Bizarre Rail Operations

[Junctionfan]

I once saw a 185 car CSX intermodal all double stacks. The power was an AC6000CW, SD70M and an HLCX SD40 (black)

[DPD1]

I guess Amtrak's massive train of nothing but Amtrak box cars the other day up the Coast Line would definitely count as odd.

Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

[espeefoamer]

About 10 years ago, I saw a loaded ribbonrail train on the SP,with about 20-30
mixed freight cars behind the ribbonrail cars.Back in the early 60s I saw a train near Santa Barbara with an A-B set of F units,a tank car,box car,Harriman baggage,and Harriman coach.

[ericsp]

I saw an intermodal train today. Most of the cars were loaded. However, there were some up front that were empty while most of the empty cars were in the back. I suspect that it was a Seattle or Portland to LA train. I am surprised they are not worried about stringlining.

[BaltACD]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

I once saw a 185 car CSX intermodal all double stacks. The power was an AC6000CW, SD70M and an HLCX SD40 (black)

185 cars or 185 platforms.....most stack cars today are 3 or 5 platform cars and can be up to 300 feet long....185 x 300 feet/car = 55,500 feet of train....a train neither CSX or I want on my railraod.

[ericsp]

The power for the daily train to Roseville today was 2 SD40T-2 and a MP15. The SD40T-2 were couple together when they were in the yard. They uncoupled them to put the MP15 in between. Anyone know why? Also, the MP15 came down from Roseville and, to the best of my knowledge, just sat at the engine house. I am guessing something is wrong with it. By the way, it is UPY 1298, which was in SPSF paint when it was patched.

[dehusman]

The MP15 was probably spliced in the middle of the consists account it probably doesn't have alignment control drawbars (stops in the draft gear to prevent the drawbar from excessive slewing whan in compression).

Dave H.

[Glen Ellyn]

2 things.

1. That website name you gave me, http://eje.railfan.net/railroadadioonline how do you define eje.

2. Once I saw a Union Pacific train with 2 UP engines in the middle, and a caboose at the end.

[mvlandsw]

A Canadian Pacific stock car hauling lumber on the B&O in West Virginia.

[CSXrules4eva]

OK in my area the greater Philadlephia area I've seen very weird things.

Well anyway two days ago in Conchohockin which is a hip, skip, and jump from Philly I saw a MP15 switcher in NS black and white pulling some spine cars, centerbeam cars,bulkhead cars, and ballast hoppers. I thought that was weird, very weird. These tracks run to Pottstown, PA which is aprox: 25 miles from Philly. It was sitting on a siding at a quary. I would think they would put a two GP40s or GP38-2s to go on this mission.

[Anonymous]

csx-dispatcher,

That is real funny, usually the engineer uses the head of train device to let him/her know when the end of train device is moving so he/she doesn't break a knuckle, etc. And wouldn't the EOT be showing 0 lbs??? Actually, come to think of it, there's a few at my terminal that would do that, sad but true.

[edblysard]

If they didnt have the engineer draw off some air, but just closed the angle cocks, and bottled the air, then tied handbrakes to the cut left standing, and then cut the crossing, the EOT would still show a fully charged line...the new crew mounts up, looks at the EOT indicater, sees it ready and charged...away they go.
Ed[:D]

[Sterling1]

About yonder a few months ago in the summer CSX train and main line in Kississimee, Florida, BNSF locos, two pumpkin jobs(a C44-9W and SD40-2) and one Santa Fe patch job (SD40-2). Was a short all covered hopper train heading north bound to Orlando. The other strange thing was that there was CSX signalman/repairer and two other "officials" because I am not sure of their employ (were in short sleeves and had neck ties with black pants)

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DPD1

If you're talking operations... How about USS Cumberland Mine. They have one SD38-2 that had to be brought in, because the RR is not connected to any other railroad. It operates completely captive.

Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

interesting! Reminisque of the old narrow gauge lines.

[ericsp]

I saw a BNSF H VBCBAR (judging from the cars) on the SP (UP) mainline. I did not find anything about a derailment on the News Wire nor did I find anything about a maintenance blitz on BNSF's website. An Amtrak did collide with a vehicle in Fresno, CA. today, however, that was afternoon, I saw the train this morning. I saw and heard a few BNSF trains on BNSF tracks this evening.

Here is another oddity. I saw a loaded spine car on a mixed freight train today. However, one of the trailers had buckled. The floor at about the middle of the trailer was just about (if not) touching the spine-car.

I got the pictures back today. The floor did reach the spine car.

[fuzzybroken]

I saw a s/b CN/WC train near Duplainville, WI today -- lots of neat freight cars, fallen flags such as Galveston Wharves, Berlin Mills, a C&NW re-mark boxcar... anyways, most interesting was a string of about 10 gondolas with some sort of piping/storage system loaded in the cars. Would have taken pics but the light was already getting bad [sigh] -- I miss the long days of summer...

Oo, looky, I found another old post with my old website address... all fixed now!

[ericsp]

On Sunday (12/26/04) I went out to the site where they will be building an ethanol plant. The company bought an existing grain elevator with a balloon track and it appears some spurs and/or sidings. There was a loaded steel coil train (no locomotives) on the balloon track and a couple of open top hoppers on one of the other tracks. I doubt that it has anything to do with the construction, as it has not started yet and that was a lot of steel. I wonder if they parked it there for Christmas and ran the locomotives light to the nearest yard.

[ericsp]

Today on my way to work, I saw 2 SD40T-2s and 1 SD40-2 pulling a few center-beams with no other cars. I thought at first maybe there was some bizarre reason that made these load a high priority. However, on my way home, I saw these locomotives and cars on the front end of the MFRRV.

[Junctionfan]

I saw a few sulfuric acid tankers sitting in a Casco corn syrup plant once. Don't ask me who the fool was who sent them there in the first place but they were picked up a short time later and Casco was givin the right tankers.

[joegreen]

Early this year I saw a BNSF train with a flat bed that had a vet emergency van on it

[Anonymous]

Does seeing a semi stuck in commute traffic with a trailer-load of brand-new freight car wheelsets count as a bizzare rail operation? ( the wheelsets were still 'as cast grey' color on the wheel faces and "as machined" bright on the treads) It certainly made me look twice. . . I almost sideswiped some cell-phone-addled soccer mom, I was laughing so hard.

(you know things are bad when the railroads aren't even hauling their own replacement parts)

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by crazytechie
(you know things are bad when the railroads aren't even hauling their own replacement parts)

Last week, on Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee, I saw a flatbed truck carrying a new locomotive sheel southbound towards Chicago. Heading for Supersteel in New York, perhaps?

[jabrown1971]

Cheaper and quicker by truck? Used to take cars a week just to reach the INRD from CR at Avon (Indy) yard. If the car arrived from the east, Cleveland, it would get dropped at Avon, sorted and blocked to go to Hawthorne, ex PRR, Yard. At Hawthorne, it would get switched and switched and switched until it found the right cut. Then it would head for the INRD. Once the car got out of Hawthorne, it took 20 mins to get to us. Conversly, if a car arrived Monday on the IC at Newton, by Wednesday it was at it's customer in Indy. Unless the customer was on CR.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jabrown1971

Cheaper and quicker by truck? Used to take cars a week just to reach the INRD from CR at Avon (Indy) yard. If the car arrived from the east, Cleveland, it would get dropped at Avon, sorted and blocked to go to Hawthorne, ex PRR, Yard. At Hawthorne, it would get switched and switched and switched until it found the right cut. Then it would head for the INRD. Once the car got out of Hawthorne, it took 20 mins to get to us. Conversly, if a car arrived Monday on the IC at Newton, by Wednesday it was at it's customer in Indy. Unless the customer was on CR.

I've seen lots of rail car wheelsets traveling by truck. I suppose it is quicker, but you would think even if it took a week longer by rail, it would still be cheaper.

[bluepuma]

I live in Illinois and drive I-80, it seemed odd to see a truckload of wheels going west, wondered where it was headed.

Also drive I-39 to work, have seen a lot of railroad equipment being trucked North, see the rail wheels, yellow paint, think they may have been headed toward Rochelle or points further North in Minn/St. Paul or Madison.

Not sure what is South, perhaps something headed north from St. Louis or Indiana or Kentucky where the machines are made, they looked new. Just seemed odd that they would not be travelin by train.

Don't get to see many odd train loads, just the usual stuff, what was odd was Iowa Interstate near Bureau, IL, with about 7 locos on it, grain hoppers, a year ago last fall, never see that many locos on it, some were blue, leasing company perhaps.

Granville is now on the NS line to Hennepin, formerly Conrail, Penn Central, NYC, stopping at the Steelmill. Have caught some strange power on those trains, BNSF with a small NS on point.

- Tom - Angeleno in a cornfield

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

On Sunday (12/26/04) I went out to the site where they will be building an ethanol plant. The company bought an existing grain elevator with a balloon track and it appears some spurs and/or sidings. There was a loaded steel coil train (no locomotives) on the balloon track and a couple of open top hoppers on one of the other tracks. I doubt that it has anything to do with the construction, as it has not started yet and that was a lot of steel. I wonder if they parked it there for Christmas and ran the locomotives light to the nearest yard.

All of the aforementioned cars are still there.

[Anonymous]

Once I saw a burnt and very badly damaged (entire "body" crushed and dented) GP40 being towed at the end of a CN freight train. I've also seen [empty] double-decker passenger cars tacked onto the end of freight trains. I can't remember exactly what they are called, but they are made somewhere near Sudbury, ON, and are used by commuter railroads around North America. I've seen flat cars with the wings for commercial jets on them.

[ericsp]

With the Coast Line closed and many of its trains detouring via the Fresno/Bakersfield Lines, I would think that it would be getting crowded between Bakersfield and Mojave, therefore, I would think that would want to run as few trains a possible. On my way to work Wednesday morning, I saw a train cosisting of exactly 19 cars and two AC44CTEs (judging from the cars, I wonder if it could have been a MRVLV). Just ahead of it was a train consisting of about 40 cars and two AC44CTEs. I wonder why they were running these two short trains.

[ericsp]

I saw a MRVWC today that was normal length. However, the Oil Can trains was only about a third of its normal length.

[Grinandbearit]

Dragonslayer87 The double deck commuter cars are built in Thunder Bay, Ontario by Bombardier. THey might have been GO transit cars on their way to or from overhaul at one of the various firms that do that work.