Many Railroads celebrated the Bi-Centennial with special paint schemes..above is N&W 1776.
Mystery solved in either case.
BRRRRRRRR!!!
Its a heat wave! It says "5°F" now!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Up to 7o F now, but the picture is a little flakey
Semper Vaporo Its a heat wave! It says "5°F" now!
And now I see 7°. Break out the cold drinks.
ChuckAllen, TX
-4° now!! .. Do they have special ops for the diamonds when it gets this cold?
Most railroads pay attention to such temperatures - pull-aparts do occur (see the video currently making the rounds of burning rope along the rails).
Given that the diamonds are getting pulled four ways and not just two, I'd imagine it's a concern for the MOW folks. Perhaps not so much for the operations department.
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 Most railroads pay attention to such temperatures - pull-aparts do occur (see the video currently making the rounds of burning rope along the rails). Given that the diamonds are getting pulled four ways and not just two, I'd imagine it's a concern for the MOW folks. Perhaps not so much for the operations department.
Not really disagreeing but I think frozen switch points and filled flangeways are a bigger concern until you get into the really cold (continuous sub- sub-zero) temps for several days at a time. I never worked any further north than Watertown, NY and then only for a few days (I'm not a glutton for punishment) but ice in the wrong places was always a greater concern on the NYC.
It becomes a major headache for the Operations Department when the MOW folk are suddenly busy with pull-aparts and broken rails and smashed frogs and...
Here in east central Oklahoma, we're at 0 F 0708 am, with 5-6 inches of snow on the ground. One little strip across the central part of the state had these snow amounts. Go north or south ten miles, less than an inch
Semper VaporoIt becomes a major headache for the Operations Department when the MOW folk are suddenly busy with pull-aparts and broken rails and smashed frogs and...
Agreed. My point was that the cold itself isn't a problem for the ops folks. As long as the rails are intact, the locomotives run, the trains can get air, etc, it's business as usual.
If a train can't get charged up, a loco freezes up, switches are frozen, etc, now ops has problems (and yes, I've had to deal with all of the above...)
tree68 Semper Vaporo It becomes a major headache for the Operations Department when the MOW folk are suddenly busy with pull-aparts and broken rails and smashed frogs and... Agreed. My point was that the cold itself isn't a problem for the ops folks. As long as the rails are intact, the locomotives run, the trains can get air, etc, it's business as usual. If a train can't get charged up, a loco freezes up, switches are frozen, etc, now ops has problems (and yes, I've had to deal with all of the above...)
Semper Vaporo It becomes a major headache for the Operations Department when the MOW folk are suddenly busy with pull-aparts and broken rails and smashed frogs and...
Not quite business as usual. Extreme cold brings out cold weather restrictions. For UP, Passenger trains, light engines and freight trains averaging less than 90 tons per car/platform are restricted to 40mph on unsignalled track. Freight trains averaging 90 tons or more are restricted to 40mph on signalled track as well as unsignalled track. Some subdivisions can have further speed restrictions added to them.
Lately, the very long trains they love to run have been getting split up into two smaller trains. Also during extreme cold snaps, all locomotives can be on line, observing tons per axle restrictions, when normally they only allow enough power to just make the hills. Both to try to avoid the problems of the extreme cold affecting the air brake components and/or the locomotives themselves.
Jeff
Jeff, Would I be correct that the road engines don't have the HOTSTART type of equipment that keeps the prime movers warm when shut down? And that even though they may be four cycle engines, they don't use antifreeze?
When engines are "off line" are they running at idle speed or are they shut down?
Thanks.
Jeff, I also wonder what ability does the lead control loco have to start and/or shut (stop the prime mover) down, DPU's. ANd if it is shut down in below freezing temps, what keeps the unit from freezing up? Two cycle GM's had to be kept running or drained to prevent freezing was my understanding.
Electroliner 1935 Jeff, Would I be correct that the road engines don't have the HOTSTART type of equipment that keeps the prime movers warm when shut down? And that even though they may be four cycle engines, they don't use antifreeze? When engines are "off line" are they running at idle speed or are they shut down? Thanks. Jeff, I also wonder what ability does the lead control loco have to start and/or shut (stop the prime mover) down, DPU's. ANd if it is shut down in below freezing temps, what keeps the unit from freezing up? Two cycle GM's had to be kept running or drained to prevent freezing was my understanding.
None of our modern road units, to my knowledge, have a system to keep the engine warm when shut down. Many, including yard and local power, are equipped with Automatic Engine Stop/Start. It shuts down the engine when certain parameters are met and will restart the engine when a different set of parameters occur. (Well, most of the time it will restart automatically.) Antifreeze isn't used so if an engine shuts down and won't or can't be restarted, either automatically or manually, the engine needs to have the water drained.
Off line engines are running at idle. If AESS is active, it can shut down an isolated engine. Then restarting it as necessary. I've noticed, at least on the GE engines, when the engine is cold it will idle at a faster speed. It gives a message on the engineer's computer screen when it's doing so.
The lead engine can shut down DP consists, but can't restart them. It's an emergency feature, the same as on the lead or on a conventional consist. Once shut down in this manner when an engine might freeze, someone either needs to restart it or drain it.
jeffhergertAntifreeze isn't used so if an engine shuts down and won't or can't be restarted, either automatically or manually, the engine needs to have the water drained.
And if you don't, then Mr. Guru will.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Do most engines have these? Looks like it would prevent damage and save a very expensive repair. You tought me something new today. Thanks, Jeff and Zugmann
zugmann jeffhergert Antifreeze isn't used so if an engine shuts down and won't or can't be restarted, either automatically or manually, the engine needs to have the water drained. And if you don't, then Mr. Guru will.
jeffhergert Antifreeze isn't used so if an engine shuts down and won't or can't be restarted, either automatically or manually, the engine needs to have the water drained.
Our newer engines have it and I've seen it retrofitted to others. Some of the SD70ACe have on the back wall instuctions on how to keep it from operating while filling with relatively cold water. The instructions caught my attention because it talks about the penny-pincher. Reading the instructions for that particular model of Guru, it said the plug could be extended and held in place by inserting a penny or other coin in the penny-pincher. I thought at the time that now we'll all have to keep loose change in our pocket just to add water.
Why isn't anti-freeze used? Seems just about every other engine- be it diesel or gas- uses anti-freeze in it's cooling system- why not locomotives? Pj
jeffhergert zugmann jeffhergert And if you don't, then Mr. Guru will. Our newer engines have it and I've seen it retrofitted to others. Some of the SD70ACe have on the back wall instuctions on how to keep it from operating while filling with relatively cold water. The instructions caught my attention because it talks about the penny-pincher. Reading the instructions for that particular model of Guru, it said the plug could be extended and held in place by inserting a penny or other coin in the penny-pincher. I thought at the time that now we'll all have to keep loose change in our pocket just to add water. Jeff
zugmann jeffhergert And if you don't, then Mr. Guru will.
jeffhergert
CSX rules now prohibit T&E employees from adding water. Mechanical personnel are the only ones allowed to do it.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD CSX rules now prohibit T&E employees from adding water. Mechanical personnel are the only ones allowed to do it.
Many of our engines are being fitted with hardware so that to fill the engine you have to have a hose with a special fitting to connect to the intake. No more having the local fire department come out so you can get water in an emergency.
jeffhergert BaltACD CSX rules now prohibit T&E employees from adding water. Mechanical personnel are the only ones allowed to do it. Many of our engines are being fitted with hardware so that to fill the engine you have to have a hose with a special fitting to connect to the intake. No more having the local fire department come out so you can get water in an emergency. Jeff
Johnny
DeggestyAnd if somehow you lose all your coolant while on the road, what then?
You pull into the nearest "park and ride" and wait.
Norm
Deggesty jeffhergert CSX rules now prohibit T&E employees from adding water. Mechanical personnel are the only ones allowed to do it. Many of our engines are being fitted with hardware so that to fill the engine you have to have a hose with a special fitting to connect to the intake. No more having the local fire department come out so you can get water in an emergency. Jeff And if somehow you lose all your coolant while on the road, what then?
jeffhergert CSX rules now prohibit T&E employees from adding water. Mechanical personnel are the only ones allowed to do it. Many of our engines are being fitted with hardware so that to fill the engine you have to have a hose with a special fitting to connect to the intake. No more having the local fire department come out so you can get water in an emergency. Jeff
And if somehow you lose all your coolant while on the road, what then?
You're screwed. If you have enough other power to move the train, you continue. If you are dead in the water so to speak - you wait until additional power can be sourced to move your train, either to destination or to somewhere the train can be 'off the main' until a final power solution can be obtained.
The reality is that most trains are loaded to their power's max tonnage and passing trains rarely have extra power to give to a train that is in trouble. This situation has been aggrevated by the reduction on coal traffic, while loaded trains need all the power they have, empty trains were frequent sources of donor power for trains in trouble. In the worst case, when power becomes available at a terminal, a recrew will be called to transport the power to the train in trouble and then continue the train to destination.
Container train blocking diamond now anyone know whats up, not just computer lag....
update at 11:11 we are now moving albeit slowly.
I just logged in to the Rochelle cam for the first time in months and noticed the trains are not blowing for the crossings. Has Rochelle become a quiet zone? When did this take effect?
U.P. has a yard just to the west of the diamonds and apparently deiiver or pickup cars at that yard. Due to the length of the trains and the short distance between the entrance to the yard and the diamonds they often have to stop a train on the diamonds while they move cars from the front of the train into the yard and/or put more cars on the front of the train from the yard.
Saw a unit coal train passing through North Platte at ~5:30 CST. Assuming it is routed that way and nothing unusual happens along the way, when should it be crossing the diamonds at Rochelle?
cefinkjrSaw a unit coal train passing through North Platte at ~5:30 CST. Assuming it is routed that way and nothing unusual happens along the way, when should it be crossing the diamonds at Rochelle?
It has to traverse most of Nebraska, all of Iowa, and half of Illinois... over 600 miles as the crow flies (not has the rail wends). Lots of places to get delayed. Not to mention the many places between North Platte, Nebraska and the diamonds at Rochelle, Illinois for the train to be routed to someplace else.
Take a guess at the average speed of a train along that route... say 50 MPH (I think that is an over-estimate!) and divide (or is that multiply?) I get 12 hours, so figure maybe 9 to 20 hours (or more).
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