HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: DHBHM@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu (Bruce H. McIntosh)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Can you tell me what I saw ( UP Freight in California)?
Date: 2 Oct 92 11:43:23 GMT
Organization: University of Florida, NERDC

In article <60677@mimsy.umd.edu>
mangoe@cs.umd.edu (Charley Wingate) writes:
 
>
>John Haskey writes:
>
>>On the car I saw, the load was integral to the overall structure of the
>>car.  It was not a car carrying a separate object.  The thing that sparked
>>my curiosity were the reporting marks:  DODX The Department of Defense?!?
>
I recall seeing an article about just such a monster in Trains many,
many years ago.  I believe it's called a "Schnabel", most likely
after the chap who dreamed it up.  The article (sometime around the
late 60s or early 70s, check the indexes :-)) showed one with a truly
gargantuan Westinghouse generator hung in the middle.  Quite a sight!
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce H. McIntosh    brucem@neufhou.mail.ufl.edu            Jesus has risen!
                     bhm@cis.ufl.edu
                     dhbhm@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu
 UF Housing user support on IBM Aggravation System/400 :-)
 
OBSOLETE (n.) - dependable, reliable, inexpensive and readily available
Support trailing-edge technology!
From: dfl@panix.com (Danny O'Bedlam)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: NYC: Grand Concourse-Jerome Ave. track connection
Date: 29 Sep 92 05:48:02 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Panix, (New Yawk City)

Joe, since you seem to know every INCH of the Bronx IND so well, could you
tell me if there is any freight or non-electrified rail lines in the Bronx
or northern environs that connects to the system?  I dont know if I ever
described this, so briefly, I spied a number of then brand new R68A cars
on a track while riding Metro North, along what was clearly NOT a NYCTA
rightofway.  The destination signs indicated that this was a "D" train
and that the dest was "SOUTH TERMINAL".

-- 
***********************************************************************
* Danny O'Bedlam  = dfl@panix.com = cmcl2!panix!dfl = Danny Lieberman *
* PO Box 3131 Church St Station, New Yawk, New Yawk, 10008-3131 (usa) *
***********************************************************************
From: paull@plasma.co.uk (Paul Lee)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: BRAKES
Date: 4 Oct 92 14:38:03 GMT
Reply-To: paull@plasma.co.uk
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Does anybody out there have any references that show decelleration curves for
various types of brakes, or better still Force versus Speed graphs for various
types of brakes. Even stopping distances for various types of trains. I am more
interested in the UK scene, but anything will do.

Are there any people out there who know how the force a brake generates varies
with speed????

Any information will be appreciated.

---


		Cheers,
			Paul Lee (Hoppy)


			Meiko Scientific Ltd.

			Email: paull@meiko.com

		      #                         #      
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                      #                         #      
                #############             #############
                      #                         #      
                      #                         #      
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                                 #####
                                 #   #
                                 #   #
                                 #####                    _________
                                                         /        /
                                                        /  HIC!  / 
                                                       /________/     
                                                      /      

		#######################################

       HEINEKEN REFRESHES THE COMPUTERS OTHER BEERS CANNOT REACH
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: prodok@prodok.ch (prodok)
Subject: Re: Italian three-phase locos (trolley vs. pantograph)
Organization: PRODOK Engineering AG
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 10:22:43 GMT

In article <92275.085129LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET> Dr. Lutz Massonne <LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET> writes:
>
>An advantage was that the three-phase system provided an easy way
>for multiple traction and the three-phase motors do need less
>mechanical parts (important in the early days of mainline
>electrificaion).
>
>Regards, Lutz


Another advantage was regenerative breaking and speed control almost for
free. That's the reason why several cog railroads did use a three-phase
system.

Max Wyss, PRODOK Engineering AG, Bonstetten, Switzerland
From: craig@kralizec.zeta.org.au (Craig Dewick)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Modeling: Trains and the modeler?
Date: 30 Sep 92 19:40:48 GMT
Organization: Kralizec Dialup Unix Sydney: +61-2-837-1183 V.32

weinstoc@sei.cmu.edu (Chuck Weinstock) writes:


>This is related to my previous post regarding Trains Magazine.

>A question for you modelers out there.  Do you read any railfan magazines at
>all, or just modeling magazines?  If so which do you read, if not why not?  It
>is my guess that a large majority of modelers don't read railfan magazines.

Before I say anything else, I am:

 - a railway modeller
 - a rail enthusiast
 - a full-time train driver

Now to answer your questions.

I think that to be able to build prototypical model railways, you have
to also be a rail enthusiast, since the two complement each other.

It's important to read both modelling and railfan magazines, since
the modelling mags tell you all about how to actually build your
railway, while the railfan mags tell you all the prototype information
about the system you're modelling.

Here is Australia, we have very good railfan and modelling magazines.

The most popular railfan magazines are published by the Australian
Railway Historical Society, which has a division in each state of
the country. Each division publishes a magazine on the railway systems
in that state, and there is also a national magazine covering articles
of a historical nature (good for plans of yard layouts, past events,
old operating practises, etc.).

Other railfan mags are published by independent people.

For modelling magazines, we have the Australian Model Railway
Magazine, which covers model railways on a national scale. With the
ammount of high quality, prototype-like models, etc. coming onto the
market, AMRM seems to keep abrest of them all and always has excellent
coverage of the model railway hobby in Australia.
 
Note that before I said that it's important to read both types of
magazines if you want your railway to look and operate like the
*prototype* does. But what if you're going to freelance something?

You still need to read both, but reading railfan mags isn't as important
any more.

Of course, this all depends on how deep the relationship between your
modelling and railfanning is. For me, since I'm a freight train driver
by profession, being a modeller and a railfan gives me possibly yhe
ultimate combination of work/pleasure. In fact, for the most part they're
one and the same, although I do get a little more serious when I'm
driving real trains!!
-- 
 Craig Dewick               |      - Railway Preservation Industries P/L -
 Send email to:             |      actively supporting the preservation of
 craig@kralizec.zeta.org.au |           Australia's railway heritage.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: "bill daddis" <bill.daddis@canrem.com>
Subject: toronto subway gauge
Reply-To: "bill daddis" <bill.daddis@canrem.com>
Organization: Canada Remote Systems
Distribution: rec
Date: 6 Oct 92 18:18:52 EST

The fascinating things you learn on this net!  I never suspected that
the Toronto subway and tram systems used a non-standard gauge (4 ft,
10-7/8 ins) as noted in follow-up to "Garbage Trains, (etc.)" posting.
Whatever made the builders pick **that** gauge? It's so close to the
standard 4'8-12'' that I can't see any obvious advantage in being
different.  It'd certainly make it harder to sell off obsolete
equipment.

Does anyone know more about this?

                                           -- Bill
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044
From: BRANDT_JOBST/HP1900_01@HPLOMG.HPL.HP.COM
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Three-phase electrification (was something about tunnels
Date: 28 Sep 92 20:22:55 GMT

I wrote:

> > ... and why did the nation vote against the Transalpine tunnels?

On news I had heard on the radio.  Later the newspaper reported that the
Transalpine tunnels won at the polls.  The big question remains on
what the current Gotthard and Lotschberg rail lines will do after the
straight through line goes into service.  They are in themselves massive
achievements in tunneling.  It is doubtful that there will be so much
traffic that the mountain lines will continue to be needed.  I cannot
imagine that a double track 3% grade line that is twice as long will be
kept in full use.  What the use will be is hard to imagine since the
traffic of that time is hard to gauge.  It is certainly one of the great
tunnel projects of the century and on the scale of the Japanese tunnel to
the north island.  Tunneling will be advanced from at least four if not
six fronts, there being high valleys from which shaft access will be
possible.

jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
Subject: Diesel vs. Electric Locomotive Maintenance
Organization: LLNL
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 23:31:32 GMT

	I have seen it claimed that electric locomotives usually need
much less maintenance than diesel ones. Is there any truth to that
claim?

	This would presumably come about from the much lower
mechanical complexity of electric locos as compared to diesel ones (no
diesel engine, see?).

	I think that it is a significant issue in evaluating the
merits of electric (flat-road) cars, since one of their (purported)
merits is low maintenance costs, for the reasons presented above, and
also because they would be competing with cars running on internal
combustion engines, as electric locos compete with diesel locos in
similar types of service.

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl)
Subject: Re: something about tunnels
Summary: tofc/cofc defined
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 03:31:08 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.012933.14247@s1.gov>, lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:
> 
> 	What is "tofc/cofc"?

TOFC= trailer on flat car -- what is commonly called piggy-back;
COFC= container on flat car -- covers both single and double-stack
          container loading without highway chasis attached

These are the two basic types of railroad intermodal loading.
Trains made up entirely of COFC/TOFC  cars and/or auto racks are
often allowed to operated at higher speeds than freights of mixed
consists.

-- Ernest

-- 

"My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl
Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax)  Durham, NC, USA   +1  919   286-3845
                                         FAX:  +1  919   286-1696
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: prodok@prodok.ch (prodok)
Subject: Re: Three-phase electrification (was something about tunnels
Organization: PRODOK Engineering AG
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 09:09:38 GMT

In article <9209251644.AA05061@hplomg.hpl.hp.com> BRANDT_JOBST/HP1900_01@HPLOMG.HPL.HP.COM writes:
>There have been many electric RR's that operated on 3-phase current,
>the largest of which was the Italian National (FS) until about 1960
>or so. 

The last 3-phase lines were switched to DC in the late seventies. They used
the same catenary for some time. A group of engines had extra-wide 
pantographs which could make contatct with both wires. In the following 
months, they rebuilt the overhead system. With that, they had no interruption
of service.

> Today I am aware of the Gornergrat cog rail that still runs
>with dual overhead and the rails as the three conductors. 

As far as I know, the Gornergratbahn, the Jungfraubahn and the Chemins de
fer de la Rhune are still using 3-phase overhead systems. All of them are
cog railroads. The first two are in the Swiss Alps and the last one is in
the Pyrenees. 

> I rode on
>the Rigi (ARB) when it was still run with two trolley poles before
>they switched to single phase. 

The ARB (Arth-Rigi-Bahn) never ran on 3-phase AC. They electrified in 1907
with 750 VDC and switched to 1500 VDC later.

> With the solid state high power
>devices available today, the overhead supply can be anything you
>like as long as the pantograph can bring it in.  Because high voltage
>is easier for the pickup than high current, 25 Kv 50 Hz is the preferred
>current for new lines although central Europe is full of 15 Kv 16 2/3 Hz
>and isn't about to change soon.
>
>For TGV type service the 25 Kv 50 Hz is advantageous because current
>pickup becomes a more difficult problem with increased speed.  Contact
>heating from increased speed and current flow is greater as are dynamic
>problems of tracking catenary droop.  To avoid contact wire transients,
>TGV trains use only one pantograph and a rooftop conductor to supply
>the power unit at the other end of the train.  ICE, not learning
>anything from the French, uses two pantographs but had to do much
>development to make one that would work in spite of the disturbances
>in the wire.

The TGV uses only one pantograph when running under DC. But, they need a
high-voltage cable through the whole train to feed the other power car.
This could be accepted with an articulated train (with all it's 
disadvantages). As the ICE is not an articulated train, but has individual
cars, it would be extremely difficult to couple a high-voltage line. So,
the research the German industry had to do is the price for operational
flexibility and simplicity.

>
>jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com

Max Wyss, PRODOK Engineering AG, Bonstetten, Switzerland
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:7658 ba.transportation:2411
From: joshua@Veritas.COM (Joshua Levy)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
Subject: Re: SP Coast Line (San Jose-LA) may be sold
Date: 30 Sep 92 19:42:21 GMT
Organization: VERITAS Software

adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt) writes:
>The speed and design of the trains is undetermined.  But it is likely the
>first trains added to the line would be similar in speed to Amtrak's Coast
>Starlight, which takes about 12 hours to run between Oakland and Los
>Angeles and is the only passenger train currently on the line.

Government subsidies at their worst.
Is there any demand at all for a 10 hour trip between LA and SJ?
This compares to 2 hours or less by plane and 8 hours or less by car.
(Plane and train times station to station; car time is door to door.)

Planes already make the bay area to LA trip more than once an hour
(likely more than twice an hour)!  They take 1/5 or 1/6 the time.
The fares would likely be within $50 of each other.  What are they
going to call the train, the "unemployed express"?  Maybe the "no
money, but lots of time, startlight"?  Jeeze.
 
Joshua Levy  (joshua@veritas.com)
From: alj@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Al Jackson)
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1992 19:03:06 GMT
Subject: Re: Modeling: Trains and the modeler?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.railroad

NOT! I'm a modeler *and* train fan. Work in HO and 1/2 scale (that's
6 inch to the foot). I regularly read "Trains" and occasionally
read "Railfan/Railroad" and "Pacific Rail News". I also subscribe to
the Gazette and "Short & Narrow Rails", which cover proto and modeling
fairly evenly. Bottom line: When I'm not riding trains, I'm chasing,
modeling or dreaming about them. I need mags. from both worlds to
feed my habit. I know many others like me (poor souls).

alj


Xref: sparky rec.railroad:7668 ba.transportation:2417
From: fuzzface@cats.ucsc.edu (Aaron Priven)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
Subject: Re: SP Coast Line (San Jose-LA) may be sold
Date: 1 Oct 92 02:04:18 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (College Eight)
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


In article <1992Sep30.194221.5300@Veritas.COM> joshua@Veritas.COM (Joshua Levy) writes:
>Government subsidies at their worst.
>Is there any demand at all for a 10 hour trip between LA and SJ?

Even if not, parts of the line already have a demonstrated demand for
service; the northern San Diegans run up the line as far as Santa
Barbara, and CalTrain already is partially extended as far as Gilroy.
Further extensions would presumably be easier with ownership by a
public authority.

 =Aaron=



could expand more easily to Gilroy and possibly further, and the San
Diego extensions up to Santa Barbara could be expanded perhaps.  

>This compares to 2 hours or less by plane and 8 hours or less by car.
>(Plane and train times station to station; car time is door to door.)
>
>Planes already make the bay area to LA trip more than once an hour
>(likely more than twice an hour)!  They take 1/5 or 1/6 the time.
>The fares would likely be within $50 of each other.  What are they
>going to call the train, the "unemployed express"?  Maybe the "no
>money, but lots of time, startlight"?  Jeeze.
> 
>Joshua Levy  (joshua@veritas.com)


-- 
Aaron Priven, fuzzface@cats.ucsc.edu
  Bring in the workers, and bring up the rails;
  We're gonna lay down the tracks, and tear up the trails. 
  Open her heart, let the life-blood flow,
  Gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow.
    -- Gordon Lightfoot, "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"
From: dcooper@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au (David Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Track Record
Date: 5 Oct 92 22:38:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: cam.1992Oct5.223842.19325
Followup-To: rec.railroad
Organization: University of Tasmania at Launceston

In article <1992Oct5.120614.20972@engage.pko.dec.com>, pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson) writes:
>
>Over the past weekend, the local PBS (Public Broadcasting System) showed
>back to back half hours of a show called "Track Record ".  This seems to be a
>video history of Railroading in Australia, made in 1991.  Enjoyable so far.
>
>Can anybody in Australia comment on how many of these there are?
>

I _think_ there are four 1/2 hour programs in the series. It`s also
available as a video from ABC (the Australian one) Videos.

Agreed. Interesting viewing.

David

-- 
David Cooper                        Senior Computing Officer (Academic)
Computing Services                                  UTL Network Manager
University of Tasmania                             Phone: +61 03 260598
PO Box 1214 Launceston 7250 Australia                Fax: +61 03 264232
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:7676 ba.transportation:2419
From: bob@1776.COM (Robert Coe)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
Subject: Re: SP Coast Line (San Jose-LA) may be sold
Date: 1 Oct 92 01:24:11 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: 1776 Enterprises, Sudbury MA

joshua@Veritas.COM (Joshua Levy) writes:
> Is there any demand at all for a 10 hour trip between LA and SJ?  This com-
> pares to 2 hours or less by plane and 8 hours or less by car.  (Plane and 
> train times station to station; car time is door to door.)
> 
> Planes already make the bay area to LA trip more than once an hour (likely 
> more than twice an hour)!  They take 1/5 or 1/6 the time.  The fares would 
> likely be within $50 of each other.  What are they going to call the train, 
> the "unemployed express"?  Maybe the "no money, but lots of time, start-
> light"?  Jeeze.

This sounds like an excellent situation for an overnight train.  Think about
it:  You can leave SJ (or LA) later than if you took the latest feasible
plane the evening before, and you don't need a hotel room.  You arrive earli-
er than if you took the first plane the next morning.  I've used the over-
night train from Boston to Washington many times for similar reasons.  (Of 
course the argument doesn't work the same way on the return trip, since get-
ting home late in the evening is usually preferable to getting home early the 
next morning.)

   ___            _                                           -  Bob
   /__) _   /    / ) _   _
(_/__) (_)_(_)  (___(_)_(/_______________________________________ bob@1776.COM
Robert K. Coe ** 14 Churchill St, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 ** 508-443-3265
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
From: adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt)
Subject: Re: SP Coast Line (San Jose-LA) may be sold
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 23:29:38 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.194221.5300@Veritas.COM>, joshua@Veritas.COM (Joshua Levy) writes:
|> Is there any demand at all for a 10 hour trip between LA and SJ?

Yeah, actually there is.  The Coast Starlight is often sold-out for
weeks in advance for this stretch.  It is known to be a very nice,
scenic ride.  I doubt anyone rides for it's speed--though I am told
the train is faster than Greyhound.

Remember too, that there are communities and areas like Salinas/Monterey,
King City, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara/Goleta, and
Ventura/Simi Valley along the way.  Airfare ain't always so cheap (or
convenient) for folks living in or near these areas.

-- 

Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
UUCP: ...!ames!ntmtv!adrian
ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Demise of Pot Yard???!?!?!!
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:52:29 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia



POT YARD

You're out of the loop, I'm afraid.  The current plan
for POT Yard is not condos and malls, but a new stadium
for the Redskins what was "cooked" up by team owner
Jack Kent Cook and Virginia Governor Doug Wilder over 
the objections of Alexandria residents.  It's virtually
a free ride for Cook, as Virginians are supposed to 
pick up the tab through a bond issue.  It still has to
go through the General Assembly before it can go to the
voters, so there is still time to scuttle this pork
project.  I suppose that Governor Douggie, who is noted
for his abuse of state funds for his personal pleasure,
is hoping for his private sky box for life.

In any case, no trains.

~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep 1992 16:53:05 MST
From: <IACECO@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: VIA service improvements

As a related note, I just got back from taking VIA from Sarnia - Montreal and
then return Montreal - Windsor and I was very impressed by the ride and the
service.   The view of Lake Ontario north of Toronto was very pretty.   By
the by the Montreal - Windsor segment arrived about 15 minutes early so if that
 is any indication I can see why they are re-vamping the time-table.
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:7646 talk.bizarre:32251
From: ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Ken Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,talk.bizarre
Subject: Business Reply Postcard from British Rail
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:32:41 GMT
Followup-To: rec.railroad,talk.bizarre
Organization: Bugs-R-Us


I just received a letter from British Rail enclosing a reply paid
postcard which you return if you want a free summary timetable.  I
noticed that the class of postage is printed as `2'.  Shouldn't this be
`Standard'?

-- Ken "Standard Class Citizen" Johnson


-- 
//// Advice to dieters:         ////  Ken Johnson, A I Applications Institute
////   Never eat more than      ////       80 South Bridge, EDINBURGH EH1 1HN
////   you can carry.           ////                 E-mail ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk
////              -- Miss Piggy ////     phone 031-650 2756  fax 031-650 6513