HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Subject: Re: No Horns Allowed (was Re: accidents at level crossings)
Keywords: accidents
Reply-To: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 16:58:03 GMT

In article <gchm1zm.jfh@netcom.com> jfh@netcom.com (Jack Hamilton) writes:

>I've heard about laws like this, and I've always wondered: how do local
>communities have control over the behavior of trains?  ICC or FRA rules
>would override local laws.

A lengthy political discussion could follow this up!  In short, the US
Constitution provides that the States transfer certain of their powers
to the US, and retain all other sovereign powers.  The way it actually
works is that the US agencies claim whatever powers they choose and
the States (and their local governments) make rules on what's left.  

For example, as long as the US does not make a law or regulation on
whistle-blowing, the State and local governments make their own.  If
the US -does- make a law or regulation, the situation gets truly
weird.  For example, if the US -permits- whistle-blowing, the States
might legislate additional restrictions (but the door is open to legal
challenge), while if the US -requires- whistle-blowing, that's the end
of the story.  Personally, I find this kind of lawmaking bizarre, and
it will probably intrigue readers in other countries.  

--Joe Brennan

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: paula@PRC.Unisys.COM (Paula Matuszek)
Subject: Comments wanted on Broadway Limited, Cardinal, train to Mount Prospect
Organization: Paramax Systems Corporation (A Unisys Company)
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:55:07 GMT

Next week I am taking my ten and thirdeen year olds to Chicago by
train (yes!!)  We're taking the Broadway Limited from Paoli, PA to
Chicago, then the Cardinal from Chicago to Philly.

I'd appreciate hearing any advice anyone has about either of these
routes, including what to look for, good books or maps to have, and
hints for surviving the trip (coach, no sleepers).  

We also have to get from Chicago Union Station to Mount Prospect; I'm
told that there is a train somewhere near Union Station.  Can anybody
give me more information about where it is, how often it runs, and how
to get there from Union Station?

Thanks!

--Paula Matuszek
From: judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: has CONRAIL STOCK SPLIT?
Date: 27 Jul 92 15:37:12 GMT
Reply-To: judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com ()
Distribution: na
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


A 2:1 split was announced last week.

--

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: BRANDT_JOBST/HP1900_01@hplomg.hpl.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Trip report on the C&TS
Date: 24 Jul 92 02:35:32 GMT

Jim Stover writes:

> Just outside of the station, the front engine went ahead over a trestle that
> is too weak for two engines. We rejoined on the other side and started up a
> 4% grade. The view is beautiful as we climbed through aspens. The best view
> is from between cars or the open car. There are a number of switch backs
> where you can see the whole train.

I think you mean S-bends.  I don't recall any switchbacks on this route.  A
switchback consists of pair of switches at the ends of a piece of track on
which the train backs up and then reverses again to continue when climbing
steep terrain where there is no room for sweeping turns.

I think it is worth mentioning that the train climbs along the rim of Toltec
Gorge where it goes through a short tunnel before going on to Cumbres Pass
where there is an old station and wye for turning helpers and snow plows.
The gorge is apparently bottomless because, although one can see far down,
the bottom is not visible from the train.  I am glad to hear that the rail
equipment has found its way to Chama.  When I last saw it, this stuff was lying
around Alamosa and much of it (heaps of axles and trucks) went to the scrap
yard by the pound.

jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com
From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Push-Pull Service: Which Way do the Locomotives Point?
Date: 27 Jul 92 22:34:40 GMT
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA

In article <920727104716@cream.ftp.com> jbvb@ftp.com writes:
> In article <33263@cbmvax.commodore.com> grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) writes:
> 
>     ....  I'm not sure if there was
>     ever a loop or wye at the Llanerch (spelled right this time) carbarn or
>     if there is now any turning facility at 69'th street.
> 
> From an old MR article on 69th st (prior to the reconstruction of the P&W
> portion), the Red Arrow trolleys always looped - the loop was still in
> service (for both trolleys and buses) when I last visited about 5 years ago.
> As I recall the track layout, Market-Frankford trains can change ends in
> the station, but that would require someone actively operating the scissors
> crossover; every train I've seen has looped.

Yes, you're right about the suburban trollies.  The loop is still there an
in use, I just didn't visualize that end of the line.  I guess it makes sense,
since it lets you queue the cars in and minimizes turn-around time, important
when there were more lines and service terminating there...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing:   domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: New Signals on NEC Mainline ?
From: Robert Chambers <RMCCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Tuesday, 21 Jul 1992 15:08:27 EDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

In article <BrqzKD.7D2@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, roma@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Roma) says:
>
>By the way, does anyone know the status of the modernization of the
>interlocking and signaling at GCT?  I understand the signaling of the
>terminal tracks and approaches is being completely redone; the old towers
>will close and be replaced with CRT-based remote control.

They are still working on it, the new raceways are some sort of either
fiberglass or polycarbonate box-shaped shell.  Cut to fit and mounted
on walls, between ties, etc.  The semaphore signals are supposed to
be replaced - and to some extent many have been already.  An engineer
told me that the signal crews had better be pretty good about replacing
burned out bulbs in the dwarf signals in future since with the semaphores
they could still see the position of the lens (the arm was external) even
if the light was not lit.  Now the dwarves are just dark when bulbs are
burned out.

>The old electro-mechanical interlockings at Grand Central were the largest
>of their type ever built; they had 400 and 350 levers apiece!  I presume
>these are the machines being replaced unless they were replaced during a
>previous modernization.

I don't know about this, they are still pretty hefty due to the amount
of traffic moving over them each day, I would imagine they were high
on the list of upgrades when the newer types came out.
It only takes a switch going bad during rush hour to delay an awful lot
of commuters.

>Jon Roma

Robert
From: ken@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Ken Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: BART lines
Date: 31 Jul 92 12:38:32 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Organization: Bugs-R-Us


In article <1992Jul31.044233.29756@s1.gov> lip@s1.gov (Loren I. 
Petrich) writes:

#  Someone had asked for route maps of various urban-transit systems.  Here
#  is one for BART of the San Francisco Bay Area.  It is a uuencoded GIF
#  file


If anyone would like to digitise it and post it here, I will send him
(her) a London Underground map by snail mail.  The map contains a lot of
small (6 point?) type and is 9" by 6" landscape format, and will be
unreadable unless reproduced in three colours (better, three colours
plus black). 

Note: doing this is unlawful in the UK as the map is copyright by London
Regional Transport. 

-- Ken "Outlaw" Johnson

Followups are directed to mail.


-- 
////  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
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Subject: Re: old Pennsy & Reading EMUs - where are they now?
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:34:25 GMT

Reading MU cars:

When I visited the Stewartstown RR in Pennsylvania a few 
years ago I saw two old standard MU cars which were used
for their tourist operations.  They were ancient, painted
green, Reading lettering still showing and befret of their
motors and pans.  I don't know if these are the cars you
are seeking.
~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
From: btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Via,Amtrak on train security?
Date: 22 Jul 92 15:03:07 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

I'm taking a cross-country trip on Via and Amtrak (first class!)
this week and started wondering about the security of my personal stuff.
Do cabins lock?  If not, how do you keep your cameras, etc. safe, other
than taking them with you all the time?  Thanks for the help.
From: bob@1776.COM (Robert Coe)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: 0-6-0 T Help.
Keywords: oil, steam
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 22:26:36 EDT
Reply-To: bob%1776.UUCP@XAIT.Xerox.COM (Robert Coe)
Distribution: world
Organization: 1776 Enterprises, Sudbury MA

pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com (dave pierson) writes:
>       A friend worked part time for afuel oil company, including fueling
>       diesels for <deleted> RR.  They would pull into town & he would meet
>       them and fill 'er up.  AT one point, funancial realities being what they
>       were, the word came down:
> 
>               COD for the RR.  NO MORE CREDIT.

There was an incident a few years ago in which terrorists hijacked an airplane
to a city the airline didn't normally serve.  The plane had to be refuled be-
fore going on to the destination demanded by the hijackers, but the airline
had no credit with the oil company at that airport.  They ended up charging it
to the pilot's personal credit card.

   ___            _                                           -  Bob
   /__) _   /    / ) _   _
(_/__) (_)_(_)  (___(_)_(/_____________________________ bob@1776.Sudbury.MA.US
Robert K. Coe ** 14 Churchill St, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 ** 508-443-3265
From: hudson@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Hudson Leighton)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Scanner freq's for Empire Builder?
Date: 29 Jul 92 16:25:07 GMT
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

For the BN 161.100 for the road and 161.160 in terminals/yards


UUCP: {crash tcnet}!orbit!pnet51!hudson
INET: hudson@pnet51.orb.mn.org
ICBM: Lat. 44.59 x lon. 93.13
HAM:  NONMX  444.100 repeater
Advertisement: Try the Railway Post Office BBS (612) 377-2197 a Railfan BBS
From: afsidgb@cidsv07.Berkeley.EDU (Gerard Burridge)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Senneterre(que)-Cochrane(Ont) VIA train
Date: 21 Jul 92 22:54:23 GMT
Reply-To: afsidgb@cid.aes.doe.CA
Organization: Environment Canada


The posted comments about the Senneterre-Cochrane SEGMENT of the
train from Mointreal are all very true as to speed, passnger
count, accesibility of stops by other means.
My only quibble might be the costs saved by terminating the train
at Senneterre(to whihc point its is agreed to be useful and necessary).
I dont know what the extra costs are and some estimated figures
would be appreciated. But can they realy be that much(in the overall
scheme of things)? What are the costs of running a single engine
and 4 car train 87 miles in fuel, "Wear and tear", and 4(?) employees
wages?
Dont want to start an argument, but definitely wondering how
costs wud be arrived at.

-- 
 Gerry Burridge                        afsidgb@cid.aes.doe.ca
 Canadian Meteorological Centre        Tel.: 514-421-4646
 2121 North Service Road - #404        Fax.: 514-421-4639
 Dorval, Que.  -  H9P 1J3                             
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: dfl@panix.com (Danny O'Bedlam)
Subject: to the anti-maglev flamers
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 09:39:03 GMT
Organization: Panix, (New Yawk City)


	To all of the anti-Maglev flamers who reacted to my 
'write a letter to support new technology' posting, I say -
if this isnt the appropriate newsgroup, I dont know which is.  further
more, while I am in favor of highspeed travel between distant points,
I'd like to see a way of doing so without the burning of large volumes
of fossil fuels.  to travel is to use energy though.  yes there still
remain problems with rail AND maglev travel for any great distance at
very high speed.  yet europe is light years ahead of the US in devel-
oping and furthering travel technology.  WE SHALL SEE what maglev may
be capable of with the Orlando experiment.  I do think that train tech
today , such as TGV, is essentially stretching 1820s tech to the limits.
As long as there is contact between wheel and rails there is friction,
and the POINT of maglev is to reduce that friction and thus travel
more efficiently.  fine.  so you dont all agree that we need a NEW
mode of transit for the next millenium.  so DONT write your congress-
persons or anyone else.  dont advocate change towards something that
could reduce the use of autos.  what I appreciated about the SCI.
AMER. article is that my senator is anti-highway and anti-auto, at
least to some degree.  this I feel is GOOD.  Mass transit subsidies
need to be raised.  the infrastructure we have to build as well as
rebuild remains RAIL, as opposed to highways.  building MORE highways
will pollute us to death.  But I dont wanna keep harping on rail vs
car.  exploring new tech is important, and useful.  realize this,
tho:  if it doesnt FLY in orlando, it won't be viable.

-- 
***********************************************************************
* Danny O'Bedlam  = dfl@panix.com = cmcl2!panix!dfl = Danny Lieberman *
* PO Box 3131 Church St Station, New Yawk, New Yawk, 10008-3131 (usa) *
***********************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: jis@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (jishnu.mukerji)
Subject: Re: New AMTRAK Signal Tower (Penn)
Organization: UNIX System Laboratories Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:22:20 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.091654.28708@panix.com> dfl@panix.com (Danny O'Bedlam) writes:
>	On the southwest corner of 9th avenue and 31st street is a new
>building still under construction with an AMTRAK sign on the side.  It
>identifies the site as a new Signal Control facility for our national
>passenger railroad.  So:  no doubt this relates to the ongoing discussion
>about new signals on the NEC.  This building will replace some other
>older facility, but where?  Harold?  Woodside?  Where is Amtraks old
>control facility, and where does its control extend?  What are the
>boundaries of the NEW facility?  Is it just for PENN and the Empire
>Corridor?  What else can we find out about this new structure?

This new building will house the New York CETC (Centralized Electrical
and Traffic Control(?)) center. This CETC will control the North
East Corridor from Trenton (Fair interlocking) to New York, Penn
Station, Penn Station to Harold (Sunnyside) to Shell (New Rochelle),
and Penn Station to DV (Spuyten Duyvil where the Empire Connection
joins MNCR).

So in effect it will replace the following towers: Fair, Midway,
County, Lincoln, Union, Elmora, Lane, Hunter, Dock, Hudson, Harold,
and the Penn Station interlocking towers. Of these Elmora and Lane are
already gone, remotely controlled from Union and Hunter respectively.
The rest will be transferred to CETC progressively in several stages.

Jishnu Mukerji
jis@usl.com
From: ochs@CS.WMICH.EDU (Fred Ochs)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Signals(info on next 2 posts)
Date: 22 Jul 92 05:57:23 GMT

Well, I hope this works, I mailed it to the address for this one, instead
of directly posting it.
Since we are discussing signals in such great length, I will post
an old file that I did back over winter.
It consists of 2 parts, I will post them separately.
The first part is Chessie signals, the second part is Seaboard Signals
They are taken from a CSX rulebook, 1987.
From: 31ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: SD70
Date: 22 Jul 92 19:22:29 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <1992Jul22.184204.2202@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, cab@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (carl.a.benevit) writes:
> Since SD70's have been seen, anyone know what the differences are
> compared to an SD60? (engine/HP/options/?)

Well, I would suppose it is available in both standard and safety cab versions,
the 2 demonstrators I saw Saturday night that I posted about had the safety
caab, but some railroads aren't purchasing engines with safety cabs(C&NW,NS,SP)
I read that the next model was gonna be the GP/SD70, and it was gonna have
4000 HP. It would be rediculous of EMD to introduce a new model that wouldn't
have a higher horsepower, and be equal to GE's DASH 8-40 series. I didn't see
if it had ditchlights or not. It had the 3 piece windshield version of safety
cab. I also would guess that it would have the usual options of other EMD
engines, i.e. Dynamic brakes,and the slight detail differences that some RR's
prefer, like headlights in the nose, extra marker lights(Canadian style), etc.
I would guess the engine would be the 710A, although I haven't heard anything
to know for sure. But it would be a logical progression from the 710 of the
SD/GP60 series.

well, hope this answers your question,



Fred Ochs
31ochs@gw.wmich.edu  (vax)
ochs@sol.cs.wmich.edu (unix)
_______________________________________________________


      ___________    _       _  _  _
     _[ ] |[#####]--/ \-----+-++-++-+-|
    /     |            7000 [###][###]|
  |_|_____|___________________________|_|
___H_O--O--O_`---------------'_O--O--O_H_______________

An SD70M with imagination ;^)
From: orc@vpnet.chi.il.us (david parsons)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Push-Pull Service: Which Way do the Locomotives Point?
Date: 22 Jul 92 01:23:02 GMT
Article-I.D.: vpnet.1992Jul22.012302.16974
Organization: Department of Atomic Text Units

In article <1992Jul21.013713.12867@tellab5.tellabs.com> dawdy@tellabs.com (Dan Dawdy) writes:
|In article <1992Jul18.041731.5612@s1.gov> lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:
[about why CalTrain pulls from San Francisco]
|All motive power here in Chicago also points away from  the city.  You

   All *Metra* motive power, that is.  Amtrak persists in pushing trains
to Milwaukee and pulling back, and I dimly recall seeing some of their
downstate trains pushing south.

                 __
   david parsons \/ orc@vpnet.chi.il.us
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp)
Subject: Re: Semaphore Signals
Organization: LA&W RR
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 17:10:08 GMT

In article <l7bqk4INNj7@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> blw@majipoor.Corp.Sun.COM writes:

>Who else uses semaphores?  Are the ones on SP an endangered species?  Should I
>go measure them when I'm driving by the next time (this fall) in order to avoid
>disappointment later?

Well, as of about 3 years ago, ConRail still had some working on the
ex-Erie mainline west of Binghamton.  Don't know if they are still there
or not though.

Organization: Drama, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:22:53 -0400 
From: Denise Pullen <dp2r+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Uploads to wuarchive.wustl.edu

Excerpts from netnews.rec.railroad: 30-Jul-92 Re: Uploads to
wuarchive.wu.. by stewart l dejournett@mks 

> Can someone tell me why the train files are stored in JPG format.  In the
> JPG format you lose image quality.  Also, in /graphics/gif/...  al the
> files ARE store in GIF format so I don't feel space is the main
> consideration since there are 1000+ files in /graphics/gif

It's simple. I use the format as I call into my unix account via 2400
bps modem. Would you want to upload several megs of files at that rate?
Space is ALWAYS a consideration for me as well as speed. I have
decompressed many of the files myself and don't see a big problem with
the resolution. At least not compated to the amount of time it takes
between uploading a .jpg and a .gif. I am doing this as a service, not a
life's work.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: stev@vax.ftp.com  (stev knowles)
Subject: Re: Railroad Commercial on CNN
Nntp-Software: PC/TCP NNTP
Organization: FTP Software, Inc., Wakefield, MA
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 10:20:40

In article <1992Jul27.233456.682@s1.gov> lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:

    
            Just this morning on CNN, not long before "Today's
    Business"(?), I saw a commercial for the Burlington Northern freight
    railroad. It featured some nicely done animation, such as a locomotive
    turning into a galloping black horse, and it depicted some cars being
    put into an auto-rack car and a truck trailer (as if advertising being
    in the "intermodal" business of hauling truck trailers).
    
are you sure this was BN? i saw a commercial on CNN a few months ago that
sounded like this, it was for Norfolk Southern. this would make more sense,
since NS has the horse theme running through alot of their stuff (horse on
the nose of the diesels, the "triple crown" intermodal service . . . .)
From: rad@mogul.railnet.nshore.org (Rick DeMattia)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: A few rr gif's are availalbe for mail retrieval
Date: 31 Jul 92 00:41:33 GMT
Organization: Very little organization apparent here

As a bit of an experiment, I have made available a few gif
railroad images for retrieval via email.

The archive-server software in use is ASER28, which operates
on a DOS pc in conjunction with the Waffle BBS.

To retrieve instructions and an index of available files,
send a message to

        arc-serv@railnet.nshore.org

containing the lines

        send help
        send index

and two brief files of information will be emailed back to
you.

The machine 'railnet' is severely limited in its processing
power and storage space, so this experiment in crude
mail-server technology may be limited.

[Also note - the gifs must be uuencoded and split into
multiple mail messages.  When requesting an actual file be
sure to specify uuencoding - the ASER program is nice, but
not bright enough to encode binaries automatically.  Note
the proper format, in the help file.]
--
Rick DeMattia
rad@railnet.nshore.org