Overmod Stephanie, wasn't it?
Stephanie, wasn't it?
Nora.
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...
Ah yes.
I believe she expressed a desire not to continue that thread, and retitled it (to Bad Train Pictures). That didn't stop people posting in it for a while. Not only did she think it was too long to find useful answers in, but the old thread had a further problem. At some point, every post became doubled. Someone made fun of this by quoting a Pink Floyd song with a pronounced heavy echo.
This was its replacement, which was supposed to become the new 'rookie questions' thread. It contained some useful material, but only went to 5 pages:
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/53144.aspx
Both these threads still contain material worth reading.
Nora would be in a position to answer more questions than she asked now. She was a train dispatcher for NS based at Conway, but resigned rather than move with her job from Pittsburgh to Atlanta.Several years ago (2016, I think) on a vacation to northern California, Pat and I met her entire family (parents, sister, spouses, niece and nephew). Quite a crew, all as bright as can be. Nora's older son is off to college this year; the younger one isn't that far behind.
Even with the job, she was still curious. One time when she and the kids visited here, we sat in the car along the BN Racetrack for several minutes, so she could actually see a searchlight signal change color.
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)
One problem often encountered with threads/posts such as this is the crusty old-timer who remembers that the same question was asked some time back, and gruffly (or even angrily) posts that the poster should learn to use the search function.
Sometimes that's valid, but since people come and people go, oftimes the bulk of the people active on a forum weren't there when the question was originally posted.
It's far better to just answer the question in an informative manner. And if someone does know how to use the search function, include a link to the other thread - which is often done.
It's all about helping railfans grow. I use information I've gained here in a number of ways, including on the railroad.
tree68One problem often encountered with threads/posts such as this is the crusty old-timer who remembers that the same question was asked some time back, and gruffly (or even angrily) posts that the poster should learn to use the search function.
Kalmbach needs to may the Search Function actually work FIRST. My use of is has been 'hit or miss' with more misses than hits.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
While I'm sure everyone here is happy to answer all questions, I think just about everyone would also recommend the book, The Railroad, What It Is, What It Does by John H. Armstrong for any new railfan (and even not so new railfans). It covers everything you can think of and more.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
BaltACDKalmbach needs to may the Search Function actually work FIRST. My use of is has been 'hit or miss' with more misses than hits.
Yeah - there is that, too...
tree68 One problem often encountered with threads/posts such as this is the crusty old-timer who remembers that the same question was asked some time back, and gruffly (or even angrily) posts that the poster should learn to use the search function.
And if someone new has a comment or further question and reopens a long-dormant thread, you'll find people who get their nose out of joint over that. Really, there's no way to win.
Most search functions and search engines seem to give me everything except what I'm looking for. Even when I'm looking for something I posted in the past on here, it's very hard to find.
Jeff
SD70DudeBut if there is no new crew available or that train is not proceeding further for some time (yard congestion and planned track work are common reasons) then the inbound crew will have to secure the train, and it will sit with no one onboard, sometimes for days.
Saw that repeatedly on the former L&N in Elizabethtown, KY which is South of the mini-mountain type grades South of Louisville, KY. They would park a freight train the crew would lock it up and drive away and it would literally sit there for days on the siding......just short of Louisville. Man if I were a rail customer and my shipment sat there parked just short of the destination I would be livid. That was back around 1994-1995 though......hopefully it's better now.
CMStPnP SD70Dude But if there is no new crew available or that train is not proceeding further for some time (yard congestion and planned track work are common reasons) then the inbound crew will have to secure the train, and it will sit with no one onboard, sometimes for days. Saw that repeatedly on the former L&N in Elizabethtown, KY which is South of the mini-mountain type grades South of Louisville, KY. They would park a freight train the crew would lock it up and drive away and it would literally sit there for days on the siding......just short of Louisville. Man if I were a rail customer and my shipment sat there parked just short of the destination I would be livid. That was back around 1994-1995 though......hopefully it's better now.
SD70Dude But if there is no new crew available or that train is not proceeding further for some time (yard congestion and planned track work are common reasons) then the inbound crew will have to secure the train, and it will sit with no one onboard, sometimes for days.
I have been watching YouTube videos on present day maritime industry. Railroads are not unique in having terminal congestion that prevents arriving vessels from proceeding directly to their dock for either loading or unloading. Vessels are held 'at anchorage' for days, sometimes weeks before they get authorization to dock.
In the late 1970s, early 1980's when the export coal market took off. At one time the local newspapers reported that there were in excess of 100 vessels at anchorage off Annapolis waiting their turn to dock at the B&O Coal Pier at Curtis Bay. Curtis Bay could load between 50K & 60K tons into a vessel in 24 hours - the maximum that they could handle with the channel depths in Baltimore Harbor. After leaving Curtis Bay they would head down the Chesapeake Bay and load another 100K tons at the C&O Coal Pier at Newport News and then head across the pond to their ultimate destination. The following video was made in May 2017 of a Maersk container ship transiting the Yangtze River near Shanghi - Note the vessels on the river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FatmZFoTlw
Regards - Steve
steve-in-kvilleI'm trying to wrap my head around the term "stringlining." Is when the train isn't kept tight and the car's couplers start rattle? I've heard the term "jack knifing" as well. Please explain.
Take a string and start moving it up a curving right of way with a relatively heavy weight at the trailing end of the string. What happens to the string?
Jack knifing is more appropriate to trucking where in the rear of the trailer and the nose of the tractor are facing in nominally the same direction.
In the railroad context it would be where the buff forces of the kinetic energy of the rear of the train act upon the head end of the train that has already stopped.
The forces in a train are draft and buff - draft being where the locomotives on the head head end pull the train. Buff is where the forces of the train push the locomotives. The locomotive engineer's job is to manage the buff and draft forces to get the train over the territory without damage to the train.
steve-in-kvilleSo there would obviously be a lot of force to the inside rail? Potentially causing a derail?
Yes - more than the wheel flange/rail head interface can support if the car doesn't have enough weight to keep that interface intact.
Most railroads have trailing tonnage restrictions concerning long (nominally 80 foot and longer) empty cars in certain territories of high curvature and grades.
Jack knifing a train is more apt to happen when shoving a train or part of it, for example when making a set-out. Railroads, ours does and I imagine all the major ones do, have limits for how much power (engines on-line, throttle positions, how much air brake applied) can be used when shoving cars.
Hey y’all - First-time poster, though I’ve been browsing the forum for some time now.
I have a question for the engineers that post here, if you would indulge me: in DP operations, do you often use the “fence” to control the DPs separately in order to control slack action etc., or is that a relatively rare thing?
Psychot Hey y’all - First-time poster, though I’ve been browsing the forum for some time now. I have a question for the engineers that post here, if you would indulge me: in DP operations, do you often use the “fence” to control the DPs separately in order to control slack action etc., or is that a relatively rare thing?
Depends on the train and where the train is at. I use the fence a lot, especially on loaded bulk commodity trains and long manifests. Other engineers maybe not as much.
When the auto throttle energy managment systems (LEADER or Trip Optimizer) are engaged, they always put the fence up and run the DP separate from the lead. Sometimes, IMO, not in the best fashion.
Thanks!
So what percentage of UP locomotives have Leader or Trip Optimizer? And if they’re installed, are you required to use them?
PsychotThanks! So what percentage of UP locomotives have Leader or Trip Optimizer? And if they’re installed, are you required to use them?
Virtually all GE and EMD road locomotives produced in the 21st Century have been equipped with either Trip Optimizer (GE) or Leader (EMD) and some from the last century are also equipped. Don't know UP policy. CSX policy is that they are to be used in the name of 'fuel economy', or at least that was what was stated by the Senior Road Foreman of Engines when he conducted a 'staff meeting' for my division's Train Dispatchers back when I was working.
ON CN:
No EMD engines with Leader.
Any GE locomotives equipped with Trip Op must have it engaged when in the lead position if the trip is in the computer.
It's the worst. It's sloooooow and very cautious. Always slowing down way before you need to and loves to run well under the speed limit.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
Psychot Thanks! So what percentage of UP locomotives have Leader or Trip Optimizer? And if they’re installed, are you required to use them?
Oh yes, it's required unless there is a good reason not to.
I don't know the percentage of engines with EMS. All new ones have it and older ones are being retrofitted. Some have the EMS integrated with PTC. In PTC territory only integrated EMS is allowed. Stand alone EMS is only allowed in non-PTC territory, and the track segment must also be able to support the EMS.
I've heard the Trip Optimizer, at least ours, has been set to run slower. It supposedly wasn't saving enough fuel at higher speeds.
BTW. LEADER is used on EMD engines, Trip Optimizer on GE engines. (Trip Optimizer is a GE product.)
Thanks for the replies! One final question on this topic: does anyone know of a good primer on EMS? I have a million questions about how it works, but I don’t want to bother y’all with them.
jeffhergert... and the track segment must also be able to support the EMS.
Jeff, what does this mean specifically in context?
I had been under the vague understanding that nothing more than a GIS upload was involved in the support, with the onboard GPS roughly predicting upcoming grade and service changes. Is there specific interaction with the signal system via radio or track code?
Overmod jeffhergert ... and the track segment must also be able to support the EMS. Jeff, what does this mean specifically in context? I had been under the vague understanding that nothing more than a GIS upload was involved in the support, with the onboard GPS roughly predicting upcoming grade and service changes. Is there specific interaction with the signal system via radio or track code?
jeffhergert ... and the track segment must also be able to support the EMS.
I believe - the physical characteristics of the particular territory the locomotive is being operated over need to be loaded into both Leader and Trip Optimizer so that the program knows what operational challenges the train will be facing. The physical characteristics deal more with grade and curvature than anything signal related.
BaltACDthe physical characteristics of the particular territory the locomotive is being operated over need to be loaded into both Leader and Trip Optimizer so that the program knows what operational challenges the train will be facing.
This is precisely synonymous with "GIS upload" but in English, so more people will understand it.
Note that the 'railroad' definition of a TERCOM map is different from the version local jurisdictions maintain for surveying: it would be 'marked up' (probably in metadata) with specific grade and curve restrictions by location and other information. mudchicken is likely to be a rich and knowledgeable reference about exactly what data are presently used for these systems and how they are determined, loaded, and maintained.
steve-in-kvilleIs there anyway to track NS' Heritage Locomotives? Or track anything for that matter by the general public?
This is like the poster child for my earlier note about Google.
First page, first item, recommended in multiple posts on this exact subject in these forums...
https://www.heritageunits.com/
Navigate here on your smartphone and download their app, too, as it is highly useful when you're 'in the field' as about 99% of the potential 'catch' situations will be.
Navigate to this address on your smartphone and download their app, too, as it is highly useful when you're 'in the field' as about 99% of the potential 'catch' situations will be.
Note that if you have 'location services' or the equivalent operating on your computer, the first thing you see ought to be a map centered on your location that is easily zoomed in and out with the mouse scroll wheel or pad...
I tried researching this but I must not be entering the right search criteria.... if two locomotives are at the head of a train, one is an EMD and the other a GE, must they be "calibrated" to work together? Due to the different make/model, won't one pull harder? Are the throttle notches universal?
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