Working rail roads and their tracks.

[MossRoad]

Had to wait in a tanker train this evening at the Oxbow Park crossing, Tried to beat it to the crossing, but caught a light and got there just as the gates went down.
Three engines in the lead, a hopper car, 100 tank cars, a hopper car, two DP units, a hopper car, another 100 tank cars, and finally a trailing hopper on the tail end.
Five power units, four hoppers and 200 tank cars.
I would guess it was over two miles ling.

I see the oil trains going through South Bend almost daily. Back and forth towards you. But I've never seen power in the middle. They must make up and break down in the Elkhart yard into multiple or single trains to and from points east.

I'll bet it has something to do with train length in Chicago.

 

[the old grind]

.. I've never seen power in the middle. They must make up and break down in the Elkhart yard into multiple or single trains to and from points east.

I'll bet it has something to do with train length in Chicago.

I'll bet that happens. Also, one limitation of my Lionel toy trains is that if I put enough load behind even a single loco when on the system's tight turn radii a train tries to straighten itself out and the cars fall inward. I might only go from say 8 to 12 cars in a consist and can just bank from the rear with the right engine.

We know grades are pretty std everywhere, but I doubt curve radii have similar constraints. Then there's braking. 'Middle' power can also put eyes further back when a caboose is no longer common. btw, I'd like to park one in the yard as an escape/man-cave .. to watch train videos in and not be disturbed by the phones. btw, Sorry to carry on but I just like trains that much.

 

[MossRoad]

The publisher of our local newspaper back in the 80's had a caboose in his front yard. It was pretty neat.

 

[MoKelly]

Care to substantiate that?

Read their Q2 earnings report.

It’s public.

MoKelly

 

[BravoXray]

I'll bet that happens. Also, one limitation of my Lionel toy trains is that if I put enough load behind even a single loco when on the system's tight turn radii a train tries to straighten itself out and the cars fall inward. I might only go from say 8 to 12 cars in a consist and can just bank from the rear with the right engine.

We know grades are pretty std everywhere, but I doubt curve radii have similar constraints. Then there's braking. 'Middle' power can also put eyes further back when a caboose is no longer common. btw, I'd like to park one in the yard as an escape/man-cave .. to watch train videos in and not be disturbed by the phones. btw, Sorry to carry on but I just like trains that much.

I talked to my cousin who retired from NS a few years ago, he said there is a limit on train length going into the Chicago area, so they can run long trains with DP into Elkhart, and break them up there to run on west.
The DP units are radio controlled, no crew in them.

 

[MossRoad]

Makes sense.

 

[MossRoad]

Chicago is the perpetual choke point for rail traffic from coast to coast. I read that a freight train traveling from either coast to the other will spend 1/3 of it's time in Chicago. I've also read that average freight train speed through Chicago is about 9mph. There's something like 7 major rail lines all converging in that city, and they have to cross and share tracks, as well as grade crossings. Also, 1/3 of the country's population is within 500 mile drive of Chicago, so it's a major point to load and unload trains for truck distribution.

It's just a mess.

 

[Hay Dude]

Snapped a few pictures of the tremendous Intrepid potash mine and rail service to it in Moab. The rail service comes into town and quickly enters an amazing tunnel and emerges out the other side near the Colorado river by Dead Horse Point.
Evaporation lagoons

Hopper cars waiting to be loaded with potash

Railroad on left along canyon wall leading to potash mining facility

The way it was explained to me (simplified) they pump water into the ground and it returns as a brine like solution which is gravity fed to the ponds and dyed blue to speed crystallization. After about 300 days, it returns to a crystal pellet-like state and is then loaded into the giant warehouses, then conveyors run it to the rail cars.
The US produces about 2% of the worlds potash and this mine accounts for 60% of it. The Intrepid mine makes about 1000 tons of potash per day!

Aerial view of evaporation ponds. That is the actual colors of them!!

 

[5030]

Too dry for me out there. I find it amazing that out there people have 'water rights'. Here where we live (and you), water rights are totally alien.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The publisher of our local newspaper back in the 80's had a caboose in his front yard. It was pretty neat.

Place near me has a caboose on a section of track, they hold weddings there.