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No more steam trains? (rumor)
- Thread starter photoflight
- Start date
Voxel
President of Progress City
I hate to pop your bubble but you can use a "steam whistle" with any compressed air source to replicate an old fashion sounds. *Source I have a whistle from a 1918 steam locomotive that I will hook up to a air compressor sometimes to annoy the neighbors.
CDavid
Well-Known Member
I once saw a steam locomotive whistle advertised which could be installed in an automobile, though I think it was electronically reproduced.
And SpectroMagic.
And Future World.
The list goes on...
Voxel
President of Progress City
I will agree with this. I grew up in a Railroad Museum and had the opportunity to learn how to operate a diesel locomotive and a Steam locomotive (And electric trolleys which are the most fun to operate to honest). Diesels are straight forward and operate themselves for the most part. Nothing like powering up a Steam locomotive over a 4 hour process to be the fear of god in your eyes. You truly realize how much is power is there as you start up a steam locomotive. They are alive is the only way of stating it.
Polyman
Active Member
Absolutely. Her refurb is taking place at the mechanical shops of the Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster, PA.
dstrawn9889
Well-Known Member
isn't that the shop that has to recertify the steam engines for service at regular intervals?
I was told she is no longer there.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
I HAVE NO INFORMATION THE FOLLOWING IS PURE SPECULATION
She MAY be at the East Broad Top Railroad which uses the same gauge rail, This is a possibility if they are doing shakedown testing as EBT also has a complete machine shop with narrow gauge tooling and since they OPERATE a narrow gauge railroad they are in a better position to correct any operational faults as well as 'stress test' the Lilly Belle in service.
Website
http://www.febt.org/
She MAY be at the East Broad Top Railroad which uses the same gauge rail, This is a possibility if they are doing shakedown testing as EBT also has a complete machine shop with narrow gauge tooling and since they OPERATE a narrow gauge railroad they are in a better position to correct any operational faults as well as 'stress test' the Lilly Belle in service.
Website
http://www.febt.org/
raymusiccity
Well-Known Member
Diesel locomotives would indeed be cheaper.
....and safer.....and they'll still go chug chug and whoo whoo
I thought they were closed?
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
The East Broad Top Railroad and Coal company leased the facilities to operate a tourist railroad but the facilities are actually owned by the FEBT.
That makes more sense now. I didn't know that.
CDavid
Well-Known Member
....and safer.....and they'll still go chug chug and whoo whoo
How do you think a diesel locomotive is safer than a steam locomotive?
And what model of diesel goes "chug chug"? Please tell me you can tell the difference between a horn and a whistle...
Somehow I've never made it there (or Cass Scenic, in West Virginia), but I've wanted to see both.
jackson1954
Member
Losing true steam locomotives would be awful. However, losing SpectroMagic isn't even close to losing steam locomotives. SpectroMagic wasn't even the original night time parade. It was MSEP.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Um.. No, they do not. The 'chug chug' sound is specifically a result of how the engine operates. Go ride the Wildlife Express at Disney's Animal Kingdom and there is no 'chug chug' sound because that is not how those engines operate.....and safer.....and they'll still go chug chug and whoo whoo
montyz81
Well-Known Member
I can tell you this was indeed looked at about a year ago because of concerns regarding the longevity of the current fleet (because of issues with Lilly)..
It was deemed feasible, both financially and otherwise, but more recently it's been more focus on improving maintenance and care of the existing 3 (plus lillys refurb)... and on that point.. Lilly Bell won't be gone much longer
is she still in Pennsylvania?I can tell you this was indeed looked at about a year ago because of concerns regarding the longevity of the current fleet (because of issues with Lilly)..
It was deemed feasible, both financially and otherwise, but more recently it's been more focus on improving maintenance and care of the existing 3 (plus lillys refurb)... and on that point.. Lilly Bell won't be gone much longer
Voxel
President of Progress City
I pray tell that this is sarcasm, because I really don't want to go into the discussion of how a steam locomotive is a controlled bomb.. And I have seen a diesel go chug chug. That noise is caused by the intake of air to the firebox and other component and the release of air through piston. This could be replicate with a diesel if done right and for the right price.How do you think a diesel locomotive is safer than a steam locomotive?
And what model of diesel goes "chug chug"? Please tell me you can tell the difference between a horn and a whistle...
Somehow I've never made it there (or Cass Scenic, in West Virginia), but I've wanted to see both.
raymusiccity
Well-Known Member
We had steam engines awhile ago at Opryland USA. They converted one of the engines to run on diesel instead of steam. No one could tell the difference when either of them chugged by..... And they both were able to use their air powered whistles.
Voxel
President of Progress City
Was this a full engine conversion or just conversion of the heating elements of the boiler.We had steam engines awhile ago at Opryland USA. They converted one of the engines to run on diesel instead of steam. No one could tell the difference when either of them chugged by..... And they both were able to use their air powered whistles.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Rachel at Opryland was a 0-4-0T Steam Locomotive, Elizabeth was built as a Diesel Hydraulic (Like HKDL) in fact she looks exactly like the HKDL locomotives so they may be from the same builder. If you look at pictures there is no vapor seen around Elizabeth at any time.
Elizabeth is currently at Six Flags - Georgia on the dead track due to hydraulic system failure.
As any limey can tell you Diesel Hydraulic locomotives are not all that reliable as the Warship classes and the Type 52's proved.