HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: iain@ee.ryerson.ca (Iain Campbell)
Subject: Chuckle
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 15:18:13 GMT


Q. Why are there many more auto accidents than rail accidents ?

A. How often do you see an engineer necking with the brakeman ...


    SS  III   GG                                               SS  III   GG
   S     I   G      iain@ee.ryerson.ca       < now showing    S     I   G
    SS   I  G  GGG  iain@acsserv1.ryerson.ca < coming soon     SS   I  G  GGG
..    S  I   G  G                                          ..    S  I   G  G
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Newsgroups: rec.railroad,alt.religion.kibology
From: news@geovision.gvc.com (News Administrator)
Subject: Re: RailPhones (was Re: The Elvis Stamp)
Reply-To: pt@compass.gvc.com
Organization: Not officially GeoVision Systems Inc., Ottawa, Ontario
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:17:22 GMT

kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes:
> For that matter, I've been wondering for a while: just which routes are
>serviced by Railfone, aside from the NYC-Washington corridor? Anyplace
>outside of the Northeast? I'd imagine the Chicago area and California would
>be appropriate markets. And how about Canada? Do they have phones on the 
>Toronto-Montreal trains?

RailFones in Canada?  Surely you jest.  That would be providing a _service_,
and so would probably be in violation of the Canadian Government/Via Rail
secret agenda - to make passenger rail travel so odious that everybody will
stop using it.

I've taken the train between Ottawa and Toronto exactly 3 times.  The third
time, it was 5 hours late (on a route I can drive in 5 hours) because of
snow.  You know what they do to make up for you being 5 hours late?  They
give you a voucher for 50% off the _next_ time you take the same route.
Yeah, like there's going to _be_ a next time!

Paul "Take it easy when you're traveling - take the train.  NOT!" Tomblin
-- 
I'm the News Administrator at this site, and you're not!
I just administer the news, I don't make or state policy.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: "A.J. Janschewitz" <p00258@psilink.com>
Subject: RR Historical Org.
Organization: Performance Systems Int'l
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 16:38:07 GMT
X-Mailer: PSILink-DOS (3.3)

There has been some interest expressed in this newsgroup regarding 
railroad historical organizations. I am involved in one, and would 
invite anyone interested to write or e-mail for details. It is a 
tax-exempt (U.S. 501(c)3), non-profit organization that works closely 
with the Valley Railroad, an operating steam rail operation and living 
museum.

We can use all the help, advice, contacts, etc. that we can muster, and 
would enjoy having the expertise of rec.railroad netters on board.

E-Mail me at p00258@psilink.com or write snail-mail to Friends of the 
Valley Railroad, Inc., P.O. Box 891, Meriden, Connecticut, USA 
06450-0891, and I will have information sent to you.

Thanks.

==a.j.==
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton)
Subject: Re: Steam Heat on Electric Locomotives
Reply-To: leveret@warren.demon.co.uk
Distribution: world
X-Mailer: cppnews $Revision: 1.20 $
Organization: Indexed; Access: Random.
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 02:49:16 +0000

In article <1if7hrINN6lp@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bw936@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Gregory K. Ramsey) writes:
>I'm sitting here looking at a picture of a Milwaukee Road
>"Bipolar Electric" pulling the Olympian through some very cold
>looking weather on my new calendar (probably a lot of you are
>also), and I was wondering how electrics made steam for heating
>in the days before HEP.

In Britain, the 1500V DC electrics had electric boilers. All multiple
unit stock, as far as I know, has always had electric heating, as have
subsequent electric locomotives. Four wheeled oil-fired boiler vans were
provided, though, at the start of the West Coast electric service since
sufficient ETH stock was not available. These vans very much resembled
horseboxes, which were the only other 4-wheeled stock authorised to run
at passenger speeds. Afterwards these boiler vans were used to pre-heat
steam heated stock waiting to form overnight trains at the London
termini - one was used at King's Cross right up until the early 80's to
my certain knowledge.

In South Africa, though it's several years since I was there, hauled
trains are heated by a separate oil-fired boiler coupled between the
locos and the train. Except for the Metro-Blitz experimental high speed
train - class 14E, wasn't it ? - which had ETH during its brief life.

Nick
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: jbvb@vax.ftp.com  (James B. VanBokkelen)
Subject: Re: Dates of structures (was: Grade Separations)
Nntp-Software: PC/TCP NNTP
Keywords: bridge strengthening
Reply-To: jbvb@ftp.com
Organization: FTP Software, Inc., Wakefield, MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 1993 12:46:40

In article <63207@mimsy.umd.edu> mangoe@cs.umd.edu (Charley Wingate) writes:

    >James VanBokkelen:
    >> My belief that the grade separation dates from the '20s is based on
    >> the bridge.  It shows no signs of significant stregthening, and it
    >> was capable of carrying R1 4-8-2s, which implies that it was built
    >> when engines that large loomed on the horizon ...
    
    As someone else said, this isn't a good theory.  There are very few
    bridges on the ex-B&O between Harper's Ferry and Balto.  that are that
    young; a substantial number are 150 years old or more, including the
    famous Thomas Viaduct.  Even the steel bridges are generally pre-'20s
    or partly so.

The bridge in question is a skewed mixture of through and deck truss,
fully plate-connected but open-decked.  This dates it as being
post-1900, but probably pre-WWII.  The piers come almost up to track
level, so the ends of the deck spans aren't squared.

While it's fairly easy to fix up a pile trestle or a stone culvert without
the strengthening being visible, stone arch bridges usually show it - the
Canton (Ma) viaduct was indeed built in the 1840s by the old Boston &
Providence, but you can see the steel and concrete reinforcements easily.
Steel truss bridges show it after significant strengthening, since they
have to add members somewhere (see the recent article in MR for how it was
done to the CP's Stoney Creek viaduct).  I've never noticed an example of
a plate girder span that I was sure had been strengthened, so I can't say
how this would be accomplished.  Maybe more layers of steel in the flanges?

The B&M bridge in Haverhill doesn't have any extra members, or add-on
reinforcing plates, etc.  If it had been built pre-1900, it would probably
look more like the bridge in Newburyport - two separate truss bridges
intertwined, one pin-connected and one plate-connected (and even after
that it wouldn't take 1920s-vintage heavy freight power).

James B. VanBokkelen		2 High St., North Andover, MA  01845
FTP Software Inc.		voice: (508) 685-4000  fax: (508) 794-4488
From: clark@angelo.amd.com (Brad D. Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: INFO REQUEST: Railroad Tycoon for the Atari ST bug?
Keywords: atari railroad tycoon game
Date: 8 Jan 93 18:21:58 GMT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

clark@angelo.amd.com (Brad D. Clark) writes:


Thanks for all the private mail as well as the follow-ups here. My
problem was a flaky program disk. I went to the local Atari store
and they swapped it out, and now I can save games as well as getting
all the right icons.

Make sure you have plenty of BLANK formatted diskettes (if you're not using
a hard drive) for the ST.

Another interesting feature.... if the game doesn't recognize a terrain
feature, it will put up "slums" all over the board. Only costs $4k for
right-of-way.... :-)

>Brad

>clark@brahms.amd.com
From: 195ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Runaway tracks?
Date: 12 Jan 93 04:07:41 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <1993Jan11.215453.6098@ecsvax.uncecs.edu>, ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) writes:
> 
> The runaway spur at the bottom of Saluda grade (near Asheville, in
> western North Carolina, U.S.A.) is now automated and works off a
> track circuit.  When a descending train enters the top of the
> grade, the runaway turnout is set to the spur track.  A timer
> knows the approximate minimum amount of time the train should need
> to get to the bottom -- if it is proceeding at normal speed.
> 
> When the timer has run out, the power switch is set back to the
> through mainline position -- before the train arrives.  If the
> train is descending too fast, the timer will not have run out yet
> and the train arrives with the turnout to the spur -- and ends up
> being diverted into the runaway track.

I realize this is rec.railroad and not rec.highways, but there are similar
things on highways in the mountains. Particularly on I-24 between Nashville
and Chattenooga Tenn, at Monteagle. There are 2 truck runaway ramps on the
6% downgrade heading east. They are solid sand and look like they go anywhere
from 20-30% (this may be an exaggeration, since you are already heading down,
it only makes the uphill slope of these ramps seem even steeper.)
I once remember seeing a truck hanging over the edge of the cliff on one of
these on the way to Florida, all I could think of was, "Man, I bet the guy
who drove that truck dropped a load in his pants" ;^)

If he had coasted a few more feet, his truck would have dropped quite a
considerable distance.

Oh well, back to railroad talk...
Fred
From: cecilw@access.isc-br.com (Cecil Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Wanted: Used Rail...
Date: 12 Jan 93 05:42:57 GMT


The following post just appeared in misc.wanted, and looks like something
that may be of interest to readers of this group...

From: kxz@po.CWRU.Edu (Kan Zhang)
Newsgroups: misc.wanted
Subject: $200 U.S. Dollars Award for A Piece of Information!!
Date: 12 Jan 93 04:27:22 GMT
Reply-To: kxz@po.CWRU.Edu (Kan X Zero)
Organization: NCD, Cleveland, OH (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu


Hello Everyone,

        I'm looking for buying a total of 10,000-20,000 tons of used railroad 
rails (because of routine maintenance) for a recycling use.

1. They must be used railroad rails (cheap).

2. They should be 20 feet (12 meters) long one picec or longer.

3. I'm interested only in those high quality rails which weigh more 
   than 30 Lb/foot (45 kg/meter).

        This is a rush order. Any one with the information which leads this 
purchasing deal will be rewarded for $200.


        Please drop me a line if you want make this easy money, or give me a 
fax at 1-(216) 721-6051.

        I prefer but not limit that the supply is in the United State.

Thanks!


Kan
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: jim@specialix.com (Jim Maurer)
Subject: Re: Unusual tunnels?
Organization: Specialix Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 02:01:17 GMT

hintzman@hpljah.hpl.hp.com (Jeff Hintzman) writes:


>Does Roaring Camp operate during the winter?  Their brochure leads one to
>believe that they are shut down until spring.  This sounds like fun.

Yes, the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad runs all year.
However, the standard gauge Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific trains
from Felton to Santa Cruz don't run during the winter.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,rec.models.railroad
From: cwebster@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Chris Webster)
Subject: Re: New RR GIF's Posted - Week Six
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 12:40:49 EST

In article <1993Jan4.033438.29605@tellab5.tellabs.com> dawdy@tellabs.com (Dan Dawdy) writes:
>     Back on schedule with what I hope will be every two weeks of
>posting to the alt.binaries.pictures.misc group.  I have
>completed scanning over 100 megs worth of pictures.  Many are my
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                    Wow!  Keep up the great work.
From: btiffany@pbs.org
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Steam Heat on Electric Locomotives
Date: 8 Jan 93 09:19:13 EST
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

Gregory K. Ramsey writes:

> I'm sitting here looking at a picture of a Milwaukee Road
> "Bipolar Electric" pulling the Olympian through some very cold
> looking weather on my new calendar (probably a lot of you are
> also), and I was wondering how electrics made steam for heating
> in the days before HEP.
> 
> The obvious method would be a electric boiler, but is that the
> correct or universal one?

If the bipolars were like PRR GG1's and NYC P2's, they would've had oil-fired
steam generators, as diesels did.  I remember sometimes seeing P2's roll by
trailing black smoke, blowing the air whistle, sounding and looking like
a steam locomotive ...

-- Bruce Tiffany
From: wbrill@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Warren Brill)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 19:16:28 GMT
Subject: Re: Information Requests
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.railroad

In rec.railroad, pgifford@reis36.alleg.edu (Pete Gifford) writes:

> I have three requests for the net wisdom and information archives.
> 
> 1. Does anyone have the address and phone of the Reading Company
>    Technical and Historical Society?  (Reading Railroad historical
>    society)  Is it worthwhile to join such organizations?
> 
> 2. Can anyone suggest a source of information on the recent history of
>    the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, since, say, 1965?
> 
> 3. Here's the operational question.  Conrail runs through my home town of
>    Meadville on the old Erie tracks.  This is a line (Southern Tier) that
>    runs form Hornell, NY to somewhere around Mercer PA.  I frequently
>    drive along the B&LE tracks around Greenville, PA.  This weekend I saw
>    4 Conrail locomotives parked in the B&LE yard just south of
>    Greenville.  First time ever.  Seemed strange.  Is it unusual for
>    different railroads to hold/store locos on their tracks?  I have also
>    occasionally seen a BN loco lashed up with a Conrail in the Meadville
>    yard.  Is that type of thing unusual?  I'm full of dumb questions this
>    year!
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Pete Gifford
> Allegheny College
> pgifford@alleg.edu

In a partial answer to Question 3, I would offer 3 possibilities:
1) Short-time leasing (the BN) to cover power shortage
2) Power pooling to equalize other borrowing
3) A run-through lashup that got "borrowed" to do some yard work
Any other ideas?


 
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
o                                          i---i_________________      o
o    Warren T. Brill, a.k.a.          *----|[|]|__RIO GRANDE_____|*    o
o    wbrill@hpxxx.fc.hp.com         i_|___/|___|\________________|_i   o
o    wbrill@hpfcso.fc.hp.com       =++()=()=() `========' ()=()=()++=  o
o                                  =================================== o
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
From: romeo@niagara.Tymnet.COM (Michael Stimac)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Steam Heat on Electric Locomotives
Date: 8 Jan 93 18:59:12 GMT
Organization: BT North America (Tymnet)

In article <1if7hrINN6lp@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bw936@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Gregory K. Ramsey) writes:
>
>I'm sitting here looking at a picture of a Milwaukee Road
>"Bipolar Electric" pulling the Olympian through some very cold
>looking weather on my new calendar (probably a lot of you are
>also), and I was wondering how electrics made steam for heating
>in the days before HEP.
>
>The obvious method would be a electric boiler, but is that the
>correct or universal one?
>

The Pennsylvania Railroad used oil-fired steam boilers on
their passenger electric locomotives. This accounts for the
presence of the "FUEL" and "WATER" filler pipes on these electrics.

ObTrivia - the front end of a GG-1 is the end with the steam
heat boiler.

Michael Stimac

-- 
Michael Stimac
(415) 355-8889
romeo@tymnet.com
These opinions are not necessarily anyone's but my own.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: carl_henderson@um.cc.umich.edu (Carl Henderson)
Subject: Re: RailPhones (was Re: The Elvis Stamp)
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 10:54:11 EST
Organization: University of Michigan
Followup-To: rec.railroad,alt.religion.kibology
Distribution: na

In article <dz+39gh@rpi.edu>, kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak)
wrote:

>  For that matter, I've been wondering for a while: just which routes are
> serviced by Railfone, aside from the NYC-Washington corridor? Anyplace
> outside of the Northeast? I'd imagine the Chicago area and California would
> be appropriate markets. And how about Canada? Do they have phones on the 
> Toronto-Montreal trains?

According to the latest Amtrak timetable, there is railphone service on the
following trains:

     San Joaquins between Oakland-Bakersfield
     Capitols between San Jose-Sacramento
     San Diegans between Santa Barbara-San Diego
     Chicago-Detroit
     NE Corridor

Carl
From: pierson@empror.enet.dec.com (dave pierson)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Likely derailment sites: why the BART derailment?
Date: 11 Jan 93 16:17:19 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

In article <1993Jan11.090214.28311@s1.gov>, lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
writes, in part:


>	Possible bad spots are curves and switches, because a train
>will attempt to move in a straight line despite track curvature and
>because the rails might get pushed out of alignment, especially on the
>outer parts of curves.
	No significant force, unless the curve is taken at speed (which seems
	unlikely, as i understand the track layout.)  Further EMU equipment
	is short wheelbase (truckbase??  8)>>), further limiting forces.  They
	rotate (in a a hoizontal plane) very freely.

> The moving rails of switches are also a potential vulnerability, since they
>are not fastened securely in place. 
	Hmmmm.  The throw rods and their associated hardware are supposed to
	secure them.  Not as if they just flopped around.

>	Do wheel-flange problems also contribute? If a wheel flange
>gets worn down enough, it may no longer be able to keep the train on
>the tracks.
	My understanding is that tread wear, rather than flange wear is likely
	to be a problem.  On one case a local RR put some cars on the ground in
	a small yard.  We "went looking" and one of them had _seriously_ dished
	treads.  The derailment in question was not on the switch, but a sharply
	(though acceptably: it had been in place for years) curved segment.

	Wheels should look like this (tacky ascii graphics...):
                  _________
        Normal  _/_________\_
                    _________
        Abnormal  _)_________(_

	(Wheel lying on back, to save net.bandwidth....)

	With the conicity shot, the wheel set cannot be trusted to go where it
	is intended....

	Another possibility is that the rail head profile had been worn from
	preferential running in one direction.  This has been known to cause
	problems due to change in profile, but, at low speeds would not, i
	think, have been significant.

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, USA	
01775				pierson@msd26.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing."  A J Raffles
From: G.Roberts@cs.ucl.ac.uk (Graham Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Steam Heat on Electric Locomotives
Date: 12 Jan 93 10:44:22 GMT

ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Ken Johnson) writes:
>During the transition from steam to diesel and electric locomotives
>British Rail continued to steam heat its carriages, so that diesel and
>electric engines had to carry a water boiler.

In addition, some diesel classes (e.g. the class 40) were fitted with
water scoops to make use of the water troughs, and fill up the
boilers on the move.

Graham
G.Roberts@uk.ac.uc.cs
From: rbs@sawtooth.idaho.amdahl.com (Bob Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Railroad Tycoon computer game - what is it?
Date: 8 Jan 93 00:21:43 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Amdahl Corp., Rexburg, ID


Railroad Tycoon is a railroad "empire building" simulation and game.
I've owned it for about 1 1/2 years and have enjoyed it very much.
The object is to build a railroad and run trains in a profitable
operation.  Other railroads may be created by the computer that can
either compete directly with yours in different towns or attempt to
take you over by buying your stock.  Of course, you can do the same if
you've got enough capital.

The actual running of the trains is not extremely detailed but seems
to be a good trade-off between spending time running and routing
trains and switching cars, and having a long term game and building an
empire.  The main display is a map view (which you can zoom in and out
of) which shows topological features (mountains, rivers, forests,
etc), towns, your track that you lay, and resources that can
generate income (coal mines, factories, logging camps, etc.).  You
build track between cities and build stations at the cities or near
resources.  Selection of grade will determine how fast trains can run.
You also may (have to) build tunnels, bridges, etc. to get from point
to point.

Trains are created and given routes and car consistancies.  Income is
generated by delivering passengers or mail between cities or picking
up raw materials and delivering them to factories.  Signal systems are
automatic so that no two trains are on the same stretch of track at
the same time (though it can be double tracked to allow two at the
same time).  You can override the signals if you know two trains are
going the same direction on the track (and one won't overtake the
other). Your view of the trains is from the top as they travel along
the track on the map.  It's not astounding, but gets the point across.
The time scale of the game is supposed to be about one day's train
running per year of game time, so the amount of money you make on each
car-load is scaled appropriately.

The game is over after 100 years time, you are bought out by another
railroad, or you lose too much money and the investors run you out of
town! 

I believe Railroad Tycoon is only availble for a PC and looks best
with VGA graphics.  It also supports AdLib (or SoundBlaster) or Roland
sound cards.  A mouse makes it much easier to manipulate the signals
and trains.  It is produced by Microprose Software and should be
fairly readily available (I got mine mail-order).

Well, this is probably more than you asked for, but I think it's a fun
game!  If you get into it, be prepared to spend quite a few hours 
building your empire!

Bob
-- 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Bob Smith       Amdahl Corporation    143 N. 2 E., Rexburg, Idaho 83440
 UUCP:{ames,decwrl,sun,uunet}!amdahl!tetons!rbs           (208) 356-8915
 INTERNET: rbs@idaho.amdahl.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org
Subject: Re: U25B
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford MA 01730
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:16:50 GMT

In article <726369683snx@coastal.UUCP>
donl@coastal.UUCP (Don Lockhart) writes:
 
>
>Don Lockhart - donl@nlbbs - Portland, Maine
>
>Would anyone out there have any information on a model U25B deisel
>engine? Maine Central bought about 14 of them in the early 80's from
>the Rock Island Line and I'm doing some MEC history now to replicate
>the line as close as I can in HO scale. But looking for authentic info
>on the real thing. Any help would be appreciated.
>
>dkl
 
I'm sure that both the 470 Club and the B&MRRHS would have many photos of the
MEC's U25Bs.  Looks like you're in Portland.  Why not come to the 470 Club
meeting, at Prides Corner Congregational Church 7:30 P.M., 1/20.  In the
meantime I'll see if I can find any published photos.  B&MRRHS MIGHT have
engineering diagrams.  I'll try to remember to ask at the meeting this Sat.
 
 
Len Bachelder        Archives Committee, Boston and Maine RR Historical Society
MITRE Corp.           Secretary, Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts
Bedford MA 01730      Member, 470 Railroad Club
<M00209@mbvm.mitre.org>
 
"Amazing love, how can it be that Thou, my God, should'st die for me!"
                                                 - Charles Wesley
Newsgroups: rec.railroad