I wonder if it needs the steering wheel?
What year would it be, a 1912?
Why would the headlights be pointed up?
I tried to post this the other day when the site went down.
Herb
I'm guessing, but I bet they just didn't bother to remove the steering wheel and the rest of the steering gear even though it was not needed. It would be kinda odd to have the steering column without the wheel, but you'd need the column for the gas and spark levers.
I wonder what the piece of timber along side the right chassis rail is for?
Neat photo, Herb!
Something to hold on to and a place to put the throttle and spark levers, perhaps?
Looks like a torpedo body. Maybe the timber is used to yard i on and of the tracks.
Another great photo.
Thanks
Rich
They pointed the headlight up so they would shine in an oncoming train engineer's face at a farther distance.
Here is one that is a copy of the one located at Rail town 1897 in Jamestown Ca. No.8 is the orig. (from the 20s) and the other is the copy I made. It ran great.
Bob
Bob - tell us more about how you made yours. Inquiring minds want to know!
Looks like telegraph crossarm on side rails and would think maybe lights angled up to light up lines on side of track at night .
Just what it looks to me
I bet starting it wasnt very easy with the stuff in front of the crank
Steve, visiting my brother after my wife past in 2001 we visited Rail town 1897 and saw the orig. I had just finished my 23 roadster PU and had extra parts laying around also needing something to keep busy I started.
I had taken pictures when there and had made some crude drawings and one of the volunteers had given me his address and phone no. if I needed help. It was cut and fit most of the way. The diff. center has a spacer and two ring gears with a sliding drive shaft for shifting. Just a lot of trial and error. I added Volvo disk breaks to the axles, a air bag pump with a small tank for the whistle, a turn signal unit to operate the bell and 12 Volt system.
With help of friends that had skills I didn't, it was put together in 2 years.
Will need to find the pictures of my progress. Too much to put here.
Bob
First trip out and operating 2003
Are the headlights pointing up for tunnel ceiling inspection?
Great old pic!
Love your track cars Bob! Are you able to get them out on tracks much?
A friend of mine was part of a speeder club years ago. (Those small cars they used for maintence on tracks years ago.) The club would get permission from time to time to do runs on certain stretches of track. It was pretty neat.
Well I can now see where using your left hand to crank makes sense. Till I get a rail car I will still use my right hand.
Very cool Bob, thanks for sharing. I think your construction photos would be of interest to many of us.
Think those lamps are adjusted up for those steep down hill rail runs, where you want the light well out front
I think he was spotlighting some raccoons.
We had a neighbor who would go hunting for them riding mules around the country side with a pack of dogs. They would shine a light on them up in a tree.
The headlights look like they have an aftermarket electric conversion. You can see the reflector. Besides, there is no running board to mount neither a generator nor a tank!
Love the pic, Herb. Thanks.
: ^ )
Keith
I think I mentioned this before, the SP had a track that ran through my Grand Parents ranch, we had a siding for loading saw logs and cattle. The Heavy Heads had a similar car that came by on occasion, they would stop once in a while to visit our Store and get a soda water. They told me theirs had been built in the SP shops, and yes, it still had a steering wheel, looked just like my Roadster except for the wheels, the front ones were out in front, I don't remember how the rears were configured, but they could fold up the steel fronts very easily to get the rubber back on the road. They also carried a couple of 4 x 4 timbers for getting on and off the tracks. I still remember seeing one like this that had both sets of wheels, this was carried over to the ones you see now (both sets of wheels).
Has anyone besides me ever seen a bicycle built to ride the rails? It had a folding arm that ran on the rail to the right, the bicycle ran on top of the left side, had "fins" of a sort to keep it on the rail, maybe home made ?
Great picture Grad.
Thanks
Railroad bicycles were and still are quite common. Do a Google image search for many photos. Here is a vintage one:
Jim
We have closed down railways in Denmark where you can rent rail-tricycles and go for your selves. Of course when you meet someone comming the opposite way, one of you will have to give way :-)