Photo at top of list

[DRGWK37]

Is it me or is the roadbed a bit soft under the loco's in the picture at the top of the message board?  Or, is it super-elevation for the curve?  Anyway it's a very cool photo and just curious as the train seems to have real lean to it.  Thanks and appreciate any comments.

William
aka drgwk37

[Mike Trent]

Hi William, see the thread below about Extra #74-#76 East for more pics. The line is under transformation to Standard Gauge. There is a lot of work yet to be done before one of the big 2-8-0's will make its first trip. Including a lot of leveling! The above photo depicts the line When "It's just narrow gauge" applied.

[Jeff Young]

Did the C&S (narrow-gauge) use superelevation?

I know the D&RGW started out with superelevation on Marshall Pass, but later removed it as it caused higher wear rates on the outside track.

[Mike Trent]

Jeff, yes the C&S mainline was super elevated. The passenger train ran an aggressive schedule ("Got a long way to go and a short time to get there") and the curves were super elevated. The Marshall Pass line was super elevated for the same reason, but after 1941 and the discontinuance of the "Shavano" it probably was no longer needed.

[Rick Steele]

Hi All,

Superelevation is not only used for passenger trains, it is used for Freight trains as well.

The locomotives that you see leading the train were accused by the C&S crews of being "top heavy" and thus leaning the "wrong way" on curves, which the C&S had many of.  Superelevation would minimize the lean. However, that is not to say that the curves were superelevated due to these locomotives (74, 75, 76) since they arrived on the C&S relatively late. I am sure as the locomotives grew heavier, the rail wear was equalized by superelevating the outside rail, even at 15 mph. You would be surprised at the rail wear even at 10 mph.

When the UP was operating the branch from Laramie to Walden, there were very sharp curves on the line at Albany, Wyoming, where the line went through the small town of Albany, Wyoming three times gaining elevation. The speed limit was 10 mph, the curves were sharp and superelevated and the locomotives assigned (SD-40's) were limited to a 30 day service on the branch because of flange wear before they were replaced with different units.

Just because the Walden branch was relaid in 132 lb rail in the 1970's it does not abrogate the laws of physics. The same laws applied in the 1930's.

Rick