Pierce you definately have a point, this thread has been very informative. As I work on infrastructure I enjoy seeing rail items from other parts of the world. This topic has my support for its own forum.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peirce: Back to infrastructure items. Here is something that has gone from very common to very rare. I am not going to name it just yet. It would be interesting to see how many of the "younger" members of our little group recognize it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Peirce, first I want to say that this "thread" is great, thanks for starting it! Yes, I agree that it should be a separate forum topic. There are just too many infrastructure items that alot of people may have seen, but know nothing about. Second, we used to call your structure a "mail crane". We had one at Hoosick, NY that was serviced by the Boston & Maine's Minute Man every weekday afternoon. However, our crane was gravity operated, not spring-loaded. We lifted the top arm and attached the upper mailbag ring. Then we raised the lower arm and hooked the lower mailbag ring. The lower arm latched the upper arm in place. Both arms had trailing "fingers", which allowed the bag to fly freely. When the bag was snatched by the hook and flew off the arms, the lower arm dropped, immediately dropping the upper arm. Just before the hook snagged the outgoing bag, the hook operator kicked the incoming bag out the door. Hopefully, he kicked hard enough so that the bag wasn't sucked back under the wheels, but occassionally ..... Hank
I was just wondering- When is this going to get it's own forum. This has been my favorite thread that I have seen since I came here. Keep it up folks.
Peirce, no trains in this. Photo taken in June 1906. I won't reveal the location as it is interactive with another thread.
Something I took back in 99 just west of Glencoe, MN. TCWR US DOT/ARR crossbuck ID plate on weathered post. Gary.
Fitz - Excellent old picture. It looks like there are a couple of people in the center. Can you manipulate the picture to increase the contrast and see of they are there and make them more visible? Having people included in a picture accomplishes two things. One, it adds life to the picture. Second, it gives a sense of scale. This is especially true in pictures such as yours. Gats - Good eye for detail. Little things like this that all have their important role.
Pierce, I don't know if I can enhance my scan. I may try later. The original is pretty fuzzy, but you can see hats (typical for that time) and a guy who would get run out of the yard today. The one in the white shirt is standing smack dab on a frog, on the rails. BTW that is Collinwood Yard near Cleveland on the NY Central, correctly identified in the NYC forum by Roger Hensley.
Did anybody notice the switches have no guard rails? There are keeper flanges at the frogs, that guide the wheel flange away from the point of the frog! I haven't seen these in years. They may not even make them any more.
Here is the pic of the coupler that I told about: Special thanks to Robin Matt. for scanning it for me.
Here are two questions for everybody who has been participating in this thread. They are both related to discussions I have had with the TrainBoard admin. relative to the possibliliy of making this thread a forum. Which main category of fora do you feel this should be under? Such as "On the Rails" or whatever. Keep in mind that the original purpose of this thread was to get us, as photographers, to look beyond the obvious and give some attention to all those little details necessary to make those trains operate safely. That purpose has now grown to include some very excellent information, in picture form, for the model railroad community, and beyond. Your support and contributions to this thread have exceeded my expectation. I thank you for that. Keep'um coming. Based on my observations elsewhere, we have the liveliest and most knowledgable group of any train site I have visited. [ 03 April 2001: Message edited by: Peirce ]
Pierce, Congratulations on the forum. I would have thought the new forum to be placed with "On the rails" but after reading your last post I suppose it could fit into a number of places including photography, lets see what the members think. As for moderating the forum I could assist you although I feel I already moderate enough. I'd be quite happy to co-moderate for a couple of months until you got the idea to take it over yourself.
Thanks, Pierce. At the time of taking the photo, I didn't notice the wood grain at all. I was checking out the surfacing gang working a couple of mile west of Glencoe on the TC&W and wandered up the dirt road to the track. I thought the plate would be a nice addition to the photo collection. The post detail in the resulting shot was great. I have a framed 8"x10" blow-up on the wall! As for a co-moderator for the new forum, I would be happy to assist as well. Gary.
I am delighted that this thread has now found a home of it's own! Thanks Pierce for your persistence. This should give us modellers lots of ideas
Here is a shot taken by a gandy dancer during lunch break. It also shows the silver "Bungalow" on the left that Gregg mentioned in another Topic here. The main point of interest is the signal light arrangement on the right and someone else will have to tell us what the other stuff is, it is probably used on all railroads besides the BNSF. [ 18 July 2001: Message edited by: watash ]</p>
Hank, and guys, I appologize for the lack of photos from me right now. Southwest Bell lines are down from the Storms around here, some of which service my server. My webmasted has been livid with rage that SWB has put repairs on their back burner, telling him they will repair people's home lines before they look at business lines servibg the internet. They expected to have our hookup made today, but as you see it isn't done yet. Nothing I can do about it.
Peirce, you are correct, those things that look like spare ties laying between the rails are the flame hoods of a switch heater. Yes the fuel tanks can be seen in front of a tool and control bungalow for the signals, derail, and mainline switch. Those are common in snow country, but not seen in the south. Also, note the mainline switch is set to allow train movement off line into a yard or industrial complex. A little along the siding, note a split rail derailing installation that protects the mainline from movements in the yard. A stray coasting box car would be derailed to prevent it from maybe going onto the mainline and on into a town or head on into an approaching train. This derail is a type that is remotely controlled by a dispatcher, (as is the mainline switch), and is probably why the work train is presently stopped. Also a note about flange oilers. I understand the oilers have a nasty tendancy to be right where the track dogs want them, but that is usually the place engineers don't want them! Oilers tend to be put where it is thought that flange wear will occur, like on grades and some curves. Of course everytime a wheel rolls over this oiler, a button pump gives a squirt of heavy grease that hits each wheel, and eventually some always migrates onto the rail head, and wheel's tread, and Zinggo!!.. you get a busted knuckle! Unfortunately just when you are pulling hard and really need all the traction you can get, if you hit one of these, your wheels will suddenly spin, slowing up the engine which bunches the near couplers, then just as suddenly you get traction again, and off to the races we go until you hit that solid impact of no more slack in the coupers, and BOOM, you are running free, and watching your string of cars fading into the mists back down the mountain! You can't quick like a bunny run and catch them, there is nothing left to catch them with. It pays to know where these oilers are, and how best to get over them. It is a good thing that brakes are applied as soon as the air hoses part, or you would have a real runnaway that could prove fatal.
