Rich
Those that desire, find a way..... Those that don't, find an excuse.
MOW trucks are back today . May have been a problem last night . Don`t know if it has anything to do with the unit that was showering sparks and smoke early this morning. RON
I saw it!!!!
I saw the train sitting there and decided to get my PC setup to record an image if the signals were working. So I had the VMT cam on the left and the Roanoke Hotel Cam on the right and the Windows Magnifier app occupying the majority of the upper portion of the screen. The Magnifier is showing a portion of the Hotel Cam.
While waiting I noted that the 3rd engine would periodically spit some sparks that sometimes would bounce on the roof and down to the walkways or all the way to the ground before stopping the glow.
I waited for 3 EB trains to pass, trying to catch the sparks in a screen capture. But could not time my key press just right and then it quit doing it. So when I saw the signal lights change (proving they are now working, because yesterday I saw a similar scene and the train proceeded without a change in the signals), I waited just a split second after the engines started to move and pressed Ctrl-PrtSc to capture the image.
In the image below you can see the sparks somewhat in the gray smoke that accompanied them (in the Red circles) and the signals (in Yellow diamonds) showing the usual aspect when trains are allowed to proceed from the near track to go under the pedestrian walkway and enter the north most track opposite the VMT site.
I have seen worse spark showers, but at night even the smallest ones are like fireworks on the 4th of July!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Watching a tofc train go by at normal speed on the problem track . there were 7 units waiting on the nearest track. As soon as they got clearance and started moving , a huge shower of sparks and flame began shooting from the top of the number 3 unit . It continued doing this until it was out of sight . Apparently no one saw it or knows what is happening . Could be a bad situation on down the road . RON
Very long autorack train passing over the problem track .It is traveling at normal speed. I bet they have their fingers crossed on this one. No MOW vehicles present . Apparently everything is back to normal . RON
Whups, may have spoke too soon. Just saw a WB pause at the far signals which were showing what appears to me to be a do not enter indication, then it proceeded. Dunno if it was associated with the apparent signal problems after the derailment or not.
I see they left the floodlights there just in case. RON
I only managed to catch 2 trains tonight, being busy with other things. I noted that neither one stopped before entering the area like they have been the last few days. And no escorts tonight, though there were a couple this afternoon while I was watching. I also noted that the signals for the one westbound I saw were working like I have seen them do in the past. So, yes, I think they have it fixed up. Good on them!
I have seen a lot of trains lately with large amounts of power up front . one with 8 , 2 with 7 and quite a few with 5 engines on the point. RON
.....Just now, a coal train {W B}, pulled by 5 NS engines. Moving right along too. Saw no MOW cars / trucks.
Quentin
Haven`t seen much traffic today , at least when i have been on line . I haven`t seen any NS MOW people today . I guess they feel they have taken care of the problem . RON
I have noticed that too. One or two of them seem to show up for every train. They are finally back to running trains regularly over the problem track . RON
Hee hee hee... I have been thinking the same thing for every train that I have seen lately.
I noticed that there has been a car or truck show up and park about mid-scene, and then a train goes by -- SLOWLY -- and after it is gone, the vehicle leaves too. I figure MOW and Inspection people are there in force for a while.
I bet the MOW guys are nervous . There is a train of autoracks going through right now . RON
Gentemen,
Just my personal observation of the happenings at Roanoke. I've been watching it since Monday morning,, and being more interested in MOW then train ops I've tried to be observant.
It appears to me that three auto-racks going on the ground did considerable damage and taking out the ability of the dispatchers to control either the switches or signals. Been watching this since Monday morning, and it is apparent slow orders will be in effect till things get back to normal.
MOW and signal crews have been on location 24/7 since the derailment. That leads me to believe some serious damage was done even though the train was moving at low speed.
I'm a fan of the MOW and signal people. Rather take photos of them than locomotives because they earn their keep through backbreaking work. I've been allowed to photograph them with the caveat their identieties are not revealed. I hope my photos are preserved like the pictures of the past were.
Norm
UP power is getting to be fairly common on the NS . Not much going on today or at at least not when i have been online . RON
So, what happened with that NS coal thingy? And I still see guys commonly around, running small machines in the area. I wonde what they're still doing?
BTW, today, I saw a blue and white loco of the type I've seen a few times before, and another train had a UP loco on it.
Thank you gentlemen for the solution to the EPIC saga.
Many, like me, have probably wondered about them. Now we know it seems.
It certainly has been an interesting time on the webcam of late. I did see some very fine 'photos on the VFRS Yahoo Group pages of the initial wreck. Switching and signaling does seem to be very much what is still under scrutiny at present.
Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad
https://www.buckfast.org.uk/
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)
I was told the epic cars are trash cars/containers.
If you model railroad Atlas is coming out with the containers and the flat car.
Joe
I think you are correct about the switch mechanism being in there . Makes more sense than what i came up with .Finally glad to know what those epic cars are . Thanks. RON
Saw some more of those EPIC cars and decided to see if I could find info on the web about them... The only thing I found that makes any kind of sense in regard to the cars we are seeing is this:
Environmental Protection & Improvement Co. Inc. (EPIC) offers inter-modal rail transportation of non-hazardous waste. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in Denville, New Jersey. As of 06/15/2000, Environmental Protection & Improvement Co. Inc. is a subsidiary of Synagro Technologies Inc.
So I searched for Synagro Technologies Inc and found this site:
http://www.synagro.com/services/rail.html
Yep, that's the containers in the photo on that page!
Semper Vaporo I was kind of figureing the pit is where the switch motor is at. Often while 2 or 3 are at the pit, someone will cross the far tracks and go to the west end of a cabinet there and disappear behind it.
I was kind of figureing the pit is where the switch motor is at. Often while 2 or 3 are at the pit, someone will cross the far tracks and go to the west end of a cabinet there and disappear behind it.
I think you've got it. I yield the field.
Bruce
P.S. I keep forgetting about all these new fangled electric devices!
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
I was kind of figureing the pit is where the switch motor is at. Often while 2 or 3 are at the pit, someone will cross the far tracks and go to the west end of a cabinet there and disappear behind it. I think the cabinet is the control panels for all those switches there. Given the previous post here about the 'spatchers having problems with switch indications, I am guessing they still have a problem with that switch not working after the derailment earlier in the week. Must have jerked/twisted the rail enough to interfere with proper operation and they are having problems finding what got warped.
This has certainly been an interesting cam to look at these last couple of days. Things do seem to be getting closer to "normal" but there are still a lot of NS trucks around.
I did notice something interesting at 10:35 PM EST tonight. There was a EB with half a dozen or so of the largest double side door hi-cube boxcars I have ever seen. I swear there are Fortune 500 companies with head offices with less cubic feet that those boxcars have.
j610 I noticed that the train slowed to a crawl as it passed over that section . I didn`t get to see the guy down in the pit . Maybe they are going to set up an inspection cam there to try and detect problems so this doesn`t happen again. RON
I noticed that the train slowed to a crawl as it passed over that section . I didn`t get to see the guy down in the pit . Maybe they are going to set up an inspection cam there to try and detect problems so this doesn`t happen again. RON
I doubt that pit is anything new. It has probably been there since steam days. It would have been a pit for car-knockers to inspect the underside of passenger cars when they came into that station. You could inspect freight cars from the side but there was so much under a passenger car like electric generators and heating/coolong systems, that you had to have a man underneath the train to check it all out. I wouldn't want to know what was in that pit after all these years.
Thanks NS for giving CSX a rest.
Russell
Several workmen were gathered at the west most parked truck. About 8:15 PM CST the train started moving and about 5 minutes later they all went to different trucks and got in. Train was gone by about 8:30 and so far one truck has left. Running lights on one of the others blinked on and then off, but they are still there.
Oh, fine, I'll get off to increase yoru chances of seeing the video feed without it dropping so much. besides, I have to go and listen for info about a more local derailment in a little bit. Let me know what happens with this NS coal thingy!
Been wonderin' 'bout that meself.
I saw that train pull up to the pedestrian bridge (between the two webcams) and stop, then the couple of MOW people at the switch we've been watchin' moved off to the truck and the train started up slowly. Ran about 30 cars past that point and stopped. Then all the trucks began to show up.
Remember: Computers are neither smart nor dumb;
They are just plain MEAN!
I do believe computers were invented by Murphy and were programmed by his evil twin sister (during "that" time of the month).
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