blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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 | | 05/06/2008 1:41 PM |
| Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/06/2008 1:24 PM
Didn't I warn you about posting pictures of such abominations!!!!!!!!!!
I just couldn't help myself. | |
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Torby
1st Class Member
North Chicago 'burbs.
Engineer
Posts:1662
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| | 05/06/2008 4:00 PM |
| | I think you need Psychological intervention[:o] | |
 "If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/06/2008 5:08 PM |
| Posted By Torby on 05/06/2008 4:00 PM
I think you need Psychological intervention
Not really. I just find the Milwaukee Road Atlantic Class A to be historically-interesting.
I won't be using this model of locomotive on my LS in any case.
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pfdx
Brakeman
Posts:20
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| | 05/06/2008 5:48 PM |
| The Milwaukee Road Class A is more than historically intersting it is technologically interesting as well.
It was designed for one thing: speed. With 84" drivers and a 275psi boiler it could keep up or out pace anything on the US rails in 1934. It is also a front connected main rod, meaning the mainrod is attached to the first driver giving the engine a longer wheelbase and greater stability at speed. A charistic of a true racehorse. They were also built by alco with the streamlining.
It's intended competition was the CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr and C&NW 400 between Chicago and Minneapolis. The 400 was so named because is traveled the 400 mile between the cities in 400 minutes, and that included station stops.
One of the classic analogies of the Hiawatha service is there is a curve west of Chicago where the Milwaukee turned north and the timetable listed the speed restriction as "90mph brakes released"
They remained in service until close to the end of steam alongside the Milwaukee's Baltic class (4-6-4) that would give the NYC's Hudson's and run for their money.
And having extolled their virtues yes they are rather ugly but along with the N&W J's they are probabily the cleanest looking US streamlined steam and the A's were spared the uglyness of most superpower engines that followed.
So you may flame away at will...
we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussions. | | | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/06/2008 6:20 PM |
| Posted By pfdx on 05/06/2008 5:48 PM
The Milwaukee Road Class A is more than historically intersting it is technologically interesting as well. It was designed for one thing: speed. With 84" drivers and a 275psi boiler it could keep up or out pace anything on the US rails in 1934. It is also a front connected main rod, meaning the mainrod is attached to the first driver giving the engine a longer wheelbase and greater stability at speed. A charistic of a true racehorse. They were also built by alco with the streamlining. It's intended competition was the CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr and C&NW 400 between Chicago and Minneapolis. The 400 was so named because is traveled the 400 mile between the cities in 400 minutes, and that included station stops. One of the classic analogies of the Hiawatha service is there is a curve west of Chicago where the Milwaukee turned north and the timetable listed the speed restriction as "90mph brakes released" They remained in service until close to the end of steam alongside the Milwaukee's Baltic class (4-6-4) that would give the NYC's Hudson's and run for their money. And having extolled their virtues yes they are rather ugly but along with the N&W J's they are probabily the cleanest looking US streamlined steam and the A's were spared the uglyness of most superpower engines that followed. So you may flame away at will... we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussions.
There you go !ÂThank you for that wonderful contribution.
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Semper Vaporo
1st Class Member
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Engineer
Posts:1217
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| | 05/06/2008 8:47 PM |
| | Yer jus' eggin' me on, ain't cha? | |
 C. T. McCullough
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
SA #37469
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/06/2008 8:59 PM |
| Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/06/2008 8:47 PM
Yer jus' eggin' me on, ain't cha?
So what you're saying is the Atlantic Class A would not be your first modeling choice for your large-scale railroad?
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Semper Vaporo
1st Class Member
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Engineer
Posts:1217
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| | 05/06/2008 9:32 PM |
| | (Sigh!) | |
C. T. McCullough
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
SA #37469
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/07/2008 12:13 PM |
| | All the posts for the final 96-foot segment which will complete the western loop are now in place. Additionally, I have advanced the railbed over those posts for most of that distance in the last two days. The remaining railbed, if not the rails themselves, could possibly be in place by late today. | |
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flatracker
1st Class Member
Dunlap, TN
Foreman
Posts:143
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/08/2008 10:10 AM |
| Posted By flatracker on 05/08/2008 5:31 AM
! I know you will be glad to finish that and be able to get something running on all of it in the near future! I hope to see some machinery chuggig along through all your hard work . . .
All the railbed and supports were finally in place by last night. I am now in a position to add the track, then the guardrails. This IS a very big deal, finally making the Phase II line fully operational. I do look forward to finally operating this line. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/09/2008 12:42 PM |
| I am still working on the decking. I have had to do some re-leveling and am still debating where to widen the top for sidings I need to park the additional consists.
Once the leveling and surfacing is completed, I can lay the track and install the guard rails to prevent the trains from taking a fatal plunge.
A tentative deck has been laid but not permanently attached. At some point all of the surface will have to be painted even though almost everything here is heavily-treated lumber. (click)
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/09/2008 1:07 PM |
| Weather-wise the trend is looking good for completing this segment in time for Memorial Weekend:
Copper Center Accu-weather forecast for the 15 days begining Friday, May 9, 2008
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
Conductor
Posts:544
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| | 05/09/2008 2:18 PM |
| one thing for sure:
if i ever happen to come north again, i'll take a day or two to get a drink at your bar.
how many foot of track did you lay down in total? | |
 construction site - keep off! | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/09/2008 6:19 PM |
| Posted By kormsen on 05/09/2008 2:18 PM
one thing for sure: if i ever happen to come north again, i'll take a day or two to get a drink at your bar. how many foot of track did you lay down in total?
I don't really know. The amount is not all that important to me. The Phase II line does span an area in excess of 300 feet with wide loops on each end. The east end is approximately 24 feet across. The west loop is much larger because it has to bend around a large building. I once estimated that the original Phase I line included about 450 feet of track, but I have simplified the run somewhat and reduced that amount in the process. The extra track is going into the Phase II line, which is considerably larger.
I can say this, every hundred feet of new track is one heck of an effort ! This latest segment will about do it for me for the season. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/09/2008 11:09 PM |
| | Placing the decking has taken longer than I anticipated. I had to redo the curve because I realized the bed was not level at the turn. That required me to tear out the supports and almost start over. Now all the bed for the new section is in place and awaiting guard rails, paint and the track itself--finally. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/11/2008 12:14 PM |
| I found the deck paint I was using last year and went ahead with it. The (roughly) 100-foot-long new rail is now ready for the track. Here are the east-end views (click):
I made the deck wider on the east end to accommodate a couple of short sidings. Below you see the point where a right-hand switch will be installed to head off down the new west loop.
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/11/2008 2:43 PM |
| West end of west loop:
Today I am installing the track and possibly the guard rails. Then I have to inspect the connecting track on either end to ensure that it is ready to accept the first (late) train of the season.
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 05/11/2008 2:56 PM |
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Torby
1st Class Member
North Chicago 'burbs.
Engineer
Posts:1662
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| | 05/11/2008 4:53 PM |
| | I have to get to Alaska someday. | |
"If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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