Trains.com

ROANOKE RAIL CAM

179835 views
1396 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, November 25, 2011 9:51 AM

They didn't trample the camera itself as it is actually still working... I can view it on the "stop action" version (1 frame per second) web site:

http://128.173.197.94:443/RRCtrainsDOTcom

Looks ilke a pretty day there, but the stop action presentation is lousy to watch.

I would not expect the good connections to come back to life until Monday when people start showing up for work and find a computer on the fritz and reboot it.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ottawa, On. Canada
  • 21 posts
Posted by mittelfruh1 on Friday, November 25, 2011 8:47 AM

Good, so I'm not the only one with a blackout. I thought I'd have to reload my windows player yet again.

  • Member since
    February 2011
  • 12 posts
Posted by conductor14 on Friday, November 25, 2011 7:06 AM

Yup....there were hundreds of them...and they must have tripped over the camera cable cuz it's been out since evening.

 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, November 24, 2011 8:54 AM

The people are there NOW!  Hundreds are running east on the street south of the tracks... HUNDREDS of them!

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: morganton north carolina
  • 515 posts
Posted by j610 on Thursday, November 24, 2011 7:08 AM

Everyone in roanoke must have taken the day off . Haven`t seen anything yet this morning .    RON

J610
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Monday, November 7, 2011 6:35 PM

A passenger train rolled through today.  I was surprised to see it, even though it clearly wasn't making a stop there.

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, November 6, 2011 4:00 PM

Whoops... the utility truck at the far end is gone... anybody see it leave?  Was it towed or move under its own power?

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Cordes Jct Ariz.
  • 1,305 posts
Posted by switch7frg on Sunday, November 6, 2011 9:55 AM

Smile   Since the  "side door pullman" cars were closed there are no means of transportation for the former occupants.  Another history  has passed.   On another subject,  with the wedge snow plows  and rotarys is the line of sight very limited??   The current issue  mag.  does mention any  limits of sight such as any obstruction which could derail the plow.  Just curious.

                                                  Cannonball

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, November 6, 2011 7:43 AM

....Suprise....I didn't expect to see it sitting there this morning.  But again, a nice site.

Is this a special run being done each weekend....and for what exact destination, and how long will this be occurring....?

And another surprise, all the cars {vehicles}, in the parking lot.

Wow.....!  Back to the cam and it was gone....8:44

Quentin

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ottawa, On. Canada
  • 21 posts
Posted by mittelfruh1 on Sunday, November 6, 2011 7:10 AM

Crap, just missed it pulling in. It backed in by the way.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ottawa, On. Canada
  • 21 posts
Posted by mittelfruh1 on Sunday, November 6, 2011 6:54 AM

A fair amount of cars in the parking lot for a Sunday. I see a few people milling around near the tracks. Might the pass. special be returning soon?

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, November 5, 2011 7:46 PM

It just pulled out {west}, 8:44 pm.  What a nice site.  Domes lit and passenger car windows showed light inside. 

Anyone know what or where it's headed.

It's sad we don't have this method of travel in our country anymore...except the skeleton network of Amtrak.  And as usual, The House of Representives has put out the chopping block for funding that system again....I don't see how Amtrak can plan for new equipment....more service....routes....etc.  Plan even to keep any of the system running.

I don't understand why they haven't just throwed in the towel long ago.

Quentin

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ottawa, On. Canada
  • 21 posts
Posted by mittelfruh1 on Saturday, November 5, 2011 7:26 PM

OK, for those interested, 2 P42s just backed up onto the line of coaches. Guess they're getting ready to depart. Cheers.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ottawa, On. Canada
  • 21 posts
Posted by mittelfruh1 on Saturday, November 5, 2011 6:45 PM

What's with the passenger train parked as I type. There are a lot of people entraining and detraining at this moment? A special of some sort? Departure time anyone?

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, November 5, 2011 3:34 PM

Yeah, the farthest one... it does look somewhat like a "Utility" truck of some sort, but whether RR related or not, I can't tell.  I have used the "Magnfier" program to look at that area up to 500%, but it has not helped a whole lot.  As the lighting has changed during the day it has morphed into various vehicles for me.  From a 2 door coupe of some sort facing away from the rails to a large truck facing toward the rails.  I still think the and toward the rails is considerable lower than the other end.  I can't stay on line for any continous time but I am checking peridodically in hopes of seing someone drive (or tow) it away.  Maybe then I could see what it really is!

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Saturday, November 5, 2011 3:09 PM

You're talking about the farthest truck parked at an angle, or that one parked in back-first a few spaces closer?  I thought I saw high-rail gear on the far one from an earlier snapshot.  At least the peg sticking up indicates it is a high-rail truck.

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, November 5, 2011 12:39 PM

The truck I meant is still there.. I just thought it was yellow because my screen was tipped slightly and colors change depending on the angle.  It is not as white as the little topper pickup, but it is not as yellow as I initially thought.  I am not sure it is a high-rail truck, and I still think the front end looks squished.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Saturday, November 5, 2011 12:19 PM

The yellow pickup seems to have already left.  The white high rail truck parked afar for some reason didn't pull into a specific space.

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, November 5, 2011 12:04 PM

Yeah, I see the orange cones and yellow tape, but I have not seen any trains that I would associate with them.  Lots of light engine moves to the west on that track, though.

I also noticed that the whit pickup with the low topper had gone away last week, but now it is back.

And what is with that yellow pickup at the far end of the parking lot.  Is it missing the front wheels or did something real heavy fall on the hood? (It looks squished!)

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Saturday, November 5, 2011 11:39 AM

The stuff is set up again today, though I see no passenger train.  Did it already depart, or will it be coming and going soon?  How long will these trains be running?  Even Roanoke seems to have lost a significant amount of foliage.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 2:10 PM

Why are a bunch of Coca Cola trucks all lined up, blocking traffic?  You can see them on the VMT cam...link:

EDIT- it seems to have been an accident there.  At least 1 firetruck showed up, and other unknown emergency vehicles.  I don't see any spilled Coke bottles that people are scrambling to gather, so it must not have involved any of the Coke trucks.  The delay on the live feed is really noticeable compared with the VMT cam, a good 30 secs.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 10:04 AM

I caught the train, and it appeared to be backing into the yard. it sure seemed long for a passenger train.  Led me to believe it was a fall excursion. I think having three locomotives up front was primarily to produce hotel power for all those cars.

Norm


  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Monday, October 31, 2011 5:10 PM

Train number, no, but I see the lead loco is numbered 93, and the second loco is 136, and the third is 148, all Amtrak locos, running in AAB formation.  Maybe this can help.  I also saw a large number of buses running that day.

  • Member since
    October 2011
  • 1 posts
Posted by bingozone on Sunday, October 30, 2011 12:35 PM

does anyone know what the amtrak train number is that left yesterday?

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, October 29, 2011 7:14 PM

It certainly represented it's heritage well.   Took many photographs of it back in the 80's as it visited Muncie, In.

Have a series of shots I took of it leaving Munice on the Frankton line, west...with a consist of perhaps 20 or so passenger cars.  I was on an overhead bridge and watched it approach at a pretty good speed, and got a series of photos of it as it came toward me.

It visited Muncie several times.

Quentin

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Saturday, October 29, 2011 3:15 PM

Newswire:

N&W 611 now “Spirit of Roanoke”

Published: October 28, 2011
ROANOKE, Va. – Norfolk & Western J-class 4-8-4 has a new designation: “The Spirit of Roanoke.” The locomotive is displayed at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. Museum Executive Director Bev Fitzpatrick told Roanoke’s News7 television that 611 is worthy of a new name. “We’re now talking about it as the one thing that embodies the rail history of Roanoke better than anything else,” Fitzpatrick said. “When you think about the fact it was not only built here, but plied these rails up and down from Cincinnati and Columbus to Norfolk and back hardly ever stopping for maintenance because they had just engineered it so well, it’s an icon," Fitzpatrick said.

The museum has plans to move the 611 in the next six months. ?Its new home will be the third track under the museum pavilion, a location that will offer a better view of the locomotive.

No. 611 was built at N&W’s Roanoke Shops in 1950. Fifty-two years ago this week, on Oct. 24, 1959, it made its last regular service run, pulling a round trip excursion from Roanoke to Williamson, W.Va. It returned to service in 1982 as part of Norfolk Southern’s steam program, and was retired a second time in 1994.

 

 

-------

-I wonder if this will be coming down one of the tracks coming into Roanoke, and, if we'll get to see it on the camera.  Keep watching for this one in the future.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: appelton wisconsin
  • 104 posts
Posted by Jjohnieray on Saturday, October 29, 2011 2:09 PM

It has left at 2.04 cst.Long train

 

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Saturday, October 29, 2011 1:47 PM

No idea.  Maybe so many cars have power requirements that the additional locos must generate.  The train seems to have pretty much boarded.  That cone on the left keeps blowing over, but it does not look very windy there.

EDIT-The train just finished leaving after 3 PM.  Winds have picked up feavily there and were even jiggling the camera.  Any guys from this forum on that train?  I noticed a few people waving and dancing for the camera.  No, I don't think they're going to get on So You Think You Can dance...

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, October 29, 2011 12:26 PM

Thanks for the heads-up... nice to get the subsribed to a topic e-mail in this instance!

Now a question... I had trouble counting the cars (wish I had recorded the move) so I can only estimate that there are about 30 passenger cars.  Anybody get an accurate count?  EDIT: Oops, I see co2726ehp got a count and posted before I got done typing.

Now another question... Why are there 3 AMTRAK engines on the point?  I thought passenger cars would be lots lighter than freight cars and I see many freight trains of 50 to 100 cars with only 2 engines.  Are the passenger cars all that much heavier, or the AMtRAK engines all that much weaker or is the railroad demanding triple redundancy because they don't want a stupid old passenger train to breakdown on the line and tie up traffic?

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • 10 posts
Posted by co2716ehp on Saturday, October 29, 2011 12:24 PM

3 engines & 25 cars, four of them domes. It's the trip from Spencer N.C.  Will be running to Toccoa, Ga tomorrow.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy