Nice Friday Morning

[Mookie]

Short day here on Friday - 1/2 day through summer months. So got up early and since I had time to kill, went train watching! Just barely sunrise - cool and several trains.

Saw a mixed freight come in, stopped twice in front of me and he never even rattled the dishes. He came to a complete stop for several minutes both times and you would never had known there was a train in the area if you didn't see it. So quiet! A true professional at work!

But my question is, we have tracks side by side in this area and while this train was moving on the track closest to me, another thru freight came thru just beyond him. If you have very fat tank cars/cars for grain or sand (in other words, the widest cars they make) what is the space between the two cars? It looks mighty close to me. I assume they have jiggle room, but it still looks mighty close - remember this is two separate trains running side by side. And don't forget, the engine has a mirror. This is important, since getting Millie in and out of our garage is a problem for me, since Millie has mirrors on both sides and is shaped like a bubble! Round peg, square hole....ok I will stop!

Madame La Mook (this will tell the newcomers that I am a female driver) [:)]

[zardoz]

Mookie,
Back in "my day" on the CNW, when there was an oversize car on a train, it was given an "A-file" designation. That train, and all other trains that might meet or pass the "A-file" train had train orders specifying the maximum permissable speed at which the trains could pass.

It was very rare when a load was so wide that a meet could not happen. And that type of load would usually be handled in a special train.

The permissable width is determined by the distance between mains and/or sidings.

Before the advent of radios on every train, having to meet such a train (or being the a-file train) made for some dicey running, as the engineers would have to know all the places that they might meet another train, and be prepared to be doing the prescribed speed on short notice. In addition, the engineer of the a-file train had to be aware of every location where there might be cars on a siding or passing track.

fyi-the 'normal' speed for these meets was 10mph.

[Mookie]

Zardoz - interesting! Thanx.

Moo

[Modelcar]

...Keep the nice clear weather moving east Jen....So far, so good....We are on tap for 4 or 5 nice sunny and less humid and...not as hot days here in Indiana presently. Lots of hype now until Sunday as we have in nearby Indy, the Nascar Brickyard 400 upcoming and the weather appears it will cooperate fine..........Still have my eyes peeled for 8707 on NS. Lots of grain cars now appearing coming from the west. The passing track near by in the west end of town was lined with about a half mile of them last evening....Wonder where they make their pass when they clog the passing siding with full cuts of cars like that but they do it often and more so this time of the year.
Half day Fridays.....That sounds good...Makes Fridays even better.

[mudchicken]

Mookie:

Nebraska Public Service Commission Title 291 Chapter 4 Railroads

004.07a Track centers (generally) 14'-0"
004.07b Track centers between main and subsidiary traks 15'-0"
004.07c Parallel Team, House or Industry tracks 13'-0"
004.07d Ladder tracks & another track 17'-0"
004.07e Ladder track and another ladder track 20'-0"

Each state has slightly different variations of this type of rule. FRA wants to see 20-25 feet between main track(s) and passing tracks...this goes along with the clearance "plates" (envelopes/ silouettes) for the freight cars. All the cars in a computer data base have to meet a certain plate restriction or they do not move without special orders and precautions. Will answer further a little later, but currently engaged in a mission to explain what the surveyor in Chambersburg, PA did wrong that got him killed on NS on Wednesday. Gotta go do another safety/ tool box briefing...

later sis...

[banghead][banghead][banghead]


[angel] http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=85907&format=html [angel]

[Mookie]

MC - As the entire country is getting bigger and rail cars are no exception - I don't think 20-25 is too far. Right now, they are so tall and so long - they look even closer!

And remember - you buy them books and buy them books and they eat the covers.
Unfortunately they don't read the part on carelessness and inattention!

Too bad....

Mookie

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

...Keep the nice clear weather moving east Jen....So far, so good....We are on tap for 4 or 5 nice sunny and less humid and...not as hot days here in Indiana presently. Lots of hype now until Sunday as we have in nearby Indy, the Nascar Brickyard 400 upcoming and the weather appears it will cooperate fine..........Still have my eyes peeled for 8707 on NS. Lots of grain cars now appearing coming from the west. The passing track near by in the west end of town was lined with about a half mile of them last evening....Wonder where they make their pass when they clog the passing siding with full cuts of cars like that but they do it often and more so this time of the year.
Half day Fridays.....That sounds good...Makes Fridays even better.

Modelcar - I gotta get better binoculars! I saw some kind of a blue engine rustling around the yard area, but couldn't coax it close enough to see what and a number board. Then the maroon one the other day! It is frustrating!

Must figure out what I could put on the tracks to lure those engines closer....may have to talk to LC about some suggestions... Hmmmm...

Lots cooler on its way - first of next week - after we all go back to work, of course!

Jen

[MP173]

Modelcar:

Are you anywhere near Muncie?

My son is going to BSU in a couple of weeks. What are the busy lines/junctions/hot spots in Central Indiana?

MP173

[Modelcar]

....MP173...Yes, right on western edge of Muncie and located on Elks golf course. BSU is about 5 miles from here...As for hot spots....Hmmmm, I'm just an old retired fellow and stick pretty close to this computer...Anything special....? Maybe can help.

[morseman]

a few weeks ago there was an item in the Philadelphia Examiner about three young idiots in the philly area playing around the Amtrak tracks. two of them wanted to see how much space was between the two tracks and if there was enuff space to stand there when two opposing trains went by. Not quite enuff .... one kid had serious injuries but managed to get to a nearby house and call for help. The other idiot is in very serious condiotion (to say the least) in hospital . ..... I didn't read the article and dont know the exact date or location or if the second kid survived. could anyone fill me in on this incident. Apparently as far as I know the trains didn't stop.... It happened at night and they must have had their lights off when passing ?????????????? PROGRESS If a cannable learns to eat using a knife and fork, would this be called progress?

[kenneo]

Mook --- in addition to what MC said above, my experience is that a man hanging on the side of the car (as a switchman riding the car) will not clear anything on an adjacent track with less that 22 foot track centers on tangent track. Only the stuff built in the last 10 years or so will exceed the 13-15 rule (see MC's note) and that is only about 21/2 feet gap between the cars.

I can attest to how close that is. Some years back, when we had a computer failure at Eugene and had to hand-check the classification bowl, we (us clerks called in to do the job) had to go into the bowl "live" - that is, they were humping cars into the bowl while we were in there. Got trapped between two moving cuts. The only way out of that is to drop flat on the ground and pray for no low sill steps! My shorts changed color without permission.

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by andy stevenson
[ Apparently as far as I know the trains didn't stop.... It happened at night and they must have had their lights off when passing ??????????????

Andy,

Back in the days before every train had to be equipped with a working radio, and trains were dispatched and meets setup by train orders (flimsies), one had to be absolutely certain of a trains identifying number (usually the lead unit).

To facilitate this identification, when trains met each train would dim it's headlights when approaching each other (going back to bright when going over public crossings); when the trains were only a short distance from each other, both engineers would extingui***he headlight so proper identification could be had. I believe there is now a rule against this practice, as radio communication had replaced visual identification.

The logic was that with the headlights on bright until the trains were near each other, as well as the headlight staying on dim until the trains were almost next to each other, as well as all the noise a freight train makes, all those sensory clues should be enough to warn people off the tracks.


Of course, warnings are to no avail if the tresspassers are so amazingly stupid (it is surprising their brains generate enough power to keep them moving) that they choose to stand on the tracks when a train approaches.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kenneo

Mook --- in addition to what MC said above, my experience is that a man hanging on the side of the car (as a switchman riding the car) will not clear anything on an adjacent track with less that 22 foot track centers on tangent track. Only the stuff built in the last 10 years or so will exceed the 13-15 rule (see MC's note) and that is only about 21/2 feet gap between the cars.

I can attest to how close that is. Some years back, when we had a computer failure at Eugene and had to hand-check the classification bowl, we (us clerks called in to do the job) had to go into the bowl "live" - that is, they were humping cars into the bowl while we were in there. Got trapped between two moving cuts. The only way out of that is to drop flat on the ground and pray for no low sill steps! My shorts changed color without permission.

Eric - I can believe that. Sitting a ways away it still looks to me that you don't have a whole lot of jiggle room between passing cars. And where I am looking at them, they are both on a curve, so you get a very good view of what isn't between.

Mookie

[morseman]

further to my info re the two idiots standing between the two passing trains......i learned this happened possibly three or four weeks ago. I would appreciate it if anyone has further info on this. What happened to the two kids.... when and where did this happen..... what were the trains involved...... were the two morons and their friend fined for trespassing???? perhaps someone in Philly could shed further light on this subject