Large Scale Central

Weird Rail Conveyances

Prototypes
#1

You guys have a knack for digging up old photos and movies of cool and odd contraptions that have ridden the rails over the decades. There seems to be no end to imagination of putting anything on the track. Where there is a need we see railtrucks, rail cars, velocipedes and other various pedal and motor driven contraptions and means of conveyance.
One has been missed and it was used on one of my favorite RR’s the Mount Washington Cog Railway.
Gentlemen I give you the “Devils Shingle”
It was a crude wood sled which the worker would sit on and with nothing but gravity and courage he would slide down the mountain.
http://www.cog-railway.com/devils.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g46031-d116318-i22845369-Mount_Washington_Cog_Railway-Bretton_Woods_New_Hampshire.html

Crazy stuff

#2

That was when Men were Men!
Most didn’t have many kids! :wink:

#3

As I recall from my visit there two years ago the fastest time down the mountain was a young woman? She didn’t know how to stop apparently?

Chas

#4

Wahoooo. That looks like a lot of fun. Doc Tom

#5

Believe there was one on a logging incline as well. It was like a kids scooter only it had a channel underneath that fitted on one rail. The incline was said to the steepest in the business.

#6

Sean McGillicuddy said:

That was when Men were Men!
Most didn’t have many kids! :wink:

Wow ! He won’t be a man if the conveyance suddenly stops and he doesn’t !!

#7

Reading a bit to refresh my memory the average time to glide down the mountain which is 3 miles was 15 minutes. One person did it in 2 and a half minutes once. From memory I thought it was a worker, a man but Chas recalls it was a woman who didn’t know how to stop. Who knows but either way that was FAST on a board about 10" wide by 36" long.

#8

Similar devices were used at Welsh slate quarries to get the men down from the mountain.

#9

I am not certain, I remember it because I think my daughters picked up on it? TI was also a VERY windy day when we were there. They almost suspended train operations as the winds were almost hurricane force. Had to hold onto my youngest as we tried to go out on the observation deck.

Chas

#10

Perhaps we need a forum for just “strange” equipment

Thanks, Todd -This is a fascinating posting !