Joined: 09/11/2004(UTC)
Posts: 2,346
Location: Longueuil, Quebec
|
Hello, Louise and I stayed in Panama for vacation last month and, of course, we have visited the canal and its locks. We were surprised to see special locomotives, or mules, used to tow and guide ships into the lock bassins. Eight mules are used for each ship transiting in the locks. Here are a couple of pictures :       A former mule :  Click on the pictures to see larger sizes. Click here to see all pictures taken at the Canal and here to see all the collection taken in Panama. Click here to read our comments (in French) about our visit at the Panama Canal on my "decouverte" blog.  Enjoy !  Pierre.
|
 7 users liked this useful post by PierreGILLARD
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 23/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,828 Location: Sydney, Australia
|
Do we think that M* would be interested in making a model of those?
Apart from the mules, there is (or used to be) a Trans Panama railway with a daily passenger train that was pulled by GM F units. |
Gary
Z Scale
"Never let the prototype get in the way of a good layout" |
1 user liked this useful post by ozzman
|
|
|
|
Joined: 09/11/2004(UTC)
Posts: 2,346
Location: Longueuil, Quebec
|
Originally Posted by: ozzman  Do we think that M* would be interested in making a model of those?
Apart from the mules, there is (or used to be) a Trans Panama railway with a daily passenger train that was pulled by GM F units. There is indeed a trans Panama railway ... and we took it ! Give me a couple of days to process the pictures.  Pierre.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 23/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,828 Location: Sydney, Australia
|
|
Gary
Z Scale
"Never let the prototype get in the way of a good layout" |
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 11/11/2012(UTC) Posts: 131 Location: Lancaster, CA
|
Had some good Liberty down that way at the Panama City. The US Navy base exchange even had a casino... Problem was I didn't speak much Spanish to get "anywhere" downtown. |
George,
73 de kc6uvm
NMRA life member
Lancaster, CA |
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 08/11/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,528 Location: Mullerup, 4200 Slagelse
|
Two postcards from the 1950's when my dad was a sailor:   Do you by the way know what is special about this sentence: A man, a plan, a canal; Panama.??????????? Per. |
If you can dream it, you can do it! I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.  |
3 users liked this useful post by Purellum
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 22/09/2009(UTC) Posts: 2,073 Location: Edinburgh,
|
Hi Per Great photos. The sentence is a palindrome - ie it reads the same front to back as well as back to front. Mike |
1957 - 1985 era
What's digital? |
1 user liked this useful post by hennabm
|
|
|
|
Joined: 22/09/2009(UTC) Posts: 2,073 Location: Edinburgh,
|
Hi Pierre Nice photos. How are the mules prevented from tipping in if the ship moves sideways within the lock? Mike |
1957 - 1985 era
What's digital? |
1 user liked this useful post by hennabm
|
|
|
|
Joined: 06/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 95 Location: ft lauderdale
|
Looks like 3 rail to me  Roger
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 11/11/2012(UTC) Posts: 131 Location: Lancaster, CA
|
Quote: How are the mules prevented from tipping in if the ship moves sideways within the lock? To answer Mike's question: While on the canal and in the Lockes, the ship is under command of a Panama Canal Pilot. The mules are doing most of the work of keeping the ship steady and positioned in the Locke letting in/out steel cables as the ship rises or lowers with the water level. As the ship is in positioned, the Lockes are closed and water is either pumped in or out of the opposing Locke. The only thing holding down the mules is weight and gravity. The "third rail" is a cog assisting tractive effort. There is no guarantee that a mule will stay upright except for an educated guess there is an emergency cable release to keep the mule out of the drink. Thanks to the US Navy, I've been through the Panama Canal twice and the Suez once. |
George,
73 de kc6uvm
NMRA life member
Lancaster, CA |
3 users liked this useful post by kc6uvm_George
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
|
Very interesting and useful topic.Thank you very much Pierre,i am sure you enjoyed your vacation. 
|
1 user liked this useful post by foumaro
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada
|
Great photos once again Pierre!
Perhaps the most important daily concern to the engine driver is not tipping into the water ... but having that handy air conditioning unit on top running as optimal capacity.
How warm was it when you were there Pierre?
- Mark
|
DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
|
1 user liked this useful post by Mark5
|
|
|
|
Joined: 09/11/2004(UTC)
Posts: 2,346
Location: Longueuil, Quebec
|
Originally Posted by: Mark5 Great photos once again Pierre!
Perhaps the most important daily concern to the engine driver is not tipping into the water ... but having that handy air conditioning unit on top running as optimal capacity.
How warm was it when you were there Pierre?
- Mark
Between 35°C and 43°C ! ... And -20°C a couple of days later at Montréal !  Pierre.
|
1 user liked this useful post by PierreGILLARD
|
|
|
|
Joined: 09/11/2004(UTC)
Posts: 2,346
Location: Longueuil, Quebec
|
Originally Posted by: foumaro Very interesting and useful topic.Thank you very much Pierre,i am sure you enjoyed your vacation. Definitively, but I would have appreciated to spend one more week there (we stayed for a week) to make further excursions. Thanks. Pierre.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 19/09/2009(UTC) Posts: 841 Location: Lidingö, Sweden
|
Originally Posted by: Purellum Two postcards from the 1950's when my dad was a sailor: Do you by the way know what is special about this sentence: A man, a plan, a canal; Panama.??????????? Per. Per, Do you think the top picture shows M/S Kungsholm of the Swedish America Line? To me it looks like three crowns at the top of the bow of the ship. Another photo of M/S Kungsholm of 1953: 
|
1 user liked this useful post by Western Pacific
|
|
|
|
Joined: 08/11/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,528 Location: Mullerup, 4200 Slagelse
|
|
If you can dream it, you can do it! I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. |
2 users liked this useful post by Purellum
|
|
|
|
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA
|
Hi all,
The History Channel on it's show 'Modern Marvels' has an excellent video on the PC mules.Use to be on YouTube but was taken down over copyright issues.
Dr D
|
1 user liked this useful post by kbvrod
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
