CShaveRRI, for one, would love to be able to read car numbers on passing trains.
You're not alone. It's almost automatic with me and I'm very frustrating when I can't read the reporting marks on passing cars. But why do we do it? I guess there are lots of nuts around.
ChuckAllen, TX
What was that? A single unit, what looked like a standard oil train buffer car, and a passenger coach just passed the diamond at 12:20 CST on the BNSF line westbound. The coach was a vintage light weight, with a blind end trailing.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Probably all the PV from the various Super Bowl runs returining home.
rdamon Probably all the PV from the various Super Bowl runs returining home.
Doubt a private car would be moving in a oil train, loaded or empty - unless it was a 'rider car' for person(s) acting as a security rider for the train or representitives of the shipper or consignee riding with the shipment to get a real world view of how the shipment gets handled. All necessary fares, releases and other legal obligations would have to be complied with.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
AgentKid What was that? A single unit, what looked like a standard oil train buffer car, and a passenger coach just passed the diamond at 12:20 CST on the BNSF line westbound. The coach was a vintage light weight, with a blind end trailing. Bruce
Was it a two car train or was the coach on the end of a unit oil train?
rdamonWas it a two car train
Sorry, I was out all afternoon.
Yes, it was just the two cars. I like your suggestion that it was a Private Car deadheading home.
Could it have been one of the BNSF unmanned track geometry cars?http://www.chasingheavymetal.com/blog/?attachment_id=6726
I think this is more likely than a single PV move.
Bob
BtrainBobCould it have been one of the BNSF unmanned track geometry cars?
Not if the car has to work with the open end trailing. The car I saw had a blind end trailing. The only way someone could look out the back is if they were standing up and looking out the end door window.
Unfortunately, the car took me by surprise, so I really can't say for sure if the leading end had an open vestibule like your photo or a regular closed one.
Bruce,
I knew that I had seen the train you described on the net. Did a lot of searching and finally found a video of it in the Chicago Railfans Facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/john.walshiii/videos/982564305154441/
engine followed by a hopper followed by a passenger car identified by others as BNSF 90 a geometry car. Is this the train you saw?
Just found it on Youtube. Video is on Youtube at 5:54 -
https://youtu.be/0Oo4cXhCSOc
https://youtu.be/0Oo4cXhCSOc?t=354
AgentKidNot if the car has to work with the open end trailing. The car I saw had a blind end trailing. The only way someone could look out the back is if they were standing up and looking out the end door window.
DOT's geometry cars will run in both directions.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
BtrainBob Is this the train you saw?
It is indeed. Although when I saw it wasn't going quite so fast. Thanks for that.
Nice find BtrainBob! .. Why would they have the buffer car?
rdamon Nice find BtrainBob! .. Why would they have the buffer car?
I assumed it was to separate the instruments in the measurement car from the influence of the engine (rattling the track or electrical noise (RFI) that the engine might create).
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Semper Vaporo rdamon Nice find BtrainBob! .. Why would they have the buffer car? I assumed it was to separate the instruments in the measurement car from the influence of the engine (rattling the track or electrical noise (RFI) that the engine might create).
My WAG would have to do with braking. Scale cars and some instrumented cars have no brakes because the standard brake system would interfere with the purpose of the car. But there's that pesky (FRA?) rule about the minimum number of operating brakes per car (or per trailing ton?) not including locomotive brakes. Adding another car or two increases the number of operating brakes enough to stay within the rules.
This is the reason for several cars being included when moving large steam locomotives, too. For example, the brakes on UP 4018's 34 (!) wheels were inoperative so several tank cars were coupled around it for braking when it was moved from Dallas' Fair Park to its new home in Frisco, TX. Nearly a million pounds of Big Boy is not something you want to have rolling around without brakes.
cefinkjr Semper Vaporo rdamon Nice find BtrainBob! .. Why would they have the buffer car? I assumed it was to separate the instruments in the measurement car from the influence of the engine (rattling the track or electrical noise (RFI) that the engine might create). My WAG would have to do with braking. Scale cars and some instrumented cars have no brakes because the standard brake system would interfere with the purpose of the car. But there's that pesky (FRA?) rule about the minimum number of operating brakes per car (or per trailing ton?) not including locomotive brakes. Adding another car or two increases the number of operating brakes enough to stay within the rules. This is the reason for several cars being included when moving large steam locomotives, too. For example, the brakes on UP 4018's 34 (!) wheels were inoperative so several tank cars were coupled around it for braking when it was moved from Dallas' Fair Park to its new home in Frisco, TX. Nearly a million pounds of Big Boy is not something you want to have rolling around without brakes.
What ever the LAST car in a train is - it must have operative brakes!
I'm pretty sure that the DOT car I worked with had brakes - they wanted us to use dynamics when possible.
I'm tempted to go along with the idea that the instrumented car can have the brakes cut out (as opposed to being totally without) so the brakes don't interfere with measurements.
And that would explain the extra car.
I think it's been discussed that the high rate of compression for the streaming video is the principal source of the issue you mention. The camera itself is high-resolution, but the available bandwidth from it is restricted.
If this is about the Rochelle, IL webcam, you should know that it has its own 'dedicated' thread (the unofficial Rochelle Web cam thread; look for it) in which a number of different causes of 'fuzziness' have been discussed, including camera-associated bugs of a decidedly non-technical type...
Wizlish I think it's been discussed that the high rate of compression for the streaming video is the principal source of the issue you mention. The camera itself is high-resolution, but the available bandwidth from it is restricted. If this is about the Rochelle, IL webcam, you should know that it has its own 'dedicated' thread (the unofficial Rochelle Web cam thread; look for it) in which a number of different causes of 'fuzziness' have been discussed, including camera-associated bugs of a decidedly non-technical type...
Johnny
DeggestyWizlish, aren't spiders technicians?--they do construct webs to catch their food, though some seem to be more or less simply thrown together.
Spiders are network technicians, hence the term LAN means Local Arachnid Network.
Thanks, Chuck. I had long wondered about the significance of LAN.
Thank You.
Our train cam here seems very fuzzy. I know it's night time, but is this normal? Just curious and in no way being critical. This is by far the best train cam I personally have ever used. So, I was wondering why it's fuzzy. BTW after the snow, even at night, there was some visibility of the trains as they passed by.
Thank You
EEEUUUWWW! The camera got splattered with something and has decided to focus on the splatter on the lens... anybody got a hanky to wipe it off?
While watching this afternoon, at about 5:05 PM, as a BNSF WB passed, it blew some gunk onto the lens of the camera.
Electroliner 1935 While watching this afternoon, at about 5:05 PM, as a BNSF WB passed, it blew some gunk onto the lens of the camera.
Must have been one of those GE's that are noted for "wet-stacking".
Norm
What's that get you? 10 points?
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Looks OK today.
zugmannWhat's that get you? 10 points?
I don't get your comment. Please explain. Points toward what?
System seems to be down this morning... all I get is a narrow black band for the normally square window and no video.
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