Trackside Lounge--second quarter, 2011

I couldn't get in for about 15 minutes now...WTF!  Back now, so I'll live.

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/184828/2073860.aspx#2073860

Link back to the last edition.  Moving on!

CShaveRR

I've never used the word "Snerk" before, but I'm very tempted to, at the news that Wisconsin now wants Federal help to upgrade the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor.

Wisconsin....especially now, calling for Federal help....!!!!   I don't have any words for it....Let the Gov. figure it out.

Photo linkes contained within: view at your discretion.

CN is merging with BNSF, I have photographic proof!
CN 2149
http://flic.kr/p/9tepo3

CN 2196
http://flic.kr/p/9tepoW

We've had the EJE 666 in/around Neenah for months now.  Finally we got a new one to see, EJE 671:
http://flic.kr/p/9tepoW

I was excited to shoot this.  One of each kind of "new" Dash 8 in consist together.  Think of the lineage here: former ATSF, BNSF, CNW, & UP in one picture with CN.
http://flic.kr/p/9tbWLP

Ever see a GP40-2LW as it's own DPU?
http://flic.kr/p/9tYvCp

The same Geep is 'Set and Centered'.  Literally I had to keep driving past this shot as traffic wouldn't let me stop or slow beyond the 10 mph I had to for a truck ahead.  Not bad, IMNSHO.
http://flic.kr/p/9u2vFd

Artsy shot at an at grade crossing. 
http://flic.kr/p/9tYSai

A colorful consist leading a Coke train to Green Bay.
http://flic.kr/p/9tZ5X6

Repainted CN 2400 (GE C40-8M).  Paint shop must've been bored.
http://flic.kr/p/9uzxif

BCOL version of the same model.
http://flic.kr/p/9uzCC3

Missing a loco?  I found a couple...or 8...
http://flic.kr/p/9uKDYK

WC...now & then.
http://flic.kr/p/9uKE1e

A little altitude helps perspective.  Good timing does, too.
http://flic.kr/p/9uKE2v

Enjoy.  More pictures (roster and "other") can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/danbraun/

I saw a couple of new things on my last round trip to Nebraska and back. 

On the trip out, I noticed in a manifest train we met (one of 3 we had to wait for due to single tracking around lots of maintenance in the way  out there.) Uncle Pete has some brand new covered hoppers.  No graffiti, no dirt, UP initials instead of using premerger marks.  The date on the new cars was 3/11.  (I wrote down the number series, cubic capy, etc for Carl since I know he likes freight cars, but I unfortunately didn't keep the paper.  Sorry.) 

On the trip home I saw some of the tracks used for bad order setouts or MOW equipment to tie up on now have the "jump frogs" that were discussed sometime back.  The ones I saw were tracks that have had their normal frogs removed for some time.  They had been straight railed so the tracks were unusable for a while.  One double ended track has a normal frog on one end, a jump frog on the other.  

Jeff

Don't frequent this place much but has there been a time warp?  Second quarter of 2010? What happened to the last 12 months?  Maybe I just woke up from a dream, like in Dallas, the dream ends and Bobbie's back!

Modelcar

 

CShaveRR:

 

I've never used the word "Snerk" before, but I'm very tempted to, at the news that Wisconsin now wants Federal help to upgrade the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor.

 

 

Wisconsin....especially now, calling for Federal help....!!!!   I don't have any words for it....Let the Gov. figure it out.

I live in the state, and still have not figured out Walker.  He was on the morning news, and I thought to myself that he looks a little bit like the former IL governor. (don't ask me how to spell it!)  This whole state is one big mess right now.....

Looks like all the downtown trackage in Burlington will be gone in the not-too-distant future, the switch for the old Murphy Feeds was pulled out last summer, and I noticed yesterday that the rails for the siding had been pulled out up to the Adams St. crossing.  This crossing used to have four tracks when CPI used to load grain downtown, before they moved over to the ex-MILW line in the 1980s.

artschlosser

Don't frequent this place much but has there been a time warp?  Second quarter of 2010? What happened to the last 12 months?  Maybe I just woke up from a dream, like in Dallas, the dream ends and Bobbie's back!

Thanks, Art!  I just caught that mistake by myself, and repaired it.  It's embarrassing enough (today was payday--I hope I wrote the checks correctly!).  Last year at this time I was still working, maybe a little heavier, and planning a trip to Michigan and Ohio.  I wonder what I would have changed if I'd had this year to live over again.  Not too much, I'm thinking...I may have shut up a time or two instead of saying something that has caused some hurt.

Jeff, thanks for thinking about us freight-car freaks, at least.  Over on Trainorders.com there was a post about a train of new UP hoppers...but all of the photographs were of the engines (which were nothing unusual)!  Given one road number off a new car, I can probably figure out how many there are, and who built them.  If the UP class is painted on the car, that would be useful.  I'm telling you this now because it seems likely that you'd probably see them again before I do. 

Had about three trains go through in the half-hour or so that we were at lunch, but I didn't see anything unusual (or fresh) on them.  I hope to break the drought of the past couple of days tomorrow--if the dry, seasonable forecast is accurate, I should be able to do my payday errands in Elmhurst on my bike, linger a while in that area, and check out the signal installations on the way home.

Carl, IIRC they were in the UP 93000 series with low numbers, such as UP 93054 etc.

I'll keep watch for them.

Jeff

Carl, I thought it was just another April 1st prank!  Quite a few of them on here today.

That was good enough, Jeff!

(At least this is a series I haven't seen before.)

UP 93000-93499 (500 cars) are being built by the Greenbrier Companies, probably in Mexico.

There may be some other series that I haven't seen, either.  There are other Greenbrier cars in UP series 92000-92274, and a series built by National Steel Car (in Canada), UP 92500-92999.

Looks promising for my trip out in a couple of hours (after "Car Talk" and "Wait-Wait Don't Tell Me").  Sun's out, streets are dry (and I hope the bike path isn't too soupy).

The train-watching drought is over!  'Twas a very good trip!

In Lombard, I saw two trains:  westbound scoot and eastbound manifest.  They were on Tracks 3 and 1, respectively.  Track 2?  It had a big hole in it, where the next crossover switch was going to be placed.

Missed the next train, an eastbound manifest, which went by while I was on the Great Western Trail (the former CGW main line) in Villa Park (I knew it was a manifest when I could see through to a crossing).

Ran into a co-worker on the Illinois Prairie Path (this is the former Chicago, Aurora & Elgin right-of-way) on the way east (he's fine--maybe a little dusty).  Caught up on the same-ol' same-ol' at work, and he'll pass on my greetings when he goes in tonight.

Elmhurst:  business before pleasure...had to do some banking, pick up some stuff for Pat (at least they didn't give me a pink bag to carry around!), then grab lunch at one of my favorite spots there:  Hamburger Heaven.  Took the lunch back to the tracks, and waited about 20 minutes for the first train to come. 

It was the westbound scoot, followed quickly by the eastbound scoot...ATWS activated west of the depot.

After just a few minutes, a stack train came out of Global 2.  Power included UP Olympic SD70M 2002 as the second unit, and UP 4000 as the third unit.  As soon as he cleared the plant, an eastbound freight was lined into the yard.

It took him about ten minutes or so to get to us...inbound stack train.  Before he got there, the headlight of westbound ZSKDL (the reefers) showed up...ATWS activated again, but hard to hear over the passing trains.

I finished the letter I was writing (yes, writing--the computer stayed home today), and another eastbound freight got the lineup.  I thought I heard his horn, so I finished the letter, packed up, went across the tracks to mail it at the Post Office, then came back.  Still, no train, so I went to the hobby shop.

So, naturally, while I was at the hobby shop, here she comes...an inbound manifest from North Platte.  As soon as I could pay for my purchase, I got out and chased the train east, catching up with the power just as the road ended.  There were a few interesting cars that I would have missed otherwise.  I waited for him at a crossing, and, after he cleared, noted that another inbound was going to go around the yard.  Before I could get out of town, this train--a stacker--came.  After he went by, I looked east and saw the headlight and ditch lights of a westbound in the yard.  Decided to leave anyway, as there was no telling how soon he'd be on the move.  Turned out he moved just a few minutes after I did, and beat me to Villa Park (I could tell that it was a stack-car repo move, though). 

The footings for the new signal bridge at Villa Avenue are in (forgot to mention that the new approach signal bridge in Elmhurst was up, with signals covered).  No trains went through while I was in Villa Park (the footings were in at Addison Road as well).

Back at Lombard, the new switch was in place, less than three hours after I witnessed the hole in the track.  The eastbound scoot tiptoed past the two tampers and sweeper that were working over it.  Just west of this was the usual work train (same GP15-1, five ballast cars, and ex-MP caboose, but five additional flat cars for removing the track panels from where the switch now rests--and maybe the previous weekend's installations, too).  Before I left the tracks, the eastbound scoot made it to the station and left.  I watched the signal at Finley Road turn red before heading home.

Sorry...no camera for any of this, hence the need for thousands of words. 

Yesterday was an amazing day, weatherwise, with our temperature getting up near 80.  It was almost a non-event railfanwise, though.  We went to the railroadiana show out at the College of DuPage (saw only one familiar name, and purchased nothing).  It was interesting to see the prices that some of the books in my library could sell for.

In Lombard (CP Y019), one more switch was put in, on Track 1.  I happened to see it after the switch was down and just before the work train ran over it to dump ballast.  This leaves just one more switch to install, perhaps next weekend.

While we were at lunch in Glen Ellyn, three freights went through. On a later bicycling errand, I caught a stack train that included a car that had been bugging me--reporting marks SMW.  Looked new, but it turned out that it was rebuilt, stretching the well to 53 feet from 48.  There will be nearly 600 of these SMW cars eventually, when they rebuild all of the old CRLE single wells.  (Yes, I do know...SMW is the St. Marys Railway West.)

We are getting reports here that the Cimmarron Valley Railroad got hurt badly over the weekend around Satanta, KS due to a massive range fire (news reports show the town being evacuated, not much on the railroad...heard but not confirmed is 18+ miles of R/W  burned with multiple timber structures gone....forum member favuprailroadfan was working out there.

Locally, they talk about acres burned in forest fires. Out on the prairie its square miles, lots of square miles.

OK - but then, just what is St. Marys Railway West ?  Doesn't seem to be a lot of info on it on-line - here's as much as I could find fairly quickly, a CSX short-line profile:

http://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/other-services-partners/short-line-partners/short-line-directory/short-line-directory-profile/?i=2799 

From another source - the 2004 STB decision allowing the purchase of this line after CSX abandoned it, at:  http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/archive/index.php/t-69891.html 

34779

SERVICE DATE - JUNE 4, 2004

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD DECISION

STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 640)

CSX TRANSPORTATION, INC. —ABANDONMENT— IN ATKINSON AND WARE COUNTIES,
GA

IN THE MATTER OF AN OFFER OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - Decided: June 4, 2004

The line is 23.25 miles long, so I suppose there's enough track to store all 600 cars . . .

The "net liquidation value" = purchase price was set at $261,203, which is about $11,235 per mile, or $2.13 per foot of line.

But who really 'is' the SMW - and what are they doing owning 600 cars ???  Dreams of becoming another TTX ?

- Paul North. 

My guess is that it has dreams of becoming another Northwestern Oklahoma.  These SMW cars are numbered in the 210000 series, right above the NOKL single-well stack cars.  That suggests that they're owned by First Union Rail, as is NOKL.

Saw a new blue TILX covered hopper in the yard today.  Had a crown-type logo on the side.   First time I've seen that (or noticed...)

I guess you win this one, Zug!  I haven't seen anything quite like that.  The word "crown" doesn't show at all in my TILX file.  I found "blue" a few times, and even "are blue" once or twice (that gets rid of references to blue lettering).  Grab a number if you can.  Meanwhile, your report gave me occasion to check out a once-likely possibility, find out more about the lessee, and update a couple of files accordingly.

Meanwhile, my sighting and obtained information on the SMW stack cars has caused two of my freight-car-freak friends to anticipate the prospect of updating their books on the subjects (one on stack cars, one on Gunderson production).  They have promised to retaliate for the joy and happiness I gave them, and I, of course, am looking forward to that!

I'm not anticipating much in the way of train-watching today.  We have a couple of errands to run, and stuff to pull off the computer in anticipation of our trip.  The game-changer will be if our car gets checked over in time for us to go visit grandchildren. 

CN's been dragging lots of empty centerbeam cars north lately.  I hope that means that the building industry is going to pick up (get busy Norris!).  Word from some pretty reliable sources indicates that traffic levels are up in my area to the point that the frequency of most local runs is going from 2-3 days per week up to 5-6 days per week and they're adding extra jobs to the Board.  Average train length & frequency seem to be up a tick from last year as well according to my notes. 

One of CN's "new" C40-8W's from BNSF seemed to have some serious heat issues on it's maiden voyage north.  The unit displayed significant thermal scarring on the engineer's side just below the radiator and semi-significant damage on the conductor's side.  CN 2154 is reportedly heading back to Woodcrest for some TLC...probably with a BFH.

Planning a trip to Byron Hill (and maybe some other close areas) for Saturday.  I've only caught two trains on the hill...so having some extended time available will be nice.  Aedan will be at Grandma K's house for the weekend and my wife works...I'm calling it a mini-vacation!

That sounds kind of nice, Dan!  I'd join you, but we hope to be tooling around Cincinnati come Saturday.

Randy--any advice on traveling 77 from Charleston to Charlotte, or 77/81 from Charlotte north as far as Hagerstown?

Our traveling weather doesn't always look the greatest, at least through the next week, but maybe we'll be able to move between the raindrops.

Pat has a digital camera that we hope to take along--maybe I'll be able to add a few pictures.  If not here, then on Facebook.

[quote user="CShaveRR"]

Randy--any advice on traveling 77 from Charleston to Charlotte, or 77/81 from Charlotte north as far as Hagerstown?

quote]

Carl: Great scenery. Allow plenty of time and definitely travel in the day time. From Charleston about 20 - 30 miles on the west side of the interstate you will see a lot of remanants of an old C&O track Rest stop can see more. Once off I-81 several points to look at if you have the time. I'll be driving down it some time next week. Plan on a stop in Roanoke which I have not done for a long time.

Thanks!  We don't plan on any night travel, so that's good.  I'm hoping we can get down to Princeton/Bluefield for a lunch break between Charleston and Charlotte. 

As for Roanoke, that'll be a two-night stay.  We'd like to get to the museums, but we're also going to Clifton Forge on the intervening day to do some work at the C&O Historical Society's archives.  I'm also hoping to see some newly-minted coal cars (or whatever) at the shops in Roanoke, now operated by Freight Car America.

(I tried to make reservations at the Hotel Roanoke, but they were sold out for our two days, according to their website.)

Carl; if you do get to Roanoke walk down the sidewalk at the hotel  and wave at all of us watching. Maybe the cam will be working ~~ HEH HEH

                                                             Cannonball

Maybe I should watch the Roanoke camera once, just so I know where to stand.  We should be able to be seen at Fostoria when we get there.

Here at Cincinnati (camping well upstream from the horses, thanks!), we've been treated very well by CSX, which has sent two trains over the river from the south in the hour we've been here.  I know that when the C&OHS held a convention here in 1977, we were in a different hotel, but it couldn't have been far from this one--the Frisch's Big Boy we ate at then is still there!  As for distinctive dining...MC, is Skyline Chili the place that you keep recommending?  What's good there, besides chili?  We've got one of those close by, too.

Carl, are you going to check out any of the big railroad bridges over the Ohio River on your travels ?  There's at least 2 - Sciotoville, and Metropolis, both of which were written up in Middleton's Landmarks on the Iron Road. See:

http://www.kentuckyroads.com/images/ohio_river/ 

Sciotoville ("Sciotodale" on some maps) is about 90 miles east of you, and 5 miles east of Portsmouth, Ohio at:  N 38.75813 W 82.89128

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?location=Sciotoville%20Bridge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciotoville_Bridge 

http://bridgehunter.com/oh/scioto/sciotoville

http://www.bridgemeister.com/pic.php?pid=109 

http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/sciotoville/ 

http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0001369 

Metropolis is about 200 miles southwest of you, about 5 miles west of Paducah and 25 miles northeast of Cairo, at:  N 37.26968 W 88.65417

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_Bridge 

http://bridgehunter.com/il/massac/metropolis/ 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=31608 

- Paul North. 

Paul, we'll be headed east, so we'll pass the pass the Sciotoville Bridge (a.k.a. the Limeville Bridge, if you're on the Kentucky side).  It's impossible to miss when you come at it from the west on the Kentucky side--it's a huge structure for a long time before you get even with it.  One time I climbed the embankment up to track level on the Ohio side to get a look at the thing from that angle...paid dearly for it for the rest of the day because I had a violent itching reaction from something I brushed up against up there.

Third train was on the bridge when we crossed the highway bridge right next to it to go to the quilt show.  Had a nice Italian dinner at Campanello's, which we're led to believe is another Cincinnati institution.

Carl, Sounds like you're having a good time; that's great!! Hope you catch lots of good pics while you are at it!! Be safe and thanks for keeping us in the loop!! Take care; off to class for me. N.

Welcome in, Nance!

Nothing in the way of pictures is too likely from here--Pat's my camera person, and she's still uncomfortable with the digital camera.

It's after dark and not easy to see the trains from here (one of the lights that shows the hotel in a positive light shines right up at me when I'm looking at the tracks).  But in two hours we've had three more trains by us here.  Certainly a busy enough line!  I've seen some cars that don't get up in our neck of the woods, including some Tropicana reefers and some CSXT 604000-series flat cars.  They look like they're intended for hot steel billets.  Actually the best place to see the trains after dark might be the top level of the hotel's parking garage.

One interesting detail:  on this bridge over the Ohio River, right outside the hotel, the signal bridge that had held a couple of old C&O-style color light signals is now empty.  Just to our south, though, is another signal bridge that has active B&O-style CPL (color-position-light) signals!  This line is old C&O, and possibly used by old L&N.  I suspect it got the CPLs as part of some form of terminal consolidation in connection with Queensgate Yard.

Sounds like you're quite well on top of it, Carl.  I took another look at Middleton's book tonight, and found 1 more that might be nearby: The NS/ CNO&TP/ Cincinnati Southern "High Bridge" at the little town of the same name, over the Kentucky River - and apparently since 2005 there's even a park from which to enjoy a view of it.  It's about 15 miles southwest of Lexington, at these Lat./ Long. coords.:  N 37.82417 W 84.71833

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Bridge_of_Kentucky   

Best wishes for a good time and lots of trains on the rest of your trip !

- Paul North. 

CShaveRR

Welcome in, Nance!

One interesting detail:  on this bridge over the Ohio River, right outside the hotel, the signal bridge that had held a couple of old C&O-style color light signals is now empty.  Just to our south, though, is another signal bridge that has active B&O-style CPL (color-position-light) signals!  This line is old C&O, and possibly used by old L&N.  I suspect it got the CPLs as part of some form of terminal consolidation in connection with Queensgate Yard.