WMNB4THRTLI'm going back over some aspects about air brakes. I've seen where a rule says, "Bottling or canning of air is prohibited." Just what is that and why is it prohibited?
Basically this is an attempt to keep the trainline charged without a source of air (yard air or locomotive) by turning the anglecocks at both ends of a cut of cars with air still in the system. It was done on some occasions to reduce the amount of time consumed in pumping up the air. If it's being done to keep the brakes released, it's just not safe. And if you want brakes applied, just allow the air to "dump" when the hoses separate.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
I hope Ray is okay--it's been pretty cold out in South Dakota, and I haven't seen any recent updates to "What happened today in Railroad History".
It's cold here, too--shortly we're venturing out for the first time since Sunday. It was down near zero this morning, and should go below zero tonight. They're predicting a warmup by the weekend, but it comes with a flaky price on its head.
So, I stay indoors and get some research done...except that I came across some challenging old (2007) sightings today involving former Soo Line aluminum covered hopper cars and at least four of the cars' subsequent operators. It's taken all morning just to get as much as I can done. I'll be checking another source for more information but until that comes, I'll just move on.
Plans are afoot for a vacation trip in early April. It involves a quilters' convention in Cincinnati (motel by the tracks already reserved!), and will be extended to visit, among other places, Roanoke (museums) and Clifton Forge (C&O Historical Society archives--one of my books may be reissued!). There's a coverlet museum in Pennsylvania that is strategically positioned between Clifton Forge and Altoona...and since Altoona to Chicago in one day is pushing it, we might spend a night in the Toledo-Fostoria area. I think a good, healthy retirement is tailor-made for trips like this!
A backwards approach to answering your question:
Accepted (or should I say "required" procedure for breaking away from a standing cut of cars is to close the anglecock on the last car before the break, but not on the car you're breaking away from. When the hoses part, all of the air is dumped from the trainline in the standing cars, replicating an emergency application from the locomotive, and fully applying the brakes on the standing cars.
Bottling the air means to close both the anglecock on the cars you're taking with you and on the standing cut. This means that if the engineer had made a 20 pound reduction in the train line, the standing cars would still have that 70 pounds instead of zero in their train line.
This can cause a problem if the air leaks off just so (backwards from a car's brakes into the trainline), as the brakes will release - possibly not a good thing, especially if the crew was depending on that 20 pound set to hold the cars (instead of doing what they should do - set handbrakes).
An emergency application is somewhat less likely to release that way, and since the trainline is open to the atmosphere, there's no way the pressure can increase in it.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Carl, if you don't mind my asking, how did a former CNW/UP man end up writing a book on the C&O?
James
I was a native of Michigan and a member of the C&OHS before I moved to Chicago. The C&O was a very fascinating railroad (and at one point in a lot better shape) compared to C&NW, and we traveled from one end of that line to the other at one time or another getting to know it. I curtailed my involvement with C&OHS due to "political" reasons, but want to stay involved with this book's reprinting, since my name's on it.
Cool, thanks!
Hi, me again. I've been watching the Rochelle webcam some but I can't for the life of me picture or figure out how on earth two tracks could cross like that??!! Anybody got a picture of such a spot, not necessarily there, and of course, an explanation would be great, too!!
Nance-CCABW/LEI
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown
I'm not sure what you can't visualize there, Nance. Each railroad has two tracks there, and the crossings make a fairly sharp angle.
Here's a down-on look at Rochelle, courtesy of Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=rochelle+illinois&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Rochelle,+IL&gl=us&ei=1Q5TTZGZJITGlQfVyIC-Cg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA
The camera is on top of the brown rectangular building just to the right of the crossing, and you are looking toward the left side of the picture. I hope this works, and helps!
Hhmmm, so the rails are 'broken,' or they 'stop' to let the other rails pass through them? Or...? I've never seen anything like this. The intersection itself is what I'm so puzzled by. How could rails come together at that angle and yet remain intact for use?
A crossing basically consists of four switch frogs, except that the angles are usually less acute. The gap in the rails at these frogs is only a couple of inches at most, just enough for the flanges on the opposing route to pass through. Perhaps someone can post a detail shot of a crossing diamond for you.
Great; thanks. That would be very helpful if anyone has a photo of that.
As I'm going back through everything, this is really 'bugging' me, too. Why is it that a diesel will handle differently every time you take her out. Like on an am run, it behaves or responds (or not) one way, but on the pm run, it's quite a lot different. I'm thinking humidity, engine fluids being cold, air temp., veh temp (sitting for 4 hours might not be like sitting overnight or a couple days), poss. even the rails being cold in the am but warming up in the sun? Are these viable ideas? I'm sure there are others.
WMNB4THRTL Great; thanks. That would be very helpful if anyone has a photo of that. [snip]
See these links for some photos (not mine):
http://www.centurygrp.com/Images/Interior/xings/custom/custom02-650.jpg
http://www.translationdirectory.com/glossaries/glossary256.php - under "Diamond", about 1/4 of the way down that page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_crossing , which specifically mentions the Rochelle Railroad Park diamonds/ frogs under discussion here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksuydam/2399255516/sizes/m/in/photostream/ - shot of Rochelle diamonds, before installation in 2008 ?
http://nwinrhs.com/photos/poty/2005/bnsfwagner_savanna_wales.jpg
- Paul North.
Fantastic, thanks guys!
Paul, any chance you caught my (?) re: measuring track gauge? I'm particularly interested in how tourist RR's do it. Thanks.
A frosty "good morning" from WI. I have a couple pictures from yesterday in Nee-haw (slang for Neenah) that don't quite merit their own thread. Don't worry-I'll use links instead of pictures to keep it simple.
Dan
WMNB4THRTL Fantastic, thanks guys! Paul, any chance you caught my (?) re: measuring track gauge? I'm particularly interested in how tourist RR's do it. Thanks.
This outfit (not an endorsement - just a handy source of the image) sells a guage to measure track guage. Pretty simple, and we have a wooden version from years ago hanging in our station.
The FRA also pays us a visit with their track analysis vehicle from time to time, and did, in fact, find a spot that was out-of-guage during a visit last year.
I recently got DSL after 20 years of dial-up, WOW, what a difference! Because of this development, I have been looking at Trackside with Trains and in vol. 152 "Overcast" I have a question. What type of car is the third car in Andy's photograph? The fourth car looks like a scale test car to me, but I can not quite make out what the third car is. Any help is appreciated.
There has to be a better way to make money.
I'm so sick of this crap.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
zugmann There has to be a better way to make money. I'm so sick of this crap.
Yeah. Unfortunately, folks tend to frown on armed robbery...
I had a long post typed this morning, ready to go, then I closed the computer without posting it!
First of all, has anyone heard anything from Paul North today? There was a natural-gas explosion in Allentown last night, and we sincerely hope he isn't profoundly affected by it.
Nance, the last of the diamond photos that Paul posted is probably the best to show how the tracks cross each other. It was taken in Savanna, Illinois, where the BNSF (two tracks) crosses the CP (DM&E). That marvelous top-down view is pretty easy to get there; it was taken from a bicycle-trail bridge. Getting the photograph may not have been all that easy, though, with the fencing on the bridge (but trust me--it's a good spot to view either railroad--we've been there!) And if you follow the BNSF south and east (up, in this shot), you'll eventually wind up at Rochelle.
James, that third car looks like a hopper for ore concentrate. I think that the shot was taken on the Ontario Northland, which used to have a few of these as well. It would be in the CN 346500-346700 series, built in 1973 or 1975. And yes, that's a scale test car behind it.
Dan, don't make me come up there! (Actually, I'd be delighted to see action like that sometime).
Today was our first venture out of town since before the blizzard over a week ago. Our objective: babysitting for two of our grandchildren. It went well, even the moment where Emily announced "We'll do it my way!" (She reminds me more and more of my sister!) Temperatures this morning weren't as bad as what Larry and Joe were talking about, but we didn't get above zero until late in the morning.
Thanks, Carl. Thankfully, Paul is fine. I spoke to him on here a bit ago. Glad your day went well.
CShaveRR First of all, has anyone heard anything from Paul North today? There was a natural-gas explosion in Allentown last night, and we sincerely hope he isn't profoundly affected by it.
I'll echo that sentiment. Calling PDN!
CShaveRR Dan, don't make me come up there! (Actually, I'd be delighted to see action like that sometime).
He posted in the ethanol thread earlier today.. so all must be all right.
Hi, everyone -
Thanks for your concern about that explosion in Allentown, as several of you were kind enough to ask about. We're fine - it's just that I was out at an all-day stormwater management training/ seminar, so what with the travel had to leave pretty early and didn't get back until late, without computer the whole time. The site - 13th & Allen Sts. - is about 4 miles from my home, and about as far from the office. That's within a block of where the old West End Branch of the Lehigh Valley RR used to be, until it was torn out in the mid-1980's. However, last night at about 6 PM we were nearby on 12th St. on the way downtown for a dinner presentation* at a local microbrew pub - the Allentown Brew Works - and about 8:30 PM came back on 15th St., so we fortunately missed the tragedy by about 2-1/4 hrs. Sadly, the news tonight is that a total of 5 people were killed - an elderly retired couple and 3 members of different generations from the neighboring house, so kindly keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
The response by the Allentown Fire Dept. was total - every single firefighter was called in, and surrounding stations moved in to cover under the "mutual aid" pacts. Just as notable was the evacuation of several hundred elderly residents from a nearby high-rise apartment building - which had its own gas explosion from a construction crew mishap about 17 years ago - which I understand went very smoothly, esp. for late at night in sub-freezing weather. They were taken to one of the display halls at the nearby Allentown Fairgrounds - the "Spring Thaw" train meet show and sale will be there in 2 weeks.
*OK, since this is the Lounge: The presentation was by Rich Fegley, one of the family that owns and operates the place as well as the Bethlehem Brew Works. It was on how the ABW has made its operations more "sustainable" or "green", most notably by having the used brewing grain fed to beef cattle at a local farm, which then sells ground beef back to the ABW for hamburgers, as well as many other steps. I had the "Steelgaarden Wit", a lighter wheat beer. We always recommend the place.
Take care, and thanks again.
So glad you're all right, Paul!
Want to come out this way and manage our stormwater? All of our snow is probably going to melt within the next few days. After my chore with the Historical Society this morning, I'm going to have to get out there and open our drains.
One of these years, we'll get out to Allentown and visit the Brew Works (hopefully with you in attendance). I won't try the beer, but definitely will do a burger!
Our temperature this morning is already in the teens--maybe I will leave a little early for my LHS chore and wander trackside. It's been too long since I've gotten any useful sightings.
CN 2141, 2144, and 2155 may be heading towards you Carl. Those are all ex-BNSF C40-8Ws that CN acquired for around $100k. CN 2104 and 2125 may also be around too...ex-CNW.
Thanks, Carl. Paul, glad to hear you're alright.
Evening folks...we're nearing being above freezing for the first time in 42 days! WOO HOO! I also got some new shots posted on my Flickr page. Not quite worthy of an entire 'story' but each has a caption if you desire. I'll just link to my page since it's late and I'm pretty tired for now.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danbraun/
Whoa...you caught the E units yesterday?
My trip out yesterday was not very productive--I was trackside for about 20 minutes, 15 of which were in the pharmacy. Said pharmacy is apparently very well soundproofed, because I missed at least two trains while I was inside (the new signals told me so!). The only train I saw was a scoot. Our trip out today will not be near the tracks, unfortunately.
Well...no. But I did find the pictures I took of them from August 2010 when they were tucked into Q198 coming south. I thought I'd misplaced them. Clearly they were 'grab' shots because of the angle but heck, I'll take 'em!
I just finished watching the 11:00 News and I hear it would be a bad day to be a railroader around Lethbridge, AB. At Coalhurst they had straight winds of 105 kph (100 kph is about 60 mph). It was enough to blow roofs off of buildings. Coalhurst is just north and west of the Lethbridge Viaduct (315' high, 5320' long) The bridge runs almost due east/west and these winds were from the SW. Crossing that bridge WB when one of those gusts hit would be really hard on the nerves.
At the Waterton National Park gate they had winds of 141 kph (160 kph is about 100 mph). That would be south of the Crowsnest Pass line. Winds on that track generally cross the rail line at about Pincher. Actually, having to stop trains in that area due to wind isn't unheard of, but 141 kph is a bit much. I am anxiously awaiting more news in the morning.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
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