HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson)
Subject: Re: Question about Military Railroad Battalions
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 13:58:44 GMT

In addition to the excellent suggestions, so far, i would add that many units
published "unit histories".  Finding these is very much a matter of luck.  The
best shot is a military specialist Used Book Store, one that comes to mind is
"The Military Bookman" in NYC (I haven't the address, but they advertise in
many of the "military history" magazines.)  Pricey.

Many of the WWII Depratment of the Army books referenced are back in print,
as 50th anniverary editions, available thru the US Government Printing Office
Book Stores.

thanks
dave pierson			|the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation	|the opinions, my own.
146 Main St			|I am the NRA.
Maynard, Mass		01754	pierson@msd27.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing."  A J Raffles
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Organization: mbp Software&Systems GmbH at ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany
Date: Monday, 9 Nov 1992 15:39:49 CET
From: Dr. Lutz Massonne <LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Condensing Locos ...

The first large application of condension on steam locos was
(as far as I know) done by the German Reichsbahn during World War II.

A fair number of class 52 "war locomotives" (axis code 1'E) was equipped
with *huge* condensing tenders (which were as an aside manufactured by
the same factory that built the South African condensing locos after WW II).

During the war they were mainly used on long runs on occupied/re-gauged
Russian railways, after the war some remaining locos saw service in
Germany, but the condensing tenders were quickly replaced by ordinary
ones as the water supply in Germany is not a problem and extensive long runs
without stops like on supply trains to the eastern front wereno longer needed.

I can be wrong on the class, however, maybe it were class 50 or 42 engines,
but definitely 1'E-coupled.

Regards, Lutz
From: kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Southern Tier line used for Amtrak
Date: 8 Nov 92 17:04:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: rpi.d0l144p
Reply-To: kasprj@rpi.edu
Organization: The Big Wedge

In article <BxE0BM.I6G@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v106qhlw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (NEW YORKER IN EXILE) writes:
|> Has anyone heard anything about Amtrak running through Binghamton, NY?  I
|> heard a while back that they were thinking of putting some passenger service
|> through there from NYC to possibly Buffalo and points west.  Anyone know if
|> this is still in the works?  Would be great, I think.
 
 It hasn't been done yet, and there are no serious plans for it at the 
moment. As I mentioned in a previous post, you should write to your 
elected representatives and let them know you think this would be a good
idea. 
------------------------------------------------------------------
     __  Live from Capitaland, heart of the Empire State...
 ___/  | Jim Kasprzak, computer operator @ RPI, Troy, NY, USA
/____ *| Sam Adams,Spaten# Life is too short #Hudson Lager,Beck's 
     \_| Pilsener Urquell#to drink cheap beer#Pete's Wicked Ale
      ====  e-mail: kasprj@rpi.edu or kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu
From: jones@pyrite.cs.uiowa.edu (Douglas W. Jones,201H MLH,3193350740,3193382879)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: compound locos (was Re: High Speed Rail Query)
Date: 8 Nov 92 22:35:06 GMT
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

> Actually, the tandem compound (high-pressure cylinders in front of
> low-pressure cylinders) had the two sets of cylinders as separate
> castings, at least in some cases.

This was particularly common practice on the later paddlewheel
steamboats.  The steamobat Natchez, currently working in New
Orleans, has a tandem-compound engine with Walscherts valve gear.
The engine room is open to the public while the boat is running,
so you can get a good look at the valve and piston motion.  To
add to the fun, there's a pressure gauge on each end of each
cylinder, so you can get a graphic idea of what's going on.

The Corps of Engineers side-wheel steam dredge that's
permananently docked in Dubuque also has tandem compound engines
on the side-wheels.  It's a particularly fun boat because it has
such a variety of steam engines, from little engines on each winch
to the big high RPM engine driving the pump for the dredge, and
the low RPM engines driving the side-wheels.

				Doug Jones
				jones@cs.uiowa.edu
From: Alan.Moorman@f31.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Alan Moorman)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Old Railway Age?
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1992 07:49:00 -0600

  To: ALL                           Recvd: NO
Subj: Old Railway Age?               Conf: (51) Rec.Railro
___------------------------------------------------------------------------
MS>  In article <01GQSJ6BHQF6935GN1@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU>
MS>  U93_PTUPACZE@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU (Prime Mover Software
MS>  Development) writes:
MS>  >I'm just trying to see what the interest would be in reprints of Railway
MS>  >magazine, circa 1940's-1950's.  A friend of mine has a collection and was
MS>  >thinking of reprinting them if people would want them... any takers?
MS>  >

I think that would be interesting, too!

Alan

 * OLX 2.2 * Unable to locate Chocolate!  Operator halted.

 * Origin: Dark Knight's Table (1:282/31)
From: 737ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Re: missspellings
Date: 6 Nov 92 10:18:49 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <122200176@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM>, wbrill@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Warren Brill) writes:
> In rec.railroad, hudson@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Hudson Leighton) writes:
> 
>> The Rock Island was nortious for putting any old door on U-boats, one of
>> our local HO custom painters collected several pictures and did a series
>> 
>> I am the pround owner of a cKcK Isla  U-boat, in HO of course
>                              ^^^^^^^^^
>>                        Is this a new reporting mark? :-)
>> 

I seem to remember seeing a CP Alco/MLW engine that said
CP Rail ail 
because they installed some doors next to the CP RAIL logo
I have also seen Autoracks with the name logo upside down, that looked rather
strange too, although it's isn't a misspelling
I've also seen Amtrak engines with parts of numbers and parts of the stripe
missing because of replaced doors.

Fred
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ellens@bnr.ca (Chris Ellens)
Subject: Re: Stupid People (Grade crossings)
Followup-To: rec.railroad
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 18:23:37 GMT

In article <16896AD4B.R1004@vmcms.csuohio.edu>, R1004@vmcms.csuohio.edu
wrote:
> 
> This is just a complaint about the stupid people we all hear about.
> Last night's late news had a lovely picture of a car cut in half
> by a freight train.  That's the third I've heard about this week
> in northern Ohio.  What is it about flashing lights, gates, and
> a locomotive that weighs more than they can imagine that these
> people don't understand?
>  
> Okay, I feel better - had to vent my speen somewhere!
> Thanks
> -Bob

Stupidity seems to be the only explanation. An article in the Ottawa
Citizen entitled "Train crash rate puzzles experts"  cites a Transport
Canada survey which revealed that 75% of drivers polled thought the maximum
speed of trains was less than 80 k/h (50mph). And - get this - a full 20%
blamed crossing accidents on the train! Judging from the evidence in this
thread, I don't think this stupidity is unique to Canada!

Chris Ellens     /  My Canada includes: Every bitching, whining    /
ellens@bnr.ca    /  province, aboriginal, feminist, minority, and  /
                 /  special interest group.                        /
From: ebuhwe@ebu.ericsson.se (Per Harwe)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Eurostar
Date: 11 Nov 92 22:12:36 GMT
Reply-To: ebuhwe@ebu.ericsson.se
Organization: Ericsson Business Communications, Inc.
X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson.
              Any opinions expressed are strictly those of the
              user and not necessarily those of Ericsson.

I just saw a short notice that the new high speed train for the channel
tunnel has been shown by the French, Belgian and Brittish railways.

Its design is based on the TGV and is capable of speeds up to 190 mph.
The speed will be much lower on most of the lines, though. Just 100mph
through the tunnel and on the tracks to London. It will apparently use
high speed track through France. Belgium plans to have high speed tracks
ready in 1996.

The first trains are supposed to be in traffic in early 1994, if the
current plans to open the tunnel in December 1993 still holds. There will
be 15 trains a day bewtween London, Paris and Brussels.

---
Per Harwe       	 	       | Internet: ebuhwe@ebu.ericsson.se
Ericsson Business Communications, Inc. | UUCP:   uunet!ericsson.com!ebuhwe
Anaheim, CA.			       |
The opinions are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
From: b_nbca@icarus.lbl.gov (Bruce Nordman)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: cowcatchers (was Re: Stupid People (Grade crossings))
Date: 12 Nov 1992 21:19:33 GMT
Organization: lbl
Distribution: na
Reply-To: b_nbca@icarus.lbl.gov (Bruce Nordman)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.154

In article <1992Nov12.142734.6331@gw.wmich.edu>, x92ochs1@gw.wmich.edu writes:
|> In article <1992Nov12.165118.15090@fs7.ece.cmu.edu>, wadams@spitz.ECE.CMU.EDU
|> (William Adams) writes:
|> >       A bit off the subject, but what's the deal with the "cow-catcher"
|> > on locomotives today?
|> 
|>     Around Cassopolis, Michigan, The Grand Trunk Western occasionally has
|>   problems with cattle on the tracks.(anyone for some burgers?)

This is another argument for keeping around steam trains, to
get that real 'charcoal' flavor.
Modern Electric cooking just ain't the same.    :) :) :)

Bruce Nordman
B_Nordman@lbl.gov
From: Alan.Moorman@f31.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Alan Moorman)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Slumbercoach rooms
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1992 14:16:08 -0600

  To: ALL                           Recvd: NO
Subj: Slumbercoach rooms             Conf: (51) Rec.Railro
___------------------------------------------------------------------------
CZ>  >
CZ>  There was an article on slumbercoaches in the October 1991 Passenger
CZ>  Train Journal.  It says Amtrak has two types of slumbercoaches,

Hi, Tom.

I'm brand new to this echo, and wonder if you would find me the address
for subscribing to the Passenger Train Journal?

Haven't followed this hobby -- in fact didn't know it existed until I
saw this echo available on the BBS!

Thanks,
  Alan.

 * OLX 2.2 * From Minnesota -- Land of the Giant Frozen Mosquito!

 * Origin: Dark Knight's Table (1:282/31)
From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: U.S. railroad maps (topo maps)
Date: 7 Nov 92 03:48:05 GMT
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Distribution: na
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA

In article <1992Nov6.202523.2700@fs7.ece.cmu.edu> wadams@spitz.ECE.CMU.EDU (William Adams) writes:
> [USGS maps in railfanning]
> 
> A day or so ago I mildly slammed USGS maps as generally out of date, but 
> a recent post has pointed out their value when concerned with a small
> area.  The 7.5 minutes series USGS topos will show every single track
> that existed (at the time it was made).  Even yards are exhaustingly
> mapped and turntables, water towers, engine sheds are also included.

Many of them are updated fairly recently (at leat in railroad terms)
with purple ink overlays.  At worst something ripped up is no longer
there, but I'd rather be able to find it on a map than have no clue
that there used to be some tracks.

The biggest problem with the 7.5 minute topo maps is you need a pile of
them to cover even a moderate area of railroad interest...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     work:   to be avoided at all costs...
but no way officially representing:   uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department     domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
From: wbrown@bevsun.bev.lbl.gov (Bill Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: compound locos (was Re: High Speed Rail Query)
Date: 9 Nov 1992 15:44:37 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, California
NNTP-Posting-Host: 131.243.192.17

>smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) writes:
>
>>Has anyone ever tried building a locomotive that tried to recondense
>>water from the steam?  It would seem that a closed cycle would be
>>of great interest, given how quickly steam engines need to refill
>>their water tanks.


There was at least one "doodlebug" (self-propelled rail car) which was
built as a condensing steam locomotive.  The condensers were roof-mounted
and looked something like the "ice-breakers" which were sometimes added
to the roof of diesels to knock hanging ice from the roof of tunnels.

Locomotor Corp. built a couple (?) of high-pressure steam doodlebugs in
the 30's (I think).  They were equipped with flash boilers, but I don't
remember off-hand if they (it?) was equipped with condensers.

None of these efforts were considered successful.


Disclaimer:  These opinions are my own and have	    |
    nothing to do with the official policy or the   |  -bill
    management of L.B.L, who probably couldn't      |   wlbrown@lbl.gov
    care less about employees who play with trains. |
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: waldin@concerto.lcs.mit.edu (Earl Waldin)
Subject: compound locos (was Re: High Speed Rail Query)
Reply-To: waldin@lcs.mit.edu
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, Massachussetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 20:04:21 GMT

In article <36546@cbmvax.commodore.com>, grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) writes:
|> In article <1992Oct31.035038.4917@ee.ryerson.ca> cal@ee.ryerson.ca (Calvin Henry-Cotnam) writes:
|> > zephyr@cory.Berkeley.EDU (COIFMAN) writes:
|> > > [other stuff deleted]
|> >
|> > Basically, with the dual-chamber design, high pressure steam is used
|> > in a set of high-pressure (low volume) cylinders then was passed
|> > through a second set of cylinders, this time at a lower pressure
|> > (and therefore the cylinders were of greater volume).
|> > 
|> > This was of course a more costly design, but resulted in a greater
|> > efficiency as more of the energy in the steam went into tractive
|> > effort.
|> 
|> This is generally referred to in american practice as compounding,
|> It was quite popular in the 1885-1910 era, where it was applied to
|> all sizes of locomotives, but gradually dissapeared on all but the
|> largest engines.  The advent of "superheated" steam gave improved
|> efficiencies and power without the complications of the compound
|> engines.
|> 

I recently visited the Swiss transport museum in Luzern (Lucerne in English)
where they have a demonstration steam locomotive.  The interesting parts are
opened up and motorized so you can see how they work.  It is a cogwheel
design that uses compound cylinders.  The high pressure cylinder drives the
usual drivers (wheels) while the low pressure cylinder drives the cogwheel.  
The low pressure cylinders are on top of the high pressure ones, and it looks
as if the two were one unit (either cast as one unit or bolted together).
The low pressure cylinder can be bypassed so the cog is only driven when
used on a rack section.  The reciprocating mass of the cogwheel drive
rotates counter to that of the main drivers.

In a different display, there was a set of front drivers (but nothing else)
that had a crank shaped axle.  It was from a large (for Switzerland) _four_
cylinder locomotive.  According to the accompanying plaque, the locomotive
had two outside cylinders that drove the rear three drivers and two inside
cylinders that drove the front drivers.  There was no mention as to whether
the cylinders were compound or not, although I imagine they were.


Earl Waldin
waldin@lcs.mit.edu

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: harbison@dbsun.uucp (harbison)
Subject: Re: Stupid People (Grade crossings)
Organization: BioMerieux-Vitek, St. Louis Mo.
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 23:15:09 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.005023.26422@fs7.ece.cmu.edu>
wadams@spitz.ECE.CMU.EDU (William Adams) writes:
> Maybe instead of showing so many drunken driver accident blood/gore
> films, drivers ed should show a general "don't do this" film...
> a good film of a car getting t-boned by an engine ...

I saw a train film during my driver's education course in Alabama.
In one scene, a car full of teenagers had been hurled 96 feet from
the point of impact.  Needless to say, the bodies of the passengers
were pulverized beyond recognition.  I think the only reason the car
stopped at 96 feet was it hit something else (like a bridge abutment).
They show a similar film in the defensive driving class they make you
take when you get a ticket.

Unfortunately, some people just don't get it.  The worst train accident
in Huntsville happened in the early 1980's when a trailer truck loaded
with gasoline tried to beat a train.  The resulting fireball roasted
everything within about a 100 yard radius.  I believe 8 people died,
including the truck driver.  He was probably fortunate.  I know I
wouldn't want to live with that on my conscience.  The train was about
10 boxcar lengths up the track before the gas ignited, so the train crew
had only minor injuries.

I witnessed a really stupid thing at another crossing in Huntsville.
Traffic was backed up past a train crossing.  One stupid driver had
pulled up past the crossing gate, but not onto the tracks.  As the
train approached, the lights started to flash and the bell sounded.
The gate came down, but stopped when it was about 30 degrees from
horizontal, as if it sensed the presence of the car.  The driver didn't
move, even though several cars behind her backed up to allow plenty of
room.  The gate went up and down about 10 degrees twice, as if to say
"get the hell out of the way *now*!".  Still the driver didn't move.
Finally, the gate came crashing down on the hood of the car.  Only
then did the driver decide to back up, with the gate scraping a
generous amount of paint from her car and smashing the hood ornament.
Look up the word "stupid" in the dictionary and I'm sure you'll find
her picture.

-- 
*realName: Phil Harbison
*mailName: harbison%dbsun.uucp@wupost.wustl.edu
*phoneList: 314-731-7475 (w) 314-272-9318 (h)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: nathan@laplace.csb.yale.edu (Nathan F. Janette)
Subject: Re: Why do New England Express trains slow down...
Reply-To: nathan@laplace.csb.yale.edu (Nathan F. Janette)
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science, New Haven, CT
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 00:41:46 GMT

In article <lg2sgqINNhg9@news.bbn.com> rnewman@bbn.com (Ron Newman)  
writes:
> ....when passing through certain stations that they do
> not stop at, such as Stamford and Bridgeport, Connecticut?
> 

Summary of an article in our New Haven daily newspaper today: 

	-Amtrak and state Dept of Trans have agreed on track improvements
	-Projects at New Haven and Stamford stations
	-New Haven project to cost $19.7 million
	-New center platform for Stamford
	-Two high-speed inter-city tracks for New Haven
	- Part of $865 million NorthEast High-Speed Rail Improvement
	project to decrease time between Boston and New York

Looks like the powers that be agree with you!

--
Nathan Janette
PPP link from hilbert.csb.yale.edu

Please reply to: nathan@laplace.csb.yale.edu (NeXT)
From: sfsmith@pennsas.upenn.edu (Sandy F. Smith, Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Misspelling of "Amtrak" (was Re: Metroliners)
Date: 5 Nov 92 22:19:15 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Nov5.132510.19349@engage.pko.dec.com>, pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson) writes:
> 
[further permutations on Amtrak:]
>
> 	Uhuh.  Some years ago i was exploring Cleveland, Ohio, AMTRAK station.
> 	I realized the green things around it must be AMbushes.  Have you
> 	noticed how many railfans are AMbivalent about the AMbling speeds
> 	AMTRAK achieves?
> 	8)>>

Yep, sure have.  I suggest you direct your Amflak (complaints) to an
Amflack (Amtrak PR person).

Aside to Ron Newman:  How did they come up with "Exxon" as the new name for
Standard Oil of New Jersey (Esso, Enco, or Humble, depending on where you
lived)?  I think the invention of "Amtrak" falls in this category -- it was
a somewhat mellifluous coinage that (vaguely) referred to the company's
purpose (or heritage).  The nickname originally proposed as the act creating
the NRPC crawled through Congress -- RAILPAX -- sounds worse, even if it
*was* derived from the corporate name.

__________________________________________________________________________
Sandy F. Smith, Jr. _____________>>New address: sfsmith@mail.sas.upenn.edu
Graduate Division, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
16 College Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6378.  (Opinions mine, not Penn's)
 
Time for Bill Clinton to get off the bus and hop on board the train!
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: strike@steam.rome.ny.us (Strikemaster)
Subject: Re: Stupid People (Grade crossings)
Organization: Iron Horse InfoSys
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 18:18:32 GMT

moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:

>In article <16896AD4B.R1004@vmcms.csuohio.edu>, R1004@vmcms.csuohio.edu
>wrote:
>> 
>> This is just a complaint about the stupid people we all hear about.
>> Last night's late news had a lovely picture of a car cut in half
>> by a freight train.  That's the third I've heard about this week
>> in northern Ohio.  What is it about flashing lights, gates, and
>> a locomotive that weighs more than they can imagine that these
>> people don't understand?

>Many people are agressive drivers.  They'll pull out in front of you knowing
>that you'll stop to avoid an accident.  This behavior gets ingrained, and then
>they start pulling out in front of trains, knowing the train will stop to
>avoid an accident - WRONG.

Looks like natural selection in progress to me.  The stupid shall not
survive, and caring locomotive engineers won't either.  The shame of it all
is that it does so much emotional damage to the train crew.  The equally
idiotic media blame the railroads for not taking safety precautions, when
basic physics shows you that stopping a multiple-ton train from even 45 MPH
requires the better part of two miles.

But then I'm preaching to the choir again...

-- 
      Timothy B. Bowser; Sysadmin,       | strike@steam.rome.ny.us or try
    Chip Socketer & Tape Twiddler of     |    batcomputer!steam!strike
   The Iron Horse Information Service    |--------------------------------
----> "Advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo." <----