ROANOKE RAIL CAM

[RichardLHight]

Sounds logical to me to use whatever inventory of cabooses that haven't been sold for scrap or used for park decorations.  Before it's absorption by the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific was bringing their cabooses back on line to provide railroad police with a rolling platform to observe thieves and bandits along the rails that parallel the US/Mexican border. 

 

All that stuff that GM, and all the other American companies that use cheap Mexican labor working 12 on and 12 off, all that stuff has to be returned to the US to be sold to those of us that still have jobs that may be outsourced at any time.

 

*** those greedy fools that authored and passed the North American Free Trade Agreement that has financially devastated the South in a manner more effective than the civil war did, 

 

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword and the pens that Clinton used to sign NAFTA into law has reduced many well to do southerners to join the ranks of poor folks just like us. Boo Hoo

 

[j610]

One lone engine wandering aimlessly down the the track .  RON

[RichardLHight]

One lonley MOW worker wondered aimlessly around the junk left laying about the derailment and subsequent attention to the rails in front of the hotel cam.

[Modelcar]

....No way, is it a normal situation for a late model automobile to be left in such a location for so long period of time, without something being a bit off cue.....

Noted the atmosphere must have been clear last night as the twinkling lights on the towers seemed quite visible.

[Eric97123]

watching this morning, a train went by with 11 engine mu'ed. 

[tcwright973]

It looks like the white van might be gone. There is one empty parking space and I can't see a white vehicle  facing the tracks. Anyone see if it was driven or towed away. I know it was there around 6:00 this morning.

Tom

[Modelcar]

tcwright973

It looks like the white van might be gone. There is one empty parking space and I can't see a white vehicle  facing the tracks. Anyone see if it was driven or towed away. I know it was there around 6:00 this morning.

Tom

You are correct....That vehicle was there an hour and a half or so ago.....But now, it's not there.  Vanished.

[RichardLHight]

At about 12 noon I noticed a North American Van Lines moving van make a left turn onto Shenandoah from Jefferson southbound.  No more had he straightened out his rig than he stopped and began backing up, forcing the east bound cars on Shenandoah to cross onto the west bound lanes.  When no more cars were coming, the rig continued to back up until he could then make a left turn from Shenandoah onto Jefferson northbound, effectively making an illegal U-turn, proving once again that size does matter!

 

[Norm48327]

Modelcar

....No way, is it a normal situation for a late model automobile to be left in such a location for so long period of time, without something being a bit off cue.....

I was tempted to call the Roanoke PD to have them check the minivan.  OTOH, my being in Michigan may have made them thought it was a crank call. I'm still thinking it was being hidden from the repo folks.

[AgentKid]

Looked at the Cam at 3:43 EST today and the van is gone.

However I haven't seen a single train since before New Year's Eve. And I have been checking at least once a day everyday since.

Bruce

 

[RichardLHight]

Bruce,

 

Once a day is like playing the lottery!  Only the odds are better for winning the lottery.

 

Using AOL, I log onto the hotel cam and then reduce it so that I can do other things as needed.  I can then revert back to the cam to see if any action warrants my attention.  If not, I reduce again and go about my day, checking back several times an hour if I'm not busy with other things.

 

For instance, I commented at noon about the North American Van Lines U-turn but while that was happening, the NS SD-40 coupled to a HXLC leased ex BN SD-40 (I think) with the newly painted red caboose was dragging a string of tank cars followed by some 20 covered hoppers.  The engines and caboose pulled off the east end of the screen and stopped for a few moments before pushing the consist back into the west end yards that would be on the right hand side of your screen.

 

I switched to the museum cam to catch the detail of the caboose but wouldn't you know it...... the camera that normally displays a still every two seconds lagged from 12:20:32 to 12:20:48 seconds, just enough down time to let the red caboose escape my attempt to ID the evasive rascal.

 

The bottom line is Bruce, you gotta be devoted to the cause if you want to see what Roanoke has to offer!   

[RichardLHight]

5:56 PM EST

 

While I was writing to Bruce, I restored my hotel cam to see three MOW guys inspecting a white hopper on a stalled freight.  One of the guys had been doing the mad chicken dance, wondering around in circles for at least a half hour before I gave up on him 

[Modelcar]

RichardLHight

At about 12 noon I noticed a North American Van Lines moving van make a left turn onto Shenandoah from Jefferson southbound.  No more had he straightened out his rig than he stopped and began backing up, forcing the east bound cars on Shenandoah to cross onto the west bound lanes.  When no more cars were coming, the rig continued to back up until he could then make a left turn from Shenandoah onto Jefferson northbound, effectively making an illegal U-turn, proving once again that size does matter!

 

.....I was watching the cam at that time too, and witnessed the semi doing as you explained.  Also, while watching, a train passed on next to near track with 2 engines behind the red NS caboose.  I'm assuming it was a local switching, and pushing a string of cars west bound.

[RichardLHight]

8:40PM EST

 

I hope some of you fellows were logged onto the hotel cam between 6 and 7PM. 

 

When I checked back the stalled freight was moving eastbound with what I had thought were three pushers, but now were on the point with two NS GE 4400s and a loaner UP GE unit.  It only moved a short distance east before reversing and shoving the string behind them, presumably to pick up another cut of cars to be included in this freight. 

 

The freight then started moving east again until the front truck of the lead loco was standing over that little depression that the MOW guys have spent so much of their attention on. About then, a front loader with a back hoe mounted on the rear showed up and would you believe the mad chickens came to life and started loading the old ties and other junk into the front bucket. 

 

I had to run an errand at 6:30 and when I returned at 8:30, all the trucks were gone and the ground looked clean.

 

I'm most likely mistaken but there is what looked to me like that white minivan backed up against the wall. I'll check back every once in a while to see if it stays put after all the other cars hit the road. 

 

[RichardLHight]

Man oh man Bruce!

 

In the past three hours, there have been close to a dozen freights moving in and out of town.  One is pulling out at the moment that has an old Santa Fe red and silver war bonnet Dash 8 on the lead with a NS 4400 for back up.  We've had more traffic than Rochelle dreams of and of course ours is live stream.   

[Modelcar]

RichardLHight

8:40PM EST

 

I hope some of you fellows were logged onto the hotel cam between 6 and 7PM. 

 

When I checked back the stalled freight was moving eastbound with what I had thought were three pushers, but now were on the point with two NS GE 4400s and a loaner UP GE unit.  It only moved a short distance east before reversing and shoving the string behind them, presumably to pick up another cut of cars to be included in this freight. 

 

The freight then started moving east again until the front truck of the lead loco was standing over that little depression that the MOW guys have spent so much of their attention on. About then, a front loader with a back hoe mounted on the rear showed up and would you believe the mad chickens came to life and started loading the old ties and other junk into the front bucket. 

 

I had to run an errand at 6:30 and when I returned at 8:30, all the trucks were gone and the ground looked clean.

 

I'm most likely mistaken but there is what looked to me like that white minivan backed up against the wall. I'll check back every once in a while to see if it stays put after all the other cars hit the road. 

 

Richard....Just took a look to see the vehicle you mentioned as possibly the white van....No, that seems to be a small pickup with a matching cap on the bed.

And I agree......I see quite a few trains passing thru, and I just check it occasionally.

Edit:  Rich, do you use the Railroadradio.net...?  You can listen to Roanoke rail chatter and watch what you care to while doing so....

[RichardLHight]

Dang me they otta get a rope and hand me!

 

The moment I finished the last post to Bruce, I went back to the hotel cam and there was a trio of 4400s dragging an autotrain east bound out of town.   

[j610]

Just saw a train with a lot of articulated cars marked coltainer , plus two white boxcars marked cryogenics .Haven`t seen those before.   RON

[j610]

Mixed freight just rolled through with two NS and one SOO unit up front . First SOO unit i recall seeing in roanoke .  RON

[Semper Vaporo]

Being bored because there haven't been any trains this AM yet, I was watching the traffic on Shenandoah Ave and watched 3 semi-trailer trucks, westbound in a close formation, barrel through the "T" intersection with N. Jefferson St. with only a brief flash of their brake lights.

I decided to check Google Earth's "Street View" to see what kind of traffic signage is in the area.  I see on the corner that there is an octagonal sign with a red background and the white letters "S", "T", "O" and "P", emblazoned across the center.

I am supposing that is an acronym for "Slight Tap On Pedal"????

 

[AgentKid]

RichardLHight

post to Bruce,

Thanks for all the post's Richard. It sounds like I missed a good game last night. Unfortunately I don't think today is going to provide me with much train watching time either. I will try your idea about keeping the window active once I get the chance to spend more time at the computer. Thanks.

Bruce

 

[blhanel]

Currently three engines sitting on the nearest track- two NS spartan cabs and what looks like a Metra engine(?).

[csxns]

I saw a SOO locomotive on the cam two weeks ago.

[j610]

Beginning to see more and more foreign power in the area . Does NS currently have a power shortage issue ?     RON

[j610]

Keeps getting better . A conrail unit in original paint and a csx unit . If you want variety , roanoke is the place .  RON

[j610]

Quiet night tonight . predicting snow for most of the day friday for the area .  RON

[Norm48327]

Their server went offline about 8:00 this morning.

[RichardLHight]

2:00 PM EST

Cam still down..... Hope this is just a short time ill. 

[j610]

Still down . At least i hope it isn`t my computer .   RON

[RichardLHight]

Ron,

 

The good news is that it's not your computer!.... It looks like we're going back to last August when this lack of action was common.

 

As of 6:25 EST it's still down.  I checked the museum cam and there was a bright glob of light that was a single NS loco pulling a cut of 4 external ribbed boxcars that resemble 80 foot containers that I'm not failure with.