Book Review: Civil Engineering for Outdoor Railroads - Volume One

by Douglas van Veelen, published by AuthorHouse 2005, 188 pages, paperbound

Doug van Veelen is an accomplished Civil Engineer with a life long interest in full size and model railroading, with professional railroad engineering credits. This book is the outgrowth of some articles he wrote for Live Steam magazine, in which he adapts full size railroad civil engineering practice to the design and construction of large scale model outdoor tracks.

Topics covered in this volume include curvature, spirals, easements, grade, planning and profiling track, surveying techniques, retaining walls, water and erosion controls through ditching, culverts and bridges, and maintenance. A series of appendices include tables for super elevations, easements, and offsets for track gages ranging from 3.5 inches through standard gage. A lot of information from the Pennsylvania Railroad Specifications for Construction and Maintenance of Track is also included.

Doug presents some pretty esoteric mathematical formulas which intimidated me, being mathematically challenged (no trig or calc), but the majority of which I could work through using his examples and step by step trail and error. He also makes other arcane stuff (like how surveying really works) simple enough, in plain English, that almost anybody with an interest can do an adequate job of laying out  workable lines and curves with minimal equipment.

His use of photos, real life track design examples, his personal experience and experimentation with track construction techniques, and lots of examples gleaned from a large Atlanta area live steam track (which no longer exists) make the information even more practical and valuable.

A diskette with programs for doing calculations is included.

I would recommend this book to anybody who wishes to build a sizeable outdoor railroad on rough terrain, and ensure that it will be operable and maintainable. I would also not be afraid to use it as a reference were I to build an amusement park train ride track. And, given that it includes standard gage tables and examples, it may also be useful for museum track design and light industrial spurs as well, for those of us who need to build lightly used infrastructure without becoming civil engineers, or poring through many weighty textbooks.

The book is available at Doug's Railroad Stuff (on Ebay) for $21.02 plus $4.50 S&H in the continental U.S. ($6.00 in Canada).

(Dave Lathrop)

Two Special White Pass & Yukon Events for May 2006

White Pass in Oregon, May 6 and 7, 2006
Two days of photography on the Sumpter Valley Railway using a White Pass and Yukon photo freight, with genuine White Pass equipment in White Pass colors and lettering. The train should be about ten cars in length and will have a coach and open gondola on the rear for the photographers to ride. These two cars (which are not genuine White Pass cars) will be uncoupled and staged out of view for all run bys. The train consist will be changed throughout the weekend to allow a variety of different consists to be photographed. The locomotive will be White Pass & Yukon 81, 2-8-2 (Alco Schenectady 61980/1920), 3' gauge, originally Sumpter Valley 101. We hope to have the locomotive in different period liveries each day.

A new number plate is being cast for locomotive WP&Y 81. For those that are interested a few extra plates are being made and sold separately, but only to those people who reserve one. Only enough number plates will be cast to fill advance orders, and provide a plate for the locomotive for this weekend. You do not have to attend the event to order a number plate. The deadline for plate orders is April 1st, 2006. Price of the number plate is dependent upon the number of orders.

The White Pass and Yukon is in full support of this event and has given us their full blessing to restore and operate this equipment in their colors and proudly display their name.

This event is a firm go. The cost is USD $150.00 if you want to take in one day only, or USD $250.00 for the complete weekend and payment is due in advance.

White Pass in Alaska, May 12th to 14th, 2006
Continue on to Alaska for a three day railfan weekend on the real White Pass and Yukon. There will be several events for our group including special arrangements for line siding the regular trains. We will also be riding trains, have shop visits and there will be equipment displays and other activities. WP&Y 73, 2-8-2 (BLW 73352/1947), 3' gauge, should be out of the shop this week and undergoing testing for the renewal of her operating certificate. Sometime during our visit, it is expected she will be able to couple on to a few passenger cars and run up the line for us. WP&Y 69, 2-8-0 (BLW 32762/1908), 3' gauge, will be in the shop and you will be able to have a look at her, too. More details will be announced as they are worked out. This event is restricted to a maximum of 50 attendees.

The price for this railfan weekend is still be worked out by the railroad and will be posted as soon as it is known. Air fare, accommodation, meals, etc., are the responsibility of the guests.

For contact and reservation information for the above events, and other possible photo charter events as well, please see this link.

(Doug Cumming)

Enjoy Springtime Aboard the Fifth Annual Scenic Limited Trains

Take a real ride into history when the Western Railway Museum operates the fifth annual "Scenic Limited" trains. The "Scenic Limited" departs every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday in April 2006 at 11 am, 12:30 pm, and 2 pm.

April is often the best time for viewing the area's brilliant displays of wildflowers. Historic electric-powered trains make a leisurely 10-mile round trip South through the rolling Montezuma Hills. Passengers enjoy vistas of Mt. Diablo, Suisun Marsh, and thousands of acres of lush green farms and pastures, where grazing sheep outnumber people by a wide margin.

In addition to rides on real electric trains, visitors can also experience model electric trains. The Sacramento Modular Railroaders will operate their HO-scale layout at the Western Railway Museum on April 1 & 2, 2006.

Two classes of service are offered aboard the "Scenic Limited." First Class passengers ride in an antique parlor-observation car originally built for the Salt Lake and Utah Railway in 1914. This car is fitted with overstuffed individual chairs, dark wood paneling, bronze light fixtures and a handsome floral carpet. In addition, uniformed attendants serve lemonade and assorted cookies.

Coach passengers ride in a car that spent its working life on the very same rail line the Museum now owns and preserves. The Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern (later known as the Sacramento Northern) enabled people to travel from Oakland, through Sacramento, all the way to Chico. Just like in the old days, this car still sports plush red seats, dark wood paneling and crystal clear windows.

Visitors can also tour the Rail Car Display House and the Exhibit Hall, picnic in the Museum's spacious park, and shop in the museum store. Parking is free.

Admission is just $10 for adults, $9 for seniors 65 years and older, and $7 for children 2 - 14. No extra fare is required for Coach service. First Class service is only $5 extra. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to make advance reservations by calling the Museum at (707) 374-2978, extension 114.

The Western Railway Museum is located on California State Highway 12 in rural Solano County, midway between Interstate 80 and the Sacramento River town of Rio Vista. The Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday year-round from 10:30 am until 5:00 pm.

(Phil Kohlmetz)