A micro layout on exhibit at the El Paso Museum of History.
Mod Edit: Corrupt YT link removed.
Tracks Across the Desert
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
Sorry about that, appears to be a glitch in the upload. I will be reloading it in the near future. By the way, I admire your fortitude- 45 minutes of watching a black screen? Almost as interesting as watching our impeachment hearings. 
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
If anyone is interested, I reloaded the video. Regrettably, I cannot delete the older entry, as I am out of date.
Looking forward to getting over there tomorrow and seeing how it runs. Hopefully not in a ditch. It needs to
circle its little track for another 760 hours. Hopefully, soon, I can get back to some British OO.
Mod Note. 2nd corrupt YT video link removed
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Walkingthedog
- Posts: 5023
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- Location: HAZLEMERE, BUCKS.
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Re: Tracks Across the Desert
Unable to re-load it, I remade the video with a few small editorial hacks.
Should be viewable now, the length being about 2.5 minutes. I try to keep
these things short so as to not overly tax the audience.
https://youtu.be/E3FcSCeX6sg
Bit of a non-sequitur, as President Lincoln did not pass until 1865, and the
railroad did not come to El Paso until 1881. But I am rather pleased to
have finally landed the Pocher model of the Lincoln Funeral Coach, which
began existence as an armored railway coach, maybe one of the first in this
country. Ironically, he never got to use until he was assassinated.
Should be viewable now, the length being about 2.5 minutes. I try to keep
these things short so as to not overly tax the audience.
https://youtu.be/E3FcSCeX6sg
Bit of a non-sequitur, as President Lincoln did not pass until 1865, and the
railroad did not come to El Paso until 1881. But I am rather pleased to
have finally landed the Pocher model of the Lincoln Funeral Coach, which
began existence as an armored railway coach, maybe one of the first in this
country. Ironically, he never got to use until he was assassinated.
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
One might note the cow catcher on the pilot. Early
American trains often cut through wide swaths of
countryside populated by roaming cows, and the
expense of lineside fencing was considered prohibitive,
thus it was easier to simply sweep them off the tracks
at their peril. Same went for wild herds of buffalo,
deer, elk and so forth.
The rail in Britain was laid out with considerable care in
early railroading, but the American expansion of rail
at-all-haste where ballasting was often not done, at
least initially, it was necessary to use a pilot bogie
to prevent the entire contraption from simply running
off the rails.
Financial incentives, among other things, made for very
poor track indeed. Some bridges were also notably lacking
in quality, as the race to the West was more important
than long term reliability.
American trains often cut through wide swaths of
countryside populated by roaming cows, and the
expense of lineside fencing was considered prohibitive,
thus it was easier to simply sweep them off the tracks
at their peril. Same went for wild herds of buffalo,
deer, elk and so forth.
The rail in Britain was laid out with considerable care in
early railroading, but the American expansion of rail
at-all-haste where ballasting was often not done, at
least initially, it was necessary to use a pilot bogie
to prevent the entire contraption from simply running
off the rails.
Financial incentives, among other things, made for very
poor track indeed. Some bridges were also notably lacking
in quality, as the race to the West was more important
than long term reliability.
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 1559
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:57 pm
- Contact:
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
When I worked on the railways here, some old lines had no balast in certain areas, though this was normally due to marshy conditions. One area the marsh mud was level with the sleepers and the grass and some rare wild plants were quite well established. The sleepers were only visible through the growth because every train passing over them would move the sleepers and therefore the growth was disturbed.
When the lines were first built, due to the speed of construction and the area they were in was an area that may have had very little in the way of rock formations that they needed, ballast was only done when they could get around to it.
Other areas where they had to blast through rocks had a plentiful supply.
Here in Britain we were quick to fence due to in the early years, the railways having the responsibility to stop cattle straying onto the line. However, these fences were not adiquate for determined cattle or animals which are natural excape artists like deer, goats etc who would get through as if the fence was never there.
Most of the UK fences were of simple posts where three or four strips of wire was tacked onto it. Here in the UK we had a really well established iron industry which was here a long time before the first train hit the rails (Especially in Wales). You are talking back to the days we were building castles. Then steel was invented... We had such a massive iron and steel industry that the wire for these fences was quite cheap. Such a different scinario today where we have one big steelworks left in the country. (Have you seen the price of wire or barbed wire recently?!!!)
Ooh. Barbed wire was never used as a railway lineside fence as certain animals like goats it could not be used. A goat will push through or clime and rip its teats to shreds. Is why you will never see barbed wire being used unless it is at a very high level (Adult human eye level or above) where the goat would not bother to climb. (Most goatkeepers would only do this if barbed wire happens to be a lot cheaper then single strand wire). Only those who keep goats and know nothing about them would use barbed wire in a fence...
Railways knew early on not to do this, so if one sees a railway fence with barbed wire, the wire has been installed at a later date by a landowner to stop his/her cattle from straying (Usually cows or horses for barbed wire and sheep can have a single strand above sheep netting but it is not really recommended... Normally where sheep and other cattle need to use the field at alternative times).
The funeral car is interesting. Are those sliding bogies? Here in the UK, I believe bogies were first seen on the Ffestiniog railway. I can't remember the date but I was told that it was the first railway in the UK to use them? Prior to this outer wheels were fixed and any inner wheels were designed to slide to provide lateral movement, hence why here in the UK we had many six wheeled coaches and even eight wheeled coaches could be found using this method. They may have looked like swivelling bogies but they were not.
However, six wheeled vehicles were still being built many years after bogies were invented as they were a lot cheaper to build. I was looking at an early picture of a narrow gauge coach with 6 wheels, and its design looked somewhat dodgy compared to its long length!
When the lines were first built, due to the speed of construction and the area they were in was an area that may have had very little in the way of rock formations that they needed, ballast was only done when they could get around to it.
Other areas where they had to blast through rocks had a plentiful supply.
Here in Britain we were quick to fence due to in the early years, the railways having the responsibility to stop cattle straying onto the line. However, these fences were not adiquate for determined cattle or animals which are natural excape artists like deer, goats etc who would get through as if the fence was never there.
Most of the UK fences were of simple posts where three or four strips of wire was tacked onto it. Here in the UK we had a really well established iron industry which was here a long time before the first train hit the rails (Especially in Wales). You are talking back to the days we were building castles. Then steel was invented... We had such a massive iron and steel industry that the wire for these fences was quite cheap. Such a different scinario today where we have one big steelworks left in the country. (Have you seen the price of wire or barbed wire recently?!!!)
Ooh. Barbed wire was never used as a railway lineside fence as certain animals like goats it could not be used. A goat will push through or clime and rip its teats to shreds. Is why you will never see barbed wire being used unless it is at a very high level (Adult human eye level or above) where the goat would not bother to climb. (Most goatkeepers would only do this if barbed wire happens to be a lot cheaper then single strand wire). Only those who keep goats and know nothing about them would use barbed wire in a fence...
Railways knew early on not to do this, so if one sees a railway fence with barbed wire, the wire has been installed at a later date by a landowner to stop his/her cattle from straying (Usually cows or horses for barbed wire and sheep can have a single strand above sheep netting but it is not really recommended... Normally where sheep and other cattle need to use the field at alternative times).
The funeral car is interesting. Are those sliding bogies? Here in the UK, I believe bogies were first seen on the Ffestiniog railway. I can't remember the date but I was told that it was the first railway in the UK to use them? Prior to this outer wheels were fixed and any inner wheels were designed to slide to provide lateral movement, hence why here in the UK we had many six wheeled coaches and even eight wheeled coaches could be found using this method. They may have looked like swivelling bogies but they were not.
However, six wheeled vehicles were still being built many years after bogies were invented as they were a lot cheaper to build. I was looking at an early picture of a narrow gauge coach with 6 wheels, and its design looked somewhat dodgy compared to its long length!
Budget modelling in 0-16.5...
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
A most interesting reply, as always, MG. I enjoy your recollections greatly.
As to the nature of the running gear, the model itself has pivoting bogies, and I imagine
so did the prototype. Curiously, an article referenced that the bogies had an allowance to
extend the gauge to 5 feet, which is what, barely 3 1/2 inches wider, to accomodate a
wider gauge which was sometimes used in parts of the southern United States (read:
Confederacy = States in rebellion 1861 to 1865).
As to the nature of the running gear, the model itself has pivoting bogies, and I imagine
so did the prototype. Curiously, an article referenced that the bogies had an allowance to
extend the gauge to 5 feet, which is what, barely 3 1/2 inches wider, to accomodate a
wider gauge which was sometimes used in parts of the southern United States (read:
Confederacy = States in rebellion 1861 to 1865).
Re: Tracks Across the Desert
Into about the fifth week of this exhibit. So far the extended run times have burned out two locomotives, the third
locomotive ate its transmission, and the fourth shredded the universal shaft. So I stood tall and paid the two bills
for this Bachmann American Type that is vastly improved with its can motor and simplified transmission (no cumbersome
drive shaft). I am very pleased with the smooth running and lower current draw. Now all it has to do is function
40 hours (if the museum staff remember to unplug it at night) weekly through June.
https://youtu.be/34vBzhFhkxY
locomotive ate its transmission, and the fourth shredded the universal shaft. So I stood tall and paid the two bills
for this Bachmann American Type that is vastly improved with its can motor and simplified transmission (no cumbersome
drive shaft). I am very pleased with the smooth running and lower current draw. Now all it has to do is function
40 hours (if the museum staff remember to unplug it at night) weekly through June.
https://youtu.be/34vBzhFhkxY
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