Canada had lots and lots back in the day as well. A few remain in museums, like this one just north of Edmonton. We stopped using them for the same reason everybody else did: expensive to maintain, and can't turn a whole cut of cars.

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Just surprised no one has commented upon that heavy iron
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/5540828
sitting there partly under some tarps.

It's obviously been there for some time and I'm curious if anyone has the story.

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Just surprised no one has commented upon that heavy iron
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/5540828
sitting there partly under some tarps.

It's obviously been there for some time and I'm curious if anyone has the story.

I don't know a thing about the loco, but there is a turntable there.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Here's a closeup pic of the loco, looks like a Santa Fe loco, possibly a 4-8-4 or a 2-10-4, maybe.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Bernie, this talk of turntables has got me thinking about your mysterious turning train. Maybe they are not concerned about which engine is where, but are actually turning the entire train. This means the cars arrive at a station on the return trip in the same order as on the inbound trip. Baggage car always first, first class car always last, etc.

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Bernie, this talk of turntables has got me thinking about your mysterious turning train. Maybe they are not concerned about which engine is where, but are actually turning the entire train. This means the cars arrive at a station on the return trip in the same order as on the inbound trip. Baggage car always first, first class car always last, etc.

Well yes that would at first glance seem to be a logical answer.

However the trains concerned are both short routes(relatively speaking) and do not have baggage cars. They do have Cafe cars so that might be the reason, however the one in the pic I posted appeared to have one at either end.

Of course none of that can apply to the train with 90368 on, The Pere Marquette 370/371 which runs from Chicago to Grand Rapids MI, it appears to be turned every time despite have cabs at both ends and being the opposite way round in the second pic. Just to explain that. Train arrives Chicago with P42 and Cafe car at terminus end, turn train, next time it arrives 90368 is on terminus end, turn train!! In reality that just makes no sense.

However I guess there must be a reason.

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However I guess there must be a reason.

Time in service rule? Two trips = time to change crew?

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Offered without comment.

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That's crazy, that looks like an accident just waiting to happen or maybe the hose and blocks will still get cut...

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

I can't help myself:

"That kind of looks like my home town....."

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I don't think I can laugh, only cry. I'm sure that is exactly what the manual says to do also!

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At least they'd be on the spot for any accident that they cause. ;-)

Cheers.

Do we know which fire dept it was?

Well it looks like a twit, er sorry tweet.

So you could probably find it on twitter.

PS gratuitous shot of a cabbage

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I found the picture on Facebook, the poster claims the photo was taken recently in Belgium.

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Here is another shot of North American horsepower to amaze and/or delight you Europeans, taken in 1978. This is a helper consist, making its way down from the summit of Rogers Pass in the Canadian Rockies after helping a west bound freight reach the top. 15,000 hp, all run by two people.

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Offered without comment.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, those bridge/ramps are probably designed for high visibility: you wouldn't want to hit one at speed, even in a car. The white bits are probably reflective, to show up in headlights (car or train). At an unguarded level crossing in an urban area (I don't see any barriers), any train driver should be paying attention for possible obstructions, and depending on line speed/curvature, might be able to stop in time.

Offered without comment.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, those bridge/ramps are probably designed for high visibility: you wouldn't want to hit one at speed, even in a car. The white bits are probably reflective, to show up in headlights (car or train). At an unguarded level crossing in an urban area (I don't see any barriers), any train driver should be paying attention for possible obstructions, and depending on line speed/curvature, might be able to stop in time.

Slice, slice or maybe derails train. Seriously I have no idea what would happen if a multi ton train hit these obstructions, ideally there should be hydrants on either side of the tracks, so that this is not necessary. But then maybe I'm thinking too logically.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

I can just see a commuter train in push mode, derails the passenger cars and now a little issue of a cut hose turns into a major disaster.

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Those hose ramps score 11/10 on the stupid scale

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I've hit several of these Detonators which are powerful enough to lift the wheel off the rail momentarily.

With the weight and speed of the train should it hit those ramps, would just slice through them (if they are similar to ones I've seen used in the transport industry - hardened plastic)

But as Richard stated, the train driver should be looking ahead for obstructions.