Backing Up Locomotives to Move Forward?

Some concepts to think about when studying the physics of railroads. These are still applicable today.

• Every time a train heads out,why does the locomotive back up before moving forward?
• Why did the Shay locomotive use a gearbox for timber operations in mountainous area?
• What key issues do locomotives when trying to negotiate steep grades?

Railroad & Locomotive Talk with Mr. Withers

Mr. Withers discussing timber locomotives with the Forest & Rail Project participants. He showed the differentiation of how timber locomotives used a different suspension set and wheel size to enhance traction on steeper grade lines. His experiences with the railroad brought a unique a perspective to the lecture along with his passion for trains.

The Journey Begins...

New project, new blog to share and reflect on how forests and railroads impact West Virginia. I am looking forward to this study this spring and the week-long investigation this summer. I need to brush up on my tree identifying skills ASAP as right now they are near zero! There is so much of this state that I know little about after living here all my life that the focus provided during this project is a welcome opportunity to gain knowledge and history.

For week two, Pat asked us to find some apps to share with the class for the Galaxy Tablet. Most apps that I have found for education are simple skill and drill items. I chose to focus on apps that can be used for productivity and creation. They are:

1. 360  -  This takes panoramas by stitching pics together from the onboard camera. Not near as full featured as Gigapan, but great on the run to show perspective. Free
2. Box.net  -  Cloud-based storage that is not as slickly integrated on a PC as Dropbox, but offers 50GB of storage plus the ability to share folders and documents. Free
3. NASA  -  The app ties in to NASA by delivering images, video, and ongoing missions and bringing to your tablet. It's not perfect by any means, but considering we fund NASA, we should use any resource available to access it. Free
4. Antivirus Free  -  Android is an open operating system that needs antivirus protection due to recent threats. It works in the background scanning any download before installation. Free
5. Tree Height Measurement  -  Measures tree height using Android device. Starts in German, but can be changed to English. Free