Oh, I was SO tempted to hold on to this for a week and a half, but......

Next week you can tell the rest of the story, they're going to run all passenger service on the 15" gauge line, thus freeing the standard line for freight and container service...

And further, they convert the Cagneys to all-Pennsylvania natural gas.......

Speaking of next week, is there going to be a separate forum for the, er, 'noteworthy' postings, or should they stay here?

That may be an appropriate time to use the new 'Railfanning' thread...

Now I am really going to open the foam gates with this: Now if they could only put the other two “Real” turntables in. Maybe this thread will go to a new shadow railfaning board.

It’s ok to laugh. No really it is. Life is serious enough isn’t it? Even the pros need a laugh now and then right? For some however, they want no ‘part’ of it because it may bind their ‘gears.’ There I added a technical element to the post.

Pennsy Power

What I find intriguing is the location of the photo, which appears to be near J tower at the far west end of the station site. I wonder how the track was routed around the station to get to this point. And what's going to be in the background, with some longer tracks beyond the turntable, including a miniature bumping post on one? A miniature yard for the Cagney? An enginehouse?

Hey, and I just noticed, this engine is No. 3; I seem to recall the Strasburg's Cagney as being No. 5. Do they now have two of the little beasties?

Are park trains "real" trains?

Oh boy! Here we go again! ;D

Track has been re-configured to take a bend towards the platform at the former location of the turntable. Approaching the station, it leaves the platform area and dips south on the back side of the station adjacent to 741 to the location above. Curious as to how and they are going to do the run-around as well, the only way I figure it would involve using the turntable as a "bridge" as well as a turntable.

Looking forward to the longer ride!

Joshua

Actually, that engine's been there, the number 5 is the new one. So yes, they have two now!

Of course they are real trains! And they are just as historically significant as any train!

It appears the only option is to use the turntable as a bridge. Typically, you put it on the far end, where it serves as both turntable and switch. No room for that here, too narrow, so they'll cut the engine off, go through the switch, back past the train on the passing track, use the turntable to turn and as a switch, and then couple on, now facing forward.

Is there a 15" / standard gauge crossing?

Steve

I'm sure Strasburg could build one. I'm not so sure the implications of mixing the two gauges would be worth it.

Do Cagney coaches meet FRA crash worthiness standards?

There is no crossing on 15" and standard gauge at SRC.

Joshua

Quite the engineering challenge I think. A flangeway across a standard rail for the 15" would be very tiny but how to keep it from cracking all the way down? And then how to get the miniature wheel across the giant gap of the standard flangeway. Even flange-bearing technology would not work as that would be far higher than the clearance needed for a full size flange. It would require moving parts of some sort in which case you might as well just have a piece of 15" track swing into position like a swing bridge.

Steve