Date:         Sat, 15 Nov 2003 14:31:24 -0500
Reply-To:     David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Subject:      Re: Cool Vanagon Mod!
Comments: To: "Tom L. Salicos" <TomSalicos@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <002601c3ab94$93053f50$f90acb0c@omar>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Tom L. Salicos wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris S" <mrvolkswagen@HOTMAIL.COM>

> In the US, they call it "High Railing".  Looks like it could be fun, until
> you come around a corner and get surprised.  Maybe that is what the large
> sun roofs were for:  An ejector seat, since you can't steer out of the way.
> ;o)

A HyRail (it's actually a brand name) is a truck that has can drive on
both highways *and* rails, via flanged guide wheels that can be lowered.
  The rubber road wheels still provide the drive.  Special offset wheels
are used to get the rear track width the same as the rail gauge.
They're used a lot by signal maintenance crews to get to areas that
don't have access roads.

That picture was...something else entirely. :)  Along those lines, I
have a picture somewhere of a VW Beetle where the front and rear wheels
were replaced with rail wheels.  It has an Ontario Hydro logo on the door.

One slightly awkward thing about a HyRail that may not be obvious is if
you drive on the rails back into somewhere where there's no road
crossing to take the truck off the rails and turn it around, you have to
drive all the way back in reverse. ;)

--

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Diesel Westfalia
'94 Honda Civic Si -- For Sale
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon