running with the trains

[daugen]

High speed freight train Texas - YouTube
this is one very cool video, taken by tornado chasers, so they had good equipment, though unfortunately
doesn't appear to be a HD option here. But very good sound mic'ing. Crank up your speakers.
All the best Texas has to offer, just kind of makes you want to go, ahem..., whoo whoo with your hand on the throttle bar. :thumbsup:

We just don't get to do this here in the East. Would run off the road and kill ourselves on the curves...
But further West, where the land's horizon is far away, I bet this could be a very interesting experience.
And hopefully done safely and not at 95mph. All that horsepower thundering along, like thousands of pounding
iron horses... I've always liked anything with a motor on it and this sure qualifies in a big way.
Even "American Pie" is nice in the background. Enjoy.

So any of you ever done this, got some pics, and lived to tell?
I'm thinking Florida might be flat enough too if you aren't dodging the gators and manatees...

 

[MossRoad]

One time here around Thanksgiving or Christmas, can't recall now, the wife and I got stopped at a RR crossing. It was snowing and along comes 17 engines and no train! Every engine had a couple guys in it and it was moving faster than any train I'd ever seen around here before. I think they were deadheading back to the Elkhart, IN yard from points west of here. Anyhow, guys waving out the windows, happiest engineers I'd ever seen. And after it went by the snow wave followed it so hard all you could see was a white cloud moving away. Neatest thing I ever saw at the crossing.

 

[daugen]

bet you felt that rumble coming right up your seat bottom.
That's when you're glad you didn't crowd the safety bar...
Nice when the bar went up but you probably couldn't see for awhile anyway.
You had your own white tornado. Neat memory.

 

[jinman]

There's a new GE locomotive plant going in at Justin, Texas just about a mile from Texas Motor Speedway. Maybe they could lay some track and race locomtive engines around TMS before the NASCAR races. I'd pay good money just to see that.:thumbsup: Can you imagine three wide down the straightaway and into the banked corner at 95 mph? Maybe some switches so you could pass after drafting the locomotive in front of you. :laughing: Who wouldn't love to be sittin' the cab of a locomotive at 95 mph? Though, that does take a bit of faith in the tracks.

 

[daugen]

There's a new GE locomotive plant going in at Justin, Texas just about a mile from Texas Motor Speedway. Maybe they could lay some track and race locomtive engines around TMS before the NASCAR races. I'd pay good money just to see that.:thumbsup: Can you imagine three wide down the straightaway and into the banked corner at 95 mph? Maybe some switches so you could pass after drafting the locomotive in front of you. :laughing: Who wouldn't love to be sittin' the cab of a locomotive at 95 mph? Though, that does take a bit of faith in the tracks.

Man I bet you had a neat train set as a kid...:thumbsup:

 

[hogheadCTD]

One time here around Thanksgiving or Christmas, can't recall now, the wife and I got stopped at a RR crossing. It was snowing and along comes 17 engines and no train! Every engine had a couple guys in it and it was moving faster than any train I'd ever seen around here before. I think they were deadheading back to the Elkhart, IN yard from points west of here. Anyhow, guys waving out the windows, happiest engineers I'd ever seen. And after it went by the snow wave followed it so hard all you could see was a white cloud moving away. Neatest thing I ever saw at the crossing.

They're happy cause they are goin home!!! :drink: The best part of railroading that final stretch when you got clear track and your almost back home.

 

[Cub 7274]

Nothin like high greens

 

[MossRoad]

They're happy cause they are goin home!!! :drink: The best part of railroading that final stretch when you got clear track and your almost back home.

Is that Odd Ball in your avatar? :thumbsup:

 

[hogheadCTD]

Why yes it is Oddball!

Cub7274 is RR retirement all its cracked up to be? Any words of advice for a guy with 28 years to go?

 

[MossRoad]

Why yes it is Oddball!

Cub7274 is RR retirement all its cracked up to be? Any words of advice for a guy with 28 years to go?

One of my favorite Saturday afternoon movies!
Here's some memorable Oddball quotes.
Kelly's Heroes (1970) - Memorable quotes

Back to trains.

 

[Cub 7274]

For me yes it is- dont miss the RR one bit and when I had 28yrs to go I wasnt thinking about retirement that shows how times have changed
When I hired on things were much different my advice to you is always work safely and be aware of your surroundings at all times
The sad thing now is that management has become the enemy instead of someone who is there to help and the "new" trainmasters dont know how to switch their socks let alone boxcars but its their train set so doing as they say will always make you $$$
Best of luck to you in the race to the finish line

 

[daugen]

Hopefully there are plenty of failsafes and redundancies built into the system to keep those who can't switch their socks
from plowing into someone else because the instrument panel clearly stated nothing was ahead...

I just saw another YouTube video on a big coal or other mining material train seeming to come down a long slope, and going through a moderate switchback and seemingly going slower coming out. Like they built the wiggle in there to scrub off speed, like a truck runoff ramp precaution.
I haven't taken a train in many years, but have always enjoyed the ride.

I saw the train video while Googling US high speed train. Now half the first world has high speed trains, but we sure don't. Just a lot of political
promises made years ago. I think our problem with trains mirrors the state of our road repair, and our attitude toward it.
In Europe, they build the road substructure much further down, so it is both stronger and better designed even if that design adds cost.
And they enjoy the Autobahn experience, while we dodge potholes because we never put down more than the cheapest layer of topcoat we can.
But if the lower structure isn't sound, neither car nor train will enjoy it. The cost of making a roadbed to high speed specs is apparently so high we just can't get this done. Really?

I'd be all for putting all able bodied folk on public welfare after some point to help rebuild our infrastructure before more bridges collapse under us. Now that sounds harsh, but could I get a little more value back for my tax dollar? Some investment in our future?
Certainly good skills to be learned, construction isn't going to be down forever.
Though I realize modern track install and repair is done by amazing automated machines that are pretty cool to watch. Guy driving that thing is a seriously skilled operator. Maybe we don't have ditches to be dug anymore...

Now if we could get more of those folk off our support and onto self support, that's both a good business and social accomplishment.
Unemployment is coming down, a little, but maybe some of our "hard core unemployed" are capable of giving back and helping to lay some rail that can support a train going over 100mph. Well over.
If this were the space race, we'd still be flying our planes with rubber bands.