I Built a MASSIVE Switchback in Railroads Online! 

I hate that quote with a passion

@@ValentineC137 This is my first time hearing this quote; why do you hate it?

@@SuperiorPosterior Because velocity is how fast you hit the wall and momentum is how far you take it with you. A supercar has a lot of power, and a semi has a lot of torque, but if they hit a wall at 20mph you better believe my 3800lb mazda will hit it a lot faster and go through it further if I full send it to my own demise

@@Rararawr a semi going 20 is just gonna plow through the wall and keep going tho... Your Mazdas gonna crumble under its own force before it move the wall half as far as a semi.

@@Rararawr ….. the semi would have more momentum and therefore go further. Due to the massive Mass difference. Momentum = mass X velocity. p=mv

"Well its going to be 7 switchbacks" That aint no problem. That aint no problem. That aint no problem.....

Please

I was just thinking that they might add more industries to the game and that random tracks around the map might not be a bad idea, if they let us keep our tracks. I hope not soon though, I haven't gotten the oil stuff started yet 😬

what even was it?

Same

Finally. Another cass switchback fan. The greenbriar cheat and elk trackage was so fun

@@mountainbriarfarm5030 I'm too late to get in on 2023's railfan weekend, but plan to get down there for 2024. I've been away too long.

@@kellingc as have i. Apparently when taking on water, the shays must start from a dead stop up a 13 percent grade on an S curve 💀 Hyce doesnt know what hes talking about in regards to switchbacks. They are absolutely amazing.

@Mountain Briar Farm My last trip to railfan days, we went up to Bald Knob. It was 58 degrees in Cass when we started. By the time we got to the top, it had dropped to 28 degrees and sleet. The fog and sleet were so think that when I was standing next to the cab of number 11, I couldn't see number 2 lashed up in the front. Then, number 11 blew its safety value, and Hyce is right - it is loud. But it was an experience I relished, and I never say a plume shoot so far up and sreighy. My previous trip had been my first, and I was not really excited other than this was a railfan trip. That first night (Friday) at the West Mountain Society meeting in the Cass Shops, number 11 was by the Coalinga platform and had been fired up. I went up to the engine, not having seen a Shay, or any geared locomotive, before. Here was this beast of an engine, breathing and puffing, little wisps of steam (or rather water Vapor as steam is invisable) trailing off from parts unknown. I was in the presence of awesomeness. Then compressor made its presence known with the unique sound that I can not describe easily with text. A soft, long exaurated groan that stared some where around C below middle C, sliding down to about a g flat, then back to C, topped off with a brush on a cymbal ast the air pump finished topping off the air tank. I feel in love with that engine at that point. The next day, I found out what that engine could do, as it pulled a consist of eight cars, each full to capacity of rail rans pulling up the mountain solo. We made a stop at Spruce, did some photo run bys (plus the ones we did over the bridge and grade crossings, and saw the Western Maryland interchange. About 40 minutes later, we were on our way to Camp Whitker, stopping at the next river crossing to let number 11 take a refreshing drink from the sunken tank car by using steam to siphon water into the tender. While we had lunch at Whitker, we explored the Pullman cars that were used back in the day as shelters. They had photos and equipment displayed in the cars, giving a history of what Whitiker was like as a logging camp. In the meantime, they had brought number 2 up and lashed her to the front of the train. We were to double head down the mountain, with number 2 lashed on tk help with the breaking. I was a little disappointed we weren't going to Bald Knob at the top of the mountain, but track maintenance, which had to be completed before the season opening the following weekend. So down the mountain we went, with each of the car attendants presenting the hand braks to provide a constant 10% brake on each car. That, and two engines helped the train crew keeping train under control. When we hit Spruce, we took the Western Maryland exchange and went down the other side of the mountain, with the Camelion railbus chasing us The poor thing was not made for the teek across the mountain, and popped a radiator hose. I can just imagine a Derail Valley situation and the "over heat" light flashing on the engineer's panel. While we all were in the huge field (the Chamelion passengers and the train passengers), the event photographer set up the panoramic camera. This contraption was built in the 1920's, worked on a watch spring, and as the camera body turned, it advanced the film. The result was a long, narrow photo. Some people started on one side of the crowd, and as the camera panned away, ran to the other side, so they appear in both sides of the photo. One guy didn't make it in time, and everything below his torso was a blur as he was trying to move into position. The return trip was mostly uneventful, except the Chamelion breaking down again.. It ended up parked on the interchange at Spruce, and we took on its passengers to get back down the mountain to Cass. The only other thing of note was that there wasn't any way to turn the engines, so number 11 and number 2 pushed us all the back to Spruce, going reverse to what they normally do through the switchbacks, and ended up in front of the train going down the last leg into Cass. Not really that bad at it was mostly a 5% (I think) grade. This is an account of only a part of that Saturday, but is when I truely fell in love with the Shays. This was in May of 2000, but it left such an impression on me, I remember it like it was yesterday. I'll have to tell you about my second trip to "Rail Fan Weekend", and the rest of my adventures of this weekend in a different medium. Thank you for sticking with me and reading this far.

that would work better I feel if the rails did cost to build else it would mostly just be a raise to whom can build rails to all locations faster

@@link7417 maybe exchange freight, essentially D&RGW to RGS?

*the WHAT*

@@Hyce777 Sent a link.

I’m learning about the Pueblos in my college history class. The Native American tribe. Just thought that was a quirky coincidence.

Yup, if you want to see whether it is better to have switchbacks or a massive grade you can't compare them if you allow one a helper (or more). It has to be the engine itself doing everything, no help. Which means that the 10% would need a lot of runs up and down. It'll go fast down, but it might not be the best. They could also do a test where the trains will be 1.5 times the length of the "head shunt" or swich space.

This is a *terrible* idea. I vote it should be done for maximum hilarity.

That sounds dangerous, I wonder how many rail comapnies did this IRL

I agree, this sounds like a terrible idea. I like it. kAN, make it so! ;P Actually, you could keep the runouts/tails going at 2% anyway, it'll help slow down when going down and avoid "bonk"-ing, and help accelerate when going up. And add that steep incline at the end, possibly.

yeah but the torque through gear reductions was just "YES"

This is what I was going to say as well. Keep the runouts going upwards. It'll help stop you when going down, and it'll help get up to speed going up.

Exactly, and for going up purposes, you'd want the grade to be around 2%, or at least average to 2% over the whole lead length. I.e. keep the first 100m as 0%, but then build it out to 250m by extending it with 4% uphill extensions of 150m length.

@@Pystro pretty much exactly what I was thinking but I think the 0% should be 250m in length, then a upward grade of 2% for 250m then cap it off with about 100m of 4% so you’ve got gradual braking based off how much weight is coming down or going up and the engines can still handle the climb

@jay1o1o Braking.

they never do... engineers are the dumbest smart people on earth... they never think about what happens when someone has to take something apart... example the timing belt on every 4 cylinder FWD car ever

That's not how that works. If you have 1 you'll be going backwards (it's essentially a Y), and once you have 2 your go backwards from the backwards, also known as forwards. Since you would want to keep the road engine going forward at the end you should have even number.