My railroad tool display at Cowan Depot, Cowan, Tennessee.

[Stoney]

This is my railroad tool display that is on semi-permanent display at the Cowan Depot, Cowan Tennessee since 2009. It's about time I re-labeled the exhibit.  Cowan is at the foot of the mountain below the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, built in 1849-1852, which has seen  N.C.&StL, L&N, Family Lines and now CSX.  It is on the mainline between Nashville and Chattanooga.  Because of the 2 percent grade, the tunnel is a pusher district so there is a lot of train action. Up to the 50/60,s the depot also served the Goat Track that carried students to the University of The South at Sewanee, at the top of Cumberland Mountain.  To see the depot go to www.cowanrailroadmuseum.org



Better shot of the right side.


Better shot of the track tools.


The tool in the front is my pride and joy.  It is a rail drill for drilling the holes in rails so they could be bolted together with 4 bolt clamps.  It dates to the early 1900's.  It works like a post drill, but horizontal.  Behind that are a pair of rail lifting chains and then two track jacks.


This is the drill bit and the hook that goes over the rail.  When you crank the handles the motion is changed by a bevel gear to vertical motion.  At the bottom through another bevel gear, the motion is changed to horizontal motion.  As the bit is turned a dog at the back applies pressure to the bit forcing the bit to bite.

[Papaw]

Great display, and an honor that it has been running a long time.

[64longstep/Brian]

Nice!!!

[Fins/413]

Terrific display, "Coast Line' fan here.

[Stoney]

Thanks ya'll.  The track tools are using tools.  They are waiting for me to get over this kidney setback so we can build a new siding and switch using these tools plus a Lull.  Then we can display more rolling stock.  If I could go back in time my dream jobs would be a railroad shop blacksmith or track section line foreman.  Dreaming
Is that Atlantic Coast Line Finis/413?

[skipskip]

Hmm, seem to be quite a few of us' foamers' here.

I live about 1/4 mile from the D &H ( now CP) Kenwood yards here in Albany.

I spend a lot of time listening to the toots and bangs from the yard.

[keykeeper]

I have a ball peen hammer somewhere marked "SAL". I understand that was Seaboard Air Line RR. They had a route that went to Birmingham, AL from what I have read.

A man could tie up a lot of money collecting old RR tools!!

[rusty]

Very nice Stoney: )

And I like that it is more or less a complete working set, looks like you could go tomorrow and lay track with what's there,
All you need is a flat car and a crew...

(OK, an engine might make things a little easier too, those flat cars are hard to push....)

[Stoney]

Skipskip I grew up on a farm where one side of our property joined Southern Railroad main between Huntsville, Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee.  When our boys were 6 and 8, we lived on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga looking down on Southern's big yard.  We watched the yard switchers for hours.

Keykeeper, Sal merged with L&N and Clinchfield to form the Family Lines while C&O and B&O were merging to form Chessie Lines.  A few years later the Family Lines and Chessie Lines merged to form CSX. I'm collecting all names connected to CSX.  Yes you can spend a ton of money on Railroad tools but at least there's not as many RxR tools as say wrenches. 

Rusty I'm still missing a track gage, a rail bender and a section foreman  track transit.  Let the hunt continue..

Thanks Ya'll for all the good words.

[Papaw]

I bet you saw this view Stoney

Tennessee River by Noel C. Hankamer, on Flickr


Tennessee River by Noel C. Hankamer, on Flickr


Cannon by Noel C. Hankamer, on Flickr

Taken several years ago on the way to Philadelphia.

[Stoney]

Yes Papaw we lived under Lookout Park and could watch the riverboat going down river around Moccasin Bend (that is the bend in the river in the pictures) on the weekends dinner cruise and listen to her steam calliope music.  Beautiful view.  Good times.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Great display! Must have taken many years to put it together. It has to feel good to know that a lot of people get to see how it was done a hundred years ago.

I saw several ways to develop lumbar muscles in your display, but not this one.

[Fins/413]

Thanks ya'll.  The track tools are using tools.  They are waiting for me to get over this kidney setback so we can build a new siding and switch using these tools plus a Lull.  Then we can display more rolling stock.  If I could go back in time my dream jobs would be a railroad shop blacksmith or track section line foreman.  Dreaming
Is that Atlantic Coast Line Finis/413?

Yes sir that is the one.

[Fins/413]

Skipskip I grew up on a farm where one side of our property joined Southern Railroad main between Huntsville, Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee.  When our boys were 6 and 8, we lived on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga looking down on Southern's big yard.  We watched the yard switchers for hours.

Keykeeper, Sal merged with L&N and Clinchfield to form the Family Lines while C&O and B&O were merging to form Chessie Lines.  A few years later the Family Lines and Chessie Lines merged to form CSX. I'm collecting all names connected to CSX.  Yes you can spend a ton of money on Railroad tools but at least there's not as many RxR tools as say wrenches. 

Rusty I'm still missing a track gage, a rail bender and a section foreman  track transit.  Let the hunt continue..

Thanks Ya'll for all the good words.

You lived next to the Rathole you lucky dog.

[johnsironsanctuary]

What is different about a railroad transit from an ordinary surveyors transit?