Hold ON !

[Anonymous]

On the 1:02pm frame today from the Rochelle Web site,you can see a person holding on to the 4th
Union Pacific engine.

[eolafan]

I looked and saw what you are speaking of...but look VERY carefully and you will notice that the person is riding the fifth engine in the consist (assuming the train in question is a westbound, or it could be any engine number in an eastbound light engine movement because there are no freight cars in sight...I'm being much too picky here) Did you also notice that the "fourth" engine is an GP15, very rare on a road freight in this part of the country!

[dknelson]

This is pretty common at Rochelle where eastbounds on the UP drop some or all of their train west of the webcam to come east and do some local switching. It is common to see the brakeman ride the engine or the last car in this circumstance.

[BRAKIE]

The gentleman in question seems to be riding in the wrong area for a member of a train crew.When I last worked on the railroad late 70s early 80s we would not ride where he is riding.We would ride the front steps of the lead unit or the rear steps of a trailing unit,never the steps where he is riding.At that time that would have been a safety rule violation if we rode in the manner he is riding.Perhaps a current railroader could tell us if this is still a safety violation.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the hobo's least concern is a violation of an operating rule.

[Soo2610]

Doubt if that was a hobo. My guess is that the engines were switching out the Del Monte plant just west of Rochelle.