CJT, I was merely giving historical information for your enjoyment, not intending to argue or put you down.
Wreck on the C&NW at Barrington, IL crunched Way Car (that's C&NW parlance for Caboose) 11083T. I forget the details of the incident at this late date. Photo taken 7/16/1976.
Yikes! Crunched on the brink of mangled, I'd say. And nicely placed across the tracks, too. Must have been quite a ride for the crew!
A semaphore with the blade fixed in the approach position like that is commonly used as a poor man's distant signal in advance of an automatic interlocking. If the speed on the track is 25 or lower, it should be an approach at all times. In those cases where the speed is higher than 25 mph, a fixed semaphore is just a cheap way to protect the automatic interlocking with a distant signal that's not actually tied into the signals at the interlocking. A functioning distant signal in advance of an automatic interlocking will either display green if the interlocking is clear or yellow if it is occupied. By rule, if your speed is reduced below 25 mph you proceed prepared to stop short of a stop indication at the interlocking until the train is within 1000 feet of the interlocking and the signal displays a proceed indication.
This is a view not documented often enough. Motive power, or rolling stock. How many times have we seen posts from people fruitlessly searching for a rooftop photo?
I drove by this bridge today as the flood water rises under it. The flood will crest on the Brazos here tomorrow but still much lower than this from 1899.
A Quebec-Gatineau train that came by just as I stepped onto the platform to wait for the commuter train. I just had the time to whip my cellphone out. Three SD40-3s, all former GCFX (GEC Alsthom) units, all started off as CN SD40s: In the lead: QGRY_6904a by Mike VE2TRV posted May 31, 2016 at 8:29 PM the second one of the trio: QGRY_6920a by Mike VE2TRV posted May 31, 2016 at 8:30 PM and bringing up the rear, in full QGRY colours: QGRY_3325a by Mike VE2TRV posted May 31, 2016 at 8:27 PM 6904 and 6920 are just patched over the original GCFX letters. Nice to see these workhorses still pulling their weight after nearly a half century of service. EMD built them tough.
Looking at a map of Q-G RY, I notice a gap in roughly the middle of their line. Do they have some trackage rights, in order to get all the way from Quebec City to Ottawa? I am sure they do at each end?
They have trackage rights over CP through Laval and Montreal. The link between the Quebec part and the Gatineau part is over a short stretch of CP's Parc Subdivision, between St-Martin Jct. and Ste-Therese (my home town). The AMT (local transit agency) runs the Montreal to St-Jerome line over the CP Parc sub. It's been a long time since I've seen any CP action over this stretch of track. It's either AMT or QGRY. Back in the 70s, through my home town, there was a lot of MLW power assigned. Seeing an EMD was a real treat at the time. There still was passenger service via RDCs, when the line went all the way up to Mont-Laurier. Now it ends at St-Jerome, the track ripped up north of there for a bike path (or what they call a "linear park").
Former PRR AR Tower at the summit at Gallitzin, PA. Photo taken 10/19/1994. I think AR got its designation from Allegheny Ridge. AR has since closed, but I think it still stands. There used to be (and may still be) a loop track behind AR that was used to turn helpers.
Speaking of the loop track, I found a shot I took on 04/05/1989 of helpers using the track. That's AR to the right. I sure miss 'Big Blue'. I think it rained nearly the entire week I was there.
