Is there any way to find out what locomotives were on a particular train on a certain day that is entirely legal?
Not sure I understand the question. I think if you can get hold of old dispathcher train sheets, these have the road number of the lead engine them. These may be available at train shows.
George
Sounds like you want to know all the power on a given train (or trains), not just the lead engine.
I'm sure the motive power people have that information readily at hand, and I doubt it's "classified" as such. However, short of befriending someone at the power desk, I doubt you'd be able to get such data very easily.
I am sure you'd get a look of incredulity (is that a word?) and a polite (or maybe not so polite) brush off.
You'll probably get faster results trackside with a notebook.
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tree68 Sounds like you want to know all the power on a given train (or trains), not just the lead engine. I'm sure the motive power people have that information readily at hand, and I doubt it's "classified" as such. However, short of befriending someone at the power desk, I doubt you'd be able to get such data very easily. I am sure you'd get a look of incredulity (is that a word?) and a polite (or maybe not so polite) brush off. You'll probably get faster results trackside with a notebook.
Nah, I need the power on a train from February 21, 1987. So there's no real way I could get that?
fafnir242 Nah, I need the power on a train from February 21, 1987. So there's no real way I could get that?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Find some hardcore railfans in the area and ask them
Its a wild play...put it out that you are looking for information about train # whatever on such and such a railroad on that date. If possible, note the departing terminal and the ending terminal as well as any routeing you might know. You migh be surprised that someone would have that information because they collect train orders, took pictures, got some kind of collection item, etc., or they were memebers of the train crew! I have found out this big world can be mighty small in curious ways!
Oh, and good luck!
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BaltACD fafnir242 Nah, I need the power on a train from February 21, 1987. So there's no real way I could get that? There are statutory requirement on how long certain records must be maintained. For most the Statute of Limitations is 7 years or less. I doubt that records from 21 years ago are still being maintained.
If they still exist, they're in a box in a warehouse or attic someplace. Given the time you're looking for, the railroad probably doesn't exist any more, which will greatly hinder figuring what warehouse or attic they may be in.
What railroad would it be? Approximate locale? (To assuage our curiosity)
tree68 BaltACD fafnir242 Nah, I need the power on a train from February 21, 1987. So there's no real way I could get that? There are statutory requirement on how long certain records must be maintained. For most the Statute of Limitations is 7 years or less. I doubt that records from 21 years ago are still being maintained. If they still exist, they're in a box in a warehouse or attic someplace. Given the time you're looking for, the railroad probably doesn't exist any more, which will greatly hinder figuring what warehouse or attic they may be in. What railroad would it be? Approximate locale? (To assuage our curiosity)
Oh, it still exists, alright. It was on the Norfolk Southern mainline through Springfield, IL. I couldn't tell you where the train came from, or where it was going, or if NS even still runs this train. I know the time, date, and intersection, but not much more than that. I'm figuring any locomotive on any train like that had to have been something close to a GP38, but I need the exact locomotive. I'm wondering if the police department would have it.
Why in the world would the police have it??? Unless that train caused a major incident, no way.
chad thomas Why in the world would the police have it??? Unless that train caused a major incident, no way.
Well, unfortunately, there was an accident.
Well in that case they might have it in the police reports. Mabee you could check that date with the local papers and find a picture, Mabee.
If it was an accident that the police would know about, would local news coverage have contained photographs?
If the DOT had an accident report on this, you can bet it would include the engine number.
Carl
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chad thomas Well in that case they might have it in the police reports. Mabee you could check that date with the local papers and find a picture, Mabee.
Yeah, I was actually going to try that this weekend. The main branch of the library has old papers on reels.
It would appear to be the former Wabash line, taken over, of course, by N&W, which in turn was folded into NS. That's an iffy period with regard to which railroad was actually running as it falls into the time between the beginnings of the mergers that formed NS and the actual renaming:
From the Fallen Flags pages of Trains.com:
Norfolk Southern Railway Norfolk Southern Corp. was created as a new holding company to acquire Norfolk & Western Railway and Southern Railway, effected June 1, 1982. Full merger effected Dec. 31, 1990, as N&W became a subsidiary of Southern, and Southern changed its name to Norfolk Southern Railway. Norfolk & Western Railway Norfolk & Petersburg chartered in 1850; it and two companions renamed from Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio to Norfolk & Western Railroad in 1881. Pennsylvania Railroad began purchasing interest in 1900, and by 1964 owned one-third. PRR bowed out as the Penn Central merger pre-planning precipitated N&W expansion by merger of NKP, Wabash, et al, in October 1964. N&W and Southern Railway assumed common ownership under Norfolk Southern Corp. in merger of June 1, 1982.
So, while it's very likely that NS might have the records, they could also be in amongst the records of the N&W.
Possibly your best hope would be if the local police got the engine number and road name - you very likely can then find more information than you'll ever need about the locomotive.
Have you checked the archives of the local newspaper(s) for photos?
tree68 It would appear to be the former Wabash line, taken over, of course, by N&W, which in turn was folded into NS. That's an iffy period with regard to which railroad was actually running as it falls into the time between the beginnings of the mergers that formed NS and the actual renaming: From the Fallen Flags pages of Trains.com:Norfolk Southern Railway Norfolk Southern Corp. was created as a new holding company to acquire Norfolk & Western Railway and Southern Railway, effected June 1, 1982. Full merger effected Dec. 31, 1990, as N&W became a subsidiary of Southern, and Southern changed its name to Norfolk Southern Railway. Norfolk & Western Railway Norfolk & Petersburg chartered in 1850; it and two companions renamed from Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio to Norfolk & Western Railroad in 1881. Pennsylvania Railroad began purchasing interest in 1900, and by 1964 owned one-third. PRR bowed out as the Penn Central merger pre-planning precipitated N&W expansion by merger of NKP, Wabash, et al, in October 1964. N&W and Southern Railway assumed common ownership under Norfolk Southern Corp. in merger of June 1, 1982. So, while it's very likely that NS might have the records, they could also be in amongst the records of the N&W. Possibly your best hope would be if the local police got the engine number and road name - you very likely can then find more information than you'll ever need about the locomotive. Have you checked the archives of the local newspaper(s) for photos?
Not yet. I was going to do that on Saturday. The Lincoln Library has archives of the State Journal-Register going back a long time. I managed to find my grandmother's obituary from 1993, so I hoping I can go back another six years or so.
Sorry for dping, but I just went to the library about half an hour ago. I found the newspaper article that talks about the crash. It did have a photo, but all it had was a line of tank cars and the car involved, no locomotive. However, it did mention in the article that it was, as you said was a possibility, an N&W train, and it said it was going southbound at the time of the crash.
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