Vintage trains

[Blackthorn]

Diamond Match Locomotive hauling logs, Ramsey Bar, Butte County, California, 1909.

 

[Fading Fast]

Okay, I first posted this in "The Things That Make You Smile" thread in the Observation Bar, but then thought, hey it might be more appreciated over here. Not our usually type of train offering, but I love the little fella.

How freakin' awesome is this little guy. Very throwback feeling technology:

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-public-library-book-train-conveyor-system-video-2016-9

This definitely brought a smile to my face. I just want to see it run with books in it. A trip to the library will have to happen soon.

 

[Stearmen]

Okay, I first posted this in "The Things That Make You Smile" thread in the Observation Bar, but then thought, hey it might be more appreciated over here. Not our usually type of train offering, but I love the little fella.

How freakin' awesome is this little guy. Very throwback feeling technology:

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-public-library-book-train-conveyor-system-video-2016-9

This definitely brought a smile to my face. I just want to see it run with books in it. A trip to the library will have to happen soon.

Wow, those little cars put any cog railway to shame with their climbing abilities!

 

[Stearmen]

 

[Fading Fast]

Wow, those little cars put any cog railway to shame with their climbing abilities!

I know - I was very impressed. I wish they had put some books in the cars as it would have been fun to see the books swinging as the train moved up some of those insane inclines.

 

[Denton]

Fading Fast, that is a lovely sight. I wonder about the difficulty of maintaining the system in working order -- I guess there must be alternate routes for occasions when parts of the track are being repaired?

 

[Fading Fast]

Fading Fast, that is a lovely sight. I wonder about the difficulty of maintaining the system in working order -- I guess there must be alternate routes for occasions when parts of the track are being repaired?

I assume they built a lot of good access for repair (that was my first concern), but your point is a good one. When the system is down, maybe it's the old-fashion solution - employees walk the books around?

And yes, just lovely to look at - something very gratifying to see such, basically, old technology being put to use. And it's just fun as heck to see the little guys doing their thing.

 

[Stearmen]

This get the old hart pumping. God I love steam!

 

[Fading Fast]

This get the old hart pumping. God I love steam!

Awesome to see a steam engine pulling a fleet of modern Amtrak cars - great post.

 

[Stearmen]

This sight must have had a lot of commuters checking their cell phones to see exactly which century they were in!

 

[Stearmen]

Two steam locomotives, plus a steam rotary plow!

 

[Blackthorn]

The steam tractor in the lead is a Best, and the tractor behind is a Holt. This was in the early 20th century in Butte County, CA.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Okay, it's a MODEL railroad... but it's steam and the train is mine.

 

[GJ nord]

some pics of Bo'ness and Kinneil railway museum I took in the summer.

underground carriage controls

interior of said carriage

bfk corridor carriage I think

 

[Blackthorn]

Butte Country Railroad, 1903

 

[52Styleline]

This Heisler Geared Steam Locomotive pulled strings of log cars from the camp where I lived to the reload for further shipping. It was Built in 1909 and was used by Kosmos Logging Company through the 1950's. It now in a logging museum.

 

[Fading Fast]

This is a cross post of a book review from the "What Are Your Reading" thread as I thought those who follow this thread might be interesting in this really good book on Grand Central Terminal:

"Grand Central" by David Marshall, first published 1946

My girlfriend and I love spending time in old bookstores and grabbed this one for a few bucks many years ago as it looked like it might be a fun read about an iconic building we love. For whatever reason, it sat on our shelf all this time until I pulled it down this weekend.

I'm only about a third of the way through it, but what a gem of a book. It's a very casual "study" (way too formal a word) of Grand Central Terminal - the building, the workers, the shops, the trains and its history. It's definitely for mass consumption - it's not academic, it's not train "geeky," it's just a fans book that is surprisingly well written. And since it was written in '46, you not only see the station back when it was still operating relatively close to its glory years, you pick up some cultural references and other of-the-period views that are always fun for Fedora Lounge members.

And the author knows how to tell a good story, pick out an interesting anecdote, incorporate some cool facts and history without being pedantic while keeping it all moving along swiftly. The few pages on how Vanderbilt cornered the market in several railroad companies - several times - to create the New York Central railroad, the parent of Grand Central, was engaging and quick so that those not into Wall Street machinations got the idea and felt the excitement without getting bogged down in details.

I'll update after I finish - but so far, a really fun read if you have any interest in the building and its history.

P.S. I just checked and Amazon has some decent copies for $10-15 bucks, but with some work, I bet a good copy could be had for less.

 

[Stearmen]

 

[GHT]

The Great Central Railway was the last trunk line built in the UK. It ran from London, up through Central England to Nottingham, which is on the east side of the country, before turning west and crossing to Manchester and Liverpool. The route was ripped up 50 years ago. We are about to spend squillions on building a similar route, but the original won't be resurrected, that would be an admission of guilt.
The Great Central has 18 miles of preserved line between the cities of Leicester & Nottingham, it's run as a heritage railway. There's some wonderful events held there. We were lucky enough to dine in one of their Pullman restaurant cars, but the one carriage that did catch my eye was the veranda car. Since the prohibition of tobacco in enclosed public places this carriage has become very popular with those who smoke. Can't see it catching on though.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

We visited the Pullman Historic District in Chicago a few years ago, and the old factory site itself...they filmed the 2002 Tom Hanks gangster movie "Road to Perdition" at several locations on the site.

Interesting history of the Pullman rail cars, the strike, and the company town.

Rob