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  1. shay2305

    Brakes

    Air brakes should never be relied upon to hold an unattended train or cut of cars. The best method to secure a train is to set the required number of handbrakes. Once the handbrakes are set the engineer releases the air brakes and then you wait until everything is released to see what happens...
  2. shay2305

    Three Modes of Traction in Portland, Oregon

    I made a trip to Portland, OR to visit friends at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center on Saturday November 6, 2021. SP 4449 was out side having its various systems tested in preparation for the upcoming Holiday Express. While I was watching the work progress a Portland Street Car crossed over the...
  3. shay2305

    Steam whistles, hot air, and collectors

    #5 has not run in 10 to 15 years. However I think the Ashton whistle may have been put on Hammond Lumber #17. I haven't been to the Mt Rainier Railroad in over 15 years.
  4. shay2305

    Steam whistles, hot air, and collectors

    When Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad ran the Porter Mikado #5 she carried an Ashton 3 chime whistle. Arguably the best sounding whistle I've ever heard.
  5. shay2305

    Locomotive boiler explosion

    This not caused by overpressure of the boiler due to a failed safety valve. Instead it is caused by low boiler water level. Water level over the crown sheet, top of firebox, keeps the crown sheet cool enough to maintain its strength. When the water level drops below the crown sheet it will heat...
  6. shay2305

    Brake lever question F units

    In a nut shell: There are two handles for the air brakes. The independent or locomotive bake controls the locomotive only. The Automatic or train brake will control the train and locomotive. The independent is the smaller of the two handles. To apply the locomotive brake the engineer...
  7. shay2305

    Visiting Albany Oregon late October 2016

    Here is another view from a few feet away.
  8. shay2305

    Can you identify this? (very old part from train)

    The A.A.R on the stands for Association of American Railroads. National is likely the company that manufactured the lid. With AAR on the lid it would probably fit a standardized box and therefor fit many different models of journal boxes. According to Wikipedia AAR was formed in 1934.
  9. shay2305

    Can you identify this? (very old part from train)

    My best guess is a later model lid, say 1940s or later. I base that on the fact that it is two piece with the spring to help keep the lid tight. The lids I've seen on earlier arch bar trucks have been a single piece casting.
  10. shay2305

    Can you identify this? (very old part from train)

    It's a journal box lid. Prior to the use of roller bearings the axles had a journal machined on the end which would fit inside a box cast in the side frame of the truck. Sitting on top of the journal was a babbitt lined brass bearing held in place with a wedge and the weight of the car. Under...
  11. shay2305

    Big Bang Theory

    BTW, It was Sheldon playing with trains. "HO scale: half the size, twice the fun." Leonard was off at a wedding with Seldon's girlfriend Amy. Love the show.




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