Rochelle Diamond Games

[David3]

If the power goes out won't you have a little problems with the signals?

One time when I was up there two BNSF trains were waiting on a UP coming out of Global III one of the BNSF crewmembers got of the loco thinking nothing was coming so he pressed the button to get the signal so that threw a red at UP who had the green all along. Now everybody had a red and a signal maintainer had to come out and fix everything. Can this actually happen more often at interlockings like Rochelle?
Dave [:D][:D]

[David3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrnut282

I can't remember if there are any connecting tracks at Rochelle. If there isn't, and it's just a straight-through crossing with no connecting tracks, the potential for complicated movements requiring a human to think them out is not very big, so a human-occupied tower wasn't required.

There is a siding visible on the left side of the screen, on the south BNSF track. It leads away from the diamond, however, and I'm sure that anything coming off that track has to pull back beyond the signal bridge before moving across the diamond.

As with any such control, it's only as good as the people using it.

Actually the only train that uses that is the almost daily BNSF local. First he heads north to Flag Center then comes back east through the diamond and backs his Del Monte boxcars down that track which leads to a small UP storage yard. Also the signal bridge does not extend to that track he asks permmision to come out or uses a dwarf signal.
Dave[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

It is 1st come 1st serve and UP got there first in the C&NW merger than BN with Santa Fe

[David3]

I thought so, thanks. By the way I have to correct myself, the signal bridge does extend over the BNSF connection track, but there is not a signal for it.
Dave [:D][:D]

[Soo2610]

Have not really noticed any favoritism at the diamond. I have seen both UP and BNSF waiting for clearance. I vaguely remember seeing something that indicated that UP controlled the diamond. Maintenance seems to be the responsibility of UP. I have never seen BNSF crews working on the diamond. The crews I have observed have always been UP.

[David3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Soo2610

Have not really noticed any favoritism at the diamond. I have seen both UP and BNSF waiting for clearance. I vaguely remember seeing something that indicated that UP controlled the diamond. Maintenance seems to be the responsibility of UP. I have never seen BNSF crews working on the diamond. The crews I have observed have always been UP.

Speeking of them they're working on the diamond right now!
Dave [:D][:D]

[diesel1]

All:

The Rochelle, Ill. U.P./ BNSF diamond is controlled with an approach signal system - which ever train hits the approach circuit first, it sets the opposing railroad's signals to red and farther back to yellow/ red (approach aspect) . When the train (with the U.P., sometimes its two trains at the same time) has finished crossing the diamond and has gone off the diamond signal circuit,
the signals reset for the train thats been waiting to cross. Its been this way for years when the two railroads at Rochelle were the CB&Q and the CNW.

Gib / Bensenville, Ill.

[Anonymous]

How does one find the site name for the High Camera at Rochelle???

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by throttlejock

How does one find the site name for the High Camera at Rochelle???

High Camera?[?]

[JEIERMANN]

What's all all the chatter about? How many accidents at those diamonds. None that I remember, thereby it seems to work ok to me.

[Anonymous]

David: Welcome to the real world.

[Anonymous]

Has anybody thought of putting up some over/under passes to aleaviate this problem? I surely hope not - that would spoiled the fun!! [:I]

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by psteffen

Has anybody thought of putting up some over/under passes to aleaviate this problem? I surely hope not - that would spoiled the fun!! [:I]

It's been done in many places, and I'm sure it's been considered, but the question arises of cost and geography - being in a city means there isn't much room for fill to do its usual thing. Never having been to Rochelle, I don't know about the roads that cross either line, but such an over/under situation would certainly also impact them.

[Anonymous]

We have a highway overpass 2 blocks east of the RR park. I am a Rochelle native and have watched trains at the diamond for over 40 years and I can say that if you haven been here to watch these you should "Come on down" and observe this in action. We dont really have room to build a flyover for the trains nor would most of the townsfolk want one. As for who controls the Diamond, I believe that the UP controls it.

[David3]

I hope they don't build a flyover, let's not give them any ideas.
Dave

[Anonymous]

Less than a year ago, the new Global 3 intermodal facility was built west of the
crossing on UP. Westbounds entering the yard get an approach, but still must slow for their entrance. Eastbounds leaving the facility generally still have half their train going over switches on the east end. This may seem like "holding the track" if two trains are entering/leaving the facility, but where I come from, they are operating by the rulebook for appropriate speeds through yard limits/signal indications.

Keep Truckin' via Rail!![;)]

Pudgy/T.B

[wcfan4ever]

With Global 3 being built there, it seemed to slow down the speed of EB's on the UP. Plus, you have slower UP trains unlike before that are either leaving or going to enter the facility. Regaurdless, trains are still very fun to watch at this location. I'm not going to stop going there cause they slowed down speed wise. That just makes it easier to take photographs when you don't have a decent camera for speed like me.
Is there a speed difference for trains at night through Rochelle? I have spend countless hours there, usually from 6am to 11pm and after 8pm, they seem to move faster across the diamonds including the BNSF too.

[David3]

I don't know about anybody else but I like when trains go slow, because it actually gives me a better chance to watch them.
Dave

[CShaveRR]

Speed difference? No...in fact, that crossing, with its 35-mph speed limit (timetable... don't know if a slow order has reduced it), is an equalizer for trains that can have maximum speeds of between 40 and 70 mph elsewhere. Of course, a train entering or leaving the yard wouldn't be able to go 35.

I'll bet that grade crossing west of the diamond on UP is fun for civilians to be stuck at these days...now there is a good candidate for a flyover...or duck-under!