Recent content by Robert Gift

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    Are new locomotive horns less loud than old?

    ^ Yes. Lower frequencies travel farther through air and penetrate vehicles better. I wish that my Federal Signal 2t22A, now an active tornado siren, had 5 and 6 openings in the stators instead of 10 and 12 ports. It would then sound an octave lower. (At 3,750 rpm, notes D4 and F4 instead of...
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    Will UP's "Big Boy" 4014 require specially-treated water?

    Or can they replenish the tender with water from fire hydrants when it tours the country? Thank you.
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    Why was the Panama RR 5-foot gauge instead of 4' 8-1/2" ?

    Thank you, both. I thought they used 5-foot gauge for building the canal because it could haul greater amounts of material. Gauge was 5 feet when I road on a locomotive in 1993(?). Some of the rails were loose and the engineeer asked me to flag some grade crossings because wires had been...
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    Why was the Panama RR 5-foot gauge instead of 4' 8-1/2" ?

    Why not use plentiful standard-gauge cars and locomotives already in use? (My great uncle, a NYC locomotivengineer, said it is unfortuante that our gauge is not 5 or 6 feet. He said his huge 4-8-4 locomotive was as large as it could get, limited by the gauge.)
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    Comment by 'Robert Gift' in media 'Too Close For Comfort!'

    Flame is from a burn-off pipe burning AWAY from the tank car? If so, why not so state?
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    ELECTRONICS QUESTION: Light sensor makes RR clock silent at night

    At a garage sale a railroad-themed quartz clock was given to me. Every daylight hour it sounds distorted train sounds: choo-choo, bell, etc. (Now I know why they got rid of it!) Also, a mee-mool light (o)T(o) on the face flashes. I removed the speaker. Mee-mool light still flashes...
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    Kirkland to remove rails from Woodinville Sub, construct trail

    Before the vote, [Kirkland] Councilman Toby Nixon did ask Triplett about a letter the city received from Snohomish Mayor Karen Guzak opposing rail removal. Snohomish County interests have expressed a desire to use the tracks for a possible excursion train and/or for a future commuter line...
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    Are new locomotive horns less loud than old?

    Thank you, Ed. Youqing (wife) and I both noticed that some locomotive horns seem less loud than before. They seem to be on the newer locomotives.
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    Are new locomotive horns less loud than old?

    Due to noise pollution issues? Thank you.
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    Single engine passes - why did (o)T(o) continue operating?

    Interesting! Thank you. If loss of shunt, why would the (o)T(o) continue operation? Would the signal system not react as though the train backed out of that insulated section of track? In San Rafael, CA, the track had a bead welded down the center of the rails from one end of the grade...
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    Single engine passes - why did (o)T(o) continue operating?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSDkutz2h3g
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    Post Unusual Grade Crossing Signal configurations here:

    Googlearth Streetview of flashing Yellow? (o) or is it (o)? above large (O) lamp reading ..NO .LEFT TURN https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.17393,-105.095118&spn=0.000008,0.006394&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.173929,-105.095232&panoid=wnqtxqYg-ilDnpJTyXtNCA&cbp=12,33.34,,0,17.52
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    NaCl causes (o)T(o) to activate.

    Article: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20130221/NEWS01/302210026/Railroad-arms-jam-Fort-Collins-traffic-4-intersections Comments: http://www.coloradoan.com/comments/article/20130221/NEWS01/302210026/Railroad-arms-jam-Fort-Collins-traffic-4-intersections
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    What did UP do to their retired 4-6-6-4 3985

    I do not know much about railroads. But would love to know what, if anything, they did to 3985 sitting in the roundhouse. Did they bother to cover it? Any special treatments or moisture-absorbing materials in the boiler to minimize corrosion? Keep oil in the cylinders and bearings to...
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    The first SD70ACe made in Brazil

    I tried to post the photo. Second photo in post #7 Whitish gray object hangs down from the locomotive chassis to the left of the open panel door. It appears to have a flared speaker cone from a speaker driver.
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