cefinkjrDon't think I've seen crude moving through here on UP before. Is this new business or have I just been missing it?
It could be from the Eagle Ford field in Texas, I think it is called, on its way to east coast refineries. but I believe the big gig for UP unit tank trains is ethanol from points west of Rochelle.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
AgentKid cefinkjr Don't think I've seen crude moving through here on UP before. Is this new business or have I just been missing it? It could be from the Eagle Ford field in Texas, I think it is called, on its way to east coast refineries. but I believe the big gig for UP unit tank trains is ethanol from points west of Rochelle. Bruce
cefinkjr Don't think I've seen crude moving through here on UP before. Is this new business or have I just been missing it?
I don't know for sure but I would think that Eagle Ford crude would go to Gulf Coast refineries. Also, if it goes to the East Coast, Rochelle would be pretty much out of the way; there are shorter, less congested routes between South Texas and Philadelphia.
Maybe it's ethanol. I hadn't thought of that. (We're not real big fans of ethanol in Texas.)
ChuckAllen, TX
cefinkjr Oil train EB on UP OS at 11:32. Don't think I've seen crude moving through here on UP before. Is this new business or have I just been missing it?
Oil train EB on UP OS at 11:32.
Don't think I've seen crude moving through here on UP before. Is this new business or have I just been missing it?
The UP has been running a crude oil train coming out of Colorado every so often. I don't know if it alternates routings, but it seems like it shows up a few times a week and then nothing for awhile.
Jeff
i've caught UP tanker trains almost daily, I've no idea where they are coming from, but it does seem BNSF has a few more than UP. The UTO's we hear and not see, could be them coming and going.
cefinkjr(We're not real big fans of ethanol in Texas.)
I don't think anyone (except the ethanol producers and environmentalists) is much of a fan of ethanol...
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...
tree68I don't think anyone (except the ethanol producers and environmentalists) is much of a fan of ethanol...
Not the denatured variety, anyway.
Most environmentalists abandoned support for ethanol a few years ago. About the time it started becoming viable.
jeffhergert Most environmentalists abandoned support for ethanol a few years ago. About the time it started becoming viable.Jeff
Most environmentalists abandoned support for ethanol a few years ago. About the time it started becoming viable.Jeff
Oh, it's viable, all right. But using corn to make it is energy-neutral at best, and is not profitable in a true free-market environment (i.e., no government tax subsidies, and no manufacturers having to burn off sunk costs in manufacturing capacity incurred when said subsidies existed) until oil gets up to about $125 a barrel. Which will happen eventually. . If we want to leverage efficiency, we'd be much better off growing sugar cane (or paying Brazilians to grow sugar cane) for ethanol.
Now - if we can interest someone named Godchaux into opening up new narrrow-gauge sugar railroads with steam power that burn what they haul... :)
just logged in, first train I caught was an empty tank train WB UP, track #2. 17.18 0622 2015
A storm just passed through - plenty of lighting and rain, with some wind. No trains while I had the cam up.
0919 CT - UP putting up Red Boards Westbound
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Lots of MoW folks gathered on the north side of the RoW and, just as I opened the window, I saw something (?) slowly moving west on the UP. Something might have been a flat but it had something on it that made me think of a rail train. Camera resolution wasn't good enough for any more detail than that.
Might be something interesting going on today.
BTW, what are the track designations here? "Standard" (traditional) practice would be for the UP track nearest the camera to be designated track 2 (even=east and all that) and the nearest BNSF track would be track #1. Does that hold true on both roads at this location?
6/23/15 - 12:30pm
UP has track & time authority on both mains - #1 is the north track (farthest from the cam) / #2 is the south main. There's '400' truck (that's what the CN&W called them) that's sitting on #2 working on the diamonds with the crane picking stuff up from the north side of the ROW. The UP utility truck also has the BNSF main blocked.
CC
Chris30#1 is the north track (farthest from the cam) / #2 is the south main
Thanks for that, Chris. I was a little afraid that UP had inherited something different from C&NW (with C&NW having been built for left-handed running per the original British financing). I'll try to remember these track designations now.
Is the '400' truck name somehow related to C&NW's old "Route of the 400s" slogan? The way unofficial names for locations or equipment stick and even become official is interesting.
What about BNSF? Are their track designations the same (#1 west and #2 east)? With CTC and bidirectional signaling, these designations have lost their importance but it's still nice to be able to use the correct terms.
What I have noticed on my travels that between Denver and Chicago and west of St. Paul, is that the North track is #1 and the South track is #2. Incidentally, BNSF lineside signals have the track number as the first digit of the signal number--and from a little west of Pacific Junction on, you will have six digits in the signal number as you travel on the former GN--track number, milepost number, and nearest east tenth mile (odd going west, even going east) number.
Johnny
5:30 PM CDT. BNSF rail train eastbound.
In the earlier post I said, "main" when referring to the BNSF. Actually, there's two main tracks on the BNSF Aurora Sub (C&I Line) through Rochelle. The C&I Line is single track from where it splits from the Chicago Sub in Aurora to Steward (MP 77.3) with five sidings. From Steward, just southeast of Rochelle, to Flag Center (MP 86.3) there are two mains. Main #1 is the track closest to the cam and #2 is the track farthest from the cam. So, according to the timetable, there's nine miles of two main tracks. West of Flag Center to Plum River (MP 142.3) is single track again with seven sidings per the 2010 timetable.
The main track numbering is found in GCOR (rule book) of which both railroads are a party to. On east/west subdivisions, the northern most track is #1. On north/south subdivisions, the western most track is #1.
As I recall, in CNW days, the westward track in current of traffic territory was the south track and was designated #1. That changed once the UP took over. (The track numbering, not the current of traffic.)
You're correct, Jeff. The CNW tracks were numbered with the southernmost track being Track 1. I always refer to October 1, 1995, as the day the railroad was turned upside-down. It was also the start of the meltdown. For a while the dispatcher was making sure people had the proper track by doubling down on things. "Track 1--the north track."I just think of my old employer when remembering where Track 1 is. It's either the north track or the west track. NorthWest...get it? Or "Nort'west", if you're a real Chicago oldtimer.Ironic, that when there was a Nort'western, this didn't apply.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Before posting my last entry here, I double checked an old employee timetable. (I actually remember seeing the numbering on the old manual key-controller box at crossing signals.) On the Clinton or East Iowa subdivision they had a couple of areas of "Controlled Block." Something close to, but not CTC. In those areas, the numbering seems to have been reversed with #1 being the north track. (I'm not sure if they were still using the old Consolidated Code or had switched to GCOR at that time. I'd have to go look.)
Haha...
Just saw a loaded oil train on the BNSF without a DPU.I've never seen that before.
NorthWestJust saw a loaded oil train on the BNSF without a DPU.
Take note of the power involved. I'm not sure how many CSX and NS units(at least the ones they let roam that far from home rails) are set up for DPU. It seems as though the lead unit and rear unit have to both be BNSF or CPR units. If there are CSX or NS units they are either tucked behind a BNSF leader or they are all up front. I actually first noticed this on EB UP coal trains. Maybe Jeff can confirm.
AgentKid NorthWest Take note of the power involved. I'm not sure how many CSX and NS units(at least the ones they let roam that far from home rails) are set up for DPU. It seems as though the lead unit and rear unit have to both be BNSF or CPR units. If there are CSX or NS units they are either tucked behind a BNSF leader or they are all up front. I actually first noticed this on EB UP coal trains. Maybe Jeff can confirm. Bruce
NorthWest
Since the CSX 800's all the CW & ES44AH's have been delivered equipped for DPU service.
BaltACDSince the CSX 800's all the CW & ES44AH's have been delivered equipped for DPU service.
The question I have though is this, can they work with other roads leaders and end of train units. That is, can a CSX unit control another roads end of train unit, or can a BNSF leader control a CSX end of train unit. Based on what I see on camera I am not so sure.
AgentKid BaltACD The question I have though is this, can they work with other roads leaders and end of train units. That is, can a CSX unit control another roads end of train unit, or can a BNSF leader control a CSX end of train unit. Based on what I see on camera I am not so sure. Bruce
BaltACD
To my knowledge, it is the same DPU equipment that is being installed on BNSF & UP engines that are moving down the same assembly lines of the manufacturer.
This question gives both of us a great excuse to keep on watching.
Yes, the DPU software now allows one railroad to DP foriegn line engines. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, the foriegn engines need to be DP equipped.
It should also be noted, when there's multiple engines in a DP remote consist, only one needs to be DP equipped. It would be considered the Remote consist "controlling" unit, all the others (Our instructions are to normally only have two units in a remote consist.) are M-Ued to the controlling unit just like a regular engine consist.
It will be dark by the time it gets there, but Amtrak #6 is detouring over the UP from Omaha to Chicago today. High water over the BNSF in southern Iowa is the reason.
Out of the Council Bluffs complex about 1:55pm.
UP coal train with an ratty ex-SP DPU just passed. I hadn't considered this before, but judging by the appearance of the tunnel motors at about this age these ex-SP units may not have looked much different if SP had survived, minus the UP patches.
The oil train was powered by BNSF locomotives, but I have seen foriegn road DPUs in my observations here. Most of the foreign road locomotives that make it to the PNW are modern widecabs.
Thanks for the heads up, Jeff.
Now why do all the trains show up at all the webcams simultaneously???
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