JimInCR Rochelle Twilight:
Rochelle Twilight:
ChuckAllen, TX
Jim in Costa Rica
Modeling freelance Northern California late 1930s
BaltACDSwitch heaters keep power switches moving on CTC SIGNALED lines as the Dispatcher is hundreds if not thousands of miles removed from the individual Control Points that require switch operation. Hand throw switches require manual broom operation, the only heat available will come from the broom operator.
I knew that - see them all the time. Just not on our line...
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...
tree68 BaltACD What are these "switch heaters" you speak of?
BaltACD
What are these "switch heaters" you speak of?
Switch heaters keep power switches moving on CTC SIGNALED lines as the Dispatcher is hundreds if not thousands of miles removed from the individual Control Points that require switch operation. Hand throw switches require manual broom operation, the only heat available will come from the broom operator.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
tree68... snow that can block some signals.
Heard recently that snow is the reason for the red aspect to always be the bottom light of any group; there is then no lower light whose hood could allow snow to block the red light. Sounds reasonable to me.
Spoke too soon- it has cleared off somehow!
Cannot use webcam today- housing is covered with rain/snow/spider... who cleans this?
Thanks all. Looks like rain on the snowpack today. That's a meteorological recipe for flooding of creeks and small streams.
BaltACDAs long as switch heaters work properly, ...
Packy snow can be a real problem - if you neglect to sweep out the points of an unheated switch (we don't normally run in snow) before you throw the switch, you'll be chipping out packed snow/ice. Made that mistake, once...
Remember, too, that it is often necessary to walk - a task made more difficult as the snow gets deeper. And if you're out on the line, packy snow and unlevel ground (as in a nicely tapered ballast) make nasty bedfellows. Walking a 100 car train to look for a dynamiter or stuck brake in 3 feet of snow, well....
Snow brings other problems, too. Visibility for one - both for the crew, and for the snow that can block some signals. Combine wet, sticky snow and wind and watch out.
Crossings can be a problem, if the flangeways get filled with ice.
jeffhergert Sometimes it isn't the depth. Fine, blowing snow can get into traction motors and clog air filters. Jeff
Sometimes it isn't the depth. Fine, blowing snow can get into traction motors and clog air filters.
Jeff
mloikAt what depth does snow start to become a hassle for RR operations?
As long as switch heaters work properly, when you are approaching 2 feet the snow begins to be an operating problem. If switch heaters aren't working, a dusting can bring a line to a halt. All this presumes you aren't in an avalanche area or an area where cuts can drift full with 18-20 feet or more of snow.
At what depth does snow start to become a hassle for RR operations?
rdamonThe white balance seems off today ...
The white seems very balanced on both lines.
rdamon The white balance seems off today ...
The white balance seems off today ...
And the trains are considerably quieter, too. With the few snowfalls I've seen, I've always been impressed by how quiet everything is.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Time to adjust the rabbit ears; the picture is getting kinda snowy.
jeffhergert CShaveRR DANIEL W POOLE We saw that guy in Lombard, too! He was a manifest--it took over five minutes for him to get by us (track 1), and a westbound scoot went through (track 3) while he was still crossing at Grace. When we got to Elizabeth (our crossing to get home), another eastbound (stacker) went through (track 2). Probably the high point of the day for me. It wasn't for me. I had that on the west end. Started out ok. About 50 miles to go and the air brake flow on the DP started going up. Had been showing no flow off the lead consist until then, when it too started rising. We were developing a big air leak. It started getting bad enough that the DP's air compressor was having trouble maintaining main reservoir pressure when in dynamics or idle. We called the dispatcher to send the MIC (mechanic in charge, utility mech dept person) out to meet us. The flow getting kept getting worse that we stopped a few miles short of where we wanted to meet him. I had hoped to get where the tracks were real close to US 30. By that time, a westbound local that runs at night came at us. They rolled slowly by, found the leak and stopped. An air hose coupling was coming apart. They fixed us up. The conductor had been on the way back so he returned to the head end. The MIC also headed for home. We started up and everything looked good. We went about 10 miles, were doing 35 to 40 mph when we went into emergency. Conductor started back and the dispatcher recalled the MIC. The condr found the problem by the MIC got back to us. Same car. An air hose bracket that holds up the air hoses on extended drawbar cars was slightly bent. It allowed the air hoses to hang low enough to hit a high crossing panel. Fortunately, we didn't break in two. They were able to raise and secure the hoses so hopefully they had no more trouble. The train was 146 loads, 93 empties, 20435 tons and 14923 feet long. Jeff
CShaveRR DANIEL W POOLE We saw that guy in Lombard, too! He was a manifest--it took over five minutes for him to get by us (track 1), and a westbound scoot went through (track 3) while he was still crossing at Grace. When we got to Elizabeth (our crossing to get home), another eastbound (stacker) went through (track 2). Probably the high point of the day for me.
DANIEL W POOLE
We saw that guy in Lombard, too! He was a manifest--it took over five minutes for him to get by us (track 1), and a westbound scoot went through (track 3) while he was still crossing at Grace. When we got to Elizabeth (our crossing to get home), another eastbound (stacker) went through (track 2). Probably the high point of the day for me.
It wasn't for me. I had that on the west end. Started out ok. About 50 miles to go and the air brake flow on the DP started going up. Had been showing no flow off the lead consist until then, when it too started rising. We were developing a big air leak. It started getting bad enough that the DP's air compressor was having trouble maintaining main reservoir pressure when in dynamics or idle. We called the dispatcher to send the MIC (mechanic in charge, utility mech dept person) out to meet us. The flow getting kept getting worse that we stopped a few miles short of where we wanted to meet him. I had hoped to get where the tracks were real close to US 30.
By that time, a westbound local that runs at night came at us. They rolled slowly by, found the leak and stopped. An air hose coupling was coming apart. They fixed us up. The conductor had been on the way back so he returned to the head end. The MIC also headed for home. We started up and everything looked good. We went about 10 miles, were doing 35 to 40 mph when we went into emergency. Conductor started back and the dispatcher recalled the MIC. The condr found the problem by the MIC got back to us. Same car. An air hose bracket that holds up the air hoses on extended drawbar cars was slightly bent. It allowed the air hoses to hang low enough to hit a high crossing panel. Fortunately, we didn't break in two. They were able to raise and secure the hoses so hopefully they had no more trouble.
The train was 146 loads, 93 empties, 20435 tons and 14923 feet long.
2nd occurrence on the same car(s) on my carrier is cause to get the car(s) set out at the first opportunity. See you are running punny little trains too!
CShaveRR DANIEL W POOLE Just saw a massive general freight roll by on UP heading East on the northern main line. Had 3 engines up front and a single DPU with 124 cars in the front half and 133 cars in the rear half. 258 total rail cars. This was about 30 minutes ago. We saw that guy in Lombard, too! He was a manifest--it took over five minutes for him to get by us (track 1), and a westbound scoot went through (track 3) while he was still crossing at Grace. When we got to Elizabeth (our crossing to get home), another eastbound (stacker) went through (track 2). Probably the high point of the day for me.
DANIEL W POOLE Just saw a massive general freight roll by on UP heading East on the northern main line. Had 3 engines up front and a single DPU with 124 cars in the front half and 133 cars in the rear half. 258 total rail cars. This was about 30 minutes ago.
Oh, and Balt, thanks for posting the UP rules showing the flashing red signal. Did I not say exactly that when the subject came up?
It should be noted that there is only one signal on the westbound home signals at Rochelle, so the light is both top and bottom, as it were.
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)
DANIEL W POOLEJust saw a massive general freight roll by on UP heading East on the northern main line. Had 3 engines up front and a single DPU with 124 cars in the front half and 133 cars in the rear half. 258 total rail cars. This was about 30 minutes ago.
Hey Trains, is it posible to adjust the volumn of the cam from the site or the stream? My job entails editing videos and I have to stop the video because of the sound from the stream.
cefinkjr xjqcf cefinkjr I don't think any signal on the PRR flashed and the only flashing signals on the NYC increased the maximum speed from medium to limited ... in addition to whatever else each aspect indicated (Clear, Approach, etc.). Not sure if this was started under PRR but at least as of Penn Central but a two "arm" signal with the upper arm horizontal and the lower arm flashing upper quadrant diagonal (from lower left to upper right) was Medium Approach. If not flashing it is Slow Approach. It is interesting that former PRR subsidiary Long Island Rail Road never adopted this modification The flashing aspects were shown in my NYC Rule Book (dated 10/28/56 with updates dated 10/25/64 and 2/1/66). The exceptions you describe are also the kind of thing that would have been defined in the regional Employee Timetable. I have a Central Region ETT here but it doesn't show any flashing signals. That's also the kind of thing that was most commonly found further east where blocks were shorter and there was a lot more traffic to control. Does anyone wonder that we were confused when going from one part of the PC to another?
xjqcf cefinkjr I don't think any signal on the PRR flashed and the only flashing signals on the NYC increased the maximum speed from medium to limited ... in addition to whatever else each aspect indicated (Clear, Approach, etc.). Not sure if this was started under PRR but at least as of Penn Central but a two "arm" signal with the upper arm horizontal and the lower arm flashing upper quadrant diagonal (from lower left to upper right) was Medium Approach. If not flashing it is Slow Approach. It is interesting that former PRR subsidiary Long Island Rail Road never adopted this modification
cefinkjr I don't think any signal on the PRR flashed and the only flashing signals on the NYC increased the maximum speed from medium to limited ... in addition to whatever else each aspect indicated (Clear, Approach, etc.).
I don't think any signal on the PRR flashed and the only flashing signals on the NYC increased the maximum speed from medium to limited ... in addition to whatever else each aspect indicated (Clear, Approach, etc.).
Not sure if this was started under PRR but at least as of Penn Central but a two "arm" signal with the upper arm horizontal and the lower arm flashing upper quadrant diagonal (from lower left to upper right) was Medium Approach. If not flashing it is Slow Approach. It is interesting that former PRR subsidiary Long Island Rail Road never adopted this modification
The flashing aspects were shown in my NYC Rule Book (dated 10/28/56 with updates dated 10/25/64 and 2/1/66). The exceptions you describe are also the kind of thing that would have been defined in the regional Employee Timetable. I have a Central Region ETT here but it doesn't show any flashing signals. That's also the kind of thing that was most commonly found further east where blocks were shorter and there was a lot more traffic to control.
Does anyone wonder that we were confused when going from one part of the PC to another?
In reviewing this UP Signal chart - the only aspects with a flashing bottom red indicate Restricting
Save
cefinkjr With the current alignment of the webcam, I can just see the lowest light on the UP WB signal. When I first logged in a few minutes ago, it was flashing red; it flashed a couple of times and went dark. In the time it took me to open this page, an empty coal train passed under the dark signal and it went to a steady red. I can understand the train passing under a dark signal; I can't see the upper light(s) and the signal was probably Clear. But in my day on the NYC / PC, a blinking red aspect indicated "Call signal maintainer ASAP" and "Assume signal is displaying its most restrictive indication". Can some UP expert bring me up to date on a blinking red aspect?
With the current alignment of the webcam, I can just see the lowest light on the UP WB signal. When I first logged in a few minutes ago, it was flashing red; it flashed a couple of times and went dark. In the time it took me to open this page, an empty coal train passed under the dark signal and it went to a steady red.
I can understand the train passing under a dark signal; I can't see the upper light(s) and the signal was probably Clear. But in my day on the NYC / PC, a blinking red aspect indicated "Call signal maintainer ASAP" and "Assume signal is displaying its most restrictive indication".
Can some UP expert bring me up to date on a blinking red aspect?
For the first time in the many hours I haved watched the webcam since the signal cutover last June I just observed the flashing red signal. Although I was not watching the video I could hear a train passing. After a minute or so the flashing stopped and as of this writting still is dark. I wonder if this is a new feature of the plant or if requests can be stacked.
Update - A train arrived proceeding west; can't identify as it's still dark; Looks to be a stack train not to be going into Global III
The flashing red signal is an alternative indication for a Restricting Aspact. The train was lined into the block beyond the signal, which was already occupied. The flashing light going out probably was the signal going to a more favorable indication, such as a yellow (approach). I've seen this a few times at our local control point. Other home signals (such as the one at Park [Elmhurst]) give the same indication with a lunar white aspect.
Rochelle sound is fine now. I can hear it raining. And speaking of raining, what happened to the local weather at the foot of the screen? The temperature is still shown but nothing else.
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