Trackside Lounge: 2Q 2010

[spokyone]

nanaimo73

Good news though, there is an article on the Florida operation in the September 2009 Trains, which actually has a picture of one of those cars in a rotary dumper. It looks like the cars are only rotated 45 degrees to dump. I think that "internal use only" refers to the friction bearings.

Thanks for the research Dale. The article states that the sides are hinged at the top.  A 45 degree tip would work nicely. My pic shows the opposite side of the car. We also saw truck & trailers of similar construction. The truck box might have been 30 or 35' feet long and pulling a trailer of 45 or 53'. It was a long rig and no tandem axles.

[Deggesty]

mudchicken

Does anyone  else see the defective thinking in the North Dakota/Amtrak newswire story? (OK- I know the press has the collective IQ of a rock, but...)

The only place I can see for a bridge near Churchs Ferry is near Irvine Lake, on the branch that runs from Churchs Ferry to Rolla; why should Amtrak be interested in a bridge here? There is a bridge, [Edit: NOT] used by Amtrak [it is a highway bridge], across an arm of Devils Lake west of the town of Devils Lake.

I can understand ignorance of railroad operations, but ignorance of basic geography?

[CShaveRR]

Not too bad a day here. Caught a pair of UP Heritage units on separate runs. The 1995 (CNW) was being moved in preparation for pulling MPRCB this afternoon (not in the lead). And about noon today, UP 1983 (the WP unit) arrived as the second of two units on the point of an intermodal from the west coast for Global 2. I just happened to be looking out the window at the right time for it.

MC, I was just amazed at the whole article. You'd think it was the railroad's fault that Devils Lake is up so high. "We don't care if the track is impassable--run the trains anyway!"

[mudchicken]

CShaveRR

Not too bad a day here. Caught a pair of UP Heritage units on separate runs. The 1995 (CNW) was being moved in preparation for pulling MPRCB this afternoon (not in the lead). And about noon today, UP 1983 (the WP unit) arrived as the second of two units on the point of an intermodal from the west coast for Global 2. I just happened to be looking out the window at the right time for it.

 

MC, I was just amazed at the whole article. You'd think it was the railroad's fault that Devils Lake is up so high. "We don't care if the track is impassable--run the trains anyway!"

Top of the list of disfunctional statements: Whose railroad? BNSF is going "nobody here but us chickens"???

[The Butler]

CShaveRR

snip..

MC, I was just amazed at the whole article. You'd think it was the railroad's fault that Devils Lake is up so high. "We don't care if the track is impassable--run the trains anyway!"

Maybe, we can convince the Congress folks that if we install pontoons on the Amtrak trains, the trains can float across the lake. 

[CNW 6000]

Wasn't there a thread here recently about an instance where that almst happened?

[spokyone]

The Butler

 Maybe, we can convince the Congress folks that if we install pontoons on the Amtrak trains, the trains can float across the lake. 

If it's not too deep, just go for it.

[CShaveRR]

Too bad MILW 261 isn't available to handle the trains over this stretch. It could go through water that diesel locomotives can't. Of course, the railroad would be chagrined that its freight trains couldn't all get the same treatment.

Or, what about the trick that CP pulled when its main line in Wisconsin flooded?

[CShaveRR]

Can anyone else spot two serious errors in one of the articles in tonight's "Newswire"? One should jump right out; the other takes a little background knowledge.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

It's the Casey Jones item - 1900 to 2010 is 110 years, not 100 or a ''centennial''. But despite looking it over several times, I can't find the other error . . . ??? - Paul North.

[AgentKid]

mudchicken

Does anyone  else see the defective thinking in the North Dakota/Amtrak newswire story?

I will get back to that in a moment, but first I wanted to give a "Thank You" to Canadian Pacific 2816 for his excellent history thread.

I didn't mention it last weekend, but last Saturday was the 55th Anniversary of the inaugural run of the CPR's transcontinental train "The Canadian". Both my parents have talked about the first time they ever saw that train many times. I spoke to my mother on Sunday and I told her I could tell what she was doing about 55 years ago, and after I told her what it was, she retold the story again.

At the time my father was the Station Agent at Hatton, SK, on the mainline. It happened after work, not too long before sundown. My parents and the section man and his wife, and their kids, were standing in the open area between the station and the section house. The reflection of the sunshine from behind them off of the new stainless steel sides of that train above the newly green grass was truly a thing of beauty. The fact it was running close to the posted maximum speed of 80 MPH added to the effect. I was only just over 1 year old so I have no memory of it. My parents always lamented the way the service declined compared to what it looked like the first time they ever saw it. Nobody thought to take a picture.

 

Now to get back to this Devil's Lake ND foolishness. I was on the Provincial Executive of a political party in Alberta in the mid-nineties. I became so disillusioned with the thought processes of the politicians involved I no longer wanted to spend my valuable time volunteering with them. I must say though, that these ND politicians take the cake when it comes to seriously faulty thinking. When you have a lake that has no outlet and the water is continually rising, you don't sit around planning how to continue operating. You salvage what you can and head for higher ground. It sounds like they are trying to blame BNSF and Amtrak for Mother Natures activities. Until someone figures out how to drain that lake, there is no politician who can solve that problem. I was truly flabbergasted when I read that story.

I will now dismount my soapbox.

Bruce

 

[CShaveRR]

AgentKid

I will get back to that in a moment, but first I wanted to give a "Thank You" to Canadian Pacific 2816 for his excellent history thread.

Absolutely! He does us a great service here. I'd like to see an entire year of railroad history, both from Ray's source and from all of the additions and corrections that readers have made.

Paul, Sim Webb didn't write the ballad.

[CShaveRR]

I singlehandedly (it was the left hand) stopped a runaway locomotive this morning. The unit was at the top of the hump, shut down, unlinked, and just started moving on its own. Don't know what happened to the hand brake, or how it managed to stay poised on the grade for a half-hour or so. But it took about five seconds to insure that the loaded tank cars I was humping would be slowed down while I switched hump leads, grabbed the engine in the other master retarder, then switch back to the lead on which the ethanol cars were making their way down the hill. Nothing got away, no time was lost, and nobody can quite figure out how I pulled it off--they just know there might have been some nasty problems if I hadn't. Man, they're gonna miss me when I'm gone!

___________________

I don't understand it...in a few hours, more well-heeled Louisvillains (hill-williams?) will insert their dentures, and spend two or three minutes risking juleprosy while watching horses run around a muddy track, being beaten by their gaily-colored riders. They'll even say "Excuse me" after they've finished bourbon.

___________________

Some legends refuse to die. A co-worker informed me this morning that my car was doing a Janet Jackson impersonation.

___________________

And while I was on my way to get my headlight repaired (we can now go safely to a Carlo Curley organ concert tomorrow evening!), I was blocked by two stack trains (one in each direction) at Elmhurst. Saw a young family pointing out the train to their stroller-bound pride and joy, who didn't even flinch when the second train blew by (that refers to both speed and horn). ___________________

Mayday! Sarcastics Awareness Month!

[locomutt]

CShaveRR

Mayday! Sarcastics Awareness Month!

CShaveRR

I don't understand it...in a few hours, more well-heeled Louisvillains (hill-williams?) will insert their dentures, and spend two or three minutes risking juleprosy while watching horses run around a muddy track, being beaten by their gaily-colored riders. They'll even say "Excuse me" after they've finished bourbon.

Well, All Sarcasim aside, you don't have to use the "Higher Form of "Hillbilies"; We are American-Appalachian People. And 75 percent of the people that come to, and watch the Derby

aren't from here; we have a Much More Diverse following; such as Movie Stars that have No Idea Where Kentucky is, and usually have "Face Lifts" in Lieu of Dentures. And if you are lucky, they will say "Excuse Me", instead of saying "My People and Your People Should Do Lunch, or, "I'm Not Going To Sue You"!

[CShaveRR]

locomutt

CShaveRR

Mayday! Sarcastics Awareness Month!

CShaveRR

I don't understand it...in a few hours, more well-heeled Louisvillains (hill-williams?) will insert their dentures, and spend two or three minutes risking juleprosy while watching horses run around a muddy track, being beaten by their gaily-colored riders. They'll even say "Excuse me" after they've finished bourbon.

Well, All Sarcasim aside, you don't have to use the "Higher Form of "Hillbilies"; We are American-Appalachian People. And 75 percent of the people that come to, and watch the Derby

aren't from here; we have a Much More Diverse following; such as Movie Stars that have No Idea Where Kentucky is, and usually have "Face Lifts" in Lieu of Dentures. And if you are lucky, they will say "Excuse Me", instead of saying "My People and Your People Should Do Lunch, or, "I'm Not Going To Sue You"!

All of which makes it even more ludicrous. Is it true that the losers are turned into Belmont Steaks?

[locomutt]

CShaveRR

locomutt

CShaveRR

Mayday! Sarcastics Awareness Month!

CShaveRR

I don't understand it...in a few hours, more well-heeled Louisvillains (hill-williams?) will insert their dentures, and spend two or three minutes risking juleprosy while watching horses run around a muddy track, being beaten by their gaily-colored riders. They'll even say "Excuse me" after they've finished bourbon.

Well, All Sarcasim aside, you don't have to use the "Higher Form of "Hillbilies"; We are American-Appalachian People. And 75 percent of the people that come to, and watch the Derby

aren't from here; we have a Much More Diverse following; such as Movie Stars that have No Idea Where Kentucky is, and usually have "Face Lifts" in Lieu of Dentures. And if you are lucky, they will say "Excuse Me", instead of saying "My People and Your People Should Do Lunch, or, "I'm Not Going To Sue You"!

All of which makes it even more ludicrous. Is it true that the losers are turned into Belmont Steaks?

NOPE!! Most of them wind up in the Chicago Area as Losers.

(Belmont Steaks are Too Tough)

[CShaveRR]

Today didn't have nearly as much excitement. Instead of singlehandedly stopping a runaway locomotive, I spotted a missing car 50 cars away in a hump shove. It was at the beginning of our hump list, but didn't show up until after Line 49. No, I didn't use binoculars, and don't require glasses.

We went to an organ concert at a Lutheran church in Lockport this evening. The featured organist was Carlo Curley, possibly a well-known name in the area of solo organ recitals, church organ inaugurations, and the like. A bit more of an entertainer than a concert organist, and although Pat and I would have preferred the latter, we were definitely entertained. On the way to the concert we discovered a restaurant and entertainment center in Lockport, which had a great view of the CN (nee-Alton) main line through town (and route of the St. Louis-bound Amtrak trains), and a more distant and partially-obstructed view of the ex-ATSF Transcon (that's where the action was this evening). The food was plentiful and good, but we're happy we got out of there before the more raucous entertainment for the evening arrived (our entertainment was the end of the game in which the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks--losers, indeed!).

Pat spent much of the afternoon at the Arts and Crafts fair held in connection with Lombard's Lilac Festival. She was peopling the booth for the Lombard Historical Society, and was available for signing the book that she helped write on behalf of the LHS (concerning the first fifty years of Lilac Time in Lombard). This is the 80th annual festival. And this year's Lilac Queen is a young lady we've known since she was about three. I used to carry her around a bit at that early age, and went on bike rides with her and her parents when she was growing up. It's strange getting hugged by royalty now--she's several inches taller than both Pat and me.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

I'm not gonna touch a lot of the remarks here - but Carl, your pun and malapropism-filled description of the Derby is a minor classic - thanks !

And - congrats on the good stop of the 'roll-away' loco !   Neither a shortstop, a defensive back, nor a goalie could have done it as well.  By the way - any word on the likely cause ?  It sure seems to me to be a case of parking it 'on air', which then leaked off after several hours - hence the rule about applying handbrakes.  I suppose it could also be that a handbrake could have been applied, but just loosely enough to allow the unit to very slowly creep unnoticed down over that 'slippery slope' until it got to the 'point of no return', where the grade got progressively steeper and the gravity pull downwards became more than just trivially greater than the brake's holding force . . . just glad that it turned out well with no damage or injuries, except maybe to someone's ego [and paycheck for a few days . . . ]

Finally - whatever happened to the wandering gondola with the concete crossing panels on board - 30517 if I recall correctly, and that string of multi-level auto-racks for scrapping in St. Louis ?  Have't seen much about any of them here for 2 or 3 weeks or so.  Someone finally wake up ?

- Paul North. 

[CShaveRR]

No word on the cause of the runaway, nor is there likely to be. Just another thing to add to the legends--good and bad--of my life at Proviso. Fortunately, it's been mostly good in the UP era. Whoever didn't properly tie the engine down was gone by the time the incident occurred, and it couldn't be narrowed down any further than the crew.

________________

Funny you should mention UP 30517, Paul! I "looked in" on the car today, and it shows being at Creston since April 29. Might have to go out and check it in person sometime. As for the racks, they've gone, and I haven't seen them for a while. We had one today that we sent to the BRC, but I can't tell whether it's one of the old bunch or not.

________________

And in another "Has the world ended?" incident, I can now give a shout-out to Fresno Eric (that's "EricSP" on the Forum): We humped ARMN 111111 today; first time I've seen the car. I guess it was at Rochelle, and came east so we could send it west. We'll probably send it to North Platte sometime tomorrow (it didn't make this afternoon's train), but I don't know which fork in the road it will take once it gets to Granger.

________________

Finally took a guided, narrated tour of Lilacia Park, after nearly 40 years of living in the Lombard area. The tour guide was a kindly silver-haired lady named Pat . She related lots of local history, pointed out interesting features of the park and the plants, and even paused while UP sent two trains (eastbound manifest, westbound stacker) past the park simultaneously (two other trains showed up just before and after the tour). Yesterday's tour was a trial run for her; her first real one was today (it went well, she says), and she has about six more scheduled during the upcoming week and a half of the Lilac Festival.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Thanks for the updates on those items, Carl.  It'll be interesting to see what's up with gon 30517 and those crossing panels . . .

And ARMN 111111 - the ''Six Aces'' ?  Reminds me of a line from an old Western comedy movie during a card-playing scene in a saloon or on a riverboat, etc. - ''5 Aces ?  That's a lotta Aces !!''  -

- Paul North.  

[CShaveRR]

Some of those crossing panels may find their way to the grade crossing nearest our house, which is scheduled to be closed for repairs next week. Nice timing--this is also the grade crossing nearest to Lilacia Park, and next week is the peak of the Lilac Festival! It should be done in time to serve as part of the detour route around Sunday's parade.

Thanks also, Paul, for your compliments on my reaction to social behavior south of the Ohio. I know it's a big event nationwide, and I would have welcomed holiday pay for working on that day. I shouldn't complain--I probably came out ahead of nearly everyone else at work because I made no effort to wager anything. And your complimentary thoughts were not shared by everyone, I'm afraid--some of the natives became restless, as attested to by the blue words shared in the Lounge here. I won't go so far as to call it all foolishness, because I understand that some interesting train movements were direct consequences of the event.

[nanaimo73]

CShaveRR

Thanks also, Paul, for your compliments on my reaction to social behavior south of the Ohio.

Hey Carl, are you a Hatfield or a McCoy?

Anyhow, you and Walt both seem like pretty good people. I think both of you make this forum better. One question I would like to ask though, out of curiosity, could you tell me the last time you watched a Blackhawk game (if ever)?

And a rail related question, do you see more CSX or NS trains coming to your yard for interchange?

[CShaveRR]

Dale, I was just the fly on the wall for that one!

Dale, I'm real, so I must be a ...

Dale, I try to stay north of that river, remember?

Take your pick...

(No feud, really--I'd rather be left alone. But sometimes buttons get pushed...)

_________________

I don't really follow hockey, so I've never seen or watched a full game. It looks too violent for me, from the news clips. During high school, however, my elder daughter was a big hockey fan, to the point that she (1) spoke French with a Canadian accent, due to an encounter with guys from a hockey camp which was at the same time as her band camp, and (2) became the second person in the history of the school to send a puck through a supposedly unbreakable gym window (the first person to do it was the guy who taught her the slap shot).

I suspect, though, Dale, that you and I are probably rooting for opposing teams at the present time.

_________________

As to interchange quantities, that information is (ahem!) classified. I will say that we make more classifications for CSX (5) than we do for NS (2), and we run more through trains with them as well. But volumes out of our bowl seem to be about equal.

[tree68]

CShaveRR

I suspect, though, Dale, that you and I are probably rooting for opposing teams at the present time.

Go Redwings!  (Or did they get eliminated?   Shows how close I follow hockey.)

Actually, I live in hockey country - our high school has a hockey team (and has for years), we've got an "A" minor league team coming into the area, and I'm 20 minutes from the Canadian border (Eh?).  And, when it comes to college hockey, both St Lawrence and SUNY Canton are regular contenders on the national "rink".

As I was leaving the a mall last night enroute to daughter's house for grandson's birthday, I just missed an eastbound stack train, little knowing that on its markers was what appeared to be a track geometry car.  Couldn't get a picture or any ID information, aside from it being a CSX item.

[nanaimo73]

CShaveRR

As to interchange quantities, that information is (ahem!) classified. I will say that we make more classifications for CSX (5) than we do for NS (2), and we run more through trains with them as well. But volumes out of our bowl seem to be about equal.

Okay. I was wondering more along the lines of how (where) it is done, rather than how much. Do you guys usually go to their yard, or do they come to yours, or do you meet at Clearing? In that respect, is interchange with CSX and NS handled in about the same way?

I don't really follow hockey, so I've never seen or watched a full game. It looks too violent for me, from the news clips.

An odd thing about NHL hockey is that fighting is almost nonexistent in the Playoffs. That might change when Pittsburgh and Boston go at it next week.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

When we toured Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY in August 1995 as part of our daughter's ''college choice tour'', I was astounded at the quality and amenities of their hockey rink.  I believed then and now that Clarkson's rink was better appointed than the Spectrum that the Philadelphia Flyers - a/k/a ''Broad Street Bullies'' - were playing in at the time. 

I'm not a particular fan of horse racing, nor is my wife.  But after a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs and then the stables in the Lexington area in June 1994 - all of which was planned and organized by the same daughter - we gained a new understanding of the horses, jockeys, trainers, and the industry.  Not all of it is positive, but to be able to sit in a mock-up of a jockey's saddle on a replica horse in the museum gives you a whole different understanding of what they face - much the same as riding on the cab of a locomotive gives you a new appreciation for that experience.  And they're such little guys - like less than half my weight - on such big and fast-moving horses, who are the true athletes there, by the way - without a lot of personal protective equipment if anything goes wrong.  We now realize that there are days when the sometimes tempermental horse just wants to run, and there are some days when it doesn't - and you just have to accept that. 

By the way, some of those horses live in stables that are nicer than most of our houses - huge estate 'farms', barns or stables with varnished and polished hardwood floors, dark woodwork and paneling, brass lights and hardware, sophisticated ventilation and security systems, a large staff to prepare food and care for them, excellent medical care, and certain other perks for the stallions . . .

- Paul North. 

[CShaveRR]

Dale, we build trains for NS and take them to their Ashland Avenue Yard. Their trains from Elkhart come straight into our yard. We also have run-throughs between North Platte and Elkhart. And I almost forgot about the Triple Crown train that goes from Fort Wayne to the Twin Cities and back, NS power (usually) and all.

We build several blocks for CSX that are taken by us to Barr Yard for assembly into their trains. I'm not sure where their run-through train for Proviso originates--Willard, perhaps. In addition, I think there are manifests that run between North Platte and Willard, the "Express Lane" train daily between North Platte and Selkirk, and two weekly perishable trains from Delfar, California, to Selkirk (with connections to and from Wallula, Washington).

[CShaveRR]

My relief received a late call today, so the second shift was privileged to enjoy my services for a while this afternoon.

In a possibly-related development, UP increased its quarterly dividend by six cents per share (22%) today.

___________________

Our condolences to the crews and friends of Union Pacific's steam program--Engineman Lynn Nystrom passed away suddenly last night at his home. ___________________

I was surprised to see a UP "customer special" go through our yard this morning. It was en route from Butler (Milwaukee) to Dupo, Illinois (in the St. Louis area), going through Illinois via the ex-Alton route currently used by Amtrak. Sole power on this train was UP 1995, the C&NW Heritage Unit.

Sometimes it's absolutely amazing to listen to newer railroaders who have no concept of what a passenger train is:

"The big car with the bubble on top" (dome car).

"Can any engine pull passenger cars, or do they need a Metra engine?" (That was an SD70M pulling it this time!)

And, worst of all...

"How come they haven't repainted that old CNW engine yet?"

[tree68]

Carl - you'd be surprised at how many "first time" riders we get on the Adirondack, young and old.  That, and those who ask, occasionally sheepishly, if we burn coal in the locomotives.

On that note, even if we were using steam locomotives, the law only recently expired that required steamers in the Adirondacks to be oil fired.  There may have been some times of the year when coal burners were acceptable, but for many years, the Adirondacks were very nearly the sole bastion of oil burners on the NYC.

The reason, of course, was forest fires, of which a number were blamed on the railroads.

[nanaimo73]

CShaveRR

Dale, we build trains for NS and take them to their Ashland Avenue Yard. Their trains from Elkhart come straight into our yard. We also have run-throughs between North Platte and Elkhart. And I almost forgot about the Triple Crown train that goes from Fort Wayne to the Twin Cities and back, NS power (usually) and all.

We build several blocks for CSX that are taken by us to Barr Yard for assembly into their trains. I'm not sure where their run-through train for Proviso originates--Willard, perhaps. In addition, I think there are manifests that run between North Platte and Willard, the "Express Lane" train daily between North Platte and Selkirk, and two weekly perishable trains from Delfar, California, to Selkirk (with connections to and from Wallula, Washington).

Thanks Carl. I find that kind of stuff intriguing.

I'd love to see a schematic Map of the Month in Trains showing all of the interchange in the Chicago area, with all of the volumes listed. But those numbers aren't available to the public, are they?

Maybe someday Andy Cummings will be the Editor.