Rochelle web cam picture dark?

[Modelcar]

...Recently when I observed the Rochelle video cam picture it was performing normal...At that time there was no snow on the ground and now since another snow is on the ground currently the picture is darker and the sky is pinkish again. It seems the brightness of the snow is effecting the operation of the camera.

QM

[Modelcar]

...Just checked the site at 4:46 PM EST, and everything looked rather normal. No purple sky and it was not dark all over the picture. Another note: No snow on the ground now and that is when I notice the purple sky. And there was a UP train passing when I turnd to it...

QM

[BNSFNUT]

Just checked the site 2/4 3:35 est and it looks brighter to me and the sky is not purple. Seen a train going by (logged on in the middle of it of course) and the white containers looked about right.

[Soo2610]

I think it is time for the powers that be to get someone out there and change out the camera. If it gets any darker you won't be able to tell what is in the photo in broad daylight. Something is definitely not right.

[Modelcar]

...So much for the picture looking "normal" at Rochelle...It has snowed and the ground is covered and the sky has the purple tint to it again.

QM

[dknelson]

The hobby shop/railroadiana store located right at the Rochelle park has a microwave oven for cooking frozen pizza. Maybe they should put the webcame in the mikie for a few minutes
Dave Nelson

[Modelcar]

...But with similar conditions, except extreme cold, the camera was sending rather normal pic's about a month ago....So, perhaps something has changed on the equipment. Wonder if nothing of the equipment has changed value what effect the extreme cold may be having on it...

QM

[edblysard]

Lets see, purple sky, light blue tinge to objects that should be white or light gray, darker than normal shadows, humm, how about someone scooting up there and installing a UV haze filter? You still get color shift with film or digital, and the temp of the light makes a difference. Shoot a photo indoors under tungsten lighting, and shoot the same photo under fluorescent lighting, using your digital camera, and you will notice a big shift to yellow with the "hotter" tungsten blubs. Natural light, (sunlight) tends to pop the colors more, the overcast acts like a filter, cutting the "temp" of the light, but allowing the UV to come through, hence the blue/purple tone to things in the white to gray scale, and anything in the shadows isnt getting as much light, direct or reflected, so the camera cant see it, therefore its darker than normal.
Stay frosty,
Ed

[dknelson]

I have come to the conclusion that it is not the snow fooling the camera -- it really is too dark and something needs tinkering with. Heh heh -- anyone volunteering to get on the roof of the Rochelle deer stand at five below zero and do some trouble shooting?
Dave Nelson

[eolafan]

Yep, you are correct! The original line here that is now the U.P. was originally the Chicago and Northwestern and was built with left hand running as the normal way of running trains (as opposed to right hand running on virtually every other road). There are many opinions as to why this was adopted when the CNW was originally built and some are the British folks who designed and built it (British roads generally run left handed), the side of the tracks the stations were built on, etc. My personal opinion is that the road was built single track originally and the stations were on the North side of the original single track and thus the when the second track was put in the trains ran on the North track when inbound and the South track when outbound from Chicago, thus being on the left hand side at all times so as to be near the stations when loading passengers in the morning rush hour period. Sounds as good as any other explanation I have heard over time.

[Modelcar]

...Back to the question if the picture is dark...Yes, I thought it was darker than it had been especially while snow was covering the scene but now that the snow is gone it looks pretty much normal again. Sky was not purple as it was.

QM

[Modelcar]

....Opps. Last word above should be "UP".

QM

[Modelcar]

....Yes, I understand on most other roads it is not but almost always when I pull up the view here it seems to be left hand running on the Up.

QM

[eolafan]

Correct if you are referring to the ex-CNW portion of the UP where left hand running has always been the norm, but not on most other roads.

[Modelcar]

....I understand on double track railroad the dispatcher can choose the running route to fit the traffic...I just thought the "normal" running in that area was "left handed"...

QM

[wallywalkabout]

Its up to the dispatcher my friend, we own the track.

[Modelcar]

....Yes, I've noticed the picture is darker and the sky looks kinda purple in color. Wonder if the cold weather may have effected the camera some way. Also notice yesterday the route that comes toward the camera and down to the righ bottom of the picture...I thought the trains were running on the side closest to the camera and down toward the lower right side of the picture, in other words running on the right track going forward....Don't they run on the left side going forward here....?

QM

[Mookie]

It did the same thing last year about this time.
Closer to spring, it lightened up, so just assumed it was the angle of the sun and the camera.

[eolafan]

Has anybody else noticed how dark the picture on the Rochelle web cam has been for the last few days? I wonder if it is simply due to the position of the sun, but then it seems dark even at mid-day when the sun should be shining its brightest. Oh, did anybody notice the number of locomotives on the westbound UP train passing Rochelle at 11:56 a.m. this morning? I believe I counted eight units!