End of track bumpers

Translation

google images: end of track bumpers

Both model and actual show up. Didn't see any UK on 1st page but you already know what they look like.

There are lots of options!

There are several types of purpose-made steel coupler bumpers such as these:

And lastly, there's the Los Angeles Union Station option:

~Pete

A bumper that the knuckle bumps against, or wheel stops, or a tie (sleeper) 'U' bolted to the top of the rail rails using two treaded rods and washers and nuts per threaded rod, or two ties placed like an 'X', one end of one tie jammed under one rail and the other resting on top of the other rail, ditto for the other tie in the shape of a 'X' or, a pile of earth or nothing at all. Take your pick.

In the UK bumpers are called "Buffer Stops", try that in Google.

On 1/16/2011 3:24 PM David Pennington spake thus:

Here are some track wheel stops I caught back in 19-ought-93. They were at the Lenzen Ave. roundhouse in San Jose, California, now demolished. Dunno how old these were, but since the facility goes back to the late

On 1/16/2011 4:00 PM Twibil spake thus:

Pity you don't have a larger size of that one! (Looks like what, an Alco? locomotive sticking half off an overpass.)

Happened at the Los Angeles Union Station.

"The Flying F3 On Sunday, January 25, 1948 at approximately 8:45AM, this Santa Fe diesel locomotive, pulling the combined Super Chief and El Capitan from Chicago, was involved in this incredible accident. The lead locomotive, number 19, crashed through the "end-of-track" bumper, across a roadway, climbed the curbing, and crashed through a concrete wall, hanging over Aliso Street approximately 20 feet below."

That same wall now overlooks the north side of the 101 Freeway as it passes through downtown L.A. just east of the civic center, and if you look closely you can still see where the wall was repaired after the "oops".

This web page tells a more complete version of the story.

On 1/16/2011 10:55 PM Twibil spake thus:

Hey, thanks. That certainly satisfies the craving for destruction, at least temporarily: the last good train wreck I saw was in "The Fugitive".

Have you read Clive Cussler's book "The Wrecker"?

It's supposedly based on a factual story about a guy who single- handedly tried to ruin the Southern Pacific, but I can't give you a review: I find Cussler's writing rather turgid, and I couldn't wade through more than the first chapter.

~Pete

When's that then? ;-)

It's supposedly based on a factual story about a guy who single- handedly tried to ruin the Southern Pacific, but I can't give you a review: I find Cussler's writing rather turgid, and I couldn't wade through more than the first chapter.

----------------------------------

Rather like his "Sea Hunters" TV show?

On 1/17/2011 12:22 AM Roger Traviss spake thus:

You're reading it too literally, my friend. It's a little thing I picked up from the late, great Mike Seeger, used when describing old-timey music.

That's odd.

I never knew him to drink.

~Pete

I model US outline - I know about the UK! David

OK, let's be clear - I am the original poster. I am modelling a US Shortline circa 1945-46 - modelled on the Tweetsie but not narrow gauge. I presume that they may have gone for big - pile of dirt- but I hoped for some US input on this from a discussion - what would they use

- rather than - look it up in Google.

If we all looked eveything up on google there would be no need for newsgroups !

David

Thanks - that is pretty much what I was after

David

If you look at LGB spares, they're called "tampons"!

On 18/01/2011 1:47 PM, David Pennington wrote: [...]

The only way to know for sure is to find some photos showing stub tracks on the Tweetsie. The Tweetsie, being a shortline and chronically short of funds, probably use the Hayes wheel stops, the pile' o' dirt, the ties jammed under the opposing rail, and possibly the box-built-of-ties with dirt in it. All cheap. And all except the wheel stops easy to make out of whatever was handy. You won't go wrong is you do the same. ;-)

HTH Wolf K.