ChuckCobleigh northwesterner The MOW crews are at the diamonds again. There is some kid of track laying equipment on the southern UP track. It's making a lot of noise!! Any idea as to what it is for? They appear to be working the "rock and roll" diamond issue which has seen a lot of attention recently. Yesterday it seemed the problem was less noticeable but still there as a westbound manifest went through. I would guess that they are working ballast issues there today. That's quite an assortment of track machines and UP white trucks on the job today.
northwesterner The MOW crews are at the diamonds again. There is some kid of track laying equipment on the southern UP track. It's making a lot of noise!! Any idea as to what it is for?
The MOW crews are at the diamonds again. There is some kid of track laying equipment on the southern UP track. It's making a lot of noise!!
Any idea as to what it is for?
They appear to be working the "rock and roll" diamond issue which has seen a lot of attention recently. Yesterday it seemed the problem was less noticeable but still there as a westbound manifest went through. I would guess that they are working ballast issues there today. That's quite an assortment of track machines and UP white trucks on the job today.
With the number of men I have seen on the ground looking under the equipment - something is not working as intended.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Those sound like some of the gondolas operated by MHF Logistical Solutions (gray, white data, perhaps a red and black logo). These have white FRP covers, and are used for the transportation of contaminated (pollutants, low-level radiation, etc.), or "dirty" dirt. Some of these MHFX cars were recently relettered GACX.
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)
rdettmer Just saw a gondola train going west with many cars. Looks like it is full of snow.
Just saw a gondola train going west with many cars. Looks like it is full of snow.
Just saw a mixed freight with three gons that looked 'full of snow' complete with chunks. Suspiciously regular chunks. I think those are white plastic covers.
Gons appeared to be painted a sort of silvery (and faded?) light teal color in today's rainy light, if that helps ID them
rdettmer need some windshield wipers to see today.
need some windshield wipers to see today.
Keep watching; you might get to see the wiper in operation from time to time.
UP to Proviso with a HLCX Redbird third in line. Escaped from the illinois Railway?
Checking out the web site today - At least the warm weather melted all the snow. And the track crew is at it again.
Would that sand eventually cause problems when it packs into the ballast? There was a discussion here some time ago about coal dust fouling the ballast.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
rdettmer Just saw a gondola train going west with many cars. Looks like it is full of snow. must be some kind of sand. wonder where its going. never saw any trains just like that gondolas only.
must be some kind of sand. wonder where its going. never saw any trains just like that gondolas only.
Fracking sand. It's cheaper to let about a fourth of the sand blow out of the gons enroute than paying for tarps and trying/paying to ship them back to the pit.
Well, several years ago, the IC carried snow out of Chicago to the South. I do not know how much of it made it to New Orleans.
Johnny
One possibility for the gons. I see unit trains of gons here on the NS main line quite often. They contain steel slabs.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
ChuckAllen, TX
Maybe Buffalo is shipping snow out west to refill Lake Mead?
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Been watching the Webcam this A.M. Lots of UP traffic both East and West...Couple of BNSF oil trains. Ther are now two crews working on the diamonds..you can hear their hammers..and somone's dog is barking.
seems fine for me.
Anyone else having issues with viewing the webcam? This morning (Dec. 11th) was fine but now (noon), there's an EarthCam logo on the screen. What gives??
Well, working fine now...
2:15 PM EST: Just opened up the cam and I see a machine or some kind right out on the diamonds; sounds like an impact driver or something being used. They must have stopped all traffic. Can't stick around too long to see what happens.
/Mr Lynn
cefinkjr Just saw an empty "produce train" go west on UP. MoW still has a problem with the left-most diamond (as you look at it via the web cam). Those reefers were rolling very nicely until they hit that diamond and then every one of them did a bob and weave. An eastbound train of empty gondolas is going through now on the other track without so much as a quiver at the diamonds.
Just saw an empty "produce train" go west on UP. MoW still has a problem with the left-most diamond (as you look at it via the web cam). Those reefers were rolling very nicely until they hit that diamond and then every one of them did a bob and weave.
An eastbound train of empty gondolas is going through now on the other track without so much as a quiver at the diamonds.
Watching today, lead locos on eastbound UP coal train did a bit of bob-and-weave, too, on the near track, though I might have misinterpreted flicker from the webcam. There is a crew out on the diamonds doing some welding this morning, on what looks to be the farthest diamond.
Earlier saw a BNSF tank train pulled by CN and BC Rail locos, plus one BNSF.
I would say that the gondola loads are probably "dirty dirt" (contaminated with hazardous substances); I've often seen them with black tarps over the commodity.As for cab signals, the UP line does have them here, a system inherited from the Chicago & North Western. It's quite primitive as cab-signal systems go (the only indications are "clear" and "restricting"), but it serves the purpose when your crew is alert. These cab signals are tied in with Automatic Train Control, which will enforce that Restricting indication, or will stop the train if not acted upon. Jeff Hergert would be more qualified to give details on this, even though I'm sure he always acts on his indications properly.From what I've gathered, an ATCS system will not allow you to pass a stop signal. I would assume that this means it will slow you down, according to signal indications, so that your train can be stopped short of the signal. The UP/CNW ATC will do no more than slow you to about 23 m.p.h. if you acknowledge it, but from there you still have to control your train.
Possibly unprocessed frac sand.
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
cefinkjr Two UP trains on the diamonds as I started this post but a few minutes ago an eastbound BNSF unit train passed. The power went by before I got the window open but I'm wondering what the train was carrying. I first thought iron ore or taconite pellets as all of the cars were high-sided gondolas that looked to be loaded about halfway to the top sills. Then I think I saw black tarpaulins covering the load. Anybody know what was in these gons?
Two UP trains on the diamonds as I started this post but a few minutes ago an eastbound BNSF unit train passed. The power went by before I got the window open but I'm wondering what the train was carrying. I first thought iron ore or taconite pellets as all of the cars were high-sided gondolas that looked to be loaded about halfway to the top sills. Then I think I saw black tarpaulins covering the load. Anybody know what was in these gons?
Can't answer the question, but logged on at about the same time (middle of train), and wondered the same thing.
Did you notice how quickly the two UP trains got rolling across the diamonds after the BNSF gondola train passed? They both must have been waiting quite nearby.
Idle (unrelated) question: Is the guy in the dark (maroon?) car I often see parked to the right of the diamonds a railroad employee, a railfan, or a resident?
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