I was interested in the comments on a previous thread re the size of the cow catchers fitted to our locomotives. The drought in South and Western Australia is having some unforseen influence on this topic. Feral camels living on the Nullabour Plain are so thirsty they are licking the morning dew forming on the rail lines much to the surprise of the loco drivers passing through (literally) at 130km/hr. One driver has reported in the local media hitting 3 camels in one herd simultaneously. They are quite a bit larger than a domestic bull. Cheers
The Alaska Railroad annually has to deal with moose walking along the right-of-way whenever the snow gets too deep (usually about November or so!). If the crew sees them in time, they can slow down until the moose decides the snow is a safer place to be. If not, moose burgers for the wolves. CTC Board has a article years ago showing a crewman prodding at the rear end of a moose with a broom stick, while the train was still moving, trying to get it off the tracks! I'm not sure "moose-goosing" has picked up in popularity yet up there. I'd rather be a bit further away. Those moose carry a nasty kick! Pat
Another unusal issue in South Australia is millipedes. When crusshed the bodies of this insect becomes a highly slippery mush that causes the loco wheels to slip up the inclines and skid back down. These non native centepedes have proliferated in the Adelaide hills to an extent that the locomtives which travel through are fitted with compressed air outlets as well as sanding boxes to blow these little critters off of the track!!!! You used to be able to pick the NRs that ploughed this route by the presence (or otherwise) of these devices. Sometimes I scare myself!!!
Andrew, sounds like they need the kit Railtrack/Network Rail use to clean the rails of debris. It's a double-ended mobile high-pressure cleaner. Almost interesting enough to model - in HO (OO?) too! I'll get a shot of it soon.
