====================================================== RAIL ONLINE VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PREMIERE ISSUE ====================================================== Editor-in-Chief: Peter Kirn, 73232,3534 CompuServe, 73232.3534@cis.com Internet //* ============== IN THIS ISSUE: ============== E-PAGES: Instead of using conventional searching, RailOnline takes advantage of the search-and-find features in your editor or word processor. For instance, to read the letter from the editor, have your editor search for the text "//A". COLUMNS: From the editor, //A; RO News, //E, //I Cyberspace Report, //O; how to contact RO, //% THE X2000: A Special Feature ____________________________ Why the X2000? (message thread)....................//B Everything you wanted to know about the X2000......//D X2000 on track! (editorial)........................//F Catch the X2000! (timetable).......................//G TRAVEL BY RAIL: _______________ Alternative Empire Builder.........................//H MODEL RAILROADING: __________________ Special computing feature: MRRing & Windows: WCOSS............................//J MRRing & Windows: Rail-Scale.......................//K MRRing & Computers: The Future.....................//L MRRing & Computers: Macintosh and Windows ideas....//M INDUSTRY CONNECTION................................//N Atlas Valley Forge Convention Preview....//N:1 RAILROAD EMPLOYEES' CORNER: ___________________________ Tales from the Coast Starlight: A Conductor's Misadventures........................//O __________________________________________________________________ FROM THE EDITOR: I Proudly Introduce RailOnline //A __________________________________________________________________ "CONNECT 2400". Across the world, more and more people are seeing this message and similar variations. Millions of people are using their computer modem to send and receive information over their phone lines, using online communications. Over the decade that has passed since the computer revolution took hold, online communities have developed, in a surprisingly close parallel to our communities. Smaller, private services called BBSs popped up, with larger metropolises like CompuServe attracting as many as a million users. The communities are as different as actual cities. Each has its own interests, its own culture, and its own atmosphere. Online communities have their own challenges. Some have higher costs of living than others. Some lack the financial resources to develop fully. They change, too. Sometimes there is much activity, while at other times not much is going on. Controversies can grip a service, and people can leave in droves. We even have crime, con artists, and disease online. Some people steal money from software authors and publishers through software piracy, copying copyrighted files. Con artists will call people and attempt to find their password for a service. You've likely heard about viruses, destructive prank program code that can ruin a computer, but that can be easily prevented through vaccinations - anti-virus software. However, above all else, we have people. While online services often provide software, stores, and information, they'll never be able to match the amount of knowledge their millions of users can provide. We are in the midst of a revolution, what many have called the computer revolution and the true Information Age. It is a revolution still in its infancy, and we will be the ones who define exactly what it means. Like our world, the online world is growing larger, and closer. As it does, we are able to connect not only with services, but with people who share our interests, easier than ever before. And so, we have RailOnline. (See, I was getting to it.) I've been amazed at the range of people RO has managed to bring together, all thanks to the magic of online communications. I've heard back from an owner of a short line, the manager of a simulator for engineers, the floor manager at the upcoming National Model Railroad Association convention, editors of other publications, and people working on BBSs. In the same way that people have defined the services on which RO is distributed, my goal is to make sure they define RO, as well. The fact that RO is an online publication changes many things. For one, the time to produce and distribute it is dramatically reduced, making news more up-to-date. Online readers eager for more on a topic can be referred to files on their service. Readers can come from around the world without any problems thanks to international services such as the Internet and CompuServe. However, the benefits are hardly limited to online users. Both online and offline, readers can enjoy the benifits of a publication put together using a modem service's resources. As an editor, I can immediately find the people who know the most about a subject. I can search the services for text and graphics files that are related to a topic. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to publish RailOnline. I owe it to many individuals. I'd like to thank JP Flaherty, J. Patrick Johnson, and everyone else on AOL who gave RO its start. Thanks to the sysops on CompuServe for their help and tolerance. A special thanks to the people who contributed to this issue. Without you, there would be no first issue of RailOnline. Thanks to all the model railroad companies for your support. And, of course, thanks to everyone who gave me input or just expressed interest. Well, here it is, finally! Enjoy! -Peter Kirn =============================== Special Feature: Amtrak's X2000 =============================== ______________________________________________________________________ WHY THE X2000? CompuServe Travel Forum Members discuss what gives the X2000 a technological edge February 1993 //B ______________________________________________________________________ [Some lines have been omitted to save space. -Ed.] #: 224725 S12/Rail Travel 07-Feb-93 20:25:31 Sb: #AMTRAK High Speed Fm: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 To: George Coulter/PHL 73267,536 George, for the benefit of us taxpayers in the hinterlands who can only subsidize the Amtrak Railway along the east coast, and find it too remote to ride; what is a tilt train? ______________________________ #: 224936 S12/Rail Travel 08-Feb-93 14:30:01 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 A tilt train is a train which tilts inward in curves. OK, to explain it a bit better, the speed a train can run through a curve is limited by the centrifugal forces which are still considered as agreeable by the passengers (they can be a lot higher until they become relevant for safety). One way to lower those forces is to superelevate a curve. (Make a drawing and put in the force vectors (elementary physics)). However, there are limitations to that; there are always circumstances when a train has to stop in such a curve, and then it might lean into the curve too much and get out of the loading gauge. There is a way to increase curve speeds without increasing superelevation. You tilt the train, just like a bicyclist or a motorcyclist does when leaning in a curve. This is an active process, so it needs special equipment to do that. With that, it is possible to increase the curve speed by 15 to 20%. Together with the time you win by being able brake and accelerate less, you can make up quite a lot of time without needing to build new High Speed Lines. Right now, two actively tilting trains are on the market. The leader is FIAT which builds the Italian ETR 450 Pendolino and the German class 610 DMU (here, only the trucks and the tilting mechanisms come from FIAT). The other one is ASEA (now ABB) with the Swedish X-2000 trainset. AMTRAK is testing an X-2000 set in the North East Corridor right now. Particularly the line between New Haven and Boston has lots of curves, so it is a very good way to make up speed by tilting. After completion of the electrification, it will be possible to offer quite a fast service (as far as I remember, they are talking of a 3 hour schedule, compared to the 4 hours and more now. Hope this can explain a little bit. ______________________________ #: 225019 S12/Rail Travel 08-Feb-93 19:57:34 Fm: George Coulter/PHL 73267,536 To: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 As to the "tilt train ", I'm sure one of the regulars on this section of the Travel forum can give a more informed answer, but the short reply is: The train is officially known as the "X2000" and is built in Sweden. A distinctive characteristic of the train is the construction of the cars that allows them to pivot or tilt as the train negotiates a curve. The effect from a passenger's point of view is that horizontal surfaces like tables remain horizontal. The effect from the point of view of running a railroad is that trains can travel faster without requiring extensive and expensive upgrades to bank the tracks. Frequently referred to as the "Tilt Train", it is on a test program to determine what actual operational advantages will accrue when running over the route from DC to Boston. #: 224997 S12/Rail Travel 08-Feb-93 19:00:29 Fm: Vaso/CA 74730,1417 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) What happened to Via Rail's tilting train set on the Toronto-Montreal run ? For that matter, what happened to the Via Turbo, which if I recall, amounted to an aircraft jet turbine engine mounted on rolling stock ? ______________________________ #: 225232 S12/Rail Travel 09-Feb-93 13:32:17 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Vaso/CA 74730,1417 (X) I don't know the exact story about the tilting train in Canada. I would count it as Early Experiment, as also has been done by the German Railways (class 630 tests, class 403 - prepared, but never used commercially, now used as Lufthansa Airport Express), the Swiss Federal Railways (1975, three Mark III cars), British Railways (APT - a testbed) and many others. However, I did not mention the passive system of the Talgo Pendolar which is used in the night Talgos between Paris and Madrid, and Zuerich / Torino and Barcelona. I also did not mention the Japanese developments (don't know enough about them). Gas turbines as prime mover came up from time to time (tests in the late 40s, early 50s, in Great Britain and Switzerland; then in the early 60s on Union Pacific; then the French turbotrains (ETG, RTG, TGV 001; the RTG made its way to Amtrak and to Iran; yes and the other American models as the Turboliner). A gas turbine has, compared to a diesel engine, a better fuel efficiency when running under full load - but only then - and you can see when an engine runs under full load. And you should not forget how noisy a gas turbine really is. So, it's better to let the gas turbine make lots of noise in a power plant, where it can work under much better conditions, and use electric power for trains. ______________________________ #: 225279 S12/Rail Travel 09-Feb-93 16:57:57 Fm: Vaso/CA 74730,1417 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) Yes, I remember there were complaints about the noise of the Via Turbo as it was spooling up in the railway station. The Turbo Toronto Montreal run was billed as high-speed non-stop. So the turbine was running at something approaching full load for a four-five hour period. ______________________________ #: 225287 S12/Rail Travel 09-Feb-93 17:11:38 Fm: Ted Kildegaard 73330,1666 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) Thanks for your good description of the tilting train - you explain things well. There is another factor which enters into it, I think. I've read that what also helps the X2000 negotiate curves at high speeds is the fact that the axles on each truck swivel independently of each other. ______________________________ #: 225574 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 14:17:19 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Ted Kildegaard 73330,1666 (X) Thanks for the compliment. You are right, the steerable axles is another part of the X-2000. The main reason for that is to reduce wear on the wheels and (more important and expensive to fix) on the tracks. It is a general goal of the European railroads to keep track maintenance costs as low as possible with a given standard (a standard which is much higher than American standards, BTW). So, one keeps the lateral forces as low as possible, and of course, the vertical forces too. I don't know the exact numbers of the X-2000, but for example, the maximal axle load of the Pendolino is around 14 tonnes; and the French TGV is limited to 17 tonnes, also for the new bi-level train sets. In short, the X-2000 is state-of-the-art railroad technology, but not so far away from the European average. ______________________________ #: 225390 S12/Rail Travel 09-Feb-93 21:27:58 Fm: Bill Poling 73727,1662 To: Ted Kildegaard 73330,1666 (X) Ted--pardon me for breaking in here, but the radial trucks are really a very big part of the story. Without them, the forces on the rails would be so great that high speeds would be dangerous, with or without the tilt. The tilting mechanism is about 99% for passenger comfort, according to the ABB folks. I went on an early demo run from Philly to Lancaster and they disengaged the tilting mechanism in the last car. Standing in that car during a high speed curve was impossible. You had to grab on and hold on for dear life to avoid being thrown to the wall. We stood in the vestibule of one car for this experiment, then crossed to the other. You could see and feel the effect. Without the lifters, the train still went through the curve fine, but the passengers assuredly did not! The third part of the X2000 recipe is the AC motors, which allegedly accelerate faster--saving even more time. -BP ______________________________ #: 225530 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 10:36:01 Fm: Ted Kildegaard 73330,1666 To: Bill Poling 73727,1662 (X) Thanks for the explanation. I think it was a Travel Weekly story by you in which I first read about the importance of the "radial trucks". I seem to be seeing more TW stories by you about rail travel, especially Amtrak, and I think they are helping to inform the travel agent community about issues related to rail travel and what Amtrak is doing. Good work. ______________________________ #: 225668 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 21:13:12 Fm: Bill Poling 73727,1662 To: Ted Kildegaard 73330,1666 (X) Thanks for the good word, Ted. I don't think we're doing much more on rail these days than we used to--maybe you're simply noticing things more. Seems Amtrak has been part of my beat for as long as I can remember. But then, the more I remember, the less I remember... ______________________________ #: 225575 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 14:17:24 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Bill Poling 73727,1662 (X) Bill, You can be assured that the lateral forces at higher speeds are not yet dangerous for derailments. The main reason for steerable axles, therefore for lowering lateral forces, is to keep track maintenance costs down. Of course, it also reduces wear on the wheelsets, so the wheels do not need to go to the lathe so often. Maybe you have realised that the power cars of the X-2000 don't have a tilting mechanism. But the need is not that big. I remember reading that it's more the surprise when a curve comes which makes a need to keep the forces down. On the other hand, the engineer sees what is ahead of him. He will be prepared (and of course, the engineer's seat is better contoured and adjustable than the passenger seat). You are right, the tilting is basically for comfort's sake. AC powered motors means for the X-2000 three-phase asynchronous motors. These motors can be built very compact and light. They do not need a commutator, so they don't need much maintenance either. However, this technology is now standard technology in Europe. Well, ABB is the leader in that field, but the competitors (Siemens, GEC-Alsthom, AEG) do the same now. It is an old "rule" that electric engines can be overloaded for a short time. The limit is only set by the temperature in the armatures. So, any electric engine can develop rather high power when accelerating. ______________________________ #: 225669 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 21:17:51 Fm: Bill Poling 73727,1662 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) You're right--"dangerous" was not the best word choice. The way Amtrak and ABB explained things to the press was more in terms of "harmful" to the rails and the wheels rather than "dangerous" to passengers. And, yes, ABB explained that the lead power car doesn't tilt--and for the reason you cite: it doesn't have to! ______________________________ #: 225696 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 23:10:40 Fm: Harry Sutton 72370,711 To: Bill Poling 73727,1662 (X) In the picture on page 27 of the March `93 "Trains" it certainly appears that all of the visible cars of the X2000 are tilting by the same amount, and judging by the look of the nose of the train, there is some tilt. The picture was obviously taken with a long lens on a much more gentle curve than at first appears. There is no noticeable superelevation. Is the tilt just an optical illusion? Or is the "power car" to which you were referring not in the picture? ______________________________ #: 225833 S12/Rail Travel 11-Feb-93 11:09:50 Fm: Bill Poling 73727,1662 To: Harry Sutton 72370,711 (X) Harry: I don't have that picture (or any picture) handy at the moment, so I don't know. I am not immune to confusion on this point, so the truth may be that the locomotive "tilts but doesn't need to," rather than "it doesn't tilt." By "power car" I meant the business end of the train, not the rear car that has a control cab. ______________________________ #: 225698 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 23:21:21 Fm: Harry Sutton 72370,711 To: Bill Poling 73727,1662 (X) Oops. Cancel my last! I should have re-read the article before sending my message. Obviously the picture in "Trains" is of the "driving trailer" (cab car) which appears to be leading the train. The locomotive (power car) is thus on the rear of the train in this picture -- or rather, out of the picture. And the article clearly states that the "Class X2 electric locomotive" "does not tilt". Mea culpa! Regards, Harry #: 225836 S12/Rail Travel 11-Feb-93 11:10:29 Fm: Bill Poling 73727,1662 To: Harry Sutton 72370,711 (X) Okay, we're both forgiven. ______________________________ #: 225889 S12/Rail Travel 11-Feb-93 14:27:15 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Bill Poling 73727,1662 (X) Another reason why they did not make the power car tilting is that they could avoid quite a lot of problems with the drives. They could drive all axles (compared to the Pendolino where only one axle per truck is driven). Anyway, concentrating everything in a power car has its advantages. You can keep noise and vibrations away from the passengers, thus, you will be more comfortable. ______________________________ #: 226323 S12/Rail Travel 13-Feb-93 00:23:53 Fm: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) >> A tilt train is a train which tilts inward in curves. << [quoted text] Thanks, Max. I thought it must be something like that. Of course, I wondered about the safety of banking the interior without banking the roadway. As you explained, there must be an area of discomfort before reaching a danger level; and that intermediate level is what this train addresses. My dad is a retired railroad man, so we rode many miles on the old company-owned passenger trains before Amtrak. I even took a trip to Chicago from Houston in a "roomette" once, and thoroughly enjoyed it. <<< Judge Albert Pruett >>> Houston, Texas ______________________________ #: 226362 S12/Rail Travel 13-Feb-93 05:36:16 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 (X) The dangerous area is around double the allowed speed for the curve. Whether it turns out into a catastrophe or just an incident depends on many other factors (track geometry, distribution of load, spring characteristics of the trucks, etc.). So, increasing the speed even by 20% is way long in the safe area. Supposed that the roadbed and tracks are in according condition. ______________________________ #: 226324 S12/Rail Travel 13-Feb-93 00:23:56 Fm: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 To: George Coulter/PHL 73267,536 Thanks for your reply and comments, George. Although I have been around railroads most of my life, I had not heard of the "tilt trains" until now! Perhaps this concept will increase passenger usage. In Texas, there is a strong effort to install a high-speed train, linking the 4 largest metropolitan areas. The talk is 100 mph [150 km/h] plus. But a lot of safety precautions would be necessary, and blocking many roads also. So, it may not be popular with the neighbors! ______________________________ #: 226363 S12/Rail Travel 13-Feb-93 05:36:18 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Albert Pruett 72425,1046 (X) The concept of tilting is not that old. The first experiments started about 25 years ago, when the public and the railroads started smelling high speed, and one was searching for ways to increase the speed on conventional lines. This especially for places where traffic is not high enough to justify new lines. Getting reliable tilting systems became possible only with the new microprocessor technology. ______________________________ #: 225573 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 14:17:15 Fm: Max Wyss 100012,44 To: Vaso/CA 74730,1417 (X) I remember RTG's, and it's better not to be in their vicinity when they accelerate. However, in the train, it is rather quiet. Well, also the British HST diesel engines are extremely loud, so, it's not just a problem with the helicopter turbines. Unfortunately, even a non-stop run does not require full power all the time. In fact, you need power for acceleration, but as soon as you are at cruising speed (which is lower than the technically possible top speed), you have to set back the power. Then, there are curves and slow orders etc. around. That also means that the power requirement is not constant. And then, one should never forget the power requirement of the comfort equipment (air condition). ______________________________ #: 225607 S12/Rail Travel 10-Feb-93 17:49:02 Fm: Vaso/CA 74730,1417 To: Max Wyss 100012,44 (X) I thought the VIA turbine was something like the diesel-electric, ie it doesn't drive the wheels directly, but spends some of its time charging batteries. In this way the turbine's load is somewhat smoothed out and it can run much of the time at an optimal rpm. ______________________________ Special thanks to Dennis Larson (75555,705) of the Travel Forum on CompuServe for providing this online dicussion. Because this message thread was on CompuServe, CompuServe has compilation rights, according to their operating rules. (C) Copyright 1993 CompuServe Information Service, Inc. Used according to CompuServe Information Service operating rules. This information may not be transmitted in any way for a commercial or large volume purpose. ______________________________ Online Discussion of the Month: Send us the message thread you think should be bestowed the greatest honor any thread can receive. Or, nominate an idea for a discussion to be held online. (search //% for info on contacting RO) Any service is eligible - not just CompuServe. Ideas for discussions will be held on the CompuServe TrainNet or Travel forum. =============================== Special Feature: Amtrak's X2000 =============================== ________________________________________________________________________ EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE X2000 All the details, straight from Amtrak //D ________________________________________________________________________ The following is courtesy an Amtrak publication, "SWEDISH X2000 HIGH- SPEED TRAIN U.S. TEST AND DEMONSTRATION". Special thanks to Corbett Price on CompuServe for providing it. ______________________________ PURPOSE OF TEST AND DEMONSTRATION The U.S. demonstration of the X2000 high-speed train is a joint effort between Amtrak, Swedish State Railways, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration and the manufacturer, ABB Traction. Amtrak will be performing technical and performance tests of the X2000 in the Northeast Corridor through mid-January, 1993. Since the X2000 is an electrically powered train, Amtrak Turboliner locomotives have been modified to power the train on non-electrified routes during the testing period. Passengers will ride the X2000 in early February when it will operate in scheduled Metroliner ervice. Passenger surveys will be conducted on these runs. The information obtained during the technical and passenger test periods will be used to develop specifications for Amtrak's own high-speed trains to be built in the U.S. When Amtrak begins high-speed train service in 1997, a maximum speed of 150 mph between Washington and New York/Boston is planned. SERVICE IN SWEDEN The X2000 was introduced in Sweden in September, 1990, between Stockholm and Gothenberg to attract business travelers away from the airlines. Rail travel time was reduced in that market from nearly 4 1/2 hours to under 3 hours using existing track. After the first year, there was a 20 percent increase in ridership on the route. SPEED In Sweden the X2000 reaches a maximum speed of 130mph. It has been tested in Germany at 156 mph. In the U.S. it will be tested in passenger service at a maximum of 125 mph due to certain restrictions. During performance test of the train, the X2000 will be evaluated at speeds of up to 150 mph. The advantage of the X2000 is it's ability to reduce overall trip time through the use of an active suspension system that allows higher speeds through curves than are possible with conventional train equipment. TECHNOLOGY The X2000 offers three engineering features that Amtrak will be testing: - Radial steering trucks that "steer" the wheels around curves, reducing wheel/rail forces and wear. - An active tilt system that compensates for 70 percent of the centrifugal force as it negotiates curves, allowing the train to travel through curves up to 30 percent faster than conventional cars without discomfort to passengers. - An alternating current propulsion system that results in improved mechanical reliability. TRAINSET The X2000 trainset being tested includes a standard consist of three coaches (51 seats each); a bistro/food service car (21 coach seats and table seating); a cab car (29 seats) and an electric locomotive. The interior configuration features 2' and 1" seating (including facing seats with tables) for a total of 203 seats. The X2000 operates push/pull, allowing the train to be controlled from either the locomotive or cab car, eliminating the need to turn the train at terminals. ON-BOARD AMENITIES During the revenue test, passengers will be able to select meals and beverages from a cart; to enjoy 3 channel at-seat audio entertainment, to use fax service (outgoing) and Railfone(R) on-board telephone service. New, upgraded food items, including entrees, will be offered for sale. SPECIAL TRAINS and EQUIPMENT DISPLAYS Amtrak is planning to operate some special trains before assigning the X2000 to scheduled service. There may be opportunities for employees to ride the train. Plans for these trips are still being formulated. [In early spring, Amtrak began displaying the X2000 equipment at major stations between Washington and Boston. -Ed.] OFF-CORRIDOR DISPLAYS Several states have requested the X2000 equipment for display outside the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak would like to accommodate the requests once the Northeast Corridor tests have been completed, but there are many details which must be addressed to allow the displays to take place. [Amtrak will kick off the off-corridor displays with a run through the Pacific Northwest in July. For the complete timetable, search through this file with "CATCH" (caps sensitive). According to members on CompuServe TrainNet and Travel forums, more are planned soon. -Ed.] TESTING THE X2000 A key to achieving three hour express service between New York and Boston involves the acquisition of 26 new high-speed trainsets. These new trains will require locomotives and cars capable of 150 mph operation. The new trains must be able to accelerate quickly and to traverse curves at high speeds. They must also contain the up-to-date amenities requested by our customers. Amtrak intends to develop a design specification this year that will satisfy these requirements. These specifications will then be put out for competitive bidding. Equipment should be ordered late this year or early next year to ensure arrival in time for the completion of the electrification project. These new trains will be manufactured in the United States. Amtrak has leased the X2000 train from the Swedish State Railways (SJ) and is testing and demonstrating its capabilities throughout the Northeast. We [Amtrak] hope to be able to test other high-speed trains this summer. The manufacturer of the X2000, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB Traction, Inc.) is also participating in these tests and demonstrations. ABB Traction operates a plant in Elmira Heights, New York and would build X2000 trains for Amtrak there if they are awarded a contract. As part of the testing, the train has operated at speeds up to 156 mph on the Northeast Corridor line between Trenton and New Brunswick, New Jersey. One of the unique features of the X2000 is it's ability to tilt through curves. This tilting feature allows the X2000 to operate around curves safely at speeds up to forty percent faster than normal. This feature was successfully tested in December on the Harrisburg Line and between Philadelphia and New York. Amtrak will place the X2000 in revenue service February 1. This will allow us to sample customer acceptance of the unique features and amenities of the train. We will also test new food service concepts during this period. The train will operate in regularly scheduled Metroliner Service between Washington and new York as follows: February 1-12, Mon-Fri: Trains 112 and 223. February 15 - March 19, Mon-Fri: Trains 114 and 125. Saturdays: February 6 and 20, March 20: Trains 108 and 125. March 22 - April 2, Mon-Fri: Trains 202 and 223 between Washington and New York. April 5 - May 10, Mon-Fri: Trains 202 and 223 extended to New Haven with Stamford. [Dates are for 1993, and service has already taken place. If you missed the X2000, some of you will still get a chance to see it in your area. Watch RO for up-to-date timetables. -Ed.] HIGH-SPEED RAIL FOR AMTRAK The Northeast High-Speed Rail Improvement Project (NHRIP) began in 1991. The goal of this project is to reduce travel time between New York and Boston to under three hours for Amtrak's express trains and under three hours and forty minutes for conventional service. This is about one hour less than is required for current operations. NHRIP entails two primary components: - Rail infrastructure improvements, including electrification of the rail line between New Haven and Boston. - Acquisition of new high-speed passenger equipment capable of 150 mph electric operation. The total cost of the infrastructure improvements is currently projected to be $865 million while the cost of new high-speed equipment is currently projected to be $450 million. A total of $447.4 million has been appropriated for the project by Congress over the past three years. The balance of the funding will be appropriated in the coming years. The infrastructure improvements are being designed for trains to operate at speeds up to 150 mph. An Environmental Impact Statement is currently being completed by the Federal Railroad Administration. Work to install a new signal system compatible with the electrification is currently underway and is expected to be substantially completed this year. A major milestone in the project occurred April 14, 1992 when Amtrak signed a contract to design and construct the electrification system between New Haven and Boston. The contract is for $296 million and will be completed in two phases: design, which will be finished later this year, and construction, which is scheduled to begin upon completion of the environmental Impact Statement. Construction of the electrification system is expected to take three years to complete. NHRIP entails many other related infrastructure improvements including the installation of high-speed crossovers at four locations, which will allow trains to switch tracks at speeds up to 80 mph, and new concrete ties and welded rail which will be installed this summer. New high-level platforms will be installed at Route 128 and other locations. A new station will be constructed south of New Rochelle to serve Westchester County, New York. Tracks will be reconfigured through the New Haven Station to enable trains to enter and exit at speeds up to 45 mph. A bottleneck at the junction of Amtrak and Metro-North trackage in new Rochelle will be eliminated through the construction of the Shell Flyover. --- RO News Expanded Rail News in Near Future //E Up-to-date, broad news coverage is one of RailOnline's biggest goals for the future. This type of news coverage was launched in this issue in the model railroading Industry Connection. Hopefully, this same coverage will soon be found in the rail sections., with direct contact with transportation leaders like Conrail and Amtrak. Release of the new section is slated for the next issue. =============================== Special Feature: Amtrak's X2000 =============================== ___________________________________________________________________ Perspective from Ohio: X200 ON TRACK! by Ken Wilt and Stu Nicholson //F ___________________________________________________________________ As the X2000 demonstration project comes up to speed, many are beginning to realize that this special train may hold the key for bringing together the divergent rail interests: freight, high-speed and conventional. If all goes well, we may see these types of trains in use all over the country by the turn of the century. Times are quickly changing thanks to advanced technology, economic conditions, and an abrupt change in political winds. The time is now, and the X2000 is pulling into the station. The X2000 demonstration is a joint venture between Amtrak, the Swedish State Railways, the US Federal Railroad Administration, and ABB Traction Inc. Amtrak hopes to have 150mph trains in use on Northeast Corridor routes by 1997. The new higher speed trains are part of a $1.3 billion improvement project of the Northeast Corridor. The project also includes electrification of the New Haven to Boston line. The train certainly lives up to its name - from its sleek shape and high tech operation to its luxurious onboard amenities, the X2000 is indeed futuristic. The train is cleaner, quieter, and more dependable than current trains. The X2000 has other features which make it superior to US passenger trains now in use. Among them: push/pull operation, audio headsets, telephones, outgoing fax, computer hookups, and conference rooms. So far, the X2000 has had very favorable reviews. It passed the technical tests in the Harrisburg Corridor with flying colors. According to Railpace magazine, the train took a curve slated for a maximum of 55mph at 85mph... and a 70mph curve at 100mph! Several Ohio officials recently rode on the X2000 between Washington DC and Bowie, Md. We spoke with John Platt, ODOT's Assistant Director for Transportation Modes, just after he returned. He seemed very excited about the experience and the possibility of having such trains in Ohio. He said he was very impressed with the fact that it can run on regular tracks. Will we see X2000's streaking across Ohio in the near future? Nobody will say for sure, but some things are happening that make it seem more likely. According to Washington Post and Associated Press stories, a press conference was held at Washington's Union Station on February 3rd at which Edwin Harper, President of the Association of American Railroads, and Amtrak President W. Graham Claytor Jr. jointly announced that an agreement had been reached regarding the sharing of trackage by freight and passenger trains. Freight railroads have pledged cooperation in allowing passenger trains (of speeds up to 150mph!) to share the tracks with freight trains, provided the passenger rail carriers pay for improvements and release the freight carriers of all liability. The agreement also says projects are to be evaluated individually, and "accommodation may not be feasible in all cases". Nevertheless, this represents a major attitude change on the part of freight railroads and should help open the door for high-speed passenger services, he said. ________________________________ Originally printed in the 6:13, the bimonthly publication of the Ohio Rail Passenger Association. Dues: $15 first year, $20 thereafter, including 6:13 subscription. Check/money orders to George Bayless, treasurer, 2422 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton, OH, 45409. =============================== Special Feature: Amtrak's X2000 =============================== __________________________________________________________________ CATCH THE X2000: Pacific Northwest Timetable, July 1993 //G __________________________________________________________________ Amtrak special with Amtrak T&E crews: Lv. Portland 3:00 PM Wed July 07 (BN No. Portland; UP east Portland) Lv. Salem 4:20 PM Ar. Eugene 6:30 PM Wed July 07 Service/Fuel/Store train at Eugene. Lv. Eugene 9:00 AM Thu July 08 Lv. Albany 9:45 AM Thu July 08 Ar. Salem 10:20 AM Thu July 08 Brief equipment display at Salem. Lv. Salem 11:20 AM Thu July 08 Ar. Albany 11:55 AM Thu July 08 Ar. Eugene 12:40 PM Thu July 08 Equipment display at Eugene 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Service/Fuel/Store train at Eugene. Lv. Eugene 8:00 AM Fri July 09 SP crews detrain at East Portland. Equipment continues to North Portland on BN and arrives Seattle at 4:00 PM. [current schedule as of printing, proposed only] ============== TRAVEL BY RAIL ============== _______________________________________________________________________ ALTERNATIVE EMPIRE BUILDER: The unsung destinations along the route //H by Dennis Larson _______________________________________________________________________ The Empire Builder departs daily from Seattle, Portland and Chicago. Major stops on the route include Milwaukee, St.Paul, Fargo, and Spokane. But here are some of the many lesser known stops on the line. The westbound Empire Builder departs CHICAGO's Union Station in mid-afternoon. Shortly after departure, you may note the meeting of the eastbound Empire Builder from the west coast and arrival into Wisconsin. Milwaukee has the exceptional county zoo, numerous breweries, and the Lake Michigan water front. And Amtrak has bus service to Green Bay, gateway to Door County, one of the midwest's finest vacation areas. At Milwaukee's Amtrak Station the Empire Builder changes course from north to due west. The train passes through very pleasant suburbs, wooded areas and lakes of Wisconsin's green or snow covered dairyland. From here on to the train's final destinations of Portland and Seattle, these northern states have the same things in common. Playing host to cold winters, beautiful summers, low crime rates and clean cities means exceptional areas to work and play. Most of the populace along the route is of northern European descent. The French were the first to explore the region but the Scandinavians and Germans settled it. Wisconsin Dells is reached in early evening. This is one of the area's leading tourist stops, entertaining the vacationing Chicagoland and Twin Cities crowd. The Builder stops just a block or so from the center of town and within a short walk of the boat docks. The big draws are the boat rides through the Upper and Lower Dells of the Wisconsin River. Besides the boat trips there are many other attractions within a 15 mile area. To name a few, there is a live steam model train ride built on an old railroad right of way, a Circus World Museum at Baraboo, full size steam train rides at North Freedom, Tommy Bartlett's Water Show, and a plethora of air and water tours and amusements. Wisconsin Dells has a look not unlike Las Vegas, with money spending just as quickly. The train crosses the Wisconsin River after the Dells station stop. La Crosse, 86 miles west and Wisconsin's second biggest beer city, is nestled in the scenic splendor of the Hiawatha Valley. The city has ranked at or near the top of America's life style scale for years. The metro area of 100,000 has everything most major cities have except the dirt and crime. La Crosse is located in the Mississippi River Bluff Country with many scenic drives. The bluff's average elevation above river is around 500 feet. Notable drives include Grand Dad's Bluff on the eastern side, and Apple Blossom Drive across the river to the west. The city center boasts fine hotels plus cruises and dining on the river. The Mississippi has lots of commercial freight traffic on it. Several times a year the overnight passenger vessels Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen pass by from New Orleans and St. Louis to their final port of call at St. Paul. Houseboat rentals/charters are popular and contrary to the southern portions of the river, the Upper Mississippi is heavily used for pleasure. Some extended side trips include Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, 65 miles down river, and Winona, Minnesota, 27 miles up river. After the La Crosse departure, the train's course is northwesterly for several hundred miles after crossing Ol' Miss into Minnesota. Winona, an Amtrak stop, has nearly everything that La Crosse has, only less of it. Red Wing is the last Hiawatha Valley stop. Despite a population of only 10,000, there is still lots to see and do. Like the neighboring cities down river, Red Wing has its share of drives and hikes. Barn Bluff, at the end of Main Street, is a location hikers should check out. Directly behind the river front Amtrak Station is the luxurious ST.. JAMES HOTEL, established in 1875 (612-388-2846). It is completely refurbished to its former grandeur and is on the Register of Historic Places. The hotel boasts sixty rooms, two excellent restaurants and eleven shops. The downtown area has two shopping districts: the main one near the Amtrak station, and another called the Pottery District up river a mile or so. The Pottery District features antiques and unique gift shops. These areas can be covered easily on a bicycle or by extended walks. As you might guess, this is also a good stop for bed and breakfast lodging. Some automobile side trips from Red Wing include the TREASURE ISLAND GAMBLING CASINO 15 miles up river, and the LAKE CITY / WABASHA area about 15-30 miles down river. At Wabasha you can cross over to NELSON, Wisconsin and visit a country cheese factory. About 10 miles south is ALMA, with excellent views from Buena Vista Park, riverboat watching at the lock anddam, and shopping in the 1845 era village. Return to Red Wingup on 35 via Nelson, Pepin, Maiden Rock and Bay City. Pepin, Wisconsin has the exceptional Harbor View Restaurant on the river front, unusual for a village of just a few hundred. A pparently the yacht owners keep this place in business. At Welch, up river from Red Wing, inner tube rides on the Cannon River and skiing are available. This small stream has also created its own bluffs or gorges similar to the Mississippi. Ski areas and river boat cruises are available at or near all the Amtrak stops of La Crosse, Winona, and Red Wing. The twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are within an hour's drive of Red Wing. Mall of the Americas, the largest shopping center in the United States (opened Aug. `92) is easily accessible on the south side of the Metro Area. The Empire Builder follows the Mississippi into St. Paul (elevation 724 ft/221 m) before pausing for servicing about midnight. The route continues northwest within a mile or so of the great river as far as Little Falls. But splendid scenery is gone until arrival in Montana. Amtrak also has a bus connection at Saint Paul for those interested in visiting the Lake Superior area near Duluth. The next morning, the Empire Builder enters North Dakota. From here on you can consider yourself in the west and in the wide open spaces. North Dakota has never been regarded as an exciting place. But one unusual phenomenon is the crime rate. With population equal to Washington, D.C., North Dakota averages about nine homicides a year, while the District of Columbia records over 650. --- RO News Coming Next Issue: EUROPE Rail Coverage Inaugurated //I Whether you're a European reader or just getting hungry for coverage of railroads in Europe, your train has come in. European rail coverage begins next month with a feature story on the Swiss railroad. Also, BritRail, has agreed to put us on their mailing list. As we receive press releases, we'll put them in the Rail News section. European railways have consistantly led the world in passenger service. Amtrak's two latest locomotives, the X2000 and the AEM7 are both European. To kick off the new coverage, we'll go for a ride on the Rhaetian Railway from Klosters to Tirano, following the route of the Glacier Express and the Berina Express in beautiful Switzerland. If you're in Europe or are affiliated with a European rail company, please contact us (search //% for information on contacting RO.), and help us make our European rail coverage the best there is. ================= Model Railroading ================= ___________________________________________________________________ Model Railroading and Windows: WCOSS by Peter Kirn //J ___________________________________________________________________ QUICK LOOK: ----------- Tested Version: August 1991 Price: $15, shareware Requires: MS-Windows 3.x; Visual Basic Runtime 1.0 or later Review: WCOSS is easy to use, well-designed, and flexible. However, it needs to be updated, and the author has not made a committment to doing so. The Windows environment offers advantages, making WCOSS worth a look. Hopefully other programs for Windows will follow it soon. COSS for Windows remains unchallenged as the best solution for model railroaders running Windows who want to computerize waybill operations on their model railroad. Its ease of use, flexibility, and interface are easily worth $15. WCOSS, or Windows Computerized Operating System, is a shareware program by Mark Quarles. Shareware programs can be evaluated for free before they are bought. (For a complete description of shareware, see the sidebar.) I tested WCOSS on a 386 /33 with 2 megabytes RAM. Despite the fact that a basic configuration of Windows should have at least 3 or 4 megabytes, WCOSS performed quite well. WCOSS has four basic modules: a namer (to customize it with your model railroad name), a timer/fast clock, a car location database, and bill generator. Most of the time using WCOSS would be in the car locator and bill generator, however. WCOSS does what is says in the name - it's a computerized waybill operating system that works much in the same way a common index card waybill system would work. Quarles took an interesting approach with WCOSS. It can be configured for destinations on your layout, as well as the car types you have. If you only have iron ore cars and Maintenance-of-Way cars, for instance, you can customize WCOSS to list only these two as options. To do this, you must first have an ASCII text editor that will edit the DAT files that contain the information. The documentation details using EDLIN, MS-DOS's notorious editor. The last two releases of DOS 5 and DOS 6 no longer include the editor, and for good reason. - it's an old application, and is cryptic to use. I reccomend using the Notepad editor included with Windows instead. Chose Run from the File menu in Program Manager and type NOTEPAD.EXE in the run box, then press OK. Editing the DAT files is not as hard as you might think. The files are in reality only a list of car types or destinations, in plain English. However, WCOSS still should've included a way for editing them from the software. Even if you've never used a waybill system before, you probably would have little trouble with WCOSS. Everything uses a simple point-and-click interface. The buttons are different from normal Windows applications, but they're still easy to learn. The menus are clear, as well. So, the real question is, why would you even want to computerize your waybill system? (Or even start one?) Waybill systems are closer to prototype operations. However, the thing that problem keeps many people from using them is the amount of manual paperwork they require. WCOSS eliminates this. Using the car location database module, you can enter and print car locations. Afterward, you set up the bill generator and it does the rest of the work. It even automatically shuffles the "cards" and puts everything together. While having a computer near the layout would make things go quicker, it still isn't neccessary, thanks to WCOSS's printouts. WCOSS also has relatively good documentation that even explains waybill operating. WCOSS is overdue for an upgrade. It was written in 1991, shortly after the release of MS-Windows 3.0. The interface is a bit dated, it lacks a way to edit the DAT files without launching notepad, and it lacks online help. Hopefully either the author will upgrade it or other programmers will enter the Windows category soon. Despite these factors, however, WCOSS is a very good program. If you have Windows on your system, you should look at it as well as at DOS programs that do the same things. Getting a copy of WCOSS: ------------------------ You can download the evaluation copy of WCOSS from CompuServe and America Online. On CompuServe, search TrainNet for WCOSS.ZIP. On America Online, the best way to find WCOSS is to go to the file searcher and enter a keyword that would pick it up, like WCOSS or model railroading. You can also find VBRUN100.DLL (or 200 or 300) on these services. Also, if you write to the author and include a SASE with a formatted disk, he will probably send you a copy. Here's his address: Mark Quarles 3601 Vista Ridge Drive Mobile, AL 36693 ================= Model Railroading ================= ___________________________________________________________________ Model Railroading and Windows: Rail-Scale by Peter Kirn //K ___________________________________________________________________ QUICK LOOK... ------------- Tested Version: 3.0 Price: $5 reccomended Requires: MS-Windows, VBRUN200.DLL Review: Simple, easy, and fast. Good enough to make you consider pitching your calculator and hauling your Windows workstation down to the basement next to the workbench. Scale conversions: if you're an average model railroader, you've probably done at least one for a scratchbuilding or kitbashing project. For the same price you'd pay for a cheap calculator, Rail Scale 3 could save you some work. Like all Windows programs, Rail Scale has a simple point-and-click interface. However, it doesn't force you to play around with any dialog boxes or menus. Rather, it features one simple screen. Click on a scale, click on metric if you need it, click on either prototype to model conversions or model to prototype conversions, and type in a number. Almost instantly, Rail Scale displays the results. Rail Scale supports HO, N, Z, O, S, and G scales, and version 3 has added support of metric measurements. If you don't do scale conversions very often, it's very possible that Rail Scale will have you doing more. Let's see, if I get out that old table and put in next to the workbench, and run an extension to the outlet... Search CIS TrainNet with keyword "scale" to find Rail-Scale. Rail-Scale is not currently available on America Online. ___________________________________________________________________ Model Railroading and Computers: The Future by Peter Kirn //L ___________________________________________________________________ Gazing into the proverbial crystal ball at what model railroading will look like over the next five or ten years, the first thing I see is Windows. By the end of this year, Windows will almost certainly be the largest platform in terms of new applications. I think many model railroaders will go from no computer at all, or DOS, to Windows and Macintosh. What will they do when they get there? That's the interesting part. Recently, there's been a lot of talk about model railroading with the modeling taken out, with 3D computer generated images and virtual reality technology replacing Mountains-in-Minutes and flextrack. Somehow that seems unlikely to me, at least in the next two decades, as replacing model railroading, because it takes one of the best parts - modeling. Instead, what we'll probably see is computerized operating. In the Windows environment, there is already high-tech software that runs Marklin trains. The technology is already available to integrate power packs, turnouts, and computers. For a long time, model railroaders that double as electronics hobbyists have been building interfaces for their computers. Now, it will go further than ever before. With smaller, cheaper, far more rugged Windows machines, we'll soon see them next to the layout. It's not hard to imagine Marklin or MRC introducing a computer power pack ten years from now. What will the advantages be? The most prototypical operations yet. The interface will be able to work the same way as modern CTC works on prototype railroads. It can even look like a CTC machine, thanks to the ability to build attractive interfaces in Windows. Much of what we see now is a trend toward this direction: automatic block detection, and circuits in rolling stock. However, eventually we'll be able to control all of this during an operating session, like turning on or off or even reprogramming lights in a locomotive. I don't think model railroads will ever become fully computerized, just like everything else won't. The real advantage of a computer lies in its relationship with other things, whether it be people or hardware. The advances can be integrated with current modeling techniques. Inspection devices that are now used in automotive plants could someday be adapted to check rail alignment. Robotics could be the biggest boon to model railroading. Their accuracy in operations like tracklaying could be used in conjunction with our own skills. They could help rerail a train derailed in a tunnel. The possibilities are limitless. The key is, though, that computers in the next 40 to 50 years will never truly replace the hobby of model railroading. For those who don't have space for a layout, a virtual layout they designed might be perfect. However, for those of us who love Sculptamold and handlaying track, technology will only enhance our enjoyment of modeling, not replace it with something else. ___________________________________________________________________ Model Railroading and Computers: Macintosh and Windows Ideas by Peter Kirn //M ___________________________________________________________________ Macintosh and Windows are both Graphical User Interfaces, or GUIs (pronounced gooey, and nominated as one of the worst achronyms there is.) As such, they have certain software packages that provide advantages for model railroaders. DESKTOP PUBLISHING: Desktop publishing, or DTP, offers a multitude of uses for model railroaders. Macintosh and Windows both use TrueType, a font technology that allows you to scale text to virtually any size, making it perfect for printing scale text, either on paper or on a blank decal sheet. With a higher quality printer, with more resolution and darker ink jet or laser, the results can be even better. If you like to design your own fonts, you can use a package like Fontographer for Windows and Mac. Using these technologies, making your own scale text and decal sheets is reasonable. Desktop publishing is also useful for printing railroad paperwork, while still making it quite attractive. You can use a scanner to scan in graphics from your favorite railroad. DATABASES: Databases are much different from the days of DBase III for DOS. Now, most databases can use graphics as well as multimedia sound and video. This means you can create a database-based waybill system with a database and have operators fighting to use it. PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE: If you can't buy what you'd like to do, why not do it yourself? There are now programming packages like ObjectVision for Windows or HyperCard for the Mac that let novices create custom applications. ___________________________________________________________________ INDUSTRY CONNECTION //N ___________________________________________________________________ MANUFACTURERS: Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc. Stewart Hobbies, Inc. Life-Like Products With more on the way! --------------- STEWART HOBBIES --------------- PEAKED END 55 TON FISHBELLY HOPPERS: In hobby stores as of May are these new hopper cars from Stewart Hobbies. The prototypes were built in 1939 for Norfolk and Western. Undecorated, and N&W with 3 different numbers have been released. Retail price $9.98 10174 Undecorated 10175 N&W 38044 10176 N&W 38262 10177 N&W 38288 AND MORE HOPPERS: Stewart released hopper cars in late April with Reading, Jersey Central, Lehigh Valley, and D&H schemes with 3 numbers each. Also, the dimensional data scheme has returned. Except 10117, Lehigh Valley reddish brown, all are black with whith white data. The Reading cars have their as-delivered scheme, the Jersey Central the statue herald, the D&H the post 1952 circular "Bridge Line" herald, and the LV the diamond herald. Retail price is $9.98. 10108 Reading 80080 10109 Reading 80131 10110 Reading 80262 10111 Jersey Cen. 67009 10112 Jersey Cen. 67114 10113 Jersey Cen. 67224 10114 D&H 5374 10115 D&H 5611 10116 D&H 5774 10117 Lehigh Val. 25018 10118 Lehigh Val. 25104 10119 Lehigh Val. 25218 10101 Dimensional Data An undecorated version has been available, as 10100. Also, the Pennsy H39 70 ton 12 Panel Hopper has been released in an undecorated version, 10200. FT UNITS: Stewart pushed back release of the undecorated FT units to May to fine-tune the molds. Here is the complete line of FT units: Powered: 5000 FTA, single headlt., undec. 5001 FTA, 1 headlt. w/ large side panels, undec. 5002 FTA, double hedlt., undec. 5003 FTA, 2 headlt., w/ large side panels, undec. 5012 FTA, EMD demonstrator 5014 FTA, NYC lightening stripe 5016 FTA, Santa Fe freight 5999 FTB powered chassis Dummy: 5004 FTB undecorated 5005 FTB w/fifth porthole, undec. 5013 FTB, EMD demonstrator 5015 FTB, NYC lightening stripe 5017 FTB, Santa Fe freight Stewart Hobbies Box 341 Chalfront, PA 18941 --------- LIFE-LIKE --------- Watch for Life-Like product announcements coming soon. ----- ATLAS ----- See the convention preview for more information on each of these products. (search //N:1) ALL NEW N-SCALE GP30: The newest locomotive from Atlas is already in hobby shops as of May. The units feature an all-new body, with the same power under the hood as in last year's GP35. Nine roadnames are available, with or without mounted nose headlights according to the prototype. For the first time, red lettering is outlined in black on the Union Pacific locomotive. NEW N-SCALE FREIGHT CARS RELEASED Five new N scale freight cars and two new limited edition three-packs have been released. COMING IN AUGUST: TESTING NEW AT&T SERVICE AT&T has chosen Atlas as a beta test site for a new automated telecommunications system, because of the range of operations that take place on Atlas' lines. The service uses hardware and software as are normally used on automated lines, but with an added "conversant system". The system will allow distributor sales, parts sales to retailers, new product information, customer services, and automatic part orders for retailers by credit card. The system will ask for identification as a consumer, retailer, or distributor, and provide a menu for each. The line will provide 24 hour service, which will be especially helpful since Atlas' call volume has risen dramatically over the decade. TURNTABLE MOTOR DRIVE UNIT SHIPS IN HO A new, re-vamped version of the 301 turntable drive unit is now shipping, as 304. The new model is actually cheaper than the $29.95 301. The new unit has been disguised as a more prototypical trackside shanty-like structure. A new slip-fit design allows the housing to be popped on and off. Retail is now $19.95. TWO MORE INSTRUCTION BOOKS REVISED: Atlas' Introduction to N Scale Model Railroading, #6, revised and re-released in May, is now shipping. The book now features 40 pages, a new glossary, and redesigned, enlarged, easier-to-follow graphics. Retail price $3.95. The book was formerly A Clear Track to N Gauge Fun. In HO, Atlas Custom-Line Layouts for HO Scale Railroads has also been revised as #11, Atlas HO Layouts for Every Space. The new book, for intermediate and advanced model railroaders, has 11 basic to challenging layout options for not only different spaces but also for different skill levels. Two layouts, not printed since 1957, have resurfaced. Information has been added and items such as the "Products Required List" enlarged. Atlas is currently revamping their instructional book with a more modern design and appearance, and improving weaknesses of older books. Two layout books, #7, Nine N Scale Railroads, and #14, King Size HO Railroads Plan Book, have yet to be revised, and while Atlas hasn't announced it, they're a safe bet for updates in the future. The two books are already in hobby shops as of May. 2 MORE NEW N SCALE SWITCHES SHIP Having redone its HO scale switches, Atlas is now rereleasing improved N scale switches. The standard switches, left and right remote, manual, and switch machines, as well as left and right Custom Line N scale switches have been redesigned with the following features: - All new tooling. - Refined and narrower flangeways at the frog and guard rails. - Stamped and formed nickel silver points. - Reliable electrical contact to the points. - Positive mechanical attachment of points. - Narrowed switch machine for limited spaces. - Two screws on switch machines for easier installation and removal. However, the switches use the same geometry and size as the previous models so that replacement is painless. Two switches are currently shipping, the custom line. (The custom line switches are designed for ground throw or under table switch machines.) ---------------------------- VALLEY FORGE PREVIEW! //N:1 ---------------------------- Here's what Atlas has in store for us at the National Model Railroad Association Convention show, August 6-8. Booth #212/215. IN N SCALE: The newest N scale locomotive, the GP-30, will be on hand. Here they are... w/ nose head light 4701 Undec. 4702 BN 2248 4703 BN 2251 4704 CP Rail 5000 4705 CP Rail 5001 4706 Rio Grande 3014 4707 Rio Grande 3027 4708 SP 5013 4709 SP 5017 w/o nose head light 4721 Undecorated 4722 Santa Fe 3235 4723 Santa Fe 3276 4724 Conrail 2206 4225 Conrail 2235 4226 CSX 4229 4227 CSX 4233 4228 UP 702 4229 UP 717 The CSX units have the newer paint with the yellow nose stripe. While the GP-30 is a first-generation deisel, discussions on CompuServe TrainNet indicate that many are still in service on yard duty. All the newest N freight car paint schemes, including the following: 3225 70 Ton Ore Car, GN 3441 40' box car, WM "Fireball" 3633 50' Double-door box car, Burlington 3442 40' box car, SP "Overnights" 3822 4-bay Centerflow hopper, Rock Island 3861 GATX Airslide, Conrail 3862 GATX Airslide, Milwaukee Road 3863 GATX Airslide,Golden Loaf 3250 Beercan Tank Car, Tennessee Eastman 3915 ACF 2 bay Centerflow, Rio Grande Plus the limited edition 3-packs: 5500 GN ore car 5741 GATX Airslide, Conrail fallen flags 5595 50' box car, SP "Overnights" The new line of N scale switches, including the standard line: 2700 Left remote, $12.95 2701 Right remote, $12.95 2702 Left manual, $7.95 2703 Right manual, $7.95 2715 Left switch machine, $6.25 2716 Right switch machine, $6.25 and the custom line, for use with ground throws or under-the-table switch machines: 2750 Left hand, $6.95 2751 Right hand, $6.95 (all prices are suggested retail prices) The #6 N scale beginner's book, and an all new Atlas-built N scale layout will also be on display. Atlas has a new freight car set for release in August. They aren't revealing what it is yet, but clues will be at the convention booth. RO will cover it in the next two or three monthes. IN HO SCALE: This year's only new HO scale locomotive, the limited edition Alco C424/425 Century will be on display for HO scalers. The phase I and sleeker phase II locos were both introduced this March. They feature the smooth-running Kato mechanism. C424 Phase I 8055 Undecorated 8061 Erie Lackawanna, 2401 8062 Erie Lackawanna,2409 8063 Conrail, 2491 8064 Conrail, 2497 Phase II 8050 Undec. 8051 CN sergeants stripes, 3205 8052 CN sergeants stripes, 3219 8053 BN 4240 8054 BN 4244 C425 8030 Undec. 8038 New Haven 8039 New Haven, 2557 8040 British Columbia Ry. 812 8041 British Columbia Ry. 805 8042 N&W 1001 8043 N&W 1006 The new code 83 switches and other track products, and the Atlas HO Layouts for Every Space book will also be on display. PLUS... Dave Newall, R&D Director, Paul Graf, N Scale Coordinator, and Steve Woodward, Customer Service Manager, will be at the show. Paul Graf will also be the featured guest at the NTrak Manufacturer's Breakfast on Sunday to answer questions. Also, Atlas said in their newsletter, Atlas News, to: "Look for a `very big surprise', which, in the words of our CEO, `will be a real stunner for our loyal N Scale customers'". I'm sure that piqued your interest. I have no clue as to what they're up to, but I suppose we'll find out. Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc. 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 U.S.A. Atlas offers a free catalog of all their products for 1993. Send a #10 S.A.S.E., 52 cents, to the address above. Incidentally, I'd like to send my thanks to Laura D.C. Kolnoski, marketing and advertising director at Atlas, for being the first to reply to my letter to several of the model railroad industry leaders. I appreciate it very much. The next update from Atlas is expected in early fall, in addition to coverage of the Valley Forge Convention. ------------ COMING SOON: ------------ If you're missing Valley Forge, (or even if you want to get the whole story), RailOnline is working on covering the entire show in a special issue which will come out within a week or two of the end of the show. Watch for it! If you're going to Valley Forge: Join our NMRA convention team! Pick up all the information you can, and drop an e-mail note or letter to us as soon as you can afterward and tell us what you did and what you saw. (search //% for info on how to contact RO.) From Atlas: An all new N-scale freight car, #13 HO layout book revised, and releases for the 1994 catalog. Also, a Chicago Hobby Show preview will be released. (RailOnline plans coverage of the Chicago show this winter immediately after it's over. More news and more manufacturers: We'll keep you up to date. If you're online, watch for RO News. Manufacturers: Feel free to put us on your mailing list. Search //% for info on how to contact RO. ___________________________________________________________________ Railroad Employees' Corner Tales from the Coast Starlight: A Conductor's Misadventures by Richard McGarth //O ___________________________________________________________________ Amtrak Conductor Richard McGrath usually works the Capitals (Oakland to Sacramento). ------------------------ First of all, I'm sitting in the bathtub on Saturday night, just soaking away all my cares and woes, when there's a knock on the door, and my ten year old son hands me the cordless phone and says, "Amtrak calling, Dad". Water in my ear, I listen to the Crew Dispatcher: "Hey Mac, I know it's your night off, but we're really short, and wonder if you'll work #14 tonight?" Sigh. "Yeah, sure. No problem." "Great!" he says, "On duty at 9:10 pm. Trains about 45 minutes late." I spend the next hour getting ready, packing, and convincing my wife of the benefits of the extra money versus spending Valentine's Day at home. She resigns herself to the situation, (She's been married to me for twenty-four years, one month longer than I've been married to the railroad, and is used to this sort of thing), and we kiss, and I'm off to Klamath Falls. Being a day that I usually don't work, I get to see some folks that I normally never see. The Yard Engine crew is in the locker room, as is #5's crew, as their train was several hours late arriving from Chicago. I find out that I'll be the Assistant Conductor, working the "rear", in other words I'll be helping the Conductor back in the coaches as opposed to working the baggage car. The Conductor has ridden up from San Jose on #726, so has been there for several hours already. He has done all the paperwork, and as the train is late has already collected all the tickets, so after looking over the Train Orders (our authority to run, as well as all unusual conditions we will encounter in our three hundred plus mile trip up to southern Oregon) there's not much to do except to catch up on all the hot rumors and low down gossip. The conductor is Roger, who chain smokes, (outside, at the request of everyone) and tends to pontificate in a booming baritone. Engineer is Pete, who knows everything there is to know about most things, but is very modest about it. He's grown a HUGE beard since the last time I saw him, and has been working out. Still goes about 220, but now packs it up in his shoulders. The Assistant Engineer is John, a true free spirit, who was an All Pac-Eight linebacker at Cal back in the Sixties, who thought he was hot stuff until he encountered an unknown running back from USC named O.J. Simpson. He commutes from Boonville, which is WAY up in the wilds of Sonoma. His telephone is a phone booth down by the pharmacy, about eight miles from his spread. John still pumps iron religiously, and looks like a slightly smaller version of Arnold Schwartzennegger. He's the one who got Pete to start working out. He calls Pete "Professor Peculiar", and we call John "Bluto". Anyhow, the train pulls in at 10:15 pm, and John and Pete are now standing by on an extra engine, as the second unit on the train has been having electrical problems. Naturally, the first thing that happens is the power to the train is turned off, so Roger makes this booming annoucement on the PA that we will not be loading passengers until the lights on the train go back on. It's a chilly night, so with a moderate amount of grumbling, most of the crowd of a hundred or so which are waiting, turn and go back into the waiting room. Then Roger changes his mind, and announces that we WILL be boarding "Sleeping Car Passengers ONLY, Please" More grumbling. I get delegated to lead them down the length of the 11 car train. The first class passengers are shown to their rooms by flashlight, because the engines are being changed and the electrical power is off. By this time, most of the people on the train who are still awake elect to step off for some fresh air, or a visit to the news stand: several hundred people milling around on the platform, or in the waiting room. Lots of kids are trying to burn off some pent up energy, as this is the middle of a holiday weekend. Then, heralded by the electronic "ding-dong" chimes of the Attendent Calls, the lights, fans, heat, and sanitary systems all come on at once. Another booming announcement from Roger, this one regarding seating assignments. He gets carried away in my opinion, lecturing (at about 120 decibles, and lots of echo) the few passengers we have for Marysville, Chico, Redding, and Dunsmuir about the importance of not falling asleep anywhwere but in their assigned seats, and they WILL get carried by, and Amtrak does NOT pay for motels, and.. (Sheese Roger, wouldn't it have been easier to just have told them personally as you took their ticket?). Anyhow, we're all loaded up just as the air brake test is finishing, and Roger does his famous (infamous) "Wake the Dead" AALLLLL AABBBOOOOAAAAAARRRRRDDDDDDD!!!!!!! which can probably be heard in downtown Oakland when the wind's right, and the Starlight begins rolling at 11:08 pm. All the bedrooms have showed up so far, so it's head up into the closed diner to drop off the briefcase, and walk the train. Kitchen crew is sitting around unwinding, and there's some "Hey man, where have YOU been? Haven't seen you in over a year?" About that time the power goes off. *****. Comes back on. Goes back off. We call the head end, and decide to continue to Richmond, only five minutes away, and deal with the problem there. The power continues to go on and off. As I walk into the lounge, some guy with a leather hat, and real long hair says to me, "Wow man, this is kinda cool. Like a light show." Always a bright side, I guess. The movie, a recent release about the terrorist takeover of the USS Missouri, is just getting star ted, and every time the power comes back on, the movie restarts. Needless to say, there is some grumbling in the lounge. "Sorry folks. We're going to try to fix it at Richmond." I'm thinking to myself that it's gonna be one of those nights, and I should have unplugged the phone before taking a bath. Anyhow, we walk the train at Richmond, and discover a loose cable housing on the nose of the second engine, which would allow the cable to flop around in the wind. My guess is that this is the problem, and we decide to short loop the cables at that spot. Then we try to figure out where Roger is. He finally responds after a minute or so so Pete fires up the head-end power, and we're under way. Power stays on this time, so the movie crowd settles down. After Martinez, I tell the rear sleeper attendent to go on to bed, that I would handle his Davis passengers for him. That was sort of a mistake, as when we roll into Davis, his passengers turn out to be one REAL large family, with LOTS of luggage. Well, I get them settled into their two rooms, even though they're not happy about Room E being upstairs, and Room 15 being downstairs. We've lost another 10 minutes because of slow orders, and roll into Sacramento at about one thirty in the morning. Get the Sac passengers all settled in, and begin our journey northward, up the Sacramento Valley. Most folks are asleep by now, the train is quiet, all the heat and restrooms are working, and hopefully the rest of our trip will be smooth and unevenful. Not to be. We stop at Marysville. No one off. Pick up one lady who is heading to Salem. She's been sitting in the parking lot with her brother and sister-in-law for an hour and a half. (Why don't they call the 1-800-USA-RAIL number before leaving home? I decide not to ask.) Settle her in and give her a pillow, and decide to walk the train. All's quiet, except downstairs in the 1411 car, which is the smoking section. A few die-hard insommniatic smokers are whileing away the hours in deep conversation. About this time the radio crackles. "WR-45 to AMTRAK 14, over." "Amtrak 14, go ahead, Dispatcher, over." "Amtrak 14, we have a broken rail reported at milepost 174.8. You have permission to pass the next signal displaying stop indication, and proceed a t restricted speed. There is a train ahead of you, stopped at the break. A maintainer is enroute, over." Moan. My thoughts take me home, to a warm bed. If I had only unplugged the phone. Oh well. We slow to a stop. I open a lower window. We are in the middle of nowhere, not even a farm house light to be seen. Pete whistles off, and we proceed at 20 mph, the train rocking gently at such a low speed. After an eternity, we come to a stop behind the freight train ahead. His conductor is telling the dispatcher that the break measures about two and a half inches, but he thinks it's safe to pass at 2 mph. He'll stay there, roll his own train by, then wait for us, roll us over the break, and catch a ride with us back up to his train. Dispatcher agrees. Meanwhile, number 11 is out of Chico, and gets into the act. Dispatcher puts him into a siding, to wait for the freight ahead, and then us to get by. I'll spare further details, but mention that we lose another hour here, and roll into Chico almost three & 1/2hours late. No further events, and we get around the freight at Chico, and get back up to track speed. A few get on at Redding. The sun starts to come up in the Sacramento River Canyon, and we get to see some beautiful scenery that is usually traversed in darkness. The kitchen crew shows up, and soon the diner is filled with the aroma of fresh coffee and frying bacon. I move up into an empty seat in the coach, and enjoy the scenery for a while, fighting off the urge to nod off. Tired of fighting it, I get up and walk through the train, answering questions. "Yes, we're about three hours late." "Yes, the dining car is open." "The next stop is Dunsmuir. Yes we're still in California." Folks who had left Los Angeles nearly twenty hours before are finding that difficult to believe. Soon the magnificent bulk of fourteen thousand foot Mount Shasta begins to show itself, looming over the edge of the canyon. Castle Crags appear on the left looking as impressive as the Grand Teton. Dunsmuir comes and goes, cold, but dry and sunny. We circle the Cantera Loop, and begin climbing out of the canyon, up to the base of Mount Shasta, now filling the entire eastern sky, pure white from it's base to summit. Radio crackles again. "Number 14, you will get your transfers off at Klamath Falls." Roger gets right on the PA, no good mornings, no we're running late because...Just a booming baritone "TRANSFERS TO THE EMPIRE BUILDER WILL BE GETTING OFF AT KLAMATH FALLS." Now I start looking at my watch. We're getting awfully close to going "dead" under the Federal Hours of Service Act. Dispatch calls; our relief crew will meet us at Black Butte. We roll to a stop there, in the shadow of Mt. Shasta with 10 minutes to spare. No relief crew is there. Chapter IV: If I have learned one thing from reading notes and Trip Reports , it is that as long as passengers are kept informed, their anger at the crew on the train is somewhat mitigated. As soon as we glide to a stop I get on the PA, and try to explain in simple terms why we have to stop here, in the middle of nowhere, and wait for a relief crew. We are at Black Butte, yes folks, still in California. Ahead of us is some very rough and inaccessable country, andesite lava flows through which the SP built their mainline. There are no road crossings all the way to Grass Lake, so the dispatcher has ordered us to wait here for the relief crew, which is enroute from Klamath Falls in a company van. ETA, approx. 15-20 minutes. I'm up in the empty 1410 car, so decide to get off and walk the train on the outside. It's surprisingly warm at 9:00 am, and most of the snow which piled up here during January's storms has melted into crusty patches. The frozen ground is crusty, dry and spongy underneath, making for interesting footing. As I pass by the 1411 car, a woman with a cigarette and a Bloody Mary is standing in the open vestibule window enjoying the sun on her face, and the bracing air. She asks if I'd let everybody off for a snowball fight. I grin, and try to good-naturedly explain why I can't do that. I do scrape together a small icy snowball and hand it to her, saying "Don't tell anyone where you got that." She laughs and I con tinue walking down the train. I get about half a car length when there is a scream and a bunch of laughter from the 10 car behind me. I guess my snowball has found the back of someone's neck. I trudge back to the rear, noting that all cables and hoses are in good shape, wheels all there and on the rail, etc. I manage to get the cog up and swing the door open, but continue to stand outside in the fresh air. A family appears in the doorway. Obvious Canadian accents. They're from Vancouver, and don't mind being late 'cause they love the train. The teenage son begs to step out into the rocks with me. I look up the train. No sign of life. Roger is dead on the law, (which makes me the conductor for the next fifteen minutes) so I say sure, and the kid hops off and tries to make a snow ball from the crusty stuff. About that time I see a green van pull up to the head end, so I ask the kid to get back on. No sooner is he on then two small ones, about three and five show up unaccompanied in the door way, and ask if THEY can get off. No, sorrykids, no one can get off. The little boy points at the footprints in the snow and says, "Well, who made those?" Before I can think of a reply, the relief conductor is calling me on the radio. Several minutes later he shows up at the door. It's John, Baghwan as he is known in these parts, nice old guy who's only got about four months to go before retirement. A few minutes later we're rolling again, and I'm relieved, so I head for the Diner for breakfast. I remember Harry's experience with soggy bacon on the Chief, but this bacon is firm, warm, and crispy. We go by a big herd of Mule deer, at least twenty, and John gets on the PA, and in a gentle and friendly voice tells everybody what's going on, and a little about the country we're traversing. Look for antelope he says, up ahead when the trees thin and we enter a wide treeless valley. Seems that deer like trees for cover, but antelope like wide open spaces so nothing can sneak up on them. It is much colder here, and EVERYTHING is covered in hoar frost. The decidious trees are lacy white, and a thick fog envelopes us as we enter the Klamath Basin. Oregon. The train rolls to a stop in cold, hazy (wood smoke?) Klamath Falls, Oregon at 10:48 am, exactly three hours and one minute late. There is a mass exodus, as nearly fifty of the passengers are transfering to the bus connection to the Empire Builder, in addition to the 25 or so ticketed to K. Falls. Others are just taking advantage of the chance to stretch, even jog a bit up and down the platform. I get off the rear, and fall in step with a couple enroute to Essex, Montana. They've got skis and suitcases, so I grab one, and walk them over to the bus. "Sorry about the inconvenience, folks. Hope the rest of your trip in enjoyable." "Hey, no problem. You guys did a fine job." So, on that positive note I join the rest of the crew in the van that takes us over to the motel for some much needed rest. Ten minutes later we're standing around the lobby munching free donuts, and unwinding a bit from the trip. Pete, the engineer, says "Do you want to go to dinner later? I've got a car here." "Sure", I reply. "What time?" "I usually go around four," says Pete "Great", I say, not really thinking about the fact that it's already after eleven, and Pete does this twice a week, and is probably a lot more used to it than I am. "See you at four." Off to the room for a hot shower. As I finally climb between the crisp sheets, I look at my watch. High noon. What seems like about ten minutes later the I wake to the jarring ring of the phone. It's Pete, sounding chipper and rested. "Ready to go eat?" Groan. "Mrrphh. Yuh, I'll be right down." Splash some cold water on my face. Get dressed. Thank goodness there's some fresh coffee in the lobby. Klamath is still rather dreary and hazy. The snow has retreated into sooty, forlorn roadside piles. It's starting to get dark already. We head for a "family style" restaurant off the beaten path very popular with the locals. Non-descript American fare, but when they bring the check, you see why the place is so popular. Two complete dinners, including soup, salad, beverage and dessert for less than ten bucks. It's back to the room to stare at the TV for awhile. A&E special all about submarines. Suddenly it's 8:30 pm, and time to go. Pile into the van, quick stop at Safeway for provisions, and down to the station. Train 11 is running fifteen minutes late. Read the orders, collect the tickets, more small talk, then with a great roar and a blaze of silver, Number 11 arrives. Water the diner, load the passengers, and we're off. The rest of the trip home is one of those trips that you look back on with fondness. Plenty of seats, everything worked, early arrival into Sacramento. Rolled into Oakland right on time. My own train is just leaving, enroute for Sacramento, minus yours truly, of course. Fight sleepiness all the way home, windows down. Walk in the front door at about nine am. Hug the boy, kiss the wife, pet the dog, feed the goldfish, and at approx. 9:07 am hit the sack for ten hours of uninterrupted sleep. At 7:00 pm, feeling like I had been hit by a truck, I get up to answer the call of nature. Stumble into the kitchen. Cold pizza. Wife's at work by now, Tom's watching TV. I sit at the kitchen table in a stupor, chewing pizza and staring at the mail. After about twenty minutes, I give in to the urge to go back to bed, and the next reality is the alarm going off at 2:30 am. Time to get up, and get ready for my regular job. 3:45 am on duty to deadhead an empty train from Oakland to San Jose to begin the Capital Corridor cycle. Amazing. After sleeping for most of seventeen hours, I still have trouble getting out of bed. And those Klamath crews do it twice a week! ------------- Special thanks to Harry Sutton on CompuServe for providing the article as well as communicating with its author. ------------- TALK TO US: If you'd like to see more work by Richard McGrath in RailOnline, drop us a line and let us know. (Search //% for information about contacting RailOnline.) He has several more articles completed that we can run. =========================================================== CYBERSPACE REPORT: Online Features //O =========================================================== ONLINE MATERIAL IN THIS ISSUE: "Why the X2000?". Originally a message thread on CompuServe's Travel SIG forum, this was downloaded from the Travel SIG file library. "Everything you wanted to know about the X2000", was a file in the CIS TrainNet forum by Corbett Price, with permission from Amtrak for its use. "X2000 on Track!", an article from the OARP newsletter, 6:13, was used in a set of excerpts uploaded to the CIS TrainNet forum. "Catch the X2000!", was an employee timetable uploaded to the TrainNet forum on CompuServe. "Alternative Empire Builder," was part of a file on the Empire Builder in the CIS Travel SIG forum. "Tales from the Coast Starlight", was uploaded by Harry Sutton to CompuServe. Sutton sees the author, McGrath, on Prodigy, another online service. FINDING MORE ONLINE: The X2000 articles in this issue were all found on CompuServe by scanning the forum libraries using "X2000" as the keyword. This can be applied to just about any project. In addition to forum scanning with keywords, both CompuServe and America Online have file scanners that search over the entire service. On AOL, go to FILE SEARCH. On CIS, GO FF. WCOSS is available on both CompuServe and America Online. On CIS, get WCOSS.ZIP. Search files for keyword model railroading, WCOSS, or operating. Contact Darkhawk on America Online for help finding the location if you need to. Rail-Scale can be downloaded from CompuServe TrainNet. Search with keyword scale. -> Note: If you are on both services and would like to upload Rail-Scale onto AOL (uploading is connect-time charge free on AOL and CIS), let us know. (Search //% for how to contact RO.) Harry Sutton of CompuServe tells me there are other files by Amtrak Conductor Richard McGrath in the CompuServe Travel forum. Try searching with keyword Amtrak, conductor, or McGrath, or scan for all files with Harry Sutton as contributor. Richard McGrath is online on Prodigy. Prodigy allows you to scan for a name in the member directory to find IDs for writing e-mail. OTHER RO SERVICES: The RailOnline newsletter has its home service on CompuServe. An unofficial set of message bases in the Exchange (keyword EXCHANGE) also carry the RailOnline name, and are operated by JP Flaherty who is also very involved with the RailOnline newsletter (userid: darkhawk). Contact JP as to information about the RailOnline conference in People Connection, a live meeting that's usually each week. (I'm not sure what has happened to this since I've left; I appreciate any info you may find.) If things move along better on America Online, RO will try to orchestrate the newsletter with forum activity there. DISTRIBUTION: RailOnline's home service is CompuServe. The secondary service is America Online. CIS and AOL both have direct e-mailing lists. RailOnline is currently being distributed on other services, as well, however. Two groups on the Internet, a free worldwide network, receive it. RailOnline plans to expand to other services, as well, with portions going to WildNet, HomeNet, WWIVNet, and other national and international BBS message networks. A major goal is to begin distribution on FidoNet, where there is a large group of rail enthusiasts. If you are a member of a service with people you think would be interested, by all means upload all or a full section of RailOnline. GIF OF THE MONTH CONTEST: The GIF of the Month this month is actually a two-way tie, since the same GIF photographer created two GIFs with the same topic: X2000.GIF and X2001.GIF. Adrian Turner is the winner, with two 256 color GIFs. The pictures both feature the X2000 in the Northeast Corridor. Congratulations, Mr. Turner! The winning GIFs are available on CompuServe only - search keyword "X2000" or simply search by the filename. From now on, we're opening it to everyone. So send us your GIF, via e-mail (search //% for how to contact RO). The winner wins our attractive hard copy. ___________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE STAFF: Editor-in-Chief, CompuServe distribution, hard copy editor and distributor: Peter Kirn, 73232,3534 CompuServe;73232.3534@cis.com Internet --- America Online correspondent, America Online distribution, CompuServe Distribution: JP Flaherty, 71034,465 CompuServe; 71034.465@cis.com Internet; Darkhawk, America Online --- Internet Distribution: Daniel S. Dawdy, 70661,2422 CompuServe; 70661.2422@cis.com Internet --- Special thanks to the CompuServe sysops for their aid in posting RailOnline news and files in the TrainNet and Travel SIG forums. CONTACTING RAILONLINE: //% If you'd like to leave a message with a writer or image creator, please contact us and we'll forward it to them. 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