Ken, there is still a tremendous amount of bridge rail, used for posts and fencing on the old GWR system. I like to touch the examples on my Heritage railway as they represent something quite historical. After all most is 150 years or more in age.
Alan Lott said:
Ken, there is still a tremendous amount of bridge rail, used for posts and fencing on the old GWR system. I like to touch the examples on my Heritage railway as they represent something quite historical. After all most is 150 years or more in age.
I read that in the caption and that looks to be part of a fence in the picture. I can imagine there would be a lot of that stuff still being used for something.
On the lines of old rails, when the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon was converted from 40 inch gauge, to 5 foot 2.5 inch gauge, many of the old rails were uses as guard rails. When PAT Transit rebuilt the Overbrook line a few years ago, they donated some of the original rails to the trolley museum. These rails were stamped “P. & C. S. R. R. 1871”
John Caughey said:
I’m not sure if the main is opened, meaning crossing rails are moved away or it’s a derail.I’m not sure if this is safety track or dual gauge; std/broad…
Indeed you have found some interesting ones.
Maybe that one on the main is a feature to give a smoother ride at speed?
On those old timers (a good looking era, one of my favorites, but I prefer living with climate control and indoor plumbing) if only we had a good view of a switch frog.
Am looking at the light and shadow and trying to decide if it might be strap rail on timber balks, but the light and shadow combination just doesn’t jibe in my mind with what I think it would be if it were that kind of track.
Or, maybe it is U rail;
"Only a very few of the poorest roads (like the Winchester & Potomac) were still using strap on their main lines when the war began.
The replacement for strap iron was either U-rail or T-rail. U-rail formed an inverted U-shaped rail (here), on which the car’s wheels ran. U-iron was very good, but easily got out of alignment as the ground shifted. The South Side was the only major Confederate line still using much U-rail during the war. A few roads used flange rail, one that could be flipped top to bottom when the top became worn.
T-rail is the rail shape we know today (here)."
John Caughey said:
…I’m not sure if this is safety track or dual gauge; std/broad…
Fill my brain with knowledge!
John
John,
I’m pretty sure that dates from around the Civil War, when the South (NC & VA) used 5’ gauge and the North used 4’8 1/2" gauge. I recall reading that Lincoln’s funeral train car had extra wide flanged wheels that could run on either gauge.
And if you want to talk about double slips - here’s two on Jim Strong’s Woodland RR. Plus a 3-way. All hand-laid.
Very creative. far beyond my skills. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Love that dual gauge stuff, looking at doing 32mm narrow gauge 1/29th with my 45mm standard 1/29th
I bet the “Tower Operator” has a ‘Boilermaker’ (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)when he gots off shift!
