...today's 6. At last report, it was 5.5 hours late out of Burlington, but it appears to have been further delayed. It should have been out of Galesburg by now, but it's not even half way there.

I seem to have miscalculated that. It did not lose significant time there.

However, I am now looking at the Amtrak train tracker and wondering how 3 got ahead of 5. I watched 5 arrive at NPV about 20 minutes late after departing CHI on time. Now it's running behind 3 near Kewanee.

I forgot, I heard earlier that an Amtrak train (presumably 5) was stopped somewhere out there due to a severe thunderstorm and/or tornado warning. Still doesn't explain how 3 got ahead of 5, though.

The storm is now here and I think I'm going out in it.

---

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

In true "railfan" style here is a totally uninteresting picture, well to non railfans I assume.

Today The Capitol Limited from Washington had 4 extra cars.

All brand new baggage cars.



Note the actual scruffy baggage car was also still included!!

More to use on trains out of Chicago I presume.

Also forgot to mention, Railstream, the site these cameras are on, has a Camera in Grand Island Nebraska, it is the camera furthest west. Up till two days ago it was a low quality camera and one I rarely visited.

It has had an upgrade and now looks quite good



Not sure if there is anything but UP here.



Unfortunately no Amtrak just freight.

Amtrak did run via here when there was a derailment elsewhere but the quality left a bit to be desired.

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Since my Sunday has been rained out, I started searching the web for Canadian railcams. Haven't found any good ones yet, but I have found several sites with quality still photos. Including this interesting one of two classic SD-40s, taken a month ago in BC. Anyone remember the "which twin has the Tony?" ads?

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Another very interesting shot from the same website, taken last month, about an hour down the road from where I'm sitting. The Ontario Southland is a short line connecting several local auto plants to the CN and CP mainlines. Like most Canadian short lines, they operate on a shoe string, and don't spend a lot of money on things like repainting the second hand equipment they buy. Both these FP9s are ex-CN, the lead one in Railink colours (a Via Rail passenger service operated under contract by CN) and the other appears to be in the standard CN passenger engine markings - prior to 1970!

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OK, after a little digging on the second FP9, I'm slightly less amazed that it still exists in this paint scheme. It was built for the CN, here in London, back in the 1950s, but spent about 20 years with a local tourist line, the Waterloo St. Jacobs Line, which painted its engines and passenger cars in vintage CN colours. This engine moved to the OSR in early 2014.

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I had a day out at the Bluebell Railway today. I took some photos and videos.

If people would like, I can post a link to them after I get to a reasonably fast internet connection.

---

Happy Crunching,

Graham

I had a day out at the Bluebell Railway today. I took some photos and videos.

If people would like, I can post a link to them after I get to a reasonably fast internet connection.

I think most people who come here like trains!! I don't believe David will mind, I would like to see them!!

Well as David mentioned the California Zephyr 5 today would have the private cars on. So I was ready and waiting.

It was due to leave at 2pm local 8 pm BST

1st Problem - Depature delayed till 2.30pm then till 3pm, then till 5:10pm!!

Finally left at 4.30pm, however 2nd problem

I had noted that the Texas Eagle 22 had reversed down the wye a few minutes before, so..



Ahh this could be a problem



There you go best laid plans of mice.

Lets hope it wasn't one of the PV cars that caused the delay!!

However The Southwest Chief 4 helped make up for it a bit by having F59PHI, 451 in tow all the way from the sunny west coast, don't see many Surfliner locos this far east. I assume it is bound for Beech Grove.

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...today's 6. At last report, it was 5.5 hours late out of Burlington, but it appears to have been further delayed. It should have been out of Galesburg by now, but it's not even half way there.

I seem to have miscalculated that. It did not lose significant time there.

However, I am now looking at the Amtrak train tracker and wondering how 3 got ahead of 5. I watched 5 arrive at NPV about 20 minutes late after departing CHI on time. Now it's running behind 3 near Kewanee.

I forgot, I heard earlier that an Amtrak train (presumably 5) was stopped somewhere out there due to a severe thunderstorm and/or tornado warning. Still doesn't explain how 3 got ahead of 5, though.

The storm is now here and I think I'm going out in it.

If a road looks flooded, turn around, don't drown, seems like good advice. Good luck David.

Wasn't that much rain, at least right here. There were flood warnings to the southwest of here.

Found out right after I left that besides the ACS, there was also a UP engine added to the front. After spending 35 minutes in Portillo's drive-up line (usually, they have people out to direct traffic and take orders well ahead of the speaker, but apparently not when there's lightning), I diverted to West Eola to wait for it. It came by about 8:00 with everything it was supposed to have. I found out after the fact that they added the UP unit because the lead P42 had a slow leak in its radiator.

I shot video of it with my phone. I'll see if I can upload it to Youtube for you.

---

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

In true "railfan" style here is a totally uninteresting picture, well to non railfans I assume.

Today The Capitol Limited from Washington had 4 extra cars.

All brand new baggage cars.

Note the actual scruffy baggage car was also still included!!

More to use on trains out of Chicago I presume.

I have yet to see any of those in person. I made sure to photograph the old ones I saw today, though, because they won't last much longer.

Also forgot to mention, Railstream, the site these cameras are on, has a Camera in Grand Island Nebraska, it is the camera furthest west. Up till two days ago it was a low quality camera and one I rarely visited.

It has had an upgrade and now looks quite good

Not sure if there is anything but UP here.

Unfortunately no Amtrak just freight.

Amtrak did run via here when there was a derailment elsewhere but the quality left a bit to be desired.

Grand Island is the crossing of UP's mainline from Omaha to North Platte and BNSF's coal artery from Lincoln to Alliance. I don't know where in town the camera is located, so I don't know what you should expect to see on it.

---

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

OK, after a little digging on the second FP9, I'm slightly less amazed that it still exists in this paint scheme. It was built for the CN, here in London, back in the 1950s, but spent about 20 years with a local tourist line, the Waterloo St. Jacobs Line, which painted its engines and passenger cars in vintage CN colours. This engine moved to the OSR in early 2014.

I suspected the answer would be something like that. That paint is in much too good condition to be original.

---

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

I had a day out at the Bluebell Railway today. I took some photos and videos.

If people would like, I can post a link to them after I get to a reasonably fast internet connection.

I think most people who come here like trains!! I don't believe David will mind, I would like to see them!!

Absolutely!

Well as David mentioned the California Zephyr 5 today would have the private cars on. So I was ready and waiting.

It was due to leave at 2pm local 8 pm BST

1st Problem - Depature delayed till 2.30pm then till 3pm, then till 5:10pm!!

I went to a railroadiana show today where I met a couple of guys from the dormant model train club. Told them about the three cars on 5. They decided to wait for it at NPV. Since the station is half a mile from my house, I said I'd see them there. We also waited out the delays, communicating with the other friend on the train.

Finally left at 4.30pm, however 2nd problem

I had noted that the Texas Eagle 22 had reversed down the wye a few minutes before, so..



Ahh this could be a problem



There you go best laid plans of mice.

Oops! We nearly had the same happen to us. 5 finally arrived at NPV just as 4 was departing, also about three hours late.

Lets hope it wasn't one of the PV cars that caused the delay!!

It wasn't. The NPV agent announced that it was a refrigeration problem in the diner.

However The Southwest Chief 4 helped make up for it a bit by having F59PHI, 451 in tow all the way from the sunny west coast, don't see many Surfliner locos this far east. I assume it is bound for Beech Grove.

Just as this was pulling into NPV, I said "It could have a Surfliner on it." Lo and behold, it did! I was so surprised I didn't get a good picture of it. I agree with your surmise that it's headed for Beech Grove.

After 5 left, one of my friends went home. The other one and I went to the other platform (the sun had crossed to the north side by then) and waited for 6 to come in, which it did with that wrapped coach again. After that, I also left. I think he waited for an oil train we heard was coming; it had had NS 6334 leading, but something happened at Rochelle and they had to switch the power around so a UP unit was leading. I know it got to Aurora, but we had no clue whether it was continuing east after the eastbound Amtraks.

---

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

Did anyone here know about ATSF 2926? It's a Baldwin 4-8-4 steam locomotive that's 90% done in restoration, to operational status.

Yes, I've heard about her. Same class as 2903, which is said to be the largest steam locomotive preserved in Illinois (larger than our N&W Class Y?). It was displayed outdoors at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry from 1961 to 1995. I went down there the day it was moved down the streets on panel track to a connection to Illinois Central. I shot slides, but A: I used outdated film, and B: I then let the film sit in my hot car all summer before getting it processed. One of these factors caused the slides to come out with a slight purple cast. I have no idea where the slides are now. 2903 sits inside Barn 9 at IRM. It looks nice, but I'm sure we will never restore it to operation. It's just not practical for our railroad.

---

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

Metra Service Alert -- BNSF Railway

All Inbound and Outbound Train Traffic Halted

All inbound and outbound train traffic has been halted near Clarendon Hills due to
train #1232 needing local assistance from police and fire department. Train #1232
was scheduled to arrive Chicago at 7:49 a.m. and has been stopped. Trains are
presently delayed 15 to 80 minutes.


(i.e. 1232 had an engine fire)

---

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

OK, after a little digging on the second FP9, I'm slightly less amazed that it still exists in this paint scheme. It was built for the CN, here in London, back in the 1950s, but spent about 20 years with a local tourist line, the Waterloo St. Jacobs Line, which painted its engines and passenger cars in vintage CN colours. This engine moved to the OSR in early 2014.

I suspected the answer would be something like that. That paint is in much too good condition to be original.

Not that good, really. The same website has a photo of the same engine consist, on a Timmies break at nearby Woodstock last summer. You can still see the outline of the Waterloo St. Jacobs logo on the nose.

I commuted over the OSR line for about 6 years, and I would often see a flash of colour out of the corner of my eye as I drove by and think "what the heck was THAT?". The OSR is a virtual rolling museum of both engines and freight cars. And they apparently don't spend a lot of money on paint.

---

This time a pair of Geeps on the OSR, taken last fall. They are parked beside the CP mainline, waiting to exchange cars with a CP local freight. 5 points to whoever can identify the previous owners.

---

Metra Service Alert -- BNSF Railway

All Inbound and Outbound Train Traffic Halted

All inbound and outbound train traffic has been halted near Clarendon Hills due to
train #1232 needing local assistance from police and fire department. Train #1232
was scheduled to arrive Chicago at 7:49 a.m. and has been stopped. Trains are
presently delayed 15 to 80 minutes.


(i.e. 1232 had an engine fire)

Well will they "assist" it back past the camera?

Or have I missed it!!

Other odd things happening at CHI today.

Firstly I wonder if this is Metra's answer to overcrowding.



20 cars and a helper in the middle! :-)

(That is not serious, just shunting)

Then Amtrak joined in, I saw a headlight coming down the wye.



Ok 59 on the front of the train, and at the back



Er well the "other front" 52. I thought the reason for having an engine at both ends was so you didn't have to turn the train!

Must be the rain, pretty dark too!!

Then a never seen before sight for me, a Metra F40PH, running the other way round and over the airline

Apparently so passengers don't have to walk past the smelly noisy engine at Chicago, they are always at the far end, so I always see them facing the other way, as the two below.



It then sped past on the wye so I assume it will turn around from there.

---

Metra Service Alert -- BNSF Railway

All Inbound and Outbound Train Traffic Halted

All inbound and outbound train traffic has been halted near Clarendon Hills due to
train #1232 needing local assistance from police and fire department. Train #1232
was scheduled to arrive Chicago at 7:49 a.m. and has been stopped. Trains are
presently delayed 15 to 80 minutes.


(i.e. 1232 had an engine fire)

Well will they "assist" it back past the camera?

Or have I missed it!!

They said they were sending equipment out to pull it to Chicago. I'm not sure if that meant the shop switcher, a freight unit from Cicero, or a whole train to pick up the passengers. Yes, you should have seen it go by by now.

News article

Other odd things happening at CHI today.

Firstly I wonder if this is Metra's answer to overcrowding.



20 cars and a helper in the middle! :-)

(That is not serious, just shunting)

I think that's a fairly standard thing there at the Zephyr Pit. I've also seen where a train broke down and another one coupled on to push it. Tricky operating them that way because of the way the brakes are set up (in some units, the engine won't load if its brakes are set up so it's in the middle of the train).

Then Amtrak joined in, I saw a headlight coming down the wye.



Ok 59 on the front of the train, and at the back



Er well the "other front" 52. I thought the reason for having an engine at both ends was so you didn't have to turn the train!

Good question! Maybe one of them died or was scheduled for maintenance and they wanted it facing a certain way for the shop. [edit] Those black things on the roof at the end of the car are the antennae for the onboard wifi system. I believe there's another set at the other end of the car. [/edit]

Must be the rain, pretty dark too!!

Then a never seen before sight for me, a Metra F40PH, running the other way round and over the airline

Apparently so passengers don't have to walk past the smelly noisy engine at Chicago, they are always at the far end, so I always see them facing the other way, as the two below.



It then sped past on the wye so I assume it will turn around from there.

That might be a replacement coming from the Rocket House for the one with the fire. Didn't think they'd act quite that fast, though.

On review, I see that's 100, Metra's first F40PH. That makes it the oldest unit currently in use on revenue trains. (There are still two F40Cs on the roster, but they are not in service.) It's been rebuilt by Progress Rail, which means the crews consider it a piece of crap.

---

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

This time a pair of Geeps on the OSR, taken last fall. They are parked beside the CP mainline, waiting to exchange cars with a CP local freight. 5 points to whoever can identify the previous owners.

Lead unit is obviously from one of the Chessie System lines, C&O, B&O or Western Maryland.

Trailing unit was British Columbia.

---

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

That might be a replacement coming from the Rocket House for the one with the fire. Didn't think they'd act quite that fast, though.

On review, I see that's 100, Metra's first F40PH. That makes it the oldest unit currently in use on revenue trains. (There are still two F40Cs on the roster, but they are not in service.) It's been rebuilt by Progress Rail, which means the crews consider it a piece of crap.

Found out that a Facebook friend of mine was running 100 in that picture. He was taking it back to Western Ave. after warranty work at the Rocket House. (I believe that's the designated shop for all warranty work on the Progress rebuilds.)

---

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

This time a pair of Geeps on the OSR, taken last fall. They are parked beside the CP mainline, waiting to exchange cars with a CP local freight. 5 points to whoever can identify the previous owners.

Well I did the sensible thing and searched for OSR 644

And it is not a GP at all but an M420 originally owned by BC Rail, whose colours I recognized.

As for 175

"A GP9 built by EMD in 1956 as C & O #6193 (Chesapeake & Ohio Railway). Serial number 22576, 1750 h.p.
It later worked coal mines in Kimper, Kentucky as Ridgeway Coal #6193 and then New Ridge Mining #59. Znidar Brothers, which had been the switching contractor at CPR's Vaughan Intermodal Facility, owned the unit until 2002.

It then became OSRX #175. You can still see portions of the old Chessie Systems C & O markings under the paint."

Had an interesting life!!

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