Prideful Niagara🌈 🏳️⚧️🔀
@railfangxy.bsky.social
25, He/She/They, Straight?, Trains, Railroads, Transit, Writing & Drawing
If you see this post a monster
I don’t see them as sharks, but that prow is more intimidating than any bulletnose
I don’t see them as sharks, but that prow is more intimidating than any bulletnose
December 9, 2025 at 7:57 PM
If you see this post a monster
I don’t see them as sharks, but that prow is more intimidating than any bulletnose
I don’t see them as sharks, but that prow is more intimidating than any bulletnose
The Q2 wasn’t originally planned, but was a reactionary design. Another wartime surge was expected in the busiest route west of Pittsburgh. No time to add a suitable extra track, so make an engine that can keep passenger pace. Articulateds can move 100 cars, and do 70 mph, but how about both?
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The Q2 wasn’t originally planned, but was a reactionary design. Another wartime surge was expected in the busiest route west of Pittsburgh. No time to add a suitable extra track, so make an engine that can keep passenger pace. Articulateds can move 100 cars, and do 70 mph, but how about both?
Contrary to its service life, the Q1 was fitted out for passenger use through the war. Right down to a brass bell. So in that aspect, it was effectively a passenger engine bumped to freight service, which among the streamliners, it was the best equipped to do so
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Contrary to its service life, the Q1 was fitted out for passenger use through the war. Right down to a brass bell. So in that aspect, it was effectively a passenger engine bumped to freight service, which among the streamliners, it was the best equipped to do so
For locos comparable to the electrics, speed and power had to be considered, and Superpower steam simply wasn’t enough
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
For locos comparable to the electrics, speed and power had to be considered, and Superpower steam simply wasn’t enough
A common link I’ve noticed with Union Pacific and the Pennsylvania is how their freight engines developed around speed as well as raw strength. Starting in the 20s, all original freight types on these roads had 4 leading wheels
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
A common link I’ve noticed with Union Pacific and the Pennsylvania is how their freight engines developed around speed as well as raw strength. Starting in the 20s, all original freight types on these roads had 4 leading wheels
Q is for Quick
While they spent their working life as heavy freight engines, the Q’s were intended for high-speed freight in a way only rivaled by UP’s superpower. Most roads simply didn’t have this approach until after steam died out
While they spent their working life as heavy freight engines, the Q’s were intended for high-speed freight in a way only rivaled by UP’s superpower. Most roads simply didn’t have this approach until after steam died out
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Q is for Quick
While they spent their working life as heavy freight engines, the Q’s were intended for high-speed freight in a way only rivaled by UP’s superpower. Most roads simply didn’t have this approach until after steam died out
While they spent their working life as heavy freight engines, the Q’s were intended for high-speed freight in a way only rivaled by UP’s superpower. Most roads simply didn’t have this approach until after steam died out
Not for cheatlines they don’t. VRE kinda halfasses it, and SunRail/Roadrunner? Those aren’t even cheatlines, they’re too elaborate and don’t follow the lines of the stock
Even the MARC-III cars understand this
Even the MARC-III cars understand this
November 21, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Not for cheatlines they don’t. VRE kinda halfasses it, and SunRail/Roadrunner? Those aren’t even cheatlines, they’re too elaborate and don’t follow the lines of the stock
Even the MARC-III cars understand this
Even the MARC-III cars understand this
I would agree…if not for Genessee & Wyoming. With how much they operate, they might as well be a Class I
November 19, 2025 at 2:49 AM
I would agree…if not for Genessee & Wyoming. With how much they operate, they might as well be a Class I
I’ll gladly take Amtrak’s take on Red White & Blue over whatever Conrail did
The former is a design tweak, the other gets bilious the more I look at it. It’s like they gave it proper blue afterward as an apology
The former is a design tweak, the other gets bilious the more I look at it. It’s like they gave it proper blue afterward as an apology
November 19, 2025 at 12:56 AM
I’ll gladly take Amtrak’s take on Red White & Blue over whatever Conrail did
The former is a design tweak, the other gets bilious the more I look at it. It’s like they gave it proper blue afterward as an apology
The former is a design tweak, the other gets bilious the more I look at it. It’s like they gave it proper blue afterward as an apology
It’s all good, just a trial loco that went back home
November 17, 2025 at 10:37 PM
It’s all good, just a trial loco that went back home
Robbins got the Alpha build
Osgood-Bradley got the Beta
Osgood-Bradley got the Beta
November 17, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Robbins got the Alpha build
Osgood-Bradley got the Beta
Osgood-Bradley got the Beta
Bonus honorable mention goes to the GE E44’s. PRR considered dieselizing all freight services but every manufacturer, including GE, recommended they keep the wires up and just get new electrics instead.
November 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Bonus honorable mention goes to the GE E44’s. PRR considered dieselizing all freight services but every manufacturer, including GE, recommended they keep the wires up and just get new electrics instead.
That was mostly for passenger traffic in Manhattan. Freight and switching operations held out until the 1926 Kaufman Act deadline. Even so, the LIRR bent the rules, as their G5’s as far west as Long Island City
November 8, 2025 at 11:02 AM
That was mostly for passenger traffic in Manhattan. Freight and switching operations held out until the 1926 Kaufman Act deadline. Even so, the LIRR bent the rules, as their G5’s as far west as Long Island City
They could’ve easily raised the cab…
November 7, 2025 at 6:13 AM
They could’ve easily raised the cab…
Yay…but
Which way Eastern man?
Which way Eastern man?
October 29, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Yay…but
Which way Eastern man?
Which way Eastern man?
Pennsylvania T1
The tism runs DEEP for these
The tism runs DEEP for these
October 29, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Pennsylvania T1
The tism runs DEEP for these
The tism runs DEEP for these
post something random or no obligation to post anything November will be ok regardless
October 29, 2025 at 3:51 AM
post something random or no obligation to post anything November will be ok regardless
Found out yesterday that the until electrification, nothing on the Peninsula could beat a Train Master in Commute service.
The SDP45’s had to be tweaked to get close to their performance
The SDP45’s had to be tweaked to get close to their performance
September 29, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Found out yesterday that the until electrification, nothing on the Peninsula could beat a Train Master in Commute service.
The SDP45’s had to be tweaked to get close to their performance
The SDP45’s had to be tweaked to get close to their performance
Puts me in mind of the Folkestone Harbour Branch. Just…flatter
September 22, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Puts me in mind of the Folkestone Harbour Branch. Just…flatter
Well, that was after the war. That photo is from the 50’s when they had roller bearing rods. They were limited to 70 until the war ended. Also worth mentioning ATSF underrated them, their starting tractive effort should be at around 80k lbs, possibly more
September 17, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Well, that was after the war. That photo is from the 50’s when they had roller bearing rods. They were limited to 70 until the war ended. Also worth mentioning ATSF underrated them, their starting tractive effort should be at around 80k lbs, possibly more
If there's any mark on the J1 against the Q1 besides hammer blow, it's size. They were too big to run east of Altoona, so it's just as well the M1's were being displaced. They could handle the surge where the J's couldn't.
September 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
If there's any mark on the J1 against the Q1 besides hammer blow, it's size. They were too big to run east of Altoona, so it's just as well the M1's were being displaced. They could handle the surge where the J's couldn't.
The Q1's flaws meant it failed as a fast dual-service engine, lacking power at passenger speeds. But it had more power than most existing engines at freight speeds, and unlike earlier 10-coupled power could consistently reach the speed limit in service
September 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The Q1's flaws meant it failed as a fast dual-service engine, lacking power at passenger speeds. But it had more power than most existing engines at freight speeds, and unlike earlier 10-coupled power could consistently reach the speed limit in service
Of all the critiques against the PRR Q1's design, the size of the driving wheels is probably the least serious to me.
There were other high-stepping 4-8-4's used consistently in freight work (sometimes more than passenger), and the Q1 had more in common with these than 10-coupled engines
There were other high-stepping 4-8-4's used consistently in freight work (sometimes more than passenger), and the Q1 had more in common with these than 10-coupled engines
September 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Of all the critiques against the PRR Q1's design, the size of the driving wheels is probably the least serious to me.
There were other high-stepping 4-8-4's used consistently in freight work (sometimes more than passenger), and the Q1 had more in common with these than 10-coupled engines
There were other high-stepping 4-8-4's used consistently in freight work (sometimes more than passenger), and the Q1 had more in common with these than 10-coupled engines
We have depowered EMU's in this country that were/are running for over 50 years. Doing the opposite shouldn't be difficult.
And what the country needs is more passenger cars PERIOD. We have plenty of means of propulsion, as-is or convertible
And what the country needs is more passenger cars PERIOD. We have plenty of means of propulsion, as-is or convertible
September 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
We have depowered EMU's in this country that were/are running for over 50 years. Doing the opposite shouldn't be difficult.
And what the country needs is more passenger cars PERIOD. We have plenty of means of propulsion, as-is or convertible
And what the country needs is more passenger cars PERIOD. We have plenty of means of propulsion, as-is or convertible
If Stadler wants to market the KISS or the FLIRT to operators that run common-carrier passenger service, they don't need batteries, or hydrogen cells, nor do they need small diesel power packs
Just make normal stock, and/or make it convertible to electricity
Just make normal stock, and/or make it convertible to electricity
September 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
If Stadler wants to market the KISS or the FLIRT to operators that run common-carrier passenger service, they don't need batteries, or hydrogen cells, nor do they need small diesel power packs
Just make normal stock, and/or make it convertible to electricity
Just make normal stock, and/or make it convertible to electricity