Jim, that would have been nice, but I didn't see it until now. I don't think we would have had time for a bite there in Antioch, as it was only 20 minutes before our return train. Johnny had to catch the Cardinal tonight, so we had no choice of trips along this line. I was glad that we could add this to his tally of route-miles...he's now done everything he could possibly do out of Chicago (except for Geneva to Elburn).We had a good trip, and Johnny spent practically all of the eastbound trip looking out the cab-car window. CN has a pretty impressive stretch of railroad there, especially the connection to the old J at Leithton (I forgot what they call the junction now).Had a good visit during the trips, and a good lunch afterwards at Union Station; I trust he's now well on his way to Washington via the Cardinal.Going into Chicago this morning, I had an amazing score of over-under meets. There was a train of grain cars moving on the CN underneath us between Villa Park and Elmhurst. We went under a CP train on the BRC at 40th Street. And when we crossed over the north lead into Union Station near our terminal, all three tracks were occupied by moving Metra trains--two eastbound, one westbound!I found out that last night's wreck was indeed a stack train. Fortunately the derailment didn't happen right at Kedzie, but rather off on the Rockwell Subdivision a few carlengths away from the main line. So our route didn't incur any damage, but I could see a pile of trucks, a cleared-away stack car, and several double-stacks of containers on their sides. Colin Mucha posted something over on Facebook that suggested that this derailment may have been weather-related (stacks blown over, perhaps?).Unfortunately, the day went downhill after I left Johnny standing at the platform...I've got another long post about that. So that will be two long-winded posts, and not a single mention of hand brakes !
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)
In spite of the fact that I'm a railfan who (a) knows what's going on, and (b) has--at least relatively speaking--all the time in the world, this afternoon had to be acknowledged as the Metra Experience from Hell!(No, I'm not talking about the trip to Antioch and back with Johnny Degges...that went very smoothly, in spite of the fact that I couldn't find any blueberries at Antioch. It was after an enjoyable trip, and an enjoyable lunch with Johnny that the fun began. Johnny, I could have stuck around for another hour...)I left Union Station on foot with 15 minutes to get over to Ogilvie and catch my train, the 1:40 (#35) on the West Line. By the time I got to the train, it was pretty packed, and I wound up on the upper deck. Not a problem. I could still see out the window, albeit looking in reverse from an inside-facing seat.A few minutes out, I noticed that we were on the third track from the left, instead of the left-most track. It was interesting to listen to the jointed rail underneath our coach, and we weren't going as fast as normal. I knew why were over there--there had been a surfacing gang at work on our normal track. But then we stopped.
And stayed.
It was the dreaded "A-2 Interlock", as the Channel 5 "investigative" reporters called it...Western Avenue, as we call it. Sometime in the hour after the last westbound scoot passed, it became impossible for UP trains to receive a lineup. An eastbound was already on the other side of the plant waiting to come at us (he, too, was on the slower tracks). The pre-programmed announcement (20 minutes after we stopped) said we "might be affected by signal problems". The next announcement said that we were "running" 30 minutes late due to switch problems. No, we weren't running. The crew did its best to reassure us that the problem was being worked on. Meanwhile, trains on Metra's Milwaukee District kept going by us in both directions (there are Metra trains from three commuter routes, and Amtrak's Chicago-Milwaukee service). These trains have to cross over our route here, and obviously had no problem doing that. A Metra track crew went west on their line. The UP surfacing gang came east on ours, probably after not getting across. More scoots on the Metra line.I finally heard some encouraging radio chatter about 55 minutes after we'd departed (we've gone less than three miles at this point). And the train began to move. We crossed the plant, met the eastbound scoots (yes, there were two by this time, normally an hour apart) that were also now moving, then we got more bad news.Our train crew was getting dangerously close to going "dead on the law"...after twelve hours on duty you can no longer operate your train. So the plan was to make the stops needed through Oak Park (that would be Kedzie and a stop to unload some deadheads at Keeler), and drop all of the passengers off at Oak Park except for those going to the end of the line, at Elburn. We were to wait for the following train, which was scheduled to be "only about five minutes" behind us to pick us up. We stopped at Kedzie, where the westbound "Salad Shooter" train of refrigerator cars was slowly paralleling us (that train, by the way, had come off the Rockwell Sub, so things were getting through after last night's wreck). We stayed alongside him through the stop at Keeler, and finally got ahead of him well before Oak Park. At Oak Park we were on Track 1, the track normally used by eastbound trains. I was hoping the next train didn't come in on 3 (the Salad Shooter was on 2), so this whole crowd didn't have to use the underground passageway and get up on the extremely narrow platform between the tracks. (Stay tuned, folks--this last observation is fraught with irony!)They finally got everybody off the train and away from the platform edge, then took off. So there we sat...the five minutes turned to ten, fifteen...the Salad Shooter came through slowly and stopped at the crew-change platform west of the Oak Park station. Some folks fretted that he'd be going ahead of us, but I could assure them that we were the ones who had the signal for Vale, where the tracks narrow from three to two. Another ten minutes or so, and we could finally see the headlights of Train 37 coming. They came and boarded us all, finally departing a full 30 minutes behind their schedule. After making the extra stop for passengers at Maywood (a stop for Train 35, but not normally for #37), we were running about 35 minutes late. The conductor cheerfully announced that some of us were now an hour and 35 minutes late, but there was no need to stand for this--the coaches up front had plenty of seats. I chose to stand anyway.I got off at Elmhurst, where I had to visit two banks (one about three blocks away) and the hobby shop. A stack train was going east when we stopped, and I missed closeups of two freights while running my errands. One of those was the Salad Shooter, finally able to go west unhindered; the other was an inbound train exclusively made up of frac-sand cars. In spite of the fact that I had only 25 minutes (instead of an hour) to do my errands, I got back to the platform in time for the hind end of the frac-sand train. I crossed to the usual boarding platform on the south side of the tracks, and it only took a minute before the announcement from my old nemesis, Automated Metra Lady: "Attention, Union Pacific West Line passengers: Train 39 to Elburn will operate off [sic] Platform 1--the north platform. Please safely make your way over to Platform 1--the north platform--for boarding. Thank you." Yes, I'm sure of the wording, because it was repeated six times in rapid succession.Then came the normal announcement about the next outbound train expected to arrive in five minutes. I ran to the deli and got myself a drink, and got back with time to spare (after all, I didn't have to cross to the south platform). Then the headlight showed up on the south track. Fine, I thought, he's going to cross over at Park...umm, just where is that crossover?.... "Metra Commuters, your attention please--the next westbound train from Chicago is now arriving in your station..." And he was crossing Haven Street on the south track. I just said, "Time to hit the tunnel, folks!", and the 30 or so waiting passengers safely made our way to Platform 3--the south platform--to board our train which Automated Metra Lady had said would be "operating off" the north platform. It took a while to board the stragglers, but the conductor waited for everyone after some of them poured out the tale of woe, and off we went. Even that wasn't the last mishap to befall us. As we left Elmhurst, I heard the "Another Train Warning System" working. I expected that we'd meet an eastbound freight about then (Automated Metra Lady had told us that the next eastbound scoot, due imminently, had not yet left Elburn due to "late arrival of equipment caused by previous delays"--no big surprise there; I just hope they didn't have to replace that poor, dying crew en route). But no trains blew by us. We stopped at Villa Park. Again, "Danger--another train coming!" And this time it came--a westbound stack train who had been following us on Track 2. We departed Villa Park, matched his speed, started to pass him, then slowed for Lombard as he kept going, having nicely prevented anyone from crossing the tracks ahead of our arrival, if they'd needed to catch us from the downtown side. I was glad to say goodbye to both the stacker and the scoot before heading home.Oh...early in the post I mentioned being disappointed by a lack of blueberries at the station in Antioch. Well, where else are you supposed to go to get fresh Antioch-cidants?
Well, Carl, you are back up to your old tricks. Does it take a bad day at the railroad track (races) to bring it out? I am glad we had no problems with our morning trip, but pleasure all the way.
Jim, I am sorry you were not able to meet with us in Antioch; I would have been glad to meet you.
Since the sun at last came out, I did walk down to the LaSalle Street station to see what it looks like now; I don't think I had been there since 1974, and it has certainly been reworked.
I had a good trip to Washington on the Cardinal, we were only about a half hour late arriving here--and there was no rain. May there be none when I walk back to the station in the morning.
Johnny
CShaveRR ...One further report, closer to home: I believe that all of the tracks for the CREATE project that built the third track around Proviso and the revised connections to the IHB are in service now. There was one stretch of main line that I was in doubt about when I rode the route a week ago (track 3 from Provo Junction to 25th Avenue), but our train rode over that stretch at a decent speed this evening.
...One further report, closer to home: I believe that all of the tracks for the CREATE project that built the third track around Proviso and the revised connections to the IHB are in service now. There was one stretch of main line that I was in doubt about when I rode the route a week ago (track 3 from Provo Junction to 25th Avenue), but our train rode over that stretch at a decent speed this evening.
Just for the record, I checked the C.R.E.A.T.E. website which lists this project as complete as of September 2013 (Project B2 for construction geeks like me who may wish to verify it). From an overhead inspection from Google Earth, this -- the completion of the third main track through Bellwood, Berkeley, Elmhurst and Melrose Park) appears to give the CNW West Line three tracks from West Chicago to the east approaches to Proviso Yard. I'm sure the completion cannot come too soon for the dispatchers. Do long-term plans call for three-tracking the line from Proviso to Western Avenue (I don't know the name of the junction, but the place where the line to Wood Street veers off to the south?
Also, to skip topics a bit, has the UP intermodal terminal at Canal Street been closed down? I recall reading that UP would like to get rid of that terminal, and I was under the impression that it had finally been shut.
Thanks in advance.
CShaveRR Oh...early in the post I mentioned being disappointed by a lack of blueberries at the station in Antioch. Well, where else are you supposed to go to get fresh Antioch-cidants?
Oh...early in the post I mentioned being disappointed by a lack of blueberries at the station in Antioch. Well, where else are you supposed to go to get fresh Antioch-cidants?
Dan
Billio, you are correct about the current status of the three-tracking (to the east end of Proviso).Future plans do in fact call for not only the third track from 25th Avenue (the east end of Proviso) to Vale (where three-track railroading resumes), but also the stretch west from West Chicago to Peck, which would give them three tracks everywhere from Kedzie (the junction with the Rockwell Subdivision) all the way out to Elburn. There are CREATE projects calling for two or three grade separations between the line and streets in Maywood and Melrose Park as well. Another CREATE grade separation, on Highway 38 between West Chicago and Geneva, is well underway.I can't tell you about Canal Street with certainty. I understand that it was closed when UP opened Global 4, outside of Joliet. But then I have heard that some things still go on there, and that it's still switched by Chicago Rail Link, the same folks who handled the switching there for UP. Someone else will have to provide the authoritative answer, though.
CShaveRR Billio, you are correct about the current status of the three-tracking (to the east end of Proviso).Future plans do in fact call for not only the third track from 25th Avenue (the east end of Proviso) to Vale (where three-track railroading resumes), but also the stretch west from West Chicago to Peck, which would give them three tracks everywhere from Kedzie (the junction with the Rockwell Subdivision) all the way out to Elburn. There are CREATE projects calling for two or three grade separations between the line and streets in Maywood and Melrose Park as well. Another CREATE grade separation, on Highway 38 between West Chicago and Geneva, is well underway.
Billio, you are correct about the current status of the three-tracking (to the east end of Proviso).Future plans do in fact call for not only the third track from 25th Avenue (the east end of Proviso) to Vale (where three-track railroading resumes), but also the stretch west from West Chicago to Peck, which would give them three tracks everywhere from Kedzie (the junction with the Rockwell Subdivision) all the way out to Elburn. There are CREATE projects calling for two or three grade separations between the line and streets in Maywood and Melrose Park as well. Another CREATE grade separation, on Highway 38 between West Chicago and Geneva, is well underway.
Speaking of CREATE, I personally believe that it is one of the few joint rail government efforts that makes much sense. I hope that when all the projects contemplated under the present CREATE umbrella are finished, that a second CREATE program would begin. I would hope that the second program spills over into NW Indiana, where the spaghetti maze of CSD trackage continues (mostly) unimproved, and where a few grade railway separations, connections, and rail-highway grade separations could do almost as much good as the original CREATE program. In Illinois, one additional project that would help untangle things on the North Side would be some sort of flyover, by which scoots and the odd Amtrak coming off the ex-MILW at Western Avenue and crossing the CNW main at grade enroute to Union Station could vault over it (or vice-versa). I'd like to see a whole bunch more rail-highway grade crossings eliminated, with particular emphasis on the CNW West Line, BNSF (Chicago to Aurora), and the old Rock Island between, oh, 95th Street and Joliet (maybe even put the ROCK up on an embankment -- above street level -- between 95th Street and Blue Island), the first two of which see significant freight traffic and all of which see mucho passenger traffic. Ditto for some major street grade crossings on heavily travelled stretches if IHB and BRC. I presume other readers may have a few pet projects that they'd like to see done, too, to speed trains along and keep them out of each other's way, and out of the way of highway traffic.
As to whether anyone will have the foresight and brains to keep up the effort, who can say?
There is supposed to be a parallel program in northwest Indiana called the Indiana Gateway Project (or some such). It obviously hasn't gotten as much publicity, probably due more to tight-fisted or impoverished partners not allowing it to go ahead.As for Western Avenue, I think that's pretty on Metra's wish list. I happened to be among the lucky ones caught there last week, but it has been providing problems due to age for months on end. I have heard that they'd like to place the crossing further east, near CNW's old Noble Street Tower, and swap tracks between there and Western Avenue. It's supposed to speed things up for everyone, but I'm not sure how Metra's line would go faster with those curves off the old UP track by the existing tower. A crossing in this spot would afford more headroom out of the coach yards of both railroads before encountering the crossing, though; that would also be to the good.I'm wondering whether, with that mile or so of parallel lines, it would be possible to accomplish an effective crossing of routes with only crossovers, equilateral switches if necessary, and perhaps OWLS diamonds for the UP tracks from the shop, keeping them along the north edge.I'm with you on crossing elimination, though I'm not sure all that many people see it as a solution, but rather as more of a neighborhood blight or destruction.
Yesterday, I had a so-so trip down to Florence, S.C., arriving on time after being as much as half an hour late here and there; there is a good bit of padding built into the Palmetto's schedule between Dillon and Florence. Today, I have had a pleasant day, going to church at a church I had known of almost all of my life, but did not know just where it is. I saw several members of a family I had more or less grown up with for they went to the same school I went to, and I saw one of my school classmates I had not seen since I graduated from high school (1954) As the service began this morning, I rang the bell that had been in my home church-for the first time in fifty-nine years; it had been moved from my home church to this church. Tonight, I leave for the north on the Silver Meteor, and tomorrow evening I will head for the Crescent City.
CShaveRR There is supposed to be a parallel program in northwest Indiana called the Indiana Gateway Project (or some such). It obviously hasn't gotten as much publicity, probably due more to tight-fisted or impoverished partners not allowing it to go ahead. Yeah, I vaguely recall that. I think there were one or two connections between railway lines or something. After the initial ballyhoo, it's as if the initiative dropped off the face of the earth. The only other happenings I'm aware of in NW Indiana are rerouting the ex-EJE line around the Gary Airport runway extension, and CN performing a lot of trackwork to integrate the J into their operations (as a once-upon-a-time J employee, I am delighted to see the property finally coming into its own as "Chicago's Outer Belt," as originally intended -- but that's another story). Anyway, it seems likely that the only way any Northwest Indiana rail network improvement program can be summoned up lies in going hand in hand to NICTD (the agency that funds South Shore passenger service), and maybe even encouraging additional NICTD service on other lines, telling them, "We'll open our lines to your passenger trains, but to make the service work, we'll need some help [read capital and perhaps eminent domain assistance], or none of our trains will get anywhere on time, and the whole schmeer will seem like a bad dream."
There is supposed to be a parallel program in northwest Indiana called the Indiana Gateway Project (or some such). It obviously hasn't gotten as much publicity, probably due more to tight-fisted or impoverished partners not allowing it to go ahead.
Yeah, I vaguely recall that. I think there were one or two connections between railway lines or something. After the initial ballyhoo, it's as if the initiative dropped off the face of the earth. The only other happenings I'm aware of in NW Indiana are rerouting the ex-EJE line around the Gary Airport runway extension, and CN performing a lot of trackwork to integrate the J into their operations (as a once-upon-a-time J employee, I am delighted to see the property finally coming into its own as "Chicago's Outer Belt," as originally intended -- but that's another story). Anyway, it seems likely that the only way any Northwest Indiana rail network improvement program can be summoned up lies in going hand in hand to NICTD (the agency that funds South Shore passenger service), and maybe even encouraging additional NICTD service on other lines, telling them, "We'll open our lines to your passenger trains, but to make the service work, we'll need some help [read capital and perhaps eminent domain assistance], or none of our trains will get anywhere on time, and the whole schmeer will seem like a bad dream."
A few days ago the train ahead of me was hit by a dragging equipment detector. (10000 foot manifest, hit about 2/3 of the way back.) The conductor found the bottom cap of an empty tank car had come off and hit the detector paddles. He reported he had secured it the best he could and it looked banged up, probably from hitting switch frogs/rails and crossings. Anyway, when the dispatcher was repeating back the information he said the bottom cap off of an empty TANKER set off the detector.
While we were sitting behind the guy ahead, the dispatcher called us and asked for our location. Specifically if we were entirely north (actually time table east) of the CP at North Council Bluffs. I stated our head end location, which would've put us a good quarter mile clear of it. He said he just wanted to check because his computer display still showed the rear of our train occupying south of the CP. I've heard things like this before where the computer has advanced before the train has reached or failed to advance after the train has passed a control point. It gives one a lot of confidence in CAD and (in the future) PTC.
Jeff
PTC will not register the hind-end staying behind, if it really happened, since, as I understand it, it only keeps track of the location of the head end of the train. If, however, the signal system showed the remnant of the rear end there, no amount of signal-clearing would let the following train go beyond the last block (at least not at anything over restricted speed). So PTC gains you nothing there.I guess that there's not much difference between saying "tanker" and saying "gon" or "reefer"...it's done all the time out in open railroading. What galls me is "tanker car" instead of "tank car". I think even some of the stylebooks tell journalists to do that.
(1) Jeff: Digital system may be fine, but the clueless non railroaders left to design the thing scare me to death.
(2) Carl: Spent the weekend with "Thomas" at the museum. Scary to see that the adults are dumber than some of the kids. The abuse of the word "train" pales the "tanker" nonsense by several shades......Then there was the kids on a field trip with a list of questions that a teacher had them answer. If I find the teacher, either he/she relinquishes the teaching certificate or gets an old fashioned butt-whuppin'!
I had a good trip down from Washington to the Crescent City. We came into Birmingham six minutes early and left on time--and arrived in New Orleans 1:03 late (1:18 late by Slidell), because of heavy rains. Instead of going around the wye (my illy-designed spell checker did not have "wye" in its dictionary; shame on having such an ignorant dictionary compiler! I did inform the dictionary that there is such a word, as well as the name "Slidell".), we headed in, which was quite advantageous to the sleeper passengers, whose cars were right behind the baggage car.
Among other interesting people on board from Washington, I talked with a couple from Australia, who are enjoying seeing the USA by Amtrak (not in a Chevrolet). The man was knowledgeable of railroad operation, and was interested in what I was able to tell him.
At one meet, we had to back onto the main, for the pass track was occupied (the second such incident on this trip; the first one came when we had back back to track one on the Q because ties on track two were being replaced--there is an extensive program of replacing wood ties with wood ties in eastern Iowa--there is a long stretch of concrete ties in western Iowa. I watched and listened as the conductor on the CZ wielded the monkey tail).
It's bright and sunny here in New Orleans this morning, so I expect to walk back to the station. At 8:30 last night, I did not yield to the temptation to tempt any one on the street to stop me while walking to the hotel.
Off to Chicago this afternoon, where I may see Carl and Pat as well as my nephew and his wife tomorrow!
We'll get down if we can make it, Johnny, but it's not looking good at the moment. We have Mr. Stanley and his Steemers coming early in the morning to clean our ductwork of the post-construction accumulation (as well as anything that may have accumulated over the past 30 or so years). And one of us has to put the finishing touches on our historical society's newsletter, so that it can be printed tomorrow and--we hope--mailed Friday (last chance before the October cover date).Perhaps we'll just have to wave as you head out on the Zephyr. Recommend that you be on the left side of the train if possible, and stay tuned!Today, before doing some work for the Historical Society in the afternoon, I had to retrieve my bicycle from the repair shop (it had sustained a broken spoke...first one this year). This involved driving with Pat to church for our Seniors meeting (we're the juniors at this gathering, usually), then heading out early to catch a scoot to Elmhurst, from which I'd walk the mile and a half to the repair shop, then bike the five or so miles home.A mundane but interesting time before and during the train trip. I got up to the station platform and checked the eastward signals at the Grace control point. Track 1: red over red. Track 2: red over green. Track 3: green over red. First thing I knew was that I wouldn't have to cross the tracks--my scoot would be boarding from Track 3, instead of the usual Track 1. Second thing I knew was that something was coming east on Track 2, and would be crossing over. Which way? Track 1, of course, since Track 3 was already lined up for use. The third thing I knew was that nothing would be coming past our platform from the east, since all three tracks were in play with eastbound trains.So, what's the first thing to show up? A headlight from the east!Fortunately, that train stopped to the east of the crossovers, on Track 2. And sure enough, here comes the WEPX coal train, bearing down on him on 2, but crossing over before he got to him. Before the coal train went out of sight, my scoot arrived. By the time we got down the half-mile or so to the crossovers, the westbound freight was already on the move. We continued our trip, and caught up with the coal train (now on Track 1) before we got to the Elmhurst platform.
I've moved up a couple notches, seniority wise. Two engineers have retired, although one isn't officially done until the first of the month. He's made his last trip and is just going to lay off if his turn works up to the top of the board. He's a railfan and for his last trip he got the UP1995, the CNW heritage unit, and a just shy of 13000 foot manifest to go with it. I heard the train had a couple of UDE (UnDesired Emergency) incidents, but I don't know if it was on his portion of the run or the Nebraska crew's side. Maybe both. He made it to the outskirts of Boone, but died on the HOS. Since our system dosen't allow one to fill out the FRA HOS certification portion of the tie-up when you've died, I wonder how he'll fill it out. He doesn't plan on working again and you have to be on duty to do it. Maybe a written form when he signs the retirement papers?
The other engineer who retired lives in Boone, but was working the Long Pool out of Clinton. The story going around his that he signed his papers, but evidently CMS didn't update his status right away. The robot still called him for a train. He took the call. When his on duty time came, he called up CMS and told a caller that he couldn't make it, he was retired.
I've heard a couple of times CMS trying to call people who have pulled the pin. But he's the first one I've heard who actually took the call.
Jeff - maybe he thought "well, one more time" and then re-thought "and what if I get hurt or have some kind of mishap" and said - "taint worth it!"
J
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Knowing the engr in question, I think he knew what he was doing when he took the call.
I had been planning on working for a day or two after my retirement party, but that would have been anticlimactic. So I went on vacation instead.
__________________
Things could get interesting around Rochelle and environs this fall. A UP news release reports that they'll be working on the track between LaFox and Clinton, including ballast and concrete ties. Right now, Track 1 is concrete ties from LaFox west to Rochelle. The original plans called for concrete ties all the way across the state on both tracks. Having not yet seen the TRT-909 in action, I want to go out that way when they're working sometime.I wonder how much they'll do on the Iowa side, if they've got plans for replacing the bridge over the Mississippi down the road.
I think the tie gang is just replacing bad concrete ties east of Clinton. They spent time this summer working from Denison to Boone replacing ties. I talked to one of the mechanics for the gang and he said they were heading to Clinton next. They weren't using the TRT out here to do this, even though they replaced a lot of ties. At least this time around the ties don't seem to be breaking up as quick. The last time they had a big gang go through, some of the bad spots had new ties breaking just a few days after being installed. Maybe the dry weather is helping, mud holes haven't been much of a problem this year.
I have been a shut-in for a couple of days, watching the Rochelle cam. I see UP & BNSF trains crossing with only 5 minutes clearance. The timing looks very efficient. Today a long W/B UP double stacker passed through only two minutes after a E/B BNSF stacker cleared.
I wonder how they can time it so perfectly.
Bob, since that diamond is an automatic interlocking, essentially first-come-first-served, that neat timing has to be pretty much dumb luck. Of course, a long UP train would give the BNSF train a little chance to cool its heels before the crossing cleared...
Jeff, the release said something about 60,000 concrete ties. That would be about 22 miles of new track, or a whole lot of bad ties needing replacement. Either way, it's not the grandiose project I'd been hoping for.
My bet is a WHOLE lot of ties needing to be replaced. They really need to come back and rework Denison to Missouri Valley and a big part of the Blair subdivision. They've been doing some work on the Omaha sub on the Nebraska side, patch work in spots on the Iowa side of it.
The Iowa side, Mo Valley to Council Bluffs, was getting some bad spots. A couple of times this summer there were a couple of days when the line was shut down for "unplanned maintenance events" for 6 to 8 hours to repair the worst spots.
Rant.
I swear, I missed my calling. I should be designing rail yards. I sure can't do worse than some people.
End rant.
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
I got back home about midnight last night, having arrived in Salt Lake City a little after 11:30. If there were a better connection to the station from the line down from Ogden, we would have arrived sooner--but it seemed that we had to run two or three miles past the station before we could back in (we did not enter the Ogden station and we avoided Cheyenne completely, using the Borie Cutoff as we came up from Denver to the UP main). Now, if we had headed into Denver and the engine could have been run around the train there, the engine would have headed into Salt Lake City, and then been put on the right end---
We ran late all the way from Chicago--even being late at Naperville. We waited a long time at Utah Junction (yes, we started out as though we would be going on the Denver and Salt Lake) after leaving the Denver station before a UP engine was put on the point. I learned that when we are backing into Denver from Chicago, the switches have to be lined by hand.
Mookie, it is just as well that you do not want to come in and wave to me; even though my roomette was on the south side of the train, I slept through Lincoln again!
Carl, I saw your invitation to wave this morning; I did not have time to use the internet in Chicago, for my nephew, Frank, and his wife, Sue, were waiting when I arrived and they went back to Bolingbrook just before I boarded.
We were also over an hour late arriving in Chicago from New Orleans; it seems that there was some problem with freights well below Champaign; I did not hear any particulars.
Oh, yes, I saw a Burlington caboose in Rifle as we went from Grand Junction to Denver Tuesday, two weeks ago.
It's chilly here, now; time for long pants and light jackets. I saw some snow in western Wyoming yesterday.
I should go to bed; I woke up at the usual time this morning.
That was a hectic day for us anyway, Johnny--we were still working on printing the historical society's newsletter until the offices closed that afternoon (then we took it home to finish applying the labels...we tried Mail Merge and had all kinds of problems).
We are up in western Michigan now. Yesterday there was another coke train parked at Michigan City (complete with CSS GP38-2s on the point), and I was able to walk the entire length of it (98 cars), while Pat sat and knitted an entire pair of mittens. I got former numbers off 97 of the 98 CSXT and NYC cars (GRDX, GSNX, SFIX, HLMX, HJVX, one KCLX). Felt good about that until I got into my computer records and found that I only needed about 35 of them. Some of the cars were the same ones I saw there two weeks ago, but that must represent one turn, because (a) I didn't see all of the cars from two weeks ago, and (b) there were still those new ones. But I have series containing nearly 3000 cars to work with here, and those series show a lot of vacancies in my renumbering tables, so any progress is useful. The oldest cars in the bunch are about 35 years old right now, so there is a little bit of urgency there.This afternoon we'll go up to Ludington to visit my mephew and his new house (and new baby!), and I'll make a point of checking out the yard there. Unfortunately, with shorter days, I doubt that we'll head east to Baldwin from there, where I think I could find some old MQT box cars.
Johnny - I told you! Everyone sleeps thru Lincoln. Driver can't take me out to the park w/o me falling asleep on the way!
Wyoming got a lot of snow! I think it might be just a teeny bit early even for them.
Carl - you will have permanent address in Michigan pretty soon. Dual Michigan/Illinois plates on your car? Then you can travel to Illinois to train watch!
SJ, Illinois is still very much home to us, and Michigan is a great place to visit. But you also have to remember that I think of this as the Land of No Trains. I would get stir-crazy in a hurry up here. Today I won't even be stopping at Muskegon on our way to Ludington...I know those cars!However, right now we're getting ready for a dinner with both of my sisters and their spouses, one nephew, three nieces, and a grand-niece. My mother may drop by later. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, when we'll have this whole bunch, plus another two nephews, their wives, and our new grand-nieces, plus my baby girl, her husband, and our new grandson. I'll bring ear-plugs.
BC - serious consideration for short line railroad - The C & P Railroad? Lombard to Grand Haven(?)....or thereabouts.
CShaveRR Looking forward to Thanksgiving, when we'll have this whole bunch, plus another two nephews, their wives, and our new grand-nieces, plus my baby girl, her husband, and our new grandson. I'll bring ear-plugs.
Looking forward to Thanksgiving, when we'll have this whole bunch, plus another two nephews, their wives, and our new grand-nieces, plus my baby girl, her husband, and our new grandson. I'll bring ear-plugs.
The Guinness Book of World records had just confirmed a new record level for sound at a sporting event of 136.6db. http://seattletimes.com/html/seahawks/2021833455_seahawksscene16xml.html
When I was working at Metra with the F40PH locomotives, the sound pressure level inside the engine room while at full throttle was only 128db.
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