Weekend Update 10/14/2012

[up1950s]

If it were a RR Employees only road , that would ...........

[davefoxx]

I love the active construction look of this work in progress but the AAA is going to chastise the planers on that blind 90 degree turn , and the police will dub that as the " underpass of continued job security ".

Unfortunately, those blind corners are out there.  Here's one under the Northeast Corridor in Elkton, Maryland:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.635798,-75.802604&spn=0.000784,0.001668&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=39.635696,-75.802603&panoid=ZwbqGySGiZ8xUnMT3EpT8A&cbp=12,159.6,,0,8.6

DFF

[Smike]

Unfortunately, those blind corners are out there.  Here's one under the Northeast Corridor in Elkton, Maryland:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.635798,-75.802604&spn=0.000784,0.001668&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=39.635696,-75.802603&panoid=ZwbqGySGiZ8xUnMT3EpT8A&cbp=12,159.6,,0,8.6

DFF

ya that’s not even a bad one. In Eastern PA towns and cities, these type of RR overpasses are common to say the least. (i.e. low clearance or sharp 90 degree turns on both side, or width restrictions, or all of the above) Most have stop signs on both sides so that at least they try to get everyone to stop before blasting through.

[BCR751]

There's a 90-degree corner on the Trans-Canada Highway #1 in the Fraser Canyon in BC.  It goes under the CP Rail main line.  The numerous scrapes and gouges on the concrete abutments are visual clues to the dangers.  You don't want to meet an 18-wheeler when going through that one. 

[Iain]

I had a little more time this weekend to work on the C-liner.

My research is complete and I know all of the changes that I need to make. Yes, (good guesses) it is a Canadian National passenger C-liner (CPA-16-5 as CN 6703 circa 1956), based on the LL freight version (which is a beautiful model). Here are a couple of views showing "some" of the features of the prototype:


It still has a long way to go, but this weekend, I removed the dynamic brake and the forward fan on the right. I also created the two fill caps; one above and one embedded in the fuel tank and  filled in the windows behind the cab door:


Hopefully, I will have more time next weekend!

Great projects all around. Thanks for sharing.
It keeps me motivated.

Best regards,
Michael Livingston
Modelling N-scale southern Ontario roads

How are you doing that rear truck?  Is it powered?

[up1950s]

Glad I don't have any in my normal routes  . Good way for Ian to capitalize on it's design . A fender bender or truck stuck . Add the emergency vehicles and emergency vehicle folks . You can now put as many cars and trucks stuck in either side of the accident , maybe some folks outside their vehicles gawking or taking pictures . Or is that a little too Department Store layout .

[Ian MacMillan]

Glad I don't have any in my normal routes  . Good way for Ian to capitalize on it's design . A fender bender or truck stuck . Add the emergency vehicles and emergency vehicle folks . You can now put as many cars and trucks stuck in either side of the accident , maybe some folks outside their vehicles gawking or taking pictures . Or is that a little too Department Store layout .

Yes the blind 90 curve is very common in the northeast, especially New England. The bridge, curve, hill is actually based on this underpass in Exeter, NH where I used to work. Stuck TT unit under the bridge or on the 9% grade were very common....almost a daily occurrence regardless of signs and flashing lights!   The bridge was very narrow and two cars passing would almost strike each other if you were actually doing the posted speed limit.
http://goo.gl/maps/KxnCa

This one has enough clearance height wise, but maybe a TT unit clipped a car scene!

[btsnyder27]

Re: The sharp/narrow road curves at railroad underpasses.

The problem with the vast majority of these roads are that the railroad was there long before the road was, or, the road was a lot narrower back in the day.  With the solid construction techniques of yesteryear (cut stone ie PRR, solid concrete arches, etc.) removing, let alone replacing, these bridges/underpasses are usually a major undertaking.  Considering that example provided by Bsklarski, with almost 90 degree curves on both sides, if you're going to go through the trouble of widening it for two lanes of traffic, you might as well take that money and straighten/realign the road under the tracks for better road geometrics. The problem is, with the bottom falling out of state transportation budgets, the money isn't there.  By the time you go through the process of straightening the road, adding in a new structure accommodating a single track (on which, possibly, you may not be able to interrupt service, a la NE Corridor) overhead and having suitable clearance underneath (probably 30' clear roadway width minimum, depending on your state), you're talking a lot more money than states/municipalities want to spend.

However, with the railroad involvement, there's usually some other coffers that can be rummaged to cover the increased cost, but not necessarily enough to warrant the full blown project.  It's instances like this where it would take a prominent individual (read: politician) or a relative of said individual to be killed at one of these dangerous underpasses for someone to even take a look at it.

Tracks or no tracks, that's some treacherous roadway geometry.

[btsnyder27]

Ian, that's definitely a nasty example there...but at least that one is two (sort of) lanes!!

[Smike]

Blind Corners one lane, low height.
http://goo.gl/maps/lTfZE

My favorite one. Lots of gashes and marks on the guardrails and stone of the RR bridge abutments. I have almost gone head on going under
this one.

Some other good one I've gone through:

http://goo.gl/maps/5lLlX 
http://goo.gl/maps/bkSYw

[Ian MacMillan]

I wish you could see the bridge better, and I wish there was street view here. This is Annie Nichols Rd. in Ossipee, NH (where I work now) and this is a very tight clearance bridge height and width wise. Going code (lights and siren) to a call has you coming almost to a stand still when you go under it as you cant see around the corner.  The road goes under the former Conway Branch of the B&M, abandoned since 1983, but available for motorcars to ride.
Gmaps
http://goo.gl/maps/Hre3A

Bmaps
http://binged.it/SYvmQp

[C855B]

Yes the blind 90 curve is very common in the northeast, especially New England.

Surprises me not one bit. Based on this Midwesterner and California ex-pat's driving impression of the Northeast, most of your roads are widened cow paths, anyway.

[Bsklarski]

Ian, you should take a TT unit and mash the trailer down and make it "stuck" under the bridge. Then you can place about 4 dozen cruisers there with all working flashing LED lights.

[Dave V]

I wish you could see the bridge better, and I wish there was street view here. This is Annie Nichols Rd. in Ossipee, NH (where I work now) and this is a very tight clearance bridge height and width wise. Going code (lights and siren) to a call has you coming almost to a stand still when you go under it as you cant see around the corner.  The road goes under the former Conway Branch of the B&M, abandoned since 1983, but available for motorcars to ride.
Gmaps
http://goo.gl/maps/Hre3A

Bmaps
http://binged.it/SYvmQp

Enjoy!

http://11foot8.com

[w neal]

An attempt at a nest: