How Far Behind Is America In "Railroad Tech?"

[Ocklawaha]

This subject came up in another thread but it is deserving of it's own space, as we should all know the truth about just how "far behind" we REALLY are.

The world is divided into two railroad camps, one developed by the UK and the other by Uncle Sam. While the influence of the UK has faded, at the same time the engineering talents of the USA have soared.

So who's idea was the Bullet Train? Who designs the worlds workhorse engines? Let's take a look in photos:




TOP: Diesel recently completed in Malaysia / BOTTOM: 1950 Baldwin Prototype of the same engine on the Trona Railroad in California.





TOP: What is under that hood? Well the top two photos are taken in India, and the bottom one in New York State, look at that exhaust, something ONLY an American Built ALCO product circa 1930-70 display. BTW, they only did this in a hard pull, today those same diesels power the NASA crawler... Oh yeah, it SMOKES!






She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

TOP: A Russian HIGH SPEED RAIL CONCEPT image / BOTTOM: New York Central Railroad, 186 MPH, 1950 RDC car and GE Jet Engines... and I bet you thought this was Japan or Frances idea?





TOP: The newest "Leap Forward" a China Railways Boxcab electric  /  BOTTOM: The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, in the late 1920's or 1930's!





TOP: A monster dual purpose electric just retired, a product of EF BRASIL  / BOTTOM: WWII era, Milwauee Road, "Little Joe" electric, at Deer Lodge Montana.





TOP: In India or Argentina we have found these grand passenger engines / OMG the nearly identical 1940's vintage engines on a Santa Fe Passenger Train in the American Southwest.





TOP: Chili has a healthy railroad industry, ("almost as good as Colombia," hee hee) here we see the brutes that handle the mining traffic.  /  BOTTOM: Across the border in Canada, the nearly identical engines working a commuter train.


Gee wasn't that fun?  Oop's the phone is ringing, looks like it's that damn locomotive works in China again.


OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

J58's on that jet engined lead sled Ock! At least it sure looked like them, powered B47's but if you stop and think about it, idea has merit! No power wires or catenary's to deal with but stopping would probably be an iffy project! Thrust reverser's would take forever, but an energy recovery system used for braking could be the way to go! There is one beside the I-95 stretch at the Eighth Air Force museum in Savannah............pretty bird!

[Ocklawaha]

Looking at the rail on the left rail in front of that engine, one can see a rail joint! Wow, don't know that I'd want to hit 200 on Jointed track with wood cross ties. Talk about Rock and Roll, Holy Elvis Batman!

We also had a world speed record set here, between Savannah and Jax, in a race for a mail contract. The old Seaboard, figured they had it in the bag so they took their sample mail sacks and headed south on the shortest route (the "S" line). They didn't count on the Atlantic Coast Line breaking a unofficial world speed record. At 112 miles per hour, the Coast Line train was already South of Jacksonville when the Seaboard boys walked into our station. Supposedly officials met the crew who were mocking the ACL train crew, before they could speak one of the Seaboard men said "Hey, has that Coast Line train crossed the St. Mary's yet?" The Postal and JTCO officials laughed and said, "Oh yeah, bout half way to Havana by now!"

If we really want to post speed records, again the USA CAN'T BE BEAT (so far at least). The fasted manned rail vehicle on our test track in New Mexico has topped 631.14 mph, and another unmanned rail vehicle has hit 6,480 mph, YEAH, fastest vehicle on earth! So next time someone tells you we need the French or Chinese railroad technology, just smile and nod your head.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

That sounds like that rocket sled stuff out New Mexico way? Heard about it and saw some film but never got to go by there. Know about the manned test stuff in the early days when Yeager and those guys were busy testing. Doctor took a manned sled ride and he looked like hell for quite awhile afterwards! I also agree about jointed rails .........it would be rough!

[Ocklawaha]

That sounds like that rocket sled stuff out New Mexico way? Heard about it and saw some film but never got to go by there. Know about the manned test stuff in the early days when Yeager and those guys were busy testing. Doctor took a manned sled ride and he looked like hell for quite awhile afterwards! I also agree about jointed rails .........it would be rough!

Yep, I remember seeing the flying train man myself, and your right, after that run he looked like he rode UNDER IT rather then ON IT! Between the New Mexico rocket-rail test tracks, the Array Satellite field (valley), The DOT Railroad Test Center in Pueblo Colorado, New Commuter Rail and Streetcar in Albuquerque, Commuter Rail in Santa Fe, New 70 and 100 mile long railroads in the northern mountains of NM - both private and BNSF, and of course the Narrow Gauge Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, and the Durango and Silverton Railroad, LaVeta, Royal Gorge, Georgetown Loop and the Colorado Railroad Museum, the State of NM and CO has REALLY come to the front in the completely busy - things to do - department.

OCKLAWAHA

[mtraininjax]

Good pics, but that PA-1 is no where near the dimensions of the cousin above in Argentina or South America. Good to see old Alcos though.