So the 30 was even later today (over 4 hours) being the last of the 4 (29-30-48-49) through Berea rather than the first!!

I can confirm the second ACS-64 was indeed on the 30 today.

So both now on or near the east coast!!

Hmm, odd. Yesterday's 30 departed Chicago 3 minutes late (I was sitting around the curve from the webcam and watched it go by with the electric, got crappy pics through my windshield). It shows no status for South Bend, then 3 1/2 hours late at Elkhart. It also says there was a service disruption.

I can sniff around for details, but I don't expect much.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

And this train is one heck of an Ugly Duckling... This is a train from the Amtrak Cascades on what is called the NW HSR corridor(BC to WA to OR).

Yes, that is pretty much universally considered to be ugly. It seems to be the result of the latest batch of FRA crew safety regulations combined with visibility regulations and other BS.

The pair of those trains that were built for Wisconsin and then cancelled by incoming governor Scott Walker are now sitting in Amtrak's Beech Grove yard in Indianapolis, pending sale to Michigan (which is also under political attack).

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Oh dear this is sad ....

Steam trains banned

... for a month. Not because of the steam, but because somebody overshot a signal at danger. In my former life, we often referenced a publication called "Voluntary but not Amateur": in other words, high standards have to be maintained, even if you're doing the work for love instead of money.

Oh dear this is sad ....

Steam trains banned

... for a month. Not because of the steam, but because somebody overshot a signal at danger. In my former life, we often referenced a publication called "Voluntary but not Amateur": in other words, high standards have to be maintained, even if you're doing the work for love instead of money.

I wondered if something like that might happen when I read the incident report

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dangerous-occurrence-at-wootton-bassett-junction-wiltshire

---

Oh dear this is sad ....

Steam trains banned

... for a month. Not because of the steam, but because somebody overshot a signal at danger. In my former life, we often referenced a publication called "Voluntary but not Amateur": in other words, high standards have to be maintained, even if you're doing the work for love instead of money.

I wondered if something like that might happen when I read the incident report

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dangerous-occurrence-at-wootton-bassett-junction-wiltshire

Sounds like a serious violation of safety protocols by the train crew. As I was trained, you don't over-ride automatic safety actions without very good cause, and a clear understanding of the situation.

In the Service, we'd call for a Safety Stand-Down, no operations until retraining and recertification could take place.

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

As has been said here in the UK we have privately owned and operated locos and rolling stock. Also as has been noted a lot of the steam and older diesels are certified to run on the main line ( hopefully that won't change).

However as I understand it in the US this is not the case, as of course unlike the UK in the US there is no single body that controls the track.

However there are a few private coaches that I have seen around, know by railfans as PV or "Private Varnish".

Today on the returning Southwest Chief number 4, there were three PV coaches bringing up the rear



What is interesting is that in the doorway of the 2nd private coach there is someone who seems to be taking a picture of the camera I am viewing with!!

Obviously a train fan who has used the Chicago camera!!

The last PV cars was a unusual colour, most of them are either the stainless steel or brown.



I quite liked that one, also notice there was a proper "dome" car as well.

I also like the "porch" at the rear.



I am sure David will know all about them.

---

Some of those PVs belong to the railroad, and are used for VIP travel, and sometimes are rented out.

My son goes to a big software users group convention in Montreal every spring, and his local chapter rents a private car that picks up people starting in Windsor and making several stops on the way east. It is hung on the end of a regular Via Rail train.

---

Big Oil doesn't like Government investing capital(money) on trains here in the US, this has been this way since Reagan I read. But then Big Oil paid one ex-Climate-Scientist to write a report favorable to Big Oil that denied that Man was responsible for Climate Change, all to the tune of $1.25 Million Dollars.

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

you don't over-ride automatic safety actions

When I served, we treated every alarm indication
like a loaded gun with the safety off!

---

Well, not as much to catch up on here as I thought there might be.

Sunday was opening day at the museum and I was conductor on the North Shore train. We just used one car, 749. The absolute signal at Four Mile Siding is set to Stop because of a broken bond, but since the motorman was also the dispatcher, he gave himself permission to stop and proceed (we were the only train on the railroad, after all). The first trip was marred by the pole coming off as we were returning to the station. I had to ask the motorman to help me pull the rope out of the retriever. One hand cannot hold the rope while the other hand gets a new grip.

I found the home page of Silver Splendor, originally Silver Buckle, a dome coach built in 1956 for the Denver Zephyr. The current owners converted it into a diner-lounge.

The car in front of it appears to be Pacific Sands, a Union Pacific 10-6 sleeper from 1950.

The third car is Tioga Pass, although it's been repainted since the pictures on the web site were taken. Built in 1959 in Canadian National's own shops as a business car.

The guy in the door may have just been standing there watching as they came into Chicago and snapped the picture when he saw the Burlington Route and "MH Tower" signs on the balcony of the apartment where the camera is, or he may have known it was there.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

when he saw the Burlington Route and "MH Tower" signs on the balcony of the apartment where the camera is

Well I thought the camera might just be sitting there quietly relaying video to the fans. I had no idea it advertised it's presence!!

However promoting the website would make sense!

I usually post Amtrak pics and whilst I do have a lot of freight loco pics I rarely seem to post so here is one I saw today at Chesterton that I quite liked.

This is UP 1988, now Union Pacific locos are usually yellow that seems to get dirty quickly on a freight loco.

UP 1988 is painted as a "Heritage" loco, meaning it is in the colours of one of the railroads that disappeared over the years during take overs and amalgamations This is the Missouri-Kansas-Texas, MKT or simply

The Katy



Yesterday NS 1074 came through Chicago, this is in the colours of The Delaware Lackawanna & Western



Yes I think that some of the UK freight locos should be painted in some of the pre British Rail colours!!

---

Today I was waiting for the City of New Orleans to come over the airline at Chicago, when this appeared.



Seems like 821 may have suffered some sort of breakdown, however what was stranger was this.



Number 41 on the end and when it reversed into the station I could hear that 41 was running but 821 was not.

So I wonder why 41 was not on the front?

Here is the reversing shot a nice close up of CN 5686, I am trying to remember if I have ever seen a CN loco on the Chicago camera before!!

I put out an inquiry about this, but I haven't heard anything yet.

58/59 usually run with a single engine. My educated guess is that it died somewhere along the line and CN provided the freight unit to move the train. However, it would have been dark and cold. Therefore, I'm further guessing that when they got to Carbondale, they took the engine off the previous night's 393, which would have been turned and ready to go that morning on 390, and to save time, they just tacked it on the back end to provide HEP.

Wait, I just checked 58's performance that day (this was the train that arrived CHI on the 25th, right?). It shows as being close enough to be called on time all the way to Champaign, and then it took a 2 hour hit between there and Kankakee and another hour into Homewood. Furthermore, none of the 390 series trains show a significant delay that day. AFAIK, they do not keep a spare engine at Carbondale. So I'm back to being stumped about where that rear end unit came from.

Following up on old business: my friend at Pullman talked to the Amtrak conductor on this train. He says the original engine, 821, threw a connecting rod out the side of the crankcase around Gilman, which is a stop for the 390-series trains between Kankakee and Champaign but not a stop for 58/59. It managed to crawl into a siding (I have my doubts about that statement), where the CN engine was added. Apparently, Chicago scrambled and added 41 onto train 391 and it was switched onto train 58 to provide HEP. I guess the crews out in the field decided the fastest and easiest thing to do was to just stick it on the rear. It looks like this happened at Kankakee, since 391 shows a major delay there on that day, 35 minutes late out of Chicago and 1h29m late at Kankakee. (I don't know why I said earlier that none of the 390s showed a delay that day; maybe I was looking at the wrong day.)

My friend also got the story on train 30 taking that big delay into Elkhart recently, but he didn't want to type it out on his tablet and said he'd talk to me about it, which he hasn't yet.

He had an uneventful trip this last weekend and is taking the coming weekend off to get some stuff done at home.

I am now wondering why today's train 391 shows on Amtrak Status Maps as cancelled after its first stop out of Chicago. Even stranger, Amtrak's own status page shows it made its stop at KKI and is expected 19 minutes late at Gilman, and their interactive tracking map shows it charging along at 72 MPH about half way between those stops. Okay, further poking shows that Amtrak does indeed show the stops at Du Quoin and Carbondale cancelled, and under those circumstances I think the independent Amtrak Status Maps server stops tracking it, even if it will make all the other stops. I'll hazard a guess that CN derailed somewhere south of Centralia after 390 went by, or perhaps the track washed out. I'll see what I can find out.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I am now wondering why today's train 391 shows on Amtrak Status Maps as cancelled after its first stop out of Chicago. Even stranger, Amtrak's own status page shows it made its stop at KKI and is expected 19 minutes late at Gilman, and their interactive tracking map shows it charging along at 72 MPH about half way between those stops. Okay, further poking shows that Amtrak does indeed show the stops at Du Quoin and Carbondale cancelled, and under those circumstances I think the independent Amtrak Status Maps server stops tracking it, even if it will make all the other stops. I'll hazard a guess that CN derailed somewhere south of Centralia after 390 went by, or perhaps the track washed out. I'll see what I can find out.

Now Amtrak go to all that trouble to have a Service Alerts and notices Page

Saluki Train 391and Illini Train 392: Bus Service Provided to and from Centralia, Du Quoin and Carbondale
Effective April 6 - 15 and 20 - 29, 2015

Track work being performed by Canadian National Railway will affect Trains 391 and 392 on the dates indicated above.

Southbound Train 391
Train 391, which normally operates between Chicago and Carbondale, will terminate at Centralia, where passengers will be provided bus service from Centralia to Du Quoin and Carbondale.

Northbound Train 392
Train 392, which normally operates between Carbondale and Chicago, will originate at Centralia. Passengers will be provided bus service from Carbondale and Du Quoin to Centralia, where passengers will board Train 392 to their destination.
Northbound Buses Depart Earlier: The bus representing Train 392 will operate 60 minutes earlier than the normal train schedule. Contact Amtrak for the revised schedule.
Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience. Reservation and train status information is available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak. Follow us on twitter.com/Amtrak.

PSN 0315-80

The 391 went out with 36 on the "front" and 71 on the "back", I assume that they cannot turn at Centralia

---

when he saw the Burlington Route and "MH Tower" signs on the balcony of the apartment where the camera is

Well I thought the camera might just be sitting there quietly relaying video to the fans. I had no idea it advertised it's presence!!

However promoting the website would make sense!

I usually post Amtrak pics and whilst I do have a lot of freight loco pics I rarely seem to post so here is one I saw today at Chesterton that I quite liked.

This is UP 1988, now Union Pacific locos are usually yellow that seems to get dirty quickly on a freight loco.

UP 1988 is painted as a "Heritage" loco, meaning it is in the colours of one of the railroads that disappeared over the years during take overs and amalgamations This is the Missouri-Kansas-Texas, MKT or simply

The Katy



Yesterday NS 1074 came through Chicago, this is ion the colours of The Delaware Lackawanna & Western



Yes I think that some of the UK freight locos should be painted in some of the pre British Rail colours!!

That would be nice.

NS's heritage units are done as closely as possible to the paint schemes of the railroads they represent. UP's, on the other hand, are mishmashes of two or more schemes of the predecessor road. They are numbered out of the normal series for their model and production date, with the numbers representing the year the railroad was taken over by UP: Missouri Pacific 1982 (this one is a real rust bucket), Western Pacific 1983 (recently repainted after having the middle part of its hood replaced after a fire), MKT 1988, Denver & Rio Grande Western 1989 (which is actually the year DRGW bought Southern Pacific and kept the bigger road's name instead of its own), Chicago & North Western 1995 (not Northwestern), and SP 1996.

There are also a smattering of engines still running around in their actual predecessor paint, a few of which even still carry their old reporting marks. Fans keep close tabs on these. Around here, CNW 8646 and 8701 are popular (and usually kept close to home so the paint shop won't get ahold of them).

[edited to correct the numbers of the MP and WP units]

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I am now wondering why today's train 391 shows on Amtrak Status Maps as cancelled after its first stop out of Chicago. Even stranger, Amtrak's own status page shows it made its stop at KKI and is expected 19 minutes late at Gilman, and their interactive tracking map shows it charging along at 72 MPH about half way between those stops. Okay, further poking shows that Amtrak does indeed show the stops at Du Quoin and Carbondale cancelled, and under those circumstances I think the independent Amtrak Status Maps server stops tracking it, even if it will make all the other stops. I'll hazard a guess that CN derailed somewhere south of Centralia after 390 went by, or perhaps the track washed out. I'll see what I can find out.

Now Amtrak go to all that trouble to have a Service Alerts and notices Page

Saluki Train 391and Illini Train 392: Bus Service Provided to and from Centralia, Du Quoin and Carbondale
Effective April 6 - 15 and 20 - 29, 2015

Track work being performed by Canadian National Railway will affect Trains 391 and 392 on the dates indicated above.

Southbound Train 391
Train 391, which normally operates between Chicago and Carbondale, will terminate at Centralia, where passengers will be provided bus service from Centralia to Du Quoin and Carbondale.

Northbound Train 392
Train 392, which normally operates between Carbondale and Chicago, will originate at Centralia. Passengers will be provided bus service from Carbondale and Du Quoin to Centralia, where passengers will board Train 392 to their destination.
Northbound Buses Depart Earlier: The bus representing Train 392 will operate 60 minutes earlier than the normal train schedule. Contact Amtrak for the revised schedule.
Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience. Reservation and train status information is available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak. Follow us on twitter.com/Amtrak.

PSN 0315-80

The 391 went out with 36 on the "front" and 71 on the "back", I assume that they cannot turn at Centralia

Okay, that makes sense too.

I would have thought they could turn at Centralia. CN has yards and shops there. However, on the satellite view I don't see a wye, just a turntable, and it probably would have been a major headache to use that to turn the engine.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

when he saw the Burlington Route and "MH Tower" signs on the balcony of the apartment where the camera is

Well I thought the camera might just be sitting there quietly relaying video to the fans. I had no idea it advertised it's presence!!

However promoting the website would make sense!

I usually post Amtrak pics and whilst I do have a lot of freight loco pics I rarely seem to post so here is one I saw today at Chesterton that I quite liked.

This is UP 1988, now Union Pacific locos are usually yellow that seems to get dirty quickly on a freight loco.

UP 1988 is painted as a "Heritage" loco, meaning it is in the colours of one of the railroads that disappeared over the years during take overs and amalgamations This is the Missouri-Kansas-Texas, MKT or simply

The Katy



Yesterday NS 1074 came through Chicago, this is ion the colours of The Delaware Lackawanna & Western



Yes I think that some of the UK freight locos should be painted in some of the pre British Rail colours!!

That would be nice.

NS's heritage units are done as closely as possible to the paint schemes of the railroads they represent. UP's, on the other hand, are mishmashes of two or more schemes of the predecessor road. They are numbered out of the normal series for their model and production date, with the numbers representing the year the railroad was taken over by UP: Missouri Pacific 1982 (this one is a real rust bucket), Western Pacific 1983 (recently repainted after having the middle part of its hood replaced after a fire), MKT 1988, Denver & Rio Grande Western 1989 (which is actually the year DRGW bought Southern Pacific and kept the bigger road's name instead of its own), Chicago & North Western 1995 (not Northwestern), and SP 1996.

There are also a smattering of engines still running around in their actual predecessor paint, a few of which even still carry their old reporting marks. Fans keep close tabs on these. Around here, CNW 8646 and 8701 are popular (and usually kept close to home so the paint shop won't get ahold of them).

[edited to correct the numbers of the MP and WP units]

UP, seems to have been like Pac-Man for a bit, gobbling up the Ghosts.. Neat pics Bernie.

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

David. Your post about Champaign and Kankakee, Brought back a lot of memorys to me. After I had finsished my Air Force basic training I was sent to Chanute AFB in Rantoule IL. It was where at the time All firefighting training was done.
I well remeber sitting in my room doing my homew ork and seeing trains going both ways down the line.
The best menories I have is at sunset with the train being framed by a setting sun. Or just lying in bed at night and hearing them pass. It seemed like home to me. And as a young homesick lad of 18 It made me feel a lot better. Most of my young life I lived with in seeing and or hearing distance of a rail road.
Thanks for bringing that particluar rail line up. You made me feel 43 years younger:)

---

[/quote]

Old James

There are also a smattering of engines still running around in their actual predecessor paint, a few of which even still carry their old reporting marks. Fans keep close tabs on these. Around here, CNW 8646 and 8701 are popular (and usually kept close to home so the paint shop won't get ahold of them).

Ah yes CNW 8646



Seen a couple of weeks ago

Definitely not see a paint shop recently!!

Southern?

NS 8099 heritage loco painted in Southern green




PS The song "She caught The Katy" probably best remembered from the Blues Brothers does actually refer to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad, ie The Katy.

---

Here's a whole bunch of Heritage Locos... AKA: Pacman and the Ghost Fleet..

I can identify all of them, they are as so:

WP Heritage, MP Heritage,
UP(UnPainted? ;)), DRGW Heritage, MKT Heritage,
SP Daylight, CNW Heritage

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

For those that asked about the possibility of some repaints in old UK railway company liveries here are a few:
http://www.fictitiousliveries.co.uk/

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?