Willbacker, exactly right to do that and all or in part the point of Joe's article as I saw it.
A steam engine heats up water through an electric heating element that gets it's current from a center mounted powered rail. The "firebox" is actually a stove in the cab for the crew to cook their meals on. 
Fred, I know you jest.
However the Swiss Federal Railways did have some electrically heated steam switchers in use during WWII, when getting decent coal to fire them was problematic. The power was via a pantograph to the overhead wires. The railway already was using electric locomotives for its freight and passenger mainline hauling as hydro power in Switzerland was fairly abundant.
In rhe US side, Pacific Electric used EMD switchers and I think even a couple of 0-6-0 swithhers that had trolley poles on their cab roofs. These locos handled PE's frieght service. The trolley poles were for the PE signaling system and for actuating grade crossing signals.
Now if one was modeling part of the LIRR or the Staten Island Rapid Transit, both had outside third rail with diesels and steam locomotives hauling trains along the same tracks outside third rail passenger equipment used.
Ed Bommer
However the Swiss Federal Railways did have some electrically heated steam switchers in use during WWII, when getting decent coal to fire them was problematic. The power was via a pantograph to the overhead wires. The railway already was using electric locomotives for its freight and passenger mainline hauling as hydro power in Switzerland was fairly abundant.
In rhe US side, Pacific Electric used EMD switchers and I think even a couple of 0-6-0 swithhers that had trolley poles on their cab roofs. These locos handled PE's frieght service. The trolley poles were for the PE signaling system and for actuating grade crossing signals.
Now if one was modeling part of the LIRR or the Staten Island Rapid Transit, both had outside third rail with diesels and steam locomotives hauling trains along the same tracks outside third rail passenger equipment used.
Ed Bommer
Wow I didn't know that. There really is a prototype for everything.
According to the IRS, every one of these products covered in the new rules are taxed as TOYS!
That's because they all are whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Even the die hard Star Wars collector will claim that he doesn't have toys but rather action figures. In the end they are still just dolls for boys.
So the rivet counters can relax, the New Haven Railroad, had three rail track on the Nantasket Branch for a while. Yes, the third rail was electric and it was centered in the gauge.
Check it out for yourselves.
So, although rare, three rail, electric track, is prototypical, or was at one time!
Eventually battery technology will allow for practical, on board power, even in tank engines, making the center third rail uneccesary.
Check it out for yourselves.
So, although rare, three rail, electric track, is prototypical, or was at one time!
Eventually battery technology will allow for practical, on board power, even in tank engines, making the center third rail uneccesary.
I enjoyed the Article as it was written.
At the moment it is a scale too far. However there will be a bit of two rail here and there. Nothing like what 3rail scale is going to be with everything being available or easily hunted down.
Originally Posted by fredswain:
Wow I didn't know that. There really is a prototype for everything.
One thing that I have noticed, even on my own layout, is the ballasting is not prototypical. I see the naked ends of my ties which I don't see on the Cajon Pass tracks. The ballast extends what looks like a couple of feet beyond the tie ends on level with the tops of the ties before banking, logically to keep the ties from shifting. Just an observation that I need to remember and thought it may be of interest.
Originally Posted by SoCalStu:
Originally Posted by fredswain:
Wow I didn't know that. There really is a prototype for everything.
One thing that I have noticed, even on my own layout, is the ballasting is not prototypical. I see the naked ends of my ties which I don't see on the Cajon Pass tracks. The ballast extends what looks like a couple of feet beyond the tie ends on level with the tops of the ties before banking, logically to keep the ties from shifting. Just an observation that I need to remember and thought it may be of interest.
There are no absolutes here, it depends on era, railroad, and location.
Here are links from Railpictures.net.
1962, Westmont IL on the old CB&Q triple track "racetrack". Notice the center track, ballast about 1/2 way up the ties.
Westmont, 2011, pretty much the same location. Pretty much as you describe modern ballast.
Westmont, 1970. Same as 1962, much quicker slope, and ties only 1/2 covered.
Bottom line, research what you want to model, as it may be different from what you noticed on Techachapi.
When it comes to modeling, this look is "good enough" for me. I didn't sweat the ballast height that much, but did go for a "high ballast line look of a well maintained roadbed.
Regards,
GNNPNUT
Speaking of Ballast, some of the old Steam railroads kept their ballast NEAT, the last time I did ballast I learned a few things.
The Union Pacific Ballast is added to occasionally by a green hopper train with a backhoe that hops itself from car to car. The mains occasionally wash out straight through and require a complete replacement.
EBT's long fill has a way of using Ballast. If I remember from my CAT days, rock will take a natural slope vs gravity and stay that way more or less.
And finally but not least, I recall a railroad near St Petersburg that was said to still use the Telephone Poles driven into the swamp vertically to make a road even under today's heavy stock and power.
>>> WARNING! The following is a drive-by-posting!!! <<<
OOooooo!!! LOVE those GN and CB&Q/GN pics!!
Class... pure class. 
Andre
