Posted by Bob M on December 21, 2011 at 06:40:44 from (67.240.168.45):
In Reply to: Rail Road Question posted by JDB on December 20, 2011 at 20:12:16:
A couple more comments:
On local trains in addition to providing a desk, toilet and general shelter a caboose is helpful for reverse moves - ie. where the train runs backward with the locomotive shoving at the rear. The caboose gives a trainman a safe place to ride while being the forward lookout, sounding a horn at crossings, setting the train brakes in an emergency, etc.
A caboose is still frequently used with special trains transporting heavy or oversized shipments like large transformers, pressure vessels, etc. Again it gives employees a safe place to ride while they accompany the shipment. (Photos below are of a shipping company-owned caboose with a large (400+ ton) transformer shipment I spotted rolling through town a couple days ago).
----
As others note the whining sound is the exhaust from a small air turbine generator inside the FRED. If you listen closely you will occasionally hear a change in pitch of the turbine as the internal electrical load momentarily loads the turbogenerator. These load changes are always accompanied by a series of "chirps" heard around 457.9 mhz - the FRED's data transmitting frequency.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Third Brush Generators - by Chris Pratt. While I love straightening sheet metal, cleaning, and painting old tractors, I use every excuse to avoid working on the on the electrics. I find the whole process sheer mystery. I have picked up and attempted to read every auto and farm electrics book with no improvement in the situation. They all seem to start with a chapter entitled "Theory of Electricity". After a few paragraphs I usually close the book and go back to banging out dents. A good friend and I were recently discussing our tractor electrical systems when he stated "I figure it all comes back to applying Ohms Law". At this point
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1945 Farmall wide body gas with pto and front plow. Runs good but needs new points.
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.