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To
deter people from "train surfing," where they sit on the roofs
of carriages, Indonesian authorities resorted to knocking 'em off with
concrete balls!
Previous attempts to deter roof riders included spraying roofs with paint, spreading oil on carriages and hiring musicians to perform safety songs.
Correspondents say those initiatives have failed. Officials hope that the latest move will prove to be the ultimate deterrent.
Previously on Neatorama: Indonesians to Spray Train Roof Riders, Lying on Train Tracks is a Folk Remedy
Thieves made off with 50 tonnes of corn taken from a moving train as it was traveling through an area 300 miles from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Police reports state that the thieves greased the train track beforehand, causing the 54-wagon vehicle to slow down due to uneasy controls. The criminals then proceeded to use a tow truck to remove the containers of corn.
The a-maizing highjacking went smooth as silk, so it is believed the kernel of truth is that the thieves stalked the train ahead of time. Link -via Arbroath, whose commenters provided the puns.
Andrew Harding had to take a picture during a 5AM train ride in Chicago, or no one would believe what he saw. It makes sense when you realize the photo was taken on October 30th. Link -via reddit
For more than fifty years after the formation of the Indian Railways in 1857, there was one crucial element that was missing on the nation's trains: toilets.
Passengers had to wait till till the stations to answer the call of nature, and it was not until a passenger named Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this angry yet amusing letter in 1909 that toilets were installed on Indian trains.
So if you're in India, and you have to go to the bathroom aboard one of their trains, you have Mr. Sen to thank:
Image: Richard Fellowes
From the notable Letters of Note
Graeme is known as a rock star where he’s from. Each day, he gets cat calls from strangers and pats on the head as he sees his owner off to work at the train station. He returns later in the day to welcome her home.
The pampered cat cannot get enough of attention, with scores of regulars calling him by name as they stop for a chat and give him a pat on the head.
Safety conscious, the sociable moggie is meticulous about using the subway to cross to the city-bound platform, rather than take a dangerous short cut across the tracks. When the evening peak comes around, Graeme puts on an encore performance, arriving at the opposite platform in time to greet owner Nicole Weinrich as she returns home from work.
His one risk-taking behaviour? Being too loyal to his fans.
But sometimes Graeme can take his desire to be close to his fans a bit too far – he has been known to jump on the train and get off a station or two later. “He doesn’t do it often, but we do worry about that,” Ms Weinrich said.
Chew-Chew Train – $19.95
Is mealtime a up hill battle at your house? Bring the fun back to your table with the Chew-Chew Train from the NeatoShop. This great little set includes:
Combine all the pieces to create an adorable locomotive.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Mealtime fun!
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Michael Powell and Juergen Horn are continuing their living experiment in moving to a new city every three months, and writing about them on their blog 91 Days. Now in Sucre, Bolivia, they took a train excursion to Potosi, high in the Andes.
The trip takes almost seven hours, but it’s seven hours of the most beautiful landscapes imaginable, particularly if you’re able to snag the front seat next to the driver. Amazingly, this train isn’t a touristic draw. We were the only foreigners on board (and among a minority who wasn’t carrying a bag full of potatoes or chickens).
Tickets were about $3.50 apiece, already worth the price after the first 15 minutes. Vertigo-sufferers may want to take a pass on the trip… the train never feels especially steady, and I felt my stomach jump while looking down over some bridges. But if you’re a fan of mountain scenery, and not on a tight schedule, this trip is definitely something to consider. It’s also a slow, healthy way to ascend to Potosí’s 4000+ meter altitude.
See photographs and video of the trip at For 91 Days. Link -Thanks, Juergen!
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Just because Armageddon is happening Saturday as foretold by Family
Radio Worldwide’s Harold Camping doesn’t mean you have to give up the
love of your pets. One group is offering services to take care of your
furry loved ones while you are in Heaven. You can make arrangements to
have your pet cared for at the link.
You’ve committed your life to Jesus. You know you’re saved. But when
the Rapture comes what’s to become of your loving pets who are left
behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.
Cog railways can travel up steep hills and mountains because of an extra rail underneath with teeth. Cogwheels on the train itself fit into those teeth and keep it pushing upward. Some of these railways have been in service over a hundred years in the Alps and the Rockies! Take a closer look at how they work and see some spectacular photographs at Dark Roasted Blend. Link
Imagine a fancy luncheon -served on a subway train! That’s exactly what happened in New York City on Sunday, aboard the L train bound for Brooklyn. The guests only knew they were there for an “underground dining experience.” What they got was an experience, all right.
The event was the work of several supper clubs, and the menu they devised was luxurious: caviar, foie gras and filet mignon, and for dessert, a pyramid of chocolate panna cotta, dusted with gold leaf. All of it was accessible with a MetroCard swipe (Michele handed out single-ride passes) and orchestrated with clockwork precision. The six-course extravaganza took only a half-hour.
It wasn’t rush hour, so seating was easy. The tables (lap-width black planks, with holes cut to fit water glasses) were tied to the subway railings with twine. Tucking in behind them felt something like being buckled into a roller coaster. At 1:30 p.m., a few minutes ahead of schedule, the train lurched off.
It was a lovely meal, but it was, after all, illegal.
Paul Smith, a CUNY professor, encountered the meal on his way home to the East Village and was invited to join. “I had this fantastic lunch,” he said, “very exquisite. And then I thought, am I going to get arrested?”
There was no sign of the police or even a conductor, but officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, reached on Monday, were not amused. “A dinner party on the L train?” said Charles F. Seaton, a spokesman for the authority. “No. Subway trains are for riding, not for holding parties.”
In deference to the authority’s rules, the hosts did not offer alcohol. This did not assuage Mr. Seaton. “No beverages at all with open containers,” he said.
After clean-up, the organizers called it a job well done. They had spent over $1600 on the stunt, but the publicity for pulling it off was well worth it. Link -Thanks, Bill!
(Image credit: Yana Paskova for The New York Times)
The Maeklong Market has been in business for decades. When they built a railroad right through it, vendors saw no reason to move, or to even give up space for the train, which comes through eight times every day. The second part of the video shows the Damnoen Saduak floating market in central Thailand. This lush video was produced by Terje Sorgjerd, who also brought us The Aurora.
Previously: Train in a Bangkok Market
Train Whistle - $2.95
Are you looking for a way to annoy your frenemies who have small children? Does buying a drum set seem like too much of an investment? Get the Train Whistle from the NeatoShop.
The Train Whistle from the NeatoShop is strong and durable. It is also surprisingly easy to use. Those kids will be making loud train sounds in no time!
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Classic Toys and Puzzles!
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That’s what the German railway officials said (I’m paraphrasing) as they refused a mother’s plea to stop a train when her toddler was accidentally left on a train:
Ulrike Kracht, 19, had pleaded with Deutsche Bahn staff to somehow stop the train after its automatic doors closed at a station. She was unloading her possessions and pushchair before returning for Marie Luise when her way was blocked and the train began pulling away. [...]
She said two German railways employees banged frantically on the doors to try to get them open but without success. But when she asked to radio ahead to stop the train she says she was told: “We can’t do that. It must run on schedule.“ Later a railways spokeswoman said: “There was no train coming back in the other direction anyway because of a strike.“
You just have to admire the German efficiency, don’tcha? Link – via Arbroath
A one-car train pulls into a station in Poland. The passengers get out. They keep coming. Then you start to wonder where they all came from. According to the YouTube comments, this is typical in Poland. -via the Presurfer
Gliding through the Bath train station on a Saturday morning with a high-speed camera pointed out the window, capturing everything in detail. No plot, little action, and sadly, no music, but this video is oddly fascinating. -via b3ta
These scans of an old safety booklet for children called It’s Great to be Alive! are full of gruesome injuries that befall careless bicycle riders, pedestrians, and kids at play.
In fairness, adults didn’t have a lot of options in those days, so using abject fear was a common parenting tool. There were no reflective bicycle helmets or knee-pads for skateboarders, no designated bicycle lanes, many fewer supervised activities, and we didn’t even have seat belts in cars until the mid-1960s. When accidents happened, they were usually pretty grim.
See more mayhem in this article from Gene Gable. Link -via TYWKIWDBI
Trains go where other vehicles can’t, but only if there are tracks in those places. So it only makes sense to lay train tracks with a train! The P811-S Track Renewal Train does just that. This train finished the line to Overpelt, Belgium on May 5 of this year. -via the Presurfer
The 2nd Annual Golden Gate Express Garden Railway is open at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. The garden features miniature versions of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, buildings, and of course, a train! Plus, they are all made of recycled materials. The exhibition is open until April 18th, but if you can’t go, you can see more pictures at Laughing Squid. Link
(image credit: Todd Lappin)
Six men in Germany built their own functional electric locomotive out of garden furniture and train parts and took it out on a nearby rail line at night. They’ve since been arrested:
The six-seater train – made out of garden furniture and salvaged train parts – was powered by an electric motor and even had its own refreshments car in the shape of a crate of beer.[...]
Police however had to call in a helicopter to find and follow the makeshift train as the police cars could not follow it along the tracks.
The helicopter pilot was able to radio ahead to other officers who set up a makeshift barrier at a station to stop it.
Link via Ace of Spades HQ | Photo: Police News
This is described as a “complete thermite weld.” It’s much more complicated than you might have anticipated. You will know within the first minute or so whether or not you are fascinated by the technology, the tools, or even the workmen’s accents. There are also some cool fireproof “Donald Duck boots” near the end. For those with an interest, Part 1 of the video is here.
Croatian rescue workers were taken by surprise when a service vehicle dispatched to assist them with a train wreck lost control and crashed in nearby the original wreck! What a near miss …
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by if.
The next time you ride a train, spill some paperclips on the floor and see if they do the "magnetic dance". According to Pink Tentacle:
The video — shot on the Rokko Liner in Kobe, Japan — shows how paperclips stand on end when the train accelerates and brakes. The magnetism, which is produced by the electric current that drives the motors located under the floor, apparently poses no harm to the human body, though it could damage credit cards, mobile phones, or other electronic devices if left on the floor.
Link | YouTube Link (from Kobe Shinbun)
Miniatur Wonderland in Hamburg, Germany is the largest model railway in the world. With 7 miles of tracks in an area of over 16,000 sq ft, 200,000 people, 4,000 cars, 800 buildings, it features 6 geographic regions including America. It’s a work in progress (!) with a goal of more than 13 miles of tracks. The builders have already clocked in more than 500,000 hours of work.
This video is a presentation of this amazing attraction; make sure you watch the ‘small’ control room @ 3:35.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Christophe.
Amazing CCTV footage of a Turkish man who narrowly escapes a collision with a truck and a train.
File under "Lucky".
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by stinkyplum.
London artists now have a solution to the dilemma of renting expensive studio space to work in. Furniture designer Auro Foxcraft purchased four old Underground subway cars for 200 pounds each and mounted them to a rooftop, creating some unique, affordable office space.
Located atop a warehouse in Shoreditch, London, Village Underground as it’s called, only costs artists 15 pounds a week. And while the roof is a work area for artists the warehouse below is used to exhibit their work.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.
Have a look below if you want to try to figure out how it works, or simply kick off your shoes, hit play and enjoy the ride.
The core of the bearings consists of a magnetic rail and super-conducting bulks, cooled to a temperature of -196°C. During the cooling process, the magnetic field of the rail will be written in the superconductors, which are positioned at a set distance from the magnetic rail. This enables them to retain a set horizontal position in relation to the rail. Their super-conducting operational temperature is maintained in cryostats, initially through cooling in liquid nitrogen.
Link [YouTube] – via Prylefeber
This impressive video clip of a snow plowing train in Goodland, KS brings back some good ol’ “Runaway Train” 80s movie memories – or maybe that’s just me?
Also see the Train Snow Plow Getting Stuck entry.
Check out this powerful Snow Plow Train get stuck. At first I thought it would keep going but as massive as they are, mother nature has her way.
Link: Youtube
