PORT ELIZABETH MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Newsletter
July 2020
#7/2020
In this “ The American issue: PEMRC Calendar Peter Burton remembered Wunderland Update
Big Boy & Cowgirls Trains Magazine Special issue p71-72
Model Railroader Gallery American Freedom Train Signalling in the United States Asking the Right Questions Are you paying attention? Web links SAR 150 Tailpiece Committee
UP Big Boy 4014 Trains Magazine Special issue p46
0
PEMRC CALENDAR Public running day
Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park
10:00 to 13:00
1st Sunday monthly
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
13 Lionel Road Walmer Downs
14:30
Mike 073 374 3280
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park
10:00 to 13:00
1st Sunday monthly
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
Sun 5
July 2020
Tue 14
July 2020
Workshop
Sat 11
July 2020
Layout visit at: Mike van Zyl
Tue 28
July 2020
Workshop
Sun 2
Aug 2020
Public running day
Tue 11
Aug 2020
Workshop
Sat 15
Aug 2020
Layout visit at: Roel van Oudheusden
Tue 25
July 2020
Workshop
Wed 2
Dec 2020
International Day of the Model Railway PEMRC event on Saturday 5 Dec. 2020 tbc
9-11
July 2021
National Train Show Santa Clara California, USA
Oct 2021
Eurospoor 2021 Event & Exhibition Centre Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Netherlands http://www.eurospoor.nl/
Aug 2022
NMRA National Convention 2022 Birmingham, UK https://www.nmra2022uk.org/
29-30
14-21
10 Wodehouse street Mount Pleasant, Port Elizabeth
14:30
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
Roel 082 739 7679 J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
APPEAL:
Remembering the past or "how did you get into the model rail hobby?" Please send us your story with some detail of your current layout to: pemrailroadclub@gmail.com 1
Maintain distance; Wear a mask; Avoid congestion; Buy on-line; Wash hands; Leave space! Covid-19 Level 3 Restrictions on Personal Movement: 1. Interprovincial travel is not permitted except to return to work with proof of employment, in exceptional circumstances such as funerals (with approval) or essential services. 2. Stay at home, other than essential travel for work and to purchase essential goods. 3. No recreational travel or to meet friends or family. 4. Mandatory use of cloth masks (including home-made ones to cover nose and mask) and ensure hand hygiene when in public and at workplace. 5. Emergencies for medical reasons. 6. Those who have an exemption to travel for funerals 7. South Africans returning home and foreign nationals leaving South Africa 8. Elderly and persons with co-morbidities are encouraged to self-isolate and only leave home for exceptional reasons. 9. Social distancing (2m away from other persons) to be applied in public when, shopping, visiting health facilities (pharmacies, clinics etc.), 10. Walking, jogging and cycling permitted 11. Social distancing when using public and private transport, as per transport guidelines 12. All public gatherings are prohibited. 13. Stores to ensure that there is temperature screening of patrons, hand sanitisers available and measures to facilitate social distancing. Where the number of customers cannot be accommodated at once then measures such a ticket system and defined limit of time in the store per customer should be implemented instead of the physical queuing of customers. 14. Curfews will be implemented between 8pm and 5am https://sacoronavirus.co.za/covid-19-risk-adjusted-strategy/
GRATIS EXTRA’s:
Ctrl+Click on image to view/download: Trains Special - Big Boy Back in Steam 2019 and/or - Trains on Location; –Blue Ridge Vignettes Or copy and paste this in your browser: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OFewVfzrfKekPSV-oVSuFDQRIZihP_Z9 2
Peter Burton remembered: Peter Burton, citrus farmer and steam locomotive enthusiast with a mighty passion for the Apple Express tourist train, passed away peacefully on Saturday 27 June 2020 at the age of ninety four. Peter became involved with the Apple Express train in early 1993 after the Alfred Country Railway Company, who had taken over the management and running of the Apple Express from the SAR, abandoned it after 2 years. A group of local volunteers, concerned that this iconic train would be lost forever to Port Elizabeth and South Africa, put out a call to the residents of Port Elizabeth for help. That is when Peter and his wife Barbara Burton joined in and the Apple Express Society was formed under the Chairmanship of Keith Mitchell.
© Clive Fife
Peter and Barbara lived on a citrus farm near Addo where he was the farm manager. The drive from the farm of just over an hour did not deter his enthusiasm or love of the Apple Express. During his “career” with the train, he must have clocked up many hundreds of kilometres in his little white bakkie. Besides doing the road trip on the days that the train was scheduled to run, his enthusiasm also brought him to the Humewood Road steam depot once or twice a week, just to see the maintenance work that was being done on the rolling stock. By this time he had retired as farm manager and had more time to Peter Burton and Irene Ferreira Image by Willem Ferreira dedicate to the Apple Express. He served many times on the committee and as Chairman of the Apple Express Society and later on as an executive member of the Apple Express Association. He never lost interest being involved with all aspects of the Apple Express. He was able to impart on the volunteers, the workshop and admin staff the motivation to be positive toward the future of the Apple Express train. His presence and enthusiasm was also felt amongst the passengers that travelled on the train; such was his energy and love for the train. Eventually as age took its toll he would often be seen fast asleep resting in a chair in the train tuck shop (Apple Tavern) on the return journey from a day out in the country. He will be missed by the many people who over the years had come into contact with him. Finally, I am sure that if you stand quietly on the Humewood Road station platform you will still be able to faintly hear the shrill blast from his train whistle and his booming voice calling – “Aall a board”. Rest in peace Peter. Obituary by Clive Fife Our condolences to his friends and family.
3
News Update For more than two long months, Miniatur Wunderland had now been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since May 20, 2020 it is finally open again - of course under conditions drastically reducing the number of visitors to ensure that everyone is able to keep distance from each other. “Day and night we worked on a solution how to make the exhibition area safe for the guests without compromising the visitor experience. The result is a creative system for the observance of distance rules, the so-called Wunderland Road Traffic Regulations. A specially created, kilometre-long road system had to be glued to the ground; 5 kilometres of differently coloured adhesive tape, 500 metres of large foil and over 600 traffic signs ensure that the important and serious rules are adhered to in a playful manner. With one-way streets, regulated dead ends, roundabouts, railroad crossings and many other things ensure the right distance in a learned but fun way. When the system was tested, it was clear: Miniatur Wunderland can reopen with a good conscience with a capacity reduced to about 20%. Even with the opening with 20% capacity, Miniatur Wunderland will not be able to generate enough revenue to even come close to covering the costs of a minimum operation. But with the opening at least some of the employees can be brought back from short-time work. However, for the time being, there will be no room for further construction of the wonderful building sections Monaco, Provence and South America, so that more than 100 of the "creating" Wunderland employees will have to remain on short-time work. It is so paradoxical that our Wunderland employees are so eager to continue building and we would like to give them a perspective, but our emergency pot, especially filled for exceptional situations, should reach into next year. In such a crisis, it would be so good for us and for Hamburg if the new construction phases could quickly generate great enthusiasm. But we are now miles away from that if no solutions are found. Wednesday 1 July 2020 is the day: our new fair is opening!
Our model and technology team is currently working day and night on the final details to get everything ready by then. This new fair is a sensational eye-catcher. A unique 1:87 scale entertainment landscape was created on eight square meters - with 9,000 guests, optical fireworks from a total of 100,000 LEDs, 150 fair stalls and rides and 250 simultaneously controllable movements, triggered by twelve new button actions. That sounds like a lot of work and it is: our team has spent almost 25,000 hours in what is probably the most elaborate fun fair miniature of all time. Work is still feverish and you can of course be there, because we accompany the technicians and model builders with the camera.
For today's update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl-TBb-I7xA 4
Model Railroader GALLERY
5
Most N scale bovines offered by figure manufacturers are milk cows, but the Montana cattle industry requires steers and bulls, too. Dan Lewis uses wire and Microscale Kristal Kleer to turn cows into bulls, as well as to model longhorns, on his N scale Milwaukee Road North Montana Line. “One problem I encountered with commercially produced cattle in N scale is that they are all milk cows. Such cows are fine, of course, if one is modeling a dairy farm in Wisconsin, but the Montana cattle industry needs steers and bulls. Using a motor tool with a burr bit, I carefully remove the udders from these milk-producers. I drill a short hole in the bottom center of their bellies in which to glue small lengths of brass wire. The area around the wire I build up with Microscale Kristal Kleer, a product usually used for glazing model windows, and this simulates the rerouted water works for my surgically altered bulls and steers. After painting, they now look like male bovines instead of milk-producers. To model longhorns, I snip off the smaller molded horns with a sprue cutter. Next I use a needle to start drilling holes in the heads, then drill holes with a no. 80 bit. Into these holes I glue brass wires, shaping them to simulate long horns. Again using Microscale Kristal Kleer, I add bulk to the base of the horns before painting. For colour references to longhorns as well as to Hereford cattle, you can find a multitude of good colour photos on the Internet.�
The art illusion
of
6
The American Freedom Train toured the USA from April 1, 1975 through December 31, 1976 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. The train was pulled by three different steam locomotives. Each locomotive pulled the train through a different part of the country. Each of the steam locomotives were restored specifically for the purpose of pulling this train. The locomotives that were restored to pull the American Freedom Train were: Southern Pacific GS-4 4-8-4 number 4449
Reading T-1 4-8-4 number 2101
And Texas and Pacific I-1a 2-10-4 number 610
7
SIGNALLING US RAILROAD SIGNALLING On railways all over the world, signals are used to indicate to the driver (engineer in the US) of a train how they should proceed. The way this is done in the US (and most of Europe except Spain and Norway) is quite different compared with the UK. In the UK (and other countries using UK based systems), signals are designed to show the driver the state of the road ahead. For example, a signal will show that the line is clear ahead and will also say how far ahead it is clear. The driver, using his knowledge of the line and of the train he is controlling, will make a judgement about how fast he can safely let his train go and will proceed accordingly. In the US, signals show engineers the speeds they are allowed to go. This is known as speed control signalling. They do not actually need to know how far ahead the line is clear. The speed they are allowed to do will depend on the type of train the driver is controlling. In the US, like the UK, signals are classified into two general types. In the UK they are referred to as automatic and controlled, in the US they are known as Automatic Block Signals (ABS) and Interlocking Signals respectively. The two classifications are similar in that automatic signals work without manual controls while controlled or interlocking signals usually cover junction areas and require some form of additional controls operated by a signal tower (signal box in UK) or control room. Interlocking signals in the US represent the UK "controlled" signal; i.e. one that is controlled from a signal tower (cabin in UK) or any sort of control room. Interlocking signals offer a great variety of signal displays and commands which can be confusing. In addition to signals showing what speed you are allowed to do because of the route which is set for you, there are some which indicate a speed restriction "within interlocking limits�. The term interlocking is now creeping into UK parlance. A sample series of commands looks like this: (Note that the commands are all speed related and they cover AB signals as well.) Clear - Proceed at normal speed for your train, you will get the straight route ahead. Approach - Be prepared to stop at the next signal and reduce train speed to 30 mi/h Approach Slow - Be prepared to stop at the next signal but approach it at slow speed (15 mi/h); usually because of passing through a crossover. Advance Approach Medium - Proceed but approach second signal ahead at medium speed (30 mi/h) Approach Medium - Proceed but approach next signal ahead at medium speed (30 mi/h) Approach Limited - Proceed but approach next signal ahead at limited speed (45 mi/h) Limited Clear - Proceed but at limited speed (45 mi/h) within interlocking limits Medium Clear - Proceed but at medium speed (30 mi/h) within interlocking limits Slow Clear - Proceed but at slow speed (15 mi/h) within interlocking limits "Approach" It is worth adding a few notes here about the use of the word "approach" and how it is applied to US signals. Approach is the US term which would be known as "caution" in the UK. Approach Medium, Approach Limited and Advance Approach are all commonly used to describe certain types of signal commands in the US. There are basically three types of Approach signals: "Approach ...........", "............ Approach" and just plain "Approach". 8
Approach tells you how fast you have to be going by the next signal only. Except in the case of Approach Slow, they say nothing about how fast you can go before the next signal. Also an "Approach ..........." signal informs the driver that the next signal is not at Stop but also not at full Clear. For the interests of safety, trains with ATC are limited to 45 mph or less after passing any type of "Approach ..........." signal but, going by the letter of the rules, the driver must only be doing the prescribed speed by the next signal. Furthermore, while trains with ATC are limited to 45 mph after passing both an Approach Medium or an Approach Limited, trains which pass an Approach Medium must slow to 30 mph by the end of the block, while trains which pass an Approach Limited can continue to travel at speeds up to 45 mph. Classic designs like these Norfolk & Western position lights are still active throughout the USA but dwindling in numbers. These particular sentinels are found near Willowton, West Virginia along Norfolk Southern.
Loyd Lowry photo.
In the modern era Class I Railroads have transitioned to a simplified stop or tri-light type signal, as seen here at Leipsic, Ohio. Pictured is a Norfolk Southern coke train heading westbound past the old XN/RO Tower on the morning of September 18, 2013. The train is running the old Nickel Plate Road and crossing the former Baltimore & Ohio.
9
“If a signal is not all red, then it is not red at all.” Three speeds. Three Heads. This first diagram shows a typical 3 head colour light signal. The key is in understanding that each head governs a specific speed route. The higher on the pole the higher the permitted speed. •
•
•
The top head governs the HIGH speed route. This would be “straight ahead”. Not diverging through any switches. Track speeds would typically be greater than 45 mph and may be over one hundred mph. The middle head governs the MEDIUM speed route. It would typically be used when diverging through relatively long track switches which are designed for speeds in the 30 mph range. The bottom head governs movement on the SLOW speed route. That would be diverging through shorter switches that are only safe to traverse at 15 mph or slower.
Three colours. Three meanings. The colours have the same meaning no matter which head they are in. Green means that at least TWO blocks beyond this signal are clear.
Yellow means that only ONE block beyond this signal is clear and this route is impassable at the next signal. Red means that this route is impassable. Three heads, each which can show only one colour at a time. The higher the head is on the pole the higher the permissible speed. Three colours. Each has the same meaning regardless of its location in the hierarchy.
Three heads and three colours. The most restrictive case is when all 3 heads are red. This indicates that all 3 routes are impassable at this signal. At the other end of this extreme is the case where the highest speed route is clear for at least two blocks.
If the highest speed route is only clear for one block then the top head will be yellow.
The same logic is applied to the centre, Medium speed head.
10
And also to the bottom, Slow speed, head.
Trains cannot stop quickly. It takes one mile or more to make a service stop from track speed. At any place a signal requires a train to stop, that train’s engineer must be warned of this requirement far enough in advance to enable him to stop the train. That is the purpose of the yellow signals. They warn the engineer that he must be prepared to stop at the next signal beyond the yellow one. But it is not just when they are required to stop. Any place a signal requires a train to reduce its speed below the maximum track speed the engineer must be warned far enough in advance to enable him to slow the train to the required speed. The Approach signal below tells the engineer the high speed route is impassable at the next signal. Since no other route is showing a more favourable aspect he must be prepared to stop at the next signal. What if the high speed route at the next signal is impassable but a slower speed route is lined through OK? The engineer must still be warned of the impassable high speed route ahead so the high speed head, the top head, must be yellow. But he can also be told of the lower speed routing so he knows he only has to slow at the next signal not stop at it. In the signal above the yellow high speed head tells him the block beyond it is clear up to the next signal. He would have to be prepared to stop at the next signal except the middle, Medium speed, head is green. Since green means a route is clear for at least 2 blocks he knows he can proceed on the Medium speed route at the next signal. Thus this signal informs him he only needs to slow to Medium speed for the next signal, not stop. The signal above introduces a new twist. It appears as if two routes are passable at once, the high speed route and the medium speed route. Because of the physical nature of track switches obviously only one route can be lined at a time so what is going on here? When dealing with signals that have more than one non-red head, you may operate the train through the block that signal governs at the speed of the highest non-red head. In the case of the Approach Medium signal above, the train may continue at maximum speed through this block but must reduce to Medium speed at the following signal. If it is the Slow speed route that is lined at the next signal then he would be informed of that situation in a similar manner with the following signal. With this signal the engineer knows he must reduce to Slow speed at the next signal but will not be required to stop there. Five speeds. Three Heads? So far we have been dealing with 3 speeds corresponding to the 3 heads. Maximum track speed (50mph or greater), Medium speed (30mph), and Slow speed (15mph). A fourth speed is called Limited speed and on the NYC it was defined as 45mph. At locations where many trains routinely diverge through a switch or switches, such as important junctions, the RR may not want to slow every train to 30 mph for Medium speed switches. The RR may choose to install higher speed switches. Both time and fuel can be saved by allowing trains to diverge at higher speeds. How do you show this fourth speed on a 3 head signal? The answer is to apply a “marker” to the signal to “bump up” the Medium speed aspect to Limited speed. On the NYC this was done by flashing the centre, Medium speed, head. 11
The “rays” around the centre head in the figures below indicate that that light is flashing. Flashing a light on a signal “upgrades” that signal to a less restrictive signal than it would otherwise be if the light were not flashing. We will see this flashing upgrade on other signals later on.
The 5th speed is Restricted speed. Restricted speed is defined differently by different railroads but the core element is that a train must be operated in such a manner that it can be stopped before it hits another train or anything else on the track. Restricted speed usually also has a maximum allowable speed associated with it. Maximum speeds for Restricted speed varies from 10 mph to 20 mph depending on the individual railroad. Restricted speed is shown by one of 3 methods. The first way is to use a Lunar coloured light instead of a red light. Lunar colour is a bluish white or a silverish white. If any one of the red lights in a 3 head signal is replaced by a Lunar light it changes that signal from a Stop to a Restricted signal. The head position of the Lunar light usually, but not always, indicates the route that you will be taking. But it doesn’t matter because the maximum speed for Restricted speed regardless of which head it is on is at or below Slow speed. The second method used to change a Stop signal to a Restricted signal is to flash one of the red lights. Whenever a signal has a light that is flashing it means that signal is less restrictive than it would be if the light were not flashing. Just like a flashing light on the Medium speed head upgrades a Medium speed signal to a Limited speed signal, a flashing red light upgrades this signal from a Stop signal to a Restricted signal. The third method is to apply a number plate to the signal post. When this method is used it is usually called a Stop & Proceed signal. Trains must stop before passing the signal but then may proceed at Restricted speed. However some railroads do not require the stop. Trains on those railroads may pass this signal at Restricted speed without stopping. In these cases it is usually called a Restricting Proceed. On some of the railroads that use the Stop & Proceed indication there may be certain locations, such as steep grades, where they do not want trains to stop. In these cases they can convert a Stop & Proceed signal into a Restricted signal by applying a “Grade” marker sign to the signal post. Trains encountering this signal are not required to stop before proceeding. They may continue to move past the signal at Restricted before proceeding. They may continue to move past the signal at Restricted Speed. One head. Two heads At most locations on the railroad where signals are located there is no choice of routes. The only route available is straight ahead on the main line. Since there is no Limited, Medium, or Slow Speed routes there is no need to include provisions on the signal itself to display aspects governing movements on those routes. Thus the bottom two heads can be eliminated. Where ever you see a signal with just one head that head represents the top most head on a signal pole. Thus it is always the High Speed head. 12
Where a lot of fast heavy trains are run or the block lengths are short the railroads need to alert an engineer earlier than just one signal away of a requirement to slow down ahead. Therefore they came up with the Advance Approach signal. An Advance Approach told the engineer that he needs to be prepared to stop at not the next signal but the one after that. On the NYC this aspect was Yellow over Yellow and is the first aspect that breaks with our common “system” in that it is arbitrary. The yellow over yellow aspect is the one aspect that varies the most in meaning from railroad to railroad. Depending upon the individual RR it may mean Advance Approach, Approach Restricting, or Approach Diverging. Because the double yellow aspect was already in use for other indications on some RRs they use the Approach Medium aspect as a kind of Advance Approach signal. They use it to warn the engineer in advance that the next signal he gets may be an Approach signal. The Approach Medium signal tells the engineer that the High Speed route is clear for only one block ahead and he must reduce to Medium Speed at the next signal. This forces the engineer to slow down to 30 mph at the next signal where he will normally have an Approach indication. The Approach tells him he must be prepared to stop at the next signal. Since the previous Approach Medium signal already had forced him to slow to 30 mph an easy and smooth stop can be made at the next signal. While we normally think of an Approach Medium signal leading us to a Medium Clear or Medium Approach at the next signal indicating we will be diverging through a Medium Speed switch, there is nothing inherent in the system that says we WILL be diverging. The signal simply says that we must be down to Medium Speed at the next signal. So the Approach Medium signal works just as well as an Advance Approach in this respect. Railroads in their eternal pursuit of cost savings do not want the expense of installing and maintaining two signal heads at every signal location just to provide this “Advance Approach” Approach Medium warning. So they devised another way of giving the Approach Medium aspect on a single head signal. They used the flashing light method to once again “bump up” an otherwise more restrictive aspect. They flash the normally steady yellow light of an Approach signal. When the top yellow light is flashing it upgrades the signal from an Approach indication to an Approach Medium indication. In the continuing pursuit for the elimination of unneeded signal heads some railroads eliminated the centre head if there was no Limited or Medium speed route at a location. This left an odd looking larger than normal gap between the heads that distinguished these 2 headed signals from their two headed Limited and Medium speed counterparts. Where you see a larger gap between heads on a signal pole the lower head represents the Slow Speed route.
13
Today’s Signals
http://www.mikeroque.com/railroad-signals/
Having shown you how all these signals came about and how neatly they fit into a system, now the bad news. It seldom works that way now. Not all RRs used an NYC system. The NYC system described above is usually referred to as a SPEED SIGNALING system. Why should be obvious, the signals tell an engineer what the maximum speed is at this signal or what maximum speed he must be doing at the next signal. Other RRs used speed signalling systems that were similar to the NYC but that had their own idiosyncrasies. Some railroads do not use speed signalling but use a system referred to as ROUTE SIGNALING. On these systems the signals do not give a specific speed limit. Instead they indicate whether or not you are going to go on the straight route or the diverging route. Many of the signal aspects, names, and indications are the same as, or closely related to, the same ones in a Speed Signalling system. Especially those that have nothing to do with speeds such as Clear, Approach, Restricted, Stop & Proceed, and Stop. But the aspects of speed signals with names containing the words Limited, Medium, or Slow usually have slightly different meanings in a route signalling system. For instance, instead of red over green being Medium Clear it is DIVERGING CLEAR. The signal tells the engineer he is going to diverge but it doesn’t tell him at what speed he must diverge. The speeds for diverging routes are given in the employee Timetable and Special Instructions for that subdivision. The engineer must KNOW what speed is permitted diverging at this location. This is not as bad as it first seems because on any given subdivision most of the diverging speeds will be the same or only a few different ones. While all signal systems started out with a great deal of logic in their aspects and indications most have since been “bastardized” badly. Mergers brought differing signal systems into the same fold. The Burlington Northern merger combined the former NP, GN, CB&Q, SP&S, and Frisco railroads. All these RRs had signal systems that varied from the others’. In some cases the differences were slight but in others they were great. The BN wanted a common signal system but did not want to make great, expensive, changes to the systems in the field. In some places simply changing the colour of a lens would match one system to the other. In other locations perhaps adding a flasher or removing a flasher would do it. But the entire mix of systems could not be fully combined without making changes to the rules describing aspects, names, and indications of signals. The merger of the BN and the Santa Fe into the BNSF further complicated the matter since BN and ATSF signals were different. What results is a system today that little resembles the original systems. The combination of the speed signalling systems with the route signalling systems resulted in the most discrepancies. The compromises made to unify the various systems has resulted in the loss of the original logic in those systems. Some remnants of the original signal philosophies remain but overall you can no longer “think it out”, you just have to memorize the signal rules. Different Ways to Display the Same thing To get rid of the moving parts of the semaphore type signals some railroads, notably the PRR and N&W, designed a signal that used rows of three amber lights to mimic in lights the movable arm of the semaphore. The B&O railroad went one step farther. They devised a signal system in which rows of two lights mimicked the position of semaphore arms and also used coloured lights. This system did not use multi-headed signals. To display those indications the B&O system used single white auxiliary lights. These white lights may be located on the centre line above or below the main signal head or may be offset to one side above or below the main head. Please also read: “Understanding Signals” by Mike Roque, a more detailed PowerPoint show. 14
BB 3 leads the 2013 Toys for Tots train Westbound on a foggy December morning. Erected in the early 1900's when the line was first signalled, semaphores graced this pole before being replaced by the current signal head in the 1940's. Today, it's the only mast pole that has remained in service from the beginning on the old C&O. 15
Both images by Loyd Lowry – RailPictures.net “If a signal is not all red, then it is not red at all”. The above quote appeared at the very beginning of this section. It should now be apparent to you what it means. Unless all of the lights in a signal are red, the signal is some form of proceed signal and it does not require you to stop at it.
16
ASKING the RIGHT QUESTIONS How to get going, keep going and have some fun
17
18
19
Photo Jim Wrinn
20
From: Model Railroading Special Issue - The Ultimate Guide Vol.3 2020 Let me know which feature you want to see next - RvO
21
WEBLINKS ON RAILWAYS IN SOUTH ARICA https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/home Sandstone Estates
https://www.appleexpresstrain.co.za/
a favourite
Needs no introduction
http://steam-locomotives-south-africa.blogspot.com/ http://www.theheritageportal.co.za/
This site has a huge listing of other sites which are worthwhile to visit, too many and too long to list here. More than railways‌
RailPictures.Net - High Quality Railroad, Train, Railway Photos, Pictures & News https://atom.drisa.co.za/index.php/ The DRISA (acronym for Digital Railway Images of South Africa) project was formally launched during 2016 and will take a few years to complete. It is run and funded by volunteers. South African Railways Illustrated - Issuu
This is a recent discovery
https://issuu.com/southafricanrailwayssignaldiagramss 22
Do you remember posting real letters with real stamps or these special commemorative stamps issued in 2010 to celebrate the 150 years of railways in SA?
1860 “Natal” – the first locomotive to run in South Africa. (Preserved on Durban station) 1937 Class NGG16 Garratt – the most important class on numerous narrow-gauge lines, with 34 built between 1937 and 1968. Many are running today in Wales, Australia and the USA, following closure of South Africa’s once extensive narrow-gauge empire. 1948 Class 24 – the ultimate power on branch lines all over South Africa (except Natal). 1952 Class GMAM Garratt. South Africa was the largest user of the Garratt principle and these engines were the ultimate development of this concept. 1954 Class 25 Condenser. These 90 engines – the largest non-articulated steam locomotives in the world – were designed to re-use their water and savings up to 85% were recorded. No other country employed condensing engines on a scale as large as this. 1981 Class 26. The only example, a rebuilt class 25 4-8-4 known as the “Red Devil”, was used as an experiment to modernise steam traction. Although some 30% saving in water and coal use was recorded, no other conversions were made but the knowledge gained was used in China where steam engines were still being built as recently as 2002. 1981 Class 35 diesel-electric. These units spelled the end of steam traction on branch lines. 1982 Class 9E electric units, 50kV AC. The most powerful electric units on Cape gauge, they haul heavy iron ore trains between Sishen and Saldanha. 2009 Class 19E. These powerful dual-voltage electric locomotives are the latest development of traction power on the Transnet system. 2010 The Gautrain high-speed train running on brand-new, standard-gauge track represents the latest milepost in the development of railways in South Africa. 23
TAILPIECE The first locomotive in South Africa built by Hawthorns & Co Leith Engine Works No.162 in 1859 (via Old Steam Locomotives in South Africa) This is a copy of a painting by T Butler of an unknown date.
William Dabbs, who arrived with the engine, put it in operation himself, and drove it as long as it was in use by the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company.
2009 painting, made by Paul Treleven, pictures BLACKIE at CAPE TOWN station around 1863 with Table Mountain under its traditional cloth as usual. For more of Paul's work visit his fine arts page at http://www.paultreleven.com/ 24
Signalling continued
Baggage delivery now for free. Are you looking forward to your vacation in Switzerland? Travel safely and comfortably by bus and train - and let us tow the suitcases straight away: We will transport your luggage free of charge from your front door to selected hotels and holiday apartments and back again. Until October 31st (within Switzerland, Ed).
COMMITTEE 2020: Chairman: Treasurer: Clubhouse: Layouts: Librarian: Editor: Workshops: ‘Shop’:
Roel van Oudheusden Attie Terblanche Mike Smout JP Kruger Carel van Loggerenberg Roel van Oudheusden Graham Chapman Mike van Zyl Mike Smith
roelvanoza@gmail.com terblalc@telkomsa.net ma.smout@mweb.co.za juanpierrekruger@gmail.com annie3@telkomsa.net pemrailroadclub@gmail.com chapman22@telkomsa.net carpencab@gmail.com mwsmi5@iafrica.com WhatsApp: 078 069 7699
Subscriptions for 2020 are R300 for the year. EFT is preferred, but the Treasurer may be persuaded to accept cash. Bank account: Port Elizabeth Model Railroad Club FNB Walmer Park, branch code 211417, Account no. 623 861 2205 7 25