Hello folks, it's been a while.

A lot has changed since I started here last summer. We now have five new rail cars, hauled over to the museum grounds by crane and flatbed truck. Our new acquisitions: two diner-bunk cars with interiors largely untouched, a log-hauling car, a massive black Jordan spreader (also in excellent shape), and an early Remote Control Car. It was a very long process getting them here, but I am so excited that they finally made it. Thank you to BID Construction, Sterling Crane and Heavy Metal Heavy Hauling for very generously donating their services to move these extremely heavy cars. We couldn't have done it without you.

We are in the process of cleaning up the new cars and then visitors will be able to see the insides. We are also preparing for another busy season, with new staff and volunteers and some of our old ones as well. I myself have been lucky enough to stay on this year.

Now that the weather is turning warm (24 degrees today!), the park gardens are taking shape and we have lots of birthday parties being held out of doors on our new back patio. We have plenty of new donations to spruce up the Penny Station and I look forward to seeing its new face with all of the linens and kitchenware that we are adding. This morning, we found a baby bunny left all alone under the Rumley Tractor! Romeo, our resident puppy, had scared off its parents. This is certainly the smallest rabbit I've ever seen. It's only about the length of my palm. Hope the little creature gets home safely!

Remote Control Locomotives

Here's a topic I don't think many of us know much about: remote controlled locomotives in rail yards. Largely because of my own curiosity, I decided to research and write a report on the subject. Hope you enjoy.

Remote Control Locomotives:

Technological Progress or an Ending Era?

            The next time you see a train working within a rail yard or passing through a city crossing, before you stop to wave, you may wish to consider this fact : there may not be anyone inside.

            Although remote controlled engine sets known as distributed power (DP) or slave and master units have been riding the rails for some time, in recent years remote controlled locomotives (RCLs) that don’t require an engineer onboard at all have become standard equipment within the confines of many rail yards.

           

            In 1965, Locotrol became the first remote control system to allow “empty” locomotives to run on the tracks. These remote locomotives were used as helper engines that were placed, along with a human-operated locomotive, somewhere along the course of a train. The leading locomotive’s engineer drove the train. The Locotrol system read the actions of the engineer and directed the movements of the second, remote engine. When the lead engine stopped or sped up, the second locomotive would follow, giving trains that used this DP system better response time and greater pulling power.

            The Canadian Pacific Railway was only the second user of the Locotrol system in 1967, and in 1969 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (later BC Rail) started using the remote engines in British Columbia. By the 1990s, however, belt transmitter systems of remote control (such as the product Beltpack) were gaining popularity in well-known companies such as CN, BC Rail, and Canadian Pacific.

            This new remote control system relies on a small device a rail operator can wear on his or her belt. The device sends signals to a computer onboard the locomotive which controls the engine’s actions. If the multiple signals per second sent to the computer are interrupted, the engine automatically stops. 

Beltpack remote control system. http://www.directindustry.com/prod/cattron/radio-remote-controls-for-railway-

            Many companies see the remote control system as simpler, cheaper, and safer, since it ends miscommunication between the workers moving rail switches and the driver. According to this view, operators of the remote engines should be able to see the track better and prevent accidents.

            The remote engines have become very widely used in Canada. In 2000, Canadian National was using RCLs in approximately half its yard switching tasks and had more than 124 engines equipped with remote control technology. It reported that there were far fewer accidents with remote engines than with human-driven ones, and that the technology had never failed.

            Although Canadian railways have been quick to make use of the belt system, in the United States many unions have protested large railroads such as Union Pacific changing to the remote engines. The remote control system replaces professional engineers with the less formally-trained operator, leaving many people to wonder if the celebrated job of driving trains will disappear completely.

            Critics of the remote system point out that operators have limited training, whereas engineers need at least three years of railway experience plus specialized training before they are allowed to drive. This worker inexperience can lead to accidents. In addition, operators cannot actually see the track ahead from the engine. There have been various cases of accidents involving remote engines that have caused rail employees to question the remotes’ safety. In one example, a yard engine at a crossing hit and pushed an 18-wheeler down the line because the rail operator did not know that the truck was present. 

Image from http://www.tslb.org/remote_control.htm.

            Just as important is the role of the engineer. In the old days of railways, the engineer was the most important member of a train’s crew. Engineers, emblematic of rail travel, were held in high esteem and given the best pay and benefits. But since engineers are not needed for remote control locomotives, many face the risk of losing their jobs as the new technology expands.

           

            The shift to remote controlled locomotives has changed the face of rail transportation, and like any technology, it has benefits and risks. Remote control systems show an efficiency and ease of use that is creating great opportunities for railway companies. They are also causing many employees to wonder which direction their work and livelihoods will take in future.

Sources:

Association of American Railroads

            2003 Data, experience prove remote control locomotive (RCL) technology keeps workers, rail yards safer. http://www.aar.org/NewsAndEvents/Press-Releases/2003/11/Data%20experience%20prove%20remote%20control%20locomotive%20RCL%20technology%20keeps%20workers%20rail%20yards%20safer.aspx.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen          

            Jan. 30, 2002. Washington Times. http://www.blet56.org/presiden.htm.

Canadian National

            2000 Canadian National Experience with Locomotive Remote Control Technology. Federal 

             Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation. http://www.beltpackcorp.com 

             /docs/164_1.pdf.

Federal Railroad Administration

            2011 Remote Control Locomotive Operations. US Department of   Transportation. 

            http://www.fra.dot.gov/pages/94.shtml.

Hitz, Urs

            2004 The History of Locotrol on PGE/BCR: 16-21.

State University

            2011 Railway Engineer Job Description. Job Descriptions and Careers.   

            http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/809/Railroad-Engineer.html.

Texas State Legislative Board

            2011 Remote Control Locomotives: Issues and News. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 

            and Trainmen. http://www.tslb.org/remote_control.htm.

Web Guy Editorial

            2011 Remote Control Technology: What’s in it for me? Guest Editorials. 

             http://www.ble272.org/RCL.htm.

Prince George Exhibition: the train runs again!

Well, things are moving along quickly and the summer is almost over. I've been spending time lately adding to our Penny Station and Nechako coach exhibits. I've added almost everything except for a kitchen tablecloth.

With the help of our Katimavik volunteer, I've also started cleaning the old trucks we have out in the front of the park. It's a big job. After three truck cabs in the hot sun, I was exhausted. There are still four left, all full of interesting (and sometimes unhealthy) odds and ends.

My days at the museum have been shortened lately by the beginning of the 99th Prince George Exhibition. It was awfully exciting to shuttle between my usual work site and a fair ground. The exhibition has a decent number of rides, wonderful food vendors, games and competitions such as the lumberjack games, firefighting olympics, home arts contests (including everything from gardening to crafts to photography), and livestock showing by local 4-H groups. Our temporary home at Heritage Lane is a faux-historic building called the Cottonwood Station, with the mini rail train out in front.

The other inhabitants of the Lane are a fantastic mix. There's Huble Homestead, the Exploration Place, Fort St. James historic site, Barkerville, the Prince George Public Library, plus artists and craftspeople who provide demonstrations of wood turning, pottery-making, quilting, chainsaw-carving, painting, and blacksmithing. It's a fantastic place to explore! We also are lucky enough to have a traditional bluegrass/folk music trio strolling the grounds. I quite enjoyed their rendition of "Turkey in the Straw" the other day. And then there are the 1930s John Deere tractors that have been salvaged and restored by local families. Now they look and run like new!

It's a very exciting place to be during the day. At night, the midway lights up the sky and we turn on the train's headlight and sound system for guests. I actually made an embarrassing mistake with the train the other day by forgetting to remove the wooden brake. I corrected it as soon as I heard the grating underneath us, but it was still a rattling experience. Of course, my coworkers wouldn't let me forget it for the rest of the night.

So, although it takes time away from other projects, so far I've really enjoyed my time at the PGX. I can't wait to go back this afternoon and take in more sounds and sights of the fair.

Velocipedes: Fastest Feet on the Rails

As part of my duties, I do a lot of research work. Here is the first major report I worked on to be emailed to our museum's members. The topic became interesting to me when I noticed how little information we had on the velocipedes in the yard.

In the early days of railways when construction crews, passengers or track inspectors needed to move quickly along the tracks, most people traveled by foot, bicycle, or handcart, a bulky device which required drivers to stand and took considerable strength to propel.

The invention of the velocipede changed things. Velocipedes are a lightweight, 1-2 passenger kind of draisine or light rail vehicle that typically runs on three wheels, two on the driver’s side rail and one on the opposite rail to improve balance. The term velocipede is French for “fast-foot” and was also applied to early bicycles in the hobby-horse style. There is evidence that railway velocipedes were first used around 1860, but George S. Sheffield is credited with their invention because he produced the largest number of velocipedes after gaining a patent in 1879.

Sheffield worked as a railway mechanic in Michigan, U.S.A., but lived on a farm 7 miles from the nearest station and found the walk home after work unendurable. His solution was to build a three-wheeled wooden scooter which could be driven in a seated position using both the arms and legs.

Sheffield’s machine was kept secret at first since he was unauthorized to use the track, but one night as he was driving it he discovered a broken rail. Sheffield stopped the next freight train using a neighbor’s lantern and his new method of rail travel was exposed. Recognizing the uses for his invention, Sheffield acquired a patent and published his story in the prominent magazine Scientific American. He went on to sell 4000 vehicles in the next four years, when he sold his famous velocipede line to Fairbanks Scale Company.

Image: SP&S Ry Web Museum. http://www.fallenflags.com/velocipede5.asp

Velocipedes were popular because their size and light weight made them maneuverable and easy to pull off the track when trains approached. They were also convenient, with a removable third wheel for easy storage. They were the favorite vehicles of many railway section-masters, whose job required them to inspect long sections of railway track for damage. Because the velocipede sat close to the ground, the driver was better able to see problems on the rails.

In the last years of the 1800s, speeder cars powered by gasoline were introduced to make rail maintenance even faster. Velocipedes were still sold by the Fairbanks Company until 1947, when speeder cars eventually made them obsolete. Today, however, many groups around the world buy and restore these peculiar vehicles for collectors and re-enactments, including velocipede races.

The View From Up Front

Recently I have been able to expand my list of useable life skills thanks to my job here. I am now prepared to work at CN, VIA Rail, or just about any of the companies that hire engineers, just in case my curatorial ambitions don't work out. It's all thanks to my learning how to drive the mini train.

Let me go into reverse for a second. The mini train at the Railway Museum is officially part of the Cottonwood Railway, a set of miniature ride-on trains named for Cottonwood Island Park, the rolling riverside expanse next door. The train travels around the entire museum grounds. Although there are several sets, since I've been here I have only seen the miniature 6001 electric locomotive, its accompanying green passenger cars, and the cheery scarlet caboose which is normally my preserve. Until last week I was a contented conductor, proud of my whistle and my ability to holler "ALL ABOARD!" I had even graduated to taking tickets before the ride.

Then my coworker taught me to drive. It's a little more complicated than it looks. There's the bell (only to be used when leaving the station), the horn (used in a very complicated series of patterns throughout the ride), and the throttle, the metal dial that actually allows you to move and controls your speed. The start-up sequence is as follows: remove wooden brake, flip power switch, turn ignition key, check battery light, sound bell for ten seconds, horn for two blasts in response to conductor's whistle. Of course, at some point you also have to board the train.

Driving requires constant awareness of your surroundings. The horn must sound whenever you reach certain signs, you should slow down during trips through the beehive burner and beside the train shed, and if the conductor whistles once you'd better be prepared to slow and stop quickly, because the train is probably off the tracks. And there can be other hazards. According to my colleagues, there are occasions where the park's furry denizens (the rabbits and squirrels) don't move out of the way soon enough and you must bring the train to a grinding halt.

In spite of the added responsibilities, I immediately felt an intense sense of pride when I'd completed the routine. Getting off that train means that I've brought all my passengers back safely. Now, I have two railway traditions to choose from.

On a typewriter...

 Well, as this is my first post as a summer student, I think I'll share some of my impressions of the museum collection. First of all, I am astonished by the number of typewriters we have in storage in the outbuildings. I added a beautiful 1940s Royal KMM model to the inventory yesterday, only to find that we have about 14 different models and brands in all. For those of you who haven't handled old typewriters, they are extremely lovely, but also very very heavy. This one was made of black iron, and had weathered quite a bit. The keys are made of glass, which has led to some collectors buying them solely for the keys, for use in jewelry-making or other crafts.

Typewriters are still extremely popular antiques both to use and display. There is a romance to them, possibly because of their presence in old movies and their association with famous writers such as Hemingway. I am a typewriter fan and wouldn't mind having one gracing my room myself, but I have to wonder how often our exhibits use them. Perhaps in future we should have a feature on communications technology to add to the telephone building. They are very cool artifacts, but they do take up space.

A rail line buckled by the shifting earth is pictured in Christchurch on February 23, 2011, a day after a deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the city. Hundreds of rescuers swarmed over twisted and smoking buildings in a frantic search for survivors after New Zealand's catastrophic earthquake left nearly 400 dead or missing.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Marty Melville, AFP