Bad train pictures

[oltmannd]

UPS trains generally carry other premium business, as well. I know of no "UPS only" train.

[oltmannd]

UPS trains generally carry other premium business, as well. I know of no "UPS only" train.

[Junctionfan]

How long are the UPS trains and do they only comprise of UPS trailers or do they include other trailers probably LTL?

[Junctionfan]

How long are the UPS trains and do they only comprise of UPS trailers or do they include other trailers probably LTL?

[CShaveRR]

The MILW reporting marks are assigned to the Soo Line, which is still shown as a separate entity from CP.

Some railroads prefer to reletter--and renumber--the equipment inherited from merger partners (NS, CSXT, and BNSF), others (UP, CP, CN) do not. In fact, I've recently seen a couple of freshly-repainted box cars carrying the CN logo and web address, but still lettered for the Illinois Central Gulf--reporting marks and road name stencilled on the cars! How hard would it have been to leave off the "Gulf", which IC did nearly 20 years ago?

[CShaveRR]

The MILW reporting marks are assigned to the Soo Line, which is still shown as a separate entity from CP.

Some railroads prefer to reletter--and renumber--the equipment inherited from merger partners (NS, CSXT, and BNSF), others (UP, CP, CN) do not. In fact, I've recently seen a couple of freshly-repainted box cars carrying the CN logo and web address, but still lettered for the Illinois Central Gulf--reporting marks and road name stencilled on the cars! How hard would it have been to leave off the "Gulf", which IC did nearly 20 years ago?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I'm not sure of this but the MILW reporting marks probably belong to CP by way of Soo Line. Similar situations apply to other fallen flags.
Not all unit trains use shipper-owned cars. I've seen several unit trains using railroad-owned hoppers and if an interline operation is involved, the cars may be owned by several railroads.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I'm not sure of this but the MILW reporting marks probably belong to CP by way of Soo Line. Similar situations apply to other fallen flags.
Not all unit trains use shipper-owned cars. I've seen several unit trains using railroad-owned hoppers and if an interline operation is involved, the cars may be owned by several railroads.

[tree68]

And here's another question:

Today I observed two MILW hoppers (120034 and 120080). Both appeared to be in original paint, ie not patched, leading one to assume that they've been running around with MILW reporting marks since the demise of the Milwaukee Road.

The question: Is it possible for a car to completely escape tracking by its rightful owner and continue to "work?" I can see that it would be difficult to do that in the world of loose car railroading, but it would seem somehow probable that in a business like coal, where there might be a perennial shortage of cars, that it could happen. I know it should get caught when inspections and such are due, but, hey, it's a question.

The short string of cars I saw had half a dozen or more reporting marks, including AEPX, SOO, UP, MILW, and MP - very different from the usual unit train of coal I see where virtually all the the cars have one of just a few reporting marks, if more than one at all.

[tree68]

And here's another question:

Today I observed two MILW hoppers (120034 and 120080). Both appeared to be in original paint, ie not patched, leading one to assume that they've been running around with MILW reporting marks since the demise of the Milwaukee Road.

The question: Is it possible for a car to completely escape tracking by its rightful owner and continue to "work?" I can see that it would be difficult to do that in the world of loose car railroading, but it would seem somehow probable that in a business like coal, where there might be a perennial shortage of cars, that it could happen. I know it should get caught when inspections and such are due, but, hey, it's a question.

The short string of cars I saw had half a dozen or more reporting marks, including AEPX, SOO, UP, MILW, and MP - very different from the usual unit train of coal I see where virtually all the the cars have one of just a few reporting marks, if more than one at all.

[Anonymous]

Stupid Question time!!!

Why do some Amtrak trains sound their horns, before entering a station, and other don't? I have been witnessing this all summer and cannot discover a pattern.

The trains sound their horns about a 1/4 mile out. All have their bells ringing during station approach.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Stupid Question time!!!

Why do some Amtrak trains sound their horns, before entering a station, and other don't? I have been witnessing this all summer and cannot discover a pattern.

The trains sound their horns about a 1/4 mile out. All have their bells ringing during station approach.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

W H Y [?]

[Anonymous]

W H Y [?]

[Hugh Jampton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

...Thanks for that answer on gauge CSSHEGEWISCH.....I rode Japanese rails over 50 years ago but didn't remember of them being narrow gauge. Since you gave the answer I remember our instructions of keeping our arms inside as the clearances were minimum.

One's really got nothing to do with the other.. I can give examples of broad gauge track where the carbody is the same as a standard gauge one (BART, Spanish Ralways),, and examples of narrow gauge track where the carbody is wider than a standard gauge one (Tiawan)

[Hugh Jampton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

...Thanks for that answer on gauge CSSHEGEWISCH.....I rode Japanese rails over 50 years ago but didn't remember of them being narrow gauge. Since you gave the answer I remember our instructions of keeping our arms inside as the clearances were minimum.

One's really got nothing to do with the other.. I can give examples of broad gauge track where the carbody is the same as a standard gauge one (BART, Spanish Ralways),, and examples of narrow gauge track where the carbody is wider than a standard gauge one (Tiawan)

[Modelcar]

...Thanks for that answer on gauge CSSHEGEWISCH.....I rode Japanese rails over 50 years ago but didn't remember of them being narrow gauge. Since you gave the answer I remember our instructions of keeping our arms inside as the clearances were minimum.

[Modelcar]

...Thanks for that answer on gauge CSSHEGEWISCH.....I rode Japanese rails over 50 years ago but didn't remember of them being narrow gauge. Since you gave the answer I remember our instructions of keeping our arms inside as the clearances were minimum.

[Anonymous]

jhhtrainsplanes mentioned the water trays. My grandmother was employed by NYC (or it's predecessor of the time) during WW1 and among her duties was breaking the ice in the water pan during winter. It was in the boonies and there was nothing around to supply any heat for killing the ice. It was apparently very, very hard work. The pan was almost a 1/4 mile long, between the rails, and about 6 inches deep. The trick was to work fast enough that the water didn't freeze all the way to the bottom of the pan before you got back to the same spot.

[Anonymous]

jhhtrainsplanes mentioned the water trays. My grandmother was employed by NYC (or it's predecessor of the time) during WW1 and among her duties was breaking the ice in the water pan during winter. It was in the boonies and there was nothing around to supply any heat for killing the ice. It was apparently very, very hard work. The pan was almost a 1/4 mile long, between the rails, and about 6 inches deep. The trick was to work fast enough that the water didn't freeze all the way to the bottom of the pan before you got back to the same spot.

[CShaveRR]

Paula, Paula, Paula [sigh]!

It's far easier to show someone the differences than to describe them. Some of the diesel-spotters' guides have illustrations of various models, and you can decide for yourself what makes them look distinctive to a given builder.

A GP is a model built by EMD (the Electro-Motive Division of GM).

An Alco is built by the American Locomotive Company or its successors. If your Mutt starts foaming at the mouth when he sees an Alco, he's got a good reason--none of them have been built in about 35 years.

It's still safe to say (for the most part) that GEs sound different from GMs. If it screams, chugs, and/or wheezes when it goes by (or makes a traditional air-compressor noise sometimes when it's standing still), it's a GE. The GMs (EMDs) sound a lot smoother.

I think it's also safe to say that if it has radiators (not fans) on top of the roof, and "wings" at the hind end, it's a GE. The GE widenose cab is unique; GM's gone through a few nose designs and variations.

So get on out there, and keep your eyes and ears open!

Carl

[CShaveRR]

Paula, Paula, Paula [sigh]!

It's far easier to show someone the differences than to describe them. Some of the diesel-spotters' guides have illustrations of various models, and you can decide for yourself what makes them look distinctive to a given builder.

A GP is a model built by EMD (the Electro-Motive Division of GM).

An Alco is built by the American Locomotive Company or its successors. If your Mutt starts foaming at the mouth when he sees an Alco, he's got a good reason--none of them have been built in about 35 years.

It's still safe to say (for the most part) that GEs sound different from GMs. If it screams, chugs, and/or wheezes when it goes by (or makes a traditional air-compressor noise sometimes when it's standing still), it's a GE. The GMs (EMDs) sound a lot smoother.

I think it's also safe to say that if it has radiators (not fans) on top of the roof, and "wings" at the hind end, it's a GE. The GE widenose cab is unique; GM's gone through a few nose designs and variations.

So get on out there, and keep your eyes and ears open!

Carl

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The bullet trains in Japan operate on standard gauge, 4' 8 1/2". The rest of the railroad system is 3' 6".

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The bullet trains in Japan operate on standard gauge, 4' 8 1/2". The rest of the railroad system is 3' 6".

[cherokee woman]

Locomutt has tried to help me with this, and I'm just not understanding it in my
brain. So I'll ask you guys the question:

How do you tell the different diesel engines apart? What's the difference between
GPS, EMDS, ALCOS, ETC.?

[cherokee woman]

Locomutt has tried to help me with this, and I'm just not understanding it in my
brain. So I'll ask you guys the question:

How do you tell the different diesel engines apart? What's the difference between
GPS, EMDS, ALCOS, ETC.?

[Modelcar]

Ok, I'll help to keep this thread going: I tried for an answer on another thread but no luck....What is the track gauge the bullet trains run on in Japan...? I believe it is slightly wider than our standard, but don't know how much or really if so.

[Modelcar]

Ok, I'll help to keep this thread going: I tried for an answer on another thread but no luck....What is the track gauge the bullet trains run on in Japan...? I believe it is slightly wider than our standard, but don't know how much or really if so.

[CShaveRR]

As for yard leads, our rather large yard (Proviso--at one time the largest in the world) has two of nearly everything. At the south end of the receiving yard, it's possible to bring in a train from the west and a train from the east at the same time, and shove a cut out to one of the (two) hump leads between them, thanks to the two yard leads and some strategically-placed crossovers between them. There are two leads each out of both parts of the classification bowl on the east end. The most recent rebuilding project, a year or so ago, extended a second lead from the departure tracks at County Line all the way out to the main-line control point in Elmhurst. When I hired out, there was just one track to Yard 9 from Elmhurst, and one track from County Line to Elmhurst (and that was, for the most part, the direction in which they were used). Now there are two in each direction, any of which can be used in either direction.

[CShaveRR]

As for yard leads, our rather large yard (Proviso--at one time the largest in the world) has two of nearly everything. At the south end of the receiving yard, it's possible to bring in a train from the west and a train from the east at the same time, and shove a cut out to one of the (two) hump leads between them, thanks to the two yard leads and some strategically-placed crossovers between them. There are two leads each out of both parts of the classification bowl on the east end. The most recent rebuilding project, a year or so ago, extended a second lead from the departure tracks at County Line all the way out to the main-line control point in Elmhurst. When I hired out, there was just one track to Yard 9 from Elmhurst, and one track from County Line to Elmhurst (and that was, for the most part, the direction in which they were used). Now there are two in each direction, any of which can be used in either direction.