Sounds like a plan
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A "plan" yes, but NOT a very good plan. Downgrading the line to Class 1, means a speed limit of only 15 MPH. How many passengers will really want to pay to ride behind 1309 at a paltry 15 MPH? Plus, how will the WMSR be able to maintain any sort of profitable schedule at such a slow speed?
Totally ridiculous, in my opinion!
The Good, Te Bad, and the Ugly:
The Good: Another "set of eyes" looking over this?
The Bad: Does the County have anybody who knows anything about railroading?
The Ugly: 15 MPH? 1309 cannot pull? More to this story?
@Hot Water posted:A "plan" yes, but NOT a very good plan. Downgrading the line to Class 1, means a speed limit of only 15 MPH. How many passengers will really want to pay to ride behind 1309 at a paltry 15 MPH? Plus, how will the WMSR be able to maintain any sort of profitable schedule at such a slow speed?
Totally ridicules, in my opinion!
I believe they only made one trip a day anyways.
I'll just hope that WMSR can provide a train ride that meets the expectations of the ridership, and is able to get back into operation.
Even though it's 1300 miles from home, I should have ridden it years ago, when it was running regular steam trips with the 2-8-0. Oh, well . . . If I had suspected that they were not keeping the track in satisfactory condition, I would have planned a trip before their chickens came home to roost.
It takes a bit, you can get a bicycle up to 15 mph. (Downhill).
I am in my 70s and I can do better than 15 mph on flat roads.
Besides, is this not a “scenic” train? Who wants to go fast?
I could be wrong, my memory sometimes does tricks on me in this older age, but I recall 734 left Cumberland at 11:30 and was to arrive at Frostburg 12:30. Mileage is 15.6 If 1309 does run soon, even at 15 mph, she should make them enough money to buy lots of ties. I have to agree with Ron, fast enough for an all uphill scenic run.
Ed
Well, I hope they are open this summer. Would love to make the trip with my son. Maybe bring the bikes and ride back, would make for some nice pics and videos.
I never recall them running any faster than 15 or 20 once they put the bike trail in.
Everything will work out and 1309 will be quite a show. Of course don't tell the armchair railroaders that.
I don't know what speed the WMSRR needs to operate at, but the 1309's primary in service purpose was to move hopper cars around coal mines and to and from marshaling yards. It was built for slow running on questionable track. A speedy mainline engine its not.
Ken
@PennsyPride94 posted:Everything will work out and 1309 will be quite a show. Of course don't tell the armchair railroaders that.
Well hopefully it will move at 15MPH on its own.
I'd much rather see that, than it being pushed at 60mhp by a diesel.
@CAPPilot posted:...Besides, is this not a “scenic” train? Who wants to go fast?
@RickO posted:Well hopefully it will move at 15MPH on its own...
You guys are all focusing on the 15 mph speed, but that's not the real issue here. The issue is the integrity and strength of the underlying track structure. If they are downgrading the track to Class 1 just to buy some time and save a few bucks until they can get it all back up to Class 2, that's a good thing. However, if the intent is to downgrade it to Class 1 and leave it there, I think that is a big mistake.
If a track is designated as Class 1, it means the track is not safe at anything faster than 10 mph for a freight and 15 mph for a passenger train. Why is it not safe? Because the the underlying track structure is too weak to support the vertical and lateral forces developed at the rail at higher speeds. Spikes in bad ties don't hold very well.
I've run a lot of freight trains on Class 1 track. It is not fun. The slightest mistake in train handling (allowing the slack to run in on a curve, for example) can cause a derailment. Because the underlying track structure on Class 1 track is so weak, allowing the slack to run in on a curve can put enough stress on the outside rail to roll it over! And then you're on the ground with a mess to clean up.
If the intent is to degrade the track to Class 1 permanently, that is NOT a good idea.
Yeah I agree Rich. Sounds like a bad situation that could be worse if they stay that way. Reminds me of that track issue they had in PA a couple of years ago with the rail coming off/sliding or whatever it was. I think some of us had thought it was the engineer whereas others suggested the rail quality. I wish I could remember what all it was, but think it was the quality of the rails. Think it was over by Scranton somewhere.
@Mike CT posted:It takes a bit, you can get a bicycle up to 15 mph. (Downhill).
The upshot: get ready for a lot of railfans to do pacing videos along the GAP Trail this summer...
I don't completely understand. The FRA literally ordered them to replace ALL the ties before they can start to move the wheels on a train. It doesn't matter what class of track it is.
And second, 1309 will NOT make it to Frostburg because the track alignment at Frostburg is too sharp for an articulated. They'd need to re-grade the alignment to make it accessible for 1309.
@JML posted:I don't completely understand. The FRA literally ordered them to replace ALL the ties before they can start to move the wheels on a train. It doesn't matter what class of track it is.
Well, that REALLY isn't what the FRA Inspectors stated. However THAT is what the media REPORTED!
And second, 1309 will NOT make it to Frostburg because the track alignment at Frostburg is too sharp for an articulated. They'd need to re-grade the alignment to make it accessible for 1309.
That is indeed very true! Which continually seems to be overlooked in all reporting.
According to Railroad & Railfan, they'd only have to replace about 11,000 ties to make the track operable. That's much better than the reported 50,000, but they still have to replace 11,000 ties before a train can move a wheel. There was speculation that the track was not Class 1, but Excepted. Excepted is 10mph maximum, freight only, no passenger.
And as I previously mentioned, the alignment to the turntable in Frostburg still has to be remedied.
IMHO, for the amount of money spent on 1309, they could have done Track work during that same period, but that's not what happened here, now they have a Locomotive that's about 99% ready to go, but have no operational track for the 1309 to operate over, I work for a Tourist Line that operates on 15mph Trackage, it's all jointed rail and has had tie replacement, you think someone would be looking at the track conditions knowing that this project would be completed soon, unfortunately that hasn't happened either?
BUMMER IMO
