Carl, it sounds like you really hit the jackpot; I hope you bought your lottery ticket today.
Late update to the "can't miss" for today. I went to mail a letter, which includes a bit of time along the tracks. The home signals for the crossovers showed inbounds lined up on Tracks 1 and 2. Track 1 was the scoot (on time) and Track 2 was a stack train. By the time I could see the signal again after the stacker went by, Track 1 had another train lined up. Meanwhile, the outbound scoot met the stacker east of Lombard (on Track 3). As the scoot pulled into the station, the next freight appeared on Track 1. I waited for that to go by, then headed home. While talking to a friend, I saw another westbound (stacker with a DP on the hind end). Not a bad haul for less than an hour!
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 couldn't miss today!We had a quilt shop in Bensenville that Pat wanted to visit, so I went along, expecting to parlay it into a trip to note the progress on the UP O'Hare bypass relocation (work on the new track is done, but I was hoping to see old alignment disappearing). So, on the way there, we encountered an eastbound CN freight crossing the highway in Villa Park (there was a single DP unit toward the end). Catching any trains on this line is rare and getting rarer, now that CN owns the old EJ&E--and this one netted me two new reporting marks and a completely new series in a third.After the quilt shop (which we thoroughly disrupted, as usual), we went into Besenville (old bridges still there), and around through Franklin Park to Irving Park Road (the bridge still there, but parts of the old embankment are gone). After passing under the old bridge, we caught a northbound WEPX coal train on the new alignment (first time I saw a train on those tracks). He was not going very fast, and it was easy to see the amount of superelevation they put on those curves. They need to be good for 50-m.p.h. freights.Going back through Bensenville we were stopped by a westbound CP train crossing York Road (that's old MILW, more recently IMRL, ICE, and DM&E). It surprised me by having a typically CN mix of freight equipment; I don't think I saw a CP or DME car on the whole thing.Then we hit Elmhurst, stopping for lunch. As we were looking for a parking spot, two westbound freights were heading out simultaneously--the auto-rack train was outstripping the manifest, but was also much longer. That was the start...in the half-hour that it took us to eat lunch we had a scoot and three more freights, plus an outbound manifest passed us on the way out.So, since I was on a roll, I decided to bike to Wheaton and see what I could concerning the crossovers and underpass they're putting in there. The grade crossing was barricaded (and we respected that), but there were several sections of prefab concrete bridge lying along the tracks. If the abutments are also prefab, it might be fairly easy to put in the bridge, one track at a time. Unfortunately for me, the trains we saw in that couple of hours consisted of three scoots and a westbound manifest, probably MPRCB. Steel support walls are also being driven for the overpasses in Lombard, which will cross over two streets and the UP tracks, following the right-of-way of the old Chicago Great Western man line (now the Great Western Trail). It will be an impressively long span over the three tracks and service road, due to the angle at which they cross (fairly acute--less than 45 degrees, I suspect); I'm sure UP won't want a pier in there anywhere, since it also crosses over the new control point.
Can't believe I beat the cafe to the punch this morning...
Happy eleventh birthday to Matt Kohnen (the "Onionhead" that I disappointed last weekend by not ordering fries). Also to a couple of females whose names I may not mention, and to my grandson Nico (4). Don't worry, Kiddo--that haircut will grow back!And happy Flag Day...if you've got it, wave it!
I'm contemplating a trip to the Bensenville area today, to see whether some of the UP's old bridges are coming down yet.
Carl (and Jeff),
Yes, I know I shouldn't use symbols and was trying to make sure I separated the type of train from the origin/destination codes. Train number 3 is a sand train so the prefix of R (rock, sand, stone) should have the suffix of S (sand) according to the information I have written down. It goes from Norma to NS somewhere in Chicago AFAIK.
I also have several lists of UP (& BNSF) codes for origin/destination symbols but couldn't find them.
Thanks anyway gents.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Photography question:I now use a Canon 300D and I'm considering purchasing a 28-135mm lens. Has anyone used a lens like that? Thoughts? I've read reviews from places like DPR and a couple other sites...just checking.
Dan
Thanks Carl for mentioning about not usinf hyphens. I see that a lot on posts on railfan sites. Who do they think we are, the BNSF?
I have a list of codes, but it is old and I don't see any of those listed. The UPHS site may have a list of origin/destination codes, but I don't know how current it is. It may be where I got my list from.
Jeff
Just make sure you continue to be a good influence on him, Dan! I can't help with the symbols. Number 3 would make sense if it were RNMNSX, an extra going from Norma to the NS. No hyphens, by the way, on UP train symbols.
Thanks Carl. He's quite curious and fun to listen to.
I'm wondering if anyone can help me with some UP symbols I'm having a devil of a time decoding. I'll post them below:1) GS-2BICThis train was grain empties that went north through WI and ended up (I think) in Itasca to interchange with CN.
2) G-AICTThis train was loads that went north through WI. I can't figure out AI and I think CT is CSXT in Chicago.
3) R-NMNX-SThis is sand loads from Norma, WI to maybe NS in Chicago somewhere. Sometimes has NS power.
4)O-RPXK and O-RUPPThese are sulphur trains that come out of Roseport, MN (RP and RU) AFAIK. I think PP is Sommers/South Perkin, IL but don't know what XK is.
If anyone has any insight...could you share? PM works too if you're not comfortable putting it here. I'm just curious where these go as I saw or heard them this last spring.
Sounds like you have a very thoughtful kid on your hands, Dan! Pat and I enjoyed that.
zardoz zugmann: Now I have to start staying up all night and sleep during the day. At least it keeps you inside during the hottest part of the day.
zugmann: Now I have to start staying up all night and sleep during the day.
Now I have to start staying up all night and sleep during the day.
Carl - Aedan and I saw an empty UP coalie and he said "Daddy, is that choo choo yellow because he's sick?" I had a good chuckle at that.
Got word today that the first ex-GMTX now CN SD60 has received a new coat of paint. CN 5433 last showed in Centralia, IL in case anyone is interested or close.
zugmann Now I have to start staying up all night and sleep during the day.
I've been recuperating from our vacation, though I've seen a few trains while doing my regular errands yesterday and today.It turns out that I can see as much in the way of useful equipment around here as I can anywhere else I go, once I've broken the ice in that territory. I didn't see much new in Cresson this year when compared to last year; the same applied to North East between last October and this year. (This is not to say that I saw nothing new, and I'll still have to create a few new files to report everything. And you still get different mixes of stuff wherever you go.)
Got some Railfanning in this past weekend and I've updated my Travel Blog with a few photos from the trip.
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
Week's vacation is over. Didn't do much of anything railfan-related, but did clean up a basement room so I can have a somewhat permanent home for my little O-scale collection. (plus a place to run it for the various younger relatives that visit).
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
Carl, I'll wager you will look forward to sleeping in your own bed tonight.
Quentin
Definitely not!I'm not sure we're capable of post-vacation vacationing (we got home four hours ago); we have a lot to catch up on over the next several days. The only advantage to being retired is that we can decide when we want to do these things.But we crammed a lot into this trip. It's been memorable--all in the good sense.
We're delighted to be home, and I'll be out on my bike tomorrow.
Retirement is NOT for sissies...
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
He's retired, so he's on a permanent vacation!
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
CShaveRR Little of both, I'm afraid, SJ. He'll be looking down on me before too many more years. No, that signal seems to be well-rooted. And so am I...ready to drop.
Little of both, I'm afraid, SJ. He'll be looking down on me before too many more years.
No, that signal seems to be well-rooted.
And so am I...ready to drop.
Either you are getting shorter or Matt is getting taller. Did you grab that searchlight signal for me?
Another day, more sightings. I found the Joe when we passed on the other side of the museum at North East this morning (no trains visible on the long straight stretches, and Pat didn't want to wait around for the quilt store to open). Quick trip to Berea, Ohio...Railfans were out in force there, but we only saw one CSX train.
Railfans were also at the future site of the railfan park in Fostoria, where we caught an auto-rack train on the old C&O and a manifest on the old NKP. The Erie-sistible is never where I remember it, but we found it again (I'm always getting disoriented in Fostoria until I get somewhere near the Iron Triangle).
Somehow we missed seeing Galatea and the new connecting track on CSX there, but we saw a bit of the new intermodal facility at North Baltimore. At Defiance we went to dinner at The Station with Joe and Matt (I forgot to order extra fries for him), and CSX treated us to three trains while we were there.
This is our last night on the road; we expect to be home tomorrow. Who knows what we'll find on the way in?
Paul, I took a turn around the museum last night. I didn't see the "Joe", but I knew it was in there. I'd go in today, but they don't open before noon, and we want to be headed west before then (we might not even stay around for the 10 a.m. opening of the quilt shop, unless Pat really wants to...I'll just wait outside, thanks!)We caught the EEC on our trip through the area last October. I'm hoping to get as far as western Ohio tonight; Fostoria is in my sights. It sounds like Joe has a full plate, or we might meet up with his family as well.I hadn't realized that this was the prime area for Welch's, though the vineyards are everywhere. Crazy thing, though: you look up places to eat in North East and the food processors come up (Welch's, some bakery), as well as the vineyards. Very few ordinary restaurants in town; in fact one we went to last October is completely gone.
Watching trains in the presence of the Welch's orchards. That is a neat area up there.
Last time I was up there was when NS was still street running. There was an awesome Italian bakery (and restaurant supply shop) at 18th and Peach streets in Erie called Arnone's.
Carl - did you see the railroad museum there in North East ? It's near the former NYC passenger and freight stations - see this website for map, directions, and brief history: http://www.visitpa.com/lake-shore-railway-museum
Lake Shore Railway Historical Society - website is: http://www.grape-track.org/ ("grape" perhaps because of the predominant local agricultural commodity) Rolling stock list has 10 freight cars, built between 1907 - 1961, plus a "Little Joe" - interested ?
Glad you found North East - in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, of course ! - to be that interesting. Are you going to go by the East Erie Connecting Rwy. ? (GE's 4+mile long test track) Also in Erie is where NS (former NKP) had some street running, but that was relocated about 10 years ago.
- Paul North.
I have about a dozen places in the country that I consider, for various reasons, to be Hallowed Ground. I just "ordained" another one this evening: North East, Pennsylvania. Pat stayed in the hotel room (with a view of Lake Erie) while I went out to a parking spot near a grade crossing, cranked up my new CD (with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Wanamaker Organ), and waited for trains. While I was waiting, a passing shower provided a brilliant double rainbow that ended in a magnificent grove of trees across the way. My hour or so there just before sunset was an all-around success: the two railroads provided six freight trains--five CSX, one NS--in that time (with a bit of good research material), and the CD sounds--and feels--great without car or highway noises interrupting it (and with the volume a bit louder than Pat would appreciate). Maybe I'll take Pat back there tomorrow, when the nearby quilt store is open.
When?
When will I remember that my granddaughter's birthday (today) signals another birthday for one of our most treasured Forum responders...Emily is now six; Mudchicken slightly older.Happy birthday, MC!
On another note, Pat and I spent a couple of hours with Nance ("Wmnb4thrtl"), tramping the grounds of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum and having lunch. Last time we were there she was in the hospital, so it was great to see her vertical and in more fashionable clothing!
Tonight we're in North East, Pennsylvania. I hope to see trains while I am here!
mudchicken Watching IAIS and Omnitrax building new facilities right now. Amazing the amount of $$$$ being spent to placate not-track construction issues. Both railroads have been forced to scale back due to issues outside the railroad or design engineer's control. Monkeywrenching by locals with an agenda is a common story.
Watching IAIS and Omnitrax building new facilities right now. Amazing the amount of $$$$ being spent to placate not-track construction issues. Both railroads have been forced to scale back due to issues outside the railroad or design engineer's control. Monkeywrenching by locals with an agenda is a common story.
Are you referring to IAIS's new maintenance facility at Yocum (west of Homestead, IA)?
I know you guys have to follow all the regs and requirements (#10 turnouts, wide centers between tracks, curvature, etc), and this spot of land wasn't exactly suited for what is now here...plus the $$$$. We lost a dedicated switching lead because of that. Would have been nice, too...
I'm not blaming one party. I know I just see one side of it.
Still saving my pennies, mudchicken. Figure I better think about a new career since everyone wants to automate mine.
zugmann My thought of the day: It's amazing what goes into building a new yard (or yard tracks). But somehow I think that operational needs seem to be a low priority. Oh well.
My thought of the day:
It's amazing what goes into building a new yard (or yard tracks). But somehow I think that operational needs seem to be a low priority.
Oh well.
When (if) I retire, I hope there are enough brain cells left to tell some stories.
....and then there are the busted dreams caused by restricted geometry and/or lack of real estate. Operating people tend to have a sad grasp on what can realistically work. If Zugs is ever out here, we'll show him what happens when mechanical people and operating people leave the design engineers out of the design process. (have two prime examples of those major blunder types close by)
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