AgentKid A WB BNSF intermodal train just cleared the diamond at 16:25. However, the tail end DPU unit's bell was stuck in the on position. How long can something like that go on before something gives? I presume there is some sort of circuit breaker that will flip at some point. I have been around DPU units for 45 years and am surprised I have never heard of such a thing happening before. Given there is electricty involved though, it was bound to happen. Bruce
A WB BNSF intermodal train just cleared the diamond at 16:25. However, the tail end DPU unit's bell was stuck in the on position. How long can something like that go on before something gives? I presume there is some sort of circuit breaker that will flip at some point.
I have been around DPU units for 45 years and am surprised I have never heard of such a thing happening before. Given there is electricty involved though, it was bound to happen.
Bruce
Until someone shuts it off.
Once in a while when handling a trailing unit dead in consist, the bell on the dead engine will come to life all by itself. Sanders on trailing units sometimes will also have a mind of their own.
Jeff
For some unknown reason the Rochelle webcam does not seem to be working this morning...anyone have any idea as to why this is? Thanks
Working fine for me right now... a lot of the snow as melted and the tracks and all look dirty and mushy.
Doesn't look like any more of the building has been demolished.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
The connection stopped like it does when connected too long, but I could not get it to restart by ciicking the 'play' button in the middle of the picture. i did a 'Refresh' of the browser window and it is working again. Double stack eastbound on the UP track (near side). Wheels are squeeling a lot.
Anybody else seeing the arcing on the utility pole in the distance? Bright flashes every once in a while.
Middle pole of the 3 visible on the north quadrant of the area. About where the heavy cables connect to the pole (not up in the wires on the cross-arms). Might be in the wires between the near and the middle poles.
Semper Vaporo Anybody else seeing the arcing on the utility pole in the distance? Bright flashes every once in a while. Middle pole of the 3 visible on the north quadrant of the area. About where the heavy cables connect to the pole (not up in the wires on the cross-arms). Might be in the wires between the near and the middle poles.
That was discussed some time ago - I think it's a radio tower off in the distance. What you're probably seeing is the strobe light.
Larry 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...
I seldom watch that camera because the quality is so poor. Just took a peek, and in darkness it's totally useless.
Norm
Nice green BNSF unit on the local switching turn at the moment.
did they quit tearing it down? i haven't seen any action lately
A couple of hi-viz vests on the diamond right now.
And a horn!
It's possible that they only are tearing down a portion of the building, with plans for what's still up. We shall see!
It could be they want to keep the curved wall for a future building on the site.
I don't see any activity in the background (like end loaders or dump trucks moving arould) so I think they are not active on the parts of the building hidden by the wall.
Or maybe the demolition company is having to coordinate the work with BNSF since it is so close to the tracks and that has them slowed down waiting for BNSF to send someone to monitor the work to be sure it does not interfere with them playing with their trains.
Perhaps the demolition company is trying to save a buck by waiting for the wind to blow it down. That'll be one big OOPS if it happens.
I just hope that if they have a real demolition derby there, we can get enough notice of it to be able to watch here. Just think, they could build another railfan park over there, which would have the sun in the afternoon and evening (oops...non-photographer...time to shut up).Re the arcing strobe: I saw it last night on the camera, and it led to an interesting adventre for me. As I was looking at the blinking (you're right--arcs are usually bluer than that), an eastbound train of tank cars came east on UP. I couldn't see much detail, but in the waning light it looked like a lot of them were shiny and new (something I wouldn't mind seeing and documenting).So I tried to time it out...finish eating supper, watch the rest of the news, then go to Elmhurst so I could watch the tank cars go by slowly enough to gather the data. Long story short--I got there before 7:00 and stayed until nearly 8:00, no tank train. (I did see an auto-rack train, which had one helpful car.) So I went home. On the way home, I saw a one-unit train head east--two new Metra Electric cars, bracketed by two "compromise" cars to give the proper couplers on each end. These new cars come from Rochelle, but they shouldn't be seen at the diamond, as the plant is to the east (and south). As it turned out, my theory of timing the tank-car train had been sound. The thing came to Finley Road after I'd left home, and was still sitting there when I returned. Of course, it was dark and impossible to see anything, as no roads come close enough to the tracks between there and Glen Ellyn.
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)
Duplicate comment deleted.
CShaveRRDuplicate comment deleted.
Thanks for posting this. I had just spent most of the afternoon (in between cleaning house) updating Win 8.1 and migrating to Office 2016. Copies of your two posts were the first things Outlook received and I was afraid something had gone wrong. Your "Duplicate comment deleted." set my mind at ease. All appears to be well in my cyberworld.
ChuckAllen, TX
The fact that the flashing is still going on several months after the first report/query makes me sure that it's a radio tower. Arcs on power poles come and go, and are usually only active when there's dampness involved.
I did some pretty intense research on tower locations (FCC database) when the question was raised before, but I don't recall the details of what I found.
Logged in to the web cam just in time to see a string of tank cars on UP #1. Immediately surmised:
1. It was not an oil train because one of the cars was white and appeared to be different than the others. I thought I also saw a reddish car in the distance.
2. It was an EB when the slack ran in and it began backing into the yard to leave or take cars.
Then the cars started moving too fast for any sane switching move and the east end of the train appeared with no power. Maybe wrong on assumption #1 and definitely wrong on #2 as the WB oil train moved out of sight.
(i could have sworn that slack ran in and not out!)
Did you see a non-tank buffer car on the rear? If there was one (also behind the engine), it was an oil train,whether it was empty or or loaded.
Johnny
No buffer car. That's why I said "maybe wrong" on #1; a buffer car would have confirmed it as an oil train.
And, on re-reading the post (again), I realize it was on UP #2 (excuse: it was early morning for me).
Deggesty Did you see a non-tank buffer car on the rear? If there was one (also behind the engine), it was an oil train,whether it was empty or or loaded.
Lack of a buffer car on the rear of an oil (or ethanol) train is not an indication that it's not a hazmat train - the buffer is only required between the locomotive(s) and the hazmat consist.
If there's a DPU, of course, there will be a buffer car at the rear.
In practice, it's easier to just leave a buffer car on both ends. I have seen trains without one at the rear of the train, however.
Is the audio suposed to be in stereo?
tree68I have seen trains without one at the rear of the train, however.
So have I although BNSF seems to be more consistent on this than UP and this was a UP train and apparently empty at that (it was WB). Is a buffer required between the power and an empty train based on it having carried hazmat on its last trip? I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. Would you rather deal with an empty or a full gasoline drum?
Beautiful Sunset tonight! The UP rails are red.
cefinkjr Would you rather deal with an empty or a full gasoline drum?
I don't know, but someone who shoved barges on the Mississippi once mentioned that if you announced on the the radio that you were pushing empty gasoline barges, you were given a wide berth.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
An "empty" gasoline container may well be full of gasoline vapor--which is far more apt to explode than a container full of liquid gasoline, which burns only at the surface.
cefinkjrWould you rather deal with an empty or a full gasoline drum?
Empty isn't empty - that's why "empty" hazmat vehicles are still placarded. And it's the vapors that will get you in trouble. Ever seen that video of the fellow lighting a pile of brush on fire, only to have fire on the ground (gasoline vapors) come running toward him?
That said, if a consumer gas can is in a fire, I think I'd prefer empty, as it'll burn off the vapors fairly quickly, while the full can will probably rupture and give me running fire to deal with (been there).
A full drum of flammable liquid will likely BLEVE if surrounded by fire, which brings problems of its own.
If there is one buffer car on both ends, but all the engines are on the head end, the train is an empty. A lot of UP's loaded ethanol/oil trains are DPU, which require at least one (requirement is 5 or all available with a minimum of one) on either end. The empties returning often are non-DPU. The requirement for empties is only one, so there is no reason to switch the second buffer to the head end.
tree68 Deggesty Did you see a non-tank buffer car on the rear? If there was one (also behind the engine), it was an oil train,whether it was empty or or loaded. Lack of a buffer car on the rear of an oil (or ethanol) train is not an indication that it's not a hazmat train - the buffer is only required between the locomotive(s) and the hazmat consist. If there's a DPU, of course, there will be a buffer car at the rear. In practice, it's easier to just leave a buffer car on both ends. I have seen trains without one at the rear of the train, however.
Diamonds in the rough ..
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.92089,-89.07018&z=20&t=H&marker0=41.92392%2C-89.06871%2Crochele%5C%2C%20il&marker1=41.92089%2C-89.07018%2CRochelle%20IL
Looks like an old set was dragged here.
rdamon Diamonds in the rough .. http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.92089,-89.07018&z=20&t=H&marker0=41.92392%2C-89.06871%2Crochele%5C%2C%20il&marker1=41.92089%2C-89.07018%2CRochelle%20IL Looks like an old set was dragged here.
Or maybe a new set!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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