Post your Train shots!
- Thread starter Rick M
- Start date
Alstom"Prima" dual voltage freight loco, one of only 2 painted in the white ETF livery, on St Phlin viaduct near Nancy, France. The M after the number ("Midi") indicates that it is adapted to run on the few lines in the south which are still equipped with the curved catenary masts used by the Midi company.
nikonpup
Senior Member
BNSF RAILROAD - WARREN BUFFET. Buffett’s $15 Billion in Dividends Show Railroad Came Cheap
Yes, North American railroads have had very good earnings, despite declining coal loadings as a result of the U.S. Government's latest round of air quality regulations and reduced exports. In the last 12 Months stock performance has looked like this:
Norfolk Southern - Up 36%
CSX - Up 37%
Union Pacific - Up 56%
Canadian National - Up 26%
Canadian Pacific - Up 44%
... and these numbers don't include dividends such as those highlighted in nikonpup's news story. Throw in the latest round of merger rumors (such as that of a few weeks ago where CP was said to have made an offer to buy CSX), things are perhaps getting a bit frothy.
Norfolk Southern - Up 36%
CSX - Up 37%
Union Pacific - Up 56%
Canadian National - Up 26%
Canadian Pacific - Up 44%
... and these numbers don't include dividends such as those highlighted in nikonpup's news story. Throw in the latest round of merger rumors (such as that of a few weeks ago where CP was said to have made an offer to buy CSX), things are perhaps getting a bit frothy.
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Wonderful shots! Is the Midi a privately owned railroad? I know that Great Britain privatized some (or all?) of its rail network, but I'm ignorant of what other European nations have done.
Before the days of SNCF, which came into being in 1938, the railways in France consisted of 6 major companies which were situated more or less on a geographical basis. The Midi company was situated in the South West, around the cities of Bordeaux and Toulouse and taking in the whole border with Spain. As it had a number of lines in the Pyrenees which had steep gradients, it was one of the early companies to electrify many of its lines, using 1500V DC. In 1936 it merged with PO, (Paris-Orleans), its neighbour to the north. It had one line, especially suited for high speed, between Bordeaux and Spain and this is the site of the World record for electric locos of 331kmph. It used very elegant arched supports for the catenary which have been replaced in various places as they were unsuited to modern needs but several branch lines still have them. Hope this helps.
PS, the shot on the viaduct is incredibly difficult to get as it is only accessible by boat. The viaduct sits alongside the aqueduct on the Marne-Rine canal.
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Thanks -- a great capsule history. I had a book as a kid (Great Trains Of All Time, c. 1962) that featured a story on the SNCF speed records set in 1955 between Bordeaux and Dax in southeastern France, topping out at the speed you mentioned, equivalent to 206 MPH! The chapter reads that the CC7100 Class locomotive was one typical of its class and was hauling three cars.
Have you ever seen the movie The Train (1964)? Set in WW-II France, it's an extraordinary film that I've watched far too many times.
Have you ever seen the movie The Train (1964)? Set in WW-II France, it's an extraordinary film that I've watched far too many times.
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nikonpup
Senior Member
Missouri Northern Arkansas 2726 just idling at crossroad in Clinton, Missouri. The tracks into Clinton, from the South, end in Clinton. Just a few customers are served here. Grain Elevator, Champion Brands Oil Company are main ones.
View attachment 127373
View attachment 127373
Interesting old unit indeed! Were you at the Northwest Railway Museum? If so, that's a former Kennecott Copper Alco RSD-4, built in 1951. Alcos of any flavor have become rare; Alco (American Locomotive Company) stopped making locomotives in 1969 after nearly 65 years of production. The diesel engines within Alcos sound absolutely wonderful and are a railfan favorite.