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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, July 15, 2017 12:33 PM

MemphisBlue
 
USCGR Tom

Trains, is there a way to check with "EarthCam" to find out the reason that we can not "zoom" or "pan, left & right" on the screen anymore. Thanks

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, July 15, 2017 1:04 PM

UP just ran an EB across the diamonds at 1259 CDT. It had as big a string of reefers as I have seen in a long time. You could hear many of the refrigeration plants working hard to keep things cool.

They were the biggest part of a mixed consist train.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, July 15, 2017 1:17 PM

AgentKid
It had as big a string of reefers as I have seen in a long time.

Thinking about it, a few years ago that many reefers might have run as a so called "Salad Shooter", but nowadays, with fewer starts and bigger trains these cars were just lumped in with other traffic.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by joecatch on Monday, July 17, 2017 11:37 AM
I have some comments on the webcam: 1. can the webcam be angled up and to the right just a hair so we can see the signal lights on the bridge? 2. can we get the zoom back? 3. who has the right of way here, BNSF or UP? JC
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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 17, 2017 2:51 PM

joecatch
I have some comments on the webcam: 1. can the webcam be angled up and to the right just a hair so we can see the signal lights on the bridge? 2. can we get the zoom back? 3. who has the right of way here, BNSF or UP? JC

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, July 17, 2017 3:13 PM

joecatch
I have some comments on the webcam: 1. can the webcam be angled up and to the right just a hair so we can see the signal lights on the bridge? 2. can we get the zoom back? 3. who has the right of way here, BNSF or UP? JC

1. It's been suggested multiple times.

2. "      "        "                "         "

3. See Balt's answer above.

Chuck
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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, July 17, 2017 7:24 PM

That's probably still the "Salad Shooter".  Most of those non-mechanical reefers are insulated box cars that can accommodate loads that need temperature protection but not precise temperature control.  And if there are some Cryo-Trans reefers (white with orange trim) that contain a blue logo to the right of the doors, well, that's a Railex logo and probably still a good indicator of the status of this train.

Carl

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Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, July 17, 2017 11:31 PM

CShaveRR

That's probably still the "Salad Shooter".  Most of those non-mechanical reefers are insulated box cars that can accommodate loads that need temperature protection but not precise temperature control.  And if there are some Cryo-Trans reefers (white with orange trim) that contain a blue logo to the right of the doors, well, that's a Railex logo and probably still a good indicator of the status of this train.

 

I thought I replied, but it must not have went through.  Yes, the salad shooter often has box cars filling out the train.  It's still possible to see an all reefer train, usually the westbound returning empty.  There are times the eastbound has reached 9000 ft in length.  (And even with DP it still gets broken in two.)

UP bought most of Railex sometime back.  I think filling out the train happened before the purchase.

Jeff

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Posted by MKT Dave on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 11:04 AM

At 11.02, the detector just reported a 'Equipment Failure' at it's location on track 01. any guess's what it means.   Maybe a locomotive broken. Track 2 is occupied by track crew just beyond the diamonds to the west. Lots of noise, can't see a thing.

 

...
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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 11:34 AM

MKT Dave
At 11.02, the detector just reported a 'Equipment Failure' at it's location on track 01. any guess's what it means.   Maybe a locomotive broken. Track 2 is occupied by track crew just beyond the diamonds to the west. Lots of noise, can't see a thing.

Don't know about BNSF or UP detectors; CSX Detectors go through some sort of 'self test' when the approach circuits are activated - if the self test isn't passed, then the detector announces 'defect detector malfunction'.  There are rule that govern what the crews are to do when they get the malfunction message from a detector.

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 11:57 AM

jeffhergert
Yes, the salad shooter often has box cars filling out the train. 

Seems to be a common practice with all sorts of trains any more.  If it's not at least X cars, keep on addin'.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 3:51 PM

tree68
Seems to be a common practice with all sorts of trains any more. If it's not at least X cars, keep on addin'.

An old conductor once told me that the number of cars in WBs out of Altoona was governed by the number of Hippos (I1s) on the ready track.  If available Hippos could handle more cars on the 2.2% to Gallitzin, add more cars.

Wink

A somewhat more verifiable story about the PRR was that Al Perlman, soon after the PC merger, asked the purpose of the yard at Crestline, OH.  He was told that its reason for existence was to "hold for tonnage" (delaying a train until the maximum train size could be dispatched westward).  Crestline closed a year later.

Chuck
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Posted by AgentKid on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 12:49 PM

OS Rochelle. Passenger Extra East UP ???? by at 1245 CDT.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by xjqcf on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 12:50 PM

Office Car special Eastbound on UP #1, caught me by surprise. Should  have figured someting was up... heard the 78 box give an axle count of 43.. musta had that car with both 2 and 3 axle trucks discussed previously

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 3:46 PM

xjqcf

Office Car special Eastbound on UP #1, caught me by surprise. Should  have figured someting was up... heard the 78 box give an axle count of 43.. musta had that car with both 2 and 3 axle trucks discussed previously

 

xjqcf

Office Car special Eastbound on UP #1, caught me by surprise. Should  have figured someting was up... heard the 78 box give an axle count of 43.. musta had that car with both 2 and 3 axle trucks discussed previously

 

 

By here (Elmhurst) a while ago, headed into Proviso.  It was on Track 2, waiting for signals to clear to let him in.

Carl

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Posted by MrLynn on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 8:24 PM

cefinkjr
An old conductor once told me that the number of cars in WBs out of Altoona was governed by the number of Hippos (I1s) on the ready track.  If available Hippos could handle more cars on the 2.2% to Gallitzin, add more cars.

"Hippos"??  Maybe pushers?  2-10-0s?

About ten years ago my wife and I stayed at the Tunnel Inn in Gallitzin, right next to the tracks and the tunnel entrance.  Great fun sitting out on the patio having breakfast watching the NS freights about 20' away.  Of course there were no steam locomotives, but I bought a print of a painting by Peter A. Lerro, Jr, depicting a pair of those PRR pushers behind a freight, and an E-7 (?) diesel leading a train in the other direction.  Has a proud place on our wall.  Unfortunately they closed the Inn to casual visitors.  My avatar image is a photo taken then at Horseshoe Curve.

/Mr Lynn

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Posted by cefinkjr on Thursday, July 20, 2017 12:28 AM

MrLynn
"Hippos"?? Maybe pushers? 2-10-0s?

You got it.  PRR enginemen called Class I1 2-10-0s Hippos.  Not sure why other than maybe the size when you saw one coming toward you.  The two huge air reservoirs mounted on the pilot may have had something to do with it, too.

The old conductor's comment quoted above may have been an exageration.  A typical WB drag freight out of Altoona would have 2 Hippos on the point and 1 or 2 more pushing.  Not sure but I think the 2 pushers would have cut off at Gallitzin with the two road engines going on through to Pitcairn. 

Chuck
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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, July 20, 2017 12:58 AM

Correction, the H-9s and H-10s were 2-8-0's.  The Hippos were "I's"  I-1 or I-10?   Excuse the error, apologies.  Must have been Dislexia.

The 2-8-0'a were frequently used as pushers, but not usually at Gallitzin.  Most frequently road power on local freights.  The LIRR had lots of them, but no Hippos.

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Posted by cefinkjr on Thursday, July 20, 2017 12:04 PM

According to Alvin Staufer's "Pennsy Power", there were 598 PRR Decapods (2-10-0s).  Their original class was I1s (the "s", I believe, indicated superheated).  489 were modified from 1930 on to change their maximum cutoff from 50% to 75% and were reclassified I1sa.

Chuck
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Posted by rdamon on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:33 PM

I have notice a few people hiding under the wooden track section. They do not appear to be railfans. They forgot their tripods!! :)

 

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Posted by rdamon on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:52 PM

Shortly after this photo, park staff went down. They left after the visit.

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Posted by MrLynn on Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:42 PM

cefinkjr

 

 
MrLynn
"Hippos"?? Maybe pushers? 2-10-0s?

 

You got it.  PRR enginemen called Class I1 2-10-0s Hippos.  Not sure why other than maybe the size when you saw one coming toward you.  The two huge air reservoirs mounted on the pilot may have had something to do with it, too.

The old conductor's comment quoted above may have been an exageration.  A typical WB drag freight out of Altoona would have 2 Hippos on the point and 1 or 2 more pushing.  Not sure but I think the 2 pushers would have cut off at Gallitzin with the two road engines going on through to Pitcairn.

Thanks, Chuck.  The painting I mentioned is here, called 'Summit Meeting: Galitzin Pennsylvania':

http://www.lerroproductions.com/paintings/

There are two brakemen carrying heavy wrenches, maybe to disconnect the two Hippo pushers?  Note that the train is heading eastbound, but I think the tunnel(s) were at the top of the mountain, and it was all downhill to Altoona from there.

The Tunnel Inn is the brick building upper right.

/Mr Lynn 

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:46 PM

MrLynn
Thanks, Chuck.  The painting I mentioned is here, called 'Summit Meeting: Galitzin Pennsylvania':

http://www.lerroproductions.com/paintings/

There are two brakemen carrying heavy wrenches, maybe to disconnect the two Hippo pushers?  Note that the train is heading eastbound, but I think the tunnel(s) were at the top of the mountain, and it was all downhill to Altoona from there.

The Tunnel Inn is the brick building upper right.

/Mr Lynn 

My guess would be a couple of trackmen or signal maintainers carrying lining bars.

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Posted by cefinkjr on Thursday, July 20, 2017 9:17 PM

BaltACD
 
MrLynn
Thanks, Chuck.  The painting I mentioned is here, called 'Summit Meeting: Galitzin Pennsylvania':

http://www.lerroproductions.com/paintings/

There are two brakemen carrying heavy wrenches, maybe to disconnect the two Hippo pushers?  Note that the train is heading eastbound, but I think the tunnel(s) were at the top of the mountain, and it was all downhill to Altoona from there.

The Tunnel Inn is the brick building upper right.

/Mr Lynn 

That was my first thought, too, Balt.  No tools, particularly nothing that heavy, would be required to uncouple pushers.  In some places (not sure about PRR), the practice was for the pusher engineer to close his throttle and the conductor or rear brakeman to close the angle cock on the rear of the caboose and pull the pin ... while the train was still moving at the top of the grade.  As the train pulled away from the pusher(s), the brake hoses would part and the pusher(s) would stop immediately.

Chuck
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Posted by rdamon on Friday, July 21, 2017 11:04 AM

Just saw the BNSF local go by with a Blue and Yellow patched unit.

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Posted by rdamon on Friday, July 21, 2017 11:54 AM

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Posted by MrLynn on Monday, July 24, 2017 7:00 PM

Just logged in briefly and saw two eastbound coal trains in less than an hour.  At least on the second one the pusher (nowadays 'DP' unit) was pointed in the right direction.  Big Smile

/Mr Lynn 

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Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, July 24, 2017 11:07 PM

MrLynn

Just logged in briefly and saw two eastbound coal trains in less than an hour.  At least on the second one the pusher (nowadays 'DP' unit) was pointed in the right direction.  Big Smile

/Mr Lynn 

 

I didn't know a DP had a right direction.

Jeff

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Posted by rdamon on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 10:04 AM

jeffhergert

I didn't know a DP had a right direction.

Jeff

 

 

I am sure there is a wrong direction however ... :)

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Posted by MrLynn on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:48 AM

jeffhergert

 MrLynn

Just logged in briefly and saw two eastbound coal trains in less than an hour.  At least on the second one the pusher (nowadays 'DP' unit) was pointed in the right direction.  Big Smile

/Mr Lynn 

 
I didn't know a DP had a right direction.

Jeff 

Of course it does!  Engines should face forward!  Did you ever see a steam pusher facing backward?  It always bothers me when I see locomotives pointed one way when the train is heading the other (except for back-to-back cab units, of course).

Yes, I know all the commuter lines now have 'push-pull' trains with cab cars at one end and the locomotives at the other, going backwards half the time.  Sorry, it just offends the Natural Order of Things.  I think Amtrak is even using push-pull between New Haven and Springfield now.  Appalling!  Can't be bothered to use a wye and turn the train around?

Just showing my age, I know.

/Mr Lynn 

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