Windsock?

[nucat78]

I just got back from Eola Yard (BNSF) and I'm perplexed. I noticed a windsock by the west lead of the west yard, south of the yard office. Why would you need a windsock in a railyard?

NIce aftenoon BTW - 2 METRAs, 2 intermodals, a unit open hopper train, a unit autorack train, a mixed freight and the Southwest Chief, all in a little under 90 minutes.

[BaltACD]

In switching rail cars, motion, momentum and gravity are the normal method to propell rail cars....cars that are moving into the wind require more mechanical energy to move than cars that are being aided by a following wind.

In hump yards, car retarder operator have to pay attention to the wind direction and velocity in order to set the correcty retardation factor in the retarders. No enough of a retardation factor has cars rolling into tracks too fast for safe, damage free couplings. Too much reardation and the cars don't roll into the designated tracks and can then cause sideswipes and derailments for following cars. The wind is a big factor in siwtching.

[railroad65]

To tell the direction of the wind in case of HAZ-MAT spill.

[coborn35]

Exactly.

[edblysard]

So I know which way not to run when something goes boom, bang, crunch, crash or you hear the yardmaster say "Oh ****" over the radio....
So far, havent had to use it.

And as was pointed out, the wind can make a big difference in how we switch cars...you would not believe how little it takes to get a empty bulkhead flat car rolling back at you.
Empty covered hoppers are next on the list, followed by boxcars.

Tanks seem pretty immune to all but the most severe wind.

Ed

[samfp1943]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railroad65

To tell the direction of the wind in case of HAZ-MAT spill.

In that situation wind direction is critical information for the railroaders as well as the Haz-Mat Response folks.
Sam

[nucat78]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard


And as was pointed out, the wind can make a big difference in how we switch cars...you would not believe how little it takes to get a empty bulkhead flat car rolling back at you.

I'm surprised. I would have thought it would take close to a tornado to push freightcars around. You do learn something new every day...

[Randy Stahl]

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

No Randy - I can't say I ever have?

[(-D]

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

No Randy - I can't say I ever have?

[(-D]

Or Tugged on Superman's Cape ?![}:)][(-D][(-D]

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

No Randy - I can't say I ever have?

[(-D]

Try it, you'll like it. [:D]

[mudchicken]

In LA (Hobart) we had windsocks in several parts of the yard. Usually we were more concerned about our industrial neighbors (Sinclair Paint, Gould Battery recycling, Amvac Chemicals, Ski Bandini (Fertilizer Pile), Farmer John & so on).... screw-ups at the battery plant had us bailing out of 26th Street more than once[xx(][xx(][xx(]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railroad65

To tell the direction of the wind in case of HAZ-MAT spill.

That is what I always heard too.

[nucat78]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

Umm, no. I did change a light switch once without doublechecking that the circuit was truly off. That was probably almost as exciting.
[:D]

[edblysard]

I have had winds as low as 25 mph roll a bulkhead flat back at us...it sat perfectly still for over a hour, just in the clear in the track we kicked it to....and waited till my helper was shoving toward the track right next to it to start rolling out...lucky for us he saw it start back, got off the shove and jammed a chunk of wood under the wheels for a chock.(read PTRA emergency hand brake)
One of the things that amazed me when I first came to work at this was how easy, and how quitely these things can move.
At night, thay can flat out sneak up on you...loads, once you get them moving on CWR, can scare the crap out of you with how quite they are and just how far they will roll.
Ed

QUOTE: Originally posted by nucat78

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard


And as was pointed out, the wind can make a big difference in how we switch cars...you would not believe how little it takes to get a empty bulkhead flat car rolling back at you.

I'm surprised. I would have thought it would take close to a tornado to push freightcars around. You do learn something new every day...

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

I have had winds as low as 25 mph roll a bulkhead flat back at us...it sat perfectly still for over a hour, just in the clear in the track we kicked it to....and waited till my helper was shoving toward the track right next to it to start rolling out...lucky for us he saw it start back, got off the shove and jammed a chunk of wood under the wheels for a chock.(read PTRA emergency hand brake)
One of the things that amazed me when I first came to work at this was how easy, and how quitely these things can move.
At night, thay can flat out sneak up on you...loads, once you get them moving on CWR, can scare the crap out of you with how quite they are and just how far they will roll.
Ed

QUOTE: Originally posted by nucat78

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard


And as was pointed out, the wind can make a big difference in how we switch cars...you would not believe how little it takes to get a empty bulkhead flat car rolling back at you.

I'm surprised. I would have thought it would take close to a tornado to push freightcars around. You do learn something new every day...

nah..it's just God playing with his model trains....

[rrandb]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

No Randy - I can't say I ever have?
[(-D]

Try it, you'll like it. [:D]

Do not beleive him Mookie. He is lying. I had to one time in a huricane. no matter which way you faced there was wind. The only saving grace was there was more water coming out of the sky than me. Still bad. [(-D] [swg]

[edblysard]

Ahhh...
One of the benifits of being male...standing whiz and handwriting practice, both at the same time![:D]

Ed

[louisnash]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

No; but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!!!

Brian (KY)

[enr2099]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nucat78

I'm surprised. I would have thought it would take close to a tornado to push freightcars around. You do learn something new every day...

It takes very little to get a car to start rolling. I've pushed by hand, an empty boxcar if it dies on the switch while kicking cars.

[rrandb]

Yea but did you have to stop it with the hand brake. Boy at work tried that and discovered it is not hard to get them moveing down hill. It did not work as well for stopping and he rearanged the end of line bumper. LOL We told the boss [#wstupid]

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Tanks seem pretty immune to all but the most severe wind.

Well tank you very much for letting us know! [:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nucat78

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Have you ever pee'd into the wind ?

Umm, no. I did change a light switch once without doublechecking that the circuit was truly off. That was probably almost as exciting.
[:D]

What would ya do with the circuit off!!?? That's not the fun way to do it!!![:-,]

[ChuckCobleigh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

In LA (Hobart) we had windsocks in several parts of the yard. ... Ski Bandini (Fertilizer Pile)...

And of course, this brings up the Southern California radio ad campaign in the late seventies or early eighties that had as its theme, "Skiing down Bandini Mountain." May have been run a lot on Lohman and Barkley on KFI in the morning.