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ROANOKE RAIL CAM

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Posted by kolechovski on Thursday, December 16, 2010 2:24 PM

I caught quite a few pretty pics of the cam this morning.  Then this computer simply froze entirely, and I lost all of them.  They couldn't be undeleted, either.  Grr...lost nice snow pics with different trains.  It also sucks that I missed such interesting action.  Did you guys get any pics of the derailment itself on either cam, or was it out of view of both cams?  And to the guy who posted a camera snapshot, it looks like you've got Windows 7-the Snipping Tool is actually best to use-better picture, and no camera required.

Speaking of derailments, one happened on the B&P line out near Kittanning, PA, with several cars tipped over.  I heard a later report that they were coal hoppers, and there were some partial loads which may have caused it at a switch.  Last week, a coal train at the Keystone plant had 75 partial loads due to coal frozen inside, and they were right in the way of the dumper, and they could not be dumped.  It was a very long night for that crew.  Not surprisingly, a dog-catch crew would be needed to finish the night's work.

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Posted by jlrc47 on Thursday, December 16, 2010 5:36 AM

  I have been listening to railroad radio.net roanoke. (The link is for windows media player)

      The dispatcher keeps saying he has no control of some switches and they are lock to main by utility worker. I wonder if the controls for the switches are damaged. also the signals have not changed (that I have seen) and dispatcher also says to pass signals following local rules.

And its snowing in Roanoke.

Joe

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Posted by j610 on Thursday, December 16, 2010 2:51 AM

Mixed freight just went through at  3:45 with 7 motive power units leading. 130 cars.  RON

J610
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Posted by j610 on Thursday, December 16, 2010 1:24 AM

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

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, December 16, 2010 1:19 AM

They still seem to be playing in that area I circled in my previous post.  I now know that the "Black line" is actually a "Pit" under the track.  I saw a man step into it.  I don't know if he then stooped down or was standing erect, but his chest was at rail level.

I have seen two trains run over that spot, both ever so slowly.  1st one was very short (10 cars), and the 2nd was much longer (at least 50 cars).  The engines on the 2nd train crossed the black area at what seemed to me to be under 1 MPH, but certainly picked up speed after the engines were across.

Workmen are still wandering around the area, and standing around chatting.  They are all keeping their hands in their pockets like it is a bit chilly there tonight.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by j610 on Thursday, December 16, 2010 1:12 AM

2:10 a m and they are still working on the track at that same location . I can`t really tell what they are doing The rail and ballast is blackened in that area . Looks like they might have done some thermite welding of a rail joint. A train just now passed over that section  , so apparently they have the repair completed .  RON

J610
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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 12:53 PM

Looks like things are returning to normal this afternoon. MOW is picking up some of the scrap, but trains are still under slow orders.

Your regular programming may return early this evening.

Norm


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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 12:46 AM

Here is where the work was being done... in the red circle.

 

There have been about 6 to 8 trucks in  the area.  I don't think the white car in this scene is a RR vehicle, but rather one that belongs to an office worker that left it there for some reason.  The headlights to the west are some of the trucks that seem to come and go at random.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 12:35 AM

Yep, the camera switched to B&W rather early today, but after they put the light stand up an EB train with a couple of bright white hopper cars went right in front of the lights and the camera switched back to color.

There have been workmen working on that short black section of rail on the north side of the third track over...  I think that is where the switch to the 2nd track starts (not sure).  They stand around and look at it for a long time, then they all disperse to different trucks for a while and then wander back to the track.  (and repeat the whole thing!)  I have seen one person sit on the ground and move like he is turning a wrench, but it must be a really long bolt, considering how many times he moved.  The others just stand there and watch.  I also saw what looked like sparks as if one was using a grinder on the rail.

Sometimes when they all disperse, a few minutes later a train passes, other times they just seemed to have gone on break.

Often one will drive a short ways down that lane and double-park next to another vehicle and sit there, blocking the lane... then another vehicle will arrive and wait patiently behind it for many minutes, then they will all drive away, only to come back in a few minutes and start the whole sequence all over again.

From the long-distance silent video viewpoint it sure seems like an awful lot of wasted motion and idle wandering around, getting very little accomplished.

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by K. P. Harrier on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 12:23 AM

Here is a photo of what is presently going on ...


 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.

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Posted by K. P. Harrier on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 11:50 PM

What is happening?  It looks like some workers are burning the midnight oil!  There are plenty of trucks, and a parking lot floodlight.  No markings seem to be on the trucks.  Anybody know if this is railroad related?  And, the view is in color, too!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.

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Posted by Norm48327 on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 4:56 PM

Tuesday evening, and all seems to be going smoothly. Trains seem to be moving at normal speed, and there aren't a bunch of MOW folks watching. Hopefully, things are back to normal.

Norm


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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 2:56 PM

WHOA!  What was that in the gondolas in the EB just now?  Was that SMOKE, DUST, POWDER, MIST, ????? ?

It looked like maybe ash in them, but I would think that today's EPA world, ash would be required to be covered and not allowed to disburse that way.

Maybe it was snow being hauled somewhere and blowing off?

There were times when it blew all  the way to the camera on the Hotel walkway and was still opaque and dense enough to be seen wisping in front of it..

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Norm48327 on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:01 PM

Been watching it all morning. Yep, moving on slow orders. Can't see it on camera, but it seems obvious MOW still has a lot of work to do. Trains seem to be coming through in groups so MOW can have a work window.

Norm


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Posted by switch7frg on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 9:54 AM

 Whistling  At 8:30am  lot going on Hotel av. , 10 or 12 engines  with mixed freight . ?  Moving engines to where a shortage of power has occured . Then a scooper / Tie snatcher gathered 2 ties and headed to the signal bridge.  This event  was well covered by the Cam past 2 days . 

                                                                   Cannonball

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Posted by j610 on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:42 AM

Yes , everything is definitely on slow orders for now .   RON

J610
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:13 AM

Not quite "normal"... I think I have seen power on all 4 tracks now, but none at the speeds normally done through there.Smile

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Posted by j610 on Monday, December 13, 2010 11:46 PM

Traffic back to normal now . The freight that just went through had some more of those articulated epic cars . I know those guys are glad its over . The temp. is 14 degrees and the wind chill is 1 degree in roanoke .    RON

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Posted by nsfan51282 on Monday, December 13, 2010 7:10 PM

they sent an sw1500 at about 315  and left around 4 to pick up the 2 autos

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Posted by j610 on Monday, December 13, 2010 4:50 PM

Camera just switched to black & white at 5:48 . Isn`t that a lot earlier than usual?   RON

J610
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Posted by j610 on Monday, December 13, 2010 3:47 PM

I missed them moving the two autoracks . Was there a problem moving them ? I see they are moving traffic by on the track closest to the camera .   RON

J610
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Posted by jlrc47 on Monday, December 13, 2010 1:13 PM

The link I found this morning is not working but here is a working link on YouTube

Video <<<click me

 

Joe

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Posted by Modelcar on Monday, December 13, 2010 12:37 PM

I wasn't able to pull up the youTube video listed on a post here of the actual wreck site, but the problem is probably on my end.  So I went and Googled to find that Video, and did so, and the damage has been extensive to RR hardware, and of course, the brand new autos inside.  Noted one RR car tilted and the end doors open and new autos still inside....Also two cranes and a front loader moving one car that was perpendicular to the tracks, being rotated around in the direction it should be.....All this occurring during the night.  Pretty awesome mess for the RR.  Then as noted by another poster, I too saw that extra long double stack working it's way past the wreck site E B, a while ago....Pretty good work to get the mess out of the way to at least getting one track open to allow traffic thru.

Quentin

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Posted by j610 on Monday, December 13, 2010 12:00 PM

Are the two autoracks that are sitting there now involved in the wreck ? They don`t appear to be damaged , at least on this side .  RON

J610
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Posted by STEVEL on Monday, December 13, 2010 11:32 AM

I was watching Huckabee  last night as the train was going by at normal speed,  I glanced at TV for a couple of seconds and looked back and train had slowed noticeably,  then stopped.  I thought must be waiting for a signal to clear but about 5 min later ambulance and police truck went by  with light flashing.  Ten minutes later the NS trucks and SUV's started rolling in.  But other that refection of Ambulance lightbar and flashers, nothing looked out of place.  Then NS people start walking back from the east looking under cars and at the track until they got past the signal bridge. Initial thought was they hit something or someone on the tracks.

 

 

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Posted by Great Western on Monday, December 13, 2010 11:05 AM

Things seem to be progressing.  The first regular train just passed through on the track nearest Shenandoah Ave.  It was a container train.

Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad

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If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)

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Posted by RichardLHight on Monday, December 13, 2010 8:23 AM
Boy, can't get anything over on you fellows!  I logged onto the hotel cam just as two of the autoracks were being towed ahead a bit.  As you already know, there were 11 NS trucks on hand and when I was going to issue a 'breaking news' comment, I noticed that I was at least third in line, with a You Tube account of everything up close and personal.  What a catch.  Just imagine crossing over the tracks, coming back to the Hotel Roanoke when all hell broke loose right under their feet! From the way the cars were jackknifed one after the other, I would imagine that the autoracks were struck from behind, or else one derailed and the others followed suit.  If a wreck has to happen, nothing like having it happen in NS's backyard!   

Rich

 

Those that desire, find a way..... Those that don't, find an excuse.

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Posted by nsfan51282 on Monday, December 13, 2010 7:50 AM

just saw 2 of the auto racks being put back on the tracks on the web cam 

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Posted by nsfan51282 on Monday, December 13, 2010 6:54 AM

so thats what happend i was trying to figure out what was up with all the ns trucks and equipment on the webcam 

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Posted by jlrc47 on Monday, December 13, 2010 5:51 AM

I found this You Tube video 

Joe

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