That would be a siding. Most Canadian main lines are double tracked these days, so passing sidings are rarely needed, unless track work is underway. In addition, we built so much track in the first half of the 20th century that even where main lines are single, there is probably an alternate route between any two major points. The alternate may be a bit longer, but that is better than letting a train sit. Rail freight in Canada is usually not time sensitive. That stuff goes by truck or by air.

In the US, as the industry declined it became evident that the rail network was overbuilt. However, once they were allowed to, the railroads over-"rationalized" and abandoned so many routes that now the resurgence in business is forcing them to either rebuild old routes or increase capacity on the remaining ones.

The Baltimore & Ohio route to Chicago across Ohio and Indiana had been double track. In the early 80s, they reduced it to single track with passing sidings. As soon as successor CSXT made the deal with NS to split up Conrail, they got busy rebuilding that second track.

The Illinois Central was double track with hand-throw crossovers, all the way from Chicago to New Orleans. However, it had Automatic Train Control, which allowed passenger trains to go 90 mph. They made the case that by pulling up one track and deactivating the ATC, they could afford to install CTC to control the passing sidings and thus actually move Amtrak faster, because the dispatchers could line the freights into the sidings instead of the trains having to stop and throw the crossovers and then probably back through them. It worked for a while, more or less, but now it's pushing its capacity and really needs the second track put back.

The Southern Pacific's Sunset Route from California to Texas was always single track. Since Union Pacific took over, they have been slowly working to double track it. They're pretty much done now, I think.

In the Canadian Rockies, there is one segment where CN and CP have single tracks on opposite sides of a canyon. Both of them were getting ready to install second tracks, but common sense broke out and they reached an agreement to run all trains one way on one side and all trains the other way on the other. This practice had long been used by Southern Pacific and Western Pacific across the desert in Utah and Nevada; both of them are now UP.

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

Whilst I haven't posted much here recently I have been reading it all, interesting as always how we are similar but divided by a common language:-)

Here is another strange thing that makes me wonder if they have quite got the hang of "double ended trains" of course here in the UK almost all passenger services I can think of have cabs at both ends.

However I have noticed this most days.

This is the Lincoln Service turning on the wye.



Nothing odd about that I lose count of the number of Amtrak trains that do that every day, however on the other end.



I am actually at a loss as to why it is necessary to turn the train!

It runs from Chicago to St Louis, and I assume the reason it has a P42 at each end is that it cannot turn, if so it arrives back in Chicago the same way it left, so turning it actually reverses the train!!

Oh well I am sure they will get the hang of it eventually :-)

PS also notice the stack train on the airline, it isn't going that way but they seem to use it to switch. It was actually stationary waiting for the OK to come all the way back again.

I am also getting a few good pictures from Galesburg, but you have to be quick as the still picture only stays on screen for 15-20 seconds. I find it is really interesting watching the passengers arrive when a train is due.

Galesburg actually gets 2 "local" services each way daily and the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief in both directions.

This was the scene on Friday last before the holiday weekend, the California Zephyr to SF is due, and because it is late, the Southwest Chief to LA is not far behind.




As we know nobody in the US travels by train!!

Finally on a wet day a little while back I saw this.



Who said steam was dead.

(for the non train buffs around the sloping bit at the back of those engines is the radiator (hot) and it was pouring with rain)

Just remembered there have been reports of an E or F unit hauling a train through Chesterton, heading east, I did see it at Berea a couple of weeks back but it was 4.30 am local and still dark.

Hopefully David might have an idea what it is.

https://youtu.be/IPAFOQt6lJM

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Stack train: if it went east up the ramp, waited, and then went down again, my guess is it came out of UP's Global 1 intermodal yard.

Train being turned: beats me too. Unless... they need both engines to achieve 110 mph, but maybe one of them doesn't have the necessary cab signaling equipment, so they have to turn the train so the one that does is leading. I can't quite tell from looking at them. Wait a minute... lounge cars at both ends?

Galesburg: I hope they finish the depot expansion soon. I'd hate to be a passenger and have to use the porta-potties.

F units: that would be Norfolk Southern's business train. They actually have A-B-B-A Fs, but one of the Bs is in the shop for upgrades or something. The train was in town over the weekend and left Monday morning.

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

I would ask the question to Canada & the USA, just WHY do you need to move so many goods from one place to another? Why can't you simply manufacture them where the demand is? OK, one needs raw materials and nature decides where the mines of minerals etc are, but even so.

Might be possible if all the raw materials came from the same place, or even from the same region. They don't. And don't necessarily come from the same place each time. Unit costs for raw materials transport are so low in comparison to other factors like availability, cost of labor, cost of moving finished goods that it's probably not even a factor. Probably true over there as well, but the difference is that where your "big move" might be tens or a hundred miles, our move is thousands.
As far as making where the demand is, not sure quite how that works. There's demand for new cars in all the states and provinces, but economies of scale demand that a plant in each state would double or triple the cost. What manufactured good wouldn't follow that model? Doesn't make sense.
I'd imagine, that the single biggest factor in where to make most anything is costs of labor, and to what extent industry gets driven away by governments that want to tax it to death versus governments that want to "bribe" companies to relocate by offering incentives and tax breaks in the hope that they can boost employment and spin-off economic development.

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If you run for office around where
I live, then I am voting for you!

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If anyone had been watching the IRM webcams today, they would have seen

ME

QUALIFY

AS

CONDUCTOR!!!!!

Congratulations David and well done. ;-)

The length of the train in that picture is just ridiculous!!!

Up until the 1990s, the average freight train in Canada was about 5,000 feet (1.54 kilometres) long and weighed 7,000 tons. But it is now not uncommon to see these trains stretch to 12,000 feet, sometimes as much as 14,000 feet (more than four kilometres), weighing up to 18,000 tons.

Are Canadian railways that close to financial ruin that they have to run stuff like this to save money and survive?

Chris there use to be an annual worldwide contest for the longest trains in the world, but the rest of the world has given up over the years for that title. :-D

Cheers.

I will be doing my first day as the official conductor (not a trainee) on the steam coach train on Saturday, July 25.

I hope the weather is decent.

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

Have a good shift Dave - I'm not envious, honest, I'm not envious, really, I'm not envious.... Well maybe a little....

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

Photos: Local photographer takes you inside abandoned ‘train wreck’ that looks like a horror movie

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio– Local photojournalist Seph Lawless is revealing photos that he says resembles “an apocalyptic train wreck.”

Lawless, known for documenting abandoned places all over the world including here in Northeast Ohio, said he most recently discovered the site, which is buried deep in the middle of woods in Jefferson County, Ohio.

A man who lives in the area told Lawless it’s referred to as ‘The Trolley Tragedy of 1957;’ that is now the title of Lawless’ new book. The man also told Lawless that folklore in the area is that the site is haunted. Lawless described the experience as something straight out of an apocalyptic horror movie. The Cleveland-area photographer said he’s now working with the popular AMC TV show ‘The Walking Dead.’ He said the show is looking into possibly using the site as a filming location.

LINK TO HIS TRAIN PHOTOS

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Clearly a junk yard, not a wreck site.

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http://mynewsla.com/crime/2015/07/12/union-pacific-train-fire-in-riverside-affecting-l-a-rail-traffic/

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That would be a siding. Most Canadian main lines are double tracked these days, so passing sidings are rarely needed, unless track work is underway. In addition, we built so much track in the first half of the 20th century that even where main lines are single, there is probably an alternate route between any two major points. The alternate may be a bit longer, but that is better than letting a train sit. Rail freight in Canada is usually not time sensitive. That stuff goes by truck or by air.

BNSF has successfully completed their new dual main in the local area. They now can have twice as many trains in the same space staring at the red board!

Here is a little more on the "Why are they turning that train."

Spotted last week 90368, possibly the tattiest piece of Amtrak rolling stock in public service.



It is of course a "cabbage" or cab - baggage and whilst not having a prime mover can control the loco at the other end. So why is it being turned?

Ah well you say that is because they want 90368 pointing a certain way. Yes very good, except same train a few days later.



Notice it is now pointing in the other direction add yet it is still being turned, confused, I am!!

Having found out about this site https://www.heritageunits.com/ which allows you to see where all the "heritage units" are, both freight and Amtrak, it also lists the whereabouts of the NS Business train that was the object of a previous discussion, you can also look to see where it has been and it was indeed the one that I missed passing through Chesterton. It also list the two Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus trains, which are on continuous tour of the US. The Blue train is currently in Houston TX and the Red train in LA, when moving they are apparently quite a sight.

I was able to track one of the heritage units and catch it passing Chesterton




NS 1069 Virginian, hopefully with the new site I will be able to catch a few more.

One of the west coast EMD F59PHI's has been at Beech Grove for a major overhaul apparently and came in on Friday on the Hoosier.



454 looking clean and shiny, I assume it will head west soon.

Today saw an ignominious end for the City of New Orleans journey to Chicago, it was running very late which is unusual, however when it arrived all was revealed.



202 towed in by a little GP38-2 which while it says CN is really Grand Trunk Western 5858.

Slightly better view as it reverses into Chicago, you can see the GTW under the number.



Finally what could be nicer on a sunny Sunday afternoon in July than to head west in you own private accommodation.



Iowa Pacific PV on route to SF via the California Zephyr yesterday.

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Caltrans might own that West Coast unit, if it's from California, Amtrak just crews the train here.

That looks like the Pacific Surfliner, which is owned by Caltrans and run by Amtrak.

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

It is of course a "cabbage" or cab - baggage and whilst not having a prime mover can control the loco at the other end. So why is it being turned?

Ah well you say that is because they want 90368 pointing a certain way. Yes very good, except same train a few days later.

Because Amtrak is so proud of its fine condition, they want to be sure it passes the entire length of the platform twice so all passengers can see its stunning beauty! as they board and depart.

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Caltrans might own that West Coast unit, if it's from California, Amtrak just crews the train here.

That looks like the Pacific Surfliner, which is owned by Caltrans and run by Amtrak.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Surfliner

All Pacific Surfliner trains are pulled by Amtrak-owned locomotives. Amtrak maintains a dedicated fleet of 15 EMD F59PHI locomotives painted to match the livery of the "Surfliner" cars. Locomotives from the long-distance fleet are often used, including the P42DC.

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Caltrans might own that West Coast unit, if it's from California, Amtrak just crews the train here.

That looks like the Pacific Surfliner, which is owned by Caltrans and run by Amtrak.

Yes it is and only comes east for major overhauls at Amtrak's Beech Grove Indianapolis site. Which is why is is unusual to see it in Chicago.

Just waiting to see if and when it returns west.

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Of course in the days of UK steam engines, we had devices called turntables. I take it the idea never crossed the pond?

Yes US Railroads had turntables, most are long gone now, Wyes do exist though.

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

Oh, I think the USA still has some.
https://goo.gl/maps/KC3vQ
Hope this google earth map link works.

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Oh, I think the USA still has some.
https://goo.gl/maps/KC3vQ
Hope this google earth map link works.

Yeah some do exist still.

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