HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: elw4@po.CWRU.Edu (Evan L. Werkema)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Playing Chicken!!!
Date: 11 Apr 92 20:34:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1992Apr11.203445.14874
Reply-To: elw4@po.CWRU.Edu (Evan L. Werkema)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)


In a previous article, 31ochs@gw.wmich.edu () says:

>I've always been kind of afraid that someone might run around the gates when 
>I'm sitting near the tracks watching a 70 MPH frieght roll toward me.
>It a car ever got hit, I guess all you could do would put your head between
>your legs and kiss your *** goodbye.

I do wonder, though, just how likely it is that a railfan would get hit
in a grade crossing accident like this.  In most of the accidents I've seen
pictures of, the car/bus/truck/whatever stays firmly stuck to front of the
engine until it stops, and unless the vehicle was something _really_ big or
heavy, the train tends to stay on the tracks.  I've heard of a couple of
incidents where a railfan just happened to be at the wrong crossing at the 
right time to see an accident, and the pictures he took "in progress" proved
quite useful in the subsequent investigation (I'd probably be moving too fast
in the opposite direction to be taking pictures, personally)  Nevertheless, it
probably is a wise idea to try to avoid spots too close to trackside, just in
case it happens to be a fuel or septic-service truck that runs the crossing.

-- 
     ,------------__,_._,_  _,_._,__------------,   
  ___IooI~~|~~~~~~ ======I  I====== ~~~~~~~~~IooI___  ---------------------
 _I__I__I__|Santa Fe_____I__I_____Santa Fe___I__I__I__I Evan Werkema-elw4 I
 ~~O==O~============~O==O~~~~O==O~============~O==O~~~~o=o~~~~~~~~~~~~~o=o~~
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ab415@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Richard Ingraham)
Subject: Re: Alco GIF's posted
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 21:36:42 GMT


Don't be sorry Dan....I, for one, have been eating them up as fast as railroad
type gif's are posted, decoding then and posting them on the local rr board, 
Railnet BBS.  Everyone is enjoying them very much.  Thanks for taking the
time to post them.

Regards,  Dick Ingraham
From: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Dan Meyer)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: North Dakota BN Action
Date: 8 Apr 92 22:45:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: orbit.7426
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.


MHCX = PLM Railcar Maintenanence Company

SCKX = Northern Coal Transportation Company

About the window configuration on the locomotive; the locomotive 
that is higher in the numeric sequence will be the newer one,
and that is probably the then current configuration.

As for Grand Forks being a grain hub, I'm not sure; I would
guess that it is used to gater cars from all of the branches, 
and then send them to their final destination(s).

-- Dan

Remember: " Buffalo never Oink " Seen on a South Dakota travel brocure.
Advertisment: Try the Railway Post Office , a railfan BBS ! (612) 377-2197.
UUCP: {crash tcnet}!orbit!pnet51!rambler
INET: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org
From: rnewman@bbn.com (Ron Newman)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Green meets Red (Metro Green Line)
Keywords: Metrorail, David L. Gunn, Budget Problems
Date: 7 Apr 92 19:00:18 GMT
Organization: Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: spcsun25.bbn.com

In article <1992Apr4.231641.3935@wam.umd.edu>, gurd@next06csc.wam.umd.edu (Daffy Duck) writes:
|>      Metrorail is beggining preparations for opening the Metro Green line 
|> next year.   [more text on Fort Totten-Greenbelt MD line omitted here]

Actually, another separate section of the Green Line is already operating
from Anacostia to Shaw.   When the Fort Totten-Greenbelt
line opens, it will probably cause much confusion to tourists and
visitors;  there will be two separate and unrelated
services both called "Green Line".

BTW, the Metro map strongly suggests that there is no way to
get equipment from the Red Line to any of the other lines 
(Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow); is that correct?  All of the
other lines share some trackage, but the Red Line appears
to be totally separate.

-- 
Ron Newman		rnewman@bbn.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com (dave pierson)
Subject: Re: SPV (Was Re: RDC's and SPV's?)
Keywords: SPV trivia...
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 15 APR 92 18:49:36 EST

In article <167CA8040.M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org>, M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org writes, in
part:

>As far as I know (and I am purposely inviting contradiction from someone who
>knows better) aside from the mentioned SPV owned by the Department of Transpor-
>tation and I think normally living at the Test Center in Pueblo CO, only Conn
>DOT, Amtrak and Metro North ever operated any, which means they never ran in
>revenue service outside the States of NY and CT and to Springfield MA.
	Wellll, i am fairly sure some were sold to Moroccoo...  What THEY
	thought of them is unknown.

	'tis not revenue service, but one of the demo units made it to the West
	end of the Buzzards Bay, Mass, drawbridge.

thanks
dave pierson			|the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation	|the opinions, my own.
200 Forest St			|I am the NRA.
Marlboro, Mass	
01752				pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing."  A J Raffles
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: muller@alliant.com (Jim Muller)
Subject: Re: Crossing Accidents
Keywords: US Statistics Causes Counter-measures
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems Corp.
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:42:28 GMT

In <12616@umd5.umd.edu> djmurphy@wam.umd.edu (Dave Murphy) reports on a
piece on crossing accidents from the Washington Post.  Very interesting!
 
> ...  "For some reason, people don't have the respect or fear for
>trains that they do for other things," said David Cobb, Norfolk
>Southern assistant superintendent in Chicago...

I would suggest the "average motorist" has little knowledge or respect
for much of what happens on the roads.  The mechanics or trains, or just
the common sense of trying to beat a train at a crossing, is not within
the realm of the "average motorist".

When I was a child (which goes back some years now), back in the early
days of television, there used to be public-service spots on the local
TV stations (oops, I mean station) that focused on good driving practice.
I remember seeing explanations of how to make a right turn from the
right lane and a left turn from the left, calls to make turn signals
(back when you had to stick your hand out of the window), warnings about
following too close behind another vehicle, etc.  A likely spot back then
(though I can't remember ever seeing any) would have been something on
the stopping behavior of trains (i.e. little to none compared to a car).
I have often wondered why similar public service spots aren't more common
today.  The public certainly could use some education, on trains and cars
and other things mobile.  Oh well, just a thought...
-- 
Jim Muller
muller@alliant.com
From: gurd@next04wor.wam.umd.edu (Daffy Duck)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: SPECIAL MARC to the Park fares
Keywords: MARC, Orioles, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: 14 Apr 92 21:24:56 GMT
Reply-To: gurd@wam.umd.edu


   It's come to my attention that many people aren't using MARC's special  
MARC to the PARK rail service to Orioles games because they think it's too  
expensive.  There are a number of reduced fares available, so PLEASE  
consider using the train even if taking the train.

   First, as a reminder MARC offers service to ALL Orioles home games on  
ALL of it's lines.  Please call 1-800-325-RAIL in Maryland for more  
information.

   On Camden line trains ONLY their are special fares available. First buy  
a ROUND trip ticket.  At Washington Union Station you must by the ticket  
at the Amtrak ticket promenade to avoid paying a $3.00 surcharge.  
   At all other stations you can buy round trip tickets ONBOARD the train.   
The savings can be as much as 15%.  For example a round trip ticket from  
Union station is $9.00 a $1.00 savings of the cost of two one way trips.  
If your travelling with a group of 4 people or more use the baseball card  
fare. It entitles FOUR poeple travelling together a further discount.  For  
example the baseball card fare from Washington Union Station is $32.00 a  
further $1.00 savings of the cost of four round trip tickets.  A Family  
with children under 12 can use the FAMILY fare.  Up to four people can  
travel on this fare.  At least one person must be an adult but not more  
than two people can be adults.  At least one person must be a child but  
there can be no more than 3 children on this fare.  The fare from  
Washington Union Station is only $20.00 and additional children are only  
$2.00 roundtrip regardless of the normal childrens fare.  Finally groups  
of TEN or more travelling together can get special group fares of up to  
40% off.  You must make reservations at least a WEEK in advance and you  
must call CSX to make them, you can call for more details.  
   In addition the normal senior citizen (65 or over), disabled (w/ID),  
and children (under 12 w/parent) fares apply.
From: Charlie.Baden@f178.n103.z1.fidonet.org (Charlie Baden)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: UP 3985 & 844 & SP 4449
Date: 7 Apr 92 05:26:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: mintir.702658249.F00003

>>There was some talk about Union Pacific's 3985 and 844 and
> Southern Pacific's
>>4449 going on trips to Sacramento and then possibly ending
 
> UP 3985, SP 4449, and SP 2472 are coming to San Jose, Ca for
> the NRHS
 
Ask me again in three weeks, but... the NRHS convention is going to be feeding
information to a pair of "hotline" numbers where you can call and get ALL the
information they have on the runs. The game plan is to hand out these phone
numbers to anyone who calls any of the organizations involved... thus freeing up
the volunteers to handle calls for charging excursion tickets by phone.
 
I'm involved in setting up the phone lines; they've been installed, I need to
get another voice mail card, and set everything up. Hal Lewis (high muckity-muck
in charge of Central Coast Chapter's excursion arrangements) is forwarding all
the schedule etc. info known to-date, and will continue to keep the hotlines
updated as the schedules are finalized. (Departure times, water stops, etc. --
everything but photo run-bys.)
From: nolan@twg.com (Nolan Hinshaw)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: SP/SF merger paint scheme spotted
Date: 6 Apr 92 23:05:03 GMT
Reply-To: nolan@twg.com
Organization: Somewhere West of Nowhere



Just last Friday, 3 April, I was waiting for the Caltrain commuter on San
Francisco's peninsula and spotted a GP9 in the Kodak paint job. I thought all
the old stuff was gone by now. So who knows how many units of which types
still wear that uniform? Where do they live? Feeble minds wanna know.
--
Nolan Hinshaw			Internet: nolan@twg.com
The Wollongong Group		Dingalingnet: (415)962-7197
Piobairi Uillean, San Francisco
		Ritheann an charr seo ar phoitin!

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: KRJONE01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu (KEVIN R. JONES)
Subject: Re: RR names/abbreviations
Organization: University of Louisville
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 18:20:22 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.11


In <1992Apr5.180558.9872@unx.sas.com> sasbmt@jjoyce.unx.sas.com writes:

> Could one of you kind souls on this newsgroup please e-mail me the
> answer to the questions:  What (if anything, officially or unofficially)
> do the railroad company names CNW, CSX, and CBQ stand for, and what
> were they called before image-conscious Madison Avenue types gave them
> unpronounceable 3-letter names (at least in the case of CSX)?
> 
> Please e-mail direct to me if you could.  Many thanks!!
> -- 
> Bruce Tindall, Core Testing Manager, SAS Institute Inc., Cary NC 27513.
> Telephone (919) 677-8000, extension 7665.   E-mail: sasbmt@unx.sas.com

Most 3 letter names are the initials of the railroad names.

CNW - Chigaco and North Western

CBQ - Chigaco, Burlington and Quicny

BN  - Bulington Northern

etc.

CSX history is a bit more unusual:

  CSX is the name of the corporation formed when Chessie System Industries
(owner of the Chessie System RR) and Seaboard Coastline Industries (owner of the
Family Lines RR's) merged in about 1980. CSX stand for The product of Chessie
and Seaboard. C - Chessie, S, Seaboard, X - product. It ws supposed to be only
temorary until something better was come up with. However, it stuck, and we are
still stuck with it today. Officially the railroad is known as CSX
transportation division, hence reporting marks CSXT. The early CSX paint
scheams included the word Transportation, but was eventually droped because
transportation seemed a bit redundant on the side of a locomotive.  CSX is a
large corporation which also includes CSX reality, a commuter airline, a
computer division, and losts of other diversity. It has been said that CSX is
trying to become everything but a railroad.

Some other railroad names come from changing the the railroad name's to its
nick name:

Chigaco, Indianpolis, and Louisville - Monon RR.

The Soo Line's origirnal name includes about for cities, half of them
including St.

In general there is really no pattern to what a ralroad is named, just history
and eveolution.

Kevin Jones
University of Louisville
(Please forgive the spelling, our spell checker won't run from news)
From: boylan@sw.stratus.com (Richard Boylan)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Lakeshore Limited
Date: 8 Apr 92 18:09:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

In article <l+vt7r#@rpi.edu>, kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes:
> In article <BLzD8G.MLA@world.std.com>, BPorter@world.std.com (Barry M Porter) writes:
> |> In article <1992Mar30.110944.14764@hemlock.cray.com> easmith@hemlock.cray.com (Eric Smith) writes:
> |> >
> |> >Has anyone taken either the Silver Meteor (Tampa-Washington DC) or the
> |> >Lakeshore Limited (Boston-Chicago)?  I'm going to be riding them in a few
> |> >months and just wanted a little information on them.
> |> >-- 
> |> >Eric A. Smith
> |> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>  
>  I don't think that this quite does justice to the Lakeshore Limited. I rode it
> from Albany to Chicago back in the summer of '90, and found it to be quite an 
> interesting ride. 

Want unusual scenery on the Lake Shore Limited?
How about a New York Central 4-8-2 Mohawk, one of the last NYC steam
locomotives extant?  It's parked next to the station in (I think)
Elkhart, Indiana.  (Did I get the town right?  Sorry, Indiana, it was
late at night and I didn't write down its location.)

Richard Boylan
Stratus Computer
Marlboro, Mass
boylan@sw.stratus.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: jmarshal@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John L Marshall)
Subject: Re: Car Attacks SP Train
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 16:30:15 GMT

--
*******************************************************************************
John Marshall, III                           jmarshal@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu

     "Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill, Bungalow Bill?" - The Beatles
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: elw4@po.CWRU.Edu (Evan L. Werkema)
Subject: Re: SPV (Was Re: RDC's and SPV's?)
Reply-To: elw4@po.CWRU.Edu (Evan L. Werkema)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 01:25:14 GMT


In a previous article, rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Dan Meyer) says:

>Doesn't the US DOT or AAR or some government agengy own an SPV-2000 that is 
>used for track testing / inspection or something? It appeared in St.Paul 
>a few years ago on the Soo Line, and nobody seemed to know anything about it.

  If I'm understanding what an SPV-2000 is, then DOT 10 is the car you're
thinking of.  It showed up in Albuquerque, NM once on a test run a few years
back just long enough to be photographed (probably the only SPV ever to visit
the state).  From what I remember, it's silver with dark red trim.  Other than
that, I don't know anything about the car's function.

  While we're on the subject of inspection cars, does anybody know the origins
of those Sperry Rail Service (ultrasonic rail-defect detection) cars?  Were
they old gas electrics?  Something about them seems to suggest Brill, but does
anyone know for sure?  Thanks.
-- 
     ,------------__,_._,_  _,_._,__------------,   
  ___IooI~~|~~~~~~ ======I  I====== ~~~~~~~~~IooI___  ---------------------
 _I__I__I__|Santa Fe_____I__I_____Santa Fe___I__I__I__I Evan Werkema-elw4 I
 ~~O==O~============~O==O~~~~O==O~============~O==O~~~~o=o~~~~~~~~~~~~~o=o~~
From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Re: Diesel-Electric vs. Diesel-hydraulic
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:31:02 GMT
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA

In article <122200082@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> rogerm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Roger Mitchell) writes:
> The transmission that George Robbins describes here is the type used in the 
> Budd RDC's but in locomotives like the German built Kraus-Maffi, the prime
> mover operates a hydraulic pump which powers hydraulic motors on each axel.
> The D&RGW had 2 of these units but they over heated on the mountain grades
> at elevations over 9,000 feet. They were later sold to the Southern Pacific
> who ran them unitl they wore them out and scrapped them.

Roger, that's what I claimed the last time that this subject came up, but a
little research showed that the vast majority of European D-H locomotives
were of the torque converter design.  "Voith" transmission is one particular
clue.  Now the exact nature of the K-M units is still up in the air, the
little bit in the Diesel Spotter's guide not being very specific.

Several roads bought relatively small numbers of K-M or Alco units for trial
use, it's not clear that they were considered un-satisfactory or simply didn't
have enough of an advantage over the standard diesel-electric design to
overcome the disadvantages of small numbers and foreign vendors/spare parts.

-- 
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)
From: 31ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: SP/SF paint jobs.
Date: 10 Apr 92 22:09:39 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <3526@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us>, rhino@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us writes:
> 
>    I'll take this time to report a sighting of one of the red and yellow SP
> engines.  It was in Santa Cruz about a week and a half ago heading back from
> Davenport.  I can't tell you the number or type, but I seem to remember the
> words "El Paso" on the cab. (it's like checking the bottoms of coke bottles).
> If it passes through town again I'll try to get more info.
>   Also, once in a while an engine in SP grey comes through, but it's labled
> Cotton Belt and the nose has SSW instead of SP.  Is this common?

I would say it is probably fairly common. I'm from Michigan, so I don't 
hardly ever get to see SP or SSW power, except on runthroughs on Conrail,
but SSW is owned by Southern Pacific, which in turn is owned by Rio Grande
Industries.(owner of D&RGW). SP and Cotton Belt(SSW) have the same paint
scheme, except recently, when SP started using a "flying SP" logo, which
is styled the same as D&RGW's.

Fred Ochs

31OCHS@gw.wmich.edu   (VAX)
ochs@sol.cs.wmich.edu (UNIX)

_________________________________________________________________________
        _______________
       /_______________\__+--+_---_+--+__
    ___|[  ]| ###|  ###   ######|###### |
  | | ______|    |                      | |
  |_|/|_|___|____|______________________|_|
   H   \--/  \ \o/  o          /  \--/   H
___"__O----O__`---------------'__O----O__"_____

A GP30 with some imagination ;^)
From: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Washington DC question
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:07:56 GMT
Reply-To: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Organization: Columbia University

Potomac Yard was an interchange between the Pennsylvania at the north
end and the Southern and the Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac at the
south end.  The RF&P was jointly owned by the the Pennsylvania and the
roads at its southern end at Richmond, the Atlantic Coast Line and
Seaboard Air Line*.  Pennsylvania owned the bridge over the Potomac in
Washington DC.  This meant all trains between SOU, ACL and SAL and the
north via Washington had to travel over the Pennsy at least to cross
the river.

Note how the Baltimore and Ohio was cut out of direct interchange with
the southern roads by two means: (1) The RF&P did not own the line to
Union Station, where it would have met the B&O, and (2) even if it
did, the tunnel to Union was too small for most freight-- the freight
line ran around the east side of the District to the Pennsy main line.
Only the Pennsy ran through passenger cars to SOU, ACL and SAL, even
though the B&O-Reading-Jersey Central line to New York (well, Jersey
City) was as fast as the Pennsylvania's before electrification.  You
could argue that cheap land for a large interchange yard was more
easily found in Alexandria-- true-- but capturing the market for the
Pennsylvania had to be a consideration.

*There was a time when the phrase "air line" meant a very straight
line, like "as the crow flies", so a few railroad routes were known as
"air lines".  No one expected to literally fly to get somewhere!  In
many cases "air line" also meant the route failed to run through
intermediate places of importance.

Joe Brennan
From: AFECU@CUNYVM.BITNET (Aron Eisenpress)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: New Amtrak timetable delays some trains at Philadelphia
Date: 6 Apr 92 20:53:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: CUNYVM.92097.165329AFECU
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

The new Amtrak timetable effective yesterday shows about 55 minutes for
some southbound NE corridor trains between Trenton NJ and Philadelphia PA,
for no reason that's obvious.  The normal scheduled time is about 37 minutes.
I rode train 141, the Bankers, to Philly yesterday morning, and sure enough
it got to 30th Street (that's Philadelphia) at 11:07 am and sat there until
the scheduled departure of 11:33 am.  The Colonial (train 95, which no longer
runs from Boston) and the Night Owl also are affected.  (They don't switch
any cars at Philadelphia on these trains, do they?)

On another Philadelphia note, SEPTA has made some major timetable changes
because they're rebuilding most of the bridges north of the Market East
station, and so have taken that part of the railroad out of service until
August or October, I forget which (must be fun for the folks who commute
there!).  Anyway, to debug their new schedules they ran weekday service on
Sunday.  Since the weekday and weekend schedules are very different this
did wonders for folks connecting in Trenton with NJ Transit.  No advance
notices that I saw, either!  (My wife's mom lives in the Philadelphia
suburbs; that's why I was travelling there.)
-------

 -- Aron Eisenpress, City U of NY
    (AFECU@CUNYVM.BITNET, or AFECU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU on the Internet)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: bill@hpcndaw.CND.HP.COM (Bill Kepner)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: SP/SF paint jobs.
Date: 15 Apr 92 13:29:16 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Networks Division

In a related note,  the last Rio Grange Ski train of the year had SP 9738 on the
point with the new paint.  I didn't get a close look at it, so I don't know
whether it was a new GP-60 or not, but I don't recall SP getting any additional
engines in the new paint, besides the GP40 rebuilds from MK.  Anybody know ?

Bill Kepner


And next year it will be "The Southern Pacific Ski Train" ?