Murphy Siding wrote: Murphy Siding wrote: Speaking of trains, or tractors, or whatever....There are so many threads started about grade crossing accidents, that it seems redundant to start a new one. Yesterday, as I was leaving for work around 6:50 a.m., I heard a train horn off in the distance. All I heard was one long blast, perhaps 20-30 seconds long. I thought to myself "that doesn't sound good". As it turns out, a BNSF grain train hit a tractor at a crossing, about 4 miles south of my house. The locomotive was derailed until mid afternoon. The driver of the tractor, who, ironically, is someone I know was alright. He said he didn't hear or see the train! Judging from the photo in the newspaper today, it was a pretty fancy tractor that got destroyed. Perhaps, he didn't notice the train , because he was watching Oprah on the dish TV, and waiting for the coffee maker, while microwaving his breakfast?....Obligatory deja vu / post script: Today's paper has an editorial about how this crossing needs to have more than a stop sign( and a blaring train horn). It suggests flashing lights and a crossing gate. Maybe that will keep farmer Steve from blowing on through the intersection and colliding with a train? I doubt it. Did I mention I can hear the train blowing the crossing at my house, 5 miles away?
Murphy Siding wrote: Speaking of trains, or tractors, or whatever....There are so many threads started about grade crossing accidents, that it seems redundant to start a new one. Yesterday, as I was leaving for work around 6:50 a.m., I heard a train horn off in the distance. All I heard was one long blast, perhaps 20-30 seconds long. I thought to myself "that doesn't sound good". As it turns out, a BNSF grain train hit a tractor at a crossing, about 4 miles south of my house. The locomotive was derailed until mid afternoon. The driver of the tractor, who, ironically, is someone I know was alright. He said he didn't hear or see the train! Judging from the photo in the newspaper today, it was a pretty fancy tractor that got destroyed. Perhaps, he didn't notice the train , because he was watching Oprah on the dish TV, and waiting for the coffee maker, while microwaving his breakfast?
This is my first time in here, so I hope ya don't mind me jumping in on this one.
Tractor cabs are built to keep outside noise; out. The design and soundproofing that goes inside one works pretty well, otherwise their just echo boxes [like the old ones].
I farmed along side RR tracks and you don't normally hear a train whistle till it's almost on you [even with the radio off]. Just like in a car, there are blind spots, were it makes things hard to see around you [exhaust and air intake stacks, plus rollover support post].
Even with an older open tractor, you might not hear a whistle, if the throttle is up believe me. The old CR crews use to luv sneaking out on me and blow the horn while I was cultivating on an open tractor by the tracks. Darn near make ya have ta change your pants. The trick didn't work so well in a cab
I've been out of farming a few years now, but tractors with TV's and microwaves are rare [not unheard of, but rare]. There's too much to keep track of, even in the newer ones for TV watching. They also ride rough enough, to make a microwave almost a waste of time.
There are some new tractors on the market now with GPS computers, that once you get to the field and put in that field's program, are almost no-touch steering [except on the ends]. But once you're back on the road, you're still on your own. So even that's not going to keep ya from doing something stupid, like pulling out in front of train.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding wrote: inch53: We're just making fun of the tractor driver here. The tractor involved is/was a very modern, tracked type of vehicle. The issue was not so much distractions in the cab of the tractor, which could be many. The problem was, that the driver drove right on through the stop sign at the crossing, in front of a moving train. The train was blowing it's horn, and had the lights on(obviously), in the darkness at 7:00.a.m.
No offense really taken, I've been on the receiving end for some of the dumb things I've done [but nothing that dumb]. Farmers on their tractors can become just as complacent as those fools in their cars, when it comes to crossing. Thank God, the guy is still around to hear the razing to come. I've known one or two that didn't.
I was referring to not hearing the horn mostly inside the cab. Besides the wife says I'm to defensive when it comes to farming, so I may have came off wrong in what I wrote [I'm not a good writer].
Believe me, the new stuff is great, compared to what I grew up with, but they have their drawbacks too. I also wouldn't want to go back to 10- 12 hours on a metal seat mounted on a coil spring.
inch
Murphy Siding wrote:All things considered, I'd rather listen to a train horn, than listen to Oprah.
Yes. the train horn has much more of value to say, and its ego won't endorse presidential candidates, either.
Chico
inch53 wrote: Believe me, the new stuff is great, compared to what I grew up with, but they have their drawbacks too. I also wouldn't want to go back to 10- 12 hours on a metal seat mounted on a coil spring.inch
Hello to the lounge.
Wanted to drop by and share a few photos I've taken recently.
The first three shots are somewhat of a surprise catch for me. They show a Indiana Railroad coal train on CSX tracks in the city center of Indianapolis on a beautiful autumn day. I have never been able to shoot one of these trains at this location until now. The coal loads are most likely from one of the mines in the southern part of Indiana and I assume they are headed to the Hawthorne Yards out on the east side of Indianapolis. In the background you can see the new Colts stadium under construction. The stadium is designed with a sliding roof. Just beyond the end of the train is the Indianapolis Union Station and to the right, out of sight, is Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers.
Here is a close-up shot of the head end power. I'm not good enough at locomotive identification to say for sure what model it is. My guess is a SD50 or 60 series.
Here we see the train bearing off to the right towards Hawthorne Yards and the CSX route to Cincinnati. The rails to the left are the CSX (former Big Four) route east going through Muncie and into Ohio and on toward the northeast. The building you see on the right used to be a commercial property that has been renovated into private residences. Note the deck out to the side. You can have your own private rail park at city center!
Came across this train sitting in a siding on the NS New Castle Subdivision at Ossian, Indiana. It was a cool autumn morning and the corn fields were near harvest. I'm not sure what the status of this train was as it had no crew on board and didn't seem to have the power running.
And for my last shot I have a NS westbound manifest barreling through Waterloo, Indiana on another beautiful autumn evening; my favorite time of year.
Well, thats it. I must think about getting some sleep; tomorrow is a work day. Everyone take care and I'll see you around the lounge sometime soon.
Gregory
Thanks for sharing, Gregory! We didn't get closer to downtown Indianapolis last week than 86th Street on the north side of town, but it looks like we missed a little bit!
If I'm not mistaken, that's a former Soo Line SD60.
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)
Three W/B unit trains were stopped on the long siding, east of Alliance, NE last month. Note the sign.
No doubt the sign was placed by an engineer who was tired of being run around .
I posted a site on the "fraud photo" thread, but thought that it would be good fodder for this one, too:
http://karenparker.net/PixelMagic/pixelmagic.htm
Enjoy!
!!! 2-4-6-8-10-12 !!!
(thud)
(sound of falling on floor)
CShaveRR wrote: I posted a site on the "fraud photo" thread, but thought that it would be good fodder for this one, too:http://karenparker.net/PixelMagic/pixelmagic.htm Enjoy!
Since we are sharing photos......
Eastbound container train nearing Central Ave. in Western Springs..
Westbound on UP's Geneva Sub, an SD40 pulling what looked to be new ballast hoppers.
Looking like it is wading through the grass, I caught this EJ&E locomotive pulling some rock hoppers up the "Bug Line" that paralells Route 53 south of Renwick/159th St
And finally, this freight train, westbound through Western Springs on the BNSF.
....Very nice photos, Jim....
Quentin
....Look at the size of those front cylinders in Spokyone's photo....I'm assuming those are the low pressure one's of the engine.
Dan
Tim ... EJE's lawnmower?
PS -- With lowing sun, this time of year is great for shooting the E-W UP and BNSF lines, eh?
Poppa_Zit wrote: Tim ... EJE's lawnmower? PS -- With lowing sun, this time of year is great for shooting the E-W UP and BNSF lines, eh?
PZ:
The afternoon sun does make a difference this time of year, great picture taking light, but it goes fast...
Carl; It is fantastic what an imagination & art can create . That Critter pulling the looong coal string is hilarious . Some of the others ( coulda bin) in a pixel cartoon movie . The whole group is funny LOL With alldue respect , Cannonball
Y6bs evergreen in my mind
Happy Mole Day, everyone!
(Was anyone else up at 6:02 this morning thinking about Amedeo Avogadro and his Number?)
According to some purring going on at another thread, today is Mudchicken and Boss Hen's anniversary. Congratulations to a wonderful couple!
Pat and I spent much of yesterday going into Chicago by train. While there, we explored the interior of the renovated Millennium (formerly Randolph Street) Station. Very nice job, given the confined space they had--Union Station could use a few lessons from this one!
Tim, nice photos! Chris (CopCar) has posted pitcures of the BNSF line looking at that dip from the opposite direction, at Highlands. (The tall smokestack in the first shot is part of Hinsdale Hospital, where my granddaughters were born.)
Those are definitely new ballast cars in the UP shot (taken at Elmhurst, which, as you must know by now, is about my favorite train-watching spot). I think the 150 ballast cars that UP got this year from Kasgro (known more for building heavy-duty flat cars) signaled Kasgro's entry into the non-flat-car business (an ad in Railway Age indicated their willingness to build just about any type of car now, including tank cars).
spokyone wrote:I will admit that I did not take this photo. And I do not know who did. It is my favorite steam pic. If anyone has info, I would like to know more.
Bob, apparently it is a Rio Grande engine, look here-
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1246931/ShowPost.aspx#1246931
CShaveRR wrote: No doubt the sign was placed by an engineer who was tired of being run around .I posted a site on the "fraud photo" thread, but thought that it would be good fodder for this one, too:http://karenparker.net/PixelMagic/pixelmagic.htm Enjoy!
Very nifty work altering those photos. Perhaps I need to spend less time with the camera and more time at the computer.
Famous altered photos: http://listverse.com/history/top-15-manipulated-photographs
CShaveRR wrote: Tim, nice photos! Chris (CopCar) has posted pitcures of the BNSF line looking at that dip from the opposite direction, at Highlands. (The tall smokestack in the first shot is part of Hinsdale Hospital, where my granddaughters were born.)Those are definitely new ballast cars in the UP shot (taken at Elmhurst, which, as you must know by now, is about my favorite train-watching spot). I think the 150 ballast cars that UP got this year from Kasgro (known more for building heavy-duty flat cars) signaled Kasgro's entry into the non-flat-car business (an ad in Railway Age indicated their willingness to build just about any type of car now, including tank cars).
Thanks for the compliments Carl! Elmhurst is one of my favorite spots, too. I grew up over in Hillside, and back in high school my brother and I would walk to Al's Hobby Shop (him for model trains, me for model tanks) and we would hang out at Elmhurst's station or, at Poplar Ave. to watch the CNW at the time. I don't get back that way very much, since I live in Will County, now, but as events would have it, I am most likely moving back up that way in a couple of weeks.....(The ex would like to be Mrs. TimChgo9 again.... I just might take her up on it....) The train of ballast hoppers caught my eye, love that green paint job, I was awfully curious as to what they were, and I believe that that train came off of the spur that goes up to (and correct me if I am wrong) Yard #9, which also goes to the Kenosha Sub, right?
I think I might go over to the Oak St. Bridge by Hinsdale Hospital for some more photos this afternoon.
Good luck on your possible reconciliation, Tim, both beforehand and--even more!--afterwards.
The curving tracks do in fact lead to Yard 9 (there are now two tracks where there was only one before about 1990) and the Milwaukee Sub (to the Kenosha Sub, too, indirectly), but more importantly in this instance to the Harvard Sub, since the ballast train was probably coming out of CNW's old quarry at Rock Springs.
Wish I could join you at Hinsdale/Highlands, but I have to be slightly more domestic today.
I had to cut grass like that once with a worn out ridin mower. NOT FUN. LOL
Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.
With the white stripes on the nose, reminds me of a faded-looking part-Hereford brood cow my uncle had.
Tim, I think the answer to your question is evident in your top photo. That's a pretty substantial dip in the right-of-way between Hinsdale and Western Springs, and I suspect that westbound freights would have to work a bit harder just to bring even a fraction of their trains out of it.
Here in Lombard, I've noticed a similar phenomenon--westbounds working their trains pretty hard and eastbounds either moving faster or otherwise not working as hard. The grade isn't as evident to me, but I've seen--and felt--this all the way in from Wheaton to Elmhurst back in my cab-riding days. The reality is that the profile has its ups and downs, but the drop overall from College Avenue (Wheaton) to Elmhurst (less than ten miles) is over 100 feet.
TimChgo9 wrote:You know... sitting here along the BSNF "East End" I have noted that when trains go by the ex's house here, the westbound trains are quite noisy, but, when the eastbound trains go past, it almost sounds as if they are "coasting" in fact they make about 1/2 as much noise as the westbound trains. I know past the house here the tracks are on a very slight up-grade going westbound, and obviously down-grade going east. Is the grade enough to make the trains strain a little bit going westbound? I know no land is perfectly flat, but I was curious as to what some of the more knowledgeable among you might think.
It doesn't take much grade at all to start loading the engine (depending on train weight) - but a speed or track restriction just east of your ex's house might be the cause. Eastbounds are slowing for it and westbounds are acclerating away from it.
dd
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