When I was a kid, I used to play along the “Q” tracks in Nebraska. They paralleled the Rock Island tracks for s short distance in Lincoln, so I got to see a lot of vintage 60’s railroading at a very early age. I used to see motorized track speeders, which would run along the Q mainline. Some had cabs, some only had a windsheild, some carried a crew of 4 or 5 men, some only had one person on board. I often wondered, what were these crews doing? What was one guy doing? How did they know whether or not there was a full size traIn headed in their direction? What did they do when a train came ?
Did they operate under the same CTC as regular train traffic? I observed them a few times at grade crossings, and the crossing signals generally did not operate, they usually would just slow down or stop until traffic cleared, and then proceed.
In addition to all the questions I’ve already asked, does anyone know where to get information, such as drawings of these units? Were they generally homebuilt at the railroad shops, or manufactured by some corporation?
The units I remember all seemed to be powered by a small industrial gas engine like a Wisconson, they sounded like a lawn mower.
I wonder if highrail pickups replaced the little speeders, or are thye still in use?
There are now speeder clubs who get together and ride the rails where they can arrange such events with a railroad (most generally a local shortline).
I’m pretty sure your assumption that at least part of the function of the speeders has been replaced by hi-rail vehicles is correct. I’m guessing the single occupant speeders you saw were probably inspecting track, something I know CSX does around here using a hi-rail pickup (Track Car 0284).
Back in the day of the section gang, I’m sure the section crews appreciated not having to pump a hand car out to where they were working any more. You probably saw some trailers attached to them, too.
Nowadays, if the track gang can’t get in from a road, I believe they hi-rail in with their trucks. After the recent derailment in Watertown, NY, I saw several hi-rail “boom trucks” dismounting from the rails.
And I’m guessing “track and time” applies to their occupancy on the rails. Before radio arrived, they probably would have had to use lineside phones for orders.
I recall a group of photos in TRAINS a while back that showed a hi-rail car inspecting out in the middle of nowhere, then scurrying to a siding to clear for a passenger train.
Howdy and welcome to the fourms. Call them what you will, speeders, tracksters, section cars, or motorcars, they all been replaced with hirail pickups for inspection and light maintence work. A major manufacture was fairmont. Most had small gas engines, although i have seen diesel. Here is a site with lots of info and links.
http://users2.ev1.net/~cleveland/speeder/clubs/clubs.htm
Happy motoring,
Adrianspeeder
The motorcars operated on track car lineups (boy do I miss the little motorcar indicators) and except in some CTC plants, was a highly structured game of “chicken” when you ran an M-19 or a big A-5. An M-19 assigned to me met a brutal end when a train crew (with nothing between the ears) tried to couple two work train engines together on a track that was spiked out of service. Found it the next morning impaled on the front coupler of an SD39. Train crew was trying to steal power because they left town with BN power (GE C-boats) that died twenty miles away from the shop (typical of BN clapped-out junk)
Until the signal was replaced within the last year or so, there was a block signal at Waterloo, Nebr that still had the indicatiors attached to the pole. I don’t know it they were still operational, I rather doubt it.
Jeff
I believe speeders here generally would generally be working with MOW crews, which would have TOPs and would therefore not have to worry about oncoming trains.
Here is my Fairmont MT-19A. It was CN 13449 and the CN never took care of it and ran it with water in the crank case instead of oil for sometime. The engine is Vermont undergoing a $2k rebuild.
Here are some sites.
http://www.cvrtc.net/ <<<member
http://www.wilmingtonnrhs.com/ncra/photo.html
http://www.vratrips.org/gallery.html
http://motorcar.winkworth.us/primer/primer_article.htm
Ouch, water in the crankcase. My buddy got one and the motor was toast. Havent done much work lately, but prolly will put a diesel tractor motor in its place.
Adrianspeeder
are speeders easy to move around?? I kind of picture them as weighing 300-600 lbs or something. Do you “drive” them onto a trailer or something, then “drive” them onto the tracks? I often have seen a speeder track, at stations, that are perpendicular to the mainline-- one end leading into a shed or building, the other end right to the rails. Am I right in assuming this is track for speeders?
The speeder owned by the Heber Valley RR in Utah had a “turntable”. Basically a platform base operated by a jack in the center. The operator would jack up the speeder until the flanges cleared the rails and then rotate it on the the platform to reverse direction or to align it to the speed track. Then the speeder would be lowered on to the rail.
But most speeders were manually repositioned using fold-out or extendable handles on each end.
dd
They are fairly easy when picked up from the back because you are useing the engine as a counter wieght. It may be hard to see, but there are two aluminum handles that come out about 6 feet to either side to give you more leverage spinning them around.
On average I can spin my car my self cause I lift wieghts alot and I am 20. Plus my car is aluminum. Others cars are steel or just have old guys with bad backs that take 2 or 3 people to spin around.
There are machines avalible from Les King that are called turn tables. It was designed for the rereational speeders, not avalible during the days of railroad use.
They have a piston with a large round alumium pad that comes down from the center of the speeder. The mahine is mounted in a balacne point. It comes down and lifts the speeder about 10 inches above the rail and you push it around. Then the piston retracts back up into the speeder. It takes 1 finger to pu***he u[p down swtich and 1 finger to spin it. A popular addition for the old er crowd and guys with steel cars.
I would go to the Les King site to see photos of the machine, you will under stand what I am saying. http://www.leskingmotorcars.com/
I checked the speeder websites and I didn’t see anyone doing this in Texas. Are there any speeder clubs in Texas?
Theres gotta be, never been to Texas but I’ll “look around” for ya.
Adrianspeeder
Go on the NARCOA site and under the clubs/affilates link look for clubs in “area 9”.
BNSFGP38-
Make fun of us old guys with bad backs and we might be challenging you to play chicken with our speeders. [}:)][}:)][:D]
Jay
I wont mind that, just not with my speeder. I got to much blood from sharp metal and busted knuckle’s,sweat from laying in my nice black driveway working on it in the summer and tears from the mounting cost of repairing it to smash her up.[:p][:0][:D]
Hello,
Yes, speeders are still alive and in use. The North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA) sponsers many railcar excursions throughout the USA and Canada. I am planning on running my Fairmont M-19 below this summer for the annual Chillicothe (Illinois) Corn Fest. Track warrant will be given by the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
Hey you “young” guys; just wait, your day is coming!
Anyone ever built a track speeder out of something else, like an old tamper frame (one of the really small ones) and a custom-built body? I’d think that a frame that big would be able to hold quite a few people given it’s large size, and lots of old track equipment all ready has a lift to turn and spin the car around. I would think it’s possible with the right frame and engine, and a little determination…
Here in colorado Springs, every Saturday there is a guy(s) that run one with Rio Grande on the side on some abandoned tracks. i like to watch it as we drive by.(Dont worry trains cant even get to this track with out going over a few collapsed bridges and some roads where the tracks have been covered up…how sad)