Zero-Gauge

Not your regular trains or railroads

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An important fundamental feature of the system is the provision of rubber tyres which makes it possible to utilize  the available tractive effort at the driving wheels with considerably reduced static loads, since the value of the Tyre/rail coefficient of friction, is in the region of .2 for orthodox railways whereas in the case of rubber tired   wheels running on a prepared track, this figure is in the order of .8 or four times as great as that met with in normal railway practice. This feature not only allows for a considerable reduction in the static weight of the prime movers, but is of utmost importance in braking the train on steep down grades, because of the very much greater retarding force which can be applied without slipping the wheels.

THE BROCK HOUSE “UNILINE” TRANSPORT SYSTEM

The "Uniline" monorail system had a concrete track with single guide rail; all vehicles were fitted with pneumatic tyres.

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This is the weirdest crossovers ever.

https://twitter.com/QuirkyRides/status/1444349515184680960?s=19

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Tim Dunn on Twitter

“One if the most extraordinary rail vehicles the world has ever seen? Art Deco high speed streamlining-mania even reached the 15mph Darjeeli

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Train on the football field - Quadcopter Slovenija

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Roger Puta photographed AT&SF M-190 (gas-electric articulated motor car) with Train 26, the Pacos Valley Streamliner at the Roswell, NM station in a rare snow storm on February 3, 1964. by Marty Bernard The car was a diesel-electric by then. And I’m told snow is not that rare there.

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Doodlebug!

American name for self-propelled multiple unit railcars. They have a gasoline-powered generator car to provide electricity to traction motors.

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The Holman Locomotive Stock Scam

As Angus Sinclair put in 1907: "When we first heard of the Holman locomotive we supposed that it was the invention of some harmless crank who did not understand the elementary principles of mechanics, but we now believe that it has been, since its inception, an ostentatious machine designed to allure unwary capitalists into an investment which will be of the same real value as throwing gold coin over Niagara Falls."

It was built by the Holman Locomotive Company in 1887 in Philadelphia, and was at once ridiculed by everyone with the slightest knowledge of railways or mechanics. The thing was run for a few trips on a straight railroad in New Jersey, merely as a stimulant to stock sales.  Further information can be found on douglas-self.com

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjBKQlr9fSs)

A video of the old Lartigue Monorail actually exists!

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 No other tram system comes close to the Trieste -Opcina tramway in living up to the unusual. At 5.2 km length it is not exactly an elaborate system but does pack a lot into itself. Starting at almost sea level at Piazza Oberdan, the metre-gauge ‘line 2′ of Trieste Trasporti traverses through a section of Trieste’s streets like any other street car line with overhead traction before turning into a cable pulled funicular for about 800m and climbing 160 metres without overhead traction. Then it returns to normal overhead traction and traverses 3.8 km at a maximum gradient of 8% through a reserved corridor to reach Villa Opicina more than 300m above sea level. 

Interestingly the line that opened in 1902 had a rack section earlier in place of the funicular with rack locomotives pushing the car up and braking it downwards. 

The line underwent many renovations but managed to retain all its cars from 1935 and 1942 that still run today.

So there you go - a street-funiular-rack-vintage-rolling stock-steep tramway

While many videos exist, the best one is probably this front cab view one.

Update: [1/25/17]: The video was removed from YouTube. I replaced with a rear cab view one

Trieste Transporti

More photos

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More Atmospheric Railway

“The railway line west of Exeter along the South Devon coast provides arguably the most beautiful rail journey in the UK. It is also one of the most expensive to maintain and its vulnerability was illustrated recently by the destruction of the route at Dawlish during February’s storms. It reopens today, but few people who travel on the line nowadays realise that this was once the site of an ambitious experiment in railway propulsion that could have changed railway history. 

Read more here.

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The Devil's Nose

From Urbina the track gets even more hair-raising, as you travel towards the infamous Devil's Nose – where the track loops in a series of precipitous switchbacks on the rocky mountain face of Cóndor Puñuna (Condor Mountain). The engineering challenges in building this section earned it the nickname 'the most difficult railway in the world'.

 The line from Quito to Guayaquil in Equador was constructed in the late 19th century, a daunting task back then considering the engineering, the terrain and available technology. The line fell into neglect due to frequent landslides in in the 1990s except for small sections like the Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) in an equally enigmatic location - the Valley of the Volcanoes. The line is considered one of the steepest in the world and passes close to the Chimborazo, the tallest peak Equador and for the amusement of trivia quizzers, the peak closest to the sun on account of its location at the equator. Of course, railfans will ignore the Chimborazo for the Devil's Nose is one of the most exquisite examples of what they term as a Zig-Zag crossing or a 'Switchback'.

PS: By the way, there is a Jamaican connection to this line

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Turbotrain

Among all high speed trains, this one takes the cake for being outright ugly. The UAC Turbotrain was the first innovation Americans and Canadains had seen in high speed railway. The trains ran as 3,4 and 5-car sets between 1968 and 1982 and were one of the early tilting trains. These were gas turbine trains given to problems like excess fuel consumption, leakages, poor ride, failures and above all, awful noise (remember turboprop aircraft?) and really took off like jet plane

Ride aside, they had this odd look resembling all things from toothbrush holders to two headed boats and the livery scheme was like a pair of ugly lips rushing for a kiss.

But they had one redeeming factor. The power units had a dome section right behind the engineer. The control room pod on top had a viewing area with seating. You could see what the engineer saw and yes, it was much quieter there.

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Umbrella Pulldown Market

...what this unique market excavates is asymbiotic adaptive urban phenomenon who developed most probably out of pressure on available land close to the train station, which serves as a transport hub for local connections. The market is a fluid transitory space whose architecture has been adapted to the specific situation. The design of the market stalls and awnings simply follows functional demands and its construction was built up by using everyday and easily found materials. The informal, intuitive approach to architecture by the marketers is impressing and has created a space of event (Source:SYNCHRONICITY)

Mae Klong Railway Market is known as Talad-Rom-Hoop in Thai which translates literally to 'umbrella pull-down market'. The metre-gauge railway runs 67 kilometres between Wongwian Yai, Bangkok, and Samut Songkhram in Central Thailand. Talad Rom Hoop one of the largest fresh seafood open-air markets in Thailand also known for tropical fruits and vegetables and other local foods. With the arrival of a train, a siren goes off warning the vendors and the market comes to a standstill. All vendors hold on to the poles supporting their awnings and pull them back to make way for the train to pass. It is such a tight squeeze that the train travelling at about 15mph almost touches the fruits, vegetables and everything else at the marketplace as it passes through.

(Photo courtesy: Nomadic Notes, Travel blog of a long-term traveller)

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Vic Berry’s Scrapyard, Leicester, UK

Specializing in asbestos removal, Vic Berry’s set a standard for large-scale industrial recycling while its more well-known claim to fame was an immense pyramid of 30 disused Class 25 and 27 locomotives that reached its greatest height and breadth in 1987.

Vic Berry’s Scrapyard’s reputation as a specialist in asbestos remediation was a double-edged sword. Firms eager to scrap old engines and passenger cars looked to the Leicester yard first, leading to a boost in business and a growing stockpile of non-rolling, asbestos-containing stock stored onsite.

The worst thing that could happen was a large fire, and that’s exactly what DID happen in March of 1991. The blaze destroyed most of the yard’s stored stock and poisonous clouds of asbestos-infused smoke wafted across Leicester.

Remember middle school math class homework problems? If I stack trains 10 stories high and 10 trains wide how many trains will I need to build a condominium of junk?

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Tata Motors was once known for its dimunitive but handsome metre gauge steam locomotives. They moved away from tracks to manufacture poor man’s Benz trucks before adding to their assembly lines, cars and utility vehicles like the Sumo; often characterised by a bovine apathy or oxlike disposition. Irony put the Sumo on tracks

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The Galloping Goose

If the Rio Grande Southern Railroad had ever been a profitable endeavor with the changing economy of its fledgling days, the “Galloping Goose” might never have been “hatched” to accommodate travel by rail in the remote and isolated regions of far southwestern Colorado. The railroad was conceived and built in 1890-91 by the unflappable “Pathfinder of the San Juans,” Otto Mears. It was over 160 miles long and ran from the town of Ridgway, Colorado on the north to Durango, Colorado on the south going through the towns of Telluride, Rico, Dolores and Mancos.

The RGS’s early revenues came mainly from the numerous silver and gold mines near Telluride, Ophir and Rico. However, the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act caused the Silver Panic of 1893, and silver prices plummeted. As a result, many silver mines were closed, people fled the area by the thousands, and the railroad slipped receivership that same year.

Nevertheless, the railroad survived for another 40 years until the stock market crash in 1929 spelled the almost certain financial failure of the railroad. However, there remained an obligation and responsibility for the railroad to provide reliable transportation for small amounts of freight, what few passengers there were, and the   always-important U.S. Mail. It was time to economize! There had to be a way! There was. A new rail vehicle was born from an ingenious idea and developed into what later became widely known as the Galloping Geese. 

The cost was $2,599 for No. 5, which was built with a 1928 Pierce-Arrow limousine body and running gear. It was rebuilt in 1946/47, using a World War II surplus GMC gasoline truck engine and a Wayne  Corporation school bus body.

Even though originally built from Buicks and Pierce Arrows, the word “dignified” never seems to have been included in their description, but they were serviceable and definitely fit their purpose. Traveling through the countryside with a horn that could easily be mistaken for the call of a real goose, they were said to have “waddled” down the uneven, poorly maintained tracks of the cash-strapped  Rio Grande Southern.

The Galloping Goose No. 5 survived through time and is maintained by the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores, Colorado

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Atmospheric Railway

Atmospheric railway uses air pressure for propulsion. Depending on the model, it either runs on a tube that sits between the rails which is connected to the train via a suspended piston, or the car itself acts as the piston with the tunnel acting as the tube. Engines set up along the train’s route leave a partial vacuum just ahead of the car, while pumping air behind the car, causing atmospheric pressure to boost the train. As the name suggests, atmospheric railways eliminate friction and jerkiness, and are nearly silent. In the mid-1800s, Dublin, London, Paris all operated these trains.

For their first 25 years, railways were marred by the ‘war of the propulsion systems’.  On one side were George and Robert Stephenson, who pioneered the railway locomotive.  Opposing them was Isambard Kingdom Brunel who favoured engine-less trains.

Brunel thought that attaching a heavy locomotive to a train was crazy: the engine had to haul its own weight, a substantial railway was needed to bear the combined weight of train and engine, and the steam engine made for a noisy, smoky and rough ride.  It would be faster, cheaper, safer and more comfortable to generate the power elsewhere with a fixed engine, transmit the power to the railway, and run a lightweight train of carriages on a correspondingly lightweight track.  You can see a certain logic to his argument.

A train without an engine! Gliding silently through the countryside on what appeared to be a largish drainpipe between the rails. 

During the Spring and Summer of 1848, nine trains a day were running at average speeds of 64mph (a top speed of 70mph) and the Atmospheric Train was a firm favourite with the passengers – except perhaps those in third class who had to get out and push if there was a breakdown! 

Atmospheric railways are back. A Brazillian inventor Oskar Coester designed a new system in the 1970s. The Aeromovel Corporation built several air-driven ‘people movers’ in Brazil and one in Indonesia (pic 1)

Brunel's atmospehric train was recreated as a working model at The Barometer World in 2003 (Pic 3)

Pic 1 : Travelinked.com  Pic 2: Weird & Whacky Railways

Pic 3: Barometer World News

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Die Wuppertal Schwebebahn

On the 15th of October 1895,

Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft concluded a contract with the mayor of the rural community of Vohwinkel, Heinrich Bammel, to extend the line above the road to Vohwinkel. Opponents quickly condemned the construction of the suspension railway as an "insane enterprise". It was said to be tempting God, and called hubris to entrust oneself to such a Satanic contrivance. Nevertheless, Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft founded a subsidiary for the construction and operation of the suspension railway: the "Continentale Gesellschaft für elektrische Unternehmungen" (Continental Society for Electrical Enterprises).

The Wuppertal Schewbebahn or Suspension Railway or Floating Tram (like the last one) is more than 100 years old (began operations in 1901). It still runs and brings in loads of tourists to the historical German town. The tracks are 8 m (26.25 ft) above the streets and 12 m (39.37 ft) above the Wupper River. System length is an impressive 13km for this kind of transit system with 20 stations en route.