Trains.com

Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

373229 views
3712 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 5 posts
Posted by cp9300 on Thursday, December 18, 2014 2:49 PM
Just saw a UP 3 units with 28 reefer cars. What train and how often does it run?
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,020 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, December 18, 2014 5:04 PM

cp9300
Just saw a UP 3 units with 28 reefer cars. What train and how often does it run?

Might have been the "Salad Shooter," but I think that usually has more cars.  No idea what the local train designator would be.

LarryWhistling
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...

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 192 posts
Posted by MrLynn on Friday, December 19, 2014 10:16 AM

Re "rockin' and rollin'": Just saw a UP eastbound intermodal on the near track, running pretty fast, and the trailers and containers were rocking a lot.  So if it's a problem, it hasn't been solved.

Wednesday (I was actually on a Amtrak NER train No. 86 from Washington, DC to Route 128 [near Boston] yesterday, and didn't try to test Amtrak Connect wireless with the Trains webcam) I saw a UP train coming from the NW actually stop and wait for a BNSF train coming from the SW. I could see the lights of the UP through the trees.  Didn't know they stopped so close.

/Mr Lynn

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, December 19, 2014 12:16 PM

I saw the same thing.  I was concerned enough that I started recording the video on my PC to capture the accident if that train didn't get stopped...  There was nothing I could do to prevent it, so maybe a video record of it would help investigators.

But I think you have your directions rotated 90°... the camera faces west so the UP line runs SW -- NE and the BNSF line runs SE -- NW... so the UP train was approaching from the SW and the BNSF train was traveling from SE to NW.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 192 posts
Posted by MrLynn on Friday, December 19, 2014 1:18 PM

Semper Vaporo

I saw the same thing.  I was concerned enough that I started recording the video on my PC to capture the accident if that train didn't get stopped...  There was nothing I could do to prevent it, so maybe a video record of it would help investigators.

But I think you have your directions rotated 90°... the camera faces west so the UP line runs SW -- NE and the BNSF line runs SE -- NW... so the UP train was approaching from the SW and the BNSF train was traveling from SE to NW.

I guess you're right.  I was assuming that I was looking north, so Clinton would be NW.  I should look at a map!  Anyway, the UP that was waiting was headed toward Proviso, and the BNSF was heading toward Savanna.

I just came back after being away for a couple of hours, and there were a couple of guys welding.  They scampered off for a UP intermodal (with five locos), which came through with no apparent rocking.  Now they are back with what sounds like a drill or saw, but they are also welding.  Wish we could do a close-up with the cam.

Looks like those diamonds need constant attention!  You have to wonder if it would be worth the very large expense of building a flyover.  

/Mr Lynn

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Champaign, IL
  • 185 posts
Posted by DennisHeld on Friday, December 19, 2014 2:04 PM
MrLynn, Both BNSF and UP will bring their trains right up to their respective signal bridge. I've seen 2 eastbound UP's right up to the signal bridge while waiting for a westbound BNSF. While I was at the park. Kind of inconvenient for motorists using the fairly active road just to the west of the signal bridge.
  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, December 19, 2014 2:33 PM

Dennis, how long has it been since you've been there?  I believe that road has been closed off for at least a year.  It was a handy way to get to the park from the west; I don't know much about alternatives.

It looks like the home signals on the UP side are much closer to the diamonds than those on BNSF.  You can see both UP signal bridges in the webcam.  The BNSF's westbound signals are between Ninth Street and the range of the webcam, but the eastbound signals are somewhere around the curve.

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)

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, December 19, 2014 2:49 PM

Looking at Google Earth, it seems that State 38 (Lincoln Highway) still has a crossing there, but straight through connection to 1st Ave is broken so to come in on that highway one must make a 2 blocks south detour to get to 1st Ave again.  But the crossing is still there and it is about 800 ft from the diamonds.

About the same distance to the 1st street crossing to the east.

U.P.s signal bridge (on the right side of the camera view) is 260 ft from the diamonds and the other one (about the center of the camera view) is about 175 ft from the diamonds.

BNSF's signal bridges are put of the cameras view... the east one is about 520 ft from the diamonds and the west one is around the curve about 870 ft away.

 

EDIT: additionally, the U.P. signal bridge on the west side of the diamonds might not be visible to the engineer until the engine is across the Lincoln Highway grade crossing because of the trees that line the ROW on the south side (inside of the curve).

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Champaign, IL
  • 185 posts
Posted by DennisHeld on Friday, December 19, 2014 6:58 PM
CShave, well, it has been a couple of years since I've been to the west of the diamonds, but I was there twice this summer. But only at the park and to the east. I used to swing around to the north of the diamonds to get to the west and take the highway out west to eyeball Global III. But I haven't had the time in the last few trips to do so. The east side has changed a lot. Especially the yard on the east side. So has the access . So it doesn't surprise me the west side has changed. Nonetheless, several years ago, UP eastbounds often pulled up on both tracks right to the signal bridge while awaiting a BNSF. Blocking the highway for the duration.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 267 posts
Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Saturday, December 20, 2014 10:53 AM

Just watched one of the locals almost buy the farm... 

He was walking from south to north, and entered the BNSF ROW near the switch for the industrial track.   A westbound UP hopper train had just started across the diamonds on the south track, and the gentleman waited for it to clear at the point where the grass ends.   As the rear DPU cleared, he started to walk toward the UP ROW. 

From the camera vantage point, the viewers could see and hear an eastbound UP soda ash train approaching on the north track.  I immediately realized the gentleman would not be able to see or hear the eastbound, which cleared the DPU of the westbound  just a few feet west of the diamonds. 

He was almost to the edge of the ties of the south track when he looked up and saw the eastbound.  He quickly retreated to the park - but I'll bet that the grass will be just a little greener next summer at the spot where he was standing.  

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: northern il.
  • 142 posts
Posted by rdettmer on Saturday, December 20, 2014 12:23 PM

i saw that also and a while i saw a cat wierd hey?

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 267 posts
Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Saturday, December 20, 2014 6:44 PM

El Gato (or perhaps Los Gatos) is a regular visitor - I see him about once a week.

  • Member since
    May 2007
  • 194 posts
Posted by nyc#25 on Sunday, December 21, 2014 10:26 AM

Why do I constantantly log on even though I hit the "remember me"

box?

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
Posted by rdamon on Sunday, December 21, 2014 10:53 AM

nyc#25

Why do I constantantly log on even though I hit the "remember me"

box?

 

 

Are you blocking cookies?

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Monday, December 22, 2014 4:12 PM

Welders appear to be back working on the diamond - after the normal 3 PM quitting time.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    April 2011
  • 79 posts
Posted by JimInCR on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 9:53 AM

The welders were still there at 6pm working by flood light.

Today I saw something I hadn't seen before.  Two Eastbound trains on the UP at the same time.  The slower one, a container unit train, on the near track being passed buy a faster one on the far track.

Jim in Costa Rica

Modeling freelance Northern California late 1930s

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 192 posts
Posted by MrLynn on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 3:40 PM

There are three guys right now (c. 4:30 EST) banging on something in the near (to camera) corner of the diamonds.  They had to sit and wait while a couple of BNSFs went through.  Uh-oh, UP coming through right where they were working.  I guess whatever they were doing didn't affect passage.

/Mr Lynn

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • 44 posts
Posted by gp18 on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 4:55 PM
They are making a lot of money working on the diamonds. It appears to me that the problem may not be the diamonds,but main SW track connected to it. Cars with a high center of gravity seem to rock the worst, loaded covered hoppers, doublestacks, TOFC's. I wouldn't put it past Union slugs to perpetuate an O.T. job.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 267 posts
Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 5:54 PM

JimInCR

 

Today I saw something I hadn't seen before.  Two Eastbound trains on the UP at the same time.  The slower one, a container unit train, on the near track being passed buy a faster one on the far track.

 

The container train was just getting under way from Global III just west of town - eastbound G3 departures have to use the south track through Rochelle and 3-4 mile further east before they can cross over to the north track.   Depending on the priority of the container train (or its delivery time slot  in Chicago), he may have fallen in behind the eastbound, or passed him a crossover or two  further east.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,020 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 24, 2014 7:20 AM

gp18
I wouldn't put it past Union slugs to perpetuate an O.T. job.

I have issues with unions sometimes, too, but that was unnecessary.  'Nuf said.

LarryWhistling
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...

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, December 24, 2014 10:42 PM

Thinking that maybe the fine folk that know about the camera workings, might have subscribed to this thread and thus have not seen that another thread was started about the camera being unusable for some people (me included).  All we see is a gray rectangle instead of the picture.  But it apparently works for some people.

 

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/242897.aspx

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2014
  • From: Muskogee Oklahoma
  • 185 posts
Posted by MKT Dave on Thursday, December 25, 2014 8:03 AM

Just watched a BNSF tank with dpu fly eastbound. i'm using Safari for windows. Up till yesterday, my explorer worked fine.

 

...
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Allen, TX
  • 1,320 posts
Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, December 26, 2014 4:12 PM

Spinning Nut

Just watched a BNSF tank with dpu fly eastbound. i'm using Safari for windows. Up till yesterday, my explorer worked fine.

Nothing happening right now but I watched an eastbound UP manifest go through a while ago (I should say I saw the last of it --- missed the head end).

IE 11 seems to be working just fine on a Win 7 laptop and a Win 8 desktop here.  Sounds to me like you installed some software that "doesn't play nice with others".

I'll stop now before I get on my Toy Computers soap box (I'm an old Big Iron mainframe guy).

Edited to add:

BNSF just sneaked a westbound oil train through (sneaked = again I looked away and missed the power).

IE 11 performing just fine.

Chuck
Allen, TX

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, December 26, 2014 4:55 PM

Yeah, I started on an IBM 1401 and gratudated to a IBM360 before going to a VAX... and then things started to get smaller... HP-2100, HP21-MX and HP-1000, then a SWTP 6800 and it has just gotten worse after the Atari 400!  hee hee hee... but Windors 7 is fine and the Win-10 technical preview release is not too bad... so far.

 

EDIT... I forgot to add the Univac SS-90 that I had in my garage!

 

As for the present problem... If you go read the "other" thread you will see that we are all now able to view the camera again.  I regularly clear cookies and all that other stuff that often clogs up the system and it did no good this time, so I am figuring somebody changed something at the camera end (or inbetween) and have either "Fixed" it or reverted back to a previous version.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Sunny (mostly) San Diego
  • 1,920 posts
Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Friday, December 26, 2014 7:02 PM

Semper Vaporo
... so I am figuring somebody changed something at the camera end (or inbetween) and have either "Fixed" it or reverted back to a previous version.

Clearly a "but it's only one line of code" moment.  I've been over the wall for eleven years now, and I still get shivers when I think about hearing that line.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,020 posts
Posted by tree68 on Friday, December 26, 2014 7:45 PM

Don't even get me started on the mainframe and mini- and micro computers (TI-99, anyone?) I've worked on, not to mention programing languages, routers large and small, switches, hubs, firewalls, and websites.

But, yes, all it takes is one "bad" line of code...

LarryWhistling
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...

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 192 posts
Posted by MrLynn on Saturday, December 27, 2014 5:17 PM

Spinning Nut

Just watched a BNSF tank with dpu fly eastbound. i'm using Safari for windows. Up till yesterday, my explorer worked fine.

I didn't even know Apple offered Safari for Windows, though now I see that they did for Safari 5, but not Safari 6 (yet?).  I'm using Safari 6 on both my Macs, and the cam works fine.  Haven't tried it on any PeeCees yet.

Still wish there were lights around the diamonds.  If I lived in Rochelle, I'd volunteer to help maintain them.

/Mr Lynn

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 192 posts
Posted by MrLynn on Sunday, December 28, 2014 4:08 PM

Sunday, 5 PM Eastern: Just tuned in and caught a few folks talking to a friend on the phone and waving at the camera.  Nice weather, "Shoulda had a cookout," said one.  "No trains, though."  Sounded like Canadians to me.

What happened to the black thing, whatever it was, that was behind the benches?

/Mr Lynn

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, December 28, 2014 7:19 PM

I  think that "black thing" is the remnants of a 2-wheel dolly (a "relic" of baggage handling).  It gets moved every once and a while.  It has probably been moved out of view behind one of the stone walls.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2014
  • From: Muskogee Oklahoma
  • 185 posts
Posted by MKT Dave on Monday, December 29, 2014 6:57 AM

'Black Thing', was a luggage carrier, my first summer job was tossing rags into a compress, and packing them into a bail, then used one just like it to move the bails around, bails weighted two or three hundred pounds each. Then once a month, we would load them into a tractor trailor and shipped them out.

They had Katy Freight access but didn't use it them. busniness behind us did and used it. had a couple box cars backed up to the dock at all times. The place shook when the railroad came and swapped them out. I was always at the wrong place and time when they did.

that was summer of 1967, muskogee ok.

...

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy