Sharrod Wrote:
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> Earl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > guymonmd Wrote:
> >
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>
> > -----
> > > The train in the video appears to me to be
> > doing
> > > better that 20 mph.
> > > My guess is 25 to 30.
> >
> > Track speed west of Antonito is 20 mph. 488 is
> > running real close to that. The fastest I've
> ever
> > been out there is a little above 25 back when
> we
> > could run 22 out there. I felt REAL fast. BTW
> 20
> > is the fastest one can run without having a
> > speedometer on the locomotive (which the
> engines
> > do not have).
>
> That is a little funny rule. If you don't have a
> speedometer, how do you know you are under 20 mph?
A watch and mileposts.
5 min mile - 12mph
4 min mile - 15mph
3:20 min mile - 18mph
3 min mile - 20mph
2:43 min mile - 22 mph
2:24 min mile - 25mph.
Most railroad include a speed table in their contents.
As to why one is limited to 20mph without a speedometer, you'd half to ask the FRA. I guess they don't think anyone can tell time anymore, and with experience, one can guess their speed to about 20 mph. Back in steam days, only the fast passenger engines had speedos. You ran with your watch in your hand. However if you were a good runner you had a real good sense of how fast you were going simply by the way the engine rode and by its sound. In other words, your speedometer was in your ears and in your butt.