Large Scale Central

Scale 70 mph

General Discussion
#1

Here 'tis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM_2LGbNm2I

The arithmetic we discussed in an earlier thread says the scaled speed is just over 78 mph, but seventy allows for small vagaries in timing.

#2

A onboard camera view for part of that would be intersting , thanks .

#3

Freight trains on the CSX in Illinois are llimited to 55 mph. I don’t know if that is through out the state for other railroads or for CSX throughout the system.

#4

At 78 SMPH a camera mounted on the front of the consist would record nothing but a blur.

Here’s a link to a video taken on the C&SV Railroad. The train consisted of two Mallets double headed pulling loaded gondolas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdPMyCzeaQY

The speedometer car was programed for 1:20.3 scale miles per hour. The consist was sent over the mainline at 20 SMPH. At one point the camera car broke free and went down a steep grade at a higher speed. You can see that during the run down hill there’s not much opportunity to view the surroundings. Once down the grade the car rolled to a stop till the train caught up and started to push the camera car.

Videos of high speed runs might give you a feeling of riding one of the amusement park’s high speed rides. Not sure a high speed run would do much to capture the feeling of riding on one of our large scale trains.

Now if you are a Lionel fan, high speed runs captured on video might just be your cup of tea!

JD

#5

Dennis, the video was taken using our still camera. Some day I may lash it to a flat car and get a track’s-eye view.

Ric, there are a number of US and Canadian RRs running 70 - 80 mph. Your comment suggests that some states and provinces may set maximum speed limits for trains, same as they do for cars and trucks.

I wanted to know what 70 mph looks like in G scale. Now I know. I cut the video so my grandsons, who live on the other side of Australia, could have a giggle at Grandpa’s fast train. Posting the video on LSC was an afterthought.

#6

I believe that 70mph is more of a Western US thing. It’s far less congested and trains have more room to run. A lot of the West is a lot like the Outback of Australia…a whole lot of nothing between stops. Driving across some states all you see is Jackrabbits, Prairie Dogs and tumbleweed for hundreds of miles.

#7
Warren Mumpower said:
I believe that 70mph is more of a Western US thing. It's far less congested and trains have more room to run. A lot of the West is a lot like the Outback of Australia...a whole lot of nothing between stops. Driving across some states all you see is Jackrabbits, Prairie Dogs and tumbleweed for hundreds of miles.
Makes sense. It was in the summer of 1970, in Montana, that I first saw the diagonal slash sign that means "no set speed limit - onus on you".
#8

So which locomotive is that. It’s going so fast I can’t tell.

#9

Ric,

We road Amtrak to Chicago, Il from Kansas City, Mo… Not sure what tracks we were on, but the Amtrak speed limit was 79 MPH, unless there was a slow order on the section… Most of the time I thought we were going to d**m fast… But this was my first ride in about 50 years… Speed limit here in Edgerton, Ks is 79 MPH with a max of 50 on the cross-over in Gardner, Ks… Most fast trains I have paced between Gardner & Edgerton are going 65 to 75 MPH… And they do not slow down for Edgerton…

#10
Roger Crooks said:
So which locomotive is that. It's going so fast I can't tell.
USA GP-30, six Aristo 100-ton hoppers, H&L couplers.