The immediate issue that comes to mind is the surface the tractor wheels roll on. If soft or slick, the wheels would slip or bog down. Wheels rolling over the same exact alignment repeatedly would create deep ruts, this is a common issue for guided buses (those with conventional tires and a single guide rail) even on asphalt roads. So they'd pretty much have to have both rails and paved rollways, meaning the costs of both a railroad and a paved road, and even that probably wouldn't have worked all that well. I suppose rubber-tired metros have that (with highly durable concrete or metal rollways), but they're very high-use high-cost installations, the opposite of the goal here. So as described, the disadvantages of both road and rail and the advantages of neither. As he mentioned, there are modern road-rail vehicles, usually maintenance machines but occasionally serving as small locomotives, but they have a crucial difference: they only have wheels (train wheels or rubber tires) rolling on the rails, none on the ground next to them.
Would love to see you do a video on the Galloping Geese. As someone from Colorado, the geese are kind of rail legends in the region but you rarely hear about them.
For 1923, this seems to be was a ridiculous idea. Petrol engines were all over the place by the 1920s and this little loco's power requirements were well within the capabilities of available engines in the 1920s.
Would be cool if you could find pictures of Trackmobiles in action (they have a couple of them at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts; unfortunately, these are as far as I can tell not in running order). This had a neat idea — the road wheels were at right angles to the rail wheels, so you drove perpendicular to the tracks to get on and off them, then put the rail wheels down on the tracks (the road wheels actually lifted up), and then coupled onto a couple of cars to push or pull them. The Trackmobile brand still exists as a part of the Marmon Group, but they don't seem to make units with the right-angle design any more (they seem to be all in-line like other road-rail vehicles).
Video idea: GWR 4300 They went to the Western front during World War One and are the second most produced great western steam engines behind the panniers
Should have made it so these could jack up on two sets of rails on both sides, and then attached a chain to the main running gear to the rail wheels, so that it drives just like a small locomotive, but when needed it can detach and go off road on its regular tractor wheels. Or maybe just made a bigger truck.
I see there is confustion on what Dutton's idea was and people think it later became successfully in things like rail maintenance vehicles and the R4 Power Unit. This are not Dutton's Idea because they use the rail to push against when in rail mode. Dutton's idea was the if you pushed against the dirt/earth around the rail, you would need much smaller rails meaning you could have tighter turns and you could change direction by going off-rail. (Which is a big advantage over, having a bypass section or slowly pushing which is unstable.) Of course, mud gives very poor traction, so it didn't work out. So please don't confuse this with later True hybrid, Rail and Tire vehicles. That was not his idea.
I would almost say that shunting on smaller industrial lines is almost excitedly made by rail tractors around here nowadays. Even some branch lines use them as there main loco. And its true that they are considerably cheaper than locos.
Those modern tractors are on the other hand quite a bit faster and also have a lot of tractive effort (the Unimog that is often use can pull 1000 tons)
Did I pronounce the "ruit" part of "Naboomspruit" the same as you pronounce "fruit"? -Yes.
Did I only realise I probably pronounced it wrong too late while editing?
-Yes.
Wasn’t this on the ToT cursed Live stream?
Trevor's theme
Trevor's illegitimate cousin.
13th
Fascinating, I wonder if anyone’s tried to make a model of this in On30 or On3
The immediate issue that comes to mind is the surface the tractor wheels roll on. If soft or slick, the wheels would slip or bog down. Wheels rolling over the same exact alignment repeatedly would create deep ruts, this is a common issue for guided buses (those with conventional tires and a single guide rail) even on asphalt roads. So they'd pretty much have to have both rails and paved rollways, meaning the costs of both a railroad and a paved road, and even that probably wouldn't have worked all that well. I suppose rubber-tired metros have that (with highly durable concrete or metal rollways), but they're very high-use high-cost installations, the opposite of the goal here. So as described, the disadvantages of both road and rail and the advantages of neither. As he mentioned, there are modern road-rail vehicles, usually maintenance machines but occasionally serving as small locomotives, but they have a crucial difference: they only have wheels (train wheels or rubber tires) rolling on the rails, none on the ground next to them.
Imagine failing at BOTH things you were designed for. Couldn’t be me🥲
I love that the guy looks at a railway and thinks to himself "you know what the problem is here? the TRAINS!"
Day 1 asking Train of Thought to make a video talking about fireless locomotives
I just learned that this concept is quite old!
Here in the US of A, we have Hi-railers which are basically commercial road tractors modified highway to rail use.
I like how you used the theme of a certain tractor
Are there any railroads, past or present, that are profitable?
Would love to see you do a video on the Galloping Geese. As someone from Colorado, the geese are kind of rail legends in the region but you rarely hear about them.
For 1923, this seems to be was a ridiculous idea. Petrol engines were all over the place by the 1920s and this little loco's power requirements were well within the capabilities of available engines in the 1920s.
I like how the sound in the background is just the theme of terrence the tractor.
“The Dutton Road & Rail System” – I love it!
Havr you seen The Transporters?
Meanwhile the PRR used road wheel switchers for decades with great success.
I can hear the trevor the traction engine theme
Good informative video but please don’t use this background music again, it’s infuriating.
Talk about the EMD BL2, it's a good idea, as it had tried to do the same idea, grab the benefits of two things into one
I think hes playing Trevor's theme song From Thomas & Friends
Tf?
Would be cool if you could find pictures of Trackmobiles in action (they have a couple of them at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts; unfortunately, these are as far as I can tell not in running order). This had a neat idea — the road wheels were at right angles to the rail wheels, so you drove perpendicular to the tracks to get on and off them, then put the rail wheels down on the tracks (the road wheels actually lifted up), and then coupled onto a couple of cars to push or pull them. The Trackmobile brand still exists as a part of the Marmon Group, but they don't seem to make units with the right-angle design any more (they seem to be all in-line like other road-rail vehicles).
Dutton: I suffer dreadfully and no one cares
In the opening of this video you have used a photograph of a SAR class 1A taken by myself Leith Paxton without acknowledgment or my permission.
I love sond seam wissel❤
Boats are even more efficient, should've made a land-going boat instead.
These multi-purpose invetions are always poor across industries.
Meanwhile trackless trams still exist…
It seems to me that electrification would have met the problem better. The concept wasn't wrong, though.
Qp
I myself am a south african so its nice to see Train of Thought make a video about a south african rail motive vehicle
Building Climax or light Garrett locomotives would also have fixed the problem.
right idea, wrong time
Video idea: GWR 4300
They went to the Western front during World War One and are the second most produced great western steam engines behind the panniers
Should have made it so these could jack up on two sets of rails on both sides, and then attached a chain to the main running gear to the rail wheels, so that it drives just like a small locomotive, but when needed it can detach and go off road on its regular tractor wheels.
Or maybe just made a bigger truck.
I see there is confustion on what Dutton's idea was and people think it later became successfully in things like rail maintenance vehicles and the R4 Power Unit. This are not Dutton's Idea because they use the rail to push against when in rail mode. Dutton's idea was the if you pushed against the dirt/earth around the rail, you would need much smaller rails meaning you could have tighter turns and you could change direction by going off-rail. (Which is a big advantage over, having a bypass section or slowly pushing which is unstable.) Of course, mud gives very poor traction, so it didn't work out. So please don't confuse this with later True hybrid, Rail and Tire vehicles. That was not his idea.
https://youtu.be/IS9rEro_L0U
a precursor to the modern hi railer (which are pickup trucks used for maintenance of way)
I would almost say that shunting on smaller industrial lines is almost excitedly made by rail tractors around here nowadays. Even some branch lines use them as there main loco. And its true that they are considerably cheaper than locos.
Those modern tractors are on the other hand quite a bit faster and also have a lot of tractive effort (the Unimog that is often use can pull 1000 tons)
Finally south africa is in here!