Air Conditioners.


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We had a similar train experience when we stayed at a Motel, on route 66 in Flagstaff 25 years ago. The railtrack was parallel to the road with the side roads having  crossing every 500 yds or so. The freight train drivers sounded the horns 4 times before each crossing. Throughout the night. In all fairness they only travelled at about 15mph.

Re air conditioners, we later stayed a couple of nights in Furnace  Creek ranch in Death Valley during one of its not-so-hot weeks when the temperature was a modest 119f. Our air con sounded like an old lawnmower so we switched it off about midnight and made do with the ceiling fan.

I spent a couple of hours in the afternoons wearing a stetson hat and sat up to my neck in the lido. Our children enjoyed it immensely though. 

It was in the visitor centre car park there that we saw a very expensive make of British car and top-of-range Japanese car each externally wired up with sensors, cables and ducting. I assumed it was testing their air con under the harsh conditions. I must say my rental Oldsmobile coped very well with it, having 2x18" fans between the big radiator and grille.

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Trains here now range in length from a mile to two and a half miles in length, so they now take much longer passing, rails these days are welded to reduce track damage and wheel bearing damage...But that's another story.

 

Problem with motels is you have to put up with noise with late check in's traffic outside etc. I found when on the road that I was too tired to notice all that.

 

Do you miss the hotel/motel Life Kath??

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Loco drivers are required by law to sound their horn at every crossing, pedestrian and road, two long, one short when nearly at the crossing and one long over the crossings. Blame that on stupid drivers who try to beat trains and go around the barriers.

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7 minutes ago, Ayupmeducks said:

 

 

Do you miss the hotel/motel Life Kath??

Not one iota!

They stopped the train horns in Flagstaff. One of a very few towns to do this. The crossing gates make a noise, maybe a bell ringing, to warn pedestrians of a coming train. 

 

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I know there are a few towns with restrictions between dusk and dawn, problem is someone is going to get killed before long though Kath, that Amtrack derailment accident the other day, but that looked like a poor crossing with limited visibility on one side.

There's some good videos on youtube of 2.5 mile trains going through a loop on steep grades where the Conductor can see the end of his train.

I'd hate to carry a car coupler two miles and repair a parted train in the weather we are getting now...Phewwwwww.

People don't realize some trains are hauling cars with 110 tons of minerals and 200 plus cars weighing thousands of tons traveling at 70mph just cannot stop dead.

 

Back to topic, there are still plenty of locos in service that haven't got A/C in the cabs.... Sweaty job.  lol

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We have a tourist railway in our area and it is very rare that a holiday period passes without the train hitting a car on an uncontrolled crossing. The train is usually a large heavy steam loco that has to blow its whistle on approach to the crossings, has a bright flashing yellow light on the front and makes a lot of noise but people still drive out in front of the trains even at stop or give way signs as in the photo.

We even had one interstate visitor drive into the carriages on one train??? I wonder how these idiots get their licences?

No injuries reported after SteamRanger and car collide in Port Elliot | The  Times | Victor Harbor, SA

 

 

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Loco drivers over here have at least nine hits during their careers. I cannot understand why drivers drive around the barriers on controlled crossings though.

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If the idiots survive being hit by a train, I wonder what the final cost they have to pay in damages run to, taking into account the train is not allowed to resume it's journey until cleared by the police and track maintenance crews, which can take hours sometimes.

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