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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 11:11 AM

EarthCam says 70 degrees and overcast in Rochelle.  The random appearance of blurred spots on the video feed says rain.  Kind of an interesting visual effect though.  It almost looks like lots of tiny little foggy spots.

Chuck
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Posted by MKT Dave on Monday, September 7, 2015 8:33 PM

20:25 Rail Grinder from the west, on BNSF. Came down the line #2, crossing the diamond, then backed down. Now out of sight around the bend, sounds like it's coming back now.

20:34 the Grinder is back, totally gone by 20:39

 

 photo Capture 30.png

 

 photo Capture 31.png

backing down

 

 photo Capture 36 20 36.png

See the Sparks Fly!

The Sound was appauling.

 

 

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Posted by blhanel on Monday, September 7, 2015 8:30 PM

Rail Grinder currently working BNSF Track 1 eastbound... he stopped halfway across the diamond and is now backing up.

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Posted by DS4-4-1000 on Friday, September 4, 2015 1:31 PM

CatFoodFlambe

That can backfire.  Back in the early 1970's, the Detroit Toledo and Ironton painted their 86' hi-cube boxcars in different colors to make it easy to "check" that cars were headed to the right plants (the ones painted purple with yellow lettering would grab the attention of even the general public).  This worked just fine - until adjustments in production required re-assignment of cars.  

 
The Reading had a variation on that idea with open hopper cars.  A car with a white panel signified sand service, an orange panel signified iron ore service, a blue panel signified sugar service (yes, sugar).  There was a similar system using the color of the lines above and below the reporting marks for the covered hoppers, the only one I remember is blue lines meant sugar service.
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Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, September 4, 2015 12:30 PM

MKT Dave
... they start early and work late.

This may be what we would have called a "system gang" on the NYC in the '60s.  These were larger groups of MoW people who handled major jobs like tie replacement over more distance than a local gang would be able to handle in addition to regular maintenance.  The guys in a system gang worked all over the NYC and were typically far from home.  By mutual agreement with the company, they worked four 10-hour days every week and had 4-day "weekends" every other week.  Another benefit to the company was that part of the railroad was tied up one less day every week.

Chuck
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Friday, September 4, 2015 12:08 PM

MKT Dave
If you watch it for a bit, a siren will go off, and they will clear the dimonds, a train will go through slow, after it's gone, they will return

As is happening as I write, a WB stacker coming through slow on 2, slower than usual even when yarding at Global 3.

Watching the three tie handler machines all moving around with booms extended at the same time, I am reminded of the Paul Newman segment in "What a Way to Go" from the sixties.  A movie that, while a bit dated, still is very funny.

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Posted by MKT Dave on Friday, September 4, 2015 11:38 AM

If you watch it for a bit, a siren will go off, and they will clear the dimonds, a train will go through slow, after it's gone, they will return. They are replacing ties under the diamonds. They have been replacing ties through the Rochelle UP tracks for the past month. They really do have a routine set up, and they start early and work late.

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Posted by eolafan on Friday, September 4, 2015 8:14 AM

Just logged onto the Rochelle webcam and wow, they have tons of excavator machines buzzing all over the diamonds right now...doesn't look like there will be any train activity there for a while today as nothing could get through that maze of Cat machines, etc., etc.. Does anybody know what's going on...tie replacement or are they changing out the diamonds again due to severe wear?

Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by schmaltz on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 1:15 PM

Serious backhoe work underway right now.

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Posted by xjqcf on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 9:55 AM

Yesterday UP track forces dropped off some ties to the north side of their tracks and from the look of the length of some of them it appeared that some of the ties among the diamonds were slated to be replaced. Sure enough today they're working on the diamonds replacing ties with the assistance of two excavators adapted with claws to manipulate the ties

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Posted by SushiLover on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 7:02 AM

xjqcf

 

 
SushiLover
Is the radio feed at Broadcastify not always live? There's been a couple times now where I've either heard the same transmission repeated (like the same comment and laughing from a dispatcher) or the time has been mentioned and it's a couple hours in the past.
 

 

 

 

I've not heard this this particular problem, and I monitor this feed as well as the webcam frequently. I don't use the web-based player; I route the feed to an external program so that I can capture the right channel only (which is USUALLY the UP/BNSF traffic) to both left and right so that I can listen in stereo without the feed's left channel (CN/CP/ICE) cluttering everything up.

 

 

Thanks, maybe I'll try using VLC instead of the web player and see what happens.

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Posted by CatFoodFlambe on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 5:51 PM

That can backfire.  Back in the early 1970's, the Detroit Toledo and Ironton painted their 86' hi-cube boxcars in different colors to make it easy to "check" that cars were headed to the right plants (the ones painted purple with yellow lettering would grab the attention of even the general public).  This worked just fine - until adjustments in production required re-assignment of cars.  

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Posted by xjqcf on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 3:22 PM

SushiLover
Is the radio feed at Broadcastify not always live? There's been a couple times now where I've either heard the same transmission repeated (like the same comment and laughing from a dispatcher) or the time has been mentioned and it's a couple hours in the past.
 

 

I've not heard this this particular problem, and I monitor this feed as well as the webcam frequently. I don't use the web-based player; I route the feed to an external program so that I can capture the right channel only (which is USUALLY the UP/BNSF traffic) to both left and right so that I can listen in stereo without the feed's left channel (CN/CP/ICE) cluttering everything up.

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 10:47 AM

BaltACD
The colors themselves have no signifigance.  They where what was available when the order of cars was built. 

Or, that's what the customer wanted - maybe some corporate tie or an attempt to be a little different so's to tell cars apart.

LarryWhistling
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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 SushiLover on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 9:43 AM
Is the radio feed at Broadcastify not always live? There's been a couple times now where I've either heard the same transmission repeated (like the same comment and laughing from a dispatcher) or the time has been mentioned and it's a couple hours in the past.
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Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, August 28, 2015 5:01 PM

BaltACD
 
cefinkjr

MT UP coal train passing now.  I know colored panels on the ends of hoppers or bath tub gons indicates "rotary coupler on this end".  Anybody know the difference, other than color, between yellow and pink (faded red?) panels?

 

 

 

The colors themselves have no signifigance.  They where what was available when the order of cars was built.

Thought that might be the case.

Chuck
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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, August 28, 2015 4:27 PM

cefinkjr

MT UP coal train passing now.  I know colored panels on the ends of hoppers or bath tub gons indicates "rotary coupler on this end".  Anybody know the difference, other than color, between yellow and pink (faded red?) panels?

 

The colors themselves have no signifigance.  They where what was available when the order of cars was built.  The critical thing is that the colored ends must all be in the same direction to facilitate dumping at the consignee's facility.  The purpose of rotary couplers is to permit the car to be rotated and dumped without uncoupling from adjacent cars.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by rdamon on Friday, August 28, 2015 3:54 PM

If you right click on the photo and get the url you can insert it.

 

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Posted by MKT Dave on Friday, August 28, 2015 3:12 PM

here is the link to posted photo's on facebook, if you don't do facebook, let me know, i'll put them up somewhere else.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153539386123194&set=pcb.10153539405493194&type=1&theater

I've tried uploading photos to my 'Trains' photo section, for some reason, it doesn't work for me.

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Posted by cefinkjr on Friday, August 28, 2015 12:37 PM

MT UP coal train passing now.  I know colored panels on the ends of hoppers or bath tub gons indicates "rotary coupler on this end".  Anybody know the difference, other than color, between yellow and pink (faded red?) panels?

Chuck
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Posted by MKT Dave on Friday, August 28, 2015 10:50 AM

1045am think it was a rail grinder long and loud, couldn't see sparks. got pictures off the cam using a snipping tool. will post link when i upload them. for some reason, i can't get pictures to up load here.

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Posted by MrLynn on Thursday, August 27, 2015 6:18 AM

jeffhergert

They send business trains, of all sizes and for different reasons, all over the system.  The Heritage fleet is based in Council Bluffs.  I recall seeing one on the line up going to Global 4.  Might have been that one.

Jeff

Saw what looked like the same train as before (one dome car, one red-white-and-blue decorated car, observation car, and several coaches) heading west last night, c. 8:30 EDT, just as an eastbound coal train was clearing the diamonds.

/Mr Lynn

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Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, August 24, 2015 9:25 PM

They send business trains, of all sizes and for different reasons, all over the system.  The Heritage fleet is based in Council Bluffs.  I recall seeing one on the line up going to Global 4.  Might have been that one.

Jeff

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Posted by MrLynn on Monday, August 24, 2015 7:19 PM

rdettmer

wow i just saw a cool up passenger train go by ,about a dozen cars.

one had a real cool red white and blue paint job. very cool

I saw it back on August 4th.  My post then:

Posted by MrLynn on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 2:13 AM

Hey!  I just saw a PASSENGER TRAIN!! It was an all-yellow UP eastbound, headed by a couple of modern EMD locomotives (no E units), maybe 10 cars, with a dome car (!) and an observation car (!).

Is this a new development?  Private-livery passenger trains making a comeback?

I know, probably an executive train.  But doggone it, I can wish, can't I?  I'd like to ride that one, for sure.

Definitely is the UP executive train; search on YouTube and you'll find videos of it.

Is this a regular route for that train, or is it constantly on the move around the railroad?

/Mr Lynn

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, August 24, 2015 1:15 PM

Semper Vaporo

I think you will find that you get the ad only the first time you check the camera feed per day.  If you quit the feed and come back later you won't see the ad.

I just brought up the web cam for the first time today and no ad appeared.  OTOH, this machine runs nearly 24/7.

Semper Vaporo

As for faster to come up... i have noticed any change in that, but today I am seeing lots of signal dropouts and digital ghosting of movement...

A UP WB was passing when I brought up the web cam and I watched the rest of it --- maybe 50 cars --- with only a couple of short freezes.  Time-Warner's recent upgrade of my cable speed to "up to 100 MB" seems to be having its effect.

Semper Vaporo

I was trying to count the steps as people walked up and down them but could not get a long enough valid video feed to do it well.  4 boys were out there taking photos/videos and when one would go to the steps, I'd try to count their steps down or up, but too many times they would start down the steps and the image would freeze and when it would come back the kid was gone completely from the picture.  The best guess I can give as to the number of steps is between 8 and 10, so I figure at about 8 inches per step, that would be between 5 and 6.5 feet of a drop off on the west edge of the upper viewing platform. 

A young man was watching that UP WB when I tuned in and as soon as it had passed, he turned and came up to the upper viewing area.  I counted 9 steps but might have missed the first or last (he seemed in a hurry).  9 steps @ 8" would be exactly 6'.

Semper Vaporo
I still think it needs a railing!

ABSOLUTELY!  A friend of mine feel out of a low bed when he was a kid and broke his collar bone.  It doesn't take much.

Chuck
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Monday, August 24, 2015 9:45 AM

cefinkjr

Aside: Web cam seemed to come up more quickly than usual and, Glory Be!!, without the Kalmbach ad urging me to subscribe to Trains (or ????).  Much appreciated small improvement.  Bow 

I think you will find that you get the ad only the first time you check the camera feed per day.  If you quit the feed and come back later you won't see the ad.

 

As for faster to come up... i have noticed any change in that, but today I am seeing lots of signal dropouts and digital ghosting of movement...

I was trying to count the steps as people walked up and down them but could not get a long enough valid video feed to do it well.  4 boys were out there taking photos/videos and when one would go to the steps, I'd try to count their steps down or up, but too many times they would start down the steps and the image would freeze and when it would come back the kid was gone completely from the picture.  The best guess I can give as to the number of steps is between 8 and 10, so I figure at about 8 inches per step, that would be between 5 and 6.5 feet of a drop off on the west edge of the upper viewing platform.  I still think it needs a railing!

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by gp18 on Monday, August 24, 2015 9:11 AM

Union Pacific business train?

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Posted by rdettmer on Monday, August 24, 2015 9:02 AM

wow i just saw a cool up passenger train go by ,about a dozen cars.

one had a real cool red white and blue paint job. very cool

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Posted by cefinkjr on Saturday, August 22, 2015 12:40 PM

Interesting move EB on UP #2 @1234: 93 well-cars, most with two containers, behind one unit.  Did I mention that it seemed to be working pretty hard? Smile  All containers were either K-Line or unmarked.  Somebody's ship come in?

Aside: Web cam seemed to come up more quickly than usual and, Glory Be!!, without the Kalmbach ad urging me to subscribe to Trains (or ????).  Much appreciated small improvement.  Bow 

Chuck
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Posted by gp18 on Saturday, August 22, 2015 8:51 AM

Just observed two police officers jump off the wall and walk slowly to the diamonds as if they were trailing something. They spent some time around the southeast side of the diamond then came back and hopped up on the wall like it was a curb.

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