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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 12:42 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:12 am
Posts: 569
Location: Somewhere off the coast of New England
The Boys ATR was a rather formidable rifle and I had on good authority from a Marine Officer who served in the Pacific in WWII that a round or two in the engine could bring down a Japanese aircraft. Exhibit 'A' is the Disney Training film produced for the Canadian Army. if you speak German the intro is hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlJD0pZp4eQ

Returning to the topic at hand - A colleague of mine is active with Operation Lifesaver and has a mantra of "My train is bigger than your car (or firetruck or school bus). I win." The attached photograph is submitted as Exhibit 'B'.

GME


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:16 pm 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 4:02 pm
Posts: 1742
Location: Back in NE Ohio
Since the Romney has already been brought into this discussion, let me add further evidence that a "light" railway can be far from a "toy". Video from the May 2013 "Gala", which I think shows that their motto should be "We don't mess around". Side-by-side "race", double, triple and even a quadruple-header, and speeds that look to be a scale 60 mph (my understanding that they actually regularly hit 20+mph actual speed - on jointed rail no less). Eleven very enjoyable minutes (tripod mounted).

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6WppQIhqek


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:37 pm 

Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 10:54 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Tucson, Arizona
PaulWWoodring wrote:
Since the Romney has already been brought into this discussion, let me add further evidence that a "light" railway can be far from a "toy". Video from the May 2013 "Gala", which I think shows that their motto should be "We don't mess around". Side-by-side "race", double, triple and even a quadruple-header, and speeds that look to be a scale 60 mph (my understanding that they actually regularly hit 20+mph actual speed - on jointed rail no less). Eleven very enjoyable minutes (tripod mounted).

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6WppQIhqek


Most of the steam locomotives (with perhaps the exception of Bug) can go much faster. They can run with a train at sustained speeds of 30+mph (over 100 scale mph).

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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:37 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:24 pm
Posts: 58
There is a gentleman on YouTube who has his own backyard trolley line that he rides and actually runs off of overhead wire. https://www.youtube.com/user/CNW4145/featured
He has a curved side car, a Birney car and various pieces of work equipment. He gives no location, probably to keep unwanted visitors away.
His curved side car https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaj4kLbew44
His Birney car ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnt11a9OYBk
Curved car runby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7N4tLQjT5I
Two pieces of work equipment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6r5PyRs4-o
The Birney car runby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk37PkWNcSc&list=UU6NWAAC-qLPNVEOLsDDBLdg

He has tons of videos of his operation, all very fascinating!


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 6:11 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:54 pm
Posts: 314
Vouching for Dollywood, it is one of the best steam railroads in the Southeast. 5-7% grades departing downtown Dollywood and full trains, have the 192 or 70 working as hard as they can without loosing their footing, giving some pretty great stack talk. It is a great, authentic operation that should be visited!


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:20 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
southern154 wrote:
Vouching for Dollywood, it is one of the best steam railroads in the Southeast. 5-7% grades departing downtown Dollywood and full trains, have the 192 or 70 working as hard as they can without loosing their footing, giving some pretty great stack talk. It is a great, authentic operation that should be visited!


Agreed! It is one terrific ride!


Les


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:38 am 

Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:15 pm
Posts: 23
Location: Southern Indiana, US
Cordicron wrote:
There is a gentleman on YouTube who has his own backyard trolley line that he rides and actually runs off of overhead wire. https://www.youtube.com/user/CNW4145/featured
He has a curved side car, a Birney car and various pieces of work equipment. He gives no location, probably to keep unwanted visitors away.
His curved side car https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaj4kLbew44
His Birney car ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnt11a9OYBk
Curved car runby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7N4tLQjT5I
Two pieces of work equipment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6r5PyRs4-o
The Birney car runby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk37PkWNcSc&list=UU6NWAAC-qLPNVEOLsDDBLdg

He has tons of videos of his operation, all very fascinating!


Thanks for sharing this. Most of what I've seen is live steam clubs mostly run for fun by enthusiasts. I think this is the first time I've seen one used operationally as well (I LOVE the fuel tanker/welding cart ideas).

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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:40 am 

Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:24 pm
Posts: 58
I did some research on the RRVT which stands for the Rock River Valley Traction, somewhere in Illinois. The gentleman's name is Stan Griffith and he said the traction line was the outgrowth of a S gauge trolley system in his basement. He thought that it would be neat to be as small as a mouse and be able to ride on the model railroad. So with no training of any kind he set about to build what you see today. He says he does not welcome the public but rail fans are welcome.
There is more of his story is at this website: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/27431145/THE-TWO-FOOTERS which was an online newsletter now defunct.


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:55 am 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
J3a-614 wrote:
Are park trains "real" trains?

I would say this pretty little 4-4-0 in the zoo at Portland, Or. at least sounds real enough. Just close your eyes and listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAw6JMLpoQ


Odd how out of all the park trains there are, many of the ones mentioned here are ones I have a connection to. I was Project Engineer on the construction of the track at Poway. It was built by the city, and they had a commercial rail contractor come in and do the work. We had some challenges on the project, since we didn't have any 42 inch gauge track equipment.

As for the Portland Zoo Railway, that one is a real favorite of mine. I've done a lot of photography work for them over the years, and I'm friends with crew and managers. I've even had the chance to operate the locomotive in years past.

While I suppose it technically is a park train, it's at the upper end of that definition in the same way the Disney, Cedar Point and Six Flags trains are. 30 inch gauge, large capacity and multiple trains on busy days. It also connects the Rose Garden with the Zoo during the summer months, so it's a real form of transportation.

I can't recall exactly what the grades up coming back up the hill, maybe 2 or 3 percent, but in any case, that little 4-4-0 works very hard coming back up the grade. It's a great little railroad, and I'm really looking forward to when it's back in operation.

This photo sums up the line well. We were in the siding waiting for a meet with the ZooLiner, the Aerotrain styled diesel train that's the main passenger consist for the line. The meet was timed so we were only in the siding for a moment, but it gave me enough time to hop off the engine and get this photo.

Much of the line is in deep forest as shown here, and it twists and turns to follow the contours of the hillside and valleys along the way. It definitely has the feel of a narrow gauge line.

Image


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 12:18 pm 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 4:02 pm
Posts: 1742
Location: Back in NE Ohio
Cordicron wrote:
I did some research on the RRVT which stands for the Rock River Valley Traction, somewhere in Illinois. The gentleman's name is Stan Griffith and he said the traction line was the outgrowth of a S gauge trolley system in his basement. He thought that it would be neat to be as small as a mouse and be able to ride on the model railroad. So with no training of any kind he set about to build what you see today. He says he does not welcome the public but rail fans are welcome.
There is more of his story is at this website: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/27431145/THE-TWO-FOOTERS which was an online newsletter now defunct.


I think the "guy from Toledo" the owner of this trolley line is talking about getting advice from was Willard Edson, who had his own "grand scale" trolley in his backyard, which I had a chance to ride as a kid in the early '70's. I believe he used old washing machine motors for his cars, on 110 VAC overhead.


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:07 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
Quote:
Old washing machine motors for his cars, on 110 VAC overhead.


That concept make anyone else nervous? When watching the video, I was wondering what they were using for power, and I guess I still am...


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:18 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
Bob -

They sure do fly down those straightaways!


Les


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:47 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
Les Beckman wrote:
Bob -

They sure do fly down those straightaways!

Les


That's a bit disconcerting too, but reading some of the comments, it appears they go about 15 mph. Still not a good thing if you derail, but probably survivable.

I'd be more worried about the overhead. Some places mentioned 110 VAC and I also read 220 VAC elsewhere. All of that on wires not much taller than a standing person.


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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:02 pm 

Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 10:54 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Bobharbison wrote:

That's a bit disconcerting too, but reading some of the comments, it appears they go about 15 mph. Still not a good thing if you derail, but probably survivable.

I'd be more worried about the overhead. Some places mentioned 110 VAC and I also read 220 VAC elsewhere. All of that on wires not much taller than a standing person.


At least with their equipment, they're sitting inside something. Much more forgiving in that aspect than many of the ridable trains where you're sitting on it. I'm not so keen on that overhead being that low.

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 Post subject: Re: Are Park Trains "Real" Trains?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:34 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:24 pm
Posts: 58
I believe that is one of the reasons he does not welcome the public to his railroad. He may be like coal miners whose overhead is that low, but in the miners case the overhead is off-set to the side of the rail. He is used to it being that low and is always aware of it being there.
I don't recall any arcing from the shoe and wire which I find curious.


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