From the Throttle - Bruce Lee
Welcome to our June and July edition of Eagle Tracks. The newsletter
is being issued for two months due to the Editor having a prior commitment
sometime during the end of June and beginning of July - the birth of a grandchild.
President's Soapbox - Leo Harker
After a recent minor flood in a storage closet where I had most of my
rolling stock in boxes, I was rudely made aware just how easy a lot of goods
can be damaged by a small amount of water. I had several cardboard cartons
containing original boxes of rolling stock on the floor in the closet when
I turned an outside faucet on to wash out the back of my truck with the
hose. To my surprise, when I went down stairs to retrieve something, I found
the closet and adjacent room with a half inch of water saturating the carpet.
It had been flowing down the wall, across the floor and now had soaked the
boxes about three inches above the floor. The faucet had apparently been
damaged by freezing during the winter and only leaked when the water was
turned on and the pressure built up in the hose.
What did I learn besides which manufacturers boxes are the most water
resistant?
1. Always keep items which are stored directly on the floor, either in
waterproof containers or on spacers to keep them above a nominal water level.
2.Always assume a flood can occur and take precautions to protect your
valuable items.
3. The rolling stock would have been safer on a layout.
After drying everything out, damage appears to minimal except to the
boxes and my faith in outdoor faucets. You can be assured that I will not
have anything on the floor that can be damaged from now on.
As a follow up to last months treatise on switchback operations over
the NP Railroad's Stampede Pass, we will look at the Great Northern Railroad's
operation over Stevens Pass. Both of these switchback operations were the
railroads short term solution to otherwise impassable grades over the Cascade
Mountains. In both cases, the switchbacks were replaced by tunnels with
the NP completing their tunnel in less than two years and the GN taking
seven to complete their first summit crossing tunnel. Their Cascade crossing
was more severe, requiring three switchbacks on the East side of the summit
and five on the west side. After the last switchback on the west side, westbound
trains would travel six miles of 2.2 grade through a horseshoe tunnel turnning
eastward to another horseshoe curve where it would pass within 250' (vertically)
of the track it had just passed over before the two curves. It was at this
point where the railroad town of Wellington was swept off the side of the
mountain by avalanches in 1910 and where the first Cascade Tunnel eventually
exited to bypass the switchbacks. They also had a runaway track at this
point, where the westbound line switch was always set for the runaway track
and would only be set for the mainline if the westbound engineer signaled
the on-duty switchman to do so. The switchback operations over the hill
were difficult from the first. Haskell, the engineer, held the east side
grade to 2.2 percent but the west side exceeded 4.0. The straight line through
the hill was only four and 1/2 mile but the switchbacks required 12 miles
of track. Work on the tunnel was begun immediately after the last spike
was driven in 1893 but took until December 1900 before it was completed
and the switchbacks abandoned.
The motive power on the Great Northern during this era was 2-8-0 and
4-8-0 engines from Brooks. A train would require three ten wheelers to move
a seven-car train over the hill, two on the head end and one backed in against
the rear so it would be heading forward on the reverse legs of the switchbacks.
With luck a train could make the 12 mile trip over the switchback line in
an hour and a half. New more powerful 4-8-0s' were ordered in 1898 that
could haul ten cars over the hill without a pusher. Soon after the completion
of the tunnel, it was apparent that smoke in the tunnel was a serious hazard
to train crews and passengers, in 1909 the line was electrified for 21 miles
from Skykomish to Leavenworth and extended to Wenatchee in 1923. From that
time to 1927, the electrics pulled the trains through the tunnel. This first
tunnel was replaced in 1929 by a new longer tunnel which shortened the road
by nine miles of 2.2 percent grade, it also eliminated about 40,000 feet
of snowsheds, the horseshoe curves, two large steel trestles and several
smaller bridges. The original tunnel and snowsheds are still visible from
highway 2 when crossing Stevens pass. Eventually the new tunnel was ventilated,
the first diesels replaced the electrics which were scrapped or sold and
modern diesels now easily traverse the hill with a mile of freight cars
where once a little mogul struggled to make the hill with three cars.
It was for these Cascade grades that the unusual 2-6-8-0 Mallets were
developed. They began their lives as a 2-8-0 (tractive effort 26,080 pounds)
and were sent back to Baldwin to be rebuilt into the Mallets (tractive effort
(80,430). Other heavy steam power included GN's 2-8-8-2 and O-8 Mikados,
these engines worked the long trains to the points both east and west where
the electrics would take over and also served as pushers on the 2.2 percent
grades.
Along the Right-of-Way - Bruce Lee
This month I would like to take a look at the Rio Grande narrow gauge
operations between Durango and Silverton, Colorado.
During May, 1953 my parents took a vacation to this area and included
a trip on the train. They had the opportunity to ride up to Silverton in
the caboose of a freight train (which included having the conductor make
them coffee by leaning down from the steps while the train was in motion
and getting water from the river which was up to the rails!)
After a few days they returned to Durango on a regularly scheduled train.
In the summer of 1962 we again traveled back to Colorado. I don't remember
much about the trip (I was after all only seven) beyond the excitement of
the train and that wonderful steam locomotive! Ever since that time I've
been hooked on trains. No matter how nice a modern locomotive looks, it
never will have the raw appeal of all those side rods, cylinders, booster
pumps, sand domes, etc. that make steam locomotives seem so powerful even
when the kettle isn't fired up.
I guess I'm not the only on who has/was fired up about this railroad.
I think the writer of the following promotional copy felt the same way (again
from 1953).
"Durango, the Narrow Gauge Capitol of the World, invites you to
ride the Rio Grande's unique narrow gauge railroad which features the Silver
Vista Painted Train running between Durango and Silverton - through the
most scenic area of the entire United States - a travel thrill without parallel
elsewhere on the continent. People come from all over the world to ride
this scenic train, and after seeing the colorful aspen, the abundance of
wild life, the grandeur of the majestic peaks, the beauty of the streams
and the ruggedness of the whole panorama, return again and again to ride
this colorful train.
Originally, the narrow gauge railroads were built into this territory
to haul out the gold and silver ore from the mines. Roadbeds for the iron
horse had to be hewn from the face of granite precipices, cut around cliffs
and through ravines to reach the mining camps and towns built by gold. Today,
these same rails are used to haul in supplies and equipment of all kinds
and to haul out our minerals, agricultural products, cattle, sheep and lumber."
Timetable
June 4 - Business Meeting
June 18 - Operations/construction
June 25 - Operations/construction
July 2 - Business Meeting
July 4 - Operate at Tautphaus Park
July 9 - Operations/construction
July 16 - Operations/construction
July 23 - Operations/construction
July 30 - Operations/construction
August 6 - Business Meeting
Other Railfan related Activities
Visit the Nevada Northern Railroad in Ely Nevada
Excursion Trips
Railroad Museum,
Two operating steam Locomotives
Engineer opportunities
Ride the "Heber Creeper" at Heber City
Old rolling stock
Rail trips from Heber City Utah
to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon
The Northern Pacific Railroad Historical Society Convention In Tacoma
Washington July 13-18, a railfan trip over Stampede Pass, is on the agenda
but is sold out.
The Great Northern Railway Historical Society Convention At Great Falls
Montana July, 19-22, a tour of former Great Northern Buildings in Glacier
Park as well as other Great Northern sites and the Charles Russell Gallery
in Great Falls is on the agenda
The Union Pacific Railroad Historical Society Annual Convention will
be at the Downtown Holiday Inn In Salt Lake City July 29-Aug 01 Activities
will inlcude a swap meet, speakers, Photo and Model contests, layout tours,
an excursion trip on the Heber Valley Railroad and other convention activities.
M-O-W
The basement of the Rec Center is beginning to look like someplace where
you would want to build a model railroad. Currently the South end of the
room has had its walls and floors painted. We are waiting for the hardware
to arrive so we can hang the suspended ceiling and begin construction of
the new layout. We want to thank everyone who has helped out so far with
this task; with an extra thank you to Larry and Marty Lane for their many
hours spent on Saturdays and evenings.
Monthly Quiz
(most months anyway!)
When was the dome observation car first introduced in passenger
service?
A. 1945; B. 1947;
C. 1951; D. 1960
Answer to April Quiz "What is Quartering?"
B. Method of balancing the connecting rod's weight on a locomotives'
drivers. (Leo points out that the term was also used to describing the 90
degree offset between the drive wheels on the left and right sides done
so that there would never be an occasion when all the wheel weights would
be down - leaving the locomotive unable to start or move).
Until next time - HAPPY RAILS TO YOU !!!!