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Thread: Intercity Passenger Rail

  1. #481
    Las Vegas Railway express will be offering service to Vegas and they will offer this service nationwide.
    http://www.marketwire.com/press-rele...RN-1813330.htm
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2ScB...n8JjPPg4XBDFjQ
    Not to be confused with xpresswest which failed due to lack of government funding this uses no such funding. I think I will use it to go to vegas for CES.
    -Freeman On The Land



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  3. #482
    http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/12/elon-musk-hyperloop/
    http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/def...loop-alpha.pdf
    It seems better than those non high speed rail proposals. Hopefully I live to see it exist.
    -Freeman On The Land

  4. #483

  5. #484
    New England Steam Corp.

    http://www.newenglandsteam.org/home

    Just started, a new project to return standard gauge steam power to Maine.

    The plan is to restore MEC 470, which has been on static display in Waterville for 60 years, to active service.



    Maine Central 4-6-2 "Pacific"-type locomotive #470 was built in May of 1924 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, NY as serial #65555 and at a cost of $62,296.90. She pulled passenger trains for thirty years, including name trains The Gull, The Bar Harbor Express, and the Kennebec Limited between Boston, MA and Bangor, ME. On June 13, 1954, #470 was the last steam locomotive operated by Maine Central Railroad, making a publicized run from Portland to Bangor, ME and back. After the historic journey, #470 was brought to the Maine Central's Waterville, ME shop, where it was weatherized. On June 17, 1954, it was pulled onto its first plinth in front of the Waterville station, ending the age of American steam in Maine.

    On October 28, 1962, during the 100th Anniversary of the Maine Central Railroad celebration, #470 was officially presented to the city of Waterville. A few days later, #470 was removed from its display and returned to the Waterville yard due to construction of the College Avenue underpass. On December 14, 1970, #470 was moved to its current position and re-dedicated on August 14, 1971. Most of the current damage to #470 is a result of Maine's extreme climate, vandalism, and asbestos abatement efforts.

    In cooperation with the City of Waterville, New England Steam Corporation's goal is to turn back time, bring #470 back to how it appeared in its service years, and restore the locomotive to operating status once more. The economic and educational merits of a returning live steam to "Vacationland" will provide much benefit for the newer generations that have never experienced the "Iron Horse," as well as bring back fond memories for those who remember and miss an important era in both American and Maine's history.
    Last edited by Anti Federalist; 11-20-2013 at 10:06 PM.

  6. #485
    Thanks for the good news. And welcome home.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  7. #486
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Thanks for the good news. And welcome home.
    You're welcome, and thank you.

  8. #487
    'What does the experience of the railroads tell us about the American way of competition and regulation? Obviously it suggests that the usual time lag between policy and reality has grown steadily worse over the years. Regulatory policy, like old generals, seems doomed always to fight the last war, partly because in our system it takes so long to recognize new problems and then to build a concensus for change. At bottom regulation involves a quest for some viable equation reconciling economic efficiency, social justice, and political acceptability. The more complex regulatory mechanisms become, the more difficult it is to adjust them or get rid of them when necessary, let alone tie them to these objectives.

    'Since the pace of change wrought by new technology continues to gain speed, the gap between policy and reality widens daily despite all efforts to close it. In the modern world policy cannot possibly keep pace with change of all kinds.'--Maury Klein
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  9. #488
    Couple more pics of the Maine Central 470 on static display in Waterville:





    She's rough on the surface, but is in relatively good shape mechanically and all the pieces are there.

    This should be an easy restoration, if the funds can be raised.



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  11. #489
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Couple more pics of the Maine Central 470 on static display in Waterville:

    She's rough on the surface, but is in relatively good shape mechanically and all the pieces are there.

    This should be an easy restoration, if the funds can be raised.
    She's an awfully conservative design for '24, with less than 200 psi in her boiler and less than 650 square feet of superheater. But at 261,000 pounds and a max axle loading at about 60,000, she's actually a great candidate for restoration--and all the more so for 73" drivers that make her fast (but not too fast) yet give her good pulling ability.

    I sure hope we get to hear the bark of her stack again echoing in the frosty Maine air soon.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 11-24-2013 at 12:00 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  12. #490
    Inspired by my post count again...



    I love those unique wheels the Santa Fe used in rebuilding their late Pacifics and early Hudsons.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 11-28-2013 at 02:25 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  13. #491
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    I sure hope we get to hear the bark of her stack again echoing in the frosty Maine air soon.
    Along with a long, sonorous whistle.

    I'll drink to that brother.

    Last edited by Anti Federalist; 11-28-2013 at 04:52 PM.

  14. #492
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    She's an awfully conservative design for '24, with less than 200 psi in her boiler and less than 650 square feet of superheater. But at 261,000 pounds and a max axle loading at about 60,000, she's actually a great candidate for restoration--and all the more so for 73" drivers that make her fast (but not too fast) yet give her good pulling ability.
    I'm guessing that was due to the road she was intended to used on.

    Fairly short and not a whole lot of straight, flat runs of track where a "tuned", 300 psi, locomotive would shine.

  15. #493
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    I'm guessing that was due to the road she was intended to used on.

    Fairly short and not a whole lot of straight, flat runs of track where a "tuned", 300 psi, locomotive would shine.
    No doubt. But all that makes her a perfect candidate for modern day excursion service. She'll be better sited to curvature, easier on the rail, and less expensive to maintain.

    And she's not only plenty fast at 90 mph or better, but she's as pretty a Pacific as any. And that sure makes her prettier than the vast majority of steamers, and any diesel.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  16. #494
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    No doubt. But all that makes her a perfect candidate for modern day excursion service. She'll be better sited to curvature, easier on the rail, and less expensive to maintain.
    Talking to a few people up here "in the know", those are exactly some of the criteria that were used to choose the 470 over a couple of other options.

    And she's not only plenty fast at 90 mph or better, but she's as pretty a Pacific as any. And that sure makes her prettier than the vast majority of steamers, and any diesel.
    Hell, I'd get a tear in my eye to see her at 60.


  17. #495
    Another inspirational post count.

    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8BXipi...%3DO8BXipiLfwA
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  18. #496
    The third and final vote to sell #470 passed the other day.

    http://www.newenglandsteam.org/news

    NESCo will take possession in the next week or two.

    $25,000 was the price.



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  20. #497
    Visited Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington's narrow gauge operation today.



    Their annual Christmas function.

    A well tuned operation, well worth the visit if you live in the area.

    And Maine Narrow Gauge Museum the day before.


  21. #498

  22. #499
    Hey AF. If you are into trains you might want to check out some books by a highschool friend of mine. I also worked for him as a graphic designer for a local tabloid back in the day. He built a small track and laid in a caboose in front of the production shop back in the day. Had a track running along the ceiling of the workspace in... I don't remember but it was larger than HO scale. Here are some of his books if you get a hankering for history......

    http://www.tarheelpress.com/page2.html

  23. #500
    Quote Originally Posted by phill4paul View Post
    Hey AF. If you are into trains you might want to check out some books by a highschool friend of mine. I also worked for him as a graphic designer for a local tabloid back in the day. He built a small track and laid in a caboose in front of the production shop back in the day. Had a track running along the ceiling of the workspace in... I don't remember but it was larger than HO scale. Here are some of his books if you get a hankering for history......

    http://www.tarheelpress.com/page2.html
    Thanks brother, I missed that.

  24. #501
    UP 4014 update.


  25. #502

  26. #503

  27. #504


    Class engine 507. Sister 510 was among the engines that worked the Coyote Special in 1905.

    http://www.cprr.org/Museum/Scott_Special_1905.html

    Losee ran engine No. 510 from Ft. Madison to Chillicothe, 105 miles, in 101 minutes, changing at the latter point to clear track into Chicago, with every switch spiked and the entire operating department standing on its toes "rooting."
    Last edited by acptulsa; 04-02-2014 at 03:03 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...



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  29. #505

  30. #506
    Last edited by acptulsa; 06-06-2014 at 10:35 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  31. #507
    My brother sent this to me the other day.

    In stunning condition, Strasbourg knows their $#@!.

    They use their engines in revenue freight service as well. IIRC this is the only surviving operational 2-10-0 Decapod in the US.

    Last edited by Anti Federalist; 06-19-2014 at 05:21 PM.

  32. #508
    Just saw--and heard--a pair of genuine EMD SD-40s (by General Motors, before EMD was sold to Caterpillar). One was even still in Santa Fe paint.



    Those big old two-stroke diesels sure sound different from the GE four-strokers...
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  33. #509
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Those big old two-stroke diesels sure sound different from the GE four-strokers...
    I've run vessels with twin 20 cylinder EMD power.

    Shaft drive, air controlled with dual speed Falk gearboxes.

    What a racket.

  34. #510
    Lots of rare Maine 2' film.


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