Thanks. Milwaukee I understand.
Dan
Nice work. Especially the last one. Re: the last one -- ex-SOO Line?
I'm not sure if any of you in the Lounge use ATCS - but after a few more exchanges of messages & hardware there will likely be more server coverage starting at Stevens Point, WI and going northward along CN's Superior Sub. Most exciting - we're hoping for a web-radio feed out of Stevens Point. Shootin' fish in a barrel...sometimes.
Here's a few of my recent photographic attempts. C/C welcome.
CN train W817 with a recently redone ex-Oakway SD60 leading just west of Neenah.
Flickr Link:http://flic.kr/p/dvpa1bEmpty coal train C702 heads south through Neenah, WI:Flickr Link: http://flic.kr/p/dviyWv
Another of Uncle Pete's GE's stretches it's legs leading yet another C702:
Flickr Linkhttp://flic.kr/p/dopqmr
Wisconsin & Southern's L597 (Horicon - Markesan) job heads back towards the Oshkosh Sub to complete their work for the day. I've always wanted to photograph a train along this branchline - just never envisioned a shot like this one. I'll take lucky over good any day!
Flickr Linkhttp://flic.kr/p/dnCAaa
Enjoy.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I sincerely thank you for your kind words; they really mean a great deal to me.
zardoz If I may, I would like to direct your attention to the 2013 WTMJ-tv (Milwaukee) Weather Calendar. This calendar is published by the tv station to help generate money for a local charity. The station solicits viewers to submit weather-related photographs, and the best 13 get chosen for the next year's calendar. It only costs about $5, and $1 of that goes to the charity.However, this year is a little more special for those of us who like trains. The front cover of the calendar features a photograph of a CP train, along with a thunderstorm in the background.And what makes this special calendar even more special, is that the above-mentioned photo was taken by yours truly. Not only did my photo get the cover this year, but the calendar also features three other of my photos.Please pardon my self-aggrandizement. Here is the photo: 2013 Calendar by Jim53171, on Flickr In case you're interested, here is a link to the tv station's promotion of the calendar: http://www.todaystmj4.com/events/whatshappening/180230441.html
If I may, I would like to direct your attention to the 2013 WTMJ-tv (Milwaukee) Weather Calendar. This calendar is published by the tv station to help generate money for a local charity. The station solicits viewers to submit weather-related photographs, and the best 13 get chosen for the next year's calendar. It only costs about $5, and $1 of that goes to the charity.However, this year is a little more special for those of us who like trains. The front cover of the calendar features a photograph of a CP train, along with a thunderstorm in the background.And what makes this special calendar even more special, is that the above-mentioned photo was taken by yours truly. Not only did my photo get the cover this year, but the calendar also features three other of my photos.Please pardon my self-aggrandizement.
Here is the photo:
2013 Calendar by Jim53171, on Flickr
In case you're interested, here is a link to the tv station's promotion of the calendar:
http://www.todaystmj4.com/events/whatshappening/180230441.html
......What a dramatic appearing photograph.....!
Quentin
Today started out being an inspection trip for an "Overland Route Three-tracking Update," but it soon got a little more interesting.In the ten minutes or so before my train arrived, two stack trains went through, one in each direction.
East of Elmhurst, it appeared that the switch was lined for the new main track, but there was a derail on the track a short distance beyond, so it still appears unused.
The new station platform and tunnel at Berkeley has been completed--the new Track 1 moves away from the other two to accommodate the platform. The bad news...they expect that nobody will want to board or get off the trains from the north side of the station area, or cross all three tracks at this point. The platforms permit access to trains on any of the three tracks, but there is no way to get across Track 1...and if you step across the tracks you encounter a guardrail without a break in it. On many occasions, this had been my way to go to work--either on the train or crossing here with my bike. Guess it makes more sense to walk or bike in from Elmhurst now, but I haven't tried it, of course.East of Berkeley, just before Bellwood, we encountered a westbound manifest freight from the NS...we were on Track 2 and it was on Track 3 (my new designations--don't know how official they are yet). It was moving as we stopped for the Bellwood station, and was long enough that it was still crossing under the IHB when we got there. The Bellwood station still has its temporary platform on the north side; they can't lay the new track through here until it's replaced. The tunnel here appears to be close to completion.At the east end of the yard, an NS train was ready to follow us out. I thought that I'd wait for it on the platform at Oak Park when I got off, but things didn't work that way. The store that I thought was in downtown Oak Park wasn't...and I passed by the Five Guys while looking around for it. So it was into there for lunch, then into a bookstore to look for something special (they didn't have it), and by the time I got back to the platform the train had gone by and was sitting to the east.In the half hour I was waiting for a scoot to take me back west, one eastbound stack train went by. Plenty of action on the adjacent CTA line, where most of the cars were new ones in the 5000 series. Their LED destination signs really show up!My train arrived, and I got on to head home. However, we crossed over at Provo Junction, which took the brakeman a bit by surprise. Then an announcement came from our conductor that the train was going to be on the center track for the Elmhurst and Villa Park stops, and everyone had to get off from the rear car (the stop had to be made at the York Road crossing, so the "spot" had to be pretty accurate. I decided I'd get off there. The conductor in the rear car told me that a disabled freight was on Track 3 somewhere between Elmhurst and Lombard, and they'd use the crossover at Lombard to get back to that track.As it turns out, the freight was stalled in Elmhurst, and we were passing its hind end before we got to the station. So passengers had to be let off on the north side of the train, and would have to cross the open track to get to the platform, The northbound track was due to be occupied by the eastbound scoot, but he was stopped west of the station until our train got out of there.
As soon as the scoot left, I noticed a car on the freight that I'd seen before...this was the train from NS that I'd passed when going in to Oak Park, so he'd been there for nearly two hours already! I took advantage of his bad fortune to check out (from a safe and trespass-free distance) the cars I'd missed when we passed it. That was a good move, because I could tell a blocked driver who asked me (I must still look like a railroader!) which crossings to the west were open.Back at the station, I crossed under the tracks through the tunnel, as my view of the freight would have been obstructed by another eastbound freight (stacker). Brakes were releasing, but I walked a good three or four city blocks further before it started moving east. So I stopped walking east and headed back. The train stopped again, and I decided to walk back to the station. As I did, the train began backing up. More information gleaned from passing cars (I was on the platform by now, and close to them), and after the power passed by I noticed that the train was backing into the yard. Interesting that it could do that, because he had not come forward enough to clear the control point (perhaps the managers present were able to operate some switches by hand). The train was sitting just in the clear when the next pair of scoots came through, and I boarded the westbound for Lombard.Should I be allowed to derive this much excitement from such an unfortunate situation?
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)
There are plenty of other lines that operate bits and pieces - I deal with one every time I run. Maybe they're then next GVT or G&W...
Zardoz - Nice work!
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...
CShaveRR Just saw a report that Joe and Matt's favorite railroad (the MAW...Muncie & Western) has been sold to the Southern Michigan Railroad. I'm not sure if this is a hopeful development or not, The two lines don't connect.
Just saw a report that Joe and Matt's favorite railroad (the MAW...Muncie & Western) has been sold to the Southern Michigan Railroad. I'm not sure if this is a hopeful development or not, The two lines don't connect.
Bottom Feeder + Bottom Feeder = Mess?
Pretty cool stuff Zardoz.... take a look at his photostream. He's been holding out on us.
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
WOW--very nice! WTG and congrats!!
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
Attaboy Jim!
Stunning subject, great shot, Jim!
That's a beautiful picture, Jim. Have you thought of going into landscape painting photography?
Johnny
OK that's cool! Where weather fan meets railfan.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Finally, some action to report on the construction of the new Control Point Y024 ("Wheaton") on our main line. Since decent sweatshirt weather has remained with us, I biked out that far to have a look.Four crossover switches have been put into their tracks. Both of the crossovers involved are between Tracks 1 and 2, and they are adjacent to each other, between Chase and Washington Streets. This layout is already different from the crossovers at Lombard, five miles to the east.
From all appearances, one crossover between Tracks 2 and 3 will go in the next block to the west (between Washington and Cross Streets), and the other will go in to the east, between Chase and President Streets. As with the Lombard crossovers, they will be designed so trains could cross all the way over in either direction.
Prefabricated footings for the eastward home signal bridge have been put in place near Cross Street. I couldn't find the footings, installed or otherwise, at the east end of the construction area. A separate pole has been installed for the PTC antenna near what will be the east end of this control point.Chase Street still hasn't been closed off, as expected. It doesn't appear that closing it will be necessary for the crossover to be positioned, though it might extend far enough west. Interestingly, the three blocks over which this control point will stretch are roughly equal (0.23 miles) in length. One of those blocks held two crossovers comfortably. I'd be surprised if they couldn't fit a single crossover into the other blocks without interfering with the streets. Still, the pedestrian tunnel with which Chase Street crossing will be replaced is installed--only the approaches need to be done for that to be functional.
Speaking of tunnels, the Taylor Avenue overpass in Glen Ellyn was worked on over the summer. Turns out that the steel girder bridge was replaced with concrete sections under traffic. The bridge still has only one traffic lane under it, controlled by traffic lights. An interesting installation on the side of the bridge I saw was a solid steel bar (square), a good six inches thick, designed to protect the concrete structure from excess-height incursions. The abutments have also been completely replaced.Further east, there's nothing new on the Great Western Trail overpass in Lombard. Decorative concrete walls are still being installed on the abutments leading toward the bridge over the UP main line, while decking is being completed on the street overpasses on either side.Oh, yes...while I was out looking at tracks, there were trains running over them. I noted two manifests, three stack trains, three coal trains (one each WEPX, WPSX, and CWEX), an auto-rack train, the usual complement of scoots, and a track geometry car checking out Track 2. All of this action (plus some I may have missed while doing my work at the Historical Society) took place in about 3.5 hours.
The notepad that contained the one entry that caused all of those files to be created, updated, and/or corrected has been finished, and all of those files have been backed up. On to the next one--a spiral-bund "paper trail" from 2004.From the studies dealing with Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail, it appears that the Chicago-to-Joliet portion of the route is going to be via the old Rock Island! It will apparently be cheaper to get this route in shape, in spite of the fact that the entire line will be getting a third main track (that means all of the Metra stations will have to be modified in some way, a connection between the old RI and the old PRR will have to be done over the old Chicago Junction tracks (which will be two-tracked over the Dan Ryan Expressway), and that a new two-track connection between the RI and the old GM&O at Joliet will be put in (also meaning that any station that serves these Amtrak trains can't be right at the crossing). All of this is supposed to be done by 2017. Plans also include upgrading the route through Springfield, and four-tracking the existing two-track bridge across the Mississippi River near St. Louis!
We are back home, after a trip back through the woods and over the rivers, through the white and drifting snow graupel.
We were welcomed back to railroad country by an eastbound NS manifest at Chesterton, Indiana. Unfortunately for me, a westbound manifest chose that moment to go past, obscured by the eastbound.
We then raced a NICTD train west from Ogden Dunes through Gary before our paths diverged. He ran interference for us at a few crossings, and it was fascinating to see sparks from the pantographs as he got further ahead of us. Also, the newer signals on the SouthShore main line go out almost immediately after a train passes them. In the hole at Miller was a short CSS freight, with two of its GP38-2s. And an eastbound CSX train crossed under the NICTD train east of Miller. Had there been a way to see him more closely, the pursuit would have ended right there.
Grading for the new CN main line around the Gary airport was encountered west of town. An overpass will cross both CSX and this new line on old U.S. 12. The new line will cross former Indiana 312 with a grade crossing.Dan, a photograph of four of the new CN units (including the three you mentioned) was on that other railroad website today.
I had a lengthy rant on that subject at Facebook...I thought I was the only one to feel that way. I've been away from the computer for almost a week - but I'm back now. I hope everyone ate copious amounts of turkey/etc today...back to reality tomorrow.
On a side note - three of CN's newest locos are now in Toronto, ON heading towards service. ES44ACs 2801, 2803 & 2804 all arrived there this morning - so says a source of mine. The total order from GE at this point will be 35 units: 2800-2834. Next year they are supposed to get 30 SD70ACe units: CN 8100-8129.
Off to browse the fora...
CShaveRR Don't go out shopping on Thursday...that just further cheapens a holiday that already has strayed too far from its original intent.
Don't go out shopping on Thursday...that just further cheapens a holiday that already has strayed too far from its original intent.
I'd say both.
A happy--really happy--Thanksgiving to everyone here. Peace and joy to all gathered with you.
And thanks, everyone!
Uh--thanks a bunch; got it now.
I thought we could edit our own posts.
Edit - yes we can. It's the pencil at the bottom of the window....
Oops, that's on my end, not on theirs.
Can we no longer 'edit' our own comments, I guess, huh? That's a shame...
A very happy and healthy Thanksgiving to one and all!!Take good care.
(If I can't get my subscription renewed here pretty soon, I could be booted off here...for good! )
But I think the big push has been to promote holiday shopping. Clearly you're shopping for necessities, Jeff. Perhaps an extra "thank you" to the person who's staying away from family to work then would be in order.Our yard experience was a bit different from yours on the road. Once you're gone, you're gone, and there's no guarantee of when you'll be home. We had to work for eight hours, maybe longer if the job got stuck or the shift after ours was annulled. But there generally seemed to be a good balance between those who wanted the holidays off and those who wanted the overtime. And, at least in our yard, most of the yard jobs were given the holidays off.
While I don't plan on hitting any big (or small for that matter) box retailers, I do plan on stopping for coffee at the 24 hour, 7 day a week convience store on my way to work Thursday. I hope that's OK, since that technically is shopping.
With luck though, currently my "mark" is for 1 AM Friday. Of course I'm expecting "Holidayitis" to move me up. So far, that malady hasn't struck yet. It didn't help that they went on an extra board cutting binge the last few weeks. Lately, about half the board in the active column are unavailable due to Federal Requirement, the other half are in undisturbed rest. (Not to mention that the extra board people aren't immune to "Holidayitis" either.) Going to work as soon as they become rested which leads to them eventually (6 or 7 consecutive days) going into the Federal Requirement status.
Jeff
CShaveRR [snipped - PDN] . . . And do me a favor? Don't go out shopping on Thursday...that just further cheapens a holiday that already has strayed too far from its original intent.
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