When I once obsessed over trains

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

I had once obsessed over this double decker train heaps from the age of like 12 up until I was 21\22 years old. From the age of 13 up until 21 years old I did wind up becoming a train buff and maintained a special interest in Australian railway.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I thought Australia ha an issues with gauges is this still true?

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I enjoy rail and wish the USA had a better rail system. I once took the Canadian Pacific from Toronto to Vancouver. A great journey. I would like to take the Empire Builder from Chicago to Glacier National Park someday.

More recently I have ridden some wonderful classic steam trains; the Cumbres and Toltec from Chama New Mexico to Antonito Colorado, and the Durango to Silverton (Colorado). Both offer splendid scenery and some great rolling stock. I recommend the Cumbres and Toltec. On the first day of Autumn, there were so many riders there was a double engine separated by flatcars because there are trestles that could not handle two engines on them at once. It crossed a two-lane highway several times and there were crowds of photographers waiting to catch a shot of the double. Steam trains are a full sensory experience.

 

[Tom]

Model or real special effect?

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

View attachment 77477

Model or real special effect?

That was an actual train from Buster Keaton's film, The General. It was the most expensive stunt in the silent film era. I believe that the train was salvaged and preserved in Georgia. Keaton played around with some real stuff. When you look at the actors of that era, Keaton, Lloyd, Chaplin, doing their own stunts, you recognize just how physically skilled they were.

 

[Gerontius]

I believe that the train was salvaged and preserved in Georgia.

Nope. The locomotive The General has been preserved, but the one which was wrecked on the famous bridge scene remained in the river as a minor tourist attraction until it was taken out & melted down for munitions in a WWII scrap drive.

 

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

I thought Australia ha an issues with gauges is this still true?

It's still happening

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

New foundland here in Canada had the same issue they shut it down the only train on the island.

 

[maycontainthunder]

Nope. The locomotive The General has been preserved, but the one which was wrecked on the famous bridge scene remained in the river as a minor tourist attraction until it was taken out & melted down for munitions in a WWII scrap drive.

Yep. Here in the UK you'd think that derelict locomotives would've all suffered the same fate but no...

Two of the three locomotives of the Edge Hill Light Railway. It was built to go after iron ore deposits only they were poor. The line only operated from 1919 until approx 1925 when everything was abandoned where it stood. Unbelievably the three locos weren't cut up until 1946!

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Palmerston where went to high school, has a loco motive on display. a real railway town. tracks station still there as museum.

I'm a tractor buff.

 

[Gerontius]

Yep. Here in the UK you'd think that derelict locomotives would've all suffered the same fate but no...

View attachment 77538

Two of the three locomotives of the Edge Hill Light Railway. It was built to go after iron ore deposits only they were poor. The line only operated from 1919 until approx 1925 when everything was abandoned where it stood. Unbelievably the three locos weren't cut up until 1946!

Those are "Terriers"-- both those were built in 1872, some of that class stayed in service until the end of steam trains. Even in 1946 they could theoretically have been put back as usable (if obsolete) locomotives; it just was not a favorable location to go & retrieve very old & outdated stock.

They got their nickname from the strange barking sound of the exhaust when the engine was running.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

The steam engines I would like to experience are from the Duluth Missabi and Iron Range which hauled a vast tonnage of iron ore. These beheamoths had 16 drive wheels in a 2-8-8-4 configuration.

 

[maycontainthunder]

Those are "Terriers"-- both those were built in 1872, some of that class stayed in service until the end of steam trains. Even in 1946 they could theoretically have been put back as usable (if obsolete) locomotives; it just was not a favorable location to go & retrieve very old & outdated stock.

They got their nickname from the strange barking sound of the exhaust when the engine was running.

Some were pushing 90 years old at the point of withdrawl. The Southern Region of BR had some of the oldest locomotives in service and a great many Victorian built engines survived long enough to be preserved. Western region locos are well represented in preservation but virtually all are 20th century designs. Midland region fared badly with very few smaller classes being saved while the Eastern region fared worst of all with mostly larger locos being preserved.

The only reason some classes survived at all was Barry Scrapyard Woodham Brothers - Wikipedia
List of locomotives saved from Woodham Brothers scrapyard - Wikipedia
One loco I would like to see run is a GWR 7200 class. Three survive but none has steamed since withdrawl.

 

[maycontainthunder]

There are some things that went extinct before the preservation movement got started. What do you do when something is is extinct? You make a replica unless parts of one fluke survival.

GWR steam rail motors - Wikipedia

Or something thought lost is rediscovered;

1903 Petrol Electric Autocar - Wikipedia

 

[Gerontius]

Or you build something very big--

The T1 Trust (prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org)

Yes, they're building a brand-new T1 locomotive and it's going to be amazing.
The little railcars would be more practical. I'm still mad that the highway system killed off interurban trains. The doodlebug is dead; long live the doodlebug.

 

[Nick12]

i like thomas the tank engin

how about you

 

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

Thomas The Tank Engine = The Beatles (Since it's Ringo Starr who does all the narration)

Thomas The Tank Engine is Beatlemania on rails for me.

 

[maycontainthunder]

 

[DaisyRose]

When I was a kid, I loved to play and see trains. Thomas the tank engine were my favorite toys I loved to play with. I had every set you could imagine. Trains made me feel strong and free.

 

[Kalinychta]

View attachment 77477

Model or real special effect?

I love that movie.