You could be really screwed if you don't know when the train is coming! What was the use for these, just transportation?
The railroad still uses pickup trucks modified in such a manner down here. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
They still use pickups and other work trucks on the rails. Some are called "hi-railers" if my memory serves me right. They are used for track inspection and some minor repairs.
I work for the railroad. We call them Hi Rails. Big trucks, Pick up trucks and suburbans are in the fleet. Some are hydraulic, others are a lever-action type. sometimes can be a pain in the butt to get on the rail.
Those are great photos, I have heard that those pics were out there , but had never seen them . thanks for posting
Cracks me up on that last picture with the cow catcher on the front. Ya suppose that's where the idea of solid wheels came from, for running out on the salt flats? HellRaiser
I saw something similar to those at a railroad muesum in NE Missouri. Was probably 10 years ago. I'm not sure exactly where it was. Maybe Breeder or one of the other guys from that area knows where I'm talking about.
I'll bet that is for a loud train horn. Brakes are probably the stock units the car came with. I can't imagine something like that with air brakes.
Somebody might correct me, but I think those are the sand tanks for extra braking. Or something to do with that anyway, maybe air tanks to pump the sand.
Take a look at the left front wheel a few inches above the track, that's a brake "shoe". The inertia of those big steel wheels would have wasted the stock brakes on one of those pretty quickly. The brakes weren't exactly great even with stock wheels and no extra equipment.
I love to tell people that when they first introduced the locomotive they thought the steel on steel wouldn't be enough tration so they tried cogs and all kinds of crap to drive them, then they discovered that if they lost traction they could just dump sand on the rail in front of the drivers and it would work just fine. Then I always ask "do you know what they do now?" Same thing! CHAZ
Those are air brakes the rods coming out actuate the brakes notice the shoes on the front of the wheels just like the shoes still used today.
I saw a early 50s Chevy station wagon rail car in Eureka Springs, AR at the train station. What seemed wierd was no steering wheel. Just the controls to operate it on the tracks.