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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by rdamon on Saturday, July 30, 2016 5:10 PM

Easy to see where they sprayed Round-Up

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, July 30, 2016 4:58 PM

AgentKid
Something is not working as smoothly as it should.

I would opine that the problem lies less with Trains than it does with the folks who write the browser software.  Every time you turn around, someone has a new "latest and greatest."  You may not even realize you've got that on your computer.

Meanwhile, folks like Trains (or their software folks) are trying to run a site that will keep all of those various versions happy.

Of course, it would be nice if everyone could settle on one set of standards, but all of the vendors have their own little ideas on how things could be improved.

Nobody wants to be Betamax - they're hoping they'll be the next big thing and they'll be able to cash in on their "invention."

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, July 30, 2016 4:31 PM

cefinkjr
Run 'em fast and ON TIME

That seems to be at the root of the problem. Being able to charge as much as the bean counters want to, while at the same time keeping the operating costs low. Fast and ON TIME seems to cost more that the accountants would like to pay.

A EB BNSF oil train just cleared the daimonds at 1618 CT, and I can see why people would be having problems watching the camera. In the last 45 minutes or so I have had to reload the page, not just using the little button in the centre of the screen, several times and am receiving error messages to boot. Something is not working as smoothly as it should.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by cefinkjr on Saturday, July 30, 2016 3:56 PM

AgentKid
It sure seems like this is the future of railroading, and the RR's need to figure out how to make it work and more importantly pay.

No worries on that score, Bruce.  We had it pretty well figured out on the NYC back in the 60s with the FlexiVans.  Run 'em fast and ON TIME without the extra weight and wind resistance of taking the under-carriage along for the ride (or charge through the nose if the shipper insists on you moving his wheels, too).

I don't have the figures any more but you might be astonished at the difference in wind resistance between a container and a trailer.  Judging by all the side skirts I see on semis these days, the trucking industry has finally noticed too.

Chuck
Allen, TX

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Posted by MikeF90 on Saturday, July 30, 2016 1:54 PM

No problem here, just had to log back in. Westbound BNSF at the diamonds as I post this.

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, July 30, 2016 1:54 PM

I pulled up the camera at what would be 1312 CT at Rochelle and as of 1345 five big intermodal trains have crossed the diamond.

It makes you wonder just how many containers are on the loose out there in the US at any one time. Some of those cargos could be loaded as carload traffic, but can you imagine how snarled up the roads would be around places like Chicago if all those boxes were driven all the way from shipper to receiver?

It sure seems like this is the future of railroading, and the RR's need to figure out how to make it work and more importantly pay.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by tcwright973 on Saturday, July 30, 2016 1:24 PM

I just got home a little while ago & it's working for me.

Tom

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Posted by rdettmer on Saturday, July 30, 2016 12:13 PM

not getting any image to come up today. camera down/ OR MY COMPUTER.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 1:22 PM

Red board earlier on UP in front of camera with lots of MOW folks and a heavy truck maybe hi-railed on the north UP track and using the crane to lift stuff off of or onto the NW diamond.  Now, 1:20 pm, red board still up but everybody is now gone from the diamonds.

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Posted by tcwright973 on Sunday, July 24, 2016 1:47 PM

It's been down again for me the past few days. I don't know how to describe it besides saying the picture is all jumbled up.

Tom

Pittsburgh, PA

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Posted by BtrainBob on Thursday, July 21, 2016 3:54 PM

working on my chrome book using chrome browser again.

Thank you to who ever fixed the problem.  

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Posted by MikeF90 on Thursday, July 21, 2016 3:44 PM

Overmod
It probably gets funnier. On my machine (iMac running 10.11.5 with Firefox 47.0.1) the site gives me the The full text of this article is available to registered users of TrainsMag.com. Register now! prompt -- even though I'm logged in correctly and posting in the community. Combined with the earlier fiasco with registration and login, and the problems with dancing-ad content loading on the MR site, this convinces me that whoever Kalmbach has overseeing their Web site architecture is asleep at the switch, at best.

As has been pointed out before, Kalmbach has a very small IT staff with negligible influence on their IT suppliers. The streaming supplier (earthcam.net) still uses the obsolete and vulnerable Adobe Flash technology that is not available on some platforms. Hopefully Kalmbach will redouble their efforts to purge Flash from their websites. LaughLaughLaughLaugh

Brian S.? ..................................................................................................... Bueller? ......................................................................................................

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Posted by Brian Schmidt on Thursday, July 21, 2016 3:00 PM

The Rochelle webcam is back online following an outage earlier today.

Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine

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Posted by xjqcf on Thursday, July 21, 2016 2:27 PM

Cam just came back

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, July 21, 2016 1:02 PM

Overmod

It probably gets funnier.  On my machine (iMac running 10.11.5 with Firefox 47.0.1) the site gives me the

The full text of this article is available to registered users of TrainsMag.com. Register now!

prompt -- even though I'm logged in correctly and posting in the community.  Combined with the earlier fiasco with registration and login, and the problems with dancing-ad content loading on the MR site, this convinces me that whoever Kalmbach has overseeing their Web site architecture is asleep at the switch, at best.

 

   Does it give you a window to sign in to?   I had a similar situation a few weeks ago.   I knew I was signed in to the forum and could post, but I got the message you described.   Apparently, there is a separate sign-in for the web cam, and after signing in there, it worked OK.   The news wire was also included with the cam.   I don't know if this is something new, but it's the first time I've seen this.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

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Posted by xjqcf on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:48 PM

It was working fine earlier today but it's been "spinning" for a while...

 

BtrainBob

Very strange.  My chromebook - using chrome browser can log into earthcam.com and connect to any of the cams they have.  Rochelle seems to be different?  I've tried logging in/out, deleting cookies from the site, and still doesn't connect on the chromebook.  Posting this so someone can fix this issue (I hope)

 

 

 
BtrainBob

It works fine on my windows pc running win 10 with a chrome browser.  

My chromebook - using chrome browser - still has the spinning earth.  Hello earthcam technical support?  Is is the version of flash being used?  I upgraded my chrome browser on the win pc yesterday.  Chromebook upgrades itself when it wants.

 

 

 

 

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Posted by BtrainBob on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:30 PM

Very strange.  My chromebook - using chrome browser can log into earthcam.com and connect to any of the cams they have.  Rochelle seems to be different?  I've tried logging in/out, deleting cookies from the site, and still doesn't connect on the chromebook.  Posting this so someone can fix this issue (I hope)

 

BtrainBob

It works fine on my windows pc running win 10 with a chrome browser.  

My chromebook - using chrome browser - still has the spinning earth.  Hello earthcam technical support?  Is is the version of flash being used?  I upgraded my chrome browser on the win pc yesterday.  Chromebook upgrades itself when it wants.

 

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:29 PM

BaltACD
Nowadays I believe they write up an E-Test failure if you DON'T use the radio for movement instructions - even when hand signals are more appropriate and don't clog bandwidth that other crews are trying to use.

Don't they record the transmissions as part of the "proof" that all rules and procedures were followed and that 'safety' was appropriately ensured? 

Difficult, and probably more intrusive, to have cameras that capture the hand signals and responses.  And if I know my Bucky engineers, they'll start figuring out how to use the camera approach for more ... the eye tracking of the employees concerned, perhaps their posture to determine if they are fatigued ...  whether they have all their PPE trig.  Be glad it only extends to the radio.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:26 PM

Norm48327

Those conversations are likely recorded and kept on tape or whatever. Need proof of what you said, run the recording. Good for defense of the crew and good for management if they're trying to hang someone.

 

I think the only times radio traffic is recorded is when the dispatcher has a base station activated.  Unless someone in the office was actually listening on the nearest radio site, normal radio traffic like that wouldn't be recorded.

When conversations, radio or telephone, are recorded it can indeed convict or clear crews.  That is, if they can "find" the tape. Whistling

Using hand signals is becomming a lost art.  Even when the trainman is right next to the engine.  It almost seems like new employees, including managers, think you HAVE to use the radio for everything.

Jeff

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:19 PM

Some of our crews prefer to work with hand signals, some prefer to hear themselves talk.  I do a little of both, and often go to hand signals if I don't feel like talking on the radio.

Because we generally have short trains, using hand signals isn't a problem.

Two things we always do on the radio, even if hand signals are in use - main track switches and "three step."  In the past, we often used a "local" hand signal to call for three step (three fingers in the air), but have started doing so on the air instead.

We aren't supposed to mix them.  In fact, it's the usual procedure to hold a "job briefing" when changing over.  That's a simple job briefing - "Going to hand signals."  "Roger on the hand signals."  But sometimes, even if using the radio, it's expedient to simply give a "go ahead" instead of reaching for the radio.

One problem with hand signals is the variety of signals potentially in use.  When coupling up to a train, some folks use fist pumps to show number of cars to a hitch.  Some flash ten fingers multiple times (30' = three flashes).  Some (myself included) just use progressively smaller signals (ie, smaller circles for back up), with a hand pointing to the waist for half a car.  Of course, if the engineer doesn't understand a signal, it's time to stop and have a job briefing...

LarryWhistling
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...

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, July 21, 2016 12:04 PM

AgentKid

So anyway, the local is pulling out of the spur and stops at the switch to let off the trainman to throw it. The trainman is standing on the ground directly below the engineers window. Amazingly, he does not simply look up at the engineer and wave him forward, he looks into his shoulder and talks into his radio to tell the engineer to move!

I think it may take me the rest of the day to get over this.

Bruce

In the days when I was a Trainmaster, you would write up an E-Test failure if you caught a crew using a radio to convey movement instructions.  Now a day's I believe they write up an E-Test failure if you DON'T use the radio for movement instructions - even when hand signals are more appropriate and don't clog bandwidth that other crews are trying to use.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by AgentKid on Thursday, July 21, 2016 10:14 AM

No doubt true.

Still it was the complete lack of any personal acknowlegement by the trainman to the engineer's existance that amazed me. Talk about diligent following of the rules.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by Norm48327 on Thursday, July 21, 2016 10:02 AM

Those conversations are likely recorded and kept on tape or whatever. Need proof of what you said, run the recording. Good for defense of the crew and good for management if they're trying to hang someone.

Norm


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Posted by AgentKid on Thursday, July 21, 2016 9:30 AM

So anyway, the local is pulling out of the spur and stops at the switch to let off the trainman to throw it. The trainman is standing on the ground directly below the engineer's window. Amazingly, he does not simply look up at the engineer and wave him forward, he looks into his shoulder and talks into his radio to tell the engineer to move!

I think it may take me the rest of the day to get over this.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

  • Member since
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, July 21, 2016 7:49 AM

It probably gets funnier.  On my machine (iMac running 10.11.5 with Firefox 47.0.1) the site gives me the

The full text of this article is available to registered users of TrainsMag.com. Register now!

prompt -- even though I'm logged in correctly and posting in the community.  Combined with the earlier fiasco with registration and login, and the problems with dancing-ad content loading on the MR site, this convinces me that whoever Kalmbach has overseeing their Web site architecture is asleep at the switch, at best.

 

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, July 21, 2016 7:41 AM

Well, it doesn't seem to want to load on my Vista machine with Chrome, either...

LarryWhistling
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...

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Posted by BtrainBob on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 11:01 PM

It works fine on my windows pc running win 10 with a chrome browser.  

My chromebook - using chrome browser - still has the spinning earth.  Hello earthcam technical support?  Is is the version of flash being used?  I upgraded my chrome browser on the win pc yesterday.  Chromebook upgrades itself when it wants.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 7:56 PM

I got in earlier today; it was raining out there.

But now, nothing except a whirling earth (Comcast, on a Mac).

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)

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Posted by AgentKid on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 6:14 PM

The camera is working for me using Firefox on Windows 7.

Earlier today though, there was a moment when the screen turned a solid shade of blue for about 2-3 seconds. At the time I wondered if EarthCam was doing an upgrade on their system. It returned to normal, and then I left shortly afterward. Now I see these recent posts and wonder if it isn't related.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by BtrainBob on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 4:57 PM

i've got uverse too.  still spinning.  I have internet connectivity (I'm posting this?). It was working earlier today.  Using a chromebook - chrome browser.

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