I'm going to repost from about a month ago. I asked what the legacy of the Spreader was in this picture that was found in Roseville yard next to the Plow that got stuffed and mounted. Well, perusing the internet last night getting ready for a trip to portola for Railroad days, I found a shot of the same Spreader. It's the Feather River Spreader stationed at Portola. What's fascinating to me is how different the design is. I know the nature of the Canyon Sub is quite different from Donner, but I guess I'm shocked that even the Sierra Cement is different. Anyway, this appears to have been built for UP, not a former WP spreader, but I can't find much history. One website which is pretty empty on details.
I don't see these very often. A Sabine River and Northern Railroad box car. A Texas short line. (Very short at that.) http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eqs05
Well, if I get lucky, I should finally have a usable vehicle next week. Maybe I'll take the money from my custom decal order refund, buy gas and go see if I can spot a train or two. Then I can start catching up on these topics. Meanwhile, during the hottest weeks, I like to remember nice, cool, damp days. Such as this one, when the Seattle & North Coast RR ran an excursion:
Was the "bubble gum" up top original, or a sop to later regulations? I'm always kind of fascinated by the little changes to the old cab units to keep them "current," like the hatches added for mu cables.
All of the S&NC F units, (3 of them), were ex-GN. To be honest, I don't recall. I do have a few slides of the surplus/retired/dead line at Auburn, Washington, which is where these came from. I could look and see if they were on those. I am sure they were. Probably a Federal regulation. But don't know if possibly GN had put them on, pre-BN years.
Another nice set. I'm pretty sure the ditch lights are later adds, those are also kind of neat to see.
Is there a standard for placement of ditch lights? "X" height above rail head? "y" spacing between the pair? Seems as though there really is none, other than they must be present and working?
Found this reference to the FRA regulations: "According to the FRA these auxiliary lights, which must burn at 200,000 candela, would be situated on the front and rear pilots of a locomotive to form a triangle and be placed at least 36 inches above the rail head; they would also be located either 36 inches or 60 inches apart from one another depending on the distance from the primary headlight. In one final added measure of safety the lights would be required to flash alternately "at least 40 intervals per minute and no more than 180 intervals per minute."
Yeah. There are rules to them, but the rules are loose enough that they accomodate low headlight and high and light placement above and below pilot. All SD40-2s with the possible exception of some GMD Canadian units came without ditchlights. Ditch lights are however required to be on every lovo operating on the main.
I knew they were required. But have seen enough slightly different positions to wonder what was optional for placement.
The Circus comes to town. The Red train parked next to Reliant Center (near the old Astrodome) this week. Bret Lamb photo.
