QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill Jim: I checked out the shoofly last spring -- right down an alley! I took a few nice photos from the fifth level of the adjacent casino parking garage of Amtrak pulling in.
QUOTE: Originally posted by mloik For those who want to take a look at what trains on Donner are contending with today, check out the following web cam (downtown Truckee, CA)... http://www.magnifeye.com/rexhotel.html
QUOTE: Originally posted by drailed1999 And the bad thing is that they use mostly GE,s for DPU helpers and they don't like to stay running in tunnels. Hence the SP buying the majority of the tunnel motors.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
QUOTE: Originally posted by broncoman Mark, Is the labor cost for running a set of manned helpers really that high as compared to taking a unit(s) all the way from Sparks to Roseville (or vice versa). Or are they just running a heavier train since they usually seem to favor 3-4 unit in front 2-3 unit at the rear. Does the train become heavy enough to not only need the power to get over the hill, but now need the power to slow down on the hill? I will say that I remember seeing trains struggle a lot more on the lessor grades Roseville to Auburn, whereas now they hold their speed 30+ all the way (all units seem to be running , all producing smoke anyway).
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill Truckee to Sparks DT ABS, 34.5 miles
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill UP promised to re-install the second main track on Donner Pass? When was that promise made, and where was it made? That's news to me. I do not think that stretch of single main track will ever be a bottleneck in the rest of my life.
QUOTE: I wish I could find my pictures of the GPs. They were taken between Alta and Colfax. I spent a lot of time around the Alta and Drum area in the early 90s. They used to go back and forth quite often. A friend of mine just got a pentrex DVD for christmas that covered SP over donner and they showed them also. I'll keep you posted if I see another manned helper set the next time I am in Colfax. Dave
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill UP promised to re-install the second main track on Donner Pass? When was that promise made, and where was it made? That's news to me. I do not think that stretch of single main track will ever be a bottleneck in the rest of my life. It hasn't been essential (except perhaps during the occasional bad winter) since the 1960s. Traffic levels would have to increase into the range of 40 train movements per day before one would look hard at replacing it -- and that's more train movements than Donner and the Feather River Canyon combined, at present, and for the forseeable future. Plus, Donner doesn't have clearance for international double-stacks, and gaining that clearance would be very expensive. UP has many more pressing needs for capacity than Donner Pass, such as the Sunset Route between L.A. and El Paso, the Overland Route between Fremont, Nebr., and Chicago, the C&EI between East St. Louis and Chicago, the Sunset Route between Houston and Livonia, La., and Houston and L.A. terminals. There is only so much capital to do things, and I would be surprised and dismayed to see it spend the money on Donner Pass first. Even before the second track went back, there are more useful ways to spend money on Donner: increasing clearances, and installing CTC on the west side where it is still ABS double-track.
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033 Boy, I'd love to have a photo of that trio of GP60s on the shove. I've never seen that on Donner! I bet you could win some money with that photo, you know during an after hours railfan BS session. Speaking of DPUs, watched the Sparks yard job take one of the big GE units and switch Cantex at Lawton with it - I did a double take! This was the last manned helper set I saw anywhere on the east side. Its pictured at Truckee summer of 2000/2001, I think - notes not handy right now. Jim
QUOTE: Originally posted by broncoman The best ones were the GP60 trios. I still seem to see double SD60s in the rear from time to time. Dave
QUOTE: Originally posted by broncoman What is going on in Reno with regards to this Re-Trac project? I haven't heard about this before. It seems that there are still a few manned helpers, but it seem to happen only when they are short on AC4400s, which is becoming less and less frequent. The best ones were the GP60 trios. I still seem to see double SD60s in the rear from time to time. Dave
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033 Let me tell you Mr. ericsp, still wet behind the ears, the same stuff that got SP units dirty, is now getting UP units dirty. Its called "tunnel mist," if you assign a unit for ping-pong duty between Roseville and Sparks for a week or two, than three weeks, with another week, and never wash it, it gets just as dirty as any ESPEE unit ever did.
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033 And as far as the UP wrapping some units in flags, it is absolutly against flag protocol, period. "The Flag should never be used for advertising purposes. " Its one thing for an operating employee to adorn his/her locomotive with a flag, it is a whole different matter when a commercial enterprise like UP plasters a flag on the side of its locomotives and makes it a livery subject to trademark laws.
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033 And just like in the good-ol Espee days, these units get real dirty!
QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033 farmer03, Looks like your question on DPUs has been answered. I see that in the Aug. 2001 issue of Trains, Helpers were the focus of that issue. Think I might order a back issue. Also, since you passed through this area on I-80, the location of those photos I took, were just east of the CHP weigh station. Do you remember that stretch of road? SP9033
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