Windmill Train

[Denver Road Doug]

Made a trip up to my hometown last night, and of course used the opportunity for some railfanning.   Never caught a "windmill train" before, but my luck changed!   Thought I would share a few photos, and consist info.

Here is the obligatory hometown shot...the historic FW&D/Rock Island bridges on the northwest side of Bowie, TX.   Not much of a windmill train shot but anyway...


This is the train blowing past signals and a passing siding (Fruitland) southeast of town.   Yes, these are BNSF rails.   


A long shot of the tail end, just to give an idea of how odd the train looks rolling down the tracks.


A shot of one single blade, utilizing almost all of two 89-footers.

[Denver Road Doug]

Another long shot of the train winding around a curve as it takes the passing siding at Alvord.


A "storm light" pic, the clouds breaking just as I was about to head back north.


A parting shot, showing how the blades alternate on the train.


And one final storm light shot, sans trains.

[Ike the BN Freak]

If someone could make the blades...I could model a short version of the train...got plenty of undec 89ft flats that I could use.

[Denver Road Doug]

The meat...

(B) indicates base end of blade affixed to the car supports, (T) indicates tip end.
+ indicates a drawbar connecting two platforms as one car with one number. (similar to the Triple-53's)

NS 9156 D9-40CW
NS 8851 D9-40C
HTTX 97055 60FT "Buffer Car" OldTTX LD LMT 153700 LT WT 66300 BLT 03-67
PTTX 158572 (B) OldTTX LD LMT 153200 LT WT 66800 BLT 4-73
TTYX 354080 (T) NoLogo LT LMT 156000 LT WT 64000
+TTYX 354080 (T) OldTTX
PTTX 252000 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX LD LMT 150000 LT WT 66200
PTTX 601000 (B) F-89J? 89FP OldTTX Plate F
TTYX 353003 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353003 (T) OldTTX LD LMT 156000 LT WT 64000 Plate C
PTTX 601990 (B) F89-J? 89JP OldTTX
PTTX 152729 (B) Channel-Side 89FP OldTTX Plate F
TTYX 353680 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 353680 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 601417 (B) F89-J? 89JP OldTTX Plate F
PTTX 252369 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353663 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 353663 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 601861 (B) F-89J OldTTX
PTTX 252507 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353053 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353053 (T) NewTTX
PTTX 154341 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
PTTX 250642 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353060 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353060 (T) NewTTX
PTTX 252261 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
PTTX 252417 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 110068 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 110068 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 154462 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 165282 (B) OldTTX
+TTYX 165282 (T) OldTTX
TTYX 254085 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 254085 (B) NewTTX
PTTX 603768 (B) OldTTX
TTYX 353307 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353307 (T) OldTTX
PTTX 154559 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
PTTX 155579 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353163 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353163 (T) OldTTX
PTTX 602262 (B) F89-J? OldTTX BLT 10-67
PTTX 250606 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353036 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 110068 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 152659 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
PTTX 251806 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353359 (T) NoLogo
+TTYX 353359 (T) OldTTX
PTTX 250732 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
JTTX 251279 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353102 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 353102 (T) NoLogo
TTYX 253739 (B) NewTTX
PTTX 153415 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353492 (T) OldTTX
+TTYX 353492 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 601998 (B) F89-J? OldTTX
PTTX 155269 (B) Channel-Side OldTTX
TTYX 353867 (T) NewTTX
+TTYX 353867 (T) NoLogo
PTTX 602324 (B) F89-J? OldTTX
O?TTX 97049 60ft "Buffer Car" NewTTX
2 Locomotives 62 Cars 30 Loads

[Denver Road Doug]

If someone could make the blades...I could model a short version of the train...got plenty of undec 89ft flats that I could use.

You know, I'm notorious for soiling my underpants and going "all-in" for trying to model something I capture in the wild.   But, in this case it's going to take more than just someone making the blades.   I think it would take some pretty spiffy engineering to actually operate a train like this on a model railroad that has curves.   I did ponder the idea for a bit...it would probably need some type of spring-loaded sliding mount, and very flexible plastic blades.  And then there's how to weight down the flat cars.   Not saying it can't be done (probably someone already has) but I don't think it's a project I plan to tackle.

[James Costello]

Great timing Doug, I caught a train of the pylons on Monday on UP's Sunset Route at Beaumont Hill.

Photos to come when I get home and sorted, but similar arrangements.

Are they still also moving them by modified spine car anymore?

[Denver Road Doug]

Are they still also moving them by modified spine car anymore?

It was definitely a fun chase...just wish it had been about an hour sooner...I was really running out of light.

I don't know if they are still using the spines.  I would think so unless there were problems with them.

[Rossford Yard]

Nice shots!  Weirdest train I have seen is the Boeing 737 fuselage train (profiled in Trains this month) heading north in Newton, Ks a few years back.  From behind a tree line, my first thought was that it was a crashing plane.

[coldriver]

Nice catch Doug - wish I'd seen it!  Seems like the windmill tower trains might be a little easier to model than the blade trains. 

[peteski]

Looks like a perfect task for Shapeways.    3D print master blade and the holding fixture patterns, then resin-cast them.

The size of these is amazing. Especially considering how large a 1:1 train seems to be when standing next to it. These dwarf the train!

[Ike the BN Freak]

I think it would take some pretty spiffy engineering to actually operate a train like this on a model railroad that has curves.   I did ponder the idea for a bit...it would probably need some type of spring-loaded sliding mount, and very flexible plastic blades.  And then there's how to weight down the flat cars.   Not saying it can't be done (probably someone already has) but I don't think it's a project I plan to tackle.

I have some ideas, I'd have the base mounted permanently to the support.  And the "tip" end "float" in its support, probably have a pin that is in the support that can slide up and down the blade as it goes around corners.  The support that is fixed to the base end, I'd leave fixed on the flat, looks to be that way on the proto.  The tip end, besides the blade floating, the support looks to slide back and forth on the flat.  Probably have it rest on the car and slide.

As peteski mentioned if you cast the blades in resin, there is the weight, however I think it might make the car too top heavy.

[peteski]

As peteski mentioned if you cast the blades in resin, there is the weight, however I think it might make the car too top heavy.

Hmm... I suppose they could be printed hollow by Shapeways.  But then the Shapeways printouts would have to be used (which could get pretty expensive).  The other alternative would be to use slush-casting technique to make the cast parts hollow.

[Denver Road Doug]

Well whadaya know...

https://www.facebook.com/CGNScale

[Mark W]

 

[Ike the BN Freak]

Interesting...

Just wondering how the car/load will handle N scale layouts and curves.