Nice photos, Dan - thanks for sharing !
In the caption for "CN 2196 South as L576", you commented about facing into the north wind and sleet/ snow/ ice mixture. But how'd the camera make out ?
More seriously - I really like the photos of the MOW guys at work. I've not seen them using the back-pack type 'leaf blowers' for snow removal before - I suppose they work better with a dry, light, fluffy snow than the heavy wet version that we sometimes get around here, which is more prone to compact into frozen slush or ice anyway.
I was tempted to say that it's too bad you couldn't get closer - but then you would not have had the amount or density of snow between you and them, which blurs and obscures and so emphasizes the conditions better than a clearer shot would. So the adversity worked in your favor that way, too, in my opinion.
Thanks again for sharing.
- Paul North.
P.S. - How about a photo of that Pettibone SpeedSwing with the jet engine attachment sometime ? Even if it's at rest . . . - PDN.
Well, we have another entry for the 'Oh no!' dept. Currently, we have a tanker truck rolled over on top of an auto. Bad enough all by itself; it's carrying haz mat and leaking!!
Calling Larry!
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 was looking at Dan's photos while watching the World Women's Curling Championship from Denmark. I really like that picture of the Q198. It reminds me of a YouTube video I stumbled across recently of a CP doublestack train in Ontario. Those doublestack containers coming out of the blowing snow above the photographer's head look really cool. I'm not too sure I would like to stand around waiting for the photo-op, but I think I would like to see it at least once. Nice picture.
Carl, the way things are going lately you might want to keep the fact that you have radioactive blood under your hat!
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Well, one word that didn't describe me last night was "glowing". Here are a few more that don't describe me, (except for the "radioactive blood" part):
Spiderman, Spiderman, Does whatever a spider can! Spins a web, any size, Catches thieves just like flies! Look Out! Here comes the Spiderman. Is he strong? Listen, bud, He's got radioactive blood. Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead! Hey, there-- There goes the Spiderman.
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)
Real nice shots, Dan! 'Cool' that you are not just a fair-weather railfan/photographer. It's unusual, at least to me, to see snowy train pics; I think it's a real nice change of pace!
Everyone stay safe, as I see on the national weather that yesterday was rough in many places around the country.
Glad to hear you made it home safe Nance. I will remain hopeful to hear that your test went ok Carl-and thanks for the other help you gave me over the phone. It was appreciated!
After a short while without really being trackside other than by happenstance...I pick the tail end of a snow/sleet storm to go! Crazy, right? It worked as my big catch was seeing one of the ex-BNSF "CN/BN" units in it's patched glory. I did have a productive couple of hours if I can toot my own horn over a few links.
Dan
Carl, [EDIT: we'll continue to hope] you are OK!! And hey, look at it this way, you'll save on the night light bill!
Well, our 11 o'clock newscast just told us in our county alone, there were over 100 accidents today, including at least one fatality. [EDIT: Our early am news further states that in one 10 minute period, there were at least 22 accidents reported within the county yesterday--unbelievable!]
That weather system passed to the north of us, for the most part. However, our temperature is dropping to winter levels, and we may wake up to a small amount of snow tomorrow. We aren't supposed to come out of this cold spell until at least a week from now.
Couldn't do much today except hear the trains go through. This morning I had my nuclear stress test; the most stressful part was 12 hours of fasting and 24 without caffeine beforehand. My heart did better today on the treadmill than it did a few weeks back. Now we just wait for results, to see what, if anything, the doctor was worried about. And I get to glow or whatever until the dye gets out of my system.
Tomorrow's my weekly chore with the Historical Society, so I'll be a little closer to the action--but might not want to stay out in the weather.
WMNB4THRTLWhoa; what a rotten day, weather-wise!
Not a flake in the sky here east (and a little north) of you. That said, we had the same problem a few days ago, except many folks seemed to be into "stupid auto tricks," the most popular of which was "roll over..."
Heavy weather down in PA and environs, though - many severe weather watches and warnings, and at least one tornado so far.
Just sent in my availability to run camera at our PBS station for their annual merchandise auction. If the railroad underwrites a shift, I may work that in front of the camera. Smile!
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...
Whoa; what a rotten day, weather-wise! It took me 30-35 mins when it should have been about 5 mins and an hour later, it took me about 40 mins for what normally takes 10 or so!! Several vehicles had their ditchfinders on. Two were smashed together so fully, I don't know how they'll get them apart, a rear-ender, that one was. The huge fire dept sirens mounted on their stations are going off all over the place!! It's been a LONG time since I've driven on roads THIS bad and a very long time since I've been this relieved to be home safely!! I sure had my doubts. Everybody stay safe out there, no matter where you are!!
It's a dismal, wet day out there, with the afternoon temperatures taking a plunge. Pat and I worked at one of our local museums, helping shepherd through a couple hundred students who were visiting as part of their Underground Railroad educational tour.
Fortunately, I didn't have to go underground to see the trains, as UP runs right across the street. And since I was keeping track of time anyway, I made the following log of action through town, beginning at about 11 this morning:
1110 - Eastbound scoot, a little late.
1118 - Westbound scoot
1128 - Eastbound stack train, 3 units on the point.
1140 - Westbound EDGX empties (from Sheboygan), 2 units on the point, 1 DPU
1218 - Westbound scoot (eastbound doesn't run this hour).
1226 - Eastbound manifest, probably QNPSKP--one UP unit, two CSX units.
1244 - Westbound manifest.
1307 - Eastbound scoot
1322 - Westbound scoot
1325 - Eastbound WPSX coal train--2 and 1.
1340 - Westbound stack train
1352 - Westbound manifest, possibly MPRDM--a FXE unit was the middle of three units.
1405 - Eastbound scoot.
When we left, we noticed that an eastbound QNPSKP was sitting in the staging area, so he didn't get counted.
Tuesday is traditionally a slow day of the week. Still, we averaged about a train every 15 minutes, roughly two scoots and two freights per hour. There were forces working on the track at the new control point, but it appeared that all three tracks were in service.
C.W. Harrier here (but still not as Harry as that former Fort Wayne mayor! )
This Forumist has observed extensive trackwork going on at the new Control point Y019, near the Grace Street level-and-straight-across. It would appear that all of the tracks need to have the rails replaced within the limits of the control point, mostly to install insulated joints. This past weekend they replaced Part A of Track 3 of 3, and yesterday it was Part B (east of the crossing). Today Track 3 was up and being run over. It is the only track that has had all necessary rebuilding (rail replaced and both switches in) completed.
Today the end-loaders were still hopping over all three tracks just as soon as the trains cleared, but nothing was out of service. We shall have to see what next weekend brings!
But that's just the Track Department. It appears that signal has unloaded material for the footings of the home signal bridges. Said material has not been positioned yet.
(Sorry, K.P.--imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, in this case!)
Oh, thanks. That's makes sense. I should have made the connection, but ours are half a chevron and yellow, IIRC.
BTW, since I'm on here, re that other matter I PM'd you about, he said about 50 avail for each day right now.
WMNB4THRTL what is that sign along the tracks that is a chevron, dark w/white outline? It said it was between MP55 and Thendara.
what is that sign along the tracks that is a chevron, dark w/white outline? It said it was between MP55 and Thendara.
It's for the flangers and/or plows. In that particular case, you're entering a narrow rock cut, so if the plow wings are out, it's time to pull them in.
Between H55 and Thendara it would have been for the "Camel's Hump." Here's the view southbound:
Thanks, guys!
Larry, I just took a cab ride on your fine line (vicariously through video, of course); what is that sign along the tracks that is a chevron, dark w/white outline? It said it was between MP55 and Thendara.
Air for the horns isn't going to come from the brake side of the air system - that would make it possible to set the brakes using the horn (not a desireable outcome). Although it may be further regulated, the air for the horns (and bell) will come from the main reservoir, which typically runs at ~130 lbs vs the trainline's 90 lbs.
Various railroads like(d) various tunings of their horns. Thus you can (or could) often tell which railroad a locomotive belongs to simply by recognizing the chord of it's horn.
Some like a nice mellow mix, some go for the discordant. The horn hobbyist sites get into that in pretty good detail.
As for the emergency application - since such an application dumps both the service and emergency reservoirs on each car, you're going to have to charge both back up. That's going to take about the same amount of time as the initial charge on a train.
For a real-time demo - sometime when you're at the throttle, not moving, handbrake set, and with nothing else to stop you from doing so, dump the train. Wait the requisite minute or so, then start charging the train again. When your air stops flowing, you'll have your answer.
Back for a minute, in the middle of today's busy schedule...
The P42DCs. The "P", for "passenger" would be the best clue to the intended use of this model. Other clues would be the gearing for higher speed, the unusual carbody design, making it light enough for a big prime mover (and the generators for head-end power) to ride on four axles, and the requirement that a big-name industrial architect design the carbody, which may or may not be to everyone's taste.
Before I forget (again!), a big happy birthday to Stacey ("Momma") Kohnen! Hope you have an enjoyable time with Joe and Matt, in spite of the weather that's headed your way.
Thanks, Carl. I know we're still looking for those other answers but I have another question. (Gee, look what else a new 'confuser' brings- more questions, but...lots of learning, so it's all good!)
On another thread, it mentions GE P42DC's. I was thinking, IIRC those are only AMTRAK and I found VIA RAIL, too. Are they used by anyone else? If not, are they only suited to passenger rail; why? Does it really pay (must be!) for a loco builder to design and build a special loco for just 2 companies? Thanks in advance.
Nance, an engineer would be best qualified to answer your questions about emergency applications and where the horns' air comes from; hope Jeff or somebody shows up to help.
As for the varieties, I've been led to believe that horn manufacturers offer their individual horns (ironically called bells), and those can be combined to form the chords one commonly hears. There were at one time two major manufacturers of horns, Leslie and Nathan. Leslie made bells that were shaped more like a cornet (enlarging gradually from back to front), while Nathans had a cylindrical tube that flared at the front, like a trumpet. That probably made a difference in the sound as well.
The orientation of the horns (which ones point forward, which backwards) also has an effect on what the listener hears.
Back in the early 1970s, Extra 2200 South had a fine article about the commonly-produced diesel horn combinations and how they sounded. The chords were shown in this article. A friend of mine back then (who grew up to be an Amtrak official out in California) had an electric organ at his house, and made some very convincing reproductions of some of the horns in that article. (I'd love to see a revision of the article that would include some of the horns more commonly heard these days!)
And you ought to see or hear the people whose hobby is collecting these horns! I guess they have regular gatherings where they all come with their horns and air supplies and sound off (usually somewhere like an Appalachian valley).
I'm pretty sure the horns don't draw air directly from the braking supply, but I do know that they can set the compressor to running at times!
Hi, me again. I've been watching You Tube on my new machine here (SO awesome to have sound!!) and I saw 3 videos of trains with 12, yes twelve, locos in the front. It was NOT a long train at all. Would they have been moving them to another location, possibly, or what?
Thanks, guys. I have a couple of questions:
1. After the engr puts the train into Emerg and stops, does it take the full time to build back up the air again, as long as when we first start up, or less time? Thankfully, I've never had to 'go there' yet and I hope and pray I never have to!!
2. I found a website with train horns & whistles. Does every horn/whistle have a unique sound? Every one I heard sounded different, which surprised me a bit.
EDIT: Also, does an air horn draw off the air brake system air? If so, if engr had to use air horn a lot, such as a number of crossings in close proximity, or as a warning, could it draw off too much air?
Thanks, as always!
DeggestyBy the way, you say "on the road;" do you use your computer while driving?
Well, yes, and no. What I meant was when I'm not at the house.
On the other hand, the map program on the laptop will interface with my GPS, and that big screen is a lot easier to see than those little GPSs that stick to your windshield... I don't often use that, though.
tree68 WMNB4THRTL: ...now if I can just learn to get along with the Touchpad,... The touchpad can be a pain. Since my laptop is mostly 'for the road,' it's not as much of a problem as it could be. Nonetheless, I got a wireless mouse for it for those times when a mouse is the better solution.
WMNB4THRTL: ...now if I can just learn to get along with the Touchpad,...
...now if I can just learn to get along with the Touchpad,...
The touchpad can be a pain. Since my laptop is mostly 'for the road,' it's not as much of a problem as it could be. Nonetheless, I got a wireless mouse for it for those times when a mouse is the better solution.
Johnny
WMNB4THRTL ...now if I can just learn to get along with the Touchpad,...
Got it!!! YEA!!! It's called "Raise 'Em Up!" Thanks for the help!! Have a great weekend.
Thanks, Paul! (I finally got $$ enough for a laptop; now if I can just learn to get along with the Touchpad, I'll be good!) Sorry, I should have been a bit more specific; I'm looking for that country song video, probably from last year, I think it was. I still can't find it yet.
Hi, Nance - Well, congrats !
Not sure which ad you mean - but here's the link to NS' "Television Commercials & Video" webpage, which has many of them:
http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/TV-Video/
Hope you can find what you're looking for there . . .
Hello, happy Saturday! It is indeed, as I now have a fully functioning computer, complete with sound! In that vein, can anyone please tell me how to find that NS ad on YouTube? I'd appreciate it!
Thanks for the info, Larry (I went to Monticello as a kid). As a C&O fan, I knew very well how to pronounce Staunton properly (and will make sure Pat hasn't forgotten). Thanks also for the tip on walking between the museums. I hope we can do that. We've got two nights in Roanoke, but much (most?) of the intervening day will be spent at the C&OHS Archives in Clifton Forge.
Got out on the bike again today, for a round trip to Wheaton (12 miles). It was intermodal day on UP today, seemingly. Saw UP 2002 (one of the Olympic units) on a westbound intermodal, and the remaining Two Amigos (CNW 8646 and 8701) on the West Chicago local. No signs of the control point slated to go in at Wheaton, nor of the pedestrian tunnel at that site (replacing the grade crossing), or the pedestrian overpass in downtown Wheaton. The new overpass west of town hasn't been opened yet, but is coming along. The former CA&E bridge over the UP and a couple of Wheaton streets (used as the Illinois Prairie Path) is reopened after its rebuilding, done in connection with the other bridge project.
Ah, yes, rules (and I think I need air brakes this year, too). We'll be doing ours in April.
Some major changes in things confounded a few people a year or so ago, but they were all back with us a short time later.
Carl - just remember that it's pronounced "Stanton..."
It's too bad your schedule is tight through there. At Roanoke you're only about an hour from Appomatox Courthouse and the historical site there, and just south of Charlottesville is Monticello, which may not be railroad related, but is definitely worth the visit.
Enroute to Lynchburg (on the way to Appomatox) you'd be following old N&W, although I still haven't figured out where Boaz was.
You'll find both the Link Museum and the VMT worth the visit. Walk between the two and check out the interactive displays along the way.
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