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Trackside Lounge: 1Q 2011

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, January 6, 2011 4:51 PM

That is sad news, Chris.  I'd met him a couple of times, and he was a guest speaker at a C&O Historical Society convention many years ago.  He had a wacky sense of humor--his slide show at that convention ended with a sequence showing his VW beetle driving toward him, opening its trunk, and devouring him!  I told him about seeing a box car with "Jim Boyd goes to Fotomat" chalked on the side.  His only response:  "Shhhh!"  His knowledge of just about everything railroad, especially EMD and the Midwest, will be missed.  But I'll always smile when I think of him.

Carl

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, January 7, 2011 1:28 PM

And today, we received the news of the passing of yet another railroad publishing icon:  Robert G. Lewis, past editor and publisher of Railway Age Magazine.  I own two of his books:  Handbook of American Railroads (second edition, written in 1956, obtained by me in 1958, and very well-worn!) and Off the Beaten Track, a recent collection of some pretty amazing photographs taken by him, shown in order of the railroad's names...pick a railroad, any railroad, big or small.  He was a railfan before Jim Boyd was even born!

I met Mr. Lewis once, at a trade show in Chicago.  Diminutive in stature, he was as sharp as a tack and much more spry than the younger folks around him.  When Off the Beaten Track was published, he was still doing daily head-stands in his eighties!

Carl

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, January 8, 2011 11:00 AM

Oh, Carl, that is such a shame and so sad. It is hard to lose such great talent, especially so close together. My sympathy to all who knew both men.

Not anything exciting here in the weather department, so I'll move on to my question. What does DPU mean and what is it? I think it stands for Distributed Power then is it Unit? I know this is a very 'basic' question (sorry). I'm new, but eager to learn. Thanks in advance and make it a safe weekend.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Saturday, January 8, 2011 1:26 PM

WMNB4THRTL

Not anything exciting here in the weather department, so I'll move on to my question. What does DPU mean and what is it? I think it stands for Distributed Power then is it Unit? I know this is a very 'basic' question (sorry). I'm new, but eager to learn. Thanks in advance and make it a safe weekend.

You're correct.  Distributed Power Unit.  Tomorrow morning I should be able to get around 3 or so hours trackside in Nee-haw.  Hopefully...I can see something.  In the last day (too dark for pictures) I've seen:
-3 BCOL C40-8Ms (red/white/blue),
-two of CN's ex-UP, nee-CNW C40-8's (one of which had the "15 Year" logo),
-the first ex-BNSF C40-8W in CN paint - CN 2141.

Here's hoping tomorrow is a productive day!

Dan

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, January 8, 2011 1:34 PM

Great; thanks! Only thing is though, I don't know what that means. Can anyone pls explain it to me? Thanks again.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, January 8, 2011 1:56 PM

You probably don't see these too much yet on the Water Level Route, but DP Units (that's how I like to refer to them) allow the motive power to be distributed through the train, instead of all of the units being concentrated at the front.  Most often you'll see a unit or two at the rear of the train, but recently there have been many instances of the power being somewhere mid-train, usually toward the rear.

The units usually do the same thing at the same time as the lead units, as they're connected to each other electronically (radio), but they can also be programmed to do something differently at times when that would be advantageous.  Use of DP Units has permitted trains to become longer while still maintaining control.  Because brakes are being applied from two (or three) points along the consist, a brake application travels through the train faster.   Anything beyond this brief overview should probably come from some of our engineers who are qualified to operate these units.

Carl

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, January 8, 2011 4:39 PM

Great info; thanks, Carl!! Now I understand, at least mostly. The only thing I'm not quite getting is how they are "connected to each other electronically (radio)?" What does this part mean? Thanks.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, January 8, 2011 5:54 PM

For a simplistic explanation of DPU, think of remote control.  As in RC air planes or RC cars, except we don't have to steer. The trailing consist(s) can be operated in sync with the lead control, or sperately. 

In synch mode, the DPU(s) will do whatever the lead engine does.  Go up a notch on the throttle on the leader, the DPU(s) will also go up a notch.  Go from power into dynamic braking on the head end,  DPU(s) will do the same, and so on.

In operating the DPU(s) separately, called putting up the "fence," you control the DPU(s) by using the buttons on the computer screen/control box.  You can change throttle or dynamic brake settings on the DPU(s) independent of what the lead engine is doing.  You could even have the head end in dynamics while the DPU(s) are in power. 

A DP train will have one lead controlling consist and up to 4 trailing DP consists, that why I used (s) so often.  All the trains I've had so far have only had one trailing DP consist.  Mostly on the rear, but a few where it was cut into the train.

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, January 8, 2011 6:49 PM

I just wanted to offer my condolences and prayers for those killed and injured in the mass shooting in Arizona today. This is clearly not how the democratic process is supposed to work.

I had been an active participant in the political process here for 15 years at all three levels of government. This has really shook me up. In the offices where I worked we had policies in place to deal with "unhappy" constituents, but the reality was there really is no good defense against something like this if you want to have an open democratic process.

Let us hope for a speedy recovery for all those injured.

Bruce

 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, January 8, 2011 8:39 PM

Yes, It was a shock.  Only yesterday we were listening to the news in which border patrols were worried about Mexican-style violence coming into the United States.  This may have had nothing to do with that, but the timing was a sad punctuation.  I understand that a suspect is being held?

_________________

WMNB4THRTL, When I said "electronically" in the DPU explanation, I basically meant that the units have no cables running through the train to connect them--it's done by radio.

__________________

Tomorrow we're heading out for a quick trip into Missouri--Pat's brother's father-in-law passed away suddenly, and we're the only people from Pat's brother's extended family who can go down and attend the viewing and funeral.  We're going to be covering the ground more quickly than we did on our trip down there last fall, so I don't expect to be able to go train-hunting.  Still, we'll be ready if trains should happen to come within sighting range.

Carl

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Sunday, January 9, 2011 11:15 PM

It was a good, albeit long, day trackside today.  I was able to get out starting around 7:30 this morning for two and a half hours during which I "only" saw 4 trains + the yard switcher.  Then a couple more this afternoon yielded some nice surprises:
-1st northbound DPUs I've seen (on Q199 no less),
-North Shore Mining SD40-3 & Northwood (Canadian company?) Genset,
-a few more BCOL C40-8Ms (or EF-640s to some Smile, Wink & Grin)
-my 'total' roster shot count now stands at 976 units...closing in on the 1k mark.  It's proving difficult as repeat numbers are hard not to find now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danbraun/ if anyone's interested.

G'night!

Dan

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Monday, January 10, 2011 11:11 AM

Very nice shots, Dan. I took a look over on Flickr; thanks for sharing. 

Nothing interesting in the weather dept. here, which makes me happy. The most exciting thing today in my world is: the maintenance man is coming soon to replace my baseboard heaters. It's so nice of them to pick the coldest day to do so. Oh well, I'm sure I'll survive! Have a safe day.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Monday, January 10, 2011 12:28 PM

Thanks for the compliment.  I've got lucky with timing and light for a change...usually I get "Murph'd" (sorry Norris!)...as in "Murphy's Law"...on at least one photographic aspect.  I did manage to catch the northbound A49191-10 this morning but missed the next three southbounds...oops.

Anyone with technical knowledge feel free to jump in here:
On A491 I saw a large string of empty centerbeam cars.  As the cars went around a minor bend in the rail the wheels on the outside truck actually lifted off the rails by what looked like 4-6 inches...both axles in the same truck.  For references here (http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.01760,-88.53152&z=17&t=S) is the crossing where I saw this.  Having never seen a pair of wheels on a freight car "get air" like this...and it wasn't just the centerbeams doing it...is that "ok" or normal?

Dan

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, January 10, 2011 1:26 PM

Nice shots Dan.  Makes me want to get off my lazy rear and go find some trains... but it's too cold and cloudy, and I have to drive too far to see mainline action.  That's the worst part of working outside - when I'm off (the rare event), I just don't want to GO outside.

 

As far as wheels lifting up - that ain't supposed to happen.  I've never seen any trains catch air out here, and I wouldn't stand too close to any that were.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Monday, January 10, 2011 3:07 PM

Thanks Zug...I hear ya on the cold factor.  Do you think I should notify CN of the wheels lifting in the corner?

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, January 10, 2011 4:01 PM

Dan, I used to lift the wheels off the rail regularly with the retarders, but they'd settle back where they belonged...most of the time.  In the times that they actually went out of line with the rails, I'd hope that they were going slowly enough for the rerailers at the end of the retarder to work properly.


Couple of things about your sightings, though.  While it may be true that gravity should take over and plunk the airborne wheels back down on the rail (six inches isn't going to be enough to worry about the center of gravity on a car on which the load--or lack of load--is evenly distributed), there is little, if anything, keeping the opposite side from falling off and between the rails during that moment.  I'd say that the train in that spot is entirely at the mercy of the drawbar forces.  You'd probably get the most positive response by talking to a roadmaster-type.  This doesn't sound like a routine tamping problem.


Center-beam cars (empty ones, especially) are the ones that always worried me the most.  I had one instance where a cut of these cars that I was controlling hit some other cars standing on a curve.  I'd intentionally kept the coupling speed up somewhat, hoping that I could get those cars moving, and just praying that the joint would make.  It didn't, and one of those center-beams started leaning very precariously.  I had to set up the retarders quickly and stretch the slack--and when the car settled back, hope that the rail hadn't turned under the force of the impact.  But I was lucky--everything settled on the rail, and, although they had to be shoved down and tied onto the preceding cars (I made sure they did that, instead of just kicking them down the track), everything was all right...that time!

_________________


Currently we're in south-central Missouri, and the snow has begun to fall.  I'm hoping that we can follow the plows home tomorrow.  Willy tells me to expect 2-5 inches during this storm.  I feel especially vulnerable down here in the Ozark foothills, because state highways don't seem to rate guardrails between the edge of the road and the precipices.

Carl

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 7:24 PM

Dan, thanks for your call earlier this evening about the CN ore train.  As Pat said, I was negotiating rush-hour traffic on I-55 about then, during a Winter Weather Advisory.  We chased the storm home from Missouri, nipping a little too closely at its heels a couple of times (a stop for gas or a meal at times was all it would take to let the storm get ahead of us again).  We're home again, after having left Steelville at about 11:30 this morning.


I suspect that the ore train will probably pass through this area tonight sometime.  I hope Jim gets to see it and prove me wrong (I'd so enjoy hearing those ore cars hit the diamonds on our three-track line at West Chicago!).

Carl

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 6:47 AM

Carl,

You're welcome!  I also gave Zardoz a call (did you catch 'em?).  The last information I had about the location of the train was that it was "Past Midway (Chicago) 21:20" from a friend who was in a position to see it there.  Interestingly enough...around three hours after I saw the U780 train a 50 car train of nothing but loaded, sealed-bottom gondolas filled with ore went south with a unit on each end.  I think that's significant because, according to one source I have relative to ore loading & transportation, this train (U780) was 'supposed' to be 200 cars but was 'only' 150.  Perhaps there weren't sufficient jennies around when loading this train and it had to leave to keep schedule.  I will do some digging to see what I can find.

Pictures (thumnails are clickable & take you to my Flickr page):

IC 2724 South as U780 at Kampo

U780 Front Locos

U780 Rear Locos

U780 Going Away

DMIR 70106

DMIR 70137

The last ones are for Carl as I recall you saying you'd like to see those cars.  Those are the best I could grab where the whole car is in the frame.  Did I mention he was flying pretty quick?  I hope they're of some use to you!

The first of these ore trains went south on 1/1, and empties back north on 1/5 or 1/6.  There were about 5 days from seeing loads to empties and then the next loads going south.  If the timing of this train is similar to the last one, we should see empties moving back north Sunday or at the latest, Monday.  Then the next loads should be moving south by or around Friday 1/21.

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:47 AM

Thanks, Dan for posting these--and also for standing out in that weather to catch this guy. I can make out the builder on the cars, and the rest can be looked up easily enough.  I still have to see them myself, just for the tally.

Didn't go anywhere this morning...still worn out from our long, hard drive of yesterday.  (I know Randy wouldn't think it was an ordeal, but that young whippersnapper's gotten used to it!)  And we have another trip to make this weekend (nephew's wedding), so we won't be in position to see this batch of empties return on Sunday. 

Carl

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Posted by AgentKid on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:05 PM

Interesting photo's Dan. I bet when CN quit hauling lead ore from Hay River, NWT to the smelter at Trail, BC, they never thought they would again have to buy new ore jennies. If they ever need to put more stencils on those cars they are going to have to buy bigger cars!

I just finished a couple of afternoons of watching that Roanoke Web Cam and found it relaxing and interesting. Now tomorrow I will be busy for the next 4 days watching 28 hours of TV coverage of a major Curling event here in Canada. My own Curling career may have come to an end due to a recurring shoulder pain. I have had to take this winter off, and then we will see from there.

On one of the last Friday's before Christmas I went down and watched my former teammates play in a league event, and at various times I kept wanting to run down from the second floor viewing area and tell the Skip what he should be doing, or throw the stone myself! I find being a fan very stressful. The only consolation was I won just under $100 in a 50/50 draw held among the other spectators in the viewing area. If a person could count on that sort of thing, it might make being a fan more tolerable!

Hope everyone is managing to dig themselves out of whatever snow storm is hitting them lately. It seems like there are a lot of different ones across North America this week.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, January 13, 2011 6:03 AM

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures guys.  I was just glad to catch this guy.  Maybe we'll catch some empties coming north on Saturday or Sunday.  My guess, based on timing of the last one, is that it'll be in your neck of the woods (Carl) pretty early AM and then around Jim's mid-morning and my area late AM or early afternoon.

Bruce,
There's a curling club in Appleton, WI (not far from me-~20 miles) and I went there once with a friend and tried the game.  It's harder than it looks!

On a side note...if anyone sees the IC 2464 could you send it up this way?  It's the last 24xx series IC locomotive I haven't captured a digital soul of.

Dan

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Posted by zardoz on Thursday, January 13, 2011 3:39 PM

CNW 6000

Carl,

You're welcome!  I also gave Zardoz a call (did you catch 'em?). 

 

Alas, no.  Way too cold out to drive 15 miles to see a train in the dark. However, I really appreciated the call. 

My wife & I are planning a visit to Appleton this Saturday (1/15) from about noon to 4pm.  I usually hang around Dale while the wife does the Mall.  If we are going to stop near Oshkosh, I'll give you a call.

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:06 PM

CNW 6000
There's a curling club in Appleton, WI (not far from me-~20 miles) and I went there once with a friend and tried the game.  It's harder than it looks!

Kingston, Ontario is hosting outdoor curling and hockey - this weekend, I think.  Alas, I won't be going over the river to check it out as I'll be headed down to Utica for a train show.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, January 13, 2011 7:37 PM

zardoz

Alas, no.  Way too cold out to drive 15 miles to see a train in the dark. However, I really appreciated the call. 

My wife & I are planning a visit to Appleton this Saturday (1/15) from about noon to 4pm.  I usually hang around Dale while the wife does the Mall.  If we are going to stop near Oshkosh, I'll give you a call.

Verrrry interesting.  My mother-in-law is taking our son for the weekend...and my wife works from 7-4 on Saturday & Sunday too.  The last few weeks Neenah has been seeing lots of trains during a couple of key windows & I have a very reliable "source" that helps narrow them down.  I plan on being trackside most of the day on Saturday and on Sunday, probably in or around Neenah.  FWIW we will probably be seeing an empty ore train Sat or Sun.  You've got my info...Smile, Wink & Grin

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, January 13, 2011 9:57 PM

I'd be extremely lucky if I caught the empties this weekend.  We're heading to Peoria Saturday morning (lunch date with kids and grandkids late morning, wedding in the evening), so if it's just left Joliet when we go over the tracks northwest of there, we might see it. 

Other'n that, no trains expected until Sunday.  I'm going to try to visit Edelstein and Rochelle on the way home.

Carl

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Thursday, January 13, 2011 10:04 PM

   Oh, travel safely, Carl and enjoy. Happy train-hunting. 

   I have another question. I'm still trying to figure out the whole slugs and boosters thing. Do they look like a regular loco or...? Does anyone have a pic of one? Are they still commonly used or mostly a thing of the past? Thanks in advance.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, January 13, 2011 10:59 PM

Slugs are still used in some cases for switching.  CN has used them in my neck of the woods (Shops Yard in North Fond du Lac, WI) and I believe Stevens Point, WI as well.  Basically a slug is a locomotive frame with the prime mover (diesel engine) removed and concrete or steel ballast in its place.  The traction motors & necessary control wiring are still in place and the unit is coupled to a locomotive that provides power to the traction motors.  I have pictures of two on my Flickr page which I'll link below.  I also have video of one being used for switching at Shops.
CN 0201

CN 0217

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6oFVyuo5y8

Hope that helps.

Carl,
If I can figure out if/when it's moving...I'll call ya.  Hopefully it'll be in time!

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, January 14, 2011 7:10 AM

CNW 6000
  [snip] Anyone with technical knowledge feel free to jump in here:
On A491 I saw a large string of empty centerbeam cars.  As the cars went around a minor bend in the rail the wheels on the outside truck actually lifted off the rails by what looked like 4-6 inches...both axles in the same truck.  For references here (http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.01760,-88.53152&z=17&t=S) is the crossing where I saw this.  Having never seen a pair of wheels on a freight car "get air" like this...and it wasn't just the centerbeams doing it...is that "ok" or normal? 

  That reads like a very bad dip or defect in the track surface - perhaps caused by a combination of one or more of  a frost-heaved crossing, a low spot in the track next to it perhaps caused by a mud spot or hole, the track maybe being depressed by the wheels of the preceding car, and perhaps some other factors.  Can you recall - or go out and watch another couple trains go by - and tell us the following:

Which direction(s) - same or opposite ?

Speed ?

Does the entire track seem to go up and down - or just the wheels ?

Leading and/ or trailing trucks of the cars - and/ or the northern/ southern ends ?

All types of cars - center-beams and others - loads and/ or empties ?

Does it look like a mud spot ?  Is the snow and ballast all churned up there ?  Does it look like the ties are moving up and down ?

Here's a challenge: Any chance you could get a photo from the side showing this happening ?

Safety:  That's so serious, don't go closer than 100 ft. or so to the crossing if there's a moving train going over it to observe the above - use binoculars and/ or a long lens zoomed-in.

I would call it in to the 800 number posted on the grade crossing signals or equipment shed, and reference the 6-digit+1-letter USDOT/ FRA/ AAR grade crossing ID number that's on it, as well as any other data such as MP, street name or ID, etc.  Don't be too 'alarmist', but tell them what you think you saw, and reference the train number, date, time, direction, etc. and be prepared to give your name, address, and phone number, etc.

- Paul North.      

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Friday, January 14, 2011 7:31 AM

Great; thank you CNW! That does help a lot. I'd never seen one before, at least not that I remember/realized. Take care and everybody stay safe out there.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, January 14, 2011 9:11 AM

Paul_D_North_Jr
  That reads like a very bad dip or defect in the track surface - perhaps caused by a combination of one or more of  a frost-heaved crossing, a low spot in the track next to it perhaps caused by a mud spot or hole, the track maybe being depressed by the wheels of the preceding car, and perhaps some other factors.  Can you recall - or go out and watch another couple trains go by - and tell us the following:

Which direction(s) - same or opposite ?

Speed ?

Does the entire track seem to go up and down - or just the wheels ?

Leading and/ or trailing trucks of the cars - and/ or the northern/ southern ends ?

All types of cars - center-beams and others - loads and/ or empties ?

Does it look like a mud spot ?  Is the snow and ballast all churned up there ?  Does it look like the ties are moving up and down ?

Here's a challenge: Any chance you could get a photo from the side showing this happening ?

Safety:  That's so serious, don't go closer than 100 ft. or so to the crossing if there's a moving train going over it to observe the above - use binoculars and/ or a long lens zoomed-in.

I would call it in to the 800 number posted on the grade crossing signals or equipment shed, and reference the 6-digit+1-letter USDOT/ FRA/ AAR grade crossing ID number that's on it, as well as any other data such as MP, street name or ID, etc.  Don't be too 'alarmist', but tell them what you think you saw, and reference the train number, date, time, direction, etc. and be prepared to give your name, address, and phone number, etc.

- Paul North.      

Paul,

I have seen this several times, unfortunately too early or late (dark) for pictures as my Canon cannon doesn't like nocturnal activities.  I'd have to be pretty close-the 100' thing probably won't work unless the parking lot just NE of the crossing is empty.  I've seen both NB & SB trains doing this, always on the East rail just S of the crossing, and most cars that are 50' or longer appear to be suceptable to it.  I'm surprised, frankly, that no crews have reported it as motors rock too.  From my lay person's observations of the RoW as seen from the sidewalk there doesn't appear to be mud/ballast churned there.  This weekend I'll see if I can get a picture.

This is another issue: the 800 number listed on the crossing rings for about two minutes then beeps and hangs up.  I now know to call CN's non-emergency 800 number but I'm willing to bet money that the motoring public (and even PD/FD) don't think to try that number.

Dan

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