The UP just can't catch a break with it's Chicago Metra commuter service.
http://www.nwherald.com/2011/06/16/metra-trains-delayed-after-one-strikes-cow-near-woodstock/ag8hqta/
You just know that the cow wasn't on her last legs when the merciless UP ran over her. She was the farmer's meal ticket. She gave 100 pounds of milk per day and each year produced a fine calf that either would become a 100/pounds per day producer herself or a prized breeding bull whoes semen could be sold for thousands of dollars per straw. You just know that's what the train hit. Or so sayeth the farmer and his lawyer. There is, of course, no truth in the rumor that the farmer put a dead cow on the tracks.
I haven't heard of a train vs. cow incident in some years. At least around these parts.
Hahahahahahaha
[wipes tears from my eyes]
I mean, that's horrible...
You fogot that the cow was destined to be the next Illinois State Fair Grand Champion....
greyhounds The UP just can't catch a break with it's Chicago Metra commuter service. http://www.nwherald.com/2011/06/16/metra-trains-delayed-after-one-strikes-cow-near-woodstock/ag8hqta/ You just know that the cow wasn't on her last legs when the merciless UP ran over her. She was the farmer's meal ticket. She gave 100 pounds of milk per day and each year produced a fine calf that either would become a 100/pounds per day producer herself or a prized breeding bull whoes semen could be sold for thousands of dollars per straw. You just know that's what the train hit. Or so sayeth the farmer and his lawyer. There is, of course, no truth in the rumor that the farmer put a dead cow on the tracks. I haven't heard of a train vs. cow incident in some years. At least around these parts.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Uncle Pete Break out your Checkbook for thisone. It is going to be Expensive. The one thing that saves them is it was not a Herd of cattle Just one.
Incredibly, the article stated that the train struck a dead cow, which, if true, would imply that either 1. pranksters placed a dead cow there, or 2. ol' Elsie conveniently dropped dead on the UP RoW. In any case, I guess that early morning Metra scoot is actually a milk run.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
A very moooving story.
I bet the front of the cabcar was a real mess.
A city man was tooling down a country road when his car sputtered to a complete stop near a field filled with cows. The driver, getting out to see what was the matter, noticed one of the cows looking at him. "I believe it's your radiator," said the cow.
The man nearly jumped right out of his city slicker britches! He ran to the nearest farmhouse and knocked on the door. "A cow just gave me advice about my car!" he shouted, waving his arms franticly back toward the field.
The farmer nonchalantly leaned out beyond the door frame to glance down the field. "The cow with two big black spots on it?" the farmer asked slowly.
"Yes! Yes! That's the one!" the excited man replied.
"Oh. Well, that's Ethel," the farmer said, turning back to the man. "Don't pay any attention to her. She doesn't know a thing about cars."
Per chance, was Elsie tethered to the rail with a rope? The Navajos in NM do that with their old nags, erum prized quarterhorses, all the time.....
Time to go find the brand inspector (If Illinois still has them)
from the Chicago Sun-Times:
It was an unusual delay for three Metra trains Wednesday morning — one officials haven’t heard of in some time.
A Chicago-bound train was stopped near northwest suburban Woodstock after the commuter train hit an already dead cow.
The impact of that collision loosened some cables on Union Pacific Northwest Line train No. 610, which had just left Harvard about 6:10 p.m. when it hit the cow, Metra spokesman Tom Miller said. It’s unclear how the cow died.
The train and two following UP-NW trains were delayed because of the collision, Miller said.
“It’s not something you hear about every day, or every year, or every two years, or every five years,” Miller said.
The 15th-17th are near Full Moon day/nights.....Murphy comes alive during Full Moon's.
Nothing too out of the Full Moon usual....move along! Nothing to see here.
schlimm from the Chicago Sun-Times: It was an unusual delay for three Metra trains Wednesday morning — one officials haven’t heard of in some time. A Chicago-bound train was stopped near northwest suburban Woodstock after the commuter train hit an already dead cow. The impact of that collision loosened some cables on Union Pacific Northwest Line train No. 610, which had just left Harvard about 6:10 p.m. when it hit the cow, Metra spokesman Tom Miller said. It’s unclear how the cow died. The train and two following UP-NW trains were delayed because of the collision, Miller said. “It’s not something you hear about every day, or every year, or every two years, or every five years,” Miller said.
Just another day on Metra (happens more often than not):
Train #54 scheduled to arrive Chicago at 4:47pm is operating 20-23 minutes behind schedule due to freight train interference near Elmhurst.
What is the passenger load for a inbound train destined Chicago during the Afternoon rush?
schlimm Just another day on Metra (happens more often than not): Service Advisories Union Pacific / West LineInbound Train #54 to Arrive Chicago at 4:47pm 20-23 Minutes Late Train #54 scheduled to arrive Chicago at 4:47pm is operating 20-23 minutes behind schedule due to freight train interference near Elmhurst.
Not sure, but heavier than you might think. That train is probably used as an outbound in rush hour, judging by the time. Lest you think I'm picking on UP, which I think is one of the best run lines, her's a later one on the BNSF line:
Train #1275 scheduled to arrive Fairview at 6:24pm is operating 16 minutes behind schedule due to mechanical problems.
Your typical such delay (UP--freight-train interference near Elmhurst) is caused by a freight waiting to get into Yard 9 and hanging out to foul the plant at Park, just east of Elmhurst. That's a lo-o-o-o-ng train, but it happens!
Another possibility would be a train on one of the two main tracks east of Elmhurst, waiting to get onto the IHB at Provo Junction. That leaves one track open, which means that an on-time eastbound will take a hit waiting for an on-time westbound to get through Park (but that isn't usually a long delay).
The various upgrading projects for UP West would mitigate these problems...a train following closely behind that long freight at Elmhurst would be able to cross over to Track 2 in Lombard, and service the stops at Villa Park and Elmhurst from the center tracks, then continue around the long train on the main line. And the addition of a third main line around Proviso will give freights a way to get to the IHB without interfering with Metra traffic at all.
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)
Carl: I've seen that work in Lombard. i suppose that will allow more running like on the BNSF? Any idea of when it will be finished?
The Lombard crossovers are supposed to be in service in the third quarter of this year (that could be next month!). They still have to erect the signal bridges for the home signals there.
Still to be done is a similar set of crossovers in Wheaton, pretty much behind the Billy Graham Center. (The grade crossing at Chase Street will be closed and replaced by a pedestrian tunnel there.) That's supposed to be sometime late next year.
Yes, all of this is so that UP West can offer service similar to what's done on BNSF (express scoots running around locals, and the like), and still accommodate the freight trains that are even more dense than on the BNSF line. The reason for needing this, according to Metra, is that service on the BNSF is close to the saturation point--no more schedules could be added--and they're hoping that some people in places like Oak Brook, Warrenville, and Batavia who currently use BNSF could be persuaded to use UP West instead. One problem with that is the lack of sufficient decent parking in most towns along UP West. Elmhurst (and possibly Geneva) is the only town along the line addressing this issue.
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