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Line car 877 run-by #2, pushing flat car load of blocks CNW4145 8 views Here the track was covered with snow, the heavily loaded flatcar cleared the track quite well as you will see.
Line car 877 snow run-by #1, shoving flat car load of blocks CNW4145 3 views Here is run by #1 of the Line Car pushing a flatcar toward the end of the line for unloading
Line car 877 snow run continued, attempt #3 CNW4145 11 views After getting the car back on the rail, we cleaned the track by hand through the remainder of the curve. After getting around the curve, we were on our way to the task at h...
Attempt #2 at running through the snowdrift CNW4145 8 views Continuing from the first video where we came to an abrupt halt in the snow, we tried to back up and take another run at the drift. Unfortunately the car derailed due to th...
First attempt at running Line Car 877 this winter, through the snow. CNW4145 7 views Normally the RRVT is basically shut down December-March as winters around here generally bring plentiful snowfall and occasional extended periods of below zero temps, makin...
Curved side ride #2 CNW4145 1,247 views Racing down the newly ballasted track as we head for the carbarn, then down the 7% grade at which time you will see the operation of the air brakes on this car. Enjoy the r...
Ride on the curved side car CNW4145 725 views Departing from the turntable heading East, you can see the controller in action as we head back for the carbarn.
newly ballasted track and curved side car run by CNW4145 1,306 views Last fall we spread about 12 tons of rock on a few parts of the line, this particular part was were most of the time was spent ballasting and tamping to get the track fairl...
Curved side car run by viewed from upper crossing CNW4145 348 views Here the car goes whisking by a road crossing on the high speed line
Curved side car coming up the high speed line CNW4145 570 views This video was taken from the end of one of the bridges, enabling the low angle view.

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CNW4145

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Jan 30, 2012

Date Joined

Oct 2, 2007

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A short history of the RRVT, as everyone has been asking for: This railroad was started around 1950, by a Mr. S. Griffith. It started as a single short stretch of track, a flatcar with a motor on it and an extension cord for power. This flatcar actually provided the base of the Birney car, #656, still in operation today! Mr. Griffith began building this railway because he was basically unsatisfied with the experience that model railroading provided and wanted to be able to ride on the train (as most of us do!) and being a trolley fan this type of setup made perfect sense. A good friend of his was an electrical engineer for various electric railways around the Chicago area, which helped immensly in designing the power distribution system and acquisition of electrical equipment. He began acquiring rail, wheels, and misc RR parts from old mines, factories, and through trading with other people he knew in the railfan circles. Over the last 60 years and with the help of a few people the railroad has grown to almost a mile run through the woods. Most of the cars on the line are very close to their original condition as when Mr. Griffith built them, although I have upgraded the control and drive systems to improve operation. All of the cars were built between 1956 and 2004. You could say that this line has outlived the lifespan of nearly all of the electric railways that once existed in the US! Everyone has been asking where the line is located, and while I would love to have the company and show off some of this wonderful equipment the exact location of the line will be kept private for the time being, due of course to insurance reasons. 30 years ago this was not a concern but everyone is so sue happy these days I can not afford to risk it. I will tell you that we are located in northern Illinois, with a BNSF line to the north and a UP line to the south. The line is powered from 240V AC power, utilizing 3 substations strategically placed to ensure even power distribution. The rail is used as "ground" and the overhead wire is energized at 240V potential. Most of the cars have now been changed over to DC motors, with a 36V golf cart motor being the most common traction motor. A power supply onboard the car converts the 240V AC power to the 40V DC needed by the motor or motors, the speed being controlled with home brew chopper type systems. Air brakes have also been added to nearly all of the cars as their traction systems were updated. We work on the line one day a week, usually Sunday since the rest of the week is taken up with a paying job! Currently in the works is the replacement of the signal system, which I installed originally around 2001 but has been a problem due to the trees and branches constantly knocking down the codeline. The new system is wireless which will allow for a CTC indicator panel to be installed in the carbarn with little work. The carbarn was recently expanded to include a lean-to building for storage of rolling stock, and a new 12' flat car was built this year for tie and rail hauling. Once things warm up again we will be spreading ballast along the line and upgrading the high speed straight sections of track, and one of our crew members has been very busy installing new ties along much of the line. I hope to get some videos of us making these improvements, although sometimes it is tough to run the camera and work at the same time! Thanks for all the comments and enjoy.

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