All The Live long Day...."Now departing on Track Two"!

Maybe when I hit the Powerball.

https://uncommonmotors.com/jp-morgans-private-pullman-railcar/

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Today on this April 14th, 2020....is the 155th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

Epic Civil War Reenactment -- Lincoln's Funeral Train
 

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Jack Delano's Color Photos of Chicago's Rail Yards in the 1940s (LINK)

"Jack Delano was one of the photographers who worked in Roy Stryker’s Farm Security Administration photography program in the early 1940s, traveling the American countryside, photographing people and places with the stated goal of “introducing America to Americans.” In 1942 and ’43, Delano spent time in the rail yards of Chicago, documenting the busy freight hub and the countless workers who kept the trains running 24 hours a day. Some of his most striking images were made on Kodachrome color transparencies, wonderfully preserved in the Library of Congress today. Collected below, a handful of images from Chicago as it was some 75 years ago."

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RAIL SLANG:
ashcat: a locomotive fireman
balling wire mecanic: a man oflittle or no mechanical ability
ballast scorcher: a speedy engineer
beanery queen: a waitress at the eatery
birdcage: brakeman's lantern
black diamonds: Locomotive coal
boxcar tourist: hobo
charlot: caboose
drag: high tonnage,low value cargo
in the ditch: wrecked or derailed
Johnson Bar: reverse lever on a locomotive
 
I have had a lot of trips on the rails, but short trips to Philadelphia, New York City, Akron and from Florida to Lorton, Virginia when I brought my Corvette back from Florida. We left Sanford, Florida at 4:00 in the afternoon. We were showed to our berth and chose our dinner time. Dinner was very good. Later, we went down to the social car and had a little wine and a few horderves. I totally enjoyed sleeping on the train, waking up now and then and looking out the big window to see the small towns rushing by and wondering about the people who lived there.

In the morning, we woke up at about 5:30. I decided to shower. Huge shower, but what an experience showering while the train is rocking left and right as we venture down the rails. Next, breakfast. Again, very good. Next stop, Lorton, VA. We were due to arrive at about 8:30 a.m., but we were early arriving at about 7:45.

I would definitely do a trip across the U.S.
 
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An 1896 promotional race between the Stearns Yellow Fellow bicycle racing team and The Empire State Express Engine 999 in Solvay NY. The bicycle racing team was able to outpace the locomotive for approx. one-half mile reaching speeds of 45 miles per hour. It was an interesting publicity stunt and did not mention the fact that The Empire State Express Engine 999 normally reached speeds in excess of 112 miles per hour on its run from Batavia NY to Buffalo NY.

An earlier trial run, however, nearly ended in tragedy as a previously unscheduled Delaware, Lackawanna & Western train approached rapidly from behind the unsuspecting sextuplet. Fortunately, one of the riders turned around and noting the danger, shouted to his fellow riders. They jumped onto the grass after hurling the bike and themselves out of the path of the approaching locomotive!
 
The Great Train Race 2017
This is footage taken from the front carriage of 3016s train in the Great Train Race on April 9th at Steamfest 2017 in the Hunter Valley, NSW Australia.
 
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FINNIGIN TO FLANNIGAN
by Strickland Gillilan
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Superintindint waz Flannigan;
Boss av the siction wuz Finnigin;
Whiniver the kyars got offen th' track
An' muddled up things t' th' divil an' back
Finnigin writ it to Flannigan,
Afther the wrick wuz all on agin:
That is, this Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Whin Finnigin furst writ to Flannigan,
He writ tin pages-did Finnigin.
An' he tould jist how the smash occurred;
Full minny a tajus, blunderin' wurrd
Did Finnigin write to Flannigan
Afther the cars had gone on agin.
That's th' way Finnigin
Repoorted to Flannigan.

Now Flannigan knowed more than Finnigin-
He'd more idjucation-had Flannigan;
An' it wore 'm clane an' complately out
To tell what Finnigin writ about
In his writin' to Muster Flannigan.
So he writed this here: Masther Finnigin:
Don't do sich a sin agin;
Make 'em brief, Finnigin!"

Whin Finnigin got this from Flannigan,
He blushed rosy rid-did Finnigin;
An' he said: "I'll gamble a whole month's pa-ay
That it'll be minny an' minny a da-ay
Befoore Sup'rintindint-that's Flannigan-
Gits a whack at that very same sin agin.
From Finnigin to Flannigan
Repoorts won't be so long agin."

Wan da-ay on the siction av Finnigin,
On the road sup'rintinded be Flannigan,
A rail give way on a bit av a curve
An' some kyars went off as they made th' shwerrve.
"there's nobody hurted," sez Finnigin,
"But repoorts must be made to Flannigan,"
An' he winked at Mike Corrigan,
As married a Finnigin.

He wuz shantyin' thin, wuz Finnigin,
As minny a railroader's been agin,
An' his shmoky ol' lamp wuz burnin' bright
In Finnigin's shanty all that night-
Bilin' down his repoort was Finnigin
An' he writed this here: "Muster Flannigan:
Off agin, on agin,
Gone agin.-Finnigin."
 
Old Railroad Innovation

"There were fundamental questions to be answered. Should the flanges be on the inside of the wheels, or the outside? Should rails be of wood, iron, or of more permanent stone? Were steam locomotives practical for US. railroads? Should railroads minimize curvature at the expense of grades, or vice versa? Some of the best engineering minds of the day soon began devising answers. Jonathan Knight, a skilled mathematician and engineer, made calculations as to the rolling characteristics of railway vehicles and proposed a wheel with a slight taper to the tread-the shape still in general use. "

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This bypassed section of the Camden & Amboy Railroad in New Jersey survived as an example of early 1830s railroad track. Like English iron rails of the time, they were supported by stone blocks, which made a sturdy but expensive railroad.

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Although initial costs were high, stone bridges were a better investment than timber ones because they required much less maintenance and were impervious to fire.
 
I've ridden many miles on the trains, too, many of them as an unwelcome guest. You have
to know when to get on and it's real good if you know when to get off.
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A thousand miles away from home, waiting for a train.
 
I toured the train museum in Lancaster County, PA in Ronks, PA, which is located just outside of Strasburg, where the movie, "Witness" was filmed. I have a nice set of pictures from there that I shot, but here are a few from the museum.

Train Museum
 
Here in my County, we have what they call the "The Heritage Rail Trail." It goes on for 21 miles. My wife and I have toured the area of the train ride. It is very historical. During the ride, we stopped at a really small town named "Hanover Junction." Abraham Lincoln's train stopped there enroute to Gettysburg, which isn't far away at all from there. The train stopped there to take on water and Abe came out of the train to give a small speech to the citizens that came to see the President. This occurred post Civil War and he was on his way to Gettysburg to give his famous "Gettysburg Address." I remember having to learn that document during my sixth grade.

Today, the Rail Trail is used as a recreational area (Bike riding and walking) as well as the train ride. Yes, the train still rides that rail that Abe Lincoln rode on. If you like history, like I do, you would truly enjoy this ride.

Rail Trail
 
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