Nice pics, Bernie. Thanks for braving the rain.

---

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

[quote]http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/05/29/Colorado-tourist-train-conductor-falls-to-her-death/3221464544066/?spt=hs&or=tn_us
[quote]CANON CITY, Colo., May 29 (UPI) -- The conductor of a Colorado tourist train fell to her death Saturday night as the train was nearing the station.

Fremont County sheriff's deputies are investigating the death involving the Royal Gorge Railroad Scenic Train, KKTV 11 reported.

Investigators said Leslie Cacy, 28, was the conductor of the train. She fell out of the train around 5:30 p.m. and died.

Looks like she was doing tailhose on a backup move and fell off and was run over. A stark remind

Dang computer and a partial post. Sorry.
Was trying to say I looked at their track and it looks like they have several places to do an end around move. Otherwise it is a long reverse from Leadville to their station.

---

I have watched many many reverse moves on the Chicago camera on many different types of rolling stock.

To my eye only PV with a rear platform look safe and I am sure that in the UK there would have to be extra safety precautions in place.

As most UK passenger service of all types is "double ended" (even the Flying Scotsman had a diesel on the rear) this type of move rarely happens.

I do suspect that our "heritage" railways do this and so far as I am aware there have been no deaths or injuries. If there were then it would have to be stopped then and there.

---

This article and others say the train was four miles from the station. I am not familiar with Royal Gorge's operation, and IF they do a long backup move I don't know how long, but let me point out to all of you that IRM's backup move is five miles, and when I do it, I do it several times a day. Actually, I just checked the schedule and I might sign up to do it this Saturday. (With a forecast of thunderstorms, just to make the platform I stand on nice and slippery.)

I am indeed doing it tomorrow, and I forgot the best reason not to: there's a group coming with as many as six people in wheelchairs, who will need to be hand cranked up to the combine and (even harder) down again.

Sunday, I will be either CA&E conductor or 3142 motorman, or back and forth between them, plus dispatcher.

If I haven't mentioned it yet, next Sunday I will be a car host on NKP 765 from The Glen of North Glenview to Janesville and return. Mandatory crew training/briefing Saturday at 5pm at Metra's Western Ave. Coach Yard, then report there at 6am for the deadhead to TGONG. I may also be on at least one of the Galesburg trips at the end of the month. I had to order some new clothes for this, and I hope they have one of their uniform vests in my size.

---

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

http://www.kgw.com/news/report-fire-smoke-spotted-from-multi-car-train-derailment-in-gorge/230412557

The derailment happened on a section of track that had recently been repaired by Union Pacific, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. An inspection in April found 31 minor issues that did not trigger violations. All issues were fixed, ODOT said.

---

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36457186

At least three people have been killed and 40 injured in a train crash in the Belgian town of Hermalle-sous-Huy, near Liege, according to the town's mayor.

Railway company Infrabel said a passenger train crashed into the back of a goods train at high speed.

The two trains were on the same track, a spokesman for Infrabel said.

A witness told French newspaper L'Avenir that the train carriages are completely destroyed.

The passenger train was travelling between Liege and Namur.

---

Bernie!

Amtrak 6 arriving Chicago tomorrow (if you haven't heard) has AMTK 156, two other P42s, and the last ACS64 on the front, and four business cars (including Amtrak's last dome) on the rear. Even with Joe Boardman on it, it's still running over 3 hours late out of Fraser.

---

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

Bernie!

Amtrak 6 arriving Chicago tomorrow (if you haven't heard) has AMTK 156, two other P42s, and the last ACS64 on the front, and four business cars (including Amtrak's last dome) on the rear. Even with Joe Boardman on it, it's still running over 3 hours late out of Fraser.

Indeed, as I help spot the Amtrak units on the Chicago and Chesterton cams I get 2 emails a day listing all known LD trains

This is the line from yesterday AM

6-04 --- 156-206-45-670 ---- 10021 Pacific Cape-10004 American View-10031 Dome-10001 Beech Grove on rear.

However as it is now 4:55 late it seems unlikely to arrive before 1am BST.

I will wait and see.

---

Another weekend at the museum.

Saturday: arrived a few minutes later than I wanted (had to stop at a Bank of America to pay my credit card (which I just realized this moment I did NOT have to do for another couple of days) and the last one on my route is in Elgin and opens at 9 on Saturday, and then people were going ridiculously slow in the rain) and had to get right to it, moving BN-1 from yard 5 to station 2. A-Sup was dispatcher and "helped" by watching the reverse moves from his golf cart. It was not raining as I parked my car and walked over to 2 to tie it on, but that was a temporary situation. It was pouring by the time the engine backed down. I asked for three point protection and checked the front coupler and air hose on the combine, CNW 7700. Then I told BN-1 to back on. Its coupler pushed 7700's closed without engaging it. Take it ahead. Three point. Engineer is saying he can't hear me on the radio, but he's not looking for hand signs most of the time. Open the knuckle. Try again. Same thing happens, plus he hits the train hard enough to shove it over the wheel chock and it rolls a couple of feet. When it stops, I get three point and reset the chocks. Engineer comes down and shows me how to open BN-1's knuckle (duh). This time the joint makes... apparently. I connect the air and figure out where the angle cock is (behind the step, and you have to squeeze it). I walk away for a minute. When I come back, I hear air hissing. I close the angle cock again and ask engineer to come down. I demonstrate the hissing. He knocks the hoses apart and tries again. No hissing. By this time, my hat, jacket, shirt, leather gloves, and pants are thoroughly soaked. After removing and squeezing out my gloves, I walk to the back end, unlock the door, and attach the markers and tailhose. Engineer has set the brakes and is walking the train for the initial brake test. He also walks the release. I unlock the rest of the cars. Engineer says let's do the tailhose test. I start opening it. He doesn't say anything, so I take more and more until it goes into emergency. I close it, train recharges, I try again. He calls out that he sees flow. We decide to stretch the train to see if it's really coupled. Nope. Open both knuckles. Bunch. Looks good, stretch. Good joint, three point. Connect the air again. Pump it up, do a set and release. VC 19 motorman is interrupted in the middle of inspecting it (it won't go out in the rain anyway) and arrives to be trainman for me. Rain slows down. I spread out my jacket over a seat back and my gloves and cap on a seat, and put on my conductor's hat. Trainman changes from his nice Metra uniform jacket to a windbreaker. We board the small number of passengers who have shown up and highball not too much off the intended 11:00.

While all that was going on, CTA 4290/4412 had come out to station track 1. Now they said both cars were leaking. 714 comes out for a private charter. After it departs, 4290 goes back to the barn and the crew brings out 749, which is coupled to 714 when it returns.

There's still a light rain when we get to the Grove and start back. Trainman is in training as conductor and I've heard he's doing well, so I let him do it. Nevertheless, I stand behind him, in the interior of the car. My glasses are still getting wet, so I partially close the door and watch through the window. Soon it gets wet enough that I can't see through it, so I open it again and stand farther back. Not entirely effective. Engineer waits a really long time before acknowledging the brake test, and keeps doing it all day. Over dinner, he explains that he figures with the air blowing we can't hear the horn. Oooo-kay.

We get back to 2. Rain finally stops completely. 749 departs at noon. Large group with six people on wheelchairs or scooters (the reason we were rushing to get coach out by 11) arrives. We tell their coordinator that if we take two at a time, they'll be here all day, but we have room for all six at once if they don't insist on each having their own private baggage door to look out of. We go with that and start loading them about 12:40. Crank the first guy half way up and discover the lift is too close to the car. Crank it down, drag it back a couple inches, crank it all the way up. His wheelbase is wider than the ramp off the lift. Sorry, we just can't take you. Crank him down again. Load the other five. Fortunately, there's plenty of help with the cranking. Engineer gets a tape measure and measure's the guy's wheelbase and various parts of the lift. He says let's try folding the ramp down out of the way and positioning the lift really close so he can just roll right across. Second try works. This time I just sit back and watch trainman work. Then we have to get everyone off again.

Mid-afternoon, we get some weak sunshine. After our 3:00 trip, trainman is sent back to continue prepping 19. I block the pedestrians (all none of them) as he comes out of barn 4 west, and I turn off the barn power and put the chain across the door. Then I go sit down. The conductor on 1374 gets off to be conductor on 19 and 1374 goes to bed.

I had to do the tailhose myself on the 5:00 trip, but that gave me a chance to get some sun and wind on my wet clothes. As we return, I hear 415 ask to come off the pit lead and go once around the Car Line. Yay!. This means they have successfully installed the new air tank. After once around, they put it away where it belongs in barn 7.

BN-1 had to go back to yard 5, but pretty much all I had to do was throw the east wye switch for station 1. A-Sup finally got off his golf cart to help him couple to the next engine in the yard. I closed up the train.

Discovered that my wallet was completely soaked too. When I got home, I took every item out and spread them all out to dry. In the morning, the leather was still damp, so I mostly only put plastic items back in, plus the cash.

I'll post about Sunday later. It will be shorter than this.

---

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

Okay, it's less later than I expected. I thought I had to work today, but I don't, so I'm sitting here at work, not working.

Sunday:

Thought I was going to be even later than Saturday after backtracking to get my aunt some groceries and breakfast, but there were no slow pokes on the road ahead of me and I got there about 9:32. Bunch of guys in fatigues standing around a couple of our Track Dept. guys in Yard 11. (They were there Saturday too, but they didn't have 10 Humvees parked along the road then.) First radio call I get is from Track Dept. saying they have a work zone on the Car Line at South Jct. and all operators must call for permission though it. I ask if they will be monitoring the radio. They say they will. (This had been a "situation" on Saturday, which could have led to... well, never mind. Everybody got the lesson and handled it properly Sunday.)

I finally find the train I'm working in Barn 8. Motorman is starting to open up and has his wife on board. This is the same CA&E 308 and 319 that had the meltdown on Monday. Spoiler alert: no problems at all Sunday. 308 has really high steps. You step off the ground onto the first step, and then there's one middle step, and then you're at floor level (except not really because there's another small step up from the vestibule into the car interior). Very difficult for me to haul my body up those. Anyway, motorman does pretty much all the work to get us out of the barn. I tell him he has authority into the Tail Track and reverse on the Car Line to Station track 1. He repeats it and we go. I notice the doors are open on 71 instead of 74. Hmm, who's coming out of there? Maybe A-Sup is running 415 instead of 3142 today. Sure enough, trainee (trained last fall when I did and was rejected for qualification the same day as me) calls me for permission out and into service. I give it to him and advise him of the work zone and that Track Dept. has promised to monitor the radio.

We get over to the depot. I check my watch. 10:25. I ask motorman if we can do a 10:45. He says we can go now if I want. I say let's let some people get here. I advise 415 of our departure time. Time comes, I close the doors and give two tugs on the signal cord. Motorman starts to move. Then I realize I didn't give him an order and go tell him. He gets surprisingly upset about it and later offers to take himself out of service over it. No, I tell him, it was partially my fault and it stays between us. We go to the Grove. We come back. Still no sign of the scheduled coach conductor. Engineer calls and asks if I've seen him. Nobody has. A-Sup calls Crew Caller (who said he wouldn't be there Sunday) and he says there's been a substitution and the new guy is probably sleeping in the dyno car. A-Sup asks me to go help the engine get from 22 to 2. No problem, it's not raining and it's a GP7 instead of an F9, so I have no problem with riding the step down to the switch. That switch is a bear to throw, but I get it without hurting myself like I did when I took the switching class. I ride back toward the train, this time giving hand signals (I'm right in engineer's view). We stop and I ask for three point. I check the couplers on the car and engine, then signal him to come back. I give him the stop half a second too soon and the pins don't drop, so when I give him stretch, they pull apart again. Three point, make sure they're open again, bump. Looks good, stretch. Good joint, three point. Make the air. No leaks. I tell myself that's all I'm doing for him. Well, okay, I'll unlock the front door of the combine, but that's it. Well, I'll unlock the rest of the train too, but I am NOT doing his brake test. His trainman shows up. Then he shows up. (He says over dinner later that he arrived at 4am and when his alarm went off, he turned it off, started to get up, and fell asleep again.) He says he wants to bad order his last car and leave it on 2, working off of 1 all day. I say okaaay, we can do that. By now a large crowd has shown up and wants to ride his train. I explain to them that he's still testing the brakes, and then that he's pulling ahead to uncouple a car, and then that he has to attach the tailhose and test it. Finally he says to start boarding. I thought both cars were open, but they all fill up the rear car and only a few go to the combine after saying there are no seats left. I give him an order and he highballs. I had told my motorman that he should pull up to east berth so coach could come in behind us, but to do it after coach left and took the crowd with it. I walk over to Depot St. to tell them they will have to wait for the timeout on 104 the rest of the day, but A-Sup is coming over to see me and I explain it all. He says he wants to take 415 out on the main too, following 308's next trip with a "meet 308 at East Switch" order.

Coach returns. I go over to Depot St. again to discuss it. I suggest they could meet us at Johnson. A-Sup agrees that that would work. I give him an order: 415, you are authorized for a 1:15 departure from Depot St. on the main. Eastbound, meet 308 at Johnson Siding. Go to the Grove. Westbound, no meets, go to signal 91 and call. (Didn't want to make the order TOO complicated all at once.) Repeated correctly. I go find my motorman and tell him 308 is authorized for a 1:00 departure, no meets east, to the Grove. Westbound, meet 415 at Johnson Siding, short turn at West Switch, return to Station Track 1. Repeated correctly. I go in the depot and announce both trips on the P.A. This all works nicely. I do a car talk in one car at the Grove, then do the other car while waiting at Johnson. We get back and motorman suggests I go to lunch. I say he should go first because I have some dispatching to do. 415 calls as they approach 121. 415, you are authorized to pass signal 91, short turn West Switch, into the West Wye, enter the Car Line at Central Ave., and resume normal rotation. Repeated correctly. They dewire at 96, the switch into the West Wye. They dewire at the 50th Ave. switch. They start doing circles again.

Not much left. Coach goes at 2:00. I ask A-Sup if he wants to go on the main again. He says yes, but after coach at 4:00. Okay. We go at 3:00. As we're coming back, Track Dept. (who has told 415 he would be done with the work zone) calls me for permission to move a machine from 24 to Yard 11. I ask him where 415 is. He says it's at Electric Park. I tell him he has permission to make that move, following 415. After a few minutes, he calls and says he's stuck past Electric Park and walking back to Barn 2 for tools. I ask 415 if they copied this; they did and hold at Depot St.

About 3:40, we're all sitting in front of the depot and A-Sup comes over. He doesn't want to do the wye again. Okay. I issue orders: 1605 is authorized for a 4:00 departure, no meets east to the Grove. Westbound, meet 415 at Johnson Siding, short turn at West Switch, and return to 1. Repeated correctly. 415 is authorized for a 4:10 departure (A-Sup was a tad upset that we'd had to wait for him at Johnson earlier). Meet 1605 at Johnson Siding. Go to the Grove. Westbound, no meets, short turn at West Switch and return to 1. Repeated correctly. General Manager was also sitting there and A-Sup asked what his plans were, thinking he'd want to start switching. "Get in my car and go home." Oh! Okay. Fine with me. Track Dept. still hasn't called to clear the Car Line. I go ask 415 if they heard him say something I didn't, but neither did they. I ask A-Sup if I can use his golf cart to go see what the problem is and he gives me the key. 1605 departs. 308 pulls up. I go to Electric Park and find only a cone on the track. I drive along the track until I find Track Dept. putting the machine into 11. He calls to tell me he's off controlled track and will close the switch right now. I say okay, but didn't I see a cone at Electric Park? He says oh yeah, he forgot the other guy put the cone out and he'll walk back and get it. Then he notices me on the cart and asks if I can give him a ride. I pull over to him and he gets on. He explains that it was all electronic problems with the machine and he'd prefer a simple old one, and he still doesn't know what was wrong, it just suddenly started working again. He says he's leaving it there and never coming back. I laugh.

I park the golf cart back by the depot. 1605 returns. We all look at how much space is behind it and decide 308 and 1605 should both pull up some more. I announce the final trip of the day on 308 at 5:00. A few people show up to ride it. Reluctantly but knowing it's the right thing to do, I give the railroad to A-Sup so he can send the other trains to bed, and ask for an order. With so few passengers, motorman wants to short turn. I ask for Seeman. A-Sup says okay, but you may get a red at Johnson. I say I understand. He gives an order and I repeat it correctly. We get there and motorman offers to let me run going back. Okay. The signal at West Johnson is indeed red (1605 is putting his train back into 2 and tying back into the bad car), but it clears before we get to it. As we approach, 1605 asks permission out of 2 and over to 22. His order is to do so clearing us. By the time he repeats it, we're clear. No delays to anybody. We unload and get permission to go to bed. A-Sup has lined the switches for us, but motorman has to restore the Tail Track switch.

Lively discussion of many topics over dinner. Among them, coach conductor relates the visit of somebody from another museum. They also have a tower, but they don't use it for dispatching like we do and he's fascinated by the idea. We say we only use it on busy days. "But this is a busy day -- you have two trains running plus the streetcar." No, this is a slow day. On a busy day, we have four or five trains running, one every 15 minutes. "!" Conductor takes him up there after I tell him what key it is. He's very impressed. Another topic is which steam locomotives are viable candidates for restoration to operation. CB&Q 3007's current plan is to abate the "vitamin A" boiler lagging and then assess the boiler to see if it's sound enough to use. I asked about something I'd heard about 9911A not being able to do mainline excursions again because it can't be fitted with PTC. A-Sup said that's being discussed. (I'm guessing it would need a newer brake stand installed.) South Shore 803 is going to leave the property and visit its old home for the 100th anniversary of freight service on that line; it will pull excursions after they do some wheel work for us. Web cam alert: on July 2, 1630 is going to pull the Nebraska Zephyr all day. They may add the RPO to the train and do mail pickups. I won't be able to foam it because I'm conductor on the caboose train.

---

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

Bernie!

Amtrak 6 arriving Chicago tomorrow (if you haven't heard) has AMTK 156, two other P42s, and the last ACS64 on the front, and four business cars (including Amtrak's last dome) on the rear. Even with Joe Boardman on it, it's still running over 3 hours late out of Fraser.

Indeed, as I help spot the Amtrak units on the Chicago and Chesterton cams I get 2 emails a day listing all known LD trains

This is the line from yesterday AM

6-04 --- 156-206-45-670 ---- 10021 Pacific Cape-10004 American View-10031 Dome-10001 Beech Grove on rear.

However as it is now 4:55 late it seems unlikely to arrive before 1am BST.

I will wait and see.

Currently 5 hours late out of Omaha, which was the last place where it could gain any time (and instead it lost more). If it maintains that, it will get to Galesburg about 4:45, which would get it to Naperville about 6:45 and past MH camera about 7:15 or so.

4 is also running about 5 hours late out of Lawrence, Kansas. It might make up a bit at Kansas City, but if it maintains its current delay it will be at GBB about 5:15, NPV 7:15, and by the camera about 7:45. Nothing special on this train, though.

---

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

Bernie!

Amtrak 6 arriving Chicago tomorrow (if you haven't heard) has AMTK 156, two other P42s, and the last ACS64 on the front, and four business cars (including Amtrak's last dome) on the rear. Even with Joe Boardman on it, it's still running over 3 hours late out of Fraser.

Indeed, as I help spot the Amtrak units on the Chicago and Chesterton cams I get 2 emails a day listing all known LD trains

This is the line from yesterday AM

6-04 --- 156-206-45-670 ---- 10021 Pacific Cape-10004 American View-10031 Dome-10001 Beech Grove on rear.

However as it is now 4:55 late it seems unlikely to arrive before 1am BST.

I will wait and see.

Currently 5 hours late out of Omaha, which was the last place where it could gain any time (and instead it lost more). If it maintains that, it will get to Galesburg about 4:45, which would get it to Naperville about 6:45 and past MH camera about 7:15 or so.

4 is also running about 5 hours late out of Lawrence, Kansas. It might make up a bit at Kansas City, but if it maintains its current delay it will be at GBB about 5:15, NPV 7:15, and by the camera about 7:45. Nothing special on this train, though.

And now the Amtrak site is down!! So I have now idea just how late it is!!!

As soon as I said that it came back, however 6 (04) is currently 5:44 late with a projected ETA at CUS of 7:25pm or 2:25 Am BST.

That is really annoying as I wanted to see the last ACS-64 arrive.

Apparently 6 (04) was supposed to leave 156 and the special cars at Denver to be collected by 6 (05) but it just left 156 the special cars are still on 6(04)

Also 4 (04) apparently has BNSF 6917 leading, obviously something rendering 84 or 161 (or both) inoperative.

---

So after catching a fleeting glimpse of ACS-64 670 at Galesburg.

(Galesburg is a still cam that displays an image at annoyingly varying intervals, between 9 seconds and a minute)



Did I wait till 2AM BST for it to arrive at Chicago??

Of course I did.



That is the last one, the first one I saw on this camera was actually 630 On the 26th December 2014, then 628 the next day!

However also on this train were some of the Amtrak special cars, including my favourite.

The only "dome" car Amtrak kept 10031 Ocean View





Personally I think it looks good in those colours.

Also bringing up the rear was 10001 Beech Grove, converted from an Amfleet 1 coach at the Beech Grove workshops.



It just made it as the light was fading.

Hopefully Siemens can now start building the replacement for the P42's. Yes I know and pigs might fly!!

---

I had not heard anything about 6 leaving 156 at Denver and was very surprised when it came through Montgomery without it.

4 came a short while later with no freight unit. Surprisingly, it had an old baggage car.

Today's 6 is twice as late and not even in Illinois yet, 11 hours down out of Mt. Pleasant.

---

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

I had not heard anything about 6 leaving 156 at Denver and was very surprised when it came through Montgomery without it.

4 came a short while later with no freight unit. Surprisingly, it had an old baggage car.

Today's 6 is twice as late and not even in Illinois yet, 11 hours down out of Mt. Pleasant.

This is what I heard about 6 (05):

"6 (05) picked up #7 at Glenwood (a crossing victim) and was supposed to pick up 156 at Denver. However, 1:10 delay Granby,CO loading problems with BOTH engines 10 and 824, 6-7hrs at Denver... 7 developed a fuel leak 156 not picked up either...apparently 10 and 824 are “patched” enough to make Chicago. "

Seems a bit like the train from hell!! Needless to say I did not get up at 6 am to see it arrive as it would have been too dark at Chicago!

As to old baggage cars, 3 went out with one yesterday.



I assume that not all the new ones are working 100% but with the embarrassing revelations about Amtrak not doing enough to get them delivered in the first place I suspect they are keeping quiet and trying to fix them.

I have seen them occasionally on the 29 and 49 as well.

Does not bode well for the Viewliner diners!!

---

Now I suspect this will be definitely be one for the real "train buffs" but this is the sort of thing I enjoy.

Unusually I had been out doing a job in London for a friend I help out. However because of the 5 hour time difference there are no Amtrak trains before 1:15 pm BST so I wasn't hurrying home. Within a few minutes of arriving home I got an e-mail which said Norfolk and Southern had a derailment in South Bend IN, and no one was getting past, which meant that the Capitol Limited 29 and the Lake Shore 49 were detouring via Fostoria OH where Railstream just happens to have a pair of cameras.

So this is definitely something you don't see every day!!

The 29 via Fostoria



Not only diverted, but hooked up together. The 49



And in a scene apparently reminiscent of the good old days, they changed crews as well

First 29.



Then they moved the whole train forward so the 49 crew could change.



Also as an added bonus 10004 American View was on the rear with apparently VIP's on board.



Taking pictures of the unexpected scenery safe in the knowledge it wasn't Amtraks fault :-)

As I said you don't see that everyday!!

Apparently the 48 (Lake Shore East bound) is waiting for a CSX crew and may well take the same diversion later

---

David might be interested in this one...
CTA Goes Old School By Rolling Out Throwback Trains And Buses

CHICAGO — Have you ever wondered what the CTA trains and buses looked like in the early 20th Century?

Now you can ride in them, thanks to the Heritage Fleet, a program by the CTA to celebrate 100 years of its history.

CTA is rolling out select rail cars and buses, including two 1923 4000-series rail cars, an eight-car train of 2400-series rail cars and three buses from the 1960s. The rail cars and trains come in orange and brown paint like in the 1940s, and red, white and blue exterior markings from the 1970s.

---

Just to round off the "you won't see this everyday" experience.

Here is very late Lake Shore 48 diverted through Fostoria OH.




Different angles and perspectives.

---

All very cool with the Amtrak detours. A friend on vacation in Ohio called this morning to ask what I knew about it and I knew nothing. Haven't had a chance to catch up with all the rail news lately. That bag on 3 looks like the one from 4 on Monday.

David might be interested in this one...
CTA Goes Old School By Rolling Out Throwback Trains And Buses

CHICAGO — Have you ever wondered what the CTA trains and buses looked like in the early 20th Century?

Now you can ride in them, thanks to the Heritage Fleet, a program by the CTA to celebrate 100 years of its history.

CTA is rolling out select rail cars and buses, including two 1923 4000-series rail cars, an eight-car train of 2400-series rail cars and three buses from the 1960s. The rail cars and trains come in orange and brown paint like in the 1940s, and red, white and blue exterior markings from the 1970s.

Good for them, but I can see those at the museum anytime. Our 4000s are green and cream (our wood cars are orange and brown). They were supposed to run last Saturday, but they were leaking in the rain and were put away in favor of North Shore. I'm slightly surprised CTA still has anybody who knows how to operate the 4000s; they have air brakes.

Did I mention that South Shore 803 is supposed to return to its home rails this summer? After some wheel work, it will pull excursions for the 100th anniversary of freight service on the line.

---

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