Rail roads and their tracks.

[California]

Couldn't figure out why there were no other directional signs....

'Cause they're so hard to steer.

 

[the old grind]

Five minutes of coal hoppers loading/unloading in HO scale. Cars begin loading at 1:15. At 3:00 they begin to unload. (Note fishing swivels used to connect a three car consist on the layout vs Kadee or NMRA couplers.)

 

[Hay Dude]

If there is a Whistle post they should be blowing....

I have a whistle post in my shop.
Learned to appreciate how large & heavy those were when I needed to move it.

 

[California]

Here's a railroad mystery just now unfolding. Thirty tons of ammonium nitrate vanished between manufacture at the Dyno plant in Cheyenne ("a global manufacturer of explosives", mostly for mining) and the destination, a remote rail siding in the Mohave Desert.

Latest update claims the seals on the railcar were intact before it was shunted into that 3-mile siding. No leaked material has been found anywhere.

This writeup emphasizes conspiracy thinking. Only 2.5 tons was needed for the OKC bombing. A simpler explanation is it was stolen for ag fertilizer.

Investigation is underway. It will be interesting to read why it was ordered delivered to such a remote location

Thirty tons of explosive ammonium nitrate have gone missing from a rail car.

UPDATE: Sunday, May 21, 2023 · 3:29:47 PM +00:00 · Pakalolo The diary was updated to emphasize that the shipment was intact upon arrival in Saltdale, California. If true, it would not have been a 1000-mile start to finish but a 3-mile journey. The...

www.dailykos.com

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s the whistle post in my shop

 

[gstrom99]

The picture that was with that post shows bags, but then infers the load may have been in a hopper car. Big difference if it was stolen of just leaked out.

 

[ArlyA]

Duluth, Missabe& Iron Range Railway Locomotive: 2-8-8-4

The Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway hauled iron ore in Minnnesota, Iron ore is heavy and the DM&IR operated long trains of ore cars, requiring maximum power. These locomotives were based upon ten 2-8-8-4s that Baldwin had built in the 1930s for the Western Pacific Railroad. The need for a larger, coal-burning firebox and a longer, all-weather cab led to the use of a four-wheel trailing truck, giving them the "Yellowstone" wheel arrangement. They were the most powerful Yellowstonesbuilt, producing traction.

 

[MossRoad]

Some more info about those beasts...

The World of Steam Locomotives

North American Steam Locomotive Information

www.steamlocomotive.com

 

[bcp]

Long story at:
Log into Facebook

News article:
From the Archives: Santa Fe locomotive goes through wall

Bruce

 

[ArlyA]

SOO 384 with ore cars on ore dock lead in Marquette, MI--1961. Harry Evans photo.