If I'm not mistaken, the new CN line will use that underpass as well (which probably helps explain the pile of dirt across your right-of-way at Clarke Junction)._________
As a railfan, I have to love seeing as many trains as I saw this afternoon. I even like how slowly they were moving, in case there were some good cars for me on them. But it can't be enjoyable to the crews, following each other on approach aspects.Still, it was almost like I needed an appointment to get across the tracks today. Let's see...I missed the 1320-1325 time slot after the westbound scoot that started the parade (Track 3), so I got caught behind a string of WEPX empties (one unit on each end), also on 3. As I crossed the tracks to go to the bank, I could see the westbound manifest following--again on track 3. It went past while I was in the bank.After I finished my chore for the Historical Society, I went to the drug store for Pat. My appointment this time was in the 1405-1410 slot, behind the eastbound scoot (Track 1). When I crossed, I saw a flashing yellow for Track 1 at Grace, so something else was coming east, probably sooner than the next hour's scoot. As it turns out, it was a coal train, and it snuck through while I was at the pharmacy counter. I caught the light of the DPU going around the curve, and managed to get across ahead of the westbound scoot, an hour later than the whole thing started.I noticed that Track 2 was not used during the whole thing...wonder if there's track work being done at the new crossovers in Wheaton.Tomorrow, despite the fact that the weather is to be frightful (sleet on top of a good snowfall), Pat and I will be at the Peck House (our Historical Society's nationally-recognized Underground Railroad site), and I hope to have a tab of the trains that go by in the hour or two that we're there. I'm not one of the tour guides, just the whistle-blower who keeps things moving in a timely fashion (yes, I can definitely be a whistle-blower without fear of reprisal for these folks!).
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:
If you were on old 312/ Chicago Ave and were near the new overpass over B&OCT, then you were awful close to the west site I was working on. The cafe appears to be about 6 blocks from the other site.
Former Canadian Federal Agriculture Minister, Liberal Eugene Whelan, died Tuesday at age 88 of a stoke. He was the government minister in charge of the original program to purchase what eventually became the 13,000+ unit fleet of Canadian Wheat Board covered hoppers.
You could always spot Whelan in a sea of men wearing suits, as the man wearing a suit and a cowboy hat.
It is not often you see a government program work as well as that one did.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Keep us informed, MC--maybe things will be going smoothly (both here and there) by the time you return.
Coming home from the North Country with a crust of salt caked on our car from the wet roads, we managed to see a couple of good trains. At Porter, we caught an eastbound ethanol train with CP power. I would have thought that by now I had seen about as many different tank cars with the Renewable Products Marketing Group logo on them, but--considering that the train was moving too fast for me to write everything down--I got a surprising number of new ones (to me), better defining a few series.We went through Gary and checked out progress on the new CN line bypassing the Gary Airport. It's coming along--rail has been laid on a good portion of it, save for the crossing of Old 312, which we were driving on. The existing line is still in use; we saw two CN trains standing on it; one had one of the old EJ&E SD38s, still in orange.Going further west, our way was blocked by a northbound NS at Calumet Tower (this is the last active interlocking tower in Indiana, soon to be automated out of existence...the IHB and CN both cross CSX's main line here; the NS train was on the IHB). The NS train had nothing but auto racks. Rather than wait for it to cross, we turned to run alongside it. It finally cleared going past us to reveal another auto-track train in the opposite direction! There is an amazing layout of trackage that is passed over by Kennedy Avenue near the IHB headquarters building (I will have to go this way more often...looks like something I should be familiar with!).We took Kennedy Avenue down to the Indiana Welcome center, to see the exhibit by Mitch Markovitz. It turns out that he wasn't than involved with the Moonlight in Duneland book...I wish he were, so they would have had it in stock. But both of us enjoyed the posters, portraits, and other artistic displays there, and we saw another NS train sitting on the track a short distance behind the center.Naturally, we had to check that one out...and as soon as we found a way to get close to the tracks (and find a parallel bike-trail that will have to be investigated more later), it began to move. Two cars of interest on this train were some aluminum coal gons, built as recently as 1995 and 1996 for Detroit Edison, that had been relettered for leasing companies. It was startling to see these cars from the current generation of gons (286K rating, over 4400 cubic feet capacity) being disposed of by the power company and going to the secondhand-lessor market. Yesterday was our church's annual auction, and my offer of a train-hunting trip sold for a small amount above the minimum bid set by the people who ran the auction. A friend of mine is asking a friend of his to go along, and they may each be bringing one of their kids. I'll have to talk to him to see when they'd like to go, and in which direction.
Carl: I'll remember to check that place out on the trip back (when it happens, more glitches)
I called it...ice, snow, and no trains here in the land along the shores of Lake Effect.The visit to the Cafe was a good one...blocked by a NORX unit train while attempting to get into the place (it was coming off CSX and onto the South Shore), and saw four moves on NS while we were there (eastbound farm implements, westbound stack, westbound ethanol tanks, and eastbound light engines. Heading out past Burns Harbor, saw half of a westbound NS manifest...second half was obscured by the same coal train that had blocked us earlier, waiting to head into the Bailly power plant (one UP unit on the front, two more on the hind end).
As soon as my wife brings the car home, we are off to the Land of Ice and Snow (and no trains) for a couple of days. We've had one disappointment already; our lunch date for tomorrow, with a distinguished West Michigan artist and historian, was canceled. We're still going to see the opening of his exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
On the way up, we plan to stop at the Great Lakes Cafe in Gary, and hope for trains during lunch. I'll check out my spots for freight cars at Michigan City. And on the way back, we'll stop at another art exhibit (at the welcome center, off 80/94 in Hammond), one by Mitch Markovitz, who's responsible for the book Moonlight in Duneland, detailing the historic South Shore Line advertising posters. His style is very similar to those posters. And if his book is available, I'm pretty sure one will come home with me this time.
PDN - We leased it while it was running on our lines. When the owner decided to sell, we couldn't come up with the cash. GVT did, so now it's theirs.
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...
tree68 Paul - was one of them in green and black? It might still say "Adirondack" on the sides...
No luck today, either, despite being under or within 100 yds. of that railroad overpass bridge about 6 of 8 hours. Only thing rail-related that I saw was a hi-rail pick-up truck going across a signalized intersection ahead of me . . .
- Paul North.
Jeff, our local company nurse assured me that selective hearing is normal at our advanced age. He should have told our wives...
We got something on our Metra service updates about a systemwide signal outage on UP that delayed Metra here for a half hour or so. When the trains got moving, Metra issued a bulletin, thus:
Inbound and Outbound Trains Are On the Move 15-35 Minute Delay The Union Pacific has restored the signal problems inbound and outbound trains are currently on the move and operating approximately 15 to 35 minutes behind schedule.
Glad to know that the problems were so easily brought back...I hope the solutions were that easy!
SP&S 303, BN (and all others up to DL) 4243.
I've had my hand on the throttle, too, albeit not during my tenure as an "official" engineer.
Still a good runner.
billio Conrail was supposed to have been posting positive numbers, and it lost something on the order of $200 Million, then a HUGE number.
Conrail was supposed to have been posting positive numbers, and it lost something on the order of $200 Million, then a HUGE number.
You know that last part, about $200 million being a huge number, for some reason makes me feel old. (That's not suppose to happen until April.) It dosen't seem like that long ago that a million dollars was a huge amount. I have magazine article about the late John Kenefick. There's a part where he's talking to a UP director about purchasing the Western Pacific. The director asked him what it would cost. Mr. Kenefick answered that they could probably get it for $20 million. Now, that amount is a small lottery prize.
Yesterday, I had my triennial vision and hearing exam to renew my license. Everything's OK, no changes in my hearing from last time, despite what my wife thinks.
Jeff
PDN: If you start talking to BNSF's Art C. on the Committee and mention me, I'm gonna have my ears burning before long.
Tree & PDN: Now three of us have seen and photographed that same engine in two or three separate shortlines and paint schemes? (In the 1980's, that thing still had its worn BN paint with small hints of SP&S showing on the Kyle in KS & CO)
Hey Carl, had a new TILX 2-bay sand car in our yard last night. Built date of last month. About time they got those things on the assembly line.
(this one was for foundry sand, not fracing).
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
Paul - was one of them in green and black? It might still say "Adirondack" on the sides...
The light green/dark green paint scheme harkens back to BC Rail, but the locomotives were originally EL.
DL does love their ALCos.
Thanks much, Dan - the photos are as good as I'd expected ! That 2nd photo ought to go to Operation Lifesaver, the FRA, OSHA, and all railroad safety folks - it's just priceless ! Couldn't dream up that kind of stunt - no one would believe it !
So yesterday I'm taking a break from my current "day job" to be on a monthly conference call with the Track Alignment Design Seminar II (TADS2) subcommittee of AREMA Committee 24 - Training & Education (mudchicken's had a lot to do with that - thanks, good buddy !). Anyway, right in the middle of the discussion I hear a rumbling, and not 100 yds. away an eastbound Delaware-Lackawanna train goes by past the Mt. Pocono station site and over the SR 611 bridge at about 15 MPH - with 5 ALCos on the point, no 2 in the same paint scheme as best as I can recall ! Well, no photos, of course - duty (or "hobby 1") before "hobby 2", I suppose. . . Will be back up there today and Friday, so maybe I'll get another opportunity then ??
Billio:
Problem is, CR2 aparently was worse than CR1....Passaic NJ (CR/USRA Line Code 1420) not that long ago hit the fan at STB for a 1990 infraction (CR2 again). You're welcome to join the apologists praising CR, but there is a busload of ex-CR folks praying the statute of limitations runs out before they are found liable for their repeat negligence (I'm dealing with blunders in Line Code 3202, 9707 and 3257 right now) . The basic rules that were broken still apply today for any other Class 1 railroad. Regardless of NERSA, CR was a poor/ sloppy operator right up to the end, saved by a feeble & toothless ICC/STB. CSX and NS are now left fixing the mess left behind.
It looks like everything is on the rail and upright again here; must have just gone to the bottom of the page.Whatever we did, we'd better cut that out (Bruce, your theory is as good as any)!I took a walk from our prairie-home museum (the Peck House, near the Grace control point) home this morning. Only two trains appeared during the 15 or so minutes I was along the tracks, but one tank car in the eastbound manifest (from Des Moines or maybe Eagle Grove) was the last one I needed to have documentation of the lessee for everything in the group. How lucky is that?
As an amateur railroad historian of dubious qualifications (but accasionally profound insights), I will disagree a bit with your characterization of Conrail. Several points: I believe that there were, and that one could point to, two separate lives of Conrail. The first was when Penn Central and the six (or seven, doesn't matter for our purposes) dwarfs came together as one. The company was consolidated by virtue of its name, by virtue of having its people and assest under one corporate logo, and little more. If you travelled to Philadelphia to converse with the people, you'd meet, "Mr. So-and-So, formerly of the PRR/Reading/NYC/EL/etc." None of 'em were considered part of Conrail. Please note that the Red Team/Green Team fissure still rent the company, and guys from the dwarf properties huddled together for safety with peers from their particular dwarf. Takes a long time to get all hands pulling on the oar in unison.
In 1980, Congress re-beefed up USRA to determine what was wrong with the plans drawn up for a merged and profitable Conrail. Conrail was supposed to have been posting positive numbers, and it lost something on the order of $200 Million, then a HUGE number. USRA's findings suggested that even with the consolidation, the road had too many terminals, too many branch lines, was saddled with onerous labor agreements and oppressive rate regulation, and thus, hauled too many carloads at a loss. In short, it needed to go on a diet and shed lines, terminals, extra people, and then streamline the way it went about doing business. The fact that its first CEO, Edward Jordan, came from the insurance business and knew less about railroading than my darling wife -- Bless her!!-- didn't help much.
A shot in the arm came when Jordan resigned (maybe someone "suggested" he do so -- I couldn't say), and Stanley Crane came in from Southern Railway. Also came NERSA and Staggers Acts, much written about here, which together meant better management quality, much, much less internal wrangling, especially among camps from the different roads that made up Conrail, the ability to raise and lower rates, to surcharge non-compensatory traffic, to abandon non-compensatory branch lines without the usual ICC bumpf, and more, and if earnings did not pick up to the point that the property became "profitable," then it could be sold off and its best parts cherry picked by roads eager to establish a market presence in North Jersey, Detroit, the coal fields of Pennsylvania, and more places. In other words, if you were a management employee with any vestiges of seniority and perks accruing therefrom you better get with the program or go to work painting lines in parking lots or something.
Conrail's managerial quality and earnings both began to rise. And stupid stuff like laying new 136# rail on nothingburger lines in Northern Indiana began to fall off. Conrail I and Conrail II, I call these phases of Conrail life. Different as chalk and cheese.
WOW! You were really fortunate to get the train stopped given the visibility issues in the first of the linked photos.
Good job Dan!
Here's pictures for you Paul (and others).
Our first location. Train had just stopped rolling forward.http://flic.kr/p/dTBLgh
Our second location. Train was stopped and removal process under way again.http://flic.kr/p/dTBLoh
Don't blame me for the forum software...I just post (volunteer) here!
Dan
Carl: Your memory is correct and I have the Cline Ave documents, but lo-and-behold the exact limits of the abandonment are unknown to STB or anybody else. Weird. (wanna get out and jump on the grave of CR and those who keep saying how wunnerful CR was..... compared to whom? Second rate INMHO in how they complied with railroad business regs.- they either cheated or were inept ..and the same things keep cropping up) Putting the puzzle together in the 'hood here is fitting.
A casino owns some of that old R/W (they don't really want it - story there) , what CSX still owns, you can't get to (x-ing frogs at Tolleston and Clarke Jcn are out and now CN-EJ&E put a giant fill over part of it near Clarke Junction (1" sapplings coming up in the ballast cribs, brand new 136# CWR laid by CR in 1979-80 w/ no anchors, never used (Mill scale still on the rail))...strange, strange neighborhood
MC, that time frame coincides, I think, with when Cline Avenue (Route 912) was extended and brought around (the bridge they built is currently being torn out; structural problems). I remember hearing how all three routes in the vicinity (NYC, B&O, PRR) were supposed to be squeezed together, but then the PRR side was downgraded. I know the track still is in there to serve the mill, but don't really know whose it is.I wonder where we go to get this fixed...it looks good until you hit the "post" button.
(1) If software or a computer CPU is involved, and the IT Department has not de-gaussed recently and I'm as far away from the office as possible...It was me!
(2) Carl: Have not gone back yet. CSX is dragging it's feet on the permitting issue. (Anything to annoy NS)...Having major problems with how CR procedurally abandoned the Ft Wayne Line, built a line change 1978-81 and sold off the old main between Buffington and Whiting. Stuff does not fit.
Paul,
I know it's not really Dan's fault; I just wanted to give him "the business".
Although.......Dan has been noted to be a troublemaker from time to time....
Something sure as heck has gone haywire.
It is not the first time I have seen this problem. I can't say for sure this time, but I have noticed a correlation between users posting their messages from phones, and this problem occurring. I think it might have something to do with a miscommunication of margin settings.
Ditto, except for the "It's all Dan's fault" part - it seemed to really go haywire with my lengthy post above.
I'm also wondering if those guys with the lift also like to take it on shortcuts across Interstate highways, and the runways of busy airports ???
Also, didn't the plant know that the gate in their fence was being opened by these guys ? If not, why not ? How did the plant know they weren't trespassers ? What kind of gate leads to a railroad track without a crossing anyway ? Lots of unanswered questions here, too !
Might be worthwhile for the railroad officials to visit the plant manager, plant engineer, and chief safety and security guys, and explain to them some facts of life along a busy Class I railroad track . . .
Yeah, this thread has become a real mess. It's all Dan's fault. The other threads look ok to me.
CShaveRR Hmmm...it looks like a redecorating effort in the Lounge has gone horribly wrong. Is anyone else seeing this thread strangely? I've not noticed this on any other threads here in the Forum.
Hmmm...it looks like a redecorating effort in the Lounge has gone horribly wrong. Is anyone else seeing this thread strangely? I've not noticed this on any other threads here in the Forum.
Off and on. Seems like everything is mashed together?
Must be changing out the hamsters.
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