Working rail roads and their tracks.

[buckeyefarmer]

Couple Shay engines built in Lima Oh. Cass logging RR in WV

 

[metalbender]

Did the tourist rail thing in Yosemite Cal. while visiting my daughter a few years ago. Went on one of the Model A worker carriers down into the old logging area. Great way to spend a couple of hrs. The big steam engine was put away for the day, but still plenty hot.

 

[ArlyA]

Santa Fe tried a jointed boiler.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=santa+fe+flexible+boiler&t=ffnt&atb=v169-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

Thanks for posting this Bruce. I looked on the web and couldn't find all that much about this flex boiler technology. But I did find this site.

 

[Hay Dude]

Look I even have an old Pennsylvania Railroad Shovel :laughing:

 

[Rustyiron]

Hey I have a B&O rr 50' tape measure with B&O embossed into the leather that covers the body of the tape. I've had it for years and don't remember how I acquired it but to me, it deserves to be in someone's collection. I've been meaning to try to sell it on ebay...... for about 5 years now.:laughing: I always seem to "turn on" TBN instead of ebay. The tape is canvas like and it was made by Lufkin.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Hey I have a B&O rr 50' tape measure with B&O embossed into the leather that covers the body of the tape. I've had it for years and don't remember how I acquired it but to me, it deserves to be in someone's collection. I've been meaning to try to sell it on ebay...... for about 5 years now.:laughing: I always seem to "turn on" TBN instead of ebay. The tape is canvas like and it was made by Lufkin.
View attachment 648705 View attachment 648708View attachment 648706

Dad has a tape like that, doesn’t say B&O.

 

[crazyal]

On one of the rural TV channels (RFD TV I think) have a railroad show. It's mostly steam but the occasional diesel power. It turns out one of the limitations to a steam engine is the height. One of the shows was actually done in Russia. Very interesting. Russia had (not sure if it's true now) a higher loading gauge so they designed locomotives with the boiler higher up. The video was shot in the 90s (I think) and one of the oddest things was all of the steam locomotives Russia still had parked in rail yards.

 

[ArlyA]

On one of the rural TV channels (RFD TV I think) have a railroad show. It's mostly steam but the occasional diesel power. It turns out one of the limitations to a steam engine is the height. One of the shows was actually done in Russia. Very interesting. Russia had (not sure if it's true now) a higher loading gauge so they designed locomotives with the boiler higher up. The video was shot in the 90s (I think) and one of the oddest things was all of the steam locomotives Russia still had parked in rail yards.

The Russian do use a wider 5ft gauge, but that's not much more than North American standard gauge at 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in. Yes they could build their engines a tad taller, as long as the tunnels were as well...

 

[BrokenTrack]

I was operating a loader one summer, but the guy that I was working for was having troubles. I got tired of buying my own fuel, and not getting a paycheck, so when I saw an ad hiring railroaders, I figured I would work for them for the summer. It ended up being a ten year "summer" for a few First Class Railroads, and then a Regional one. When my first child came along, I decided to stay home with her instead.

 

[Hay Dude]

I was operating a loader one summer, but the guy that I was working for was having troubles. I got tired of buying my own fuel, and not getting a paycheck, so when I saw an ad hiring railroaders, I figured I would work for them for the summer. It ended up being a ten year "summer" for a few First Class Railroads, and then a Regional one. When my first child came along, I decided to stay home with her instead.

Sometimes I think if I could have done it all over again, I would have worked on the railroad. I’m fascinated with them and the benefits pension is excellent.