Thank you. Marketing BEGINS with the perception that there's an opportunity to be filled with a product or service, includes the definition and design of the product or service, how to generate an awareness and consumer motivation for it, and encompasses everything that the consumer experiences relative to their buying and using the product or service from their first awareness through their departure after having consumed it. EVERYTHING you do is subservient to that function.

Until we stop offering programming based on what streaks of rust we have along the ground or machines we have, and base what streaks of rust and machines we acquire on the marketing plan.....we're just geeks playing with big toys and hoping we accidentally get people to give us enough money to keep playing for an while, until something expensive needs to be done and then we're screwed.

dave

With regards to steam, I had been told by "old heads" when I was young that many steam locomotives were designed to run more efficiently forward, and that running them in reverse was hard on their running gear. My guess is that this would be true mostly for large mainline, and also passenger locomotives. My understanding is that AOS's ex-CP G5 #1293 has a quirk in the design of its trailing truck bearing lubrication that causes harm or excessive heating to the bearings if they operate in reverse for any distance at over about 15 mph. At least that was the story last Fall on the CVSR when they were in town for "Steam in the Valley".

Clearly, some steam locomotives were designed to easily operate bi-directionally, like the CNR and B&A commuter 4-6-4T's. The Harz Mountain Railway in Germany faces most of their locomotives so that they operate uphill on the Brocken mountain line. Of course every locomotive they have is a tank engine, so no tender concerns there. In fact, a lot of, if not most locomotives in the UK were designed for bi-directional operation, outside of some of the fastest mainline passenger power.

As for Diesels, a number of railroads, like the RF&P and N&W (and I think SR?), bought a lot of hood unit road power equipped with bi-directional control stands, down to having horns on both ends of the units controlled by the control stand for that direction. If any still exist in that configuration, that would be one way to handle a situation where it is only possible to run around a train for reversing direction. All of the RF&P units like that ended up as CSX MoW "Pumpkins" (non-dynamic brake GP40's, that were then de-turbocharged and restricted to 30 mph), and I think they are all off the roster now. Some of the SR ones, all high short hood units, may have ended up on regionals like the "new" W&LE, which has been sending theirs off to Larry's, near Youngstown, in the last couple of years, so you might find one there, if they haven't all been scrapped yet.

"My understanding is that AOS's ex-CP G5 #1293 has a quirk in the design of its trailing truck bearing lubrication that causes harm or excessive heating to the bearings if they operate in reverse for any distance at over about 15 mph."

What was the trailer journal situation when this class of locomotive operated in Vermont for a number of years, running in reverse from Chester to Riverside a number of times each day? I seem to recall speeds in excess of 15 mph.

Is this why 1238 and 1286 have been converted to roller bearing trailer axles?

Howard P.

One of the feature of the Nevada Northern is that when I rode, the steam train had a loop (as I recall) at the outer end and a wye near the station, so the engine was pointed in the right direction both ways. At OERM standard procedure is to have a brakeman with a radio and a tailhose on the rear car for shove moves.

What I would have given to have a way to turn equipment on the GSMR. . .. It was not only a steam issue.

- Both of our freight locos (GP9, 1751 and 1755) came in pointed West. We often ran them as a pair West of Bryson City (passenger and freight), which left you long hood forward for the return trip in the afternoon. It was harder to see, more difficult to operate running long hood (although not as bad as the 1702). Just one turning facility along the RR would have helped this issue.

- Wheel wear. Quite often I would condemn a wheelset for thin flange only on one side, while the flange on the opposite wheel was like new. This would happen on both the locos and the cars. The solution without a wye or table was to lift the car and rotate the wheelsets in the shop. Very time consuming and labor intensive. I would have turned some cars quarterly if I could have. One turning facility would have greatly reduced wheel and labor costs considerably. A straight railroad would have been less of an issue. When track grease was "unavailable" I was wearing the flanges out on some daily cars in as little as one season. The 100' table purchased from Black Hills Central was intended to turn cars as well as allow for the future roundhouse in Bryson City to be used for cars as well as locos.

- Steam loco. Vision is everything on the mountain railroad with many twists and curves. The crew needs to be able see as much as possible in the direction of travel. the 1702 could have easily handled the Tuck river train solo, and could have handled the Nantahala Gorge train unassisted for some of the year. The primary reason we used the diesel was because of visiblity issues running in reverse with a full width tender. If we could have turned the 1702, we could have been able to remove a diesel loco from many trains, and reduced my crew costs. A straight railroad would be less of an issue.

The combination of these factors went a long way towards justifying the installation of turning facilties. The geography dictated that the turntable was the only viable method of turning at Dillsboro, Bryson City, and Nantahala (MP86.7). Other factors kept the installations from happening. . The GSMR had a 76' and 100' table on site. I believe they are still there.

As they say, it depends. . . .

Ryan

At Orange Empire, where the LA Railway narrow-gauge cars usually run "clockwise" around our loop, the crew getting LA Huntington Standard 525 ready for service turned the trucks 180 degrees before lowering the car body back onto them. (somewhat easier with a 22-ton streetcar than a full-size diesel locomotive.