This will be pretty complex to try to describe, so it will be the abridged version. For those of you familar with Northwest Indiana, you will understand it. Anyway, yesterday was a tough day for railroaders up here. No derailments, but...
NS 306 (EB Chicago - Bellevue) was stopped at East Hobart due to a hot box. Train 282 (WB intermodal) was in the "Eastward siding" and probably notified 306 of the problem. This was around 7am. Behind 306 was the ultrahot 218 (Chicago - Greensboro UPS train). The westward siding was clear. But, remember 306 was fouling the East Hobart control point. The westward siding also connects with the former Conrail (PRR)line which is in effect a long siding between East Hobart and Spriggsboro (about 7 miles). So, NS has 2 main tracks between the two points.
No problem, just run 218 thru the westward and onto the "PC" side (ex Conrail) and then back to the NS main. Oops, train 230 (Jacksonville - Chi intermodal) is sitting at Wheeler (half way between Spriggsboro and E Hobart) waiting for 306 and 218 to clear to resume to Chicago on the single track west of Hobart.
Confused yet? So, just to get it clear...at 745am 306 was stopped at E Hobart, 282 in the Eastward, 218 behind 306 approaching Hobart and 230 on the PC side. Meanwhile more trains are taking sidings at Spriggsboro, Nickel, and South Wanatah.
What to do? The car shop has been called and it will be a couple of hours before they are out. Crews are already dying in the sidings and the hot UPS train has no where to go, plus the 217 (Greenville - Chicago hot UPS train) is coming west.
Permission is granted to 306 to pull ahead to Wheeler, clearing the Hobart control point. The train is cut at road crossings. 218 pulls in on the mainline at Hobart. 230 comes thru the westward and clears. 282 follows 230. 218 then back up and then takes the westward siding to the PC and heads for Greenville with those UPS trailers. The logjam is sort of broken and there is one path to get thru. In the meanwhile 307 outlaws at Spriggsboro and is recrewed ( and sits). 261 (Triple Crown) outlaws, but there are no crews available. 323 sneaks thru to Van Loon to pickup 24 cars of steel and then returns. Who knows what else happens as I am in and out all day.
At 430pm 307 is finally ready to go, but cant cross the CN at Spriggsboro. Why? Well CN 281 is lined up to go down the hill at Valpo. But, it needs a shove. It outlawed at Lincoln and the new crew told the dispatcher they had 10,000 feet of train, 9000 tons and 6000hp....and sitting in a sag. They attempted to go and after about 20 minutes stalled. Top speed had been 1.5mph. 393 is behind and gives a shove, then breaks off as 281 starts down the hill. Oops! It stalls again. Engineers discuss the situation and it is determined only one of the two locomotives on 281 is loading. 3000hp, 9000 tons, 10000 feet of train. Jokingly, 393 again gives 281 a shove "you are the only engineer I know that has ever stalled going down the hill". I am thinking...gravity should be taking over, but isnt. From Valpo to Sedley (10 miles) is single track and a .9 ruling grade (yes there are hills in Indiana). At Sedley is train 392 (EB CN) who announces to the dispatcher "you have a major problem with this 281, brakes are sticking and it is smoking".
Meanwhile, 307 goes...picking up 261's crew enroute and then if there is a van, they will return from Calumet Yard to take 261 in. The van driver has already announced he is outlawed.
What happened to 306? Well at 5pm he was pumping air and only had 75 pounds on the rear. A couple of hours later 7pm, I heard him call the signal at Valpo.
In the meantime, crews were outlawing at many sidings.
No doubt, the train crews, dispatchers, car repairmen, and trainmasters earned their pay on both the NS and CN yesterday.
ed
Murphy's law seems to be alive and well.
When 393 gave 281 a shove, was that with full train attached? In other words, was 393 pulling its own train while also pushing 281?
No they cut their power away.
I didnt see any of this, had my scanner on while doing other things.
I think they knew there was some kind of a problem when they stalled the second time, but at that point one of the crewmen said "it is time for gravity to take over". Had they tied up that single track the CN would have been a real mess.
Things seem to be moving much smoother today on both lines, but there have been a large number of outlawed crews the past month.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD wrote: Trains can only operate into open space and can't jump over each other. Difficult concepts to master for some people.
Anyone for chess?
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...
BaltACD wrote:Just a typical day at a high volume critical location.....When one thing happens the dominoes start to fall. They are falling so fast and in such an interlocked manner that it is difficult to describe to anyone, including senior officials, that aren't involved with the entire snafu what is actually happening. One concept most people on the outside of actual railroad operations cannot comprehend is the concept or 'no place to go'. Bean counters look at 100 miles of railroad with 20 trains and see 80 miles of space.....a dispatcher sees 100 miles of railroad with 20 trains and sees virtual gridlock if the 20 trains are not disentangled in the proper manner. Trains can only operate into open space and can't jump over each other. Difficult concepts to master for some people.
Dont **** off the cook!
....What a tangled mess....it makes it sound {to the fan}, like it would be impossible to untangle at all. Didn't this part of Indiana have a lot of track abandoned some years back that if {at least some of it}, were now available, could serve very important duty with traffic loads being run now.
Quentin
Sorry, Bergie. thx for the edit and not deleting it
Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Lots of abandoned trackage up here, but I am not sure how much would help out...
Erie Lackawana - completely abandoned from Hammond on east into Ohio.
C&O - completely abandoned from Hammond down towards Muncie and beyond.
Conrail (PC - ex PRR panhandle) from Chicago to Logansport and beyond.
NW (Wabash) Gary to Eastern Indiana
EJE - Porter branch - Porter to Griffith....This one might have helped in the long run.
Those are the lines I can think of in Porter County since the 70's.
BALT - very good points. Most of us just cant comprehend the problems that must exist. We no doubt think of the flexibility of driving a car and being able to change routes quickly. Tonight CN is trying to figure out where to put an 8500 foot 455 train heading into Chicago with minimal cutting of the train at crossings. Interesting listening to the dispatcher and the crew try to figure it out. To the dispatchers credit, he asks questions rather than tell the crew what to do.
Chicago must really still be backed up.
Modelcar wrote: ....What a tangled mess....it makes it sound {to the fan}, like it would be impossible to untangle at all. Didn't this part of Indiana have a lot of track abandoned some years back that if {at least some of it}, were now available, could serve very important duty with traffic loads being run now.
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