV before its opening. Various modifications, such as improved aerodynamics, larger wheels and improved braking were made to enable test run speeds of over 500 km/h (310 mph). The set was also reduced to two power cars and three carriages to improve the power-to-weight ratio, weighing 250 tonnes (275 tons). Three carriages, including the bar carriage in the centre, is the minimum possible configuration because of the way the sets are articulated.

TGV Réseau


A Réseau-class 2nd-generation TGV train at Marseille St-Charles station. (GNU Free Documentation)

Main article: SNCF TGV Réseau

The first Réseau ("Network") sets entered service in 1993. 50 bi-current sets were ordered initially in 1990, supplemented by an order for 40 tri-current sets in 1992/1993. Ten of the tri-current sets carry the Thalys livery and are known as Thalys PBA (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam) sets. The tri-current sets, as well as the standard French voltages, can operate under the Low Countries' and Italian 3kV DC supplies.

They are formed of two power cars (8,800 kW under 25 kV - as TGV Atlantique) and eight carriages, giving a capacity of 377 seats. They have a top speed of 300 km/h. They are 200 m (656 ft) long and are 2.90 m (9.5 ft) wide. The bi-current sets weigh 383 tonnes (422 tons), but owing to axle-load restrictions in Belgium the tri-current sets have a series of modifications such as the replacement of steel with aluminium and hollow axles to reduce the weight to under 17 tonnes (18.7 tons) per axle.

Owing to early complaints of uncomfortable pressure changes when entering tunnels at high speed on the LGV Atlantique, the Réseau sets are now pressure-sealed.

Eurostar

Main article: British Rail Class 373


Long Eurostar trains connect London with Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Eurostar train is essentially a long TGV, modified for use in the United Kingdom and in the Channel Tunnel. Differences include the smaller cross-section, to fit within the constrictive British loading gauge; British-designed asynchronous traction motors; and extensive fireproofing in case of fire in the tunnel.

In the UK, it is known under the TOPS classification system as a Class 373 Electric Multiple Unit. In the planning stages, it was also known as the TransManche Super Train (Cross-channel Super Train). The trains were built by GEC-Alsthom (now Alstom) at its sites in La Rochelle (France), Belfort (France) and Washwood Heath (England), entering service in 1993.

Two types were built: the Three Capitals sets consist of two power cars and eighteen carriages, including two powered bogies; the North of London sets consist of two power cars and only fourteen carriages, again with two powered bogies. Full sets of both types consist of two identical half-sets which are not articulated in the middle, so that in case of emergency in the Channel Tunnel, one half can be uncoupled and leave the tunnel. Each half-set is numbered separately.

38 full sets, plus one spare power car, were ordered by the railway companies involved: 16 by SNCF, 4 by NMBS/SNCB, and 18 by British Rail, of which seven were North of London sets. Upon privatisation of British Rail by the UK Government, the sets were bought by London & Continental Railways whose subsidiary Eurostar (U.K.) Ltd. is managed by a consortium of companies made up of the National Express Group (40%), SNCF (35%), SNCB (15%) and British Airways (10%).

The Three Capitals sets operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), with the power cars supplying 12,240 kW of power. They are 394 m (1,293 ft) long and have a capacity of 766 seats, weighing a total of 752 tonnes (829 short tons; 740 long tons). The North of London sets have a capacity of 558 seats. All of the trains are at least tri-current and are able to operate on 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (on LGVs, including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and on UK overhead electrified lines), 3 kV DC (on lignes classiques in Belgium) and 750 V DC on the UK Southern Region third rail network. The third rail system will become superfluous in 2007 when the second phase of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is completed between London and the Channel Tunnel, as it uses 25 kV, 50 Hz AC exclusively. Five of the Three Capitals sets owned by SNCF are quadri-current and are also able to operate on French lignes classiques at 1500 V DC.

Three of the Three Capitals sets owned by SNCF are used for French domestic use and currently carry the silver and blue TGV livery. The North of London Eurostar sets have never seen international use but were originally intended to provide direct services from continental Europe to UK cities north of London, using the West Coast Main Line and the East Coast Main Line. These never came to fruition because budget airlines in the UK offered lower fares. A few of the sets were leased to GNER for use on its White Rose service between London and Leeds, with two of them carrying GNER's dark blue livery. The lease ended in December 2005.

The current Chief Executive of Eurostar, Richard Brown, has suggested that the trains could be replaced by double-decker trains similar to the TGV Duplex when they are withdrawn. A double-deck fleet could carry 40 million passengers per year from England to Continental Europe, equivalent to adding an extra runway at a London airport.

TGV Duplex


The TGV Duplex power cars use a more streamlined nose than previous TGVs. (Wikimedia Commons)


TGV Duplex trains feature bi-level carriages. (Wikimedia Commons)

Main article: SNCF TGV Duplex

The Duplex was built to increase TGV capacity without increasing train length, or number of trains. Each carriage has two levels, with access doors at the lower level taking advantage of low French platforms. A staircase provides access to the upper level, where the gangway between carriages is located. This layout provides a capacity of 512 seats per set. On busy routes such as Paris-Marseille they are operated in pairs, providing 1,024 seats in a single train. Each set also has a wheelchair-accessible compartment.

After a lengthy development process starting in 1988 (during which they were known as the TGV-2N), they were built in two batches: thirty were built between 1995 and 1998, then a further thirty-four between 2000 and 2004. They weigh 386 tonnes (425 short tons; 379 long tons) and are 200 m (656 ft) long, made up of two power cars and eight bi-level carriages. Extensive use of aluminium means that they do not weigh much more than the TGV Réseau sets they supplement. The bi-current power cars provide a total power of 8,800 kW, and they have a slightly increased speed over their predecessors of 320 km/h (199 mph).

Thalys PBKA


A Thalys PBKA power car at Aachen Hauptbahnhof, on the German border with Belgium and the Netherlands. (Wikimedia Commons)

Main article: SNCF TGV Thalys PBKA

Unlike Thalys PBA sets, the PBKA (Paris-Brussels-Köln (Cologne)-Amsterdam) sets were built exclusively for the Thalys service. They are technologically similar to TGV Duplex sets, but do not feature bi-level carriages. All of the trains are quadri-current, operating under 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (LGVs), 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz AC (Germany, Switzerland), 3 kV DC (Belgium) and 1,500 V DC (Low Countries and French lignes classiques). Their top speed in service is 300 km/h (186 mph) under 25 kV, 50 Hz AC, with two power cars supplying 8,800 kW of power. They have eight carriages and are 200 m (656 ft) long, weighing a total of 385 tonnes (424 short tons; 379 long tons). They have a capacity of 377 seats.

17 trains were ordered: nine by SNCB, six by SNCF and two by NS. Deutsche Bahn contributed to financing two of the SNCB sets.

TGV POS

Main article: SNCF TGV POS

POS trains, standing for Paris-Ostfrankreich-Süddeutschland (Paris-Eastern France-Southern Germany) are under test for use on the LGV Est, currently under construction.

The trains will consist of two power cars with eight TGV Réseau type carriages, with a total power output of 9,600 kW and a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). Unlike TGV-A, TGV-R and TGV-D, it has adopted asynchronous motors and in case of failure, isolation of an individual motor in a powered bogie is possible. They will weigh 423 tonnes (466 short tons; 416 long tons).

Network


TGV lines (shown in orange and yellow) and connections to the rest of the European high speed rail network

France has around 1 200 km of LGV built over the past 20 years, with four new lines either proposed or under construction.

End of Part II of III


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)]


waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[LoveDomes]

Hiya Tom

Looks just as good the 2nd time around - better at the bar, actually![swg]

Still no 20 Fingers[?][?][?] Hmmmmmmm ..........

Nothing to contribute over here, but I did drop off 4 Pix for the "theme" at the bar! Runnin' a bit behind my "busy, busy retired schedule!"[swg]

Until the next time![tup]

Lars

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Okay - here's PART III . . . .




RAILWAYS of EUROPE #3 – TGV (France)


“SNCF, gives the train ideas in advance”

TGV

PART III of III
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=255&TOPIC_ID=35270

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



Existing lines

1. LGV Sud-Est (Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon-Perrache), the first LGV (opened 1981)
2. LGV Atlantique (Paris Gare Montparnasse to Tours and Le Mans) (opened 1990)
3. LGV Rhône-Alpes (Lyon to Valence) (opened 1992)
4. LGV Nord Europe (Paris Gare du Nord to Lille and Brussels and on towards London, Amsterdam and Cologne) (opened 1993)
5. LGV Méditerranée (An extension of LGV Sud-Est: Valence to Marseille Saint-Charles) (opened 2001)
6. LGV Interconnexion (LGV Sud-Est to LGV Nord Europe, east of Paris)

Planned lines

1. LGV Est (Paris Gare de l'Est-Strasbourg) (under construction, to open 2007)
2. LGV Rhin-Rhône (Strasbourg-Lyon)
3. Barcelona-Perpignan-Montpellier, which would connect the TGV to the Spanish AVE network
4. Lyon Turin Ferroviaire (Lyon-Chambéry-Turin), which would connect the TGV to the Italian TAV network
5. LGV Sud-Ouest Tours-Bordeaux and LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire Le Mans-Rennes, extending the LGV Atlantique
6. Bordeaux-Toulouse-Narbonne
7. Bordeaux-Spanish border-Vitoria and Irun
8. Poitiers-Limoges
9. LGV Barreau Picard (Paris - Amiens - Calais), cutting off the corner of the LGV Nord-Europe via Lille.

Amsterdam and Cologne are already served by Thalys TGV trains running on ordinary track, though these connections are being upgraded to high-speed rail. London is presently served by Eurostar TGV trains running at high speeds via the partially-completed Channel Tunnel Rail Link and then at normal speeds along regular tracks through the London suburbs, although Eurostar will use a fully-segregated line once Section 2 of the link is complete in 2007.

TGV technology outside France

TGV technology has been adopted in a number of other countries separately from the French network:

• AVE (Alta Velocidad Española), the high-speed network in Spain
• Korea Train Express (KTX), the high-speed network in South Korea
• Acela Express, a high-speed tilting train built by TGV participant Bombardier for the United States, which uses TGV motor technology (though the rest of the train is unrelated)

Future TGVs

SNCF and Alstom are investigating new technology which could be used for high-speed transport in France.

The development of TGV trains is being pursued in the form of the AGV, standing for automotrice à grande vitesse (high speed self-propelled unit). The design does not include locomotives: engines are instead located under each carriage. Investigations are being carried out with the aim of producing trains at the same cost as existing TGVs, with the same safety standards. An AGV train of the same length as existing TGVs could have a capacity of up to 450 seats. The target speed of the train is 350 km/h (217 mph).

One area being explored is magnetic levitation. This is, however, on hold as the cost of implementing maglev technology is too high. An entirely new network would be required, as maglev trains require track designed specifically for their use, and unless significant demolition or tunnelling took place in city centres, the new system would only be able to reach the outside of towns and cities.

Serious accidents

Main article: TGV accidents

In more than two decades of high-speed operation, the TGV has not recorded a single fatality due to accidents while running at high speed. There have been several accidents, including three high-speed derailments at or above 270 km/h (168 mph), but in none of these did any carriages overturn. This is credited in part to the stiffness that the articulated design lends to the train. There have, however, been fatal accidents involving TGVs on lignes classiques, where the trains are exposed to the same dangers as normal trains, such as level crossings.

On LGVs

• 14 December 1992: TGV 920 from Annecy to Paris, operated by set 56, derailed at 270 km/h (168 mph) on the way through Mâcon-Loché TGV station (Saône-et-Loire). A previous emergency stop had caused a wheel flat; the bogie concerned derailed while crossing the points at the entrance to the station. No-one on the train was injured, but 25 passengers waiting on the platform for another TGV were slightly injured by ballast which was thrown up from the trackbed.
• 21 December 1993: TGV 7150 from Valenciennes to Paris, operated by set 511, derailed at 300 km/h (186 mph) at the site of the current TGV Haute Picardie station (before it was built). Rains had caused a hole to open up under the track; the hole dated from the First World War but had not been detected during construction. The front power car and the front four carriages derailed, but remained aligned with the track. Out of the 200 passengers, one was slightly injured.
• 5 June 2000: Eurostar 9073 from Paris to London, operated by sets 3101/2 owned by NMBS/SNCB, derailed at 250 km/h (155 mph) in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of France near Croisilles. The transmission assembly on the rear bogie of the front power car failed, with parts falling onto the track. Four bogies out of 24 derailed. Out of 501 passengers, seven were bruised and others treated for shock.

On lignes classiques

• 31 December 1983: A bomb allegedly planted by the terrorist organization of Carlos the Jackal exploded on board a TGV from Marseille to Paris; two people were killed.
• 28 September 1988: TGV 736, operated by set 70 "Melun", collided with a lorry carrying an electric transformer weighing 100 tonnes (110 short tons; 98 long tons) which had become stuck on a level crossing in Voiron, Isère. The vehicle had not been permitted to cross by the French Direction départementale de l'équipement. The weight of the lorry caused a very violent collision; two died (the driver and a passenger) and 25 passengers were lightly injured.
• 4 January 1991: after a brake failure, TGV 360 ran away from Châtillon depot. The train was directed onto an unoccupied track and collided with the car loading ramp at Paris-Vaugirard station at 60 km/h (37 mph). No-one was injured. The leading power car and the first two carriages were severely damaged, but were later rebuilt.
• 25 September 1997: TGV 7119 from Paris to Dunkirk, operated by set 502, collided at 130 km/h (81 mph) with a 70 tonne (77 short ton; 69 long ton) asphalt paving machine on a level crossing at Bierne, near Dunkirk. The power car spun round and fell down an embankment; the front two carriages left the track bed and came to a stand in woods beside the track. 7 people were injured.
• 31 October 2001: TGV 8515 from Paris to Irun derailed at 130 km/h (81 mph) near Dax in southwest France. All 10 carriages derailed and the rear power unit fell over onto the track. The cause was a broken rail.
• 30 January 2003: a TGV from Dunkirk to Paris collided at 106 km/h (66 mph) with a heavy goods vehicle stuck on the level crossing at Esquelbecq in northern France. The front power car was severely damaged, but only one bogie derailed. Only the driver was slightly injured.

Following the number of accidents at level crossings, an effort has been made to remove all level crossings on lignes classiques used by TGVs. The ligne classique from Tours to Bordeaux at the end of the LGV Atlantique has no level crossings as a result.

Protests against the TGV

The first environmental protests against the building of a high-speed line in France occurred in May 1990 during the planning stages of the LGV Méditerranée. Protesters blocked a railway viaduct to protest against the planned route of the line, arguing that a new line was unnecessary, and that trains could use existing lines to reach Marseille from Lyon.

Lyon Turin Ferroviaire (Lyon-Chambéry-Turin), which would connect the TGV to the Italian TAV network has been the subject of demonstrations in Italy. While most Italian political parties agree on the construction of this line, inhabitants of the towns where construction would take place are vehemently opposing it. The concerns of the protesters centre around the choice to store dangerous materials mined from mountain, like asbestos and uranium, in open air. This serious health danger could be avoided by using more appropriate and expensive techniques for handling radioactive materials. A six months delay in construction start has been decided to study solutions but a ten years old NIMBY national movement against TAV is trying to exploit inhabitants lawful worries to criticize the development of high-speed rails in Italy on the whole.

General complaints about the noise of TGVs passing near towns and villages have led the SNCF to build acoustic fencing along large sections of LGVs to reduce the disturbance to residents, but protests still take place where SNCF has not addressed the issue.

References

• Soulié, Claude and Tricoire, Jean. Le grand livre du TGV. La Vie du Rail (2002) ISBN 291503401X (in French).
• Cinotti, Éric and Treboul, Jean-Baptiste. Les TGV européens. ISBN 2130505651 (in French).
• Perren, Brian. TGV Handbook. ISBN 1854141953.
• TGV Official Network Map from tgv.co.uk
• Eurostar Official Site - About Eurostar
• TGVweb, an unofficial website with photos and information

End of Part III of III

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

Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]



waving flags credit to: www.3DFlags.com

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Heres a favorite of mine that was first Posted over at the bar - where else[?]![swg]




Canadian Railways of the Past

Number Three:British Columbia Railways (BCR)

PART I of II




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


BC Rail



Locale British Columbia

Reporting marks
BCOL, BCIT (formerly PGE and PGER)
Dates of operation 1912 – 2004
Track gauge
4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)

Original track gauge
Headquarters North Vancouver, British Columbia

BC Rail (AAR reporting marks BCOL and BCIT), known as the British Columbia Railway between 1972 and 1984 and as the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE; AAR reporting marks PGE and PGER) before 1972, was a railway that operated in the Canadian province of British Columbia between 1912 and 2004. It was a class II regional railway and the third-largest in Canada, operating 2 320 km (1,441 miles) of mainline track. It was owned by the provincial government from 1918 until 2004, when it was sold to Canadian National Railway.

Chartered in 1912, the railway was acquired by the provincial government in 1918 after running into financial difficulties. A railway that ran "from nowhere, to nowhere" for over 30 years, neither passing through any major city nor interchanging with any other railway, it expanded significantly between 1949 and 1984. Primarily a freight railway, it also offered passenger service, as well as some excursion services, most notably the Royal Hudson excursion train. The railway's operations were not always profitable, and its debts, at times, made it the centre of political controversy.

History

1912–1948


Pacific Great Eastern Railway logo

The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) was incorporated on February 27, 1912, to build a line from Vancouver north to a connection with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) at Prince George. Although independent from the GTP, the PGE had agreed that the GTP, whose western terminus was at the remote northern port of Prince Rupert, could use their line to gain access to Vancouver. The railway was given its name due to a loose association with England's Great Eastern Railway. Its financial backers were Timothy Foley, Patrick Welch and John Stewart, whose construction firm of Foley, Welch and Stewart was among the leading railway contractors in North America. Upon incorporation, the PGE took over the Howe Sound and Northern Railway, which at that point had built nine miles (15 km) of track north of Squamish. The British Columbia government gave the railway a guarantee of principal and 4% interest (later increased to 4.5% to make the bonds saleable) on the construction bonds of the railway.

By 1915, the line was opened from Squamish 176 miles (283 km) north to Chasm. The railway was starting to run out of money, however. In 1915 it failed to make an interest payment on its bonds, obliging the provincial government to make good on its bond guarantee. In the 1916 provincial election campaign, the Liberal Party alleged that some of the money advanced to the railway for bond guarantee payments had instead gone into Conservative Party campaign funds. In the election, the Conservatives, who had won every seat in the legislature in 1912 election, lost to the Liberals. The Liberals then took Foley, Welch, and Stewart to court to recover $5 million of allegedly unaccounted funds. In early 1918, the railway's backers agreed to pay the government $1.1 million and turn the railway over to the government.

When the government took over the railway, two separate sections of trackage had been completed: A small section between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, and one between Squamish and Clinton. By 1921, the provincial government had extended the railway to a point 15 miles (24 km) north of Quesnel, still 20 miles (32 km) south of a connection to Prince George, but it was not extended further. The track north of Quesnel was later removed. Construction of the line between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish was given a low priority because there was already a barge in operation between Squamish and Vancouver, and the railway wanted to discontinue operations on the North Vancouver-Horseshoe Bay line. However, the railway had an agreement with the municipality of West Vancouver to provide passenger service that it was unable to get out of until 1928, when they paid the city $140,000 in support of its road-building programme. The last trains on the line ran on November 29, 1928, and the line fell into disuse, but was never formally abandoned.

For the next 20 years the railway would run from "nowhere to nowhere". It did not connect with any other railway, and there were no large urban centres on its route. It existed mainly to connect logging and mining operations in the British Columbia interior with the coastal town of Squamish, where resources could then be transported by sea. The government still intended for the railway to reach Prince George, but the resources to do so were not available, especially during the Great Depression and World War II. The unfortunate state of the railway caused it to be given nicknames such as "Province's Great Expense", "Prince George Eventually", "Past God's Endurance", and "Please Go Easy".

1949 to 1971


The cover of a PGE passenger train timetable from 1964.

Starting in 1949, the Pacific Great Eastern began to expand. Track was laid north of Quesnel to a junction with the Canadian National Railways at Prince George. That line opened on November 1, 1952. Between 1953 and 1956 the PGE constructed a line between Squamish and North Vancouver. The PGE used their former right-of-way between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, to the dismay of some residents of West Vancouver who, mistakenly believing the line was abandoned, had encroached on it. The line opened on August 27, 1956. By 1958 the PGE had reached north from Prince George to Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

In 1958, British Columbia Premier W.A.C. Bennett boasted that he would extend the railway to the Yukon and Alaska, and further extension of the railway was undertaken in the 1960s. A 23 mile (37 km) spur was constructed to Mackenzie. A third line was extended west from the mainline (somewhat north of Prince George) to Fort St. James. It was completed on August 1, 1968. The largest construction undertaken in the 1960s was to extend the mainline from Fort St. John 250 miles (400 km) north to Fort Nelson, less than 100 miles (160 km) away from the Yukon. The Fort Nelson Subdivision was opened by Premier Bennett on September 10, 1971. Unfortunately, the opening of the line was overshadowed by the inaugural train derailing south of Williams Lake, south of Prince George.

1972 to 1989



British Columbia Railway logo (1972-1984)

The railway underwent two changes of name during this time period. In 1972, the railway's name was changed to the British Columbia Railway (BCR). In 1984, the BCR was restructured. Under the new organization, BC Rail Ltd. was formed, owned jointly by the British Columbia Railway Company (BCRC) and by a BCRC subsidiary, BCR Properties Ltd. The rail operations became known as BC Rail.

In 1973, the British Columbia government acquired and restored an ex-Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-4 steam locomotive of the type known as "Royal Hudsons", a name that King George VI permitted the class to be called after the Canadian Pacific Railway used one on the royal train in 1939. The locomotive that the government acquired, numbered 2860, was built in 1940 and was the first one built as a Royal Hudson. The government then leased it to the British Columbia Railway, which started excursion service with the locomotive between North Vancouver and Squamish on June 20, 1974. The train ran between June and September on Wednesdays through Sundays.


Map of the British Columbia Railway

In the 1960s, a new line had been projected to run northwest from Fort St. James to Dease Lake, 412 miles (663 km) away. On October 15, 1973, the first 125 miles (201 km) of the extension to Lovell were opened. The cost of the line was significantly greater than what was estimated, however. Contractors working on the remainder of the line alleged that the railway had misled them regarding the amount of work required so that it could obtain low bids, and took the railway to court.

The Dease Lake line was starting to appear increasingly uneconomical. There was a world decline in the demand for asbestos and copper, two main commodities that would be hauled over the line. As well, the Cassiar Highway that already served Dease Lake had recently been upgraded. Combined with the increasing construction costs, the Dease Lake line could no longer be justified. Construction stopped on April 5, 1977. Track had been laid to Jackson, 263 miles (423 km) past Fort St. James, and clearing and grading were in progress on the rest of the extension. It had cost $168 million to that point, well over twice the initial estimate.

The management and operation of the railway had been called into question, and on February 7, 1977, the provincial government appointed a Royal Commission, the McKenzie Royal Commission, to investigate the railway. Its recommendations were released on August 25, 1978. It recommended that construction not continue on the 149 miles (239 km) of roadbed between Dease Lake and the current end of track, and that trains be terminated at Driftwood, 20 miles (33 km) past Lovell. The rest of the track would be left in place but not used. In 1983, after logging operations ceased at Driftwood and traffic declined sharply, the Dease Lake line was closed. However, it was reopened in 1991 and, as of 2005, extends to a point called Chipmunk, still over 175 miles (281 km) south of Dease Lake. Many of the Commission's other recommendations, including the abandonment of the Fort Nelson line, and discontinuation of uneconomic operations such as passenger services, were not followed.

In the early 1980s the railway built a new line and acquired another. The Tumbler Ridge Subdivision, an 82 mile (132 km) electrified branch line, opened in 1983 to the Quintette and Wolverine mines, two coal mines northeast of Prince George that produced coal for Japan. It has the lowest crossing of the Rocky Mountains by a railway, at 3,815 feet (1 163 m). There are two large tunnels under the mountains: The Table Tunnel, 5.6 miles (9 km) long, and the Wolverine Tunnel, 3.7 miles (6 km) long. Electrified owing to the long tunnels and close proximity to the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and transmission lines, it was one of the few electrified freight lines in North America. Although initially profitable, the traffic on the line was never as high as initially predicted, and by the 1990s was under one train per day. The railway had incurred much debt building the branch line, and the expensive, unprofitable operations on the branch line could not help to repay that debt. In 1984 BC Rail acquired the British Columbia Harbours Board Railway, a 23 mile (37 km) line that connects three class I railways with Roberts Bank, an ocean terminal that handles coal shipments. Since the line had been constructed in 1969, it had previously been leased to CP Rail, Burlington Northern Railroad, and Canadian National Railway in succession.

1990 to 2003

In the early 1990s, the provincial government reduced subsidies to BC Rail. As a result, BC Rail, burdened with several money-losing services that it was required to operate, saw its debtload grow more than sixfold between 1991 and 2001.


BC Rail electric locomotive undergoing dismantling in 2004.


Two dismantled British Columbia Railway electric locomotives at CEECO Rail Services in Tacoma, Washington, July 6, 2004. [Creative Commons] (photo: Sean Lamb)

In the 1990s, BC Rail branched out into shipping operations, acquiring terminal operator Vancouver Wharves in 1993 and Canadian Stevedoring and its subsidiary, Casco Terminals, in 1998. In 1999 these operations became the three operating divisions of a new entity, BCR Marine. BCR Group became the parent company of both BCR Marine and BC Rail. In early 2003, attempting to reduce the railway's large debt, BCR Group sold its BCR Marine assets except for Vancouver Wharves (which was also not included in the subsequent sale of BC Rail to Canadian National, and remains a provincial Crown corporation).

On August 19, 2000, the Quintette mine closed, and the portion of the Tumbler Ridge Subdivision between Teck and Quintette, British Columbia, was abandoned. The last electric locomotives ran along the line on September 29, 2000, after which the line was worked by diesels. The Wolverine mine closed on April 10, 2003, after which the remaining 69.6 miles (112 km) of the Tumbler Ridge Subdivision between Teck and Wakely was abandoned, although the track is still in place. The electric locomotives were shipped south to Tacoma, Washington, where they are being dismantled by CEECO Rail Services. One of the locomotives was preserved in the British Columbia Railway & Forest Industry Museum in Prince George.


BC Rail Rail Diesel Car. BC Rail discontinued its passenger services in 2002. Photo courtesy http://www.trainweb.com/.

Several other services were also discontinued around this time. The Royal Hudson steam train excursion was discontinued at the end of the 2001 excursion season. The 2860 was out of service in 2000, needing extensive repairs. The backup steam locomotive, a 2-8-0 locomotive built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1912, broke down in May 2001, and for the rest of the season BC Rail used a former Canadian Pacific Railway FP7A diesel locomotive #4069 that it had leased from the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish. Passenger train service which consisted of the Budd-RDC operated Cariboo Prospector and Whistler Northwind trains ended October 31, 2002. The service was unprofitable, partly owing to BC Rail's heavy dependence on their fleet of aging Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDC) that were becoming increasingly expensive to keep in service. The RDCs have since been sold to various museums and operators around North America, (such as the Wilton Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire and the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish). Service between Seton Portage and Lillooet was replaced by a railbus. As well, around this time BC Rail ended its intermodal service.


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


END PART I of II
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Enjoy!

Tom[/b] [4:-)][oX)]


waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[BudKarr]

Hello Again Captain Tom . . . .

Just returned to the mountain retreat and thought I would check to see if this thread is still up and running. Answer: yes. However, I note the participation is rather sparce. So the malaise continues. Seems that surveys and inane questions seem to get the responses. I for one appreciate the work you put forth with these submissions.[tup]

I have not had sufficient time to check out everything Posted over at the bar, but will begin in earnest tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to contribute something the next time around . . .

Very nice work with the TGV (yesterday) and today's BC Rail![tup]

BK in beautiful Alberta, Canada's high country!

[LoveDomes]

G'day Tom

Well, I'll be dipped .... the return of BK!!! This guy travels more than an old fashioned door-to-door salesman.[swg]

Just wanted to "pay my dues" over here, although I share the sentiments of my "bookend friend," this thread is for the pits! NOT the content or the provider of 99% of the info, but the absolute absence of any interest in participation. Almost as if those looking in are . . . . oh well, fuhgedaboudit![swg]

That run from N. Vancouver up to Prince George is something rail fans used to live for. Gone, gone, gone. BC Rail was one of my favorites, but I have never considered myself a rail fan in the common terminology. Like trains, love domes (really!) and prefer riding the rails over any other mode, but can't stand the "know it alls" and "ignoramus types" one somehow gets stuck with from time to time at the station or on board. No thanks![tdn] Anyway, my idea of the perfect trip is to be seated in the dome - eyes glued to the unfolding panorama - a "cold one" nearby - and my "sweetie" by my side. [yeah]

Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

Canadian Railways of the Past –

British Columbia Railways (BCR) Part II of II -

Will be Posted on Thursday morning – Watch for it!


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]



waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Here is Part II of the Canadian Railways of the Past - British Columbia Railways . . . Part I on previous page:




Canadian Railways of the Past

Number Three:British Columbia Railways (BCR)

PART II of II




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


The sale of BC Rail

Looking to retire BC Rail's debt, on May 13, 2003, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell reneged on promises to the contrary and announced that the government would privatise BC Rail (by means of a 999 year lease), while retaining ownership of the right-of-way. On November 25, 2003, it was announced that Canadian National's (CN) bid of $1 billion would be accepted over those of several other companies. The transaction was closed on July 15, 2004. Many opponents, including the Canadian Pacific Railway, accused the government and CN of rigging the bidding process, though this has been denied by the government. It has also recently surfaced that Dave Basi and other upper-echelon aides may have been unsuccessfully bribed by OmniTRAX, another bidder, in exchange for skewing the process in that company's favour.

Freight services

The railway transported a wide variety of products, from resource traffic to intermodal freight. Forest products are one of the main products transported by the railway. Before its sale to CN, the railway transported over 120,000 carloads of lumber, pulp, woodchips, and other forest products per year. The railway served several lumber and pulp mills in the province. Between 1983 and 2003, the railway hauled coal in unit trains from the Teck and Quintette mines near Tumbler Ridge to to Prince George, from where CN would haul the trains to Prince Rupert for shipment to Japan. The Quintette mine, the larger-producing of the two, closed in 2000 and the Teck mine closed in 2003.

Starting in the 1960s, the PGE operated an intermodal service that transported truck trailers between North Vancouver and Prince George, and to places further north. Unlike most of the railway's other traffic, most of the intermodal traffic was northbound. In April 1982, the railway combined its piggyback and LCL services to form a new Intermodal Services Department. BC Rail halted its intermodal services in 2002. Starting in 1958, the railway started to haul grain from the Peace River District, serving grain elevators at Dawson Creek, Buick, Fort St. John, and Taylor. With an amendment to the Western Grain Transportation Act in 1985 that included the railway in the Act, it became economical for the railway to transport grain, and it also carried grain from Northern Alberta bound for Prince Rupert, interchanging with CN at Dawson Creek and Prince George.

From the 1920s to the 1960s, the railway also carried gold concentrate and bullion from the Bridge River goldfield towns of Bralorne and Pioneer Mine, which were trucked out of the goldfield area over 3500' Mission Pass to the railway at Shalalth. The main freight company operating out of Shalalth was Evans Transportation Co., which grew to be one of the biggest transportation companies in the province. In addition to gold concentrate and ore, Evans and other companies based in [[Shalalth, British Columbia|Shalalth carried passengers, heavy equipment, and supplies of all kinds over 3500' Mission Pass.

Interchanges

Between 1928 and 1952, the PGE did not interchange with any other railway. Connections were made to other railways when the railway expanded during the 1950s. The main connection to the North American rail network was in North Vancouver, where there was a connection to CN. There was also a rail connection to deep-sea terminal operator Vancouver Wharves, and some interchange occurred with the Union Pacific Railroad through the Seaspan railbarge link between North Vancouver and Seattle, Washington. The railway also interchanged with CN at Prince George, and with Northern Alberta Railways (acquired by CN in 1981) at Dawson Creek. CN's line between Dawson Creek and Hythe, Alberta, fell into disuse in 1998, but CN agreed to reopen it as a condition of purchasing BC Rail.

Reporting marks


BCIT 871027 in interchange service on the BN in 1992.
[Creative Commons] (photo: Sean Lamb)

Reporting marks are a system intended to help keep track of rolling stock and financial transactions between railways. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway used the reporting mark PGE. It later adopted the reporting mark PGER in 1971 for freight cars in international service. When the railway was renamed to the British Columbia Railway, it adopted the reporting mark BCOL, as well as the BCIT reporting mark for freight cars in international service.

Passenger services

Since the line opened, the PGE had provided passenger service between Squamish and Quesnel (as well as between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay until operations were discontinued there in 1928). When the PGE reached Prince George and North Vancouver, daily service was extended to these cities. Service between Lillooet and Prince George was cut back to three times weekly in the 1960s. In 1978, the McKenzie Royal Commission recommended that the BCR eliminate its passenger services, which were losing over $1 million per year, unless it received government funding for them, but the BCR did not do so. However, facing large losses and an ageing fleet of Rail Diesel Cars, it reduced passenger operations to three trains weekly to Lillooet and once weekly to Prince George on February 16, 1981. This service reduction led to public outrage, and the British Columbia government agreed to provide subsidies for passenger operations. The previous level of service was restored on May 4, 1981.

Passenger service ended on October 31, 2002. BC Rail replaced the service between Lillooet and nearby Seton Portage and D'Arcy with a pair of railbuses, called "track units" by the railway. The railbus makes at least one round trip between Seton Portage and Lillooet daily, and also serves D'Arcy if there is sufficient demand. The Seton Lake Indian Band manages ticket sales, marketing, and customer service for the shuttle service.

Passenger Services will return to the line in Summer 2006, with Rocky Mountaineer Railtours operating two services over the former BCRail route, the Whistler Mountaineer will operate between Vancouver and Whistler, with a seperate service operating north from Whistler through Prince George to Jasper. The West Coast Railway Association is also due to return the Royal Hudson #2860 to service during 2006.

Excursion services

The railway's best-known excursion service was its Royal Hudson excursion service, which was the only regularly scheduled steam excursion service on mainline trackage in North America. Excursion service started on June 20, 1974, running between North Vancouver and Squamish. By the end of the first season 47,295 passengers had been carried. The Royal Hudson would become one of British Columbia's primary tourist attractions. It operated between May and October. It was cancelled at the end of the 2001 tourist season.


The Whistler Northwind. Photo courtesy http://www.trainweb.com/.

Two other excursion services were introduced by BC Rail in 1997 and 2001. In 1997, BC Rail introduced the Pacific Starlight dinner train, which ran in evenings between May and October between North Vancouver and Porteau Cove. In 2001, BC Rail introduced the Whistler Northwind, a luxury excursion train that ran between May and October, northbound from North Vancouver to Prince George or southbound from Prince George to Whistler. The train used several custom-designed dome cars. Both services were discontinued at the end of the 2002 season along with BC Rail's passenger service.

Historically, and discontinued in the 1960s, the railway at one time operated open-top observation cars all the way from North Vancouver to Lillooet and sometimes beyond.

A series of lodges of varying quality grew up along the railway, drawing on weekend tourist excursions from Vancouver via the MV Brittania steamer service to Squamish. The most famous of these was Rainbow Lodge at Whistler, then called Alta Lake, but others were at Birken Lake, Whispering Falls, D'Arcy, Ponderosa, McGillivray Falls, Seton Portage, the Bridge River townsite (where there was a first-class hotel serving mining and hydro executives and their guests), Shalalth, Retaskit and at Craig Lodge near Lillooet. The last-named was a swank tennis resort, its attraction being the extremely arid, sunny climate and the waters of Seton Lake.

Locomotives

Until the late 1940s, most motive power on the PGE was provided by steam locomotives. The majority of the railway's locomotives were of the 2-6-2, 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 (Whyte notation) wheel configurations. In addition, the railway also used a handful of gasoline cars, notably on a flatcar automobile ferry between Shalalth and Lillooet known simply as the Gas Car, once a vital lifeline for the communities of the upper Bridge River basin before the completion of a road from there to Lillooet.

The railway received its first diesel locomotive in June 1948, a General Electric 65-ton locomotive. Over the next two years the railway acquired six GE 70-ton locomotives. In the 1950s, the railway bought RS-3, RS-10, and RS-18 locomotives from the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). The railway had fully dieselized by 1956, and by the end of the decade had nearly 40 diesel locomotives. The railway would purchase new locomotives exclusively from MLW until 1980. During the 1970s, the railway also purchased several used locomotives, mostly American Locomotive Company (ALCO) models from American railways. In the 1980s, the railway acquired new SD40-2 locomotives made by General Motors Diesel (GMD), as well as used SD40-2s originally made by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). More recently, several locomotives were purchased from General Electric.

In 1970, the railway started using remote controlled mid-train locomotives, allowing longer and heavier trains to be operated through the steep grades of the Coast Mountains. It initially used separate remote control cars to control the mid-train locomotives, but in 1975 it received eight M420B locomotives from MLW. These locomotives were specially designed for mid-train operation. They contained remote control stations, and were cabless.

The railway also leased seven G6FC electric locomotives made by GMD for use on the electrified Tumbler Ridge Subdivision between 1983 and 2000, when the electrification was removed. In 2004, one was sold to the British Columbia Railway & Forest Industry Museum in Prince George, and the rest were scrapped.

For passenger service, the PGE purchased seven Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDC) in 1956. Starting in the 1970s, the BCR started to purchase some used RDCs. The RDCs were retired in 2002, when BC Rail ended its passenger services

The BCR also used some historic locomotives for its Royal Hudson excursion service. The primary locomotive for the Royal Hudson excursion train was Canadian Pacific Railway No. 2860, a class H1 4-6-4 Royal Hudson. Made by MLW for the Canadian Pacific Railway in June 1940, it was the first locomotive built as a Royal Hudson. A sister locomotive, No. 2850, pulled King George VI's and Queen Elizabeth's royal train in 1939, and after the tour the King gave the CPR permission to use the term "Royal Hudson" for the class of locomotives. Between 1940 and 1956 it hauled transcontinental passenger trains between Revelstoke and Vancouver. Damaged in a derailment in 1956, it was refurbished and transferred to Winnipeg in 1957 for service on the prairies. It was withdrawn from service in May 1959, replaced by diesel locomotives. It was sold to the Vancouver Railway Museum Association in 1964 and was stored in Vancouver until 1973, when the British Columbia government acquired the locomotive from Joe. W. Hussey, who had purchased it three years earlier. It was restored and then leased to the British Columbia Railway, who used it in excursion service between 1973 and 2000. It was out of service during the 2001 tourist season, needing extensive repairs. The backup for No. 2060 was Canadian Pacific Railway No. 3716, a 2-8-0 built by MLW in 1912. During the 2001 season, when both steam locomotives were out of service, BC Rail leased No. 4069, a restored Canadian Pacific Railway FP7A diesel locomotive.

References

• Andreae, Christopher (1997). Lines of country: an atlas of railway and waterway history in Canada, Boston Mills Press, Erin, Ontario. ISBN 1550461338.
• Sanford, Barrie (1981). The Pictorial History of Railroading in British Columbia, Whitecap Books, Vancouver, British Columbia. ISBN 0920620272.
• Horton, Timothy J. (1988). The British Columbia Railway (Volume One), B.R.M.N.A., Calgary, Alberta. ISBN 0-919487-28-9.
• Garrett, Colin and Max Wade (2001). Locomotives: A complete history of the world's great locomotives and fabulous train journeys, 260-263, London: Arness Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-94309-264-6.
• Schmidt, Paul (May, 2003). British Columbia seeks new BC Rail operator, retains right-of-way. Trains: p.11.
• About BC Rail - Facts & Figures. BC Rail. URL accessed on December 6, 2002.
• $1-BILLION BC RAIL INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP MOVES FORWARD. Province of British Columbia press releases. URL accessed on May 14, 2005.

END PART II of II


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)]



waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[BudKarr]

Good Day Captain Tom!

Always enjoy the narratives you provide. Very informative and for people such as I who are not rail enthusiasts, very educational.[tup]

Without Al over here, there does not seem to be anyone picking up the slack. I have noticed that you have tapered off your postings as well, which I think is long overdue. After all, take a look at the numbers of those looking in, compare that with the number of contributions and the story is clearly told. You have done your part and done it well, Sir.

I just left the bar and carried my coffee mug over here! Would you put it back for me?

BK

[siberianmo]

G'day!

A favorite of mine - the RDC of BC Rail!

BC Rail RDCs (with permission and credit to: www.scenic-railroads.com)


Later!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Another RDC from BC Rail . . .

BC Rail: Budd Cars cross Pine River Trestle (courtesy: www.scenic-railroads.com)


Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by siberianmo



Significant events in Canadian RR History during the month of January. Part I of II – 1800’s to 1900:


*January 27th, 1854: - The Great Western Railway opens its Hamilton to London, Ontario section of its main line between Windsor and Niagara Falls. Moving on to acquire other railroads throughout Southern Ontario, it can be claimed to be the first Canadian railway system.


* January 4, 1875: The Inter colonial Railway of Prince Edward Island opened the line between Charlottetown and Tignish for rail traffic.


* January 31st, 1880: The Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Railay opened an Ice Railway between Longueuil and Montreal by placing railway track on large timbers laid on the ice of the St. Lawrence Seaway. A car ferry was used by the QMO&O during warmer months. The ice railway continued each winter until 1883.


* January 1st, 1882: The Canadian Pacific Railway appointed William Cornelius Van Horne as General Manager. Under his tenure, 480 miles of track was laid across the Prairies in the summer of 1882.


* January 13th, 1899: The joining of the Winnipeg Great Northern Railway with the Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company formed the Canadian Northern Railway. By 1915, under the leadership of Donald Mann and William Mackenzie, the Canadian Northern system expanded to 9,362 miles of track.


Information contained in this compilation was obtained from internet public domain sources and materials from my private RR library collection. The use of this information is strictly for pleasure without intent of monetary reward or profit of any kind.


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

G'day,

If anyone can provide an explanation for the previous Post - let me know! Figures - from a person without an "identity"or contact info in the profile. Happens more times than not.

Okay - here's something to kick-start the morning . . .

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #74

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Southern Railway (SOU) in a 1956 advertisement from my private collection:



WANT TO PUT IT DOWN IN A SMALL TOWN?

MORE AND MORE industries do – because many small towns offer big opportunities for efficient operations and profitable growth. We believe this is particularly true in the South today - - where modern, mechanized farming has made available in many areas a supply of intelligent, high caliber, native-born men and women who can be quickly and economically trained to the skills of industry.

Living and working in one of the Southland’s friendly and uncongested semi-rural areas offers many other advantages, too. We know – because hundreds of the communities that we serve have a population of 5,000 or less.

Our Industrial Development Department now has a detailed, up-to-date catalogue of all the resources of every incorporated community along the Southern. One of our small towns may be just the spot for your factory. Let us tell you more!

Look Ahead – Look South!”

Harry A. DeButts
President

SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . The Southern Serves the South . . . . .


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)][oX)]