I decided that the subject of some television programs on trains might not be confined to Passenger, Transit or Steam, so this forum would be a better location for a continuing topic.
Today’s alert is for the program ‘Trains and Locomotives’ on RFD-TV; it airs every Monday at 2:30pm Pacific.
Today’s show was on an excursion featuring CPR 2839 Royal Hudson 4-8-4 4-6-4 running in Southern Railway territory.
EDIT: corrected per following post
4-6-4 ! CPR did own two 4-8-4’s but the Royal Hudson is a Hudson.
In the category of ‘Mistitled Shows’, tonight’s episode of ‘Air Disasters’ on Smithsonian Channel features the Cajon-San Bernardino area Southern Pacific freight derailment in 1989.
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_train_disaster
In their defense, some of the cars probably flew through the air after derailing.
And most, though not all, “Air Disasters” are misnamed; the disaster comes with reintroduction to terrain, just as at San Berdoo…
Speed doesn’t kill - sudden stops do!
Maybe they should do an episode about NYO&W’s Flying F’s - which launched off an elevated coal dock.
Occasionally locos at LAUS attempt to go airborne:
Article link: http://framework.latimes.com/2011/11/14/santa-fe-locomotive-goes-through-wall/
Now, a ‘Paul Harvey rest-of-the-story’ moment to get this topic back on track.
I later found out that the above ‘Air Disasters’ description from an online program guide was erroneous - the actual episode covered the JAL flight 123 crash in 1985.
Question:
I thought that trucks were not captive to the equipment (car or locomotive, That the only thing that would hold the truck to the F7 would be the motor cables. But I see little separation of the truck from the body. Any reason the truck isn’t hanging by the cables?
Looks like the spring hanger for the firemans side of the truck is resting against the broken utility pole which is holding the truck in place.
That pole is 8’ or more away from any part of the locomotive – look at the bow in the wires that are supporting the nose of the unit. My guess would be safety chains doing their job (which might explain the rakish tilt of the visible sideframe).
Now back to topic [:-^] …
Next Monday 6/19 the Smithsonian Channel will start a new series entitled ‘Combat Trains’. The first episode is on the building of the Burma-Thailand road.
The centerpin on locomotives and passenger equipment is a threaded bolt that does indeed hold the truck captive.
You must be a model railroader. Do you have pictures of full-size ‘threaded bolt’ center pins that hold trucks on? I’d like to see them.
Certainly the center pins on the modern Siemens American locomotives (electric or diesel) aren’t threaded bolts. (I have PDF links to 3D drawings of the trucks, but no direct detail views to post here.) Nor are the ones used in HTCR-II trucks:
where it is specifically noted that the pin itself is welded to the underframe.
If I remember correctly, some of the “AAR” style drop-equalizer trucks had center PLATE safety retention means, which might have bolted to the bolster in some way, but would not constitute ‘threaded bolts’ instead of center pins. Someone like tree68, who has access to locomotives using this style of truck, might investigate and report what they have.
Here is the EMD freight truck (commonly known as ‘Blomberg’):
which is the design in the picture that started this discussion off. To my knowledge there have never been ‘threaded bolts’ holding the truck bolsters against the pins when installed, and I would have to say that a split eared or expanding pin arrangement would make far better sense if holding the truck in place while permitting appropriate degrees of freedom at the centerplate/bowl bearing area is desired.
Passenger cars have used locking center pins for many years, and Amtrak currently requires them. If there is a design of such pins that uses ‘threaded bolts’ I’d like to see how it works
I’ll see what I can find out next time I’m on the railroad. Of course, they’re mostly ALCO’s, so I’ll be getting pretty greasy in the process…
Back to topic again …
The Smithsonian Channel has started another series entitled ‘Mighty Trains’. First episode was on VIA’s transcontinental train; the traveling presenter touched on some ‘operational’ aspects not usually discussed coherently.
Next episode will cover the Shinkansen …
You know, I started watching that show last night about VIA’s “Canadian.” Looked very interesting, the presenter was personable and likeable, the trains was just leaving the station in Vancouver and…
I shook my head and thought, "Why is the train leaving Vancouver again?" Then “Oh nuts! Look at the TIME!” I’d nodded off and was watching the 11:00 PM re-run!
My fault, I ate a little too heavy last night! Either that or I’m turning into my father and watching TV with my eyes closed! Has this ever happened to any of you?
I’ll catch the re-run when it shows up. Dang, that show looked good!
How was it, anyway?
My cable plan doesn’t cover the Smithsonian Channel
That’s too bad. On the other hand we don’t bother with HBO, Starz, or any of the like. Last time we had 'em we didn’t think they were worth the extra money.
I got confused when my guide showed an original air date in October of last year.
Looking online it may have just been shown in Canada …
http://www.discovery.ca/extra/mighty-trains#
I did the same thing last night … waking up in the part I had already seen 
[sigh]Saturday AM…'Bored", Surfing TV…[zzz]
Stumbled onto a program : “Journeys with Dylan Dreyer” on our local NBC Channel.
Program was on the Construction of the Canadian Pacific Rwy…
It’s apparently the first in a series on CPR? It was interesting; I did not know that William Cornelius Van Horne was an American born, as was one of his engineering managers. Would enjoy seeing more in this series.
Possibly.more shows in series to follow, but no schedule posted.
Has anyone eles here seen it or is familiar with it?