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CN at Burlington, WI What is this?

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  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Friday, March 28, 2014 2:10 AM

Looks like the tail end of a train; about 62% of a five well articulated car plus two tofc on short flats.

Where's the rest of the train?

Apparently there's a warp gate fitted diagonally at the bridge center, and the rest of the train has warped through 1600 years of time and 36,000 light years of distance to reappear on the planet Newmerica in 3614, much to the consternation of the natives (who were expecting a starship.)

More likely two photos, taken at two different times, were spliced.  Tail of train on one, no train at all on the other.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - before satellites)

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, March 27, 2014 9:06 AM

Yep, I see that a lot when I look at Google Earth or Maps. Some times trains are cut in half or as in this case, disappear altogether.

Still, its lots of fun to see what's going on. When I look at my own property, some views are in early Spring and others are in late Summer. In one view I can see me on my tractor and in another the UPS truck is in the drive!

One of the anomalies of Hi-Tech!

Have fun, Ed

  • Member since
    June 2011
  • 404 posts
Posted by DavidH66 on Thursday, March 27, 2014 8:17 AM

Could just be Google spliced together two arieal shots without a train and one with train

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, March 27, 2014 8:06 AM

I guess the whole thing is a Google mystery.  It must have all gotten butchered up in the photo matching process, and the mixture of different Google versions.  I don't know what else to think.  Maybe the loco got off, and all you see is the lights.

I guess it's just between you and me Ed, the only other reply said he seen nothing but a hopper car ?  Everybody must get a different Google, depending on the browser your using.  I'm using Fire Fox.

Thanks Ed !

Mike.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 11:17 PM

Well, Mike

When I click the link in your first post on my PC at home I get to Google Maps but the cars are GONE and there's no way to rotate the view. This is in IE-11, I have IE-9 at work and it must use an older Google Map App! Odd indeed!

The view I get at home showsan extra piece of track in the brush along the R of W. The screenshot I posted should look different, it's a different train and see how the cut of cars is literally CUT. You can make out a bit of a yellow TT car at the upper left.

I think the box-like affair you see is just another stack car end that the photo-match process has cut off (artifact). Those sure look like ditch lights, though! Ed

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 9:25 PM

Ed,

Since the CN take-over, they have done a lot of up-grades over the last few years.  Extended sidings, and those towers are everywhere.  And have recently completed tie and ballast work.

But, this sure caught my curiosity!  There is a head light and ditch lights on that car that is on the South end of this train.  Maybe it's like you say, or, a bad wheel or axle on one of the well cars, and that "thing" on the end is dragging it all to a siding.  It's that little car on the end that caught my eye, and for some reason, the well cars looked different.  Probably the angle of the image.

Mike

EDIT:  I never tried to rotate the image, thanks for the insight!  It looks different from that view!

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 9:13 PM

Mike,

Looks like a 5 pack well car but I can't figure out what that box is at the end? Maybe like you say a
Trackmobile or something like that. If you zoom out a little the whole train disappears!

One thing I do notice while looking at satelite photos is that the splicing and merging of images causes some odd artifacts. If you rotate the view 180º there's a different train that is cut in half across the bridge...

 

I wonder if one of these cars may have derailed since it is at the end of double track and they are waiting for a block truck? There is a microwave or communications tower there, too. Interesting...

I enjoy spotting interesting sightings from the "eye-in-the-sky" too!

Ed

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 9:05 PM

I see nothing in the link provided except for a normal covered hopper following the track way up to the NE.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
CN at Burlington, WI What is this?
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:33 PM

I found this image on Google Maps, following the CN.  Looks like some kind of short loco with some type of stack train.  Never seen this before.  Maybe some type of MOW equipment?  A remote controled loco?

https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.686222,-88.283555&spn=0.001584,0.001725&t=h&z=19

Any ideas?

Mike.

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