The train thread

Message boards : Cafe SETI : The train thread
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

Previous · 1 . . . 63 · 64 · 65 · 66 · 67 · 68 · 69 . . . 75 · Next

AuthorMessage
Profile Gary Charpentier Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 25 Dec 00
Posts: 30608
Credit: 53,134,872
RAC: 32
United States
Message 1694432 - Posted: 21 Jun 2015, 21:05:07 UTC - in response to Message 1694420.  

Another help would be not quoting pictures....

Except modern browsers only download the picture once, no matter how many places it appears on the page.
ID: 1694432 · Report as offensive
Profile zoom3+1=4
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Nov 03
Posts: 65709
Credit: 55,293,173
RAC: 49
United States
Message 1694435 - Posted: 21 Jun 2015, 21:16:26 UTC - in response to Message 1694432.  

Another help would be not quoting pictures....

Except modern browsers only download the picture once, no matter how many places it appears on the page.

Yep, into I think a browsers cache.
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
ID: 1694435 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695190 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 16:15:49 UTC - in response to Message 1694296.  
Last modified: 24 Jun 2015, 16:21:02 UTC

Here is something a little different.

I was just looking around to see if there are any other interesting web cams and I found this



Now notice something unusual, yes actual passengers!! This is one of the two cameras at Galesburg IL, situated on the Galesburg Railroad Museum

Wowsa! The page loaded for me to the post above yours, and as soon as I saw the top half of the picture, I said "that's Galesburg!" I've certainly been there enough times to recognize it. I didn't know there was a camera there. You will see lots and lots of people on these cams this weekend during Galesburg Railroad Days. Probably equipment displays on the closest track, too. At some point on Saturday, you may see me.


It is not a streaming cam but refreshes every 30 seconds. The train approaching is the 380 all points Quincy IL to Chicago. It is 7:38am on a Sunday morning and there are about 50 people waiting to board!!

Please point that out to the politicians who say nobody rides trains.


Being a 30sec cam the next shot would be boring except the other camera faces north.

Closer to east, actually. The tracks are going NE/SW here.




P42 65 waiting to depart for Chicago.

The interesting thing is that both the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief also stop here.

And in daylight, if they're on time. (Well, the wb Chief would be after dark for a few weeks either side of the winter solstice.)


For those who like me were never very good on geography here is a map courtesy of http://www.asm.transitdocs.com/



The numbered squares are the Amtrak services, green means on time yellow up to half an hour late and red more than half and hour late.

Quincy is bottom left and the 380 has just left Galesburg.

Chicago is on the bottom left of the blue bit which of course is Lake Michigan. I have also put a pointer in for the Chesterton crossing camera, which the two red squares, 29 and 49 are both currently approaching.

It's too bad the Chesterton camera isn't just a couple miles farther west. Then it would also catch all the Amtrak trains to and from Michigan.

I modified your map a bit more. I added an orange diamond at the approximate location of the Rochelle camera and an orange triangle about where IRM is. The museum's mainline extends east-southeast about four miles from the grounds. You can see where Naperville is, so that gives you an idea of how far I have to drive to get there.

Rochelle is where UP's mainline from Chicago to Omaha (crosses the Mississippi River at Clinton) crosses the BNSF main to Seattle (reaches the Mississippi at Savanna and runs up the east bank all the way to St. Paul, MN). If you look north of Rochelle, you see Rockford. About half way between them is Davis Jct., which I will tell you about in a separate post.

The red lines on the map are, of course, the Amtrak routes. Other rail lines are not shown. The ex-CB&Q line to Quincy continues across Missouri to Kansas City. The California Zephyr route across Iowa is also ex-Q. The Chief's route (also to Kansas City) appears to split from the CZ just west of Galesburg; that's a location called Cameron Junction, where the ex-Q and ex-Santa Fe crossed each other. After the BNSF merger, a connection was built there so that a train going either way on either line could go either way on the other line. As soon as that was built, Amtrak rerouted the Chief from the Santa Fe line to Chicago onto the Q, discontinuing service to the town of Streator (yes, I'm related).

In the first picture, the train is just coming off the Quincy line. If you look carefully, the last car is still in the curve. The tracks going straight are the line to Iowa. Galesburg Yard spreads out in the background.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695190 · Report as offensive
Profile Bernie Vine
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 May 99
Posts: 9954
Credit: 103,452,613
RAC: 328
United Kingdom
Message 1695204 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 17:09:10 UTC

I thought you might recognise Galesburg!

I have to say there is a large amount of freight all day long!!, also with the yard close by you even see this sort of thing.



A BN green 1848 SD40-2, from what I read it is one of the yard switchers which often seem to come just up to the station then reverse back, as it is only a still cam that is the best shot I have got.

If you also notice the track right in front of the museum is being relaid and is missing a rail!

Here is another shot looking the other way and another switcher.



Couldn't read the number. Also see the work in progress.

I had of course hoped that I might be able to see the CZ and SWC when running late as it is about 2½ hours earlier here.

However it is pot luck here was the SWC arriving from LA



And on the other camera.



Well not going to get any info from those shots.

Of course it has allowed me to see for myself something I have previously only read about. The almost mythical "Amtrak Smoke Break" :-)



Where all those addicted stand around in groups puffing away, and any railfan will try to get pictures of all the rolling stock!!

This was the CZ Last night.

Notice also that there are now two rails!

I assume they have been trying to get that finished in time for the weekend.

Hopefully the 6 hour time difference will mean I can get to see something, as I have a busy Saturday and Sunday!!
ID: 1695204 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695244 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 19:24:18 UTC

So I said I would post about Davis Jct. It's the crossing (with a wye on the north side) of the former Milwaukee Road line to Omaha and Kansas City and the Burlington's branch to Rockford. MILW had trackage rights on the Q from DJ to Rockford, to reach their own branch coming south from Janesville and Beloit, WI (and also south through Rochelle to Steward to reach their branch through Mendota to the LaSalle area, now abandoned). Today, the MILW is Canadian Pacific; the Q line is owned by Illinois Railway, but dispatched by CP.

There was word on Facebook last week that Wisconsin & Southern's business train was returning home from another Watco railroad in Oklahoma and would go north from DJ. I didn't go because I had just gone the day before to see if I could find where the local freight had derailed into the creek (I couldn't without trespassing). Just as well; it ended up taking longer to get there than expected, and spent the whole weekend sitting on the wye. I arrived in heavy rain on Monday morning and found it still there. To my surprise, as soon as the rain slowed down, a crew got off the freight engine, CP 4514, and departed in a van. I hung around for a while, but eventually I concluded that CP was inspecting the tracks before running any trains, so I headed 13 miles south to Rochelle.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the Rochelle Railroad actually operating. It's owned by the city and operated by the Burlington Junction Ry. Here is BJRY 1516 (SW1500, built as Rock Island 945) pulling covered hoppers across Caron Road on the east side of town, apparently getting together the pickup for UP later in the day.

After watching them for a little while, I headed over to the park (mainly to use the bathroom). I shot a UP train there, then checked Facebook again and learned that CP's local from Janesville was in Rockford, so I headed back to DJ.

The sky had cleared considerably while I was gone. The temperature had also warmed up quite a bit. I hadn't been waiting long when another railfan arrived and told me the local, train B66, was not far away. About then, B66 called the dispatcher on the radio. He gave them a track warrant to work from the East Siding Switch Davis Jct. to MP 80, X Box 11 Make all movements at Restricted Speed, limits are occupied by train. Then he gave an overlapping warrant to the through train, 473, with the same Box 11.

B66 showed up, or at least its engine CP 4322 did, leaving its train parked north of town. They coupled onto 4514 and pulled the whole train north out of the wye. WSOR train (with my car poking its nose into the shot), WSOR 101 E9, baggage car Northern Pass, dormitory Northern Plains, theater car The Stone Gardner (named for the son, I think, of WSOR founder Paul Gardner), gondola WMAX 15385 (serving as a buffer for the roll-up door housing on the theater car).

Here's the whole train from the rear; the man at the rear is throwing the switch for the next move. Then they surprised me by shoving it into the straight north-south track toward the diamond.

Just as they were cutting away, 473 showed up with BNSF 7882 leading IC&E 6215 and DM&E 6368.

No more pictures, but the rest of the story is that 473 cut off its power and moved west of the wye switch, and B66 shoved 4514 out and coupled it behind 6368. Then B66 went back to the WSOR train while 473 coupled back onto its train. They cut the train behind the cars they were setting out (four tanks) and shoved them into the wye, then coupled onto the rest of their train and left town. B66 pulled the WSOR train out of the straight track and coupled onto the four tanks, then shoved all of it west out of the wye and into the siding west of town. After that, they retrieved their original train, ran it down the main, and shoved it into the other end of the siding. They ran back and parked 4322 on the wye just as their hours of service ran out at 1830. Amazingly, the taxi van was there and waiting for them. Apparently, the same crew would return in the morning and take the WSOR train and four tanks back north. That was what I had been hoping to chase when I set out in the morning, but it was not worth going back out there again on Tuesday.

After that, I contemplated the massive storm developing to my south, checking it out on the radar. Fortunately, I only got a little bit more rain on the entire trip home. The storm was angling a bit southward as it moved east, so I was able to stay north of it the whole way. Awesome lightning show. Terrible destruction from the nine tornadoes.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695244 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695250 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 19:47:18 UTC - in response to Message 1695204.  

I thought you might recognise Galesburg!

I have to say there is a large amount of freight all day long!!, also with the yard close by you even see this sort of thing.



A BN green 1848 SD40-2, from what I read it is one of the yard switchers which often seem to come just up to the station then reverse back, as it is only a still cam that is the best shot I have got.

Two years ago, the track that train is on did not exist.


If you also notice the track right in front of the museum is being relaid and is missing a rail!

The last time I was there (probably this weekend last year), that track was just a short stub which ended well west of the Amtrak depot, the building on the right in the next shot.




Of course it has allowed me to see for myself something I have previously only read about. The almost mythical "Amtrak Smoke Break" :-)



Where all those addicted stand around in groups puffing away, and any railfan will try to get pictures of all the rolling stock!!

I didn't realize Galesburg was a designate smoke stop. I thought they only allowed that at stops where the train is scheduled to sit for at least a few minutes.


This was the CZ Last night.

Notice also that there are now two rails!

I assume they have been trying to get that finished in time for the weekend.

No doubt. I expect that's where the displays will be. Amtrak's 40th Anniversary train (next year, they can call it the 45th anniversary) and probably a BNSF freight unit. I think Leviathan and the Lincoln Funeral Car will also be there, but the online info is ambiguous.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695250 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695277 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 21:16:27 UTC - in response to Message 1695229.  

I really like those double decker carriages, but they simply wouldn't fit through UK tunnels or the loading gauges :-(

They don't fit in certain places in the northeast US, either. If they could run into Baltimore, New York, and Boston, Amtrak wouldn't need to have two separate fleets of long distance cars.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695277 · Report as offensive
Profile zoom3+1=4
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Nov 03
Posts: 65709
Credit: 55,293,173
RAC: 49
United States
Message 1695281 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 21:33:58 UTC

I just saw this NY Times story on Amtraks NEC, specifically "The Northeast Corridor's Curviest Stretches, and Amtrak's Plans for Safety and Speed", here's the link. I thought some here would like to read this.
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
ID: 1695281 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695283 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 21:40:40 UTC

Was student conductor on the coach train again last Saturday. It was Chicago Day, so there were three electric trains running besides us, and lots of people. Biggest lesson of the day was write down the train order if it has multiple meets with other trains. Had five trips. All went fairly smoothly. Went a bit farther than I wanted to before stopping it the first time, but I still had a couple car lengths of room before the end of track. Then stopped short on another trip, but I think the engineer was taking more air that time. Started raining on the last return trip.

After I signed out, I rode along on a private trip for a "throttle puller" on West Towns 141. It was an older man who had ridden those streetcars as a kid and wanted a chance to run one. His family was with him and took pictures. It took him a while to catch on to how the brakes work. The car really gets up and moves when you ask it to. A couple other museum guys also went on the ride and got turns running it, but I didn't. Frank, the crusty old man who restored the car, still doesn't seem to like me. I got everyone's appreciation by being the only one on board able to throw the switch at Car Line Jct. by radio tones.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695283 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695299 - Posted: 24 Jun 2015, 23:20:51 UTC

The Trolley Dodger's post this week is about Chicago Day at IRM last Saturday. (Un)fortunately, he didn't include any pictures of me.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695299 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695562 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 15:26:49 UTC

Report that Amtrak 8 today will have a new baggage car, and will pick up 261's Milwaukee Superdome and Cedar Rapids at the old Amtrak Midway station in Minneapolis before making the regular stop at St. Paul. There are web cams at St. Paul Union Depot (SPUD).
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695562 · Report as offensive
Profile Bernie Vine
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 May 99
Posts: 9954
Credit: 103,452,613
RAC: 328
United Kingdom
Message 1695597 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 16:49:39 UTC

I just happened to glance at the Galesburg camera and noticed a few people standing around looking expectantly toward the far end of the station

A few minutes later this arrived



The Lincoln Funeral car replica, not by rail but road

They took a break



They are still maneuvering it

More hopefully later.
ID: 1695597 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695599 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 16:54:59 UTC - in response to Message 1695597.  
Last modified: 25 Jun 2015, 17:00:08 UTC

I just happened to glance at the Galesburg camera and noticed a few people standing around looking expectantly toward the far end of the station

A few minutes later this arrived



The Lincoln Funeral car replica, not by rail but road

They took a break



They are still maneuvering it

More hopefully later.

Ooh, I need to start watching that. I saw part of the process last month, but not all of it.

BTW, Amtrak 6/4/5/3 won't be going through today. The Marcelline Sub is washed out at Baring, MO, and the Ottumwa Sub is flooded at Melrose, IA. Today's 4 is detouring via St. Louis (makes sense; Amtrak can do it with its own crews and not need freight pilots) and 6 is on the UP from Omaha (so it will pass the Rochelle camera eventually).
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695599 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695636 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 18:22:15 UTC

4 shows almost to Jefferson City, MO already. 6 is still in OMA, apparently waiting for UP to find a pilot engine.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695636 · Report as offensive
Profile Bernie Vine
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 May 99
Posts: 9954
Credit: 103,452,613
RAC: 328
United Kingdom
Message 1695641 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 18:31:13 UTC - in response to Message 1695636.  

4 shows almost to Jefferson City, MO already. 6 is still in OMA, apparently waiting for UP to find a pilot engine.

Yes I noticed.

I assume that will mean if the Amtrak display train was destined for Galesburg, it may not get there now!!
ID: 1695641 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695643 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 18:34:28 UTC - in response to Message 1695641.  

4 shows almost to Jefferson City, MO already. 6 is still in OMA, apparently waiting for UP to find a pilot engine.

Yes I noticed.

I assume that will mean if the Amtrak display train was destined for Galesburg, it may not get there now!!

The display train was last reported in Chicago. The route from there to Galesburg is not blocked. It will either deadhead or be on the back end of 381 or 383.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695643 · Report as offensive
Profile Bernie Vine
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 May 99
Posts: 9954
Credit: 103,452,613
RAC: 328
United Kingdom
Message 1695646 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 18:43:19 UTC - in response to Message 1695643.  

4 shows almost to Jefferson City, MO already. 6 is still in OMA, apparently waiting for UP to find a pilot engine.

Yes I noticed.

I assume that will mean if the Amtrak display train was destined for Galesburg, it may not get there now!!

The display train was last reported in Chicago. The route from there to Galesburg is not blocked. It will either deadhead or be on the back end of 381 or 383.

Well that will be interesting in itself!!
ID: 1695646 · Report as offensive
Profile Bernie Vine
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 May 99
Posts: 9954
Credit: 103,452,613
RAC: 328
United Kingdom
Message 1695654 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 19:15:03 UTC - in response to Message 1695648.  
Last modified: 25 Jun 2015, 19:17:06 UTC

Hey guys, could you let some of us outsiders know what the numbers talk is all about. i.e,. 1-6 numbered trains, and stuff like 382 and 383!! I try to follow the talk and the pics but the train buff talk floors me at times :-)

5 and 6 are the California Zephyr, 5 Chicago to SF (Actually Emeryville ), 6 SF to Chicago

3 and 4 Southwest Chief, 3 Chicago to LA, 4 LA to Chicago

381 and 382 are the Carl Sandburg, 381 Chicago to Quincy, 382 Quincy to Chicago

380 and 383 are the Illinois Zephyr, 383 Chicago to Quincy, 380 Quincy to Chicago.

To understand things a bit better, either use the Amtrak track a train from here

http://www.amtrak.com/home

or see the ASM interactive map here

http://www.asm.transitdocs.com/
ID: 1695654 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695655 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 19:27:22 UTC - in response to Message 1695654.  

Hey guys, could you let some of us outsiders know what the numbers talk is all about. i.e,. 1-6 numbered trains, and stuff like 382 and 383!! I try to follow the talk and the pics but the train buff talk floors me at times :-)

5 and 6 are the California Zephyr, 5 Chicago to SF (Actually Emeryville ), 6 SF to Chicago

3 and 4 Southwest Chief, 3 Chicago to LA, 4 LA to Chicago

381 and 382 are the Carl Sandburg, 381 Chicago to Quincy, 382 Quincy to Chicago

380 and 383 are the Illinois Zephyr, 383 Chicago to Quincy, 380 Quincy to Chicago.

To understand things a bit better, either use the Amtrak track a train from here

http://www.amtrak.com/home

or see the ASM interactive map here

http://www.asm.transitdocs.com/

In general, westbound trains have odd numbers and their eastbound counterparts have evens.

A bit looser on the generality, southbounds are odd and northbounds are even. Where that can get confusing is in Chicago. Trains going north to Milwaukee are considered to be westbound and therefore odd (and vice versa). And because Union Station is aligned north-south and most Amtrak trains run out of the south side, for the first mile or so, westbounds are going south, while eastbounds are also going south for several miles to get around Lake Michigan.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695655 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1695658 - Posted: 25 Jun 2015, 19:45:03 UTC

I'm a bit surprised to see them setting up the Lincoln car on the portable track they carry instead of on the real one.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1695658 · Report as offensive
Previous · 1 . . . 63 · 64 · 65 · 66 · 67 · 68 · 69 . . . 75 · Next

Message boards : Cafe SETI : The train thread


 
©2024 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.