Were the two diesels idling "Insurance Policies", or were they manned and under power assisting The Queen when you shot your video? I agree that twenty-one cars may be a hefty load, but I expect the J-Class handled that many by themselves during revenue runs in the '40s and '50s. There's a scene in another video of this run where she's coming up a curving grade pounding for all she's worth. I sounded like her Johnson Bar was all the way forward and her throttle almost wide open. But both diesels sounded like they were idling when they passed under the bridge with the cameraman. So I assumed the diesels were merely in the consist for backup.
The 8099 and the 6133 each had a engineer and conductor on board.....once the train got to the Loops the diesels were used especially for dynamic braking coming off the Loops. The video here they were idlling in 1 or 2 of my shots can you hear them under load. Remember the Loops have some pretty tight curves and is on a decent grade (dont know %) and 1 or 2 tunnels, 22 cars including the tool car.
I just watched the Loops climbing video that followed the one you posted above, and 8099 was definitely in Run-8. However I couldn't hear 6133 because of 8099's exhaust noise. I wasn't familiar with any of the Southern territory, so am very impressed with the engineering that was required to build the Loops. Thanks for your posts.
A nice video and such an interesting and beautiful consist too! Gaining elevation in it's westward attack toward Asheville, the line features a 2.2% ruling grade, a (man made) geyser and seven tunnels in ten miles. This is some rugged and remote country. MP 112.5 Point Tunnel MP 119.9 Jarratt's Tunnel MP 120.7 Lick Log Tunnel MP 121.0 McElroy Tunnel MP 121.3 High Ridge Tunnel MP 121.8 Burgin Tunnel MP 122.1 Swannanoa Tunnel http://members.trainorders.com/n8oay/Maps/NC/OldFortNC3.htm
That circuitous route map gives a good idea of the terrain that the original surveyors faced; dense forest, no way to know what terrain lay ahead, guessing where the best route might be, then probably backtracking at least fifty percent of the time because they had guessed wrong. I'm sure they would have given up their first born, and probably a lot more to have the geodetic survey maps that wouldn't be created for another 50-75 years, during the 1930s. I'll see if I can locate the topographic map that covers that area. I'd like to see what those original surveyors faced by looking at the terrain contours. Thanks for that map.
I'm sure they were. I photo'd many of those cars on the KCS Gulfport Branch headed for the AAPRCO weekend at Gulfport, MS last year.
Found the topographic map the Loops area. The Loops rail line is the faint black line a little up left of center, coming up from Old Fort at the lower right. Man, that terrain would have been one heck of a challenge for those surveyors 150 years ago. I've done a tiny bit of surveying, but no way I could have done what they did in that terrain...... (Sorry for just a link to the map, but the USGS doesn't use a file type that Train Board can post as an image.)
During the westbound chase we considered getting the Loops but the amount of chasers was crazy, I really wish we had been able to chase her back to Spencer but since I had been up since 7:30 Saturday night and my co-pilot had been up since Noon Saturday it was just impossible.......plus I had to be back at work Monday morning and he had classes, considering I did ALL the driving (my car) 350 miles 1 way and about 6 hours 1 way......well you get the picture.