I’ve sometimes wondered how Canadian National Railway hi-rail vehicles stay on the rails when they travel the tracks. I figure if I were driving, the vehicle would tumble off for sure. Sheesh! I can’t even walk on the rails without falling off!And to think the answer in the form of a truck was parked right here in East Gwillimbury this morning!
At a distance, hi-rail trucks look normal. And, in fact they ARE normal trucks--but modified. They can be driven on roads as well as rails. Their secret for riding the rails? They have steel wheels, lowered and raised by a pneumatic or hydraulic system.If you’ve never seen a hi-rail truck in action, take a peek at this You-Tube video of a CN hi-rail truck. Enjoy!
3 comments:
Hi Ive seen picture of an old Land rover converted this way.. and here's a picture of a Willy's Jeep fitted up for something similar.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:AWM-jeep-train-1.jpg
It must feel funny not useing the steering wheel... ha! Well spotted by the way.
Tom
Thanks for the link, Tom. I wonder what the jeep would be used for, as I'm assuming it's owned for leisure activities.
I wouldn't want to share the tracks with the trains that come through East Gwillimbury as I have never been able to figure out an exact schedule. Freight trains aren't on schedules like passenger trains, I fear.
Greetings from Juneau!
We use to see rail trucks like this when we lived in Nenana, Alaska. Image the scenery they get to see driving those trucks. It would be neat to use one for the day. As long as no one else was on the tracks, right?:)
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