JAMIE'S RANDOM AMERICAN RAILWAY PHOTOS.

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a cool Charente.   The tardis is in Rochelle Railroad Park, Il. Tony and I were enjoying the parade of trains .  However the poor welder had to be on the alert.

 

This photo was taken only two minutes after the previous one. You can see his gear just below and to the left of the loco.

The park is a great place with a shelter that has loudpeakers from both BNSF and UP radio channels. It also has this rather nice plinthed loco.  I believe that it was built in Rochelle.

Then on to De Kalb for the night.   Dinner at the Grand Junction restaurant which had an LGB line running round above head height and lots of memorabilia, including a picture of a Stanier Duchess above the till. The food was good and the waitress very pleasant.  Our motel was next to the tracks and I could hear the trains coming then nip out of the room and take the number as the streetlights reflected off the dayglo strips that surround the numerals.  The next morning, the 26th we headed into Elburn to catch a Metra train into town. After buyg our tickets we headed for the El which was above us.

These junctions are incredibly tight.

Then we headed south on a line that took us to Midway airport (IIRC) and over the southbound lines out of Union.

One of the iconic drawbidges.

Then we took a Metra electric train from Randolph Street south passing a Metra Maintenance of Way vehicle en route.

Jamie

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a rather cool but bright Charente.  The tardis is in Chicago, Il, on the 26th September 2012. From Randolph Street we went south to South Kensington where an ex IC set was heading south.

There had been work on a new connection from the South Shore line had been installed and some new wiring erected.  Here a South Shore line train is coming in from the east to join the ex IC tracks.

And then headed north. The new style OHLE stanchions are visible on the right.

Then back into the loop area where it was obligatory to get a photo of an El train.

Then down to Roosevelt Road and the tracks that come out of La Salle Street.  A Metra service heads into the station.

Then a rather smokey loco headed south, as another empty stock train waits to head in.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

I'd like to see the La Salle Street throat constructed in Peco code 83... although they haven't released a crossing of the correct angle to form a #6 scissors crossing.   There's an Atlas one that will work, but the rail section is different to the Peco so it's not a flawless fit.

[jamie92208]

4 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

I'd like to see the La Salle Street throat constructed in Peco code 83... although they haven't released a crossing of the correct angle to form a #6 scissors crossing.   There's an Atlas one that will work, but the rail section is different to the Peco so it's not a flawless fit.

Simples, build your own.  

 

Jamie

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

4 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Simples, build your own.  

 

Jamie

 

I had a crack at it.  It was not pretty!

[jamie92208]

Just now, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

I had a crack at it.  It was not pretty!

Make another one then. It took me several attempts to get point twork that worked well. I eventualy managed a single slip that has a baseboard joint in the middle of it, and it works. Good luck.

 

Jamie

 

 

[MOB FAN]

Regarding the locomotive in Rochelle - Whitcomb built locomotives in Rochelle until 1952 when production was moved to the Baldwin plant in Eddystone, Pennsylvania.

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a frosty but clear and still Charente. The tardis is still in Chicago on 26th September 2012.

After watching the moves at La Salle we continued along Roosevelt Road and stood above the tracks out of Union Station. It must be one of the great train watching places in the US. Here a Metra working powers past the Amtral coach yards.

And the BNSF line trains still queue to get into the station, no E units though as there were on my first visit n 1978.  

Then it was up to the Ogilvie transportation centre and time to catch out train back to Elburn then on to De Kalb.   Another good meal in the Grand Junction and some trainwatching at the back of the motel.  The next morning we headed into town and stopped and took a photo of the old North Western depot at De Kalb with it's distinctive octagonal tower.

And a snatched photo as we crossed the tracks of another reminder of the steam era.

Then into town, a tour round Proviso yard's exterior then to Elmhurst for lunch wehre we watched the parade of trains heading west out of Proviso.   There was an excellent eatery and also a model shop in the same block as the station on the west side of the block.

Then it was time to head for O'Hare to meet the other two member of our party for the start of our serious research into old trams. They were picked up safely and then we headed out into Indiana and Michigan City to take some photos of the street running in the gathering gloom.  We were all members of the Leeds Transport Historical Society.  From left to right, Ian Dougill, chairman, Tony Cowell, treasurer and Jim Soper committee member and historian. The photo was taken by the society secretary.  We realised that we were quorate for a committee meeting.   Rather sadly both Jim and Ian have died n the past 12 months.

And this is what we were waiting for, a South Shire line train heading down the street.

Jamie

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather frosty place.  The tardis though is in Michigan City, Indiana on 27th September 2012. The South Shore line train was heading down the street.  Some lads in a room opposite couldn't understand what we were interested in.  sadly the street running will cease when a current project to build a bypass line is finished.

Our project was to measure up surviving old trams from the 1890's t help us construct a replica of the first electric trams in Leeds.  These were built in New York in 1891 with Thompson Houston Electrical equipment and brought to Leeds where an unused stretch of track was leased as a technology demonstrator.  This ws the origin of British Thompson Houston (BTH). The cars were a sort of hybrid between a horse car, which was basically a 4 wheeled wooden wagon; and an electric tram which usually has a separate steel truck that carried the motors and acted as a sort of sub frame to a wooden body.  

 

We stopped the night at Fort Wayne and then continued on to Columbus, Ohio where they had a restored horse tram and as we discovered an unrestored 1895 electric tram from the same builders as the Leeds ones. This was the beauty that we were shown in their off site store the next day.  It had run as was until the 1920's then been put in a barn.

All the equipment was original such as this 500v reversing swith that still worked.

And an early Thompson Houston electric motor with carbon brushes that still worked.   I wanted to put one in my luggage but thought that the museum might notice.

Then it was back on the road again, across the tip of West Virginia, then Pennsylvania with a stop at Allentown. Then on across New Jersey and the New Jersey Turnpike where we didn't count the cars.

Then across the George Washington bridge and on into Connecticut to the Seashore trolley museum at Branford where this car welcomed us at the entrance.

There was also some less impressive technology on display.

Jamie

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[ChrisH-UK]

Wow, seems like your trip went into express mode once you met up with the rest of your party. Glad you stopped in Michigan City though, I was introduced to it by friends so good that they became family, one of whom grew up right there, and I needed a reminder to get back there and ride the line. 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, ChrisH-UK said:

Wow, seems like your trip went into express mode once you met up with the rest of your party. Glad you stopped in Michigan City though, I was introduced to it by friends so good that they became family, one of whom grew up right there, and I needed a reminder to get back there and ride the line. 

Yes we did get a move on. Ian and Jim had no interezt in Trains but Tony and I both wanted to make the most of our trip across the pond so that's why the trip was planned like it was with the relevant museum locations deciding the 2nd part of the route. Ian had good contacts in that area. Yes Pennsylvania  was another long state, similar to Iowa and Nebraska.  We even had a spreadsheet running to divvy up the expenses with us all taking it in turns to oay for meals, gas, tolls etc, as well as the $300 one way fee on the hire car.  By the time we were in Amish country we were starting to get strange looks when they saw the California plates.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather frosty Charente.  There was going to be a 10 day pause whilst we spent Christmas in the UK but at the last minute that trip was aborted due to one of the kids catching Covid.  he's doing Ok at the moment and we are now getting back into our routine in La France Profonde.  The tardis however is still if Branford, CT and it's 30th September 2012. We spent the afternoon measuring the original Bemis truck on this 1896 car No 61 from Rhode Island. The next day we had it over a pit and spent more time measuring the ingenious castings where one pattern was able to produce each of the four main corner castings.  After jacking the car up to take a bearing apart and photograph the parts we shunted it out of the shop and I managed this photo, complete with grease smudge on the lens.

The museum is built round a surviving part of an interurban and w were given a ride along the line through the lovely tidal shoreline scenery.

At the end of the track the rails just disappear under a road and apparently are still there for some distance. The trolley was turned round and we set off back.

I insisted on taking an hour out to see some trains on the North east Corridor.  Ian somehow discovered an interest in trains and came out to take some photos.  Here an Amtrak Acela Unit heads past.

Built by Alstom using TGV technology.   I believe that a new generation is now testing.

There was also a freight powered and operated by the Providence and Worcester.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[New Haven Neil]

The similarity of the bodywork of Car 61 and our Milnes-built early cars (1893) is astonishing - Mr Milnes ripped them off it would appear.

[jamie92208]

On 21/12/2021 at 09:27, New Haven Neil said:

The similarity of the bodywork of Car 61 and our Milnes-built early cars (1893) is astonishing - Mr Milnes ripped them off it would appear.

The history is interesting.   Tram technology was developed in the US as an attempt to provide local service on the main lines, thus they were called Street Railways.  This was exported to the UK with George Francis Train, a colourful fraudster, financier, bringing it to Liverpool in, IIRC, 1860.  The good people of The Pool didn't want his tracks in their roads so he was shunted across the water to Birkenhead.  There he laid the first street tramway and also established a tramcar works in Cleveland Street.  He installed a works foreman called George Starbuck.  Thus the very early cars built in the UK were known as Starbuck cars.  Some years later George went back to his native Seattle and his foreman, G F Milnes took over.  Milnes later over expanded and the firm was taken over by Dick Kerr which became English Electric at Preston, that later became Alstom via various other mergers and made traction motors until fairly recently in Preston.  Similarly, Thompson Houston set up BTH who supplied a lot of the UK's early electrical machines.   Our horse tram was a Milnes car built at the same time as several of the Manx ones.  In fact I reverse engineered the gravity operated bell system from the Milnes Manx car at Crich, to fit onto 107 as many of the details were identical.  The works still stand in Cleveland Street with a Blue Plaque on them. This was in 2005 on a research trip. Sadly none of the party shown are still with us.  Jim Soper is on the left.

There was another works building a little bit further down the road.  Birkenhead trams ran along this road and most cars were tested there.

So 107 and your Manx cars came out of one of those sets of doors.

Jamie

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Anyway, despite our excursion into the history of street railways yesterday the tardis is still in Branford, CT and it's the 1st October 2012. We spent the rest of the  day measuring up wheel bearings etc.  Then back trackside where first of all an Amtrak unit headed south.

And headed off towards New Haven and New York.

A rainstorm had just finished but I didn't manage to get a photo of the rainbow with a train below it.

There was a rather nice sunset behind me though.

I ws hopeng to get a shot of a Swedish Meatball, aka an AEM7 but this Acela came along.

The next morning we sat this rather large girder being manoeuvred into position ready for installation as part of ongoing upgrade works.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a slightly warmer Charente but it's still dry.  The tardis has now moved on the Kennebunkport, Maine and it's the 2nd October 2012.  We had driven up through new Hampshire and Massachusetts, and I believe a little bit of Rhode Island to the Seashore Trolley museum.  There we were warmly welcomed and set to work measuring up the two Bemis trucks that they had.  The one we spent most time on had been preserved in a freshwater swamp and had been dismantled. The other was under a car that was undergoing restoration. Having the truck dismantled helped us to get many details that we needed.

The weather was warm enough to work outside and we used a partially restored truck from a Blackpool tram as a parts stand.

The museum is an eclectic selection of sheds in extensive grounds.

 

The fall colours were just starting.  The next morning we continued our taks this time working on the brake gear.

Lunch was taken in Kennebunkport and I had to do the obligatory dip of my toes in the Atlantic, it was cold. We were also shown the Bush compound on a sort of island with various guard huts round it.

After lunch I was shown an actual 1890's controller rheostat and spent some time working out the wiring and the shunts on it.

There will be more railed transport in the next set.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[New Haven Neil]

Thanks for the griff, Jamie, very interesting.  I wasn't aware of the progression of Train/Starbuck/Milnes.

 

The car at Crich is one of the Douglas Southern Electric Tramway units of course, oddly standard gauge....well broad gauge really.....as three foot is standard gauge here!

 

Keep 'em coming!

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a slightly damp Charente.  The Tardis is still in Kennebunkport, ME on 3rd October 2012 Here's the makers plate from the rheostat.

Before we left our hosts at Seashore we couldn't resist a trip on their tramway.  There were a couple of trams running that day including this car which I think is ex Sydney.

On our trip we passed this beauty that was lurking in the trees.  I have a soft spot for electric locos.

Then we walked up to one of the car barns and saw this parked up.  A London RT that needs a bit of tlc.

I've mentioned the 107 project.   This was 107 when it was found in a garden in East Leeds in 1977. The last surviving Leeds horse tram built in 1989 and withdrawn in 1901.

It sat in a garage till 2002 then over the next 8 years a small team restored it to running order.  This is what it looked like in August 2013.

And this was going to be our next project, a Roundhay Electric.  This is what we were researching on this trip.  Sadly for a variety of reasons it never got built.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[PhilJ W]

The RT is in fact an RTL and looks too far gone to be restored.

[Johann Marsbar]

On 24/12/2021 at 09:48, PhilJ W said:

The RT is in fact an RTL and looks too far gone to be restored.

There was no trace of it on site when I last went to Seashore in September 2013 so may have already met its fate. It was marginally better in September 2004, though you can just make out the collapsing roof....

 

 

They have so much "stuff" at Seashore, the vast majority of items are never going to be restored.  I still managed to find lots of things there in 2013 that I hadn't even come across in 2004 - and that was with a full run of the site on both occasions !!

Edited April 20, 2022 by Johann Marsbar

[PhilJ W]

I think its actually an RTW, the eight feet wide version.

 

[John M Upton]

A bit of digging around seems to suggest it is or was RTL1628 (OLD 857).

[jamie92208]

First of all a Happy Christmas to all of you from a cloudy but somewhat warmer Charente.  It's still the 3rd October 2012.  We passed the RTL on our way to one of the car barns to see this.

Leeds 526 an ex London Feltham that was bought when the Leeds system closed and taken across the the US. It was apparently damaged when being unloaded at Boston and though it did run at Seashore it hasn't for many years mainly due to incompatible wheel standards.  

Many British enthusiasts get hot under the collar about this and the other British trams that are there.  I asked one of the trustees about it.  His reply was that none of their funding sources were interested in funding a restoration but that if a British group came up with a properly funded and worked out plan for it's repatriation, restoration and continued care and accommodation they could have it tomorrow.  At least it's out of the rain.  This fare table under the stairs was interesting.  The Cross Gates and Temple Newsam routes were the last to operate in Leeds in November 1959.

Upstairs was a mess but this destination blind was interesting.

Sadly we had to say goodbye to our friends at Seashore and head south east towards Boston.  We stayed north of Boston and the next morning caught a train into North Station from the Anderson Transportation centre.  This cab car, converted from an F40 was leading on another service.

This genesis unit was powering the train.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a damp Charente.  The tardis is in Boston on the 4th October 2012. Most pf the roster is various types of GP40 This is at North Station.

There was also one of their very distinctive GP40CM's rebuilt from CN GP40's with a rather strange looking cab, 

Then we bought Charlie tickets that gave us freedom of the various lines that make up the T system. Here is the rather old Green Line subway.

Then onto the red line and out to Matapan to ride the PCC cars.  Each line seems to have a different type of stock and none of them are compatible with the others.

Then onto the Matapan Line and the PCC's.   There is a very close relationship between The Seashore museum and the MBTA.  Seashore supply a lot of spares from their collection of ex MBTA wrecks to keep things moving in Boston. This all helps to fund the museum.

A close up of one of the PCC's at Matapan in the rain.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a breezy and slightly damp place.  The tardis is still in Boston on 4th October 2012.  The PCC's are maintained at Matapan and some of them are shown parked up here.

Then it was back to the red line.

Tony and I bailed out at North station where there was an Acela waiting as well as a private business car.

More importantly there was a Swedish Meatball or Mighty Mouse aka an AEM7 waiting to head back south. I think that they've been withdrawn now to be replaced by Siemens locos but two have gone to California to test the San Jose San Francisco electrification.

Some double deck stock was in evidence.

And another GP40.

Jamie

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by jamie92208