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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, December 17, 2015 3:36 PM

EB UP manifest just passed.  Head end was 30 or more autoracks, then about 50 or 60 large covered hopper, routine manifest car types for 50 or 60 cars, midtrain DPU and then another 70 or 80 manifest.

First time I have seen a midtrain DPU on the UP.  If the cut of covered hoppers were loads, I can only imagine the train handling problems of operating a train with that massed weight in the middle of the train.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, December 17, 2015 4:05 PM

ChuckCobleigh

After the WB cleared, an EB UP came through, one unit, four or five flats with UP trailers.  That was it.  Customer power!

 

I think you meant to say "UPS" trailers.  They came through here about a half-hour ago.  One SD70M, five TOSC (trailers on spine cars).  Somebody must have dropped the ball somewhere (not necessarily UP), and UP is attempting to get the packages to their sort.  

Balt, the midtrain DPUs you saw may have been your first, but they were far from the first on this line.  I think I saw them on manifest before I saw any on intermodal.

UP's special instructions had rules for train makeup, including complicated instructions and ratios for placement of loads and empties in the train.  Not very helpful to anyone actually making up said train, but someone in an office who can graphically analyze the train's makeup just in tme for the EOT to disappear around the bend.  Havng said that, I haven't cracked the ol' book recently to see whether plunking power into the middle of a train affects these rules, or whether there is any mention of DPUs in any position.  Jeff?

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Thursday, December 17, 2015 9:27 PM

CShaveRR
I think you meant to say "UPS" trailers.

Indeed I did.  Haste.

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Posted by chrisjmiller on Friday, December 18, 2015 3:27 PM

Nothing to do with the Rochelle webcam (sorry), but the Roanoke webcam has been down for over a week (unless it's a glitch at my end?).  I realise it's nothing to do with Trains, who are just providing a helpful link, but does anyone have any info?

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Posted by rdamon on Friday, December 18, 2015 6:05 PM

Working fine for me. W10 Chrome (Latest Update)

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Posted by chrisjmiller on Saturday, December 19, 2015 9:24 AM

Thanks for responding rdamon.  Are you sure it's the Roanoke and not the Rochelle video (I only posted on here, because I didn't want to start a new thread)?  The Roanoke video uses a plug-in that isn't supported by standard Chrome, so I have to view it using IE (or directly from Windows Media Player).

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, December 19, 2015 10:53 AM

For the Roanoke webcam try this link:

 

128.173.197.94:443/RRCmov

 

This SHOULD open a Windows Media Player window to the webcam.  I just tried it and it is working this morning.  Don't just click on the above link... copy and paste (or type) it into a new window address text bar.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by rdamon on Saturday, December 19, 2015 1:36 PM

Sorry ... saw the word Rochelle and quit reading :)   The link above is what I have been using ro Roanoke it downloads a link that opens Windows Media Player.

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, December 19, 2015 1:40 PM

The last hour and a half have been quite amazing. There hasn't been a single train on either line that wasn't intermodal. I have lost count. Clearly both RR's are working flat out to get the last of the Christmas presents into the stores ASAP.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, December 19, 2015 8:16 PM

AgentKid

The last hour and a half have been quite amazing. There hasn't been a single train on either line that wasn't intermodal. I have lost count. Clearly both RR's are working flat out to get the last of the Christmas presents into the stores ASAP.

Bruce

 

One has been flat out trying to hold on to a UPS contract, keeping it out of the hands of the other. 

Jeff

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, December 19, 2015 8:33 PM

CShaveRR
 
ChuckCobleigh

After the WB cleared, an EB UP came through, one unit, four or five flats with UP trailers.  That was it.  Customer power!

 

 

I think you meant to say "UPS" trailers.  They came through here about a half-hour ago.  One SD70M, five TOSC (trailers on spine cars).  Somebody must have dropped the ball somewhere (not necessarily UP), and UP is attempting to get the packages to their sort.  

Balt, the midtrain DPUs you saw may have been your first, but they were far from the first on this line.  I think I saw them on manifest before I saw any on intermodal.

UP's special instructions had rules for train makeup, including complicated instructions and ratios for placement of loads and empties in the train.  Not very helpful to anyone actually making up said train, but someone in an office who can graphically analyze the train's makeup just in tme for the EOT to disappear around the bend.  Havng said that, I haven't cracked the ol' book recently to see whether plunking power into the middle of a train affects these rules, or whether there is any mention of DPUs in any position.  Jeff?

 

Carl, reading the SSI on this is enough to make your head hurt.  DP helps in some respects but can cause other restrictions.  Many variables go into it including total train tonnage, types of cars, weight of car and type of train.  Heavy grade can also figure in car placements in trains.

Every so often a train slips through with an error.  If it's not too serious, time and intials will usually cover it to the first yard where it can be switched. (Which is defined as the first place it's scheduled to be switched.  Not necessarily the first yard where it could be switched.  Sometimes that yard is the train's destination.)  Run through trains sometimes may meet requirements on the originating carrier, but not on the UP.  In those cases, they can automatically be operated (not to exceed 45mph) to the first point they can be (See earlier note) switched. 

The computer is supposed to catch problems when the yard train-sets the paperwork.  Key words are, "supposed to."  

Jeff

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Posted by chrisjmiller on Sunday, December 20, 2015 3:05 AM

Thanks Semper Vaporo, that's what I've been doing all along, so the problem must be at my end (or perhaps someone's blocking 'overseas' viewing).  I'll have to take a look under the hood [gets out greasy overalls and spanner ...]

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Posted by CBT on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 9:58 AM

BNSF main is pretty busy right now.

 

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Posted by Jim611 on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 3:46 PM

Are they tearing down the building on the other side of the diamond?

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 4:18 PM

Jim611

Are they tearing down the building on the other side of the diamond?

Previous posts here indicate that is so.  Also, notice what appears to be roof weatherproofing membrane has blown over, and is dangling from, the northeast wall, which tells me that the roof structure has been removed and the only thing left is that wall itself.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Jim611 on Thursday, December 24, 2015 7:03 AM

Thanks Semper

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, December 24, 2015 9:12 AM

Semper Vaporo
Jim611

Are they tearing down the building on the other side of the diamond?

Previous posts here indicate that is so.  Also, notice what appears to be roof weatherproofing membrane has blown over, and is dangling from, the northeast wall, which tells me that the roof structure has been removed and the only thing left is that wall itself.

What company did the building previously house?

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, December 24, 2015 1:09 PM

I think it was part of the Del Monte complex...if not, it was another produce-related warehouse.

Carl

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, December 27, 2015 11:10 AM

Any idea of when the New Signals will be activated and the old signal bridges removed?

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Posted by MKT Dave on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:38 AM

I just saw this bit of info and would this impact stacks going through Chicago? Can this mean more traffic through Rochelle?

 

West Virginia opens first intermodal terminal

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway terminal in Prichard West Virgina, halfway between the Port of Virginia and the rail yards of Chicago on Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor, is the first ever in the state.

http://bit.ly/1MEQHtL

 This link is through facebook skips the log in, with pictures and more detailed information.

...
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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 9:07 PM

What's the approximate angle of the Rochelle diamond frogs?  I did a search of the forums for the answer, and all I could find was a thread where I asked the same question 10 years ago and didn't get an answer.  I just retired two weeks ago, and I'm ready to start planning a large HO-scale model RR in my basement that will incorporate the Rochelle diamonds in it.

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 9:21 PM

Definately not 90 degrees - visually it looks somewhere between 60 & 75 degrees.

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 9:47 PM

blhanel
What's the approximate angle of the Rochelle diamond frogs?

If the protractor I just printed off the 'Net is anywhere near accurate (not to mention my own estimation of the tangents), it's about 22 degrees...

There are actually curves on both approaches.

A satellite view will show you how tight they actually are better than the webcam.

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 10:00 PM

I thought about using Google Satellite View to get an estimate, but figured someone here would know the answer.  Sounds like I could use Atlas 25 degree diamonds for the closest match.

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Posted by CBT on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 10:06 PM

blhanel

I thought about using Google Satellite View to get an estimate, but figured someone here would know the answer.  Sounds like I could use Atlas 25 degree diamonds for the closest match.

 

Are you trying to model the Rochelle area. If so please post lots of pictures on the model railroader fourm

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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:49 PM

blhanel
Sounds like I could use Atlas 25 degree diamonds for the closest match.

Ah, c'mon.  You can do better than that. Scratch build them to the precise angle with curves right through the diamonds (if that would be accurate). You've got all that time on your hands, now that you're retired.  Laugh 

I've been retired for more than 10 years now and haven't laid an inch of track of my own although I have helped build a very large model railroad.  I often wonder how I had time to go to work before I retired. 

Chuck
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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 9:34 AM

cefinkjr
I often wonder how I had time to go to work before I retired. 

A hearty second on that!

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Posted by blhanel on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 10:28 AM

cefinkjr

 

 
blhanel
Sounds like I could use Atlas 25 degree diamonds for the closest match.

 

Ah, c'mon.  You can do better than that. Scratch build them to the precise angle with curves right through the diamonds (if that would be accurate). You've got all that time on your hands, now that you're retired.  Laugh 

I've been retired for more than 10 years now and haven't laid an inch of track of my own although I have helped build a very large model railroad.  I often wonder how I had time to go to work before I retired. 

 

I'd try that, but I'm not that mechanically inclined, LOL.  I plan on spending more time designing and building an Arduino-controlled signaling system for the layout (my career was spent doing software and systems engineering for an avionics company).

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 10:39 AM

My best measurement (wish I knew how to use a computer-based protractor!) says 25 degrees is very, very close.  Somebody, somewhere, has to have a precise answer, because those frogs have to be built every so often.

Just out of curiosity, would there be any way to get on the wayback machine and measure the angle of the diamonds at Tama?  I'll bet that angle was even more acute.


I presume, Brian, that your current place has room enough for a marvelous layout that would include UP from Chicago through Boone...all the good stuff?


Carl

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Posted by blhanel on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 10:58 AM

Nah, I'm not going to get that carried away.  I'm not allowed to take up the WHOLE basement, plus I want to keep the radii above 24" such that I can run longer rolling stock, such as autoracks and passenger cars, without too much difficulty.  That being said, the only resemblance to Illinois/Rochelle on this layout will likely be the quad diamonds themselves.

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