The fire station is about 11 blocks east, at the corner of Fifth & Main. State Route 38 (Lincoln Highway) is a pretty busy road, so seeing emergency lights would not be a surprise.
Stopped in during my visit there and acquired a patch for my collection.
The Rochelle fire department provides EMS to areas outside the city as well.
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...
writesong Mr. Schmidt, Et Alii: When I watch the Rochelle webcam and look through the trees at Global III, what am I seeing? Do I see the distant light of an arc welder? What goes on at Global III? Do they load and unload container stack cars? Do they break down incoming trains and make up new outgoing trains? Is there a fire station in that area? I think I've seen the lights of emergency vehicles on a couple of occasions, traveling from left to right across the screen, beyond the trees.
Mr. Schmidt, Et Alii:
When I watch the Rochelle webcam and look through the trees at Global III, what am I seeing?
Do I see the distant light of an arc welder?
What goes on at Global III?
Do they load and unload container stack cars?
Do they break down incoming trains and make up new outgoing trains?
Is there a fire station in that area?
I think I've seen the lights of emergency vehicles on a couple of occasions, traveling from left to right across the screen, beyond the trees.
The light you see is floodlighting for Global III. Global III sorts out containers. They don't break down trains, they remove containers to either go on another train or be hauled off by a Semi. And, containers arrive via semi to be loaded on a train.
No fire station to the West of the camera. Likely the emergency vehicle lights you see are going out of town on the Lincoln Hwy.
I've always thought that if someone with a chainsaw would cut down the trees in the thinner area to the left, we'd be able to see incoming trains from the west and a bit of G III. I doubt that the property owners would mind in the least.
Rochelle - Overview - Global III bottom left corner
Rochelle from Sept 2013 - DelMonte building still intact
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
If the trees weren't there, Global III would be at the very left edge of the frame. The Lincon Highway (Illinois 38) comes from in Rochelle (on the right of the frame), crosses the BNSF tracks behind the trees on the right, runs behind the buildings we see center frame and curves to follow the UP tracks going west. So lights (including emergency lights) we may see through the trees on the left of the frame are likely from vehicles on Ill 38, or on the road coming off Ill 38, crossing the BNSF tracks going south (also behind the trees on the left).
From the point of the webcam, first there are the trees. Then Del Monte Foods building and way behind that is Global III. So unlikely that we actually see anything going on in that yard.
Thank you.
Thanks BaltACD I thought that might be the case. Just think of the amount of traffic that goes through there I can under stand. I now have to pay more attention when watching I no longer have the advance notice.
I have been watching today for some time and have not hard any trains blowing for any crossings in any direction like I use to. I have not watched the cam for some time did they stop blowing for crossings there. THey have been trying that hear for some time. Has not worked no one wants to pay for it. Thanks for any info .
As discussed on the "Semi-official Rochelle web cam discussion thread" recently, most of Rochelle is now a quiet zone.
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/231186.aspx
Edit: Balt beat me to it by a minute!
Will answer all your questions and more!
jeffhergertA long and a short and then two shorts intermittantly until the head end has passed the workmen.
I didn't mean start a federal case about this, but Jeff's answer is what happened.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Semper Vaporo MKT Dave xjqcf AgentKid Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot. Bruce He went by eastbound today about 8:45 all trains are ignoring the horn ban because of the crews working on the diamonds, some more than others. When the track test train came through this morning, he honked four or five times before coming around the bend from the west. True, but did he blow for any crossings (2 longs, a short and a long)? The whistle ban is only about crossings not the safety of men and equipment in work zones.
MKT Dave xjqcf AgentKid Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot. Bruce He went by eastbound today about 8:45 all trains are ignoring the horn ban because of the crews working on the diamonds, some more than others. When the track test train came through this morning, he honked four or five times before coming around the bend from the west.
xjqcf AgentKid Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot. Bruce He went by eastbound today about 8:45
AgentKid Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot. Bruce
Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot.
He went by eastbound today about 8:45
all trains are ignoring the horn ban because of the crews working on the diamonds, some more than others. When the track test train came through this morning, he honked four or five times before coming around the bend from the west.
If they are sounding the horn for workmen, they are not ignoring the quiet zone/whistle ban.
Whenever workmen (MOW/Signal) are present the horn needs to be sounded. A long and a short and then two shorts intermittantly until the head end has passed the workmen. Doesn't matter if there is a Form B protection in effect or not.
Jeff
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
BaltACD MKT Dave xjqcf AgentKid Well, there goes the BNSF track test car WB at1404. He was zipping right along and violating the horn ban to boot. Bruce He went by eastbound today about 8:45 all trains are ignoring the horn ban because of the crews working on the diamonds, some more than others. When the track test train came through this morning, he honked four or five times before coming around the bend from the west. We don't know what, if any, work zones are in effect on the Train Messages (Bulletins) of the trains passing Rochelle on any give day or hour. Trains are to sound the horn and ring their bell as necessary when passing through a work zone. A flagman granting permission to enter a work zone may give the crew additional instructions during their radio conversation.
We don't know what, if any, work zones are in effect on the Train Messages (Bulletins) of the trains passing Rochelle on any give day or hour. Trains are to sound the horn and ring their bell as necessary when passing through a work zone. A flagman granting permission to enter a work zone may give the crew additional instructions during their radio conversation.
I've been monitoring the scanner feed most of the day. The work today is focused on track 2. There is no Form B in effect. The forman coordinates with the DS to operate a key release for the automatic interlocking on track 2 (located on the bungalo on the side away from the diamonds) which blocks the UP signals for this track. For UP track 1 and both BNSF tracks a lookout is used. Sometimes, where more extensive work is required a formal work zone will be set up and listed in a track bulletin; for zones just including the diamonds there weill be red boards set up, one of which will be visible in the web cam. Even in this case there is no zone set up for BNSF, they just use the key release to protect the work zone
writesong I just now turned on my computer and went to the Rochelle web camera. It's now after sunset in Rochelle, Illinois, but out in front of the camera, to the left, beyond the trees, where the Union Pacific sidings are located, there is what appears to be a whole bunch of rotating and/or flashing red lights, plus a bunch of smaller white lights, where previously, I hadn't seen any lights, except for two steady red lights that are always there, and occasionally, a steady white light. Is there a problem there? Did something bad happen?
I just now turned on my computer and went to the Rochelle web camera.
It's now after sunset in Rochelle, Illinois, but out in front of the camera, to the left, beyond the trees, where the Union Pacific sidings are located, there is what appears to be a whole bunch of rotating and/or flashing red lights, plus a bunch of smaller white lights, where previously, I hadn't seen any lights, except for two steady red lights that are always there, and occasionally, a steady white light.
Is there a problem there?
Did something bad happen?
I wasn't watching at that time as I don't generally look at the web cam at that time but I often am watching early in the morning a few hours before sunrise these days. I think the two red lights you see all the time (to the right and slighly above the a bright white light that appears to be a street or structure light includes a signal, more specifically, the right of the two. This light is not always red; I've seen it change to steady yellow, flashing yellow, and a very faint green. I've already tracked a UP westbound on track 2 (closest to the web cam). Initially the signal under discussion was green. After about 15 to 20 seconds it changed to red, consistent with being knocked down by passage of the train. I believe this is the westbound signal for CPY076 which controls the eastern entrance to the Global III yard. This control Point is only in effect for track 2; there are no signals for track 1 at this location.
Another time I observed 2 westbounds go through in sequence with no BNSF traffic in between. After being red for a bit it changed first to yellow, then after a bit more time to flashing yellow, then finally after a further time interval to green, consistent with a typical signal progression as the first train cleared blocks/control points. Finally I observed a westbound going into Global III. The signal stayed red the whole time. I suspect this signal is actually has two "arms" (heads) (seems to be so from Google Earth) but the lower arm is not visible. To go into Global III here should be Restricting, which I've heard on the scanner feed ("UP 7368 west restricting CPY076 going into Global III"). With a steady red upper arm the lower arm would be a steady lunar white or a flashing red light.
In any event enjoy the light show now; in the spring when the leaves come out it all goes away until the leaves fall off the trees next fall.
blhanelVery interesting- just saw a one-unit wonder pulling 80 tanks plus one buffer up front (ethanol?) headed west
Another similar UP unit train just cleared the diamond at 1340 CST with two buffer cars. Maybe this is going to be the new normal.
BaltACDEven in the 70's the 'rule of thumb' (when real weights weren't computer available) was 30 tons for an empty and 80 tons for a load. 20 tons for a empty probably eminates from the 40's - when there were still a lot of wood bodied cars and tank cars were in the 10K gallon range.
Gosh, but you're a nitpicker! Almost as bad as me; keep tryin'.
ChuckAllen, TX
cefinkjr jeffhergert I thought I was being on the light side; pardon my 1970's thinking.
jeffhergert
I thought I was being on the light side; pardon my 1970's thinking.
Even in the 70's the 'rule of thumb' (when real weights weren't computer available) was 30 tons for an empty and 80 tons for a load.
20 tons for a empty probably eminates from the 40's - when there were still a lot of wood bodied cars and tank cars were in the 10K gallon range.
jeffhergertWeight would be closer to 2700 tons. Maybe more if tanks are equipped with the extra shielding, etc.
Maintenance? They are pretty good about fixing things when they break, but...
Weight would be closer to 2700 tons. Maybe more if tanks are equipped with the extra shielding, etc.
cefinkjr blhanel Very interesting- just saw a one-unit wonder pulling 80 tanks plus one buffer up front (ethanol?) headed west at track speed on UP #1. No buffer or DPU on the rear... I saw the head end of that train but had to do something else before the train had passed; I assumed it was fewer cars or had one or more DPUs. That says as much for UP's minimum ruling grade / curvature and their maintenace as it does for the power's TE. Even empty, 81 cars is a pretty good load; using 20 tons for an empty, that comes to 1,620 tons. (On the PC back-in-the-day, nobody ever let a train, even a local, out of a yard with only one unit; failures were too common.)
blhanel Very interesting- just saw a one-unit wonder pulling 80 tanks plus one buffer up front (ethanol?) headed west at track speed on UP #1. No buffer or DPU on the rear...
Very interesting- just saw a one-unit wonder pulling 80 tanks plus one buffer up front (ethanol?) headed west at track speed on UP #1. No buffer or DPU on the rear...
I saw the head end of that train but had to do something else before the train had passed; I assumed it was fewer cars or had one or more DPUs.
That says as much for UP's minimum ruling grade / curvature and their maintenace as it does for the power's TE. Even empty, 81 cars is a pretty good load; using 20 tons for an empty, that comes to 1,620 tons. (On the PC back-in-the-day, nobody ever let a train, even a local, out of a yard with only one unit; failures were too common.)
What does that say about PC maintenance? Back in the steam era, you wouldn't see two engines on a local. And I always heard diesels were more reliable. . .
/Mr Lynn
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
On my computer, I just now watched a coal train passing over the diamond at Rochelle, Illinois.
What does the flash of color painted on the corner of a coal car signify?
Sometimes, there are different colors, and sometimes, the colors are painted in different shapes, with some coal cars facing forward, while other coal cars face the rear (assuming the colors indicate the front of the coal car).
North West is correct about the end(s) with the color being the end(s) with the rotary couplers. The statement about every train having a car with two rotary couplers isn't accurate, though. Plenty of the trains that go through here (and the ones that go through here go through Rochelle) don't have a double-rotary car, even when they have a distributed power unit on the hind end. It just means that the locomotive on the end with the non-rotary coupler has to be cut away before the car is dumped.(A long time ago, I think Trainorders.com had a shot of a CN locomotive that wasn't uncoupled from a car being dumped...it wasn't pretty.)If you should see a train with no effort made to keep the cars with a rotary coupler next to a non-rotary car, it's a safe bet that the destination unloads the cars in some other way.Operationally, one doesn't want two rotary couplers coupled to each other, either--the pair will likely twist in transit, becoming harder to separate should it be needed.When you can read reporting marks and numbers (not on this webcam, unfortunately), and have available a list showing whom the marks are assigned to, you can begin to grasp where the cars are going. Most of the UP coal trains these days go to what used to be the Wisconsin Electric Power Company's plants in Pleasant Prairie and Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Their cars usually have yellow rotary-coupler ends, on cars with aluminum or black (also aluminum) sides. A few cars with red ends are showing up, leased to fill out the consists.
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)
The colored panel indicates where the rotary coupler is. This spins in the rotary dumper, allowing the other cars to remain coupled. You don't want two non-rotary couplers to be coupled if you are trying to dump a car.
One car in the consist has two rotary couplers. They are more expensive than regular couplers.
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