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 selected a set of images of a UPRR flatcar as examples of what one sees with a little effort on the visitors part.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
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 of the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way is consistently superb. This is due in part to the modern track maintenance equipment employed by the railroad. A representative sample of this equipment is presented above.
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.
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 of a “great Find”. There before me was a large print, in fairly good condition, of a OR&N Baldwin 2-8-8-2, number 451. The image was not previously known to me and I immediately purchased it.
When I returned home, I “digitized” the image by taking a photograph illuminated by reflected sunlight. I then experimented with various editing adjustments aimed at “improving” the image so as to enhance the usefulness of the image. The result is shown below.
Three such engine were delivered to the OR&N in 1909. The UPRR received three similar engines (2000-2002) shortly thereafter. It is not clear why, but the UPRR engines came to be known as the “ocean toads”.
An article in the UNION PACIFIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY’s journal, “The Streamliner”, relates the interesting history of these locomotives.
Vol. 5, Issue 2, “Ocean Toads” 1909 Monster Mallets,
by Jim Ehernberger (page 12)
Click on the image to enlarge.
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 put the question to “the internet” and the replies are paraphrased thusly: The word “jack” is an archaic word with the meaning “locomotive”. It is not in common useage due to confusion with an alternative meaning: “a lifting device”. The word “juice”, in context, means “electricity”. Thus, A “juice jack” is a “locomotive propelled by electrical energy”. Now you know.
The “297” makes an appearance on the main line but rarely, so it was a welcome treat for me to be in the right place at the right time and have the opportunity to photograph the 297 pulling the weekend trains to Perris.
Click on any image to enlarge.
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 be other reasons for this interest to persist. There are, really simple and banal ones. I do it because I relish the challenge to my modeling skills and the accompanying “thrill of the chase”, which is imbedded in the search for sometimes rare and obscure information. A bonus benefit is the opportunity to meet very accomplished and interesting people.
This probably sounds daunting to the person contemplating the addition of scratch building to their repertoire. My advice to this person is simple. Find a “project” easy enough for a beginner and do it. It is that easy!
I have attached a drawing from the UNION PACIFIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY collection of Union Pacific drawings. It is a narrow gauge flatcar and it can be built using skills and tools acquired in your practice of the modelling hobby. In short, get going on the sort of modelling that will be enjoyed for the years to come. In 1961, I did and I am enjoying every minute of it.
If you have any questions for me, The Old Machinist, use the comment feature of this Blog and I will reply ASAP.
Link to drawing:https://olrailpics.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/blog-n-g-flatcar-26050163.jpg
Click on the image to enlarge.
SUITABLE FOR A BEGINNERS FIRST SCRATCH BUILDING PROJECT
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 mitigated before the locomotive can be operated. One of the tests required is the hydrostatic test of the boiler at a pressure in excess of the maximum allowed working pressure of the locomotive. These images were made during a recent hydrostatic test of the VC-2.
Click on any image to enlarge.
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 played out in these Utah canyons, is the primal source of these vibrations. There is no better experience, armed with the familiarity of history, than presence at the actual place of the historic events.
Of course I had to pause my historical reverie at times to accommodate my compulsion to photograph the canyon. Here is a sample of the resulting images.
Click on any image to enlarge.
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 setup in the vertical mill, so I went ahead and got the job done. It was only three o’clock when I finished the setup and was ready for the next setup. As I stood there, my head wrapped in a wet shop rag, it was easy to convince myself that photography was more important at that particular moment. The project that I was rendering scorned, by my decision, is the machining of eight brass castings into eight axle bearings for the trucks of a narrow gauge log car. When machining costly and scarce castings, it is essential that thoughtful planning precede the machining. Since my brain at that moment was not at anything like the optimum operating temperature, even as it was wrapped in a wet rag, it was easy to opt for photography. Click any image to enlarge.
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 visitor will be rewarded with a little wider perspective about railroad history. A warning: some of what the visitor will discover is not “politically correct” by today’ standards. But, this is OK, because museums are places where “telling like it really was” is encouraged, if not required, as it is at OERM. I consider some of the carvings as benchmarks from which we may measure our progress toward a civil society.
Click on any image to enlarge.
PIXORAILS 