HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rrw@.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: D&SNGwinter
Date: 20 Dec 92 07:26:36 GMT
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ
Originator: rrw@sunset.cse.nau.edu

Recently I posted that I have a new image of the Durango & 
Silverton Narrow Gauge railroad available in JPEG format
(about 350K) on our machine ftp.cse.nau.edu (134.114.64.70).

Computer Services pulled a fast one on me here and decided
to reassign all the internal IP numbers on campus this 
morning about 12 hours after I posted the availability
notice.  If you tried to connect and could not do so, 
please try again - or check the /trains/incoming directory
on wuarchive.

Since this is my first JPEG picture out to the net, please
drop me a line if you decode it ok - so far I havn't heard
anything about whether there are problems or not.

THANKS & ENJOY!

- Bob Wier

  ---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
                   College of Engineering
      Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
  Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | WB5KXH | fax:602 523 2300
From: clark@angelo.amd.com (Brad D. Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: NEWS: Amtrak Capitol derailment 12/16/92 + comment
Summary: Amtrak Capitol hits car 12/16/92
Keywords: Amtrak derail train stupidity grade-crossing
Date: 17 Dec 92 22:41:36 GMT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.


AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILS - Driver who left car on track is arrested

(from 12/17 San Jose Mercury News / McClatchy News Service)

SACRAMENTO-- A five-car Amtrak passenger train headed from Sacramento
to San Jose was derailed Wednesday night after hitting an empty car 
sitting on the tracks about a mile east of Davis.

The brown Cadillac burst into flames when the train hit it about 6 p.m.,
said Officer Larry Ostergard of the California Highway Patrol.  The car
was pushed a quarter of a mile along the tracks.

Small flames came from under the locomotive and the passenger car behind
it but were quickly extinguished, said Capt. Bruce Fry of the Davis Fire
Department.  The extent of damage to the train was unknown.

The 37 passengers and four members of the train crew were not injured,
except for a woman who complained of neck and shoulder pains.  She was
taken to Sutter Davis Hospital, Ostergard said.

"One guy stood up, turned around and ran to the back," said Randy Bailey,
a California State University, Chico, student who was returning home to
Pleasant Hills for the holidays. "His face was complete panic."

Amtrak passengers waited on the train for about 45 minutes until a bus  
arrived to take them to Davis.  They continued to their destinations
by bus.

The driver of the car, Wendall Mark Vicente, 30, of Sacramento, was
standing near the tracks at the time of the accident, according to 
witnesses.  Vicente fought with officers when they tried to question
him about the accident, said CHP Officer Jim Bonilla.  It took four
officers to get Vicente on the ground and handcuff him, Bonilla said.

He was arrested by CHP officers on charges of battery on a peace officer
and resisting arrest.

(copied without permission from San Jose Mercury News, 12/17 evening edition)

COMMENTS:

I heard about this during the Wednesday Night Railfan QSO, but was too
far away to hear any traffic on the scanner.  It seems to me that this
guy should be charged with more than what he got... maybe civil damages?

Brad


          /--------\                Brad Clark  clark@brahms.amd.com
         /          \    II            ______________________________           
 [>-----/------------\___II____<]   | [______________________________] |
 ||         C P R R             |   | [______________________________] |
 ||_____________________________|   |\--------------------------------/|
 [------------------------------]   |---------________________---------|
   (*)-(*) `--------` (*)-(*)         (*) (*)                  (*) (*)
---------------------------------------Camas Prarie Railroad--------------
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: btiffany@pbs.org
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Amtrak Routes
Date: 18 Dec 92 09:10:18 EST
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

In article <1992Dec15.155629.6661@ecsvax.uncecs.edu>, ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) writes:
> In article <BzAzM6.K4y@nocusuhs.nnmc.navy.mil>, organic@mgr.hjf.org (Miriam Organic) writes:
>> Is true that AMTRAK is going to start using Superliner cars in the east?
>> 
>> Does this include the Chicago-D.C. Capatiol Limited?  
>> I watch it every day outside my office window. 
> 
> 
> What you may be referring to is that when the extension of the
> Sunset from New Orleans to Florida is implemented, Superliners
> will reach the east coast.  That's because clearances are
> adequate for superliners on the entire route.
> 
> The problems with clearances are in the D.C. area and on the
> Northeast Corridor.  These problems will not magically go away.

My understanding is that the Capitol will be the *first* eastern train to get
Stuporliners.  That's why my friend at Amtrak said to ride the dome while you
can.

-- Bruce Tiffany
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com ()
Subject: Re: Talking Detectors/Axle Counters
Reply-To: judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com ()
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 16:04:24 GMT


Recently the Conrail HB/DED in Neshanic, NJ was repaired
and it now announces axle count. This is the first CR 
detector in NJ or Eastern PA that does this to my knowledge.

Anyone have a December CR Philly Division timetable? There
seems to be a new train, WPAL-30 which seems to run from 
Allentown (AL) to Manville, NJ. This morning it sounded like
a CAOI-7 was at Pt Reading Jct. Camden-Oak Island??? This makes
no sense - but I think I heard "CA". It ran off the Trenton
Line north to PRJ and then east through New Market.

Any info?


--

Louis J. Judice		| Email:      judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corp.	| Office   :  908-562-4103
20 Corp. Pl South		| FAX:        908-562-4570
Piscataway, NJ 08876	| "Right now, pigs are becoming lunch."
From: ns@csd.cri.dk (Nick Sandru)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Unusual tunnels?
Date: 14 Dec 92 08:46:58 GMT
Organization: Computer Resources International A/S

dmunroe@vcd.hp.com (Dave Munroe) writes:

>I saw part of an episode on PBS where several railroad tunnels in Switzerland
>or northern Italy spiraled over on themselves, e.g. after you enter the tunnel
>heading east, the tunnel climbs and spirals counterclockwise, crosses over
>itself, and then you exit heading south.  Anyone know of other interesting or
>unusual tunnels like this?

>-Dave

There is such a tunnel in Bulgaria, on the Sofia - Karnobat - Varna/Burgas
line. I travelled through it in 1982 - and had to stay there for 20 minutes
because a passenger had pulled the emergency brake... The single-track tunnel
is situated at about 150 km east from Sofia and is 4 or 5 km long. The eastern
entrance is at about 100 m under the western one and the line continues
from the western end over a viaduct that crosses both the valley and the
track east from the tunnel (you can actually see the lower entrance of the
tunnel from the viaduct).

Another one is in Serbia, on the Belgrade - Bar line.

There is also a 2 km long tunnel making a 180 degree turn (there are actually
two parallel tunnels) between Predeal and Timisul de Sus on the Bucharest -
Brasov line in Romania. The first tunnel was built in the 1880s, the other one
in the 1940s when the line was doubled. The average rate of descent on the
10 km strech from Predeal to Timisul de Sus is 3.0%, making this section
the most 'abrupt' mainline in Romania. The line was electrified in 1965;
until then a 2,000 ton freight train had to be hauled at no more than 20km/h
by 4 - 5 steam locomotives...

Nick Sandru

-- 
Nick Sandru - System administrator   | e-mail: ns@csd.cri.dk         (office)
Columbus Space Station SDE Project   |         ns@sandes.cri.dk      (home)
Computer Resources International A/S | phone:  +45 45 82 21 00 x2036 (office)
Bregnerodvej 144                     |         +45 47 98 06 27       (home)
DK-3460 Birkerod, Denmark            | fax:    +45 45 82 17 11
From: pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Switch Heaters?
Date: 14 Dec 92 22:25:58 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

In article <1gh3o1INNog1@hp-col.col.hp.com>, tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke)
writes, in part:

>Do switches have heaters built into them to allow them to function in
>very cold weather?
	Not exactly built in, more of an "add on", in my obervation.  Can be
	"raw flame" (LPG, etc) or the less visual Electric Strip.

)Currently here it's about -10 wind chill outside and
>about 1 foot of snow on the ground. I've never heard of heaters.  
	Real nice to keep the points free when the snow starts falling, or the
	ice forming.  Not guarnateed, sometimes the crew (or maintainer) has to
	clear points by hand.
> 
thanks
dave pierson			|the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation	|the opinions, my own.
40 Old Bolton Rd		|I am the NRA.
Stow, Mass 01775 USA		pierson@msd26.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing."  A J Raffles
From: terryfry@access.digex.com (Terry Fry)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: New York <-> Washington DC: air shuttle was better
Date: 17 Dec 1992 06:30:19 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com
Keywords: AMTRAK, North-East Corridor, air travel

	

>to compete with airplanes: if you are not *much* nearer the
>train station than the airport, it is faster to fly.  In other
>words, only the fact that more offices are near Penn Station than
>any of the New York airports makes AMTRAK's NY-Wash. service even
>near competitive in time with the air shuttles.  My wife points
>out that she was finished in DC a little before 3 p.m., and was
>home by 5:30 p.m.

However easier/harder it is in New York, the D.C. side is where time is
saved.

First we have National Airport, near almost nothing.  Arrive near the
rush hour crunch (in D.C. extending to 20 miles past the beltway,
that's 5:30 AM to 9:00AM and 4:00 PM to about 7:00 PM.... bumper to
bumper....) and you will quicly add an hour just to get to a "place."

Dulles, I have spent 2 hours to go from Dulles to my home in Fairfax.
BWI, I've taken Amtrak from BWI to D.C. then to metro.... because
its just faster.  Taffic here is amazing, I avoid it at all costs.
Plus, it can easily make a train trip here much quicker.  For me leaving
at say 8:00 am to get to New York, I must LEAVE my house no later than 6:00
AM.  For a 8:00 AM train to New York, I can take a 5 minute trip to Metro
and 25 minutes (max) to Union Station.  1 hour and a half saved.

If you think I'm exagerating, drive here for a while.
From: 737ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: diesel terminology questions
Date: 16 Dec 92 03:45:52 EST
Followup-To: rec.railroad
Distribution: world
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <724492274snx@warren.demon.co.uk>, leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:
> In article <1992Dec15.120035.5767@news.DKRZ-Hamburg.DE> k203002@smog.DKRZ-Hamburg.DE (Markolf Gudjons) writes:
>>In article <60562@donald.WichitaKS.NCR.COM> msjohnso@donald.WichitaKS.NCR.COM (Mark Johnson) writes:
>>>"Lift rings" are actually used to lift the locomotive.  They are chassis
>>>hardpoints that allow a traveling overhead crane to pick the loco up
>>>and move it about. 
>>Not quite. You mean lift pads. Lift rings are actually small wire loops
>>welded to the hood sections on diesel locomotives. They are used to lift
>>off parts of the superstructure for maintenance.
> 
> I'm sure it depends on the particular locomotive. Many BR classes -
> those with "proper" chassis, such as classes 37 and 58 - *do* have
> lifting rings on their bodies.

Yes, some Canadian RR's have these on their pilots too. They look like
thick metal lifting tabs and are mounted on the deck both on the front
and on the back. I know CP Rail uses these, and I think CN does too.

Fred
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: tssmith@netcom.com (Tim Smith)
Subject: Re: Unusual tunnels?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 07:55:24 GMT

In article <3840007@hplred.HPL.HP.COM> jbrandt@hplred.HPL.HP.COM (Jobst Brandt) writes:
> Dave Munroe writes:
> 
> > I saw part of an episode on PBS where several railroad tunnels in
> > Switzerland or northern Italy spiraled over on themselves, e.g.
> > after you enter the tunnel heading east, the tunnel climbs and
> > spirals counterclockwise, crosses over itself, and then you exit
> > heading south.  Anyone know of other interesting or unusual
> > tunnels like this?
> 
> I'm not aware of such tunnels in north America but they are common
> in the Alps and, I am sure in the rest of eastern Europe and
> elsewhere.  The Austrians, Italians, French and Swiss have many rail
> lines with loops in and out of tunnels.  The Swiss have double loops
> on both sides of the Gotthard while the old Furka Oberalp cogwheel
> line has a steep helix tunnel at 8% grade and minimum radius on top
> of which the highway makes a hairpin turn.

There is a very nice example on the CP main just east of Field, B.C.
This is probably the Kicking Horse pass tunnel that another reader
mentioned.  The tunnel does at least 270 degrees, maybe more.  There
is/was a lookout just off the Trans-Canada Highway from which you
could observe both portals of the tunnel.

Last I saw this was in 1985, and had the pleasure of seeing an 80+
car westbound (down) train loop under itself.  I think I remember
hearing that either that line or just the tunnel has been abandoned. 
Or perhaps it was just that VIA doesn't run passenger trains through
it any more.  Steve Hooper probably knows the facts.

> Ride train!

Would like to, but have you tried getting a sleeping compartment
reservation on Amtrak recently?  Seems like you need to book at least
eight months in advance.

> jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com

--Tim (tssmith@netcom.com)
From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Switch Heaters?
Date: 15 Dec 92 07:00:05 GMT
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA

In article <1gh3o1INNog1@hp-col.col.hp.com> tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke) writes:
> I'm sitting here reading notes at home and listening to the scanner.
> There's a discussion between a dispatcher in Albequerque, NM and a
> lineman regarding low/and or high power heaters for the switches at
> several local switch points for junctions just north of Colorado
> Springs, CO. 
> 
> Do switches have heaters built into them to allow them to function in
> very cold weather? Currently here it's about -10 wind chill outside and
> about 1 foot of snow on the ground. I've never heard of heaters.  
> 
> The lineman was informing the dispatcher that he thought they were set
> to "low power". The dispatcher could not read something on his CTC board
> correctly so he sent the lineman back out to check again.

Remote operated switches usually have some kind of heater provision to
keep the points from freezing in the wrong position.  In the old days,
this consisted of kerosene wick burners similar to the old bomb-shaped
kerosene highway flares that were used before battery operated blinker
lights took over.  Now they generally use electical heating elements
though I've still seen piles of the kerosene tank/burners units lying
around Philadelphia.

Note that this kind of thing is probably limted to interlockings and
passing sidings, for low-use sidings, the crew probably gets to massage
the switch with a hammer or waste a couple fusees (stick flares) to
warm it up.

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     work:   to be avoided at all costs...
but no way officially representing:   uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department     domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: christo@bcarh803.BNR.CA (Mark Christopher)
Subject: Re: Ventilation in tunnels
Reply-To: christo@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 23:02:43 GMT

In article <1992Dec07.170832.20029@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com>,
johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com.mcm.hp.com (John Mosbarger) writes:
...
|>     There are at least 2 (maybe 3) tunnels in Willamette Pass that are 
|>around 3000' long, and with a 1.8% ruling grade, the smoke buildup can be
|>great.  A helper engineer invited me to ride a 5-unit helper set from
|>Cascade Summit to Oakridge, and needless to say, I accepted.  Even with
|>the units at idle, the smoke in the tunnels required closing the windows, and
|>the entire inside of the cab was coated with oil smoke.

This reminds me of October when I was in New Brunswick.  I was taking
some pictures at the Salem&Hillsborough yards when they were putting
some cars away in their car barn for the winter.  The chief engineer
invited me to sit in their beautifully finished RS-1 (completed rebuilt
last year) while they put the cars away.  Even with the doors and windows
closed, and being parked almost directly under an exhaust vent in the
roof, it was incredibly smokey.  I won't soon forget that deep rumbling
that you felt right in your chest...

My only wish is that my camera batteries hadn't been so dead and caused
my light-meter to misread...
-- 
Mark Christopher        Bell-Northern Research          christo@bnr.ca
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt)
Subject: Re: Davis (CA) accident - idiot of the month!
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 00:25:40 GMT

In article <1992Dec18.204330.19027@s1.gov>, lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:
|> >More importantly, what type of locomotive was on the train ?!?
|> I'm sure it was an F40. I'm sure that its nose got rather  banged up.

Why so sure?

The Metrolink cab-car that hit a truck at 77 mph didn't look very banged
up to me.  An F40 should fare at least as well hitting a Cadillac.

-- 

Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
UUCP: ...!ames!ntmtv!adrian
ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: roma@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Roma)
Subject: Re: Switch Heaters?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 01:06:10 GMT

Steve_Hooper@mindlink.bc.ca (Steve Hooper) writes:

>Nope...as a rule, they run full time.  I *THINK* they work on a temperature
>basis.  IE When the temp. drops below a certain amount, they come on.  I may
>be wrong on that though.

I don't know about the snow melters on the CP Rail but around here, most
snow melters in CTC territory are controlled by the dispatcher as part of the 
CTC system.  There are typically levers for the snow melters just like the
ones used to control switches and signals.  An indication from the field
location is returned to the dispatcher to let him know whether the snow melter
fires up properly.

On modern CRT-based dispatching systems, this is done with keyboard and/or
mouse operations, not with levers.
-- 
Jon Roma
Computing and Communications Services Office,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Internet:  roma@uiuc.edu      	UUCP:      uunet!uiucuxc!uiuc.edu!roma
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak)
Subject: Advice for NYC travelers
Reply-To: kasprj@rpi.edu
Organization: The Big Wedge 
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 13:59:47 GMT


 While waiting on the platform at Syosset to take the LIRR into NYC, 
I overheard a conversation amongst a family on the merits of taking
the subway versus walking as a means of getting around in Manhattan. 
The young boy (looked about 6 or 7 years old) offered this piece of 
sage advice:
 
"It's better to walk, because you get more exercise, and subways do blow up."

------------------------------------------------------------------
     __  Live from Capitaland, heart of the Empire State...
 ___/  | Jim Kasprzak, computer operator @ RPI, Troy, NY, USA
/____ *| Sam Adams,Spaten# Life is too short #Hudson Lager,Beck's 
     \_| Pilsener Urquell#to drink cheap beer#Pete's Wicked Ale
      ====  e-mail: kasprj@rpi.edu or kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu
From: bob@1776.COM (Robert Coe)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: When you get caught between trains.....
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 19:03:29 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: 1776 Enterprises, Sudbury MA

btiffany@pbs.org writes:
> When I worked for SP one of the rules covered this ...  If you're in be-
> tween two tracks with cars moving on each track you're supposed to kneel 
> down on one knee and stay put.  It *does* become rather disorienting, and 
> you start to lose your sense of balance.

Not just that; by getting as close as possible to the ground, you minimize
the likelihood of getting hit by something projecting sideways from the load.
As several have mentioned, things do project *downwards* from the couplers
and elsewhere, but most things that project sideways are above the wheels.

   ___            _                                           -  Bob
   /__) _   /    / ) _   _
(_/__) (_)_(_)  (___(_)_(/_______________________________________ bob@1776.COM
Robert K. Coe ** 14 Churchill St, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 ** 508-443-3265
From: 737ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Talking Detectors/Axle Counters
Date: 19 Dec 92 00:17:19 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <01GSEGE2DJRMD08FV1@TNTECH.BITNET>, RPH0470%TNTECH.bitnet@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Richard Hosker) writes:
> A few talking detector tales:
> 
> CSX had a RoadRailer train on the Corbin Division through my hometown
> of Oak Ridge, TN in 1987/88.  I could hear the "talker" at mile 258.1
> announce an odd number of axles when the RoadRailer went through.  (If it
> went through--other crews called this the "GroundRailer" or the "DeRailer",
> with good reason.)
> 
> And one afternoon during CSX's power shortage days, before the Invasion of
> the Widecabs, I heard the detector count off almost *800* axles.  "OK," I
> thought, "it's been hit by lightning again."  Nope.  CSX had resorted to
> combining two entire empty hopper trains--about 200 cars--and dragging them
> north with (I think) three SD's instead of the normal six.
> 
> I heard this anecdote from a railfan buddy--knowing CSX, it's probably true:
> A signal maintainer was working on a lightning-struck detector near
> Jacksonville, FL; he had to replace most of the electronics with parts from
> stock.  He finished his work and stood back as a train came by and was
> inspected.  Over the radio came the synthesized voice: "Seaboard System
> Railroad, London, Kentucky...no defects..."  The engineer couldn't resist;
> he picked up the radio and called the maintainer.  "Sounds good, Charlie, but
> I believe it's *lost!*"  :-)

There's one in Cedar Lake Indiana that did this, right after the strike earlier
this year. We figured maybe CSX powered it down during the strike, and when it
was turned back on, it defaulted to Seaboard System Railroad. A friend of mine
even has it on tape while riding Amtrak's Cardinal...

Fred