Grandpa, tell me bout the good ole days............

[Oldpath05]

Cinders coming from trains!!!!!!!!!!! Really, well thats one good reason for switching to diesel then to air planes in California.

 

[Jstpssng]

Cinders coming from trains!!!!!!!!!!! Really, well thats one good reason for switching to diesel then to air planes in California.

They still start fires though. Something about steel on steel seems to create sparks...

 

[Jim Nelson]

A lot of the fires started by trains, especially in the early days, were caused by what the railroaders called hot boxes. These were overheated wheel bearings which the old timers called journals. They often caused derailments and when this happened the whole crew was fired. The modern trains don't have this problem nearly as often because of better materials and maintenance.

My home town was a division point with the mainline running through so they had a turntable, for turning engines around, and huge shops for doing maintenance and repairs. It seemed like the yards were always full of cars and engines waiting for repairs.

My Dad was a conductor for years and they were the boss of the train crew. There were pretty big crews up there in the mountains and someone was almost always walking the car tops and checking for hot boxes. Way too often men were maimed or killed doing this. Nearly everyone of them had frost bite at least once on one or more hands or feet. There were a lot of knee injuries back then too and very little, short of amputation, to help them. After I got older and my Dad was long gone they came up with these modern knee braces and I've often wished there were such things back in the old days because my Dad had a real bad knee as long as I could remember.

Whenever one of the car walkers smelled a hot box the train would slow down and pull onto the nearest siding and drop the bad car, often ending up with the caboose in the middle of the train instead the rear. Quite a different world.

 

[ultrarunner]

Railroads have infrared cameras to monitor overheating at critical points along the rails.

Defect detector - Wikipedia

 

[Oldpath05]

We cant have trains going around the country side starting fires and causing injury's, no wonder trains never really made a come-back since the 1950s and probably never will unless someone re-invents the train. California already has a high-speed rail? The air powered bullet train. | Bartell's Backroads - YouTube

 

[Oldpath05]

Daughter come out last night, says she needs oil change on her Nissan and replace spring on rear door latch, she called the dealer up where she bought it and its one of the biggest dealers in ME, made appointment, yup we can schedule in next month on the 28th, WOW over a month to replace a small spring and oil change, good grief Charlie Brown, what is that a hours labor.........

 

[npalen]

I always thought they were simply decorative, but I can't answer that for sure.

fly leathers for horses - Google Search

A few pics.

 

[Oldpath05]

I think most people already have inbred gene stile characteristics cause for some reason the stub nose Ford Econoline pickup never really took off, all it is is a van with a pickup body but nope we dont want it, although the video below might show a couple reasons why.
Corvair Rampside Vs Ford Econoline Truck Vintage - YouTube
CLASSIC COMMERCIALS - FORD Collection 195's - 198's (1 of 4) - YouTube

Almost the same with the early 60s Jeeps, didn't want them either well everyone but me I'd love to have a Jeep FC 4x4, but most didn't want a Jeep pickup at all but Jeep did finally bring one back, it wont last long either because of the already inbred human characteristics. Actually I think Jeep is barely hanging on the only thing that keeps them going is the Wrangler because theres just enough die hard Jeep lovers.....
Vintage Forward Control 196 Jeep FC15 Truck with F-134 Hurricane Engine - Quick Video Tour - YouTube

 

[2LaneCruzer]

A lot of the fires started by trains, especially in the early days, were caused by what the railroaders called hot boxes. These were overheated wheel bearings which the old timers called journals. They often caused derailments and when this happened the whole crew was fired. The modern trains don't have this problem nearly as often because of better materials and maintenance.

My home town was a division point with the mainline running through so they had a turntable, for turning engines around, and huge shops for doing maintenance and repairs. It seemed like the yards were always full of cars and engines waiting for repairs.

My Dad was a conductor for years and they were the boss of the train crew. There were pretty big crews up there in the mountains and someone was almost always walking the car tops and checking for hot boxes. Way too often men were maimed or killed doing this. Nearly everyone of them had frost bite at least once on one or more hands or feet. There were a lot of knee injuries back then too and very little, short of amputation, to help them. After I got older and my Dad was long gone they came up with these modern knee braces and I've often wished there were such things back in the old days because my Dad had a real bad knee as long as I could remember.

Whenever one of the car walkers smelled a hot box the train would slow down and pull onto the nearest siding and drop the bad car, often ending up with the caboose in the middle of the train instead the rear. Quite a different world.

I remember those old journal type bearings; there was a flip up lid, and the bearing was full of packing that looked like oil soaked string. The newer bearings are roller bearing types, and hot boxes are rare or almost non existent. We lived on a RR spur back in the 50's, my Dad ran a sand dredge. I seen and heard more old steam type engines than I can count...and even seen one hot box...quite a sight at night!

Hot box - Wikipedia

 

[Oaktree]

I think most people already have inbred gene stile characteristics cause for some reason the stub nose Ford Econoline pickup never really took off, all it is is a van with a pickup body but nope we dont want it, although the video below might show a couple reasons why.
Corvair Rampside Vs Ford Econoline Truck Vintage - YouTube
CLASSIC COMMERCIALS - FORD Collection 195's - 198's (1 of 4) - YouTube

Almost the same with the early 60s Jeeps, didn't want them either well everyone but me I'd love to have a Jeep FC 4x4, but most didn't want a Jeep pickup at all but Jeep did finally bring one back, it wont last long either because of the already inbred human characteristics. Actually I think Jeep is barely hanging on the only thing that keeps them going is the Wrangler because theres just enough die hard Jeep lovers.....
Vintage Forward Control 196 Jeep FC15 Truck with F-134 Hurricane Engine - Quick Video Tour - YouTube

Style sells vehicles to be sure. Those 60s-vintage snub-nosed pickups were just weird. I'd imagine working on the engine would be a nightmare. I doubt there was much frontal protection in case of an accident either.

As far as Jeeps are concerned, if the number I see around here is any indication they're doing just fine, and not just the Wrangler. Probably see more Jeep SUVs than everyone else's combined.