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TV Alerts
Posted by MikeF90 on Monday, March 6, 2017 5:42 PM

I decided that the subject of some television programs on trains might not be confined to Passenger, Transit or Steam, so this forum would be a better location for a continuing topic.

Today's alert is for the program 'Trains and Locomotives' on RFD-TV; it airs every Monday at 2:30pm Pacific.

Today's show was on an excursion featuring CPR 2839 Royal Hudson 4-8-4 4-6-4 running in Southern Railway territory.

EDIT: corrected per following post

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, March 6, 2017 5:45 PM

4-6-4 !  CPR did own two 4-8-4's but the Royal Hudson is a Hudson. 

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Posted by MikeF90 on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 9:15 PM

In the category of 'Mistitled Shows', tonight's episode of 'Air Disasters' on Smithsonian Channel features the Cajon-San Bernardino area Southern Pacific freight derailment in 1989.

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_train_disaster

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Posted by RME on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 9:59 PM

MikeF90
In the category of 'Mistitled Shows', tonight's episode of 'Air Disasters' on Smithsonian Channel features the Cajon-San Bernardino area Southern Pacific freight derailment in 1989.

In their defense, some of the cars probably flew through the air after derailing.

And most, though not all, "Air Disasters" are misnamed; the disaster comes with reintroduction to terrain, just as at San Berdoo...

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 11:13 PM

Speed doesn't kill - sudden stops do!

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 6:48 AM

MikeF90
In the category of 'Mistitled Shows', tonight's episode of 'Air Disasters' on Smithsonian Channel features the Cajon-San Bernardino area Southern Pacific freight derailment in 1989.

Maybe they should do an episode about NYO&W's Flying F's - which launched off an elevated coal dock.

Flying F's

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Posted by MikeF90 on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 2:47 PM

Occasionally locos at LAUS attempt to go airborne:

Article link: http://framework.latimes.com/2011/11/14/santa-fe-locomotive-goes-through-wall/

Now, a 'Paul Harvey rest-of-the-story' moment to get this topic back on track.

I later found out that the above 'Air Disasters' description from an online program guide was erroneous - the actual episode covered the JAL flight 123 crash in 1985.

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 4:35 PM

Question:

I thought that trucks were not captive to the equipment (car or locomotive, That the only thing that would hold the truck to the F7 would be the motor cables. But I see little separation of the truck from the body. Any reason the truck isn't hanging by the cables?

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 6:33 PM

Electroliner 1935
Question:

I thought that trucks were not captive to the equipment (car or locomotive, That the only thing that would hold the truck to the F7 would be the motor cables. But I see little separation of the truck from the body. Any reason the truck isn't hanging by the cables?

Looks like the spring hanger for the firemans side of the truck is resting against the broken utility pole which is holding the truck in place.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by RME on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 9:36 PM

BaltACD
Looks like the spring hanger for the firemans side of the truck is resting against the broken utility pole which is holding the truck in place.

That pole is 8' or more away from any part of the locomotive -- look at the bow in the wires that are supporting the nose of the unit.  My guess would be safety chains doing their job (which might explain the rakish tilt of the visible sideframe).

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Posted by MikeF90 on Monday, June 12, 2017 3:40 PM

Now back to topic Whistling .....

Next Monday 6/19 the Smithsonian Channel will start a new series entitled 'Combat Trains'. The first episode is on the building of the Burma-Thailand road.

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Posted by tdmidget on Monday, June 12, 2017 8:14 PM

The centerpin on locomotives and passenger equipment is a threaded bolt that does indeed hold the truck captive.

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Posted by RME on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 11:40 AM

tdmidget
The centerpin on locomotives and passenger equipment is a threaded bolt that does indeed hold the truck captive.

You must be a model railroader.  Do you have pictures of full-size 'threaded bolt' center pins that hold trucks on?  I'd like to see them.

Certainly the center pins on the modern Siemens American locomotives (electric or diesel) aren't threaded bolts. (I have PDF links to 3D drawings of the trucks, but no direct detail views to post here.)  Nor are the ones used in HTCR-II trucks:

where it is specifically noted that the pin itself is welded to the underframe.

If I remember correctly, some of the "AAR" style drop-equalizer trucks had center PLATE safety retention means, which might have bolted to the bolster in some way, but would not constitute 'threaded bolts' instead of center pins.  Someone like tree68, who has access to locomotives using this style of truck, might investigate and report what they have.

Here is the EMD freight truck (commonly known as 'Blomberg'):

which is the design in the picture that started this discussion off.  To my knowledge there have never been 'threaded bolts' holding the truck bolsters against the pins when installed, and I would have to say that a split eared or expanding pin arrangement would make far better sense if holding the truck in place while permitting appropriate degrees of freedom at the centerplate/bowl bearing area is desired.

 

Passenger cars have used locking center pins for many years, and Amtrak currently requires them.  If there is a design of such pins that uses 'threaded bolts' I'd like to see how it works; all the ones I know use some form of expansion and solid shoulder or face contact to take any retention loads, with the key involved usually being pinned rather than threaded to engagement.

(Incidentally, many three-piece freight trucks do have a thin center pin that threads ... but it threads into the bolster, there is nothing whatsoever that holds the pin in the carbody, and in fact afaik the trucks are designed to come off as quickly and easily as Pamela Digby's drawers so that deceleration of derailed cars occurs as expediently as possible.)

 

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 8:28 PM

RME
Someone like tree68, who has access to locomotives using this style of truck,

I'll see what I can find out next time I'm on the railroad.  Of course, they're mostly ALCO's, so I'll be getting pretty greasy in the process...

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Posted by MikeF90 on Monday, September 4, 2017 4:03 PM

Back to topic again ....

The Smithsonian Channel has started another series entitled 'Mighty Trains'. First episode was on VIA's transcontinental train; the traveling presenter touched on some 'operational' aspects not usually discussed coherently.

Next episode will cover the Shinkansen ....

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Posted by Firelock76 on Monday, September 4, 2017 4:50 PM

You know, I started watching that show last night about VIA's "Canadian."  Looked very interesting, the presenter was personable and likeable, the trains was just leaving the station in Vancouver and...

I shook my head and thought, "Why is the train leaving Vancouver again?"  Then "Oh nuts!  Look at the TIME!"  I'd nodded off and was watching the 11:00 PM re-run!

My fault, I ate a little too heavy last night!  Either that or I'm turning into my father and watching TV with my eyes closed!  Has this ever happened to any of you?

I'll catch the re-run when it shows up.  Dang, that show looked good!

How was it, anyway?

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, September 4, 2017 5:44 PM

My cable plan doesn't cover the Smithsonian Channel

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Posted by Firelock76 on Monday, September 4, 2017 5:54 PM

BaltACD

My cable plan doesn't cover the Smithsonian Channel

 

That's too bad.  On the other hand we don't bother with HBO, Starz, or any of the like.  Last time we had 'em we didn't think they were worth the extra money.

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Posted by rdamon on Monday, September 4, 2017 8:16 PM

I got confused when my guide showed an original air date in October of last year.

Looking online it may have just been shown in Canada ..

http://www.discovery.ca/extra/mighty-trains#

 

I did the same thing last night .. waking up in the part I had already seen ;)

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Posted by samfp1943 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 11:30 AM

SighSaturday AM..'Bored", Surfing  TV..Zzz

Stumbled onto a program : "Journeys with Dylan Dreyer"  on our local NBC Channel.

Program was on the Construction of the Canadian Pacific Rwy..

  It's apparently the first in a series on CPR? It was interesting; I did not know that William Cornelius Van Horne was an American born, as was one of his engineering managers.  Would enjoy seeing more in this series.

Possibly.more shows in series to follow, but no schedule posted.

Has anyone eles here seen it or is familiar with it?

 

 


 

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, September 9, 2017 12:17 PM

samfp1943

SighSaturday AM..'Bored", Surfing  TV..Zzz

Stumbled onto a program : "Journeys with Dylan Dreyer"  on our local NBC Channel.

Program was on the Construction of the Canadian Pacific Rwy..

  It's apparently the first in a series on CPR? It was interesting; I did not know that William Cornelius Van Horne was an American born, as was one of his engineering managers.  Would enjoy seeing more in this series.

Possibly.more shows in series to follow, but no schedule posted.

Has anyone eles here seen it or is familiar with it? 

Do a web search for the title... quite a few hits in the list.

 

NBC has a web site for it:

 

https://www.nbc.com/the-more-you-know/exclusives/journey-with-dylan-dreyer

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Saturday, September 9, 2017 12:56 PM

RME

 

 
BaltACD
Looks like the spring hanger for the firemans side of the truck is resting against the broken utility pole which is holding the truck in place.

 

That pole is 8' or more away from any part of the locomotive -- look at the bow in the wires that are supporting the nose of the unit.  My guess would be safety chains doing their job (which might explain the rakish tilt of the visible sideframe).

 

 

Side bearing clips. If they are not worn out they'll hold the truck up.

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Posted by switch7frg on Saturday, September 9, 2017 5:48 PM

SurpriseFirelock you really just entered the TWILIGHT zONE . The train just went around the station and the folks walked through the  to the front  to board the train again and again allon the same ticket. Cool.

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 6:17 PM

Ah, so THAT's what it was!

I guess it was a "Twilight Zone" efect as well when I fell asleep watching a show on World War One and woke up during World War Two!

"Hey, they didn't have B-25's during World War One!  What gives?"

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, September 9, 2017 7:28 PM

Maybe you woke up in an alternate timeline?

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 7:36 PM

zugmann

Maybe you woke up in an alternate timeline?

 

Nah, same old damn timeline, I still had to go to work in the morning!

(I see the avatar's now Emily Blunt's "Evil Pony."

Private joke folks.

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, September 9, 2017 9:13 PM

Firelock76
Private joke folks.

One month.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 9:20 PM

Yes, I know.  Lady Firestorm still can't find a little kid to borrow to take to the movie so she doesn't have to answer any questions as to why she's there.  I told her she could always wait for it to come out on DVD, which doesn't seem to take too long these days.

Another private joke, folks.

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Posted by wanswheel on Friday, September 15, 2017 10:58 AM

 

Ken Burns’ new documentary starts Sunday night. Probably won't mention railroads at all but there were trains involved stateside. One train to Fort Jackson departed Penn Station on July 26, 1966.

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Posted by MikeF90 on Sunday, October 8, 2017 11:30 PM

Tonight the 'Mighty Trains' series on the Smithsonian channel is airing the episode on the White Pass and Yukon Route.

About a fifth of the show is devoted to the pre-season maintenance of the diesel locomotives, usually not seen on your typical travelogue.

The unique narrow gauge trains travel through spectacular natural scenery where that word is severe understatement. The cruise ships visiting Skagway seem to be giving them some critical business. Another trip for the bucket list ....

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