Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
- CP&LE Engineer
- Brakeman
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- Location: Willard, Ohio
Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
We do drift going forward with the j-bar in reverse and it does slow you down but you have to give it steam at some point. You dont just haul it over into the rear corner and pop the throttle. That is asking for trouble though I have seen done in emergency situations! I start one notch past center and just quickly pop the throttle and close it then work my way back thourgh the quaderent giving it a little more steam in small amounts as needed. Your not leaving the steam on full which would cause the drivers to spin violently in reverse and then yes it could possibly suck stuff through. But at a slow speed I just dont see how that vacuum would be great enough to suck large amounts of damaging debris into the cylinder. I do agree with your points. Would stopping it at a high speed hurt? Yes, but we are luck to make it over 10 mph. Could damage be done? Yes, but in my opinion if the crew is well trained then the likely hood of it happening is not that great. I have seen the inside of our cylinders and the look just as good now as they did when Vulcan machined them in the 1920's. I know they have been trued up over the years but no mention has ever been made of severe problems from debris being sucked in from the smoke box.
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- Brakeman
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Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
I also do agree that the probability of causing damage is low at low speeds, but it is not zero. I don't know how quickly damage would appear. If hot gases enter the valve chamber and ruin the lubrication, you could get some scoring, but as long as the lubricator is working, it will get oil again. What would probably be a good indication is if the cylinders are bored out at a quicker rate than if the johnson bar was never used to stop the train. Course with how the engines are run now-a-days (not every day of the year, not the daily mileage of the steam era, for the most part not pulling anywhere near full capacity) the cylinder are not being bored out nearly as quickly as in the steam era.
I would just hope that you guys do have brakes on the train and that the crew knows how to use it. Rods and pins have failed during normal running. Rare, yes but it is also possible.
I would just hope that you guys do have brakes on the train and that the crew knows how to use it. Rods and pins have failed during normal running. Rare, yes but it is also possible.
- CP&LE Engineer
- Brakeman
- Posts: 135
- Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 1:24 am
- Location: Willard, Ohio
Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
We have steam jams on the engines but only use them in emergencies. They are touch and tend to lock up if your not carefull. No brakes on the trains and link and pin couplers throughout. We do keep the cylinders well lubricated. I should also mention our boilers are only governed by the State of Ohio and they come in once a year in the spring to inspect them. They even put the fusible plugs in for us so they know a new one goes in each year. We do boiler washes every 30 days, poke tubes once a week, and lay them up dry and open ever winter. The two vulcans had new boilers in 90 and 92 respectively and both got new tubes in 05 and 07. If all goes to plan they should get new tubes again in 2020 and 2022! Of course that is if everything is ok once the old tubes are cut out and a inspection of the sheets has been done. Hopefully the railroad is still going in circles by then!!!
Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
To Justin.Smith, I'm curious where you were running steam locomotives. You indicated "being taught," I'd like to know where you received your instruction. You seem to have an understanding of boilers, and now throwing locomotives in reverse, based on quoting Grimshaw (which on a side note, I thought Forney published the Catecism book).
With respect to Cedar Point, yeah they should probably have an airbrake system in the event of a seperation. I guess if they've been doing it that way since 1963, it must be working for them. Consider it dynamic braking for steam locomotives.
With respect to Cedar Point, yeah they should probably have an airbrake system in the event of a seperation. I guess if they've been doing it that way since 1963, it must be working for them. Consider it dynamic braking for steam locomotives.
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- 8000 post Engineer
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- Location: Wake Forest, NC
Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
Both Forney and Grimshaw (and others I'm sure ) published locomotive catechisms.TMWatson wrote: (which on a side note, I thought Forney published the Catecism book)
Steve
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml
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- Brakeman
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Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
I have worked with the Pere Marquette 1225, the Soo 1003 and the 2719, worked on the D&S during a couple summers during college, and have volunteered at Steamtown. My father was a N&W engineer and he and I designed built two 1:8 scale live steam engines. Before my first wife and son were killed in a car accident, my son and I almost finished a third engine. Right now I am too busy with work and my family to be doing much with steam locomotives.
As a side, Steve is correct, both Forney and Grimshaw have published locomotive catechisms. The one I have was my fathers.
As a side, Steve is correct, both Forney and Grimshaw have published locomotive catechisms. The one I have was my fathers.
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- 8000 post Engineer
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- Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:06 pm
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Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
Justin, I think many of us would like to know how much firing or running experience you have. "Woking on" equipment doesn't tell us much. I can truthfully say I've worked on the Ward Kimball--but that doesn't mean I ever fired or ran her.
Book knowledge is great--I have almost 50 catechisms and texts from the 1880s-1940s that I refer to often--but I wouldn't be able to properly fire our engine relying on those books alone. I needed the experience too.
Book knowledge is great--I have almost 50 catechisms and texts from the 1880s-1940s that I refer to often--but I wouldn't be able to properly fire our engine relying on those books alone. I needed the experience too.
Steve
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml
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- Brakeman
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- Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:16 am
Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
Over a 15 year span I have fired around 2,000 hours and have run around 2,500 hours. All the engines I have fired have been coal burners, some hand bombers, some stoker.
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- Brakeman
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Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
Course if you want to factor in the 1:8 scale live steam engines, running a could 15" gauge park engines and running steam engines at different museums, I have no idea what those hour totals would be.
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- 8000 post Engineer
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Re: Should the Disney railroads operate like real railroads?
Very cool. Thanks.
Steve
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml
The latest edition of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! is now available to pre-order, with a special price for Burnslanders! You can read more about the book and pre-order a copy from http://www.burnsland.com/store/dlrrbook.shtml