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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by MrLynn on Friday, July 17, 2015 12:59 PM

Every time I've seen the switcher, it's a BNSF engine.

/Mr Lynn

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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, July 17, 2015 1:30 PM

gp18
Are visitors allowed to trespass on railroad property? I just saw someone wearing a red jacket walking up to the diamonds evidently to take a smoke and some pics of the switcher that just made a shove move west.
 

Red jacket? - Lucky the cinder dicks and/or a railroad employee wasn't around to tattoo "IDIOT" on his forehead.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by DennisHeld on Friday, July 17, 2015 6:35 PM

MrLynn

Every time I've seen the switcher, it's a BNSF engine.

/Mr Lynn

 

MrLynn

 

If you go to the City of Rochelle RR yard, you will see only a BNSF loco or two.  I 'assume' they are leased.

 

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Posted by cefinkjr on Sunday, July 19, 2015 1:12 PM

Gosh, that BNSF RoW looks great.  Not that UP's looks bad but BNSF's looks like they just took it out of a box of Bachmann's E-Z Track.  The Track Supervisor and his gang can be proud.

Bow

Chuck
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Sunday, July 19, 2015 3:06 PM

cefinkjr

Gosh, that BNSF RoW looks great.  Not that UP's looks bad but BNSF's looks like they just took it out of a box of Bachmann's E-Z Track.  The Track Supervisor and his gang can be proud.

Bow

Looks like the siding (far track) either got the ballast laundered or got some fresh ballast.  I think it was last summer that the UP freshened the ties on at least one of the tracks this side of the diamonds.  I remember a Plasser tamper coming through and found it very interesting, which led me to the Plasser site and video of the machine in operation.  Interesting machinery.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, July 20, 2015 11:28 AM

mudchicken

Had to recover railroad mapping for all 3 railroads for a pipeline crossing just out of range of the camera. If I get stuck going out there, I wonder if there is a penalty for waving at the camera?

At 11:20 CDT white pickup with two or three orange vest wearing folks and what appears to be a tripod assembly near the diamonds.  Can't tell for sure but maybe a rectangular something on top of the tripod, maybe a surveying station.

Nobody waving, though.

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Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 7:05 AM

Not me or my guys. Some of the guys were having fun w/ IAIS closer to Peoria.

http://wqad.com/2015/07/20/train-hits-pan-scraper-crossing-tracks-in-geneseo/ 

 

Box on top of Tripod could be a TAWS device or an older CYRAX scanner. (can't capture images or go back in time anymore here, so...)

 

 

 

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by CRAIG MILLIGAN on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 11:37 AM

I am watching a family of five , including pre-teens, playing on the tracks and diamond, putting pennies on the tracks. [2cAngry

11:25am 21 July

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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 3:39 PM

CRAIG MILLIGAN

I am watching a family of five , including pre-teens, playing on the tracks and diamond, putting pennies on the tracks. [2cAngry

11:25am 21 July

 
It has always surprised me that there aren't any "No Trespassing on railroad property" signs hanging on the chain-link fence around the viewing area.

Chuck
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 4:41 PM

Wow - like, eight units on the head end of an eastbound manifest just now...  I'm sure most were dead-in-tow.  Couldn't get much detail with the sun behind them, though.

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 4:51 PM

I caught that one, too- and a bunch of reefers on the end.

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 8:09 PM

blhanel

I caught that one, too- and a bunch of reefers on the end.

Yup.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by xjqcf on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 12:58 PM

mudchicken
mudchicken wrote the following post yesterday: Not me or my guys. Some of the guys were having fun w/ IAIS closer to Peoria. http://wqad.com/2015/07/20/train-hits-pan-scraper-crossing-tracks-in-geneseo/ Box on top of Tripod could be a TAWS device or an older CYRAX scanner. (can't capture images or go back in time anymore here, so...)

 

Bit of drama today around Noon - As I usually do I was listening on "Northern Illinois Railroads" feed on broadcastify.com; a westbound BNSF stack train rolled by on number 1 track (closest to the camera). After a few seconds came a very agitated voice on the UP channel - the surveying crew stated they had wires across track one apparently placed on information from the BNSF dispatcher that the stacker would operate on track 2; the wires were cut. Fortunately no one was fouling the track (The UP welding gang was also there; not sure if it was coordinated or just a coincidence) They were trying to get the ID of the stack train, apprently for a claim against BNSF. I didn't hear a peep about the ID or anything from the BNSF feed (Might have missed it due to the feed being on another channel). After a half hour the surveying crew quit for the day, stating they would return tomorrow.

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Posted by JimH on Friday, July 24, 2015 9:15 AM

At about 10:10 EST on 7/24, a west bound UP train rolled through with a green caboose in the middle of the trian.  Anyone know where the caboose was heading? 

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Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, July 24, 2015 11:24 AM

OS BNSF EB Oil @ 1122.

Either heavy rain north and west of Rochelle or those were brand new cars.  They were all shiny black.

Chuck
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Posted by chrisjmiller on Saturday, July 25, 2015 3:12 PM

CIT GP20D just went through last loco on the front of a UP bound for Proviso.

http://goo.gl/dUJRJ0

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Posted by petitnj on Monday, July 27, 2015 12:52 PM

As of Noon on Monday July 27, 2015 there is a red flag on the UP near track. A MOW is parked near the diamonds and a worker on the diamonds. 

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, July 27, 2015 2:26 PM

petitnj

As of Noon on Monday July 27, 2015 there is a red flag on the UP near track. A MOW is parked near the diamonds and a worker on the diamonds.

As of 1415, the red flag is gone, the MoW truck was still there, but no work in progress.

EB UP mixed freight OS @ 1420 crawled through behind 3 big units.  Oddly enough, there were lots of box cars of various descriptions and several reefers but I don't think I saw a single car of any other type. Question

The MoW truck disappeared while that EB was going through.

Chuck
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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 27, 2015 6:02 PM

[quote user="cefinkjr"]

 

petitnj

As of Noon on Monday July 27, 2015 there is a red flag on the UP near track. A MOW is parked near the diamonds and a worker on the diamonds.

As of 1415, the red flag is gone, the MoW truck was still there, but no work in progress.

EB UP mixed freight OS @ 1420 crawled through behind 3 big units.  Oddly enough, there were lots of box cars of various descriptions and several reefers but I don't think I saw a single car of any other type. Question

The MoW truck disappeared while that EB was going through.

[/quote]

Seems like the UP work orders (as identified by the display of the red sign) seem to be of rather short duration.  I have seen the sign hung as late as 9 AM and it is generally down by 2 PM - only a 5 hour window on a nominal 8 hour day. 

Do the forces have to travel a hour or more each direction that would dictate such a short work window and still have the forces not put in over 8 hours for their normal work day?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Thursday, July 30, 2015 8:36 PM

8:30 PM CDT, long day for a MOW crew at the diamonds, as they are still there with welding going on at this point.  A little arcus interuptus with an EB UP coal train moving through at speed, but I don't think the MOW folks are done yet.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Sunday, August 2, 2015 10:27 AM

Almost 10:30 on Sunday morning and crew out with something that looks like part of a new signal bridge structure at the right edge of the frame.  That may be tied in with some MOW warning horn activity to the east of the pavilion a few days ago.

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Posted by Wizlish on Sunday, August 2, 2015 1:31 PM

That was a sudden thunderstorm between 1:15 and 1:30!

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Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Monday, August 3, 2015 9:14 AM

Is that the new signal bridge sitting on the north side of the UP ROW east of the crossing?

One background question - it's pretty standard that railroad are replacing signal bridges/stands when they install new signal system.   On the surface, it seems like a lot of trouble if you have a perfectly good structure in place - is this done for clearance reasons (for MOW machinery, in particular), or in order to have a new system completely in place when it's time to switch over?   It's also possible that it's easier to build a stand to accomodate the new equipment that to adapt it to the existing structure.

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 3, 2015 10:02 AM

CatFoodFlambe
One background question - it's pretty standard that railroad are replacing signal bridges/stands when they install new signal system.   On the surface, it seems like a lot of trouble if you have a perfectly good structure in place - is this done for clearance reasons (for MOW machinery, in particular), or in order to have a new system completely in place when it's time to switch over?   It's also possible that it's easier to build a stand to accomodate the new equipment that to adapt it to the existing structure.

CSX is doing the same thing on it's Chicago Line in NY - all new structures vs hanging signals on the old.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by rdamon on Monday, August 3, 2015 11:31 AM
It appears that the new structures have more safety features for maintainers to climb and work on the structures. 
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Posted by tree68 on Monday, August 3, 2015 12:42 PM

rdamon
It appears that the new structures have more safety features for maintainers to climb and work on the structures. 

Agreed.  I would also think that most of these old structures are pretty close to the end of their service lives (if not beyond) and that there could be some question as to their stability, even if they are inspected regularly.

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Come ride the rails with me!
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Posted by MrLynn on Monday, August 3, 2015 8:13 PM

Hey!  I just saw a PASSENGER TRAIN!! It was an all-yellow UP eastbound, headed by a couple of modern EMD locomotives (no E units), maybe 10 cars, with a dome car (!) and an observation car (!).

Is this a new development?  Private-livery passenger trains making a comeback?

I know, probably an executive train.  But doggone it, I can wish, can't I?  I'd like to ride that one, for sure.

/Mr Lynn

PS Didn't think to grab a screen shot, darn it!

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Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Monday, August 3, 2015 10:31 PM

rdamon
It appears that the new structures have more safety features for maintainers to climb and work on the structures. 
 

rdamon
It appears that the new structures have more safety features for maintainers to climb and work on the structures. 
 

   Aha!

I've looked at some signal stands and wondered about acrophobic  signal maintainers...

 

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, August 3, 2015 11:25 PM

CatFoodFlambe
I've looked at some signal stands and wondered about acrophobic  signal maintainers...

Or acrobatic, maybe?Wink

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 10:53 AM

The camera got moved!  It is no longer aimed as it was.  I thought at first that the signal bridge support on the right had been removed and that just seemed to have been an awfully fast operation for me to have missed it.

But I have a screen capture of the scene from a year ago and can tell that the camera has been rotated to the left and now I realize that I can still see that the tower is right at the edge of the new scene view.

 

EDIT:  Maybe it has been "Zoomed-in" a bit.  Maybe both.

 

EDIT!  NEVER MIND... my stupid computer changed the zoom level (or maybe my stupid mouse did it... I won't take the blame myself!!!!!

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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