HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: andre@farside.slc.mentorg.com (Andre' Hut)
Subject: Re: Car Attacks SP Train
Organization: Mentor Graphics
	<1992Apr07.191545.28309@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com>
	<1992Apr8.213000.17317@berlioz.nsc.com>
Date: 9 Apr 92 09:38:41

In article <1992Apr8.213000.17317@berlioz.nsc.com> mikel@berlioz.nsc.com (Michael G. Lohmeyer) writes:
   >In article <1992Apr07.191545.28309@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com> johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com (John Mosbarger) writes:
   >>......The street crosses the track at about a
   >>30 degree angle, there are no gates or lights, but visibility is almost
   >>unrestricted in both directions.  The engineer said he saw the car from a
   >>long distance, but noticed it never slowed for the train.  He also said he
   >>was laying on the horn but to no avail......... 

   >	There were no lights or gates and the only thing the engineer was
   >using to warn cars was his horn!!  This couldn't be right.  Every railroad
   >crossing I have ever seen that didn't have lights or gates has had 
   >breakman with flares, etc. to control traffic while the train crosses.
   >Am I missing something here?

Actually this is quite common in rural areas.  There is usually a
railroad crossing sign though.  I understand that the typical gate crossing
with the lights, bells and arms cost in the neighborhood of $100,000.  
No one is likely to spend that kind of money on lightly travelled 
roads.
 
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My opinions are solely my own, and do not necessarily reflect those
of my employer.

Andre' Hut       andre@slc.mentorg.com  or  utah-cs!caeco!andre
Mentor Graphics, Suite 300, 5295 South 300 West, Murray, Utah 84107
-------------------------------------------------------------------
From: M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: VRE rolls out test train
Date: 16 Apr 92 19:53:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: MBVM.167CBD14F.M00209
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford MA 01730

In article <kurcb3INN81p@news.bbn.com>
rnewman@bbn.com (Ron Newman) writes:
 
>
>In article <12588@umd5.umd.edu>, gurd@next04wor.wam.umd.edu (Daffy Duck) writes:
>
>|>    Industry analyst on board yesterday were eager to discuss what is said
>|> is only the second cummuter rail system to start up in the United States
>|> in almost 50 years.
>
>I have my doubts about this.  Any idea what the other one is
>supposed to be?
>
 
Tri-Rail, maybe??  It really is a question of semantics.  I think that all of
the present commuter rail systems (possible exception Long Island RR) in the
U.S. are either operated by and/or financed through agencies that didn't exist
50 years ago.  MBTA, ConnDOT, Metro North, NJT, SEPTA, MARC, CalTrain, METRA,
etc., etc....  Try to find any of those names in a 1942 Official Guide!  The
only other new SERVICE I can think of readily is Tri-Rail or possibly the
NJT service to Atlantic City if you don't want to think of the previous PRSL
service as "commuter".  Of course, we won't mention the commuter rail lines
and systems that have been abandoned in the last 50 years - GT (SEMTA), EL out
of Cleveland, numerous ex-CNJ, ERIE, DL&W, NYS&W, PRR, and LV lines in NJ, etc.
ad nauseum.
 
>And isn't at least some of Virginia Rail Express the revivial of old,
>discontinued services from long ago?
>
No, I don't think so.  There probably was local service back many years
ago on both RF&P and Southern that stopped at many long-since abandoned
stations along the way, but I don't recall seeing or hearing about anything
that would really fall into the usual definition of commuter service.  The
growth of Northern Virginia (except for Arlington, Alexandria and possibly
Fairfax/Falls Church) into a commuter suburban area is a phenomenon of the
last 20 years or so.  The busses of AB&W and W-V-M Coach Lines covered that
area like a blanket, and I guess there must have been trolleys in the days
before those bus companies.  Areas farther out were still almost completely
rural until very recent times.  The Washington and Old Dominion, a sometime-
electric and sometime-gasoline powered interurban railway whose right of way
is now mostly a hiking/biking/equestrian trail, was the nearest North VA
ever had to commuter rail service as far as I have ever heard, and that
went in a different direction - northwestward through present-day Reston
to Leesburg.
 
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
From: M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Rail Maps - Wisc,Mich
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:15:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: MBVM.167C49E43.M00209
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford MA 01730

In article <JR.92Apr6164722@gilligan.ksr.com>
jr@ksr.com (John Robinson) writes:
 
>
>In article <'.702332058@amber.athena.lkg.dec.com> jeff@athena.lkg.dec.com (Jeff S. Tyler) writes:
>   >Del Lorme publishes Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota Atlas/Gazetters. I have
>   >found these to be a most excellent railfan aid.
>
>   >The format consists of psuedo-topographic maps that that show (among other
>   >things) all raillines, who owns them, and abandoned right-of-way. The neat
>   >thing about these, though, is that they show all of the "backroads" and much
>   >detail that just isn't possible on a State Dept. of Tourism map.
>
>   >They run about $14 and are available in bookstores and convienience stores. It
>   >is also possible to order them directly, but I don't have the adress with me.
>
>   I don't suppose that they also publish maps for the NE US ?  Can someone
>   recommend a similar map covering MA, NH, CT  & VT ?  My son and I spend a
>   lot of time poking around both live and dead rail.  I know most of the old
>   ROWs fairly well but maps of this nature would be nice to have.
>
>If you want all the roads and topo features in addition to lots of old
>features (abandoned RR grades etc.) the good old USGS topos are hard
>to beat.  The metric series is now coming out in 1:25000 scale 7.5x15
>minute (twice the coverage of the old maps), for about .6 by 1 meter.
>These cost $2.50.  You'd need maybe 50 to cover all of MA, but for any
>day's trekking you'd work hard to go onto more than a few.
>
>I just picked up 4 today, for just this purpose...
>--
>/jr, aka John Robinson                       Place stamps here
>jr@ksr.com                              Post Office will not deliver
>if troubles: ksr!jr@world.std.com       mail without correct postage
 
As I posted yesterday, DeLorme publishes atlases of ME, NH, VT, NY and PA as
well as many other states.  Don't know if they have MA or CT.  Write to the
DeLorme Publishing Company in Freeport ME (it's a small town - that should be
a sufficient address) and ask.  I HIGHLY recommend their atlases.  My NH atlas
gets so much use that I have to buy a new one about once a year because it
gets too beat up to use!
 
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
From: johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com (John Mosbarger)
Subject: Re: SP/SF paint jobs.
Organization: HP Cardiology Business Unit - McMinnville, OR
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 19:29:44 GMT

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?
> 
> -Jim Jensen
> rhino@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us

     Another Kodachrome SD9 showed up in town Saturday, so there's the 4354,
4363, 4377, 4420 and the 4381 that the Port of Tillamook Bay RR is leasing.

     I recently read that the D&RGW and SSW have been *officially* absorbed 
into the SP, and definitely everything coming out of Burnham Shops will be
repainted in the "Flying SP" scheme.  Does that mean we'll be seeing SP
SD50's anytime soon?

--
John Mosbarger
HP McMinnville, OR
johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com
From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: TRAVELOGUE: Steam trip in Thueringen (Germany)
Date: 13 Apr 92 19:31:51 GMT

In article <92104.133234LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET>, LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET (Dr. Lutz Massonne) writes:
> (As an aside: Diesel-electric locomotives are very rare in Germany.
>  Normally the Diesel-hydraulic power transmission is used,

Why is this?  As I recall, diesel-hydraulics are very rare in the U.S.
What are the characteristics that makes one type more suitable for
Germany, and another type for the U.S.?
From: Steve_Hooper@mindlink.bc.ca (Steve Hooper)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: business car placemen
Date: 12 Apr 92 16:27:48 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

> steve waller writes:
> 
> 
> That's an interesting comment cause I usually see the business cars
> on the head-end here.  Generally travelling between Toronto and Montreal.
> Although I must admit it has been awhile since I noticed one....steve
> 
> (PS thats on CP here)


That is kind of unusual...I would have thought that a big outfit like CP would
have a "standard practice" for the cars.

Hell, the way I look at it, the further back in the train they are, the less
chance they can bother us on the head-end :)


--

 steve_hooper@mindlink.bc.ca   []  Riding the "High Iron" of
 OR      a777@mindlink.bc.ca   []         CP Rail
 The Great White North in      []
 Vancouver, BC CANADA          [] Opinions are mine, NOT CP's
From: rogerm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Roger Mitchell)
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 13:26:50 GMT
Subject: Re: RDC's and SPV's?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.railroad

I can remember when the Budd RDC's were new on the Boston and Maine when I was
a kid growing up in Massachusetts. When they were new they ran quite reliable
though they were real dogs for acceleration. They for power had 2 6-71 General
Motors diesel engines laid over on their sides with Allison 2 speed automatic
transmissions under the car frame. Drive shafts drove one axel of each truck.
The engine governors were set up the same way a regular locomotive was so they
could be MU'd.
	The Rio Grande had a Budd built SRV on the Prospector in the late 
40's which broke down with such great frequency that they had to assign
a Pacific type steam loco to it to get the milage out of it.
				
				Roger Mitchell
				Master Mechanic: Ft. Collins Municipal Ry.
From: rad@railnet.nshore.ORG (Rick DeMattia)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Playing Chicken!!!
Date: 17 Apr 92 02:39:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: railnet.58scJB2w164w
Organization: Railnet BBS (phone # changing April 1992)

rtp@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Richard T. Pierce) writes:

> 
> Yesterday, near Brantford, Ontario, there was a VIA train car accident...

A shame, regardless of the fault.

I read an unattributed statistic some time ago, to the effect
that around 1910, 50,000 people were killed in rail/vehicle/pedestrian
accidents in the United States.  I find that to be an incredibly
high number, considering the size of the population at that time,
but note that this is about the time that the great grade separation
projects were under way, and I suppose that the railroads wouldn't
have spent the money on safety if there had not been a compelling
reason.

Does anyone know if that number is nearly accurate?

Does anyone else suspect, as I do, that with the reduced importance
of railroads as transportation, the public has become less aware
of the hazards involved at rail crossings and rights-of-way?

--
UUCP: {uunet|backbone}!nshore!railnet!rad   rad@railnet.nshore.org
CompuServe: 72517.666@compuserve.COM
From: Steve_Hooper@mindlink.bc.ca (Steve Hooper)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Crossing Gate Rules and Laws
Date: 17 Apr 92 18:47:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: mindlink.11486
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada

> Warren Brill writes:
> 
> 
> Interestingly, the flashers/bell were shut off, so traffic continued across
> the rails during the ~ ten minutes I watched the train sitting there.  The
> headlight was on half bright, then came on full, along with two strobes,
> in the position normally occupied by ditch lights.  The crossing lights
> came on simultaneously, although both employees appeared to be in the cab.
> Does anybody know how they could control the crossing without getting into
> the battery box by the crossing?  Do they have some kind of [radio? infra-
> red? ??] remote control for these things?


Some crossings (such as crossing just outside a main yard where a train might
be delayed) are equipped with special wiring.  One such thing is called a Grade
Crossing Predictor.  Instead of having the wig-wags come on when you are X feet
away from it, the GCP's detect how FAST you are approaching and will not go on
early.  So if I'm on 50 mph track and for some reason I am at restricted speed,
the bells will not be on for 5 minutes prior to my arrival at the crossing.

Another type is one that is hooked into the signal system.  An example of this
is found outside Coquitlam yard, our main classification yard.  If the tower
wants to to hold outside the yard (congestion, no room, whatever), we pull up
to the crossing just outside the yard.  We shut the head and ditch lights down
so people know we are stopped.  Then, after a minute, the lights will stop
ringing.  Then, when the tower says it's OK to enter the yard, the CTC Operator
will give us a signal to enter the yard.  When the signal changes, the gates
automatically start up, we turn on the headlights, start blowing the whistle,
and occupy the crossing.


--

 steve_hooper@mindlink.bc.ca   []  Riding the "High Iron" of
 OR      a777@mindlink.bc.ca   []         CP Rail
 The Great White North in      []
 Vancouver, BC CANADA          [] Opinions are mine, NOT CP's
From: zbang@access.digex.com (Carl P. Zwanzig)
Subject: Re: BALTIMORE LIGHT RAIL!!!
Keywords: MTA, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Metro, Light Rail, MARC, Park & Ride
Organization: The Midnite Group
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 02:52:36 GMT

In article <ku3ro9INNa2i@news.bbn.com> rnewman@bbn.com (Ron Newman) writes:
>In article <1992Apr4.064157.14092@wam.umd.edu>, gurd@next06csc.wam.umd.edu (Daffy Duck) writes:
>
>|> 2.  The line is largely single track, and that limits frequency to 15  
>|> minutes, and since there is street running involved only 2 car trains can
>|> be used.
>
>Why can't 4 or 6 car trains be used in street running?
>
>-- 
>Ron Newman		rnewman@bbn.com

On the way home tonight from downtown Baltimore I saw 2 4-car LRV trains,
one en-route and the other waiting outside the new statium.

z!
From: pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Electromagnetic Fields (was RE: Playing Chicken)
Keywords: Rails, Signals
Date: 14 Apr 92 11:54:55 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

In article <13APR199214505450@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov>,
calizan@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (PAUL LIZANICH) writes, in part:
>The only rails I know of which would emit an EMF would be those on a model 
>railroad.
	Many (i suspect most...) RR's operate the signal system, in part, and
	the grade crossing protection via low voltage/low current signals in the
	rails.  Insufficient to jam car doors or stall engines.  (some uwave,
	some audio frequency, some dc..)

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
Organisation: Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet, Muenster, Germany
Date: Wednesday, 15 Apr 1992 14:25:56 MES
From: Ruediger Gaensfuss <FPU08@DMSWWU1A.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Diesel-Electric vs. Diesel-hydraulic
 <92106.113829LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET>

In article <92106.113829LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET>, Dr. Lutz Massonne
<LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET> says:
>For German use, however, the hydraulic power transmission was chosen,
>and the first really operational Diesel locomotive was presented at the
>Railway exhibition in Seddin (1935).
Seddin was in 1925. So the V140 001 couldn't have been there. The V140
was the first BIG diesel - shunters were already operating years before.

>Maybe the feeling was that Diesel-Electric with its additional power
>consumption due to the conversion mechanic-electric was applicable only
>for large traction power, whereas the typical European trains are
>shorter than e.g. in the US or in Russia.
Diesel-hydaulics have had much better realtionship power - weight than
diesel-electrics. So it has nothing to do with shorter trains in Europe.
Remember: the most powerfull diesel engine in the world was (still is?)
the German V320 001, a diesel-hydraulic.

Ruediger Gaensfuss (FPU08@DMSWWU1A.BITNET) University of Muenster, Germany
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Car Attacks SP Train
From: bill@mathnx.math.byu.edu (Bill Smith)
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 92 15:57:07 GMT
Organization: Brigham Young University -- Mathematics Department

In article <1992Apr03.191917.23937@CS.ORST.EDU>  writes:
> In article <1992Apr03.170824.21641@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com> johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com
(John Mosbarger) writes:
> >
> >     Last Wednesday (4/1), a car drove around the crossing gates in Canby,
> >OR, and struck the 33rd car of a westbound (south) train.  The car wedged
> >under a tank car loaded with methyl alcohol and was dragged 5 miles before
> >an eastbound train radioed the engineer.  The driver is in critical condi-
> >tion with massive head and chest injuries.  the train was travelling about
> >40 mph.
>
> I overhead much of the aftermath on a scanner that evening.  One of the crew
> quoted a witness of the accident:
>
>   "[the car] pulled around two autos into the other lane, drove around the
>   crossing gates, and accelerated(!)."
>
> Was this driver drunk?  Stupid?  etc.?  All these questions still stand.
> My personal belief is that driver of the car (a Honda Civic) actually thought
> she/he could drive under one of the tank cars.
>
> It's lucky that another engineer spotted the wreck.  The crew never noticed
> the accident, and could easily have continued on until a bridge or other
> impediment caused a serious derailment.

So, would a caboose have made a difference? (Assuming there wasn't one!)
-Bill
--
Professor William V. Smith
Phone: 1-801-378-2061 Fax: 1 801 378 2800
email: smithw@hamblin.math.byu.edu  or  uunet!hamblin.math.byu.edu!smithw
NeXTmail: bill@mathnx.math.byu.edu
SMail: Math Dept. -- 314 TMCB; BYU; Provo, UT 84602 (USA)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson)
Subject: Re: Washington DC question
Keywords: ooooooops
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 17 APR 92 07:39:26    

In article <1992Apr16.204328.3650@linus.mitre.org>, dhf@marie.mitre.org
(David H. Friedman) writes, in part:

>In article <1992Apr16.113007.11528@e2big.mko.dec.com>
>pierson@cimcad.enet.dec.com (Dave Pierson) writes:
>>>In article <12190@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>, jones@pyrite.cs.uiowa.edu (Douglas W.

>>	They were.  PRR used to run the elctrification thru to "Pot Yard",
>>	since some time on the '30s.  The link to the NEC was thru the tunnel
>>	under the US Capitol.

>There was no wire in the tunnel, due to clearance restrictions.
	& Len Bachelder caught the same thing.  Sigh.  I would have said i
	recalled seeing catenary coming out of the south end of the tunnel, but
	that was years back...

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
From: 31ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: CSX Q-train designations
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:52:38 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

Hello, I have a question about a CSX train.
Lately the westbound train that heads to Chicago from somewhere in Michigan
has been called Q337. It was R337 up until about a week or 2 ago, and I
was wondering if anybody knew what this Q stood for???
The other 3 CSX trains are still normal(R336,R326,R327)
Thanks in advance,
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: 31ochs@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: SP/SF merger paint scheme spotted
Date: 8 Apr 92 19:33:04 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <10296@gollum.twg.com>, nolan@twg.com (Nolan Hinshaw) writes:
> 
> 
> 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.

That was only on the units that SF or SP uses I think.
I've seen 1 or 2 on CSX, the ones that SF traded in to GE, then GE leased
them out to other railroads, and CSX got some. It's been a while since
I seen it though. It was the night before Thanksgiving of 90. I remember
it so good, because the Amtrak that night died right in front of the
station in St. Joe Michigan, and was there for 3 hours, till a CP Rail
came along and gave them one of their engines to get to Grand Rapids.
Can you imagine a CP Rail SD40 on the front of an Amtrak train?


Fred Ochs
31ochs@gw.wmich.edu  (vax)
ochs@sol.cs.wmich.edu (unix)
_______________________________________________________
      _____________         __________   
     _[ ] |[=] [=]|-----++-/\________/|  
    /     |                  [][][][] |  
  |_|_____|___________________________|_|
___H_O--O--O_`---------------'_O--O--O_H_______________


A DASH 8-40CW with a little imagination ;^)