Author Archives: THE OLD MACHINIST

About THE OLD MACHINIST

I am 89 years old and was married for 66 years. My wife passed away in 2016. I am a retired engineer and spent 35 years developing INS gyroscopes. I was a High School mentor in physics, a mountaineer, a model builder, a machinist and I have a degree in Physics. My interests include railroad history and photography, science history, cosmology, interesting people, and old engineering drawings. I place a high value on my friendships. I enjoying my life and I try look forward with a sense of anticipation and curiosity about what my future has in store for me.

THE UNDERSIDE OF A UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD FLAT CAR

Posted on January 26, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

It is not common behavior of visitors to the ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM (OERM) to stoop over and observe the undersides of freight cars. This is unfortunate as there is a lot of important things to be seen. I have … Continue reading →

Posted in FREIGHT CAR DETAILS, FREIGHT CAR HISTORY, ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS | Tagged A HISTORY LESSON, HOW DID THEY DO THAT?, WHAT IS UNDER THERE? | Leave a comment

UNION PACIFIC TRACK MAINTENANCE AT ROCK RIVER, WYOMING

Posted on January 10, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

The safety and efficiency of a railroad depends heavily upon the standards of track maintenance established and kept by the railroad management. The appearance of the right-of-way is a clue to a railroad’s philosophy of track maintenance. The general appearance … Continue reading →

Posted in CONTEMPORARY RAILROADING, THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, THEN AND NOW IN PICTURES, TRACK MAINTENANCE | Tagged A MIRACLE? NO - JUST HARD WORK!, COMPETENCE IS A MUST HERE!, HOW DID THEY DO THAT?, MODERN RAILROADS | Leave a comment

OLDIES, BUT GOODIES – MY FAVORITES

Posted on December 24, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

From time to time, I visit my collection of slides and other image formats that I have accumulated since the year I started taking photographs, 1961, and select my “favorites” of the day. Here are today’s selections. Click to enlarge. … Continue reading →

Posted in FAVORITES OF THE DAY | Tagged FORTY YEAR OLD COLORSLIDES, IF YOU LIKE "TRAIN PICTURES", MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHS, YOU WILL LIKE THESE | Leave a comment

A GREAT FIND AT A UNION PACIFIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY SWAP MEET

Posted on August 14, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

It is with great anticipation and the hope of a “great find”, that I enter the room where the UNION PACIFIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY’s annual swap meet is being held. I had barely entered the room and I was immediately sure … Continue reading →

Posted in RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER | Tagged STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, UPRR STEAM LOCOMOTIVES | 1 Comment

THE UNION PACIFIC “JUICE JACK” IS ALIVE AND WELL AT THE ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM

Posted on August 13, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

I have used the term “juice jack” as a reference to electric locomotives for as long as I can recall ( a period time becoming perilously short), but I had no idea of the roots of the term. So, I … Continue reading →

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS, RESTORED RAILROAD EQUIPMENT, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER | Tagged A HISTORY LESSON, A MIRACLE? NO - JUST HARD WORK!, RARE APPEARANCE, YOU WILL LIKE THESE | Leave a comment

ATTENTION ALL MODELERS OF NARROW GAUGE EQUIPMENT!

Posted on August 13, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

I have been scratch building HO scale models since about 1961. That is a long time to commit precious “spare” time to a personal interest, i.e., a hobby. Since, most of the time, I am of sound mind, there must … Continue reading →

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER | Tagged NARROW GAUGE CARS | 2 Comments

EVERY ONE WANTS A SAFE LOCOMOTIVE!

Posted on August 12, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

The Federal regulations that govern the operation of steam locomotives in the United States requires that periodic inspections be performed. These inspections are performed to ensure potential safety issues are revealed in a timely manner and any issues found are … Continue reading →

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, HOW THIS & THAT IS DONE, RESTORED RAILROAD EQUIPMENT, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, THE WAY IT WAS, VC-2 STEAM ENGINE PICTURES | Tagged COMPETENCE IS A MUST HERE!, HOW DID THEY DO THAT?, LIKE SPITOONS - THIS WAY WILL LIVE FOREVER., STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, STEAM-UP BEGINS | Leave a comment

ECHO CANYON SCENES AND THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

Posted on August 12, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

Several years ago, I slowly worked my way up Echo Canyon road, all the while synchronizing my thoughts to the vibrations of history which permeate the canyon. The frantic race with the Central Pacific for maximum miles of construction, that … Continue reading →

Posted in CONTEMPORARY RAILROADING, DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, MODERN RAILROADS, RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, STEEP GRADES, THE WAY IT WAS | Tagged A HISTORY LESSON, MODERN RAILROADS, UTAH | Leave a comment

ANOTHER HOT WORKDAY AT ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM

Posted on August 11, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

The weather report the night before assured me the temperature on the morrow in Perris would be low enough for me to work in the machine shop. They were wrong, but I wanted to complete the job I had left … Continue reading →

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS, RESTORED RAILROAD EQUIPMENT, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER, TRACK MAINTENANCE | Tagged ANOTHER HOT DAY AT OERM | Leave a comment

BEFORE THERE WERE SPRAYCANS ,THERE WERE POCKET KNIVES

Posted on July 21, 2015 by THE OLD MACHINIST

It is a shame most visitors to Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM) do not notice this small building near the Museum entrance. A visit to the building reveals many examples of old graffiti carved into the exterior siding boards. The … Continue reading →

Posted in HISTORICAL PICTURES, ORANGE EMPIRE RAILROAD MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHS, RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER | Tagged A HISTORY LESSON, GRAFFITI | Leave a comment