Working on the railroad today - and managed to get some hands-on on the locomotive (ALCO RS18u). Several of us were fairly early arriving, including the engineer, so we did a walkaround of the loco, covering the daily inspection and some of the routine tests.
Hopefully I can get more "over-the-shoulder" time before I get into the seat at the end of the month. It's one thing to run, but another thing entirely to learn the background workings. At least now I've got an idea of how to start an ALCO!
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...
Oh, very nice, Carl! Glad you got to see a decent number of trains and I remain amazed at the comment on the other thread, about your clout!!
Larry, congrats on your continuing advancement and achievements!
WOOT WOOT!!!!
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
Woot! Woot! to you, too, Nance! Hope things went well today.
I should note that I batted a thousand yesterday--all of the freight-car notes I made while at Rochelle were stuff that I needed. That rarely happens any more, but the fact that most of the "harvest" was on BNSF trains helped there.
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)
My last trip, I had the most unusual call to go to work I've ever had. Most of the time the railroad's computer calls and gives the assignment. I hardly ever talk to a caller anymore, even when laying off it's usually OK'd by the computer. The other morning the phone rings and it's the robot as usual. Then it says, "We are having technical difficulties in giving your assignment. Please call..." and it gave the number for the automated voice response line. So I called figuring I'd get a person. Nope, got the robot and it gives me the call the same way as if it had called me. Every other time there has been a glitch, a human caller called me.
We deadheaded out and got to see some flood preparation along US 30 west of Missouri Valley. Some acreages had temporary dirt berms around their places. A couple of electrical or gas service equipment locations were surrounded by sandbags.
Coming home we had a manifest out of Council Bluffs. At the north end of town the tracks go through an opening in the levee. There is dirt and gravel piled up, ready to close the gap (and the tracks) if needed. Up around Mo Valley they are dumping ballast, the story is they're going to try raising the track from there over towards the Missouri River bridge by 18 inches. I did see at the control point in town they were removing the switch heaters off the dual controlled switches. Saw the news tonight and it dosen't sound good for those along the Missouri.
Jeff
Modelcar Received my magazine May, 26th. Trains
Received my magazine May, 26th.
Trains
Received my magazine today. The rotating postal strikes we are having here in Canada didn't affect the delivery time at all. Today or tomorrow is about when I would have expected it anyway.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Jeff, I saw the news reports this evening--that's a lot of water headed in your general direction! I've heard that it's expected to back up in rivers like the Platte--don't know how far upstream that effect would go.
The UP Museum in Council Bluffs has cleaned out the basement, from what I've been told, moving archives and other material of value to safe storage on higher ground.
_________________
The field of railroad publication lost another giant recently. Tom Shedd, editor of Modern Railroads Magazine from 1959 until 1983 (and editorial director until 1991, when the magazine was bought out by Railway Age) passed away on June 2, his 93rd birthday. I often saw him in the MR (yes, there were two "MR" magazines in my world back then!) offices when they were in the Loop, but never talked to him...we had a waving acquaintance.
A quick birthday greeting to our resident Mudchicken, with congratulations (again) on the nice article in the July issue of Trains! Hope you're staying cool.
We've bought plenty of air shampoo, so our air conditioner can do its job (That, I say, that's a joke, son!). High in the upper 90s today.
Hey, Happy Birthday to you, MC!! Hope it's a great one for you! Enjoy.
jeffhergert My last trip, I had the most unusual call to go to work I've ever had. Most of the time the railroad's computer calls and gives the assignment. I hardly ever talk to a caller anymore, even when laying off it's usually OK'd by the computer. The other morning the phone rings and it's the robot as usual. Then it says, "We are having technical difficulties in giving your assignment. Please call..." and it gave the number for the automated voice response line. So I called figuring I'd get a person. Nope, got the robot and it gives me the call the same way as if it had called me. Every other time there has been a glitch, a human caller called me. We deadheaded out and got to see some flood preparation along US 30 west of Missouri Valley. Some acreages had temporary dirt berms around their places. A couple of electrical or gas service equipment locations were surrounded by sandbags. Coming home we had a manifest out of Council Bluffs. At the north end of town the tracks go through an opening in the levee. There is dirt and gravel piled up, ready to close the gap (and the tracks) if needed. Up around Mo Valley they are dumping ballast, the story is they're going to try raising the track from there over towards the Missouri River bridge by 18 inches. I did see at the control point in town they were removing the switch heaters off the dual controlled switches. Saw the news tonight and it dosen't sound good for those along the Missouri. Jeff
Great report Jeff. Not that I'm gaining any kind of enjoyment out of the possibility of flooding, but details and nuances that are interesting to hear.
Happy (late) Birthday to Mudchicken. I hope there's many happy returns.
We kicked our air on Carl - 97 in the house is too much for fans! I'm already dreading the utility bills that come with having them working...but we don't have much choice. One of our neighbors had a pet die from heat stroke a couple of years back because he chose to leave the air off and it got nasty like today is supposed to - but worse.
I might try posting some pictures later but I have to recert some folks in CPR first. Adios!
Dan
Jeff, I know that robo-callers were in use since before I retired, but I never had to deal with one, thankfully. The few times I got called from Omaha it was by a human, and I always was able to do what I needed to with a human at the other end. I think some people probably took advantage of automation to lay off more than they should (and I heard that it finally caught up to one person, who was dismissed).
Dan, we don't have AC at our place, save for window units in the bedrooms. Today (it got up to 97 or 98--it's still 91) we went out for lunch with daughter and grandkids, then went to their house (which is air-conditioned) and sat with the kids while Mom ran various errands.
Couple of good items in the Newswire about the Missouri River flooding, including cancellation of the Zephyr east of Denver.
Already 82 up here...though the humidity seems to be diminished a tad so it's not bad with a small breeze.
CN has started a pairing of trains again: Q117/Q116 intermodal service between Roberts Bank, BC and Markham, IL AFAIK. That adds to the pairing of Q199/Q198 from Port of Prince Rupert, BC to Schiller Park, IL. One neat way (if the "little birdie's" song was true) to tell the difference is that the 116/117 trains are supposed to start having BCOL B39-8's on them. I got word that the forces at Homewood/Woodcrest have pulled several off the 'dead line' and started prepping them for road service. We shall see if and when that happens though. Maybe then the fine folks in BC can send the WC 3026 and 3027 back down to the WI area as they've been in 'captive' service up there.
First, thanks again to every one of you who has helped in my quest for info; it's much appreciated!!
Second, anyone know of on-line resources of info, as I'm on austerity budget right now, so buying more books might not happen for a while (beyond the caboose one coming from Amz.)? Only ones I really know of are this one and Wikipedia.
Thanks again and everybody please be extra careful if you are in this heat wave; it can be deadly for people and pets! They say to check on the elderly and those w/o A/C, which sounds like good advice!
Any search engine can give you some interesting results if you're willing to pick through the unrelated links.
Putting quotes around your search can force the search engines to narrow your search, and using the plus sign can do the same (ie, narrow +guage). You can also mix the two - "New York Central" +caboose. Note that the plus sign goes next to the second search term - no space there.
Many times you'll happen on the results of some local historian who has put his/her work on the web, pretty much unheralded. That can get interesting, too.
Thanks, Larry! I'll give that a try for sure!
WMNB4THRTL [snipped] Second, anyone know of on-line resources of info, as I'm on austerity budget right now, so buying more books might not happen for a while (beyond the caboose one coming from Amz.)? Only ones I really know of are this one and Wikipedia.
What or any subjects in particular are you looking for ? (I had a lengthy general list put together last night, then lost it all when I opened a new Window or something . . . )
in the meantime, for a fun and informative general railroad 'fix", try reading (now-retired) BNSF locomotive engineer Al Krug's "Tales from the Krug" - there's about 60 or 70 of his photo/ text essays there - at: http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/rrpictale.htm
- Paul North.
Thanks, Paul! Isn't that one of the most annoying things?! UGH!!
I guess mostly I'm looking for: life in America, as it related to RR's in the 1930's and '40's; how RRing shaped America; baggage cars around that time (what they typically hauled, etc); caboose info; the importance of RRs in US today, and any other depot info that might be helpful or interesting. Probably there's some more 'stuff' I'm forgetting at the moment, but that will get this started for now.
Thanks, as always, for any and all help!!
PS I'm still confused on all the different signals, what they all mean, etc, so if anyone knows of a fairly easy/simple way to learn all that, it would be most welcome/helpful!
You're quite welcome, Nance.
That summary is helpful. Let me think about it and see what I can find and remember - some on-line, some not. Don't forget the local library and Inter-Library Loan, which is free or minimal cost - way less expensive than buying books !
For signals: See Al Krug's explanation of same here:
http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/signals/signals.htm
I need to retrieve my former list of 'bookmarks' or 'Favorites', which I was smart enough to save when my computer was replaced - I think i had 4 or 5 good signal websites there !
One was this interactive quiz game:
http://deltareum.com/signals.htm and then http://deltareum.com/sq.htm
In looking for it, I also found this, which you (and others here) might also enjoy:
The "Unofficial" Hoboken Engineer's Training PageUpdated 10/18/10
http://www.ble272.org/Rules_department.htm
That oughta keep you out of trouble for a few weeks . . .
Thanks to everyone here for the continuing and informative posts from your corner of the world ! (even if not always acknowledged) Today it's my turn, in a way:
Normally lunch time next to MP 32 on the NS Reading Line here on the southwestern side of Allentown, PA (at about these Lat./ Long. coords., per the ACME Mapper 2.0 application: N 40.56113 W 75.48452 ) is pretty dull - sometimes no trains, usually only 1. But today was by far and away the busiest ever, as follows:
About 10 minutes after I park, I hear a horn in the western distance. A few minutes later I see a headlight above the weeds - can't tell which track it's on, might just be the afternoon local H-something passing by EB. Then a second headlight appears to the right of it - EB on the normally WB track - and another horn sequence sounds for the 31st St. SW grade crossing. Now this is unusual and getting interesting - out of the car ! Yep, it's 2 trains side by side, and both moving right smartly. Sure enough, the one on the left = normal EB track is the local, and I get 2 toots in return for my "highball" as he rumbles by about 30 MPH. Only a few cars pass, though, before the other train comes between us - the usual early afternoon EB RoadRailer. It has what has to be a full measure of trailers - including some reefers, because they had fuel tanks down underneath - at close to track speed of 50 MPH, but the local is gone by the time the RR finishes passing. Well, that'll tie up both blocks on the 2 tracks for a while - back in the car to work on lunch, probably won't see anything else here today.
About 10 minutes later I hear a rumble, and see a headlight from the other direction - a WB manifest freight on the proper WB track, led by 2 Dash 9-40's and an SD70 (I think) trailing. It's moving pretty good on the average +0.5% grade, maybe 30 MPH, and accelerating a little bit - it must have been waiting at CP BURN 3 miles east for that EB RoadRailer to clear, and then took off WB as soon as it did. I look closer at the cars now because of Carl, and see a smallish tank car with the reporting marks "ARSX 3150"* along with the usual assortment of other cars. Presently it passes, and the heat and quiet return.
*ARSX = "Sunoco, Inc. (R&M)" [R&M = Refining & Marketing] - see: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=353580
After about another 10 minutes, another horn, and another EB headlight on the EB track. This time it's an intermodal with a mix of double- and single-stacks and some empty wells, and there are some brand-new bright white "J.B. HUNT INTERMODAL" boxes on it. But what really catches my eye is near the end - 2 longish 53 ft. (?) containers are single-stacked in well cars that are evidently too short for them. The leading end of the box is down in the well, but the trailing end is up on the back end's cross member or deck, and the whole box is slanted forward and down a couple of degrees - kind of reminded me of a surfboard in the back bed of a pick-up truck !
Well, back to lunch. After a few more minutes I next hear a funny rhythmic sound over that way - I look up and a track patrolman is going by in a hi-rail pick-up truck WB on the WB track at about 20 MPH. I finish lunch, start the car, and go to leave - and see yet another hi-rail pick-up truck about 1/4 mile east down by the I-78 overpass ! It seems the 2 fellows in it are inspecting the Film-Tech turnout - because they don't have any tools out - and shortly get back in and also head west on the WB track as I pass by them on the 25 MPH frontage road (Industrial Ave.).
So there you have it - about an entire week's worth (for me) of trains and rail vehicles in about 40 minutes - I'll take that !
Hope you all have similar experiences sometime soon !
WOW-- that's amazing, Paul! Congrats on the good luck!! As per the Rochelle report, maybe Carl's 'clout' rubbed off on you, or something like that?!
If I really had da clout I would be out harvesting a few more good freights, instead of working on a book while it pours outside. I sent off a partial revision this morning, just to show I'm accomplishing something. I want to be done by the middle of next week.
We had over three inches of rain between late last night and mid-morning--a minor incursion into our basement, but that was quickly taken care of. It was apparently worse elsewhere--a few scoots were delayed on our line by power lines fallen over the tracks by Proviso (probably a jam in the yard so they couldn't open up a track and bypass the main...I'm sure they thought of that, 'cause I did!). BNSF also had some weather-related delays.
But I'm impressed, Paul--ya done good!
WMNB4THRTL Second, anyone know of on-line resources of info, as I'm on austerity budget right now, so buying more books might not happen for a while (beyond the caboose one coming from Amz.)? Only ones I really know of are this one and Wikipedia.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Just noticed over on Cher's "Today in History" thread that it would be the 50th anniversary of the abandonment of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad through the western suburbs of Chicago. Perhaps it could have survived in some form if it had managed to hold on for another ten years, perhaps not. As it is, it's fairly amazing that it was able to survive so long as just a power-line right-of-way before becoming the Illinois Prairie Path (which had to struggle against NIMBYs for a while before proving its value to the community).
I'd like nothing more than to be able to take a commemorative bike ride to Wheaton or Maywood today, but we have another wet and stormy one out there.
Nance, it looks like you're having some amazing luck on Amazon! Not sure I'd trust Wikipedia after some of the tales I've heard recently.
OK, so I'm diving into all this but I have a question:
For 'slow clear,' that seems a bit contradictory bc if it is clear up ahead, why would you have to go slowly? Would it be, among other things, something like poor track conditions (i.e. flooding?) I'm sure there are other reasons, as well.
Thanks again, Paul and everybody.
No trains or adverse signals ahead, but sharp curves in the diverging route ?
Railroads that have signal names like "Slow Clear" have "Slow Speed" defined in their rulebooks. It has nothing to do with flooding or track condition, but everything to do with the configuration of the track. You'll only get a signal like this at a control point (interlocking). You will usually be operating over some low-speed crossovers or around a sharp curve in connection with this signal. These railroads will also have "medium speed" defined, and you would be able to get "Medium Clear" and "Medium Approach" signals. These are usually good for diverging branch lines or higher-speed crossovers. Quite often the signal indication will say to proceed at (Slow/Medium) speed through interlocking limits...after your train has gone through the limits you can resume your authorized speed.
On the western railroads, you don't have "medium" or "slow" speeds. You can get a "Diverging Clear" indication that looks like either a Slow Clear or a Medium Clear, but in either case you "Proceed over diverging route at prescribed speed". I've mentioned the interlocking signals at Elmhurst before: they give you two different sets of diverging aspects. If you get a "90 in the middle", you'll be going through the mainline crossovers. If you get a "45 on the bottom" it means you're going into the yard (you can't get a clear on the lower light because you're entering the yard and going out of CTC territory).
WMNB4THRTL [snipped] I guess mostly I'm looking for: life in America, as it related to RR's in the 1930's and '40's; how RRing shaped America; . . . and any other depot info that might be helpful or interesting. . . . Thanks, as always, for any and all help!!
Nance -
In thinking about this a little further, I remembered that from time to time I ran across nuggets of depot history while looking for something else. Often it seems that a town or county historical society will adopt one and publish a detailed history on it , sometimes also buying it and making it their headquarters, as well as perhaps a Visitor's or Tourist Center, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
So I just put in "depot" and "history" into a plain www.google.com Google Search and got over 55 million items, a good many of which on just the 1st page looked pertinent, such as this one:
http://www.eaglelakedepot.com/DepotBuildingHistory.htm
Then I input "history" and the phrase "railroad station" into an Advanced Google Search, and got over 3 million results, again with many interesting ones on just the 1st page, such as this one:
http://www.tamaquastation.com/history.html
Accordingly, I suggest that there's a treasure trove of info out there waiting to be read . . . Anybody else here have any suggestions for your local or favorite depots ? Such as these for Lansdale, PA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdale_(SEPTA_station)
http://planning.montcopa.org/planning/cwp/fileserver,Path,PLANNING/Admin%20-%20Programs/Montgomery_Awards/All_Award_Winners/LDA_2000_Lansdale_Transportation_Center_and_Railroad_Plaza.pdf,assetguid,fee0afe4-2f55-46db-a0166d2430aef927.pdf
CShaveRR I've mentioned the interlocking signals at Elmhurst before: they give you two different sets of diverging aspects. If you get a "90 in the middle", you'll be going through the mainline crossovers. If you get a "45 on the bottom" it means you're going into the yard (you can't get a clear on the lower light because you're entering the yard and going out of CTC territory).
I've mentioned the interlocking signals at Elmhurst before: they give you two different sets of diverging aspects. If you get a "90 in the middle", you'll be going through the mainline crossovers. If you get a "45 on the bottom" it means you're going into the yard (you can't get a clear on the lower light because you're entering the yard and going out of CTC territory).
Carl, you're CNW is showing. I bet if I said that to half my coworkers, even some old heads, I'd just get blank stares in return. (I get that a lot anyway, but that's another story.) You hardly ever hear way car anymore when talking about cabooses. Some traditions are starting to fade I guess.
PS, I only know what Carl is saying because it was defined in that Trains' artivle from 1979 about the "Flight of the Falcons."
jeffhergert CShaveRR: I've mentioned the interlocking signals at Elmhurst before: they give you two different sets of diverging aspects. If you get a "90 in the middle", you'll be going through the mainline crossovers. If you get a "45 on the bottom" it means you're going into the yard (you can't get a clear on the lower light because you're entering the yard and going out of CTC territory). Carl, you're CNW is showing. I bet if I said that to half my coworkers, even some old heads, I'd just get blank stares in return. (I get that a lot anyway, but that's another story.) You hardly ever hear way car anymore when talking about cabooses. Some traditions are starting to fade I guess. Jeff PS, I only know what Carl is saying because it was defined in that Trains' artivle from 1979 about the "Flight of the Falcons."
CShaveRR: I've mentioned the interlocking signals at Elmhurst before: they give you two different sets of diverging aspects. If you get a "90 in the middle", you'll be going through the mainline crossovers. If you get a "45 on the bottom" it means you're going into the yard (you can't get a clear on the lower light because you're entering the yard and going out of CTC territory).
Johnny
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