Anybody know what these are?

[jeffrey-wimberl]

I came across these sitting on a siding in the Leesville railyard.

 

[Dave1905]

Windmill cowlings. The vertical pieces are where the blades attach (or more properly cover the prop hub) and the horizontal pieces are the hulls for the generator that sits on top of the tower.

Dave H.

 

[jeffrey-wimberl]

Thank you. I had never seen them in pieces before.

 

[Colton_modeler]

That's a nice looking modern load.

 

[Chessie6459]

That is a very familiar sight around here as they are putting windmills up on the mountains here in cambria and blair county. But they all come in by truck and not rail.

 

[Mountain Man]

What? No blades?

 

[Colton_modeler]

Some of these windmills travel in dedicated "windmill tranis", and I think I've just found myself a new modelling project: http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/view_topic.php?id=1446&forum_id=92
And Mountain Man, that forum links to this site http://southern.railfan.net/flat/cars/loads/wind/wind.html
which shows loads very similar to the pics that started this thread, and the blades are there too (though semi-protected, and not visible from ground level).

- Chris

 

[Mountain Man]

Some of these windmills travel in dedicated "windmill tranis", and I think I've just found myself a new modelling project: http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/view_topic.php?id=1446&forum_id=92
And Mountain Man, that forum links to this site http://southern.railfan.net/flat/cars/loads/wind/wind.html
which shows loads very similar to the pics that started this thread, and the blades are there too (though semi-protected, and not visible from ground level).

- Chris

Very nice! Thanks for the info and the response. You're right - great project - just a couple of hundred years too modern for me! Of course, I could ship an old cattle tank windmill...:mrgreen:

 

[Dave1905]

Some of these windmills travel in dedicated "windmill tranis", and I think I've just found myself a new modelling project:

Just so you know those are some of the widest loads (over 14 ft wide) handled by railroads. they are so wide that they can't pass annother train on normal tangenet track. The track centers have to be over 14 ft. That goes for trains on mains or sidings, cars on yard tracks or industry tracks next to the main. Trains have to be held at "wide spots" for this train to pass. It takes a week of planning just to figure out where the train can meet other trains along the way.

Dave H.

 

[chooch.42]

Hi,All: Here's a link to the NS-053 "Windmill" train running west to Harrisburg, Altoona, Pittsburgh and west. Dnk destination, but it's an impressive move. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBoXK3oTTw0 Bob C.

 

[Chessie6459]

Some of these windmills travel in dedicated "windmill tranis", and I think I've just found myself a new modelling project: http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/view_topic.php?id=1446&forum_id=92
And Mountain Man, that forum links to this site http://southern.railfan.net/flat/cars/loads/wind/wind.html
which shows loads very similar to the pics that started this thread, and the blades are there too (though semi-protected, and not visible from ground level).

- Chris

Now that would be a nice project to see once it is done.:thumb: :clap:

 

[Colton_modeler]

Trains have to be held at "wide spots" for this train to pass. It takes a week of planning just to figure out where the train can meet other trains along the way.

Dave H.

One of the things that caught my eye in the photos I linked to was the street running in Colton; for everyone not familiar with the are, this is east of the main UP (former SP) West Colton yards. There's a wye, the 'tail' of which is the Riverside branch. The first several blocks of the branch are in 9th st, and all the cross-street crossings are still protected with classic wig-wag signals. The branch line itself was the only place to stage the entire train to allow for other movements to clear the line.