Tinplate ToddlerDave - I was wondering about the 1885 electrification idea, but wasn´t too sure about it. By that year, only low voltage DC streetcars were available.
Well I figured that I might suck a few people in, but the fact that so many people just accepted (or barely questioned) the use of three rail electric power in the Rockies means that my prank was just a bit too subtle. Maybe I should have suggested that they used Mountain Goats to haul out the rock, although I suspect that a lot of people would have believed that too.
So, the totally irrelevent question is: If almost nobody gets the April Fools joke, was it a good joke or a bad joke. In this case I suspect that the answer is 'bad'! Sorry!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning,
When I first read it, I thought, "I don't remember anything ever said about electric rail through the Canadian Rockies, but then I thought, "Ok, nice to know." And that's how easy it is for someone to be misinformed, not that there was ever any malintent in the post.
Correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't CP change their original route through the Rockies to one a little north and sell or use the original route as a scenic railroad? That would be a trip I'd like to take.
if someone has the history on that, please share.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good Afternoon!
Dave - thank you for moving the Diner to it´s new location in beautiful B.C.! It was a smmoth ride, all the way up northwest from Texas!
Petra went on the weekly grocery run this morning. She got another two packs of toilet paper, so we are now good to go for at least 3 months. Veggies and fruits are becoming scarce, so is meat and dairy products. Most local dairies were closed and we now depend on stuff being transported all the way through the entire country. For the moment, we are good, but as the shut-down continues, this will become a difficulty. Preparing the week´s money is a waste of time, we just have to make do with what´s available.
Dave - I was wondering about the 1885 electrification idea, but wasn´t too sure about it. By that year, only low voltage DC streetcars were available.
Something to enjoy - an extraordinary HOn3 rack railway layout based on the Schafberg Railway in Austria!
Stay safe!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
hon30critterSo far we have had 337 views and apparently nobody has caught on to the April Fools joke in my first post! I'll give you a hint. Read the third paragraph.
Missed it twice, finally got it. Strang idea.
Hey Dave -
Great job opening the Diner. Love the background info and historical stuff. Educational.
I'll certainly try the salmon and prawns later, but for now I'll have a tall stack of flapjacks and coffee . . . and don't spare the butter and syrup. Gotta love eating in a low fat, lo cal, cholesterol free diner. And the price is right as well.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Good morning .
Dave .... Thanks for moving the Diner and all of your interesting posts.
British Columbia, eh. .... I have been there a couple of times. I'm somewhat envious of Brent becasue he lives there.
We rode the Rocky Mountaineer, and it was a delightufl trip.
...
Kevin .... The Pontiacs look good. Perhaps, I could use at least one of them myself.
Everybody ..... Have a nice day.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Since we are in the Diner, we will have to add some BC favourites to the menu. How about wild Pacific salmon or Dungeness crabs. Maybe try some Spot Prawns which are the largest shrimp harvested in the Pacific northwest. They are very sweet and tender. Then for dessert we can have Nanimo bars (you can never have just one!) or some fruit from the Okanogan Valley.
Feast your eyes:
https://www.eatthistown.ca/iconic-foods-of-canada-british-columbia/
Yes Dave you tried. My keen sense of humour is not always so good first thing in the morning either.
I consider the scenery makes up for anything else. J.R.
GMTRacingI didn't pick up on the third rail thing because I live in third rail territory. The New Haven uses both overhead catenary like GN used to and third rail with a shoe to connect for Metro North territory like Grand Central. the New Haven also had a short branch line out east where they actually used a center third rail ala Lionel for a time. So no I didn't think it odd you mentioned it. The 1870's are just a little early for all that though. Consider me a bit thick this morning.
Hi GMT,
I don't think that you are being "a bit thick"! Perhaps my joke wasn't obvious enough. Certainly nobody seems to be laughing at it.
Oh well, I tried.
Good morning.
I'd like to thank you Dave for doing such a thoughtful job opening the Diner in beautiful British Columbia. "The host with the most" as the saying goes is appreciated.
So much to choose from and limited on time this morning l chose Canadian Canyons due to my lifelong admiration of the wilderness.
Your a lucky man to live in such beautiful surroundings.
I enjoyed watching the Canadian Frieght passing through going over the red bridge thinking it was going over the black bridge next. I was wrong, My first April Fools today.
The long Trains looked like toys passing through the vastness of the canyon. They definitely don't look like that everywhere.
I will be watching the rest of the videos and gaining more knowledge on the Canadia Railroads soon.
Thanks
TF
P.S. That Dr. Seuss stuff was funny last night Rich.
Good Morning All,
33F this morning but the cloud cover is starting to break. I'll just have my regular to go please Zoe. We are starting to see the effect of all this modern plague now with one person out on quarantine (two people removed from the actual exposure but one needs to be extra cautious these days). There is much more to say but we don't want another thread deleted so I won't go further.
Thanks for moving the diner Dave. What a beautiful area! I didn't pick up on the third rail thing because I live in third rail territory. The New Haven uses both overhead catenary like GN used to and third rail with a shoe to connect for Metro North territory like Grand Central. the New Haven also had a short branch line out east where they actually used a center third rail ala Lionel for a time. So no I didn't think it odd you mentioned it. The 1870's are just a little early for all that though. Consider me a bit thick this morning.
Did some more with the power station last night. I am working on the transformer set just outside the building. I narrowed a Faller transformer substation kit up to fit the space and so far so good. I mixed up some Smooth It with powdered black poster paint and laid that in around the perimeter of the building and will add some more around the edges of the transformer base when I get that "good enough". I may use the magnet wire I bought to string the electric lines as I don't like the way the thread they give you drapes.
All for now. Back to the shop. Hope you are all doing well. Ciao, J.R.
Great job Dave! I know nothing about the building of the railroad through the Rockies, except the spiral tunnels, so thanks for all the interesting info.
Brrr....it's still cold up here! I think I'll slide down the other side, and see if Brent is home, according to him, it's always warm there.
Mike.
My You Tube
hon30critterHave a shot of (your) rum on me!
Thanks, Dave Chances are it will be either a Rum & Coke or a Mojito tonight
I'd really like to study the electrification of CPR neighbors, Milwaukee Road and Great Northern. I know their wire was a little lighter than that in the east but those locomotives were sure brutes.
That Bi-Polar was quite the machine!
Cheers! Ed
gmpullmanAm I close?
Ed,
You know that you always have the right answers. This is no exception. You deserve a great big prize for being the first to figure the joke out, except I can't afford any big prizes right now. Have a shot of (your) rum on me!
I hope that everyone who glibly accepted my stating that three rail electric was even remotely possible in 1885 in the middle of the Rocky Mountains is truly embarrassed! If you still haven't figured it out then I have some swamp land in Florida that I would be willing to sell to you at the same price that crude oil is headed for, i.e. you will owe me money!
Please don't feel offended. I love you all!
hon30critteror three rail electric.
3rd Rail? Well, I guess it would depend on how heavy the catenary would be.
PRR chose three-rail initially to run electrics through the tunnels into Pennsylvania Station. These were converted to overhead catenary in 1935.
NYC chose third rail for trackage into Grand Central from the north and is still used today.
PRR_DD1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Am I close?
Regards, Ed
You are welcome!
Tied Up here from the South 50+ Years ago. Lived in Caboose.
Long trip on Through Freight, just under 200 Miles. 5 Small Units good for 10000 Tons = 200 40 ft. cars on occasion in warm weather re Air.
Longest train I worked had 156 Cars ex Colvalli. Not all Brakes released way back. Mostly OP Power on the Road. GP9s on Wyft as had better steps.
Lovely Trip, before Tourism changed it all.
When Youth and Hope still prevailed.
Look at it, now.
Thank You.
Time for bed.
Had 8 Inches Snow before midnight.
So far we have had 337 views and apparently nobody has caught on to the April Fools joke in my first post!
I'll give you a hint. Read the third paragraph.
Hi NDG!
Thanks for the great old photos! The log station at Lake Windemere is beautiful!
Here are some interesting basic facts about the Canadian Rockies. Please ignor the fact that this is intended for a younger audience. We are all young at heart!
https://kids.kiddle.co/Canadian_Rockies
So you guys like to run long trains eh?!?
An eastbound CN at Spence's Bridge, BC. It must be almost all empty cars. I didn't see any helpers. Interesting none the less (that is unless you were stopped at a railway crossing waiting for the infernal thing to go by!).
The Thompson River canyon:
Here is another look at the Rocky Mountaineer:
https://www.canadianrockiesbyrail.org/
More cool images of railroading in BC:
https://ca.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrC_DNoS4RewyYAkQ0XFwx.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Railroading+in+the+Canadian+Rocky+Mountains&fr=yhs-rogers-rogers_001&hspart=rogers&hsimp=yhs-rogers_001
Sorry, I can't get enough of this stuff!
SeeYou190I read it several times. If there is an April Fools joke in there, it is not obvious enough for this dimwit to pick it out.
Oh come on Kevin! Do you believe everything you read???
I'll wait a few days to see if anyone catches it. If nobody does I will be sorely disappointed by your collective lack of knowledge of railroading in the Rockies in 1884!
SeeYou190I unboxed my order from MB Klein today
I notice that dozens of the most recent additions to the MBK site are "Out of Stock" even though they have just been listed. I'd like to order some of their recent Bowser cars but they are unobtanium!
Perhaps the staff needs to get it sorted and inventoried in the warehouse?
Cheers, Ed
hon30critterPerhaps a more careful reading of my first post is in order!
I read it several times. If there is an April Fools joke in there, it is not obvious enough for this dimwit to pick it out.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Those are nice cars Kevin.
I unboxed my order from MB Klein today after a three-day quarantine to make sure I did not bring any virus into the house.
Much to my surprise, it was well packed with styrofoam packers! My last few orders from MB Klein were not packed nearly this well. Nothing was damaged, and the order was filled with no errors.
Nothing much to get excited about. Tortoise switch machines, Walthers backdrops, and a few tools.
These were the only real nifty items in the box. I ordered the two new 1954 Pontiacs from Oxford Models. These are simply gorgeous models.
SeeYou190It is April Fools Day, so here is something just a little foolish.
It is indeed April Fool's Day! Perhaps a more careful reading of my first post is in order!