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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by Jjohnieray on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:41 AM

Jim Still down,Hope it dont take as long as the Galesburg rail Cam to come back,it has been a year and they are still showing using the bandwith.Rochelle is a great cam and know it will be back soon if it was only weather related.

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:41 AM

Did you read the previous few posts just before your post?

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by eolafan on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:22 AM
Is anybody (other than me) having no luck in accessing the Rochelle webcam this morning? Yesterday all was fine and today all I get is a black screen. Thoughts?
Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 12:34 AM

AgentKid
I see that no one else has reported that the camera went offline about 3:40 PM CDT. I got up to answer my door and when I got back the camera was down.

Bruce - From now on, you aren't allowed to answer your door when watching the cam (once they get it fixed).  

Wink

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, August 25, 2014 11:10 PM
ChuckCobleigh

AgentKid

I see that no one else has reported that the camera went offline about 3:40 PM CDT. I got up to answer my door and when I got back the camera was down.

There was a terrific storm going on. Very heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Being away from the camera I don't know if the park suffered a direct lightning strike, or if the wind and rain knocked out the commercial power supply.

I hope they get the camera up soon, I am really enjoying it.

Bruce

EDIT: BTW the rain probably cleared up the spider web problem!Big Smile

I was just thinking that Rochelle was having an unscheduled total eclipse.  The weather information in the corner right now seems to be correct, 72° and broken clouds.  Maybe if they fix the clouds they will fix the camera as well.

A few minutes after midnight there now and it looks like the camera and/or the power is still out. The screen is totally black; normally you would at least see a few lights on buildings, etc. at this time of night. Weather is now reported as 68 and clear.

Chuck
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, August 25, 2014 8:06 PM

AgentKid

I see that no one else has reported that the camera went offline about 3:40 PM CDT. I got up to answer my door and when I got back the camera was down.

There was a terrific storm going on. Very heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Being away from the camera I don't know if the park suffered a direct lightning strike, or if the wind and rain knocked out the commercial power supply.

I hope they get the camera up soon, I am really enjoying it.

Bruce

EDIT: BTW the rain probably cleared up the spider web problem!Big Smile

I was just thinking that Rochelle was having an unscheduled total eclipse.  The weather information in the corner right now seems to be correct, 72° and broken clouds.  Maybe if they fix the clouds they will fix the camera as well.

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Posted by AgentKid on Monday, August 25, 2014 7:11 PM

I see that no one else has reported that the camera went offline about 3:40 PM CDT. I got up to answer my door and when I got back the camera was down.

There was a terrific storm going on. Very heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Being away from the camera I don't know if the park suffered a direct lightning strike, or if the wind and rain knocked out the commercial power supply.

I hope they get the camera up soon, I am really enjoying it.

Bruce

EDIT: BTW the rain probably cleared up the spider web problem!Big Smile

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, August 25, 2014 5:37 PM
tree68

Chuck - You're undoubtedly right on with the ballast issue.

I've seen many highway crossings where the adjacent track has issues - keeping all four (actually eight) approaches to the diamonds has got to be a real issue, and the constant hammering of wheels over the frogs can't do the substructure any good.

My "up close and personal" experience with track maintenance many years ago was that the absolute worst trouble spots were grade crossings, both rail-rail and rail-highway. That was the real reason railroads have always wanted to eliminate grade crossings; they're a huge MoW expense.

Chuck
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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 25, 2014 3:03 PM

Chuck - You're undoubtedly right on with the ballast issue.

I've seen many highway crossings where the adjacent track has issues - keeping all four (actually eight) approaches to the diamonds has got to be a real issue, and the constant hammering of wheels over the frogs can't do the substructure any good.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, August 25, 2014 11:25 AM

cefinkjr
tree68

cefinkjr
It looks to me like those diamonds - particularly those in the near UP track - need some maintenance. 

Based on observations of the Rochelle cam over the years, the diamonds get a lot of attention.

As I recall, the diamonds were replaced en masse just a couple of years ago or so.

I may have misspoken. What I really suspect needs attention is the ballast under that diamond. "Rocking" like that frequently points to a "pumping" joint; one where the normal flexing of a joint has caused the ballast to be compressed and fail to support the joint properly. In many cases, the ballast is actually crushed to little more than grit and is washed away by the next light shower --- disappearing ballast.

I'm wondering if there might be a transition section in play here.  With no knowledge of rail weights on the BNSF and UP lines hitting the diamonds, but if the UP rail is lighter than the diamonds' rail, that would be a possibility.

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, August 25, 2014 9:47 AM
tree68

cefinkjr
It looks to me like those diamonds - particularly those in the near UP track - need some maintenance. 

Based on observations of the Rochelle cam over the years, the diamonds get a lot of attention.

As I recall, the diamonds were replaced en masse just a couple of years ago or so.

I may have misspoken. What I really suspect needs attention is the ballast under that diamond. "Rocking" like that frequently points to a "pumping" joint; one where the normal flexing of a joint has caused the ballast to be compressed and fail to support the joint properly. In many cases, the ballast is actually crushed to little more than grit and is washed away by the next light shower --- disappearing ballast.

Chuck
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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 25, 2014 9:14 AM

cefinkjr
It looks to me like those diamonds - particularly those in the near UP track - need some maintenance. 

Based on observations of the Rochelle cam over the years, the diamonds get a lot of attention.  You'll often see MOW trucks parked across the UP tracks, on the same side of the BNSF tracks as the park.  With the better cam we have available now, you'll likely easily pick out the welders at work.

As I recall, the diamonds were replaced en masse just a couple of years ago or so.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Friday, August 22, 2014 10:51 PM

cefinkjr

Watched an EB auto carrier train on BNSF this afternoon.  Probably empties since it was EB.

Lots of product coming off boats in San Diego and Oxnard.  I occasionally see BNSF trains of auto racks heading north from San Diego in daylight hours.  Some may be getting to the cars by truck from Tijuana (Toyota truck plant) but a lot of it rolling off ships.

Current Google Earth shot of the yard in San Diego shows four loading tracks and one ramp in place.  Usually the trains head north at night so they can be there for the folks who want to walk in front of a moving train up the coast, seemingly a weekly occurrence these days.

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Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, August 22, 2014 7:53 PM

Watched an EB auto carrier train on BNSF this afternoon.  Probably empties since it was EB.

Chuck
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Friday, August 22, 2014 6:15 PM

Watching the past couple of days, I'm seeing a lot of auto racks on both lines, mostly heading west.

In my mind, I am hearing Elwood Blues saying, "New Oldsmobiles are in early this year."

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Posted by Grinandbearit on Friday, August 22, 2014 2:03 PM
What, has nobody heard the barking dog? As a Canadian railfan, it's great to see action on the two biggest roads in the U.S. without getting out of my chair. I notice that there are very few trains with DPUs (excepting the coal trains). Here in Canada almost all manifest trains run with a mid-train DPU. Great job Trains mag crew and I'll be looking for other cameras.
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Posted by cefinkjr on Thursday, August 21, 2014 11:06 AM

It looks to me like those diamonds - particularly those in the near UP track - need some maintenance.  I just saw an EB UP stack train go through at a moderate speed and some piggyback and double stack cars rocked pretty wildly as they hit the diamonds.  I first thought I was seeing a mechanical department problem but then some other cars did the same thing at the same point.

Updated: Watched another EB UP train (mixed freight) and saw the same rocking of cars with a higher CoG.  An EB BNSF oil train (running right-handed) going through now shows no exceptional rocking.  That confirms what I saw with the two UP trains and would point to the nearer of the two diamonds as the one with a problem.

Chuck
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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 12:01 PM

ChuckCobleigh
Actually, isn't the camera on top of the visiter center/gift shop?

Nope - it's on top of the pavilion.  Note the white speck on the west end of the peak:  N 41.92027 W 89.07284 and compare it with the view from the camera.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:04 AM

tree68

A simple spray with a garden hose might do the trick.

Or, as I say after rescuing the missus from a "huge" spider: "Surf's up, Spidey."

Actually, isn't the camera on top of the visiter center/gift shop?

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 10:57 PM

cefinkjr
Could someone please take a broom to the spider web in front of the lens?

If the camera is located where the old one was, access is not an easy proposition - but then, if it was, there would be the possibility of vandalism and overambitious railfans trying to aim it where they thought it should be aimed.

A simple spray with a garden hose might do the trick.  

LarryWhistling
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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 5:47 PM

Could someone please take a broom to the spider web in front of the lens?

I just see the web right now but the other day I was treated to watching the spider's dinner swinging in the breeze.  Yuck.

Maybe we can get that spider to take up housekeeping elsewhere.

Chuck
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Posted by DennisHeld on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 6:30 PM

Power companies ARE typically....

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Posted by DennisHeld on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 6:29 PM

Coincidence or conspiracy?  Neither.  A lot of coal trains pass through the Rochelle diamonds.  I haven't really noticed an uptick.  But power companies and typically stockpiling this time of year for the winter.  And based upon recent trends, this coming winter may be much like last winter for the same reasons.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 4:56 PM

Interesting that there was a News Wire item about utilities wanting more coal shipments to stock up for the winter and this afternoon seems to feature a parade of EB coal trains on the UP and a couple of trains of empties westbound.

Coincidence or conspiracy?

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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 12:56 PM

northwesterner

I have been watching the Rochelle webcam  off and on for about a month and I have a question. Many of the unit oil tank car trains usually have two or three locomotives. then a covered Hopper or some other "neutral" car immediately behind the power, before the tank cars. What is this car's purpose?

BTW, I really enjoy the enhanced camera's resolution and the sound.

It is a "buffer car".It provides separation between the locomotives and hazmat.

Norm


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Posted by northwesterner on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 10:31 AM

I have been watching the Rochelle webcam  off and on for about a month and I have a question. Many of the unit oil tank car trains usually have two or three locomotives. then a covered Hopper or some other "neutral" car immediately behind the power, before the tank cars. What is this car's purpose?

BTW, I really enjoy the enhanced camera's resolution and the sound.

C&NW - Route of the Kate Shelley
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Posted by Chris30 on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 9:42 AM

MP173: The hot WB UP intermodal train that you see @3pm is most likely the 'Bird', ZG2LT (Global II / Proviso - Lathrop, CA)

Re: WB intermodal trains that stop on the diamonds are usually entering Global III which is just west of the diamonds behind the trees.

CC

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Posted by chrisjmiller on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 9:36 AM

Thanks Brian, I think they were all containers.  I'll watch out for the next one to check :)

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Posted by The Butler on Tuesday, August 12, 2014 1:32 PM

I saw a unit tank train led by three Union Pacific locomotives running on the left main...on the BNSF toward Savanna!  I had just awoken for the day so this more than confused me.  Wink   This proof that you never know what you may see when watching trains.  Smile

James


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Posted by MP173 on Tuesday, August 12, 2014 12:24 PM

I have seen a couple of massive covered hopper trains (EB).  One had 200 cars adn the other 217 cars. I would assume these were combined empty grain trains.

Where does one listen in on scanners?

ALso, does anyone have info on scheduled trains for both railroads?  I have a pretty good idea of movements for CN, CSX, and NS in NW Indiana but am completely in the dark for movements for UP and BNSF.

I have noticed there is a daily WB UP intermodal at 3pm with UPS/FedEx/YRC and other hot trailer moves. It is usually a shorter train, maybe only 75-100 trailers, including pups for ABF and YRC.

The UP does seem to run shorter trains than CSX and NS.

Ed

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