ROANOKE RAIL CAM

[j610]

I guess the museum cam is better than nothing , but i really don`t care for it much . It needs to be streaming like the hotel cam .  RON

[j610]

The first person to find out the cam is back on line , please post .  RON

[RichardLHight]

8:50 EST

 

Will do Ron.  After checking on the hotel cam, I switched to the museum cam only to see the landscape covered in the white stuff.

 

A moment or two later and the scene changed to show a rather shabby looking Kansas City Southern loco dragging an even worse looking collection of mixed freight heading east out of town.

 

Then the screen goes white with that little red ex in the box we all love to hate.

 

With regard to all the foreign power mixed into the NS muscel, one of you fellows recently asked if NS was running short on power.

 

I recall reading in one of the recent editions of Trains magazines that the railroad had placed a large order of locos.  It may have been mentioned in that article about Caterpillar acquiring EMD, or it could have been mentioned elsewhere. 

 

I also recall that the UP had literally hundreds of high powered locos stored thru out the west coast. 

 

A couple of months back Trains ran a piece on the perfect railroad and as I recall, suggested that the UP and BNSF would 'join forces' with CSX and the NS, while KCS would concentrate on taking over the Mexican railroads.  I think the idea was to merge UP/CSX and BNSF/NS, based on the geography each railroad covers.  

 

I really should save the past copies of Trains, but I don't. 

 

Gosh I hate to admit it but folks, I'm feeling the effects of railfan withdrawal, or it could be the flu that's going around.  No matter, we got along before the hotel tacked up a camera and we'll get along without it again..... or not!  

[switch7frg]

     As of 9:23am MST the cam is ready ~~~  for what???  Still dark .

[j610]

That is what it used to do every time it went down. With the cold weather they are having , it probably won`t be fixed anytime soon . I really miss it . I hate that jerky museum cam .   RON

[Norm48327]

It appears their server has gone off line. I tried pinging the IP address and did not get contact.

[j610]

If they don`t get the cam back up soon , they are going to have to put me in a rubber room .    RON

[hwoods]

It's 10:50 am, 1 - 9....... Still Down.

[hwoods]

And........ Would someone be kind enough to tell me how to find the museum cam???..... Thanks.

[Semper Vaporo]

Take a look at:

http://www.nwhs.org/cam/vmt/

 Note: the picture only updates every 2 seconds or MORE; sometimes taking 10 or 15 or more seconds to update.

Also, it will cease to update after 5 minutes (used to be 4 minutes, but it changed a few weeks ago).  When the "Pause" button (the "||" in the circle below the image) changes to a "Play" button (an arrow ">" in the circle below the image) click the button to restart it the updating for another 5 minutes.

.

[j610]

If i knew more about electronics , i would be tempted to ride up there and fix it for them. LOL     RON

[Semper Vaporo]

It could be as simple as cycling power on the computer or as expensive as repairing/replacing it.  It could be someone tripped over the coax from the camera to the computer and it could be the hotel decided to save some money by reducing their internet connection bill by removing the camera to reduce the internet usage. Or maybe they have been having trouble with the business side of their use of the internet connection and it was suggested that the bandwidth used by the streaming from the camera was at fault so they shut it off.

Of course, it could be that they have no idea it is malfunctioning.  I, probably like most of us, am hesitant to call the hotel to ask about the camera, not wanting to be a nuisance to them and fearing that maybe others have already called.  I do not wish to "bother" them; they don't need lots of people disturbing the "real" work.

Seems to me that one of "us" on this thread did call them a few months ago, maybe "you" might call them again and be "our" spokesperson?  (Please?)

[j610]

My favorite railcam . I sure hope it doesn`t go away permanently .  RON

[Norm48327]

A reverse IP trace reveals the camera is on the server at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ. Based on that information I would think the computer controlling the camera has lost contact with the server. I frequently have that problem between my home network router and modem. Resetting the router cures the problem, and I think that is all that may have to be done to get it back online. I wouldn't expect it to happen before Monday, but I also don't think it is any fault of the  Roanoke Hotel. I called the latter several weeks ago about the spider web, and it was soon gone. The person at the hotel was aware of the camera and did her job.

Can't help but think this is just a case of electrons not having 'a meeting of the minds'  as is so often the case in the computer age.

[Modelcar]

....I believe that relates a possibility of getting it back in near future.  Hope so.  Sounds like good {electronic}, detective work for Norm.

[j610]

I may make it through this after all .   RON

[RichardLHight]

9:00 AM Monday

 

Be it known to all concerned..... It's back on line!

 

[kolechovski]

The camera just went down it seems...can someone verify if this in fact happened, or if I need to reboot this thing.  I don't want to reboot at this point if it's not needed...

BTW, what's with the 2 dump trucks parked at the close corner?  I see one has derail gear on it.  I did see a highrail truck go down the close track sometime before the camera stopped.

[Semper Vaporo]

Not working for me at this time.

[Modelcar]

....It is down as I just tried it again...11:05 ET

[RichardLHight]

11:40

 

Still down

[j610]

12:54  nothing         RON

[rggwilson]

The last time this happened I sent an e-mail to Jim Wrinn asking him to be an advocate for us and look into the problem. I have been a subscriber to Trains Magazine for 50 years and had never before ever written a letter to them for any reason.

I thought perhaps he just might try to be of some help in resolving the problem even though I know Trains has NO connection with the folks that run this cam. However, I thought I'd give it a try, after being a subscriber for half a century I figure Trains might just show a modicum of graditude for my loyaltty to them.

NO, it didn't happen. Mr. Wrinn never even responded to my e-mail. Not even to tell me he could not help. Ir was as if I never even sent him anything at all! I was, and still am, *** off at his lack of courtesy. So, if anybody even thinks of asking for any help from him - DON'T! I considered his ignoring of my e-mail VERY discourtious, and insulting.

Ron Wilson

[j610]

It shows that all they care about is the money , not the ones who made it possible for them to print and sell the magazine . Poor way to run a business .   RON

[jlrc47]

As of 1:27 PM EST  WEB CAM is up and running

Joe

[kolechovski]

There are traffic cones across the street now.  I wonder what they're doing there.

[j610]

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY , my addiction is once more satisfied .A lot of dump trucks rolling through the parking lot .  You mentioned the traffic cones , my guess is they are getting ready to celebrate the web cam coming back on line . They are preparing for the massive amount of traffic for the celebration .  RON

[Great Western]

Nice to see the cam operational again.  I noticed the cones: time will tell I guess why they are there.  

[Semper Vaporo]

Cancel my reservations at the place with the padded rooms, and tell the tailor to forget the extra long-sleeved jacket he can go work on something else.

 

[j610]

It looks like the trains went off line with the cam . Please bring them back .   RON