Red is answers, Blue is amended questions.



I understand that few if any, have been on the Dynamometer or seen drawings for it. If no one can provide evidence that the X-5000 would or would not have been equipped, can someone provide a counter to my logic?



Frankly, this is a failure in historic preservation. I personally am far to young to remember passenger service before Amtrak. The only reason I gave thought to it even being an air signal line, was the caption of a photo that I saw online over 6 months ago. Before that I had never even heard of an air signal system. I have been interested in railways and their history my entire life, have racked up a long list of experiences for someone my age, and have been to museums across a wide swath of the country; Why haven't I seen more interpretation of this in museums? Even those that still use steam heat and interpret (which is just as, if not more important) that they do so, do not use air signals or explain what they are

I would like to say thank you to those who have offered advice and suggestions; they are proving invaluable in formulating a testing plan.

I would expect that there is no whistle in the car, just a car discharge valve. If to many whistles are connected to the line it will not recover after being used and will blow continuously. I believe you can get away with two whistles cut in, three is too many, depending on leakage. The maintenance required is the car discharge valve will need a new rubber seat and maybe a spring. Both still available from WABCo last time I checked. The air hoses and glad hand gaskets at the end of the car will need replacing. If the angle cocks on the signal line leak, they will have to be repaired. Any leakage in the system will need to be repaired.

Westinghouse Manual No. 5061 (March 1939) Westinghouse Train Air Signal System.

Because everyone is too busy interpreting Pullman porters, the political origins of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Robber Barons, blah blah. All human interest stuff.

The American way is for tech to be magic, and subcontract all the gory details to the Chinese.

Because everyone is too busy interpreting Pullman porters, the political origins of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Robber Barons, blah blah. All human interest stuff.

Just look at all the Civil War stuff. Everybody wants to interpret whether Meade was a coward. Nobody wants to talk about what a cannonball does to a skirmishing line.

The new American way is for tech to be magic, and subcontract all the gory details to the Chinese. Gadget don't work, whip out your Mastercard, you were due for a new one anyway.

Robert, I am going to assume you are challenging me to defend my statement. Below is my individual response(s).



Then we are not telling the whole story and failing to teach the public; which is a failure of the goal of preservation, why preserve something if you can't care for and then interpret it? Just because it doesn't seem to be immediately a "human interest story" does not mean that it is relegated to the dust bin.



Relevance? What a piece of metal propelled at extreme speed does to the human body is not an apt comparison to a device that furthered communication among train crew.

On the other hand, and to further defend my position, Lets pretend that we have a museum. We have an old civil war cannon that we want to display outside; but we also want to show controversies of the war that linger, we choose Meade. It could be argued that a proper interpretation of the Civil War cannon and Meade would include a section on the effectiveness of the war's modern artillery, how that may have affected the judgement of the general in his decision making, and how his decisions affect today's military officers. You should also throw in how the Civil War's artillery affects today's military artillery. That is proper interpretation. That is how you teach your visitors about what you are preserving.



Not to start a political debate, but isn't that a Green way of behaving?

Now to further my point using your statement. Historical preservation and interpretation: A savy museum board will see that there is something to be taught from this new attitude, how the attitudes of the past are different from today's. Our fictional museum has a shop where the pride of the line, ol' 777, a coal burning 2-6-2 from 1903 is maintained and stored between runs. Next to it is where we keep the museum's shop goat, a former EMD MP15 re-engined with 2 genset engines after the old main block cracked. A viewing gallery is being built in the form of a loft above the two-track shop. A good museum will explain how while the steam engine just had a boiler course welded because a crack had developed after 100 years of use, while the MP 15 has seen its main engine replaced by a pair of gensets after the main block had a small crack around a mounting stud, and then had a genset replaced because a piston got launched out of a cylinder. A good museum can further explain how this represents the different attitudes of the past and the present, seen in real time between the steamer and the diesel, and how what is essentially the same severity of problem would have been looked at differently.

Another example of interpration, doing it right: Let's say we are installing a new exhibit at our fictional museum on the history of the telephone and telegraph. We spend $300,000 of donated money to refit a baggage car with displays of old telegraphs and telephones. We make some of the machines interactive to get the kids to want to stop at it. We even post signs telling how old each one is and who made it. That is NOT interpreting the telegraphs and telephones to teach your visitors. You have only done half the work; now you must show them WHY they should care that this particular telephone came out when it did and why it was important to the development of the modern cell phone (if that is where our fictional exhibit ends). Until you can explain that adequately, and without completely losing them, you have failed.
While properly trained docents are good because they can adapt to their audience, poorly trained docents leave even the avid learner unlikely to return. Don't have the man power to spare to have docents or train them? Then develop adequate displays and signage that allows you to put your manpower elsewhere. Using IRM as an example, if IRM used docents instead of signage, how much work could get done to turn back time and erase deterioration? Yes, there are those who would stay in the shops, but how many volunteers would stay, if most of what was their day was explaining something over and over? Some may like doing this, while others will hate it and leave. How many new people would be attracted to volunteer? I don't think many would be.

Bumping this old thread, Catalpa; you have a P.M.

As an update on this project, 1 air signal hose has been hung on the car; and the system proven to hold pressure. I may post photos after this weekend.

2 toots, thats a go, got it...