Washington DC.

[Gwizz]

Spent some time in Washington DC.   Older rail lines have been converted to passenger lines with 3 to 8 car suburban trains that I saw. 

There seems to be special lines for freight trains like the two coal unit trains I watched go by,

These freight lines had very shiny rails but the rail size were smaller in size than the rail on passenger lines.

I guess the passenger lines are funded by plentiful tax dollars. 

 

The grand kids spent some time carving large pumpkins.  The owner had a 6 foot pumpkin on display, It was over 1,600 lbs.

She had security cameras aimed at her biggest pumpkins as they grew. 

After it was carved they gave me two seeds from it.  I'm going to build a special green house for it, since cold weather is predicted this coming year for the Seattle area.

 

When we got back home my six year old grandson showed me he had down loaded Railroad Tycoon 2 as an apt. for his I-Pad.   But he wouldn't let me play the RT2 game since as he put it, he had not yet beat all of the games he had downloaded.  

If I understand correctly he loss use of the I-pad for a while when he spent too much time on the I-pad.

Gee wizz.  Maybe next time I'll have a turn.

 

[jeffryfisher]

...freight lines had very shiny rails but the rail size were smaller in size than the rail on passenger lines.

When you say "smaller", do you mean narrower gauge? Did the pax lines have a "3rd rail" (looks like a guard rail, usually on the side furthest from where any people might be or see).

I'm guessing that what you saw were Metro tracks, dedicated mass transit like BART around SF. BART was built with broad gauge (6'). I can't remember the reason. DC's Metro may also be 6'.

[MaglevForever]

Interesting. I hope you get some giant pumpkins too. I don't think that the Railroad Tycoon 2 app for the I-Pad is really related to the real thing we play. Might still be a bit of fun to play, though, and hopefully he gets the train bug and comes and plays the real version. :)

[Gwizz]

We spent most of our time lost in Virginia.  My AAA map was little help.  Map signs didn't match the road signs.  There was too many signs to put on the map I guess.

I should have rented a Garmon.  At one point looking for the airport to go home, we ended up in the parking lot for the NSI head quarters.  Lucky us the driver in a car ahead of us stopped and told us we had a dozen guards watching us.  He also told us how to find the airport .  When we drove out there was 4 cars with light flashing along the way with 16 eyes watching us.  Well, No jail time resulted.  I did see three of the biggest dishes I have ever seen, aimed in different directions.  Now that I've said that I'll be on their radar forever. 

 

Some of the transit lines coming from DC ended in Virginia.  I don't remember a third rail in Virginia.  Probably in DC there is third rail power, But I couldn't get close enough to the tracks.   From bridges I could see lots of yards, passenger and freight rail all mixed together.

 

At one point in Virginia we crossed two double tracks.  Two on each side of the same station with overhead walkways.  I saw no third rail on any of these tracks.

It looked like the transit cars were running on about 350 lb to the yard rail.  The Freight train rail looks to be about 250 lbs and these rails had lots of wear. (Coal trains)

When following a river with high hills on each side, the freight lines came close to the Transit line's.  Still found no third rail.

 

It was a fun trip.  I did follow a sigh to a RR Museum.  But it was closed and looking in some windows it looked unfinished.  I also attracted a police car that followed us.  We jumped in the car and got out of Dodge.  By the time he got turned around we were gone.  but later we passed him at a crossing street light.  He had a  big grin on his face.  I think he must have teleported to that spot.   Still no jail time.  

 

My grandson said he didn't think the RT2 train game was any fun for him.  Too easy.    8)   Gee Wizz I'm being put down by a 6 year old.   ???

[Gwizz]

I've been corrected.  We ended up in the NSA parking lot, not the NSI parking lot.  The NSI teaches security people.

 

I looked up the NSA.  Gee wizz, the NSA keeps track of almost every US citizen at home and abroad, 24-7. 

 

I wonder if they track every train and know what is in every railway car as well. 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency

[envelope]

That had to be a very interesting trip.   And although a "pain", youngsters do add fun to the project.  It was interesting to see that there were not any 3rd rail stuff.   Now although there are agencies keeping track of your every move and correspondence, and although there had been some report on "drones", now the report includes "small airplanes".  Not much privacy nowdays.  >:(