GN Anybody have a few Great Northern memories to share?

BoxcabE50 Dec 15, 2020

  1. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    The steam era water tower, still in use, at Essex, Montana:

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. gcav17

    gcav17 TrainBoard Member

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    I saw this beauty at the sioux city railroad museum. There is alot to see there. If I remember right this pacific still runs? It was going through an inspection or service I believe. Thus was right before my stroke. So that memory is hazy.. [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

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  3. gcav17

    gcav17 TrainBoard Member

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    And then these old worn out and beat up passenger cars. I believe they were G.N.
    This place is run by all volunteers. So this last year it was closed for the most part. [​IMG][​IMG]

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  4. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    In June of 1961, my family was returning stateside from the far east. My dad had to go directly to his company headquarters in Palo Alto, California. My mom, two brothers and I decided to take the "Great Circle Route" from the Philippines with stops on Okinawa, Tokyo and Anchorage. Finally hit the lower 48 by flying into Seattle. After a few days tramping around there we got aboard the Great Northern Western Star. It was hand-me-down equipment from the Empire Builder but still very nice. We had seats in a coach dome. My two favorite places were in the dome or in the diner. I think I was only in my assigned seat when I was sleeping. My oldest brother took some photos out of the windows and my next oldest brother recently scanned those old slides. The exposure was not the greatest but we teased some details out of them. Sorry, no shots of the train.
    great northern window.jpg great northern trackside.jpg great northern shot.jpg
     
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    As I understand it, the locomotive is only cosmetically restored. Does not operate.
     
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  6. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    EMD NW5 Duluth, Minnasota, June 27, 2004.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. gcav17

    gcav17 TrainBoard Member

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    Your probably correct. Thus place is near. I think I posted on it once. There is a lot to see and do there. I look forward to going again.

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  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I see a mechanical bell atop the long hood. Is that some sort of electronic horn on the cab? I am familiar with electronic bells, but not a horn?
     
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  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I posted this elsewhere, but I should probably be here as well.

    There are a few of these old GN switch stands scattered around the valley where I reside. A few seeing service as mail box stands, or holding up the family name sign at the entrance to a driveway. This one still had it's old number showing. If I could locate a booklet I was given many years ago, I could find out exactly where it was once employed:

    [​IMG]
     
  10. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    I believe that is a photon beam canon used for zapping ice sickles in tunnels. :confused::whistle:
     
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  11. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Milwaukee Road used them on all they're locos in the 70's, annoying as h*ll!
    o_O
     
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  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    They used two types. The earlier version was the Prime PM-516. Looked somewhat like a hand held megaphone standing vertically. Then came the Prime PM-733 which looked like a square belled horn setup. When new, both sounded like a bell with a slight hernia. It was not a clear, ringing peal. Then when time and weather had taken a toll, both sounded like a hernia with a towel shoved in- "doink, doink, doink". :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  13. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hmmm. Kinda looks like such a contraption!
     
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