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>> A more accurate analogy would be building a respectable, expensive structure and then blowing it up for the hell of it. Locomotives do reach end of life. W

>> A more accurate analogy would be building a respectable, expensive structure and then blowing it up for the hell of it. Locomotives do reach end of life. Where do you get the idea that they were not old clunkers donated by the same railroad interests that profited by running excursion trains to the event from Dallas, Ft. Worth and Waco?

danso 9y ago
One of the footnoted articles says that the engines were due for retirement (there were also boxcars involved) though the engines were painted to look brand new and were in good enough condition to be used in a nationwide tour to advertise the event: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/train-company-crashed-two-trains-you-will-believe-what-happened-next-180964237/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/train-company-crashed... > Whatever Crush’s motivations were, he managed to sway the Katy managers. For weeks leading up to the event, Crush and a fleet of workers scurried around the state in preparation. Crush found two 35-ton steam engines that were being retired for new 60-ton engines and commissioned them for the spectacle, after consulting with company engineers about the safety of the undertaking (only one suggested the collision might cause an explosion, and he was overruled). Engine No. 1001 was painted red with green trim, while its opponent, No. 999, was painted green with red trim In the building demolitions I've seen, it has always been completely obvious that the building has been condemned and not in any kind of usable condition, because it doesn't need to be "usable" in order to be blown up. A train that is set to run into another train at full speed doesn't have to be brand new, but it does have to be able to actually execute the actual act.
- Retric 9y ago
  End of life is still a thing as maintenance cost grow over time. Demolition derby cars for example need to be able to run, but that does not stop them from being nearly worthless otherwise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_derby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_derby

danso 9y ago

One of the footnoted articles says that the engines were due for retirement (there were also boxcars involved) though the engines were painted to look brand new and were in good enough condition to be used in a nationwide tour to advertise the event: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/train-company-crashed-two-trains-you-will-believe-what-happened-next-180964237/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/train-company-crashed... > Whatever Crush’s motivations were, he managed to sway the Katy managers. For weeks leading up to the event, Crush and a fleet of workers scurried around the state in preparation. Crush found two 35-ton steam engines that were being retired for new 60-ton engines and commissioned them for the spectacle, after consulting with company engineers about the safety of the undertaking (only one suggested the collision might cause an explosion, and he was overruled). Engine No. 1001 was painted red with green trim, while its opponent, No. 999, was painted green with red trim In the building demolitions I've seen, it has always been completely obvious that the building has been condemned and not in any kind of usable condition, because it doesn't need to be "usable" in order to be blown up. A train that is set to run into another train at full speed doesn't have to be brand new, but it does have to be able to actually execute the actual act.

Retric 9y ago
End of life is still a thing as maintenance cost grow over time. Demolition derby cars for example need to be able to run, but that does not stop them from being nearly worthless otherwise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_derby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_derby