903 Info

[NW Mailing List]

I haven't seen any follow-up to the message about the unidentified equipment 
on Train 903 at Bristol, so here are some details.

The car on the rear is NS 36, referred to as the "Track Geometry Car," and 
the car ahead of it is NS 37, the support car.  Both cars are ex Conrail 
cars that replaced earlier NS cars in this assignment.

This equipment moves at track speed while NS 36 records not only track 
geometry but also rail wear and a digital video image of the track and right 
of way.  This digital video is posted on the NS GIS (Geographic Information 
System) for in-house use by multiple NS departments.

The support car includes a generator that supplies power for both cars.

The previous track geometry car, NS 31 also recorded video images of the 
track and right-of-way, but on VHS tapes, and the NWHS Roanoke archives has 
a large collection of these tapes, a number of which have been shown at the 
regular Thursday evening pizza parties during the archives monthly work 
sessions.

The taped view is wide angle, so it shows much of the countryside -- just 
like the view was from the rear of the observation car of the Powhatan 
Arrow.  The first tape viewed at a pizza party was a very interesting trip 
that covered the former VGN from Kellysville, WV up and over the mountains 
to Mullins, except that a late spring snowstorm that was raging beyond the 
west end of Clarks Gap Tunnel prevented recording the last portion of the 
run into Mullins.

At the last pizza party, the group viewed a tape showing almost 100 miles of 
the interesting "Pumpkin Vine" as it snaked its way from Roanoke toward 
Winston Salem.

These pizza parties also include other videos and slides, so they are 
another good reason for  NWHS members to pitch in and help out at the 
monthly archives work sessions.

Gordon Hamilton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Historical" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2006 9:14 AM
Subject: 903 Info


  I have only little knowledge of 903's function --- something to do with 
testing. Here is another view as it came in on Thursday.

Mike Pierry, Jr.



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