Milepost 154: A Train Blog

Amtrak: A Rainy Day For California Zephyr's #6

2012-03-04T17:35:00.010-08:00

There hasn't been a terrific amount of snow where I live this year, and the rainfall has also been lacking of sorts.

That said, I went out trainchasing in the rain recently, and captured an Amtrak and then a UP freight in a number of locations.

Above, you can see Amtrak's California Zephyr, the #6 eastbound, passing Carpenter Road (east of Colfax) on its way towards the Long Ravine bridge (spanning Interstate 80) and thence to "round Cape Horn."

On point is #9, a GE Genesis DC-driven P42B passenger locomotive manufactured in 1996, brimming with 4,200 horsepower. If you stop the video at 0:54 seconds, you can clearly see that prior damage to the front cowl of this locomotive has been repaired and, then, quite poorly repainted with a lighter blue color, over the right side sand fill door.

In number two position is Amtrak #84, another DC-driven GE P42B locomotive with 4,200 hp and manufactured in 1997.

Directly behind is the baggage car with, for whatever reason, its starboard door wide open. I didn't see any Amtrak personnel gazing out; I can only hope that whatever bags and materiel went in didn't somehow magically evacuate in a left curve during the trek.

As I took more videos, the rain quickened and deepened.

Coming up:

You can find some videos and photographs around the internet of various freight locomotive cab interiors. I've already published a few interiors here of UP freight cabs. More to come, by the way.

How frequently, however, do you find photos or videos of the cabs of Amtrak trains? Go ahead and Google (or via your favorite search engine) AMTRAK CAB. You don't find much. Or try GE GENESIS CAB INTERIOR and see what you get. [Oddly enough, you get a few of my somewhat unrelated photographs from prior posts!]

As I write this, I am also uploading high-resolution photographs to my next post detailing my invitation into a GE Genesis locomotive cab as it waited for track clearance near Secret Town. If you want to see detailed photographs -- available nowhere else -- of a GE P42 interior, please stay tuned.

MP154

P.S.
Go here for some nice GE P42 sounds.

UP 7732 East, & Another Train Meet

2012-02-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

In a still from the video, UP 5646, a Distributed Power Unit (DPU or "dupe") pushes in Run 8, sanding like crazy (watch the video as this unit passes) as UP 3798 West rounds the curve from the left, in time for a perfect locomotive-to-locomotive train meet.

I'd like to write that capturing this train meet involved nothing but skill, but that would be quite inaccurate. It was predominantly luck and timing:

Again, this HD Flip Slide video is best enjoyed fully expanded in YouTube, and with headphones.

A bit more information for you:

I followed UP 7732 East up from Colfax, and decided I'd try to capture it from a long, distant curve to a straight at an open crossing.

I had yet to purchase my Flip HD with image stabilization, and instead shot this on a Flip Slide HD cam, which has a small tele option. I'd not used it before, and decided to "zoom" slightly to capture the initial approach. As you can see, this was a pretty bad idea, as the Flip Slide doesn't provide an actual optical telephoto option (small as it is), but instead uses the cheaper route: it merely enlarges the pixels and blurs the image. My bad.

On point is UP 7732, a 2007 GE C45ACCTE with 4,000 hp. In second position is UP 2492**, a 2009 SD59MX with 3,000 hp (more on this unit later). Third in line is UP 9445, the elder statesman of the group, a 1991 GE C41-8W with 4,135 hp. The train itself is a mixed manifest. Pushing at the rear is UP 5646, a 2004 C44ACCTE with 4,390 hp. As this unit passes, note the brown swirl as the sanders work heavily. Clearly, the train has slowed down and all locomotives are maxed in Run 8.

At the 5:00 mark in the video, directly after I had panned left to capture the passing DPU, UP 3798 West comes into view, the engineer hitting its K5LLA dual-chime air horns for the unprotected crossing where I'm standing.

Heading downhill on the #1 track, UP 3798 West is, these days, a very unique locomotive consist, as it's comprised of all-EMD SD70M DC (direct current) power.

On point, UP 3798 is a 2004 SD70M, one of 94 such DC-traction motor-powered units purchased by UP, with 4,000 hp. Second is UP 4079, one of 141 such SD70M DC units purchased by UP in 2000 with 4,000 hp. Third in line is UP 4340, one of 420 such SD70M DC units purchased in 2001 with 4,000 hp. This is a double-stack train with no rear units.

**Finally, a note about UP 2492, one unit in a very limited and unique rebuild program supported by Union Pacific.

UP 2492 is a former EMD SD60M C-truck DC 3,800 hp unit (introduced in 1984), which was upgraded in 2009. These units were resurrected for continued (and slightly cheaper) power with more eco-friendly diesel prime movers, slightly degraded in overall horsepower but compensated via more efficient software and an upgraded/appropriate diesel motor with the fewest modifications required to achieve that emissions goal.

Union Pacific calls this unit a SD59MX, and EMD calls it the SD59M-2. Part of the UP SD-32ECO program, these are upgraded units with 12-cylinder diesel engines in compliance with Tier 2 environmental/air mandates. Their horsepower, however, has been downgraded to 3,000 hp. The bottom line rules: this is an attempt to see if upgrading older units with newer prime movers and electronics/software, on an older chassis, will yield greater efficiencies as contrasted to brand new units. From TrainsMag.com in 2010:

LONDON, Ont. — Electro-Motive Diesel has received 10 out-of-service Union Pacific SD60Ms for its 710ECO repowering program. Industry sources indicate they are to be designated SD59M-2s, and are being fitted with a 12N-710G3B-T2 engine.

The locomotive will be rated at 3,000 traction horsepower, meaning they'll generate enough horsepower to apply 3,000 hp to actual pulling. Upgrades will include the EM2000 microprocessor and crashworthy fuel tanks.

The units, sent to London at the end of 2009, are expected to be delivered to Union Pacific's Proviso Yard in Chicago this summer. Their road numbers have yet to be determined.

One captured, by my video, in service.

MP154

In The Cab: Moving Along With UP 9533

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

UP 9533 is a General Electric (GE) C41-8W. This particular unit was manufactured by GE in 1993, with 4,135 hp, featuring a wide cab, C-trucks, and desktop controls and analog gauges.

Here, there are lower gauges, which control light and cab HVAC systems. The round, red metal piece is activation for the horn via the foot. Engineer's seat is thick, adjustable black vinyl.

Here I am in this GE cab, after having transited quite a number of miles, under direct supervision, on the Roseville Subdivision. Conveniently, I cannot recall the time, the date, the season or the specific details. Suffice to say: it was quite enjoyable. Some scenes have been changed to protect the innocent.

Detail of this early GE desktop unit. After engineers had gotten used to numerous pedestal cab controls on the left, desktops confused them. Before the digital era burgeoned, the analog era beckoned. Reverser handle removed. It was in my pocket when I took the photograph.

Back panel of this early GE desktop unit, to include start/stop switches and breakers. Precursor to desktop displays situated here. This panel sits directly behind the engineer, right side of the cab.

Conductors desk, left side of the cab. Pretty spartan and ridiculously filthy, having seen almost 20 years of continuous use. Emergency brake application, radio microphone, refrigerator down on very lower right adjacent steps to nose of cab. Clear absence of speedometer.

Brake pipe analog gauges. Explanations below. CFM indicator on far right. Sanding switches in blue.

Overall and above view of engineer's seat, right side of GE cab. Fire extinguisher back of seat. Engineers complained, initially, of having to lean over desktop in order to make input to controls. This is before the cabs got really complicated with digital input and readouts.

Whilst I monitor the comings and goings in the area of the Sierra Nevada mountains where I live, I happen -- now and then -- to come upon various trains that have stopped for various and sundry reasons.

Because I tend to be ubiquitous at medium-to-high elevations, I make contact with any number of cab personnel who, mostly, don't wish to be identified. At all.

With that in mind, here I sit in an older UP unit, a GE C41-8W, with 4,135 hp and manufactured between 1990 and 1993. A bit of irony: I'm wearing an EMD hat.

From a stop, after much conversation and commonalities, I was allowed to drive this unit from roughly Emigrant Gap to Sparks. I did so safely and with input and monitoring. This happened sometime between 1998 and 2011. Oddly enough, I forget precisely when the event occurred.

This was an elder but current unit still assigned to the Roseville Subdivision. It is commonly utilized in adjunct but not point power these days, because I've seen it time and again.

Whilst I line up posts for new GE and EMD cab shots, I hope this one will do, with some detail that may satiate my readers for a time.

Thanks to the cab personnel who made contact with me. Some are past and current friends. And thanks to their anonymity. I am not a terrorist. I am just a railfan who happens to have some items in common with the bulk of cab personnel, whether they be UTU or BLET members.

MP154

MP154 - UP 7435 East Close-Up

2012-01-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

In the middle of a rather searing summer last year, I happened to catch UP 7435 East, a double-stack train, passing the stopped UP 7405, just past Gold Run:

I shot this with my older Flip Slide in HD but this particular cam, as you can see, lacks any form of image stabilization. That heat + my age = fairly unsteady. Also note that you can hear UP radio traffic. Listen closely. As always, if you open the video in YouTube, expand it and listen with headphones, the experience is enhanced.

The situation is this: UP 7405 (a GE C45ACCTE, 4,400 hp, built in 2009, known by GE as their ES44AC), a westbound (downhill) grain train, hit the detector at MP 154.4, which activated. The engineer stopped his train prior to the Gold Run crossing.

I was examining the EOT device when I heard UP 7435 coming uphill. UP 7435 is likewise a 2009 ES44AC with 4,400 hp. Directly behind was UP 5651, a GE C44ACCTE built in 2004 and rated at 4,390 hp. Pushing in DPU status at the end was UP 7637, a C45ACCTE built in 2007, rated at 4,400 hp.

Go ahead, hit me. I can hear the comments coming already.

MP154

P.S.
I still haven't found the time to upload the newer cab shots. Even with DSL, the number of photos I want to post will consume the better part of an entire day to upload. And I have two posts of equally gigantic size to make. In lieu of that, I'll be making a quick-grab post about another excursion in an older UP locomotive shortly.

UP 5770 At Carpenter Road

2012-01-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

I was recently -- just in January -- invited into the cab of two new UP units representing the best of the two major American locomotive builders: GE and EMD.

I first visited a GE ES44AC unit, which features 4,390 hp. I next visited an EMD SD70ACe unit, which features 4,300 hp.

Whilst I line up those photographs (I took over 60 in each cab) and one video, I'd like to share the video below with you, of a mixed manifest train featuring five units; four in front and one DPU:

In detail, UP 5770 on point is a GE ES44AC (called a C44ACCTE by Union Pacific) manufactured in 2002, with 4,390 hp.

Next up is UP 6520, a GE C44AC manufactured in 2000, with 4,390 hp.

Third in line is UP 8222, a rather rare SD90MAC which UP labels as an SD9043AC with 4,300 hp and built in 1998.

Fourth place features UP 2327, another rare EMD unit, which is an SD60M with 3,800 hp, built between 1988 and 1992.

At the rear in DPU (Distributed Power Unit or "dupe") status is UP 5564, a GE C44ACCTE with 4,390 hp, manufactured in 2004.

As you can see here in a view provided by Google Maps, the train is traveling eastbound (uphill) from Colfax and over the Long Ravine bridge.

Here, the grade begins to get steeper, though the Ruling Grade over Donner is 2.4%.

NEXT UP:

Actual photos from the two new GE and EMD cabs. Simply uploading these photographs will take, for me, literally hours over my DSL connection. First will be the GE ES44AC cab, then the EMD SD70ACe cab.

Take care, be safe.

MP154

Get On Board: Another Cab Visit

2012-01-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

I am conflicted, as you might surmise, when I board a cab interior whilst -- in direct contravention of various rules and regulations -- I am therein invited in.

I suspect it is because I am a representative of an elder generation and because -- logically so -- I present no clear threat to UP staff and personnel.

Because, in fact, I truly present no threat.

Any UP employee who invites any individual into the cab also invites their own dismissal, their own firing, and perchance their own prosecution under any number of TSA or Homeland Security edicts.

Despite this, I find myself invited into any number of locomotive cabs because, after all, I only wish to document the newer, upgrade cabs in real time.

More photographs coming.

From a modern cab unit.

MP154

Shed 10

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Above, you can see the relationship of Shed 10 (concrete edifice on bottom) to Interstate 80 at the top. Click on image to enlarge. Linking the concrete snow shed on the left (west) is the trestle illustrated in photographs below.

Shed 10 connects one of two points on Union Pacific's east/west Roseville Subdivision where rail traffic is constricted, from a double track to a single track.

The line is currently single-tracked between these points:

1. Between Switch 9 (MP 171.2) to Shed 10 (MP 178.2), a total of 7.1 miles;
2. Between West Norden (MP 191.2) to Shed 47 (MP 196.6), a total of 5.4 miles;

Trains clog up going eastbound at the mouth of Switch 9 and Tunnel 41; trains clog up going westbound just prior to Shed 47 and prior to Shed 10 (historical article about the snowsheds here).

Shed 10 rests on the eastern end of one of these single tracks, with Switch 9 on the western end of the single track, over Donner Pass. This 7.1 mile section is a bottleneck that constricts traffic -- particularly now that UP can run double-stack traffic over Donner -- as illustrated here since 2009.

Track 1 and Track 2 over Donner Pass used to be continuously double-tracked, until Philip Anschutz purchased Southern Pacific in 1988 and ripped up portions of track in 1993 in order to distribute that rail to other lines (the Sunset Route, for one) without having to purchase new rail. That is when those two single-tracked choke points were created -- by the prior owner's short-sightedness and false thrift.

The current owner, Union Pacific, is considering double trackage again, along the entire route. Union Pacific may, in fact, be quite serious about laying back down a second track again, as it spent millions of dollars to open up its tunnels along Donner Pass so that double-stack container cars could be accommodated in November of 2010.

View of I-80 which is located just north of Shed 10. This shot is looking east towards the higher elevations.

UP 4184, an SD70M built in 2001, 4,000 hp, rolls westbound (downhill) on the single track that begins behind the locomotive in Shed 10. You can see the vertical red signals through the trees, just over Shed 10's western portal.

UP 5723 exits the western portal of Shed 10 over the trestle built in 1904 by Southern Pacific. This is a GE C44ACCTE. You can also see, on this shot, where there is clearance for a second track and, as such, where the second track obviously used to be.

The very last of its kind over Donner, CNW (Chicago NorthWestern) unit # 9776 (a GE C44-9W) exits the western end of Shed 10 as its train rolls downhill under maximum track speed of 25 mph.

In a broader view, the DPU for UP 7614 (another GE C44ACCTE) rolls over the western trestle of Shed 10 in dynamic braking. Here, you can see the access maintenance road for Shed 10 itself.

The trestle's construction date is clearly marked underneath on one of its diagonal metal braces, round rivets plainly evident. In 2011, this span is 107 years old and still holding its own despite over a century of Sierra Nevada winters and the abuse of heavier and heavier trains.

The western end of Shed 10, ballast over the trestle, and CWR (continuous welded rail) held over the single track by newer clips and not spikes, with heavy metal ties underneath. Again, you can see there is clearance for another track on the left, should UP decide to add an additional line.

BNSF 4654, another C44-9W, rockets up Donner in resplendent new War Pumpkin paint on approach to Shed 10, with gorgeous silver trucks and fuel tanks. BNSF still has trackage rights over Donner when necessary, in order to satisfy various past FRA merger deals.

A view of the western trestle approach to Shed 10. In the spring, this draw is awash with the cascading snow-melt of the previous season.

Here, you can see the distance between Shed 10 to the east, and Switch 9 to the west. Interstate 80 parallels the rail lines because the hard work was already accomplished. The route of I-80 did nothing more than easily mimic the shatteringly-difficult work of the original Transcontinental Route over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Shed 10 is one of the few active snowsheds still left over Donner, built with concrete and protecting a valuable transition point on the line. With the final removal of the original massive wooden timbers shrouding the western portal to The Big Hole (Tunnel 41), Shed 10 stands as a stark reminder that winter snows once easily occluded the rails over Donner Pass, and where Norden, in winter, was essentially a small town, buried under 40+ feet of snow.

Shed 10 still stands today in contrast to the bulk and the rest of its uncovered and unfettered trackage.

MP154

Inside The Cab, Part II

2011-11-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

As I wrote in my January 2011 post "Inside The Cab, Part I," I have to admit that, from my very early interest in trains, my goal was to find out what happens in the cab of a locomotive on point.

And since my concentrated interest in 1996, it didn't take me long before I was invited inside.

Luckily, my interest coincided with the transition of the purchase of Southern Pacific by the Union Pacific. All the engineers, at that time, had great loyalty to the "friendly SP" as opposed to UP. And trust me -- SP was infinitely more friendly than UP. Former SP or retired SP employees will unanimously agree.

My first invitation into a cab came when a train was halted in Gold Run and shoved into the eastern siding, waiting for Dispatcher 74 to clear them. Snow was all around. The lead unit was a battered UP SD-60. And I do mean battered.

I went home and snatched a plate full of just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Getting out of my car and trudging through about three feet of snow, I yelled up at the cab. The window slided open and I was invited into the cab -- for clear reasons.

I met an engineer whom I encountered many times on the road and has invited me into the cab for various rides since -- to the point where I was given the opportunity to operate the controls on a couple of very clandestine runs. Those were, frankly, the times of my doddering life, a few years ago. I think my age also helped: I'm not a kid (far from it) and I am customarily festooned with cameras.

Because of my fascination and interest in the locomotive cab and what happens there, I'm on the lookout for interesting videos and photographs. I'll be posting a few photographs of myself in the cabs of locomotives [such as the one of me above, in Burlington Northern #8039, an EMD SD40-2 built in August of 1979 with 3,000-hp, stopped near Switch 9], and other interior shots -- of SD70Ms, SD60Ms, SD40T2s, SD90MACs, C44-9Ws and more. I'm currently on vacation in Ft. Bragg, California as I write this -- and don't have my terabyte external drive with me -- or I could post some of my cab photographs now.

In the meantime, please enjoy some YouTube videos of what it's like "inside the cab."

Engineer Jim works for Metra passenger rail:

What's it like inside an SD60M?

Here is a Canadian National recruitment video for conductors. Embedding has been disabled on YouTube by CN's request. It's interesting to note the inclusion of the controversial Belt-Pak, which has eliminated a number of jobs for yard engineers.

Here's how to make your SD40 travel faster:

Not everything works perfectly in the cab:

Here, it's time to drive an EMD F7 unit:

Nice (and very rare) cab ride in an Amtrak GE P42DC unit, with subject of the video sitting in the co-engineer's seat (not the primary engineer's seat). Because there are actual conductors aboard a passenger train, there are two qualified engineers in an Amtrak cab. The person sitting in what would customarily be the conductor's seat in a freight cab is called the co-engineer.

More to come!

MP154

The Tale of UP 7783 East: A TRIPLE Train Meet

2011-10-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

UP 7783 East passes by MP151 towards Gold Run, flanges squealing, not making track speed.

Nearing the Casa Loma crossing, UP 7783 is just about to stall.

CN 2614 is a very rare unit. Canadian locomotives or cars are very seldom seen over Donner Pass.

The locomotives were sanding like mad but still losing speed.

The General Electric mid-train DPU, UP 5270.

Crossing Casa Loma, moving very slowly.

Stalled. UP 4073 was the culprit.

Amtrak's California Zephyr #6 crept up behind UP 7783 East and stopped a few hundred yards behind.

As Amtrak engineers puzzled over the back wall settings of UP 4073, an intermodal train passes on the #1 track downhill, producing brake smoke. Maximum speed for freight here is 25 mph.

Multi-burst and bracketing. Perfectly framed between intermodal containers.

An actual "triple train meet." The rear of UP 7783 East, Amtrak #6, and the DPU (UP #5277, a GE C45ACCTE) of the downhill (#1 track) intermodal train.

Now loading, UP 4073 finally starts to pay its way and push.

Great exhaust all around. I'm one of those oddballs who enjoys the smell of diesel in the morning.

Conductors conferring, then back to their train.

Conductors back to the cars, engineer back to his GE P42DC lead unit.

Amtrak locomotives, like their cars, are dinged up. The cover for the right-side sand fill is missing completely.

Amtrak #6, on its way.

As per normal, I was out and about (nicely equipped with cameras and video, as well as handguns) when I happened to spot a unique train moving uphill on the eastbound #2 track, out of Colfax (California). A beautiful black and red unit was in second position on this intermodal train -- a Canadian National locomotive. This is an exceedingly rare sight on the Roseville Subdivision over Donner Pass and I wanted to capture its passage.

I left Colfax on I-80 and set up my video tripod as well as my Sony cameras near milepost 152. I waited longer than normal because I didn't realize, at the time, that the train was having DPU (Distributed Power Unit or "Dupe") problems.

Using my Flip HD camera, the above video records UP 7783 on point, a 4,400-hp General Electric C45ACCTE built in 2007, with CN 2614, a 4,400-hp GE C44-9W built in 2000 directly behind, pulling a long intermodal train.

Mid-train, helper unit UP 5270, a 4,400-hp GE C45ACCTE built in 2006 powers by, with two final DPUs on the rear: UP 4073, a 4,000-hp EMD SD-70M built in 2000, and UP 5359, a 4,400-hp GE C45ACCTE built in 2005.

[Note: units that Union Pacific designates the C45ACCTE are actually termed the ES44AC by the builder, General Electric, as in: Evolution Series, 4400-hp, AC traction motors.]

Five engines for an eastbound intermodal train?

However, clearly all five engines were needed because when the train passed the Dutch Flat detector at milepost 154.4, it was moving at a measly 12 mph, less than half the authorized track speed at that point for freight traffic -- 25 mph. Passenger traffic is authorized here for 30 mph.

Finally, after I had driven ahead of the train to Casa Loma Road, above Towle, UP 7783 stalled just past that crossing as I watched. I had parked on the wrong side of the tracks, if I wanted to get back home. The train now blocked my way.

Here's where it gets interesting:

UP 7783 called Amtrak #6 behind it (Amtrak already having queried Dispatcher 74 about passing the slower train in front of it, against traffic, on the number one track and was refused.) and asked if its engineers could check the rear DPUs -- specifically UP 4073 (the eldest unit in the bunch) -- to see if they were even running.

I watched as Amtrak #6 pulled up slowly behind the rear Union Pacific locomotives. An Amtrak engineer and two conductors walked towards the potentially-problematic unit. Through radio traffic, relayed by hand-held portable radios because the cab radio in UP 4073 wasn't working, the engineer on UP 7783 asked the position of the isolation switch on the back wall.

It turns out the isolation switch was turned to START-STOP-ISOLATE and not into RUN. With one flip, the EMD unit began to load.

[As an aside: what does "load" mean? LOAD means that the power produced by the diesel engine in the locomotive is transferred to the generator, which in turn creates electricity feeding the traction motors.]

All exited the EMD cab and walked back to their Amtrak train.

Problem solved.

In the meantime, I happened to catch a TRIPLE train meet when a westbound (downhill) UP intermodal train passed by on the number one track.

Documenting a train meet on video or photographically? Rare. Documenting a TRIPLE train meet? Priceless.

MP154

P.S.
As per normal, click on each photograph to enlarge.

High Speed Rail, Now? Remarkably STUPID In Nature:

2011-08-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

So-called "high speed rail" is a non-starter in this nation.

As it SHOULD be.

We cannot afford it.

Not now.

Not in the foreseeable future.

As I wrote here:

High speed rail is a non-starter in a crap economy. I'm a massive railfan and even I know this. Fornicalia has its own high-speed multi-billion-dollar HSR boondoggle that an addled and drugged electorate voted for three years ago. Has even one mile of track been laid under this bond? Why, gosh, that would be a resounding NO. And broadband? It's the government's responsibility to provide broadband for me high in the Sierra Nevada mountains? WTF? What planet are you from?

California's Proposition 1A managed to pass in November of 2008, which committed Fornicalia to BILLIONS of dollars due to a naive electorate:

FORNICALIA PROPOSTIONS:
Prop 1A - High Speed Rail Bond
NO. Rail creation of any kind, particularly "high speed" rail, is expensive beyond measure. In 1908 it cost $0.75 per track foot, or $3,960 a mile. Recently, 6.3 miles of American "light rail" extension at 2007 prices costed out at about $2 billion dollars. The Union Pacific recently estimated per-mile costs of new freight at a minimum of $385 million per mile. Currently Union Pacific rail renovation projects for heavy freight over Donner Pass (the area where I live) include the replacement of 136-pound rail with 141-pound rail. That is to say, one yard of each rail equals either 136 or 141 pounds. Freight rail doesn't have to be incredibly precise; it just has to be durable and heavy. High speed rail must be precise, accurately-gauged, cambered in curves and inaccessible. It isn't just a matter of laying rail; it's a matter of purchasing brand new right-of-way for the track proper and sufficient extra right-of-way to ensure safety and inaccessability for those bent on damaging or derailing HSR. Finally, I want no further link from Southern Fornicalia to Northern Fornicalia. The Surenos can keep their gang bullshit right where it is, thank you.

Despite logic, 1A passed. Because it just somehow felt good. Besides, it wasn't dollars from the electorate, was it? Dollars from voters? Dollars from me? Dollars from you? Of course not. Only dollars from -- somewhere. Nine BILLION dollars.

However, would you somehow be shocked that the tariff for this project managed to creep up from $9 billion dollars to $43 billion dollars -- and that is a low estimate? Some say that $100 billion is the proper starting point.

From the San Mateo Daily Journal:

The High-Speed Rail Authority has bungled the project from the beginning with poor management, a lack of a coherent business plan, no realistic estimates of cost, ridership or fares, no final decision on the route and even less chance of obtaining the tens of billions of dollars in private financing that is needed to complete the system.
It is difficult to fathom how Brown cannot see that a high-speed rail system in California is doomed to failure. The estimated $43 billion for the first phase of the project from the Bay Area to Anaheim is likely to be way low.
The $9 billion in bond authority approved by the voters in 2008 won’t even cover a quarter of the cost, and requires matching funds that are not likely to be forthcoming.
Despite all of these problems, the rail authority is moving ahead with plans to lay 100 miles of track in the Central Valley. Even though this is the least expensive and least complicated part of the route, cost estimates already are running way higher than forecast.
Initial reports on the segment that would almost but not quite connect Merced and Bakersfield were estimated to cost $7.1 billion just for the track. Those cost estimates are now as much as $13.9 billion, and this is the easy part of the project.
It would not be surprising if the cost of the complete rail project rose north of $100 billion. No wonder the Legislative Analyst’s Office advised against Brown’s request for $185 million to keep the project alive.
Even with large subsidies, ridership is not apt to be anywhere near what is needed to keep fares competitive with airlines, even with higher fuel prices.

Shocked, are you? Shocked and astounded?

Myself, not so much.

Further, what of Mr Obama's so-called HSR "vision"?

In a nutshell: Obama's "vision" of HSR is neither green nor efficient nor practical.

HSR works reasonably in the Northeast Corridor with Amtrak's Acela and other trains.

In the meantime, Mr Obama "commits" $13 billion towards national HSR. With the above figures discussed, this is an infinitesimal drop in the bucket.

Americans: you are being FLEECED.

So that perhaps a few -- at highest estimate -- thousand riders can benefit from low fares and convenient stops?

Again: insanity.

This is NOT the time nor the PLAN.

MP154

Northern California Railfans, Rejoice!

2011-08-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Roughly one month ago I chanced upon fellow train enthusiast Roger Burdick whilst awaiting some trains in Gold Run.

We met, shook hands and exchanged sites.

It turns out that Roger not only lives in my area, but hosts a wonderful website, known as "Altafest.com."

For Roger's website, please go here.

Roger's site hosts the Altafest Webcam as well, which documents (every few seconds) the Union Pacific #1 and #2 tracks over Donner in the town of Alta, California -- hence, of course, the term "Altafest," yes?

What is the purpose of "Altafest"? As written on his site:

What is AltaFest? There are really two of them, one at the tracks, which is open to anyone, and one at the house, which is by RSVP only.

The gathering at the tracks is for the express purpose of making foaming fun, exchanging information, exchanging and taking pictures and video, making new friends and (of course) watching trains go by. There are occasional violations of Rule G. Hard liquor, beer and wine have been known to be consumed during this time period.

To keep informed of this and other Northern California updates, I would refer you to and recommend joining the Yahoo group CalRailFans.

You can join CalRailFans here.

Roger, I hope I've pointed some more people to your site and to the YahooGroup!

It's great to know there are fellow enthusiasts in my area!

-- even though you have a railroad crossing signal in your yard, and I don't.

Excelsior!

MP154

Richard Steinheimer:

2011-07-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

August 23rd, 1929, to May 4th, 2011, age 81.

Richard Virgil Dean Steinheimer, the absolute prototypical Dean Emeritus of railroad photographers, passed away two months ago, on May 4th.

I didn't learn of this until the current (July) issue of Trains magazine had reached my elevated Sierra Nevada mailbox.

I felt, simultaneously, shocked and abandoned, just as I felt when one of my musical greats, Warren Zevon, passed away in 2003, along with Ronald Wilson Reagan the next year.

That said, I had come across the path of Richard Steinheimer four times in my sojourns and adventures in photography on the rails.

First, I purchased the wondrous book written by John Signor, entitled "Donner Pass, Southern Pacific's Sierra Crossing."

And I noticed that a number of the photographs were taken by Steve Bush, Dick Dorn and another man named Richard Steinheimer.

That led to an investigation of any number of books published by "Stein" as he was called.

My first encounter occurred when I appeared, in the late 90s, at the Soda Springs crossing along with any number of photo-majors in Winter. We had hiked atop a massive crest of snow and watched an oncoming rotary steam-driven snow plow. Photographs all around. Video too. Richard Steinheimer was there, everyone knew him; he was extremely difficult to miss at 6'6". I purposely didn't film Mr Steinheimer; I suppose I was afraid to be so obvious. In should, instead, have taken photographs like crazy. My audible scanner traffic was captured on at least two videos from this meet, later produced for railfans.

He said hello to me and trekked down to the crossing for more close-ups. He was completely unassuming and courteous.

Later, I was a member of the Sacramento Railroad Museum. Stein told me of the stupid (and I agreed) railroad crossing at Dutch Flat. It was called "dumb-ass crossing." And I couldn't have agreed more.

He was thin and, in his prime, still literally towered over me.

He signed my book "Done Honest And True" in 1999. We spoke about the high granite.

My final encounter with Richard Steinheimer shamed me.

I waited in line like a good prole, but I knew what was coming. I could see it and hear it. It looked as though a younger female was prodding Stein to sign each book. Each time. She treated him like a child. And he responded as such. I shake my head. That I stood so long in that line only to realize that Richard Steinheimer was, in essence, no longer present.

This occurred at the Sacramento Railroad Museum when Stein was promoting the 2004 book "A Passion For Trains." He wrote his name. He was precisely prompted by a female that I suspected was a direct relative. I felt like an abject whore. It was clear that he had little awareness of his surroundings. And I felt horrible for him.

Mr Steinheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2000.

He hadn't realized that he'd already signed my most important book, "Diesels Over Donner" in 1989 with Dick Dorn.

And he had, obviously, forgotten that bright day in 1999, when I last took my father to the Sacramento Railroad Museum when we lightly conversed in the quad adjacent the SRRM; my Dad was nine years older than Mr Steinheimer, solidly built.

We passed by the RR Museum front doors, where Stein sat.

"Hey," he asked, "did you see Donner?"

"I live there," I said. "I hear them every night."

"Where?" he asked.

"Dutch Flat," I replied.

"I love it," he said.

Then he told me about Dumb-Ass Crossing.

He was tall and strong and in control.

And there was no Greater Dean of Railroad Photography.

God bless Richard Steinheimer. Fair skies, sir, high granite, and an unending supply of subject material.

MP154

Homeland Security: Time to KILL passenger train travel?

2011-05-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Because the philosophy of the current administration seems to be: more government interference is simply best, there is a push to remake train travel in the image of air travel.

And I'll state this up front: if America wishes to completely eliminate train travel and, further, clog up the northeast corridor to the point of a national heart attack -- then go ahead.

Institute the strictures on trains such as currently exist for aircraft.

Mr Obama, you bleeding idiot.

This stems from the recent raid of a compound, in Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden was located and subsequently killed. Intelligence take from that raid, executed by US Navy SEAL Team 6, included digital evidence (from various laptops) indicating the next focus of al Qaeda might be on train transportation.

WLS-TV in Chicago indicates:

May 6, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Information taken from Osama bin Laden's compound after his death is revealing details of al-Qaida's plans, including a potential plot against U.S. rail lines.

That means tighter security on rail lines everywhere. An alert to law enforcement officials in all 50 states has been sent out.

Mass transit has remained a target. It is the most vulnerable, according to Homeland Security officials and has been the focus of numerous terrorist plots in the U.S.

Could a 2007 sabotage incident targeting Metra be part of a terrorist plot? That's the question authorities are asking after information about a plot targeting trains was found in the paperwork or computer hard drives seized by Navy SEALs during the raid that killed bin Laden.

In 2007, several railroad spikes were removed from the tracks used by Metra's Electric and South Shore lines. Despite a $50,000 reward, the FBI has not found those responsible.

"It is still an active case. Fortunately, we haven't had any other circumstances like this since then, and we will continue to be very vigilant in surveying all of our property," said Judy Pardonnet, Metra spokesperson.

Video here:

The response to the information, from our federal government, in part:

NEW YORK (WCBS 880/AP) — Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for better rail security now that the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound has turned up plans to attack trains in the U.S.
“Anyone, even a member of al-Qaida could purchase a train ticket and board an Amtrak train without so much as a question asked,” Schumer said. “So that’s why I’m calling for the creation of an Amtrak no ride list. That would take the secure flight program and apply it to Amtrak trains.”

The "secure flight program." Perfect. Let's create que lines for each and every Amtrak stop.

You'd have to arrive, at minimum, an hour early for your ride.

You'd be subject to a background check -- otherwise, how could a "No Ride" list be created?

Which means your name would be in a larger national database.

There would be shoe and accessory removal, pat-downs, magnetometers and, of course, full body scanners.

And if you DIDN'T do that for EVERY stop, then what would be the point?

Frankly, I couldn't care less if proposed edicts like that froze the entire eastern seaboard. I don't live there and I don't have to make a daily train commute so it means nothing to me.

The northeast corridor would be the largest affected. But also, obviously, affected would be other population centers to include various Amtrak/commuter-related lines in my state, California, as well.

But because I don't live in a high-population center -- again -- I couldn't care less if everything freezes like the worst clotted heart attack.

American Government, you want to completely KILL train travel? You go right ahead. Stop commuters. Treat train passengers like air travelers.

Let's just see, America, how damned far you get.

Good luck with that.

MP154

Reverse Running & A Covert Train Meet!

2011-05-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

A 'unique" one-in-a-million" video:

Reverse running over Donner Pass on the Number 1 track!

I knew that a double stack train was coming uphill from Colfax, and managed to get ahead of the train near Alta. The train appeared to be slowing with the grade, and this gave me time to access a little-known point that takes some serious climbing through brush, over a water district canal and up a loose tumble of ballast.

Recently, due to track work, UP had been moving eastbound (uphill) trains through the crossovers in Gold Run and onto the #1 (downhill) track. I noticed this double stack was running on its proper #2 (eastbound, uphill) track and anticipated my camera placement accordingly.

As the double stack was rumbling by my Flip HD, I got a rather large surprise. It got passed by Amtrak's California Zephyr #6 on the track furthest from me! This was the first time in almost 20 years that I'd ever seen two trains running in the same direction on both tracks!

Clearly, Amtrak #6 had been routed through the crossovers in Gold Run from the #2 to the #1 track, in order to get by the much slower double stack train.

I missed the numbers on the Amtrak units, but the following four locomotives were affixed to the double stack train:

On point was UP 7417, a GE C45ACCTE (controlled tractive effort) unit with 4,400 hp, AC driven, manufactured in 2009, one of 124 such units purchased by UP.

Directly behind was UP 4459, an EMD SD70M, DC driven, 4,000 hp, manufactured in 2001, one of 420 such units purchased by Union Pacific.

There was a mid-train DPU helper, UP 5566 (look for it at 1:53 in the video), which is a GE C44ACCTE, 4,390 hp, AC traction motors, manufactured in 2004, one of 141 such units purchased by UP.

Pushing from the rear was UP 7690, a GE C45ACCTE distributed power unit (DPU) with 4,400 hp, manufactured in 2007, AC driven, one of 200 such units purchased by Union Pacific.

You have to look quickly in order to see the passing Amtrak units. I caught as much of the Amtrak train as I could between various well cars. Check for the locomotives on the far track at 1:43 in the video.

A covert train meet? It certainly was. And once again I somehow managed to capture such a thing on video. Extremely, extremely rare on Union Pacific's Roseville Subdivision over Donner Pass.

Take care and be safe!

MP154

Not Abandoned

2011-04-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Dearest Readers:

My trainblog is NOT abandoned.

It's just that the requirements for the predominant bulk of my posts mandate HD video uploads and larger photo files.

I can't tell you how many videos I've recorded in the past two months -- in concert with a number of digital still photographs.

But, for the bulk of time, I find myself posting at my cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and my dial-up connection there is not what one would consider conducive to timely uploads to either YouTube for my videos or to Blogger for photographs over a handful of megs.

There are some great videos coming. More train meets. The inside of a cab. Snow and rain videos. Some interesting track movements (like reverse-running). A video that, when you see it, you'll cringe. And a video that almost cost me some serious trouble.

And finally, while I thought that by this time I'd be retired (after 35+ years) and able to post more frequently and, further, get into video editing -- no such luck. The economy up and slammed me -- as it likely slammed you as well. Therefore, work still takes up a bulk of my time.

In the meantime, please enjoy the two Amtrak photographs. The above photograph, taken in the summer of 2010, shows Amtrak #6 running eastbound through the concrete sheds still in existence at Soda Springs. Lead Genesis engine #202 is a GE Dash9-P42-B, built in 2001, sporting 4,200 hp and the standard four-cycle engine with B-B trucks.

The photograph below shows, again, Amtrak #6 running uphill on the #2 track just past Secret Town. Lead locomotive is GE Genesis #148, an identical engine to that listed above; Amtrak has 87 of those locomotives numbered in the 121 to 207 range.

For those new to the blog, Amtrak runs two trains daily over Donner Pass on the main #1 (west) and #2 (east) tracks. The westbound train is Amtrak #5, and the eastbound train is Amtrak #6. This passenger train is called the "California Zephyr" and runs between Emeryville, California to Chicago, Illinois.

Train Meet: Dutch Flat

2011-03-18T19:47:00.001-07:00

Train meets are rare.

Further, they are rarer when actually captured by photos or video.

Monday, March 14th, I had occasion to document a completely unanticipated meet that was, in truth, quite historic in nature for both directions: eastbound and westbound.

I was driving back to the cabin via the old US Highway 40 (the Lincoln Highway) between Gold Run and Dutch Flat (just north of current I-80) when I chanced to see the green signal for eastbound traffic at milepost 153.6.

I stopped, extricated my Flip HD with image stabilization from its LowePro camera bag, wiped the lens and waited for eastbound traffic. Instead, I was greeted by the oncoming horns of westbound (downhill) Amtrak #6 cruising through lower Dutch Flat.

But there was a major surprise coming, as the video indicates here:

This video is too good to pass up.

My blog, due to its inherent structure, can't physically accommodate the actual original letterbox content through the Flip HD; I have to trim it horizontally, each time, to fit my chosen blog template. On the other hand, you can click on the full link here and watch the video in true HD.

If you choose to do this, please enlarge the video and, further, plug your Denon headphones into the audio output of your confuser. Trust me: you will NOT be disappointed. Turn up the volume.

That written, some details for the purists amongst you:

Amtrak #86 on point, a GE Dash9-P42B DC unit making 4,200 hp, manufactured in 1997. Next, Amtrak # 194, a GE Dash9-P42-B DC unit, 4,200 hp, manufactured in 2001. Third, Amtrak # 41, another Genesis GE Dash9-P42B DC unit with 4,200 hp manufactured in 1997. From there, eight common Amtrak cars pass by.

The final two passenger cars are "private varnish," which means they are privately owned and paid for Amtrak to carry. They are, in order, the Creative Charters cars "Evelyn Henry" and then the "Warren R. Henry," with two persons waving to me on the veranda.

These two final cars are owned by Patrick Henry Creative Promotions and, on their website, indicate that prices for these cars "start at $8,500 per day."

Good luck with that fee.

Sufficiently unique for you, perhaps?

On the other hand, I hadn't even remotely thought of archiving SIX elder EMD GP engines in line as they hauled ass uphill at, minimally, track speed.

In order, these B-B trucked EMD GP38-2 units, of 2,000 hp each, manufactured between 1973 and 1981, were #600, #587, #604, #589, # 566, #590.

They carried solitary UP flanger SPMW 331. Though painted in armour yellow, the numbering is a tribute to the original Southern Pacific Maintenance of Way #331 flanger car.

And a tip of the hat to the flanger's Winter Professionals over Union Pacific's Donner Pass and to Jim "The Bear" Mahon of the late, great Southern Pacific.

God bless The Bear, for whom many SP Snowfighters wished to work!

Finally, check out Donner Pass snowfighting here.

MP154

Amtrak In The Snow

2011-03-14T12:17:00.001-07:00

First, my most sincere apologies for not posting more frequently. No, as I have been asked, I am not going away or abandoning the blog. I have found, however, the work continues to get in the way of my hobby (a point I hope to ameliorate within the next year or so), and, in order to upload my videos, the connection has to be beyond what I have at my cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains -- that is, faster than "dial-up." Yes, I fully realize that even our current president is faster than dial-up, which provides bushels of clues about dial-up itself.

That said, I present a very cold video that, trust me, made my feet even colder.

Above, eastbound Amtrak California Zephyr #5 slugs uphill as it approaches the signal and crossing at Dutch Flat.

As you can see, there is much snow -- and ground fog as well. The temperature is roughly 20-degrees. The area had just seen two very heavy storms which left about 7 to 8 feet at Donner Summit. Locally, we got about 2 to 3 feet in the first dumping and an additional 3 feet subsequently.

When I travel, I usually carry my camera bag replete with Nikon super-zoom P100 and the Flip HD video. I had just finished shopping in Colfax and was driving home when I caught sight of a green signal for the #2 track. Unfortunately, not thinking I'd be encountering much, I'd dressed that day in Keen Newports (see photo), no socks and no coat. Silly me.

I stopped the RAV-4 near the tracks with the Flip HD video. Snow, as I had clearly forgotten, can be deceiving. My first stride plunged me into about one foot of water, hidden by the snow itself, after I'd broken through a crust of ice. The second stride put my sweats into about three feet of snow. The third and continuing strides held me knee-deep or more in snow and the final step landed my other foot into another watery dip.

So there I stood, my feet and calves wet, sweats drenched from the knee down, open shoes, no socks, no coat, waiting a good five minutes for the approaching Amtrak. In 20-degree weather. I know this because my SUV has a temp readout on the dash. It took all that I had plus the Flip's image stabilization to keep my shivering from being patently obvious as the Zephyr approached and passed.

Of course, once finished with the video, I had to slog my way, in the snow and water, back to the SUV. Happy days. I couldn't feel my feet -- no shock there. Only by taking a hot shower did I begin to feel my toes, later.

Details: Amtrak engines #133 on point, and #199 behind (elephant-style) are GE Dash9-P42-B's with 4,200 horsepower four-stroke engines, DC final transmissions, B-B trucks, 2,200 gallon fuel capacity, weight of 268,000 pounds each, built in 2001. Amtrak purchased 87 of these units. Those 8,400 horses are pulling just nine cars -- not much of a challenge that day.

Thanks for sticking by me at MP154, and I'll be doing my best to increase the frequency of posting, more photos, more videos.

Take care and be safe!

MP154

Inside The Cab, Part I

2011-01-03T11:27:00.001-08:00

I have to admit, from my very early interest in trains my goal was to find out what happens in the cab of a locomotive on point.

And since my concentrated interest in 1996, it didn't take me long before I was invited inside.

For obvious reasons I shall keep the names and times and details of my cab rides in obscurum.

Because I work in a job where I am a union member (though, given, a remarkably small one) at a closed shop subject to contract negotiations, the engineers and conductors I met in all those various cabs had, oddly enough, much in common with me; I found out about New York Dock wages, the conditions under which the cab crews operate, the differences in the unions, "dying on the law," crew-callers, operating hours, training, pee tests, and their working lives in general.

Though it's a post for another time, trust me, if you think the life of any given railroader is a piece of cake, you would be sorely mistaken. The administrations of railroads operate in a para-military fashion because, historically, they were originally administered by -- at first -- ex-Civil War officers who knew no other way in which to operate. That para-military bent hasn't changed in over 150 years. And in general, even now, there is a prevailing "us vs them" mindset encompassing railroad administrations and employees.

When you get in the cab, I quickly discovered, you also get into the heads of the railroad employees and the railroad executives. You see and hear things no one else will see and hear.

Along the way, with various engineers and crews, I've done my "small bit" to help out. Because I work for a LE agency and am quite well-armed when hiking about, I have assisted in getting various bums and oddities removed from cabs and cars -- where the crews were more than several miles from civilization and had no idea of the make and manner of people they'd find in said cabs and the cars.

On one occasion I knocked on the locked door of an SD40-T2 with the barrel of my Sig P220 because I could see a kid inside with a guitar case and his right hand inside a bag. We came to a verbal agreement that he should exit said cab in an expeditious manner. The large hole at the end of the P220 didn't hinder the urgency I attempted to communicate at the time. With a lengthy apology to the conductor on the ground adjacent the cab, the young man sought other adventures elsewhere. The train continued on.

I myself have had plenty of adventures since, though with lesser frequency. UP and other railroads are operating under Homeland Security strictures -- and there have even been issues with train enthusiasts shooting photos from various Amtrak station locations. Again, a post for another time as I have a very strong opinion on the matter.

That said, when I hike I have my own very seasoned eye on the various pieces of infrastructure and rolling stock I encounter along the way. I feel it is my job and responsibility to keep my own eye on the security of the rails because, where I go, there is no one else to do so save the occasional passing cab crews. I have done things from putting out two separate tie fires to removing objects and obstacles from the tracks.

Very nice cab interior video above; below is a video of "Doug" starting an ancient Conrail GE locomotive, created with just a tad bit of "tongue-in-cheek":

Below is a quick video of an Amtrak GE P42 cab ride, from the engineer's position, at night:

Here is a dark but revealing look at the engine room of a moving (67 mph per the speedo in the cab) Amtrak GE P42 locomotive; air compressor room at the very end. Note that, as you walk down the stairs from the cab toward the bulkhead of the engine room, there is a door to the right. That's the crew toilet. For sound deadening purposes there are two doors between the engine room and the cab itself:

Because I am writing this particular post on my MacBook Pro, I don't have access to my large volume of cab interior shots. I'll post these at other times. I also have a Flip Slide HD video of the interior of a UP GE freight locomotive, but I'm debating posting that video because the Slide is not image-stabilized, and my camera movements are jerky and quick -- for two salient reasons: 1) I had just finished hiking some distance in the heat, and 2) It was even hotter in the cab (100+ -degrees) and I was badly dehydrated, therefore shaking visibly.

Cab interiors fascinate me. If you'd care to see the Flip HD vid I'll post it. I'll also be making a trip this Spring to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola (I'm a Lifetime member) for interior video of their beautiful EMD F-7 unit -- and the interior of the UP 6946, an EMD DDA40X 6,000-hp Centennial. You would expect no less.

Oh, and one final thing -- nice (but again, dark) video of starting and shutting down a Norfolk Southern EMD SD40-2. This is the real deal:

Take care, be safe, and keep reading and visiting!

MP154

2010 In Reflection, Amtrak & Flip

2010-12-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

My heartfelt apologies for the dearth of recent posts but, as with most good things in Life, work just seems to get interminably in the path of greatness. On the other hand, there is the positive aspect of that bi-weekly check and the fact that I am still reasonably employed, though we lost 132 people last year and are operating at 32 less on just my shift presently.

Resolvedly, I will make the attempt to provide more 2011 Train Porn for myself and whatever band of shaggy readers I may have adopted from the nearby tracks. Of course, train buffs of all stripes are welcome here at Milepost 154 and, with that being said, perhaps this is the appropriate moment for a bit of reflection.

2010 is about to conclude and, with it, one of the worst economic times in my recent memory -- save that of the late 70s and very early 80s. James Earl Carter (if not the worst then perhaps in the running for second-worst president in American history) had been recently defeated and left behind, as his wondrous legacy, the importation of criminal Marielitos from Cuba into Florida, the giveaway of the Panama Canal, double-digit inflation, unemployment and the 14% rate that I was paying on my home loan -- you know, the one with the five year call. Some people were paying 25% to 30% on car loans. If they could get them. That was back when you actually had to possess a modicum of credit reputability coupled with a considered down payment. Up until the past few years all that was required for home loan acquisition was to be a vertically-bipedal meatsack. But that's a story for my other blog.

Luckily, the nation is not at that point. Unemployment, it can be argued, is actually worse in some targeted locations -- agricultural towns and cities in Fornicalia, for example, where unemployment ranks at 20% or worse -- but the overall economy hasn't transitioned from inflation and thence into hyperinflation; this may be coming, however.

The largest problem is this: no one knows. This government isn't helping when it continues to spend beyond-prodigious amounts of money as though there is no valve whatsoever on the taxpayer spigot. There isn't necessarily a revenue problem; there is clearly a spending problem.

Further, not just individuals but businesses are left hanging. Small businesses, the bread and butter of the nation and responsible for the bulk of hiring (not "Big Business"), can't get loans. Money has not loosened because banks are anally holding their capital -- again, unsure about the economy and the forecast of health, energy, tax rates and regulations.

This is not surprising when the political pastures change almost weekly and the forecast is "rain, with an actual chance of socialism."

As I am wont to say, the parasites are on the cusp of outnumbering the hosts. When the lever fully tilts in that opposite direction, the nation will be grievously wounded. No one yet knows if the wound will be mortal or reversible. One can only hope.

What, for God's sake, does this have to do with trains and a trainblog? Quite a massive bit, as it turns out.

You have to ask yourself: what's the purpose of railroads? Answer: they transport commodities. They are "common carriers" but with this caveat: they transport in bulk. LTL (less than truckload) business isn't their specialty. That's for trucks. Specific point-to-point door deliveries.

Trains can compete with trucks, to a degree. Some bright young lad one day thought: hey, who says we can't put truck trailers on flatcars and move a bunch of them? This arrangement is called TOFC or -- oddly enough -- Trailer On FlatCar.

Further, an entirely different bright young lad thought: hey, who says we can't create this thingy whereby we attach truck trailers to railcar trucksets and leave out the whole flatcar? This arrangement is called a "roadrailer."

Still and all, trucks are really good at what they do, and railroads are really good at what they do. They don't mesh well otherwise, particularly at rail crossings.

Overall, therefore, railroads were impacted by the economy in 2010. Locally for me (and by that, I mean Union Pacific's Roseville Subdivision over Donner Pass on the #1 and #2 tracks), traffic has not necessarily decreased substantially. This is because UP discontinued running most intermodal or stacktrain freight through the Feather River Canyon area (former Western Pacific digs) and, instead, diverted it up and over Donner. See my posts here and here and here and here for the reasons.

But this is the exception and not the rule. Unit trains (a train carrying one specific commodity, such as grain, chemicals, petroleum, coal*) are down as are mixed manifest trains (trains of a lesser priority which can carry anything from flatcars to gondolas to boxcars to bulkhead cars to autoracks). [*It is no secret that the current US administration wants to eliminate the use of coal entirely for any purpose whatsoever.]

This is clearly because the economy does not demand those bulk movements be made as frequently. The demand for the product(s) is down.

Subsequently, train crew calls are down, employees aren't needed as much and profits are down.

Further, the demand for new railcars is down as is the demand for locomotives. America's heavy rail industries are impacted.

I wish I could forecast a blooming economy for 2011; unfortunately (though I am no remote resemblance or kin to Carnak The Magnificent) I see the economy continuing on a poor path; perhaps even worse. Again, those aren't detailed topics for this blog but more pointedly for my other.

Bottom line: I'll try to blog with greater frequency which, admittedly, I very much enjoy.

Assisting me in this endeavor will be my trusty Nikon Coolpix 100, Sony A300 DSLR and my Flip video cameras in HD. I have become slightly more facile with my Flip HD videocams, and I have sworn to become even more familiar with them in 2011.

First, an admission: I am not a shill for the Flip video or for Cisco Systems. I receive no goods or services from them nor do I know anyone who works for them. That said, I find the Flip videocams in HD to be absolutely astounding little devices. Above, I have posed the Flip Slide videocam on the left, and the newest Flip Ultra HD on the right. I placed a pen below them in order to better indicate their relative sizes. These cameras are not appreciably larger than a pack of cigarettes. More on the Flip videocams in a later post, with comparisons and reviews.

But first, an Amtrak video captured with the Flip Slide:

If you happen to listen to the video with headphones, you can hear the detector at milepost 148.8 activate in the background. And I must admit: it was an amazing thing to be hit right in the snoot with two four-stroke diesel exhaust bursts from the glorious GE units as they passed underneath.

And there you have it. Time to wrap up so that I can sojourn back up to my cabin in the mountains. I'm making a stop at Costco on the way, for hardtack, wagon axle grease, a new Henry rifle, jerky, flour, pickaxes and goldpans. You know, the stuff you need in the mountains.

God bless you, my dearest readers, thank you so kindly for visiting, perusing and commenting. Good luck to you in 2011 -- we're all going to need busloads of it, I fear.

MP154

Unstoppable

2010-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

As those interested in trains know, railroads are primarily "background" in the United States. Only when an individual is halted at a crossing by a slow train, or there is a derailment that causes impact on a community -- both negative events -- does the average citizen even consider the presence of railroads in their towns or cities.

In that vein, there aren't many movies produced by Hollywood in which trains have something of a starring role. Two come immediately to my mind: "Runaway Train" with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts (1985), and the ever-classic "The Train" with Burt Lancaster (1964).

Move over; there is another train film in town in which a newer General Electric locomotive -- and an older EMD as well -- shares stardom with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine (Star Trek, 2009). The film was inspired by this incident.

And, if you as a railroad enthusiast can overlook the obvious technical faults, it's an excellent film showcasing great acting, great pacing and non-stop action. Bottom line, even if you're not a rail or locomotive enthusiast? An exciting action movie well worth your money for the big screen.

But of course, being the equivalent of the pejorative "foamer," I cannot stop the review here. I have to be the one to point out a few such aforementioned technical faults.

The film begins with a yard's hostler instructed to move his train in order to clear it for another. In the process he fails to connect the glad-hands from the locomotive set to the rest of the train (good overview of train air brakes here). His failure to make this connection helps, in part, to allow the train to move from a simple "coaster" to a full-on runaway (see BNSF Air Brake & Train Handling Rules -- 120 pages -- here).

Further, he has placed the reverser into the forward position and added throttle (it appears to be Run 1 if I recall). He decides to physically exit the cab in order to throw a yard switch ahead of the consist but fails to reach the switch in time. He also fails to regain the locomotive as it starts to pick up speed and leaves him on the ground. Ooops.

Cut to a close up of, magically, mystically, the throttle somehow swiping itself fully into Run 8 -- the highest throttle setting available in current diesel-electric locomotives.

Two techno Train Geek points:

Throttles don't do that by themselves. As someone who has manipulated throttles in a cab, watched by an engineer, throttle levers are very "notchy" and their accompanying detents are very clear. It take much more than a casual touch to move the throttle lever from one detent to the next. They don't simply fall from one position to the next;
Even if the train were to somehow be on the move, the Alerter system would stop the locomotive consist which, in turn, would slowly stop the runaway.

Look at my cab photo below. In this framing you can see the Alerter button is circled. After a period of time in which no input has been made by the engineer to any control, a loud alert begins to sound. It becomes progressively louder if the engineer does not carefully push the reset button. In truth, because they are so annoying, the engineers customarily mash the reset button with all the aplomb and care usually reserved for sledgehammers.

If the Alerter is not reset, the locomotive and any attached locomotives would be thrown into the equivalent of "emergency" and the locomotive brakes would be applied immediately. Because the air had not been connected to the rest of the train, the locomotive "independent" brakes would apply. The train would be stopped, but not as quickly as if the rest of the brake pipes on the trailing cars were connected.

Absent these and a few more tidbits, the movie is thoroughly enjoyable.

As always, comments or questions?

MP154

An EMD SD40-2 rigged for filming, painted in fictional "Allegheny & West Virginia" colors.

Point "star" is former Canadian Pacific GE AC4400CW #9782, built in 2003, rated 4,400 hp.

Politics and General Electric Locomotives:

2010-10-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

General Electric is the parent company of NBC, and a clear supporter of Mr Barack Obama during his campaign, with a $499,130.00 donation -- half a million dollars.

In return, according to numerous sources (CNSNews.com as well):

(CNSNews.com) - The Obama administration gave corporate giant General Electric—the parent company of NBC--$24.9 million in grants from the $787-billion economic “stimulus” law President Barack Obama signed in February 2009, according to records posted by the administration at Recovery.gov.

At first blush, one might suspect this was done in order to, in its best light, help GE create jobs and extend its manufacturing prowess.

The truth is much more disillusioning:

Despite getting $24.9 million from U.S. taxpayers, GE decreased its U.S.-based employees by 18,000 in 2009, according to the company’s 2009 annual report.

Despite receiving governmental -- actually, taxpayer -- dollars, GE chose to lay off or fire employees.

Though:

According to Standard & Poor's, GE took in $156 billion in revenue in 2009.

Yet:

GE was the primary recipient of 14 stimulus grants, a spokeswoman for Recovery.gov confirmed to CNSNews.com. These 14 grants provided GE with $24.9 million in tax dollars. On four additional stimulus grants, the primary recipient of the federal money hired GE as a contractor. Recovery.gov is the administration’s website that tracks stimulus expenditures.

At the end of 2008, GE employed 152,000 U.S. workers, according to its 2009 annual report. But at the end of 2009, according to the report, it employed only 134,000 U.S. workers, a decline of 18,000 workers.

The Energy Department provided GE with 9 stimulus grants, the Department of Health and Human Services provided the company with 3, and the Justice Department and the Commerce Department each gave the company 1 stimulus grant.

Finally:

In addition to the $24.9 million it received in stimulus grants, GE was also awarded $5 million in federal contracts under the economic stimulus law. These contracts were payment for services provided by the company.

As you likely already know, there are only two major American locomotive builders. One is GE, and the other is EMD.

EMD was the number one seller of diesel-electric locomotives until 1989, when GE then became the largest builder of locomotives in the United States.

EMD was purchased from General Motors in 2005 by the Greenbriar Equity Group LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC. They decided to retain the initials EMD -- for purposes of familiarity -- which then stood for Electro Motive Diesel. My brother could have purchased this entire company for its "secret" selling price of $200 million in 2005.

This, you must note, was prior to GM being floated by the US government and becoming Government Motors.

EMD was recently sold to Caterpillar's Progress Rail Services unit for $820 million dollars.

GM received stimulus dollars. EMD clearly did not.

An "even" playing field for our major locomotive builders, ladies and gentlemen?

I submit: not.

MP154

At Eyeball Level: The New & The Old

2010-09-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I've discovered how to upload my quirky Flip Slide videos to YouTube, I'd care to display another if I might:

In this video, UP 7640 East charges up The Hill from Roseville towards Donner Pass, directly under Interstate 80, at about the 3,500-foot level.

UP 7640 is a GE C45ACCTE manufactured between 2007 and 2008, boasting 4,400 hp. UP currently possesses 325 of these units.

Second in line is an older Southern Pacific GE unit, #6221, still wearing its faded SP paint with red nose.

UP 6221 is a C44AC with 4,390 hp, purchased in 1995 by the Southern Pacific. It is one of 167 GE units that UP has, once owned by SP. These GE units were the last locomotives ever purchased, as a matter of fact, by the Southern Pacific. Most still have their SP paint with red cab numbers over rectangles of armour-yellow paint.

Finally, UP 7089 runs in rear DPU status -- 7089 being one of only two GE C44AC locomotives purchased in 1997, with 4,390 hp.

At this point, you are eye-level with the engineer and about five feet from 8,000 horsepower as it passes by at 25 mph.

I can't think of another spot -- unless you're in the cab -- where you can get as close to a moving set of locomotives running at track speed.

____________________________________________

NOTE: Union Pacific's steam locomotive #844, its Alco 4-8-4 FEF-3 locomotive, is currently on a Pacific Northwest Tour:

Omaha, Neb., September 02, 2010 – Bound for the rugged western U.S., a land of endless possibility that the railroad united with the east in 1869, Union Pacific Railroad's historic steam locomotive, No. 844, will travel more than 2,300 miles from its base in Wyoming on a 15-day, three-state tour to the Pacific Northwest to celebrate Union Pacific's role in the building of the western United States.
The "Portland Rose Heritage Tour" will begin September 8 when No. 844 departs Cheyenne, Wyo. The locomotive will make several overnight stops in cities in the region with an extended four-night layover in No. 844's first-ever appearance at the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Ore. The historic consist will stop in each of the following cities before arriving back in Cheyenne September 23:

Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs and Green River, Wyo.;
Montpelier, Pocatello, Shoshone, Boise and Nampa, Idaho;
Huntington, La Grande, Hinkle, The Dalles, Portland and Pendleton, Ore.

If you live in the above areas, heads-up: live steam approacheth!

Thanks for stopping by and reading!

MP154

P.S.
Another video of the UP7640/6221 combination is coming, in which I document yet another train meet -- grain train vs double-stack.

MP 154 Revelation: I Can Post Videos

2010-08-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

I likely belabor the obvious when writing this, but I am far from competent in the land of technology. If it weren't for the fact that Blogger makes blog creation almost painfully easy -- even I have created a few -- this and some other small points in the Blogosphere would not exist.

That written, I learned how to create small videos and then, the past day, learned how to upload them to YouTube. Surely that is a remarkably easy feat for yourself but a massive step ahead for the CCBIs (Computer-Challenged Blithering Idiots) like myself.

I am not new to shooting video; I've had a Sony DCR-VX2000 since 2002 and possess many hours of trackside video in MiniDV. That camera has taught me much about tilting, panning, framing, white balance, and possession of a proper tripod with fluid head. Now, with all that footage, I need an editing system and a computer with the horsepower to pull it off.

The breakthrough for me came with my purchase of the Flip Slide. This is an HD-compatible videocam about the size of an elongated pack of cigarettes. Its convenience is also its greatest drawback. In my sixth decade of life I don't "hold" quite like I used to when I was freelancing in my early 20s. It's damned tough for me to keep the Flip still, particularly when shooting where there is nothing on which I can lean.

One final bit about the Flip Slide: I don't yet have an HD TV at home, so I played the various Flip videos on an HD unit at work; I was absolutely stunned by the resolution, clarity and color saturation. Unfortunately, it also emphasized the point that my videos resemble those of the guy that shot Cloverfield.

My first video uploaded to YouTube, up to bat:

The video was taken during the making of this post. I am standing next to UP 5652, a GE C44ACCTE locomotive, as its 4,390-hp engine idles.

There is, I must admit, nothing like standing next to a four-stroke diesel locomotive engine, even as it idles. You can literally feel your lungs vibrate. Every few moments there is a throttle blip which helps to keep the engine clear. The first hiss you hear is the air tank (for the braking system) venting to keep from overpressurization. The second, shorter hiss is the air dryer venting.

For those who may not know, air dryers are installed on all GE and EMD locomotives. Any time you compress air (required for a locomotive's braking system as well as those of the trailing train cars), you get condensation. Air dryers remove all condensation before air is introduced into any air lines on the locomotive or the brake pipes of an adjoining train. Absent completely dry air in the pipes, the lines, fittings and connectors would start to rust. Air dryers then vent this condensation, under pressure, to the outside atmosphere.

When playing the video, turn up your speakers. If you can adjust bass, do so. You might then begin to approximate what it is that I heard during the recording.

Enjoy. More videos to come. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions.

MP154

EMD Purchased By Caterpillar

2010-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

There were, at one time, quite a number of locomotive builders in America, when both steam and diesel power was extant.

American steam builders included Alco (American Locomotive Company), Baldwin, Lima and, to a small degree, HK/Porter and Brooks. Once steam declined, two major diesel-electric builders remained standing: GE (General Electric) and EMD (Electro Motive Division of GM, General Motors).

EMD was the number one seller of diesel-electric locomotives until 1989, when GE then became the largest builder of locomotives in the United States. The reasons for this are sufficiently voluminous and detailed as to warrant an entirely separate post one day.

EMD was purchased from GM in 2005 by the Greenbriar Equity Group LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC. They decided to retain the initials EMD -- for purposes of familiarity -- which now stood for Electro Motive Diesel.

EMD was recently sold to Caterpillar's Progress Rail Services unit. The deal was finalized this month, in August. From The Journal of Commerce:

The purchase was for $820 million in cash, Caterpillar said, plus a “net working capital adjustment subject to post-closing finalization” that it estimates at about $108 million.

In a deal Caterpillar first announced on June 1, it purchased EMD from private equity fund owners Berkshire Partners and Greenbriar Equity Group, which had bought it in 2005 from General Motors.

Berkshire Partners is not related to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns BNSF Railway.

Caterpillar Vice Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman said “the acquisition of EMD is a natural fit, as it supports our enterprise strategy to aggressively grow our Energy Power Systems business, and the rail industry is an important component.”

The company says EMD can also further boost Progress Rail, which is already a major supplier of rail and transit products and services including locomotive repairs and upgrades, railcar replacement and remanufacturing, track work, rail welding, signaling and maintenance of way equipment.

EMD and GE Transportation supply North American freight railroads with their powerful line-haul locomotives along with a number of smaller-powered yard units.

Neither has been selling many new locomotives on this continent in recent years after the freight recession led railroads to lay up hundreds of units from their fleets, but a major governmental push to inter-city passenger rail in the U.S. and overseas is offering new market opportunities for many rail equipment suppliers.

Though EMD hasn't built its SD90MAC-H in years and, in fact, most of the H-engined 6,300-hp units have been scrapped (more on this in a later post), it is rumored that Caterpillar wanted to acquire all the rights and blueprints to the base 265H-engine itself.

It is interesting to note that Caterpillar did in fact provide prime movers for diesel-electric locomotives at one time, when the Morrison Knudson MK5000C locomotive was introduced in 1994. The MK5000C was powered by the 3612 V-12 Caterpillar block. Each cylinder of this engine displaced a massive 1,121 cubic inches.

A total of six MK5000C locomotives were produced. They had 5,300-gallon tanks and a maximum geared speed of 70 mph. The Cat 3612 engines, however, had problems which resulted in Southern Pacific and Union Pacific returning their demonstrator locomotives back to MK. Issues were with the main bearings and with the Kato alternators.

However, it is in direct response to the MK5000C locomotive that GE produced its AC6000CW and EMD responded with, first, the 20-cylinder SD80MAC at 5,000 hp and then the SD90MAC-H.

The Utah Railway purchased all six units but ended up yanking the Kato alternators and Cat engines, replacing them with EMD alternators and prime movers.

With the purchase of EMD, Caterpillar is deep into the locomotive game and may use EMD's diesel engine expertise to upgrade their own engine skills.

It's time for EMD to become a strong and competent locomotive manufacturer once again.

MP154

Inside a GE C44ACCTE Locomotive

2010-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

I swore that I would never reveal information and circumstances surrounding my acquisition into various locomotive cabs I have encountered in my journeys.

With that in mind, I happened to have been invited into a DPU cab, within the past few months, after the train stalled in the mountains on the Roseville Subdivision.

As opposed to EMD locomotives, GE units have exhaust stacks (above) that extend above the roof of the engine room, one clear method of differentiation between manufacturers.

An overall view of the same engine room -- with clear signs of an engine room fire. For whatever reason, GE engines have had more engine room fires than EMD units. Also, GE units from the mid-to-late 90s ran rich and, upon throttle-up, would occasionally belch fire from their stacks. Was it a two-stroke v four-stroke issue? Some theorized it was an initial software problem.

Detail of the engine room fire. Note blistering, dripping, subsumation of colors from high heat. Engine repaired. Not so much the engine room doors.

Interior, GE 5652, view from the engineer's seat. Computer bank on left (two monitors were "dead" because of DPU status), with desktop controls on right. In trailing units or DPUs, reverser levers are removed.

Closer view, DPU. GE unit ahead. Through Milepost 148. Train is moving and not yet completely stalled. Conductor came to check DPUs for their status. UP 7095, shall we say, is not doing very well at this point.

A desktop control stand, with computers frozen because of DPU status. Reverser removed. Top left square controls are for lead axle sanding. ON left, OFF right. Lower square blue buttons are for that unit's manual sanding. ON top, OFF bottom. Yellow square is the bell button. Horn is a yellow button below that. Conductor has his own square yellow horn control, lower right below desk. Missing control is reverser; forward for same, back for reverse. Black round handle is the throttle.

Reverser removed; throttle in idle. Train in full release. There are 8 "notches" for the throttle. To increase the throttle, it is pulled towards engineer. From idle (current position), there are also 8 notches (pushed away from engineer) for dynamic braking. Red (up) and black (down) handles on the right control braking. Brakes are applied by pushing away from engineer; brakes are released by pulling towards engineer. Train brakes are on left; independent locomotive brakes are on the right.

View out engineer-side door, looking to rear. There is no door on the conductor's side on any American freight engine comfort cabs. Earlier non-M cab EMD SD-40/50/60 locomotives, and early GEs, had main entry door on conductor (left) side.

Conductor side of cab, with speedometer (left) and red Emergency Brake handle (right). Up is applied, down is released. Also includes convenient desktop surface. Horn button on lower right. Refrigerator behind Conductor and to the rear of seat. Seat closest to camera is for third occupant. May be for trainee or rider or unanticipated third. Locomotive camera can be see on metal stalk to upper right of photograph. Cameras are now in every cab of every locomotive in America and are on when locomotive is active.

Looking over the downhill track from the Conductor's left seat.

Engineer's position. Seats in locomotives are heavy vinyl and "industrial strength." Rear access cab door to right. This unit, UP 5652, is one of 141 General Electric C44ACCTE units with 4,390 hp manufactured in 2004. You can clearly see that, in just six years, this unit has seen some heavy use resulting in a grimy interior smattered with grime and more grime. Even when moving, the cab was remarkably quiet. In idle, the engine could be felt more than heard.

This is my first attempted posting with a video from my new Flip SlideHD cam. Even with a faster connection from my wife's internet access, I couldn't post more than a few seconds from this camera. I caught many excellent videos from my cab visit which, apparently, I can't upload directly to Blogger.

Please let me know if you can see this video. Blogger indicates it has completely loaded; I'm not quite so convinced.

MP154

Steam Inside The Cab:

2010-06-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

UP 3985, the Challenger:

MP154

Westbound Double Stack Through Colfax

2010-06-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Whilst, any more, double-stack traffic over Donner is not quite the stunning rage it was since November of 2009 -- there were two unique aspects of this train worthy of documentation.

To begin, these were the very first photos taken with my new Nikon Coolpix P100. Therefore, antsy to use the camera, I rushed to photograph the first train I found. And this was it. [More about this and other cameras I utilize in a later post.]

Second, I noticed one of the trailing DPUs was occupied. Look at photo # 7, the close-up of UP 7894, and you can see someone sitting in the conductor's position. I have, to this point, never seen an occupied helper/pusher/DPU set in close to ten years. [Click on each photo to enlarge.]

It's also interesting to note that this train had only one unit on point. UP 8421, an EMD SD70ACe with 4,300 hp, powered by Electro Motive Diesel's 16-710G3C-T2 engine. That engine designation indicates 16-cylinders, with each cylinder displacing 710 cubic inches.

Finally, as you can see, there were two DPUs at the end, UP 7894 (GE ES44AC) and UP 6053 (GE C44ACCTE).

Coming soon: notes about cameras, digital photography and shooting philosophies.

MP154

Amtrak #6, East:

2010-05-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here, Amtrak #6 east, on the current California Zephyr route, has passed Gold Run and is upon the lower Dutch Flat crossing. The current Amtrak Zephyr runs two trains daily (one east, uphill over the Donner Pass -- and one west, downhill from Donner) between Emeryville, California and Chicago, Illinois.

The westbound Zephyr is known as Amtrak #5, and the eastbound Zephyr is Amtrak #6.

Amtrak is actually the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, a for-profit corporation created by the US Congress in 1970 and incorporated into DC in 1971.

Amtrak makes little money on its own, with the exception of the so-called Northeast Corridor -- the busiest rail line in all the US -- predominantly to and from Washinton to Boston, and including Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, New York, New Haven, and Providence. It also has branches connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (known as the Keystone Corridor); New Haven with Springfield, Massachusetts (known as the New Haven–Springfield Line); New York City with Niagara Falls, New York (known as the Empire Corridor), and several other commuter destinations. The busiest passenger rail station in the United States is Pennsylvania Station in New York, the central hub of the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak and its subsidiaries is largely funded by the federal government. Other smaller and localized lines -- including those in California -- are co-funded by local governments as well.

If not, however, for federal funding then Amtrak would have perished on the vine quite some time ago.

Amtrak's service site is here, if you wish to book trips or tickets.

Amtrak, as I have observed over the years, is spotty and "hit and miss" at best.

Yes, I must admit, there have been a consistent two Zephyrs per day; one east, one west. But if you expect the Zephyr to be on time and conform to its timetable, then -- ahem -- perhaps you'd best adjust your personal schedule. I have found that the CZ can run from a half hour early to -- mostly -- up to two hours late in Colfax and Truckee (in California). I make this comment not in terms of theory but in terms of direct observation. I live in the mountains, directly on the route.

In the early 2000s, their Amtrak Express freight service was huge. This was clearly an attempt by Amtrak to take whatever time-sensitive freight traffic it could away from Donner Pass owner Union Pacific -- itself still recovering from the transition from Southern Pacific to UP. This was an attempt to steal as much LTL (less-than-truckload) business as possible.

It was nothing, in the early 2000s, to see three GE passenger locos pulling a medium-sized passenger train attached to a minimum of five to eight freight cars at the end -- and perhaps a roadrailer or two.

Those days have quite passed. Most of that business was lost in 2004.

Now, Amtrak equipment is beaten, battered, bruised, rumpled, dented and fading. Even during a Democrat administration -- the most favorable possible in DC for Amtrak -- little has changed.

Ridership for a time was up for the Zephyr, just prior to the current economic bust.

These days, the locomotives on point show their road scars, as do the baggage cars and double-level passenger cars.

Here, Amtrak # 15, in the newest Amtrak paint scheme, is a GE Dash9-P42B sporting 4,200 hp and manufactured by General Electric in 1996. Twenty such units were purchased by Amtrak.

The Dash9-P42B is a diesel-electric DC-driven traction motor unit -- part of the GE Genesis series of locomotives built in response to Amtrak specs for passenger power. This locomotive meets every clearance requirement by Amtrak on every Amtrak route.

If you ever hear a series of Amtrak GE P-42s approach for a station stop, you'll notice that, unlike freight locomotives at a stop, they maintain a minimum level of rpm's. That's to ensure that the HEP (head end power) supplies continuous electrical power to the trailing passenger cars for HVAC, cooking and accessories.

In second place, elephant-style, is GE Dash9-P42B #67, manufactured in 1997, also with 4,200 hp, one of 100 purchased by Amtrak.

Following is a baggage car, with Superliner II Transition Sleeper Car #39011 next in line.

MP154

P.S.
The "X" in the photos, by the way, is called a "whistle board." It is there that the engineer should begin sounding the horn for upcoming crossings.

In The Cab

2010-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

In my world, I always wondered what happened in the cab of a locomotive (very nice Canadian cab website here!).

And this is, in my estimation, the most neglected portion of railroading and its documentation.

You can see and read and find hundreds and thousands of books and blogs and magazines and videos on trains and trains and trains and some locomotives.

But you can't find much about what happens in the cab of a locomotive.

I've solved that. And I plan to make this slightly more obvious in future posts, as limited as my exposure may be.

Above, I am in the engineer's seat of an older SD40-2 EMD unit waiting for the eastbound signal at Switch 9. The engineer was kind enough to take the photograph.

Since then, I have been given numerous cab rides up and down Donner Pass. And I've taken numerous photos from this perspective. I also found out much about the working conditions of those men and women inside Southern Pacific and then Union Pacific cabs. I was even given the opportunity, on more than a few occasions, shall we say, to operate a train from the engineer's seat. And then was complimented on my train-handling skills.

Of course, in today's environment, that will never happen again.

Many of my photographs are in 35mm and not digital. I will have to scan many of these photographs.

For those engineers and conductors, male and female, who accommodated me in these photographs, obviously, I shall not reveal your names, backgrounds, times, or any information which could even remotely place you in any kind of jeopardy.

There are more "on site" cab shots coming, readers.

MP154

Another Train Meet!

2010-05-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

So there I was, waiting for a downhill train I'd heard some miles away. On point was UP 7355, a General Electric C45ACCTE with 4,400 hp built in 2009. Beautiful, bright colors with, undoubtedly, a nice, clean, cab interior. I had no scanner at the time, so I missed the detector at MP148.9 indicating a train was coming uphill.

A beautiful double-stack, heading west in May -- downhill, towards Secret Town. Traffic in the area, to and from Roseville, has been spotty at best. Recently, more trains have been running at night than during the day. Types of trains seem to be evenly split between double stack and mixed manifest.
The sun was with me on the next two photos, pointing east. Late afternoon sun on double-stack well cars. The red containers really stand out in sharp contrast to the green trees and blue skies.
The passing of these cars sucked the hat right off my head -- luckily it didn't flip under the wheels and I was able to recover it later.
And then, a horn off to my right! I had to focus quickly and hope for a gap in the cars -- which there was! UP 5569 on point slugged uphill -- a General Electric C44ACCTE with 4,390 hp built in 2004. I caught it! Another train meet -- very tough to capture!
UP 5569 downhill, and UP 7355 uphill. Both are GE locomotives. In the #2 position uphill (eastbound) behind UP 5569 is UP 4434, an EMD SD70M (one of 1,083 owned by Union Pacific!) built between 2000 and 2004 and possessing 4,000 hp. Behind UP 4434 is an EMD SD90MAC with the 4,300 hp engine (clue: no beveled engine room cover), its number obscured.
Double stack downhill, a mixed manifest train (called a "pig") uphill. "Pigs" receive the last priority for traffic on UP lines.
UP 7733, a DPU (Distributed Power Unit), runs in dynamic braking at the rear of the downhill train. DPUs are unmanned, and controlled from the cab of the engine on point, via Locotrol, by the engineer. UP 7733 is a GE C45ACCTE (AC powered traction motors with "Controlled Tractive Effort") sporting 4,400 hp and built between 2007 and 2008.

Pushing uphill (eastbound) are DPUs UP 5646 -- a GE C44ACCTE with 4,390 hp built in 2004 and, at the very end, UP 5554 -- another identical GE C44ACCTE with 4,390 hp, also built in 2004. [Click on each photo to enlarge, suitable for desktops. If you use my photographs, please attribute.]

MP154

Train Meet At Rocky Point

2010-04-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

MP154

Freight Train vs Tornado

2010-04-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Above is absolutely spectacular footage from the rear-facing unit of a Union Pacific freight train encountering a tornado on January 7th of 2008, in northern Illinois on former Chicago Northwestern tracks. News indicated that twelve cars of the 1,880-ton train were blown off the track though you can see, on screen, the locomotive stays upright due to its weight.

Initially the train appears to be moving at good speed (I'd estimate 30+ mph). You then notice the trees at the periphery of the screen moving and blowing, then the rain squalls hit at roughly :35 seconds, with very heavy rain and winds at :55 seconds. The grain car starts to roll left at about 1:10. The locomotive, slowing now and crossing a trestle, is struck by a tank car which then rolls right, followed by a boxcar. The volume is low; if you increase the volume the video becomes even more frightening.

One tank car, containing ethylene oxide, requiring the evacuation of the unincorporated town of Lawrence, Illinois.

Links:

- Trainorders.com discussion here;

- KOMO News here;

- National Weather Service link here.

MP154

Neil Young: Southern Pacific

2010-03-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Neil Young released his 1981 album re-ac-tor as he played with Crazy Horse.

Song 5 is "Southern Pacific."

"Roll on, Southern Pacific, on your silver rails, in the moonlight."

MP154

The Tale of UP 7802 West

2010-03-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Union Pacific has been running double-stack container trains over Donner Pass since November of 2009. Here, UP's 7802 West is, above, heading downhill on the #1 track at Dutch Flat where the speed limit is 25 mph.

On point, 7802 is what UP calls a General Electric C45ACCTE, which means a locomotive with AC-driven traction motors, 4400 hp, with CTE indicating "controlled tractive effort." 7802 is one of 325 such GE units purchased by UP and built between 2007 and 2008. GE refers to this model as the Evolution Series, ES44AC, which possesses the GEVO 12-cylinder diesel engine as prime mover.

Fifth photo down, UP 7802 West passes directly under Interstate 80 near Secret Town. On both point photos you can clearly see snow on the pilot. Click to enlarge each photo. Click on the post title for a GE Evolution brochure in PDF.

MP154

Union Pacific to Double-Track the Donner Pass Route Once Again?

2010-03-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

At one time the route over Donner Pass was completely double-tracked, from Roseville to Sparks. Portions of this double-tracking were comparatively steep and predominantly reserved for downhill traffic. In fact, the steepest portion of Donner Pass is the original Central Pacific tracking, known now as the #1 track.

Work for the #2 (used for eastbound or uphill traffic) track was originally begun in 1909. Seventeen tunnels and two major bridges were added. A second double-tracking project began in 1923. Here, there were seven more tunnels, four steel viaducts and snowsheds added. This project was completed in 1925 and included what railroaders now call the "Big Hole" under Mt. Judah, the 10,322-foot Tunnel 41 -- at the time, the third longest tunnel in the continental United States.

By this time the Central Pacific and its creators were long gone. The line now belonged to and was operated by Southern Pacific.

Things changed radically, however, when Philip Anschutz purchased Rio Grande Industries in 1984, that being the holding company for the Rio Grande railroad (DRGW: Denver & Rio Grande Western). On August 9 of 1988, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the purchase of Southern Pacific by Rio Grande Industries, who took control of SP on October 13, 1988.

Because of "branding" Anschutz and company decided to keep the Southern Pacific name though, in truth, the SP was gone. **

It was at this time, under the reign of Mr Anschutz, that SP continued its decline. Traffic patterns changed in the late 80s and 1990s, which resulted in SP literally ripping up some portions of the double track over Donner. The last train to run over full double-track territory was in 1993. Information indicates this was done partially to provide more rail for the Sunset Route further west, and because the maintenance of the long snowsheds visible from I-80 over Donner Lake was too costly.

Perhaps at the time it was a money-saving measure, but remarkably short sighted. Any form of double-track then reduced to a single-track creates all kinds of traffic bottlenecks for both east- and-westbound trains. There have been numerous time since 1993 that SP and then UP wished all the double trackage was still in place.

The line is currently single-tracked between these points:

1. Between Switch 9 (MP 171.2) to Shed 10 (MP 178.2), a total of 7 miles;
2. Between West Norden (MP 191.2) to Shed 47 (MP 196.6), a total of 5.4 miles;

Trains clog up going eastbound at the mouth of Switch 9 and Tunnel 41; trains clog up going westbound just prior to Shed 47 and prior to Shed 10.

Now that UP has opened up double-stack traffic, it's considering double-tracking all points again. From SacBee.com:

UP officials say the project is the first of several steps to upgrade the historic corridor, route of the first transcontinental railroad.
UP wants to add a second set of tracks in some mountain sections where there currently is only one, and to make changes in the Roseville railyard to move freight more easily there.
Ironically, the former owner of the line, the old Southern Pacific company, ripped out many double-track sections a quarter century ago as a cost-saving measure when freight rail was on the wane.

I say: Union Pacific couldn't double-track the Donner route fast enough.

MP154

NOTE 1: Mr Anschutz, ever the savvy individual, whilst in possession of remarkable trackage right-of-way under Southern Pacific, laid down miles of fiber-optic cable paralleling these tracks over Donner Pass under the name of SP Telecom (later MCI and then Qwest).

NOTE 2: What people also do not know is that live petroleum fuel lines also parallel these tracks, laid down during Mr Anschutz's time as well. Mr Anschutz later served on the boards of the American Petroleum Institute, in Washington, D.C. and the National Petroleum Council in Washington, D.C.

** Also note that, with the merger of the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Corporation in September 1996, Anschutz became Vice-Chairman of Union Pacific. Prior to the merger, he was a Director of Southern Pacific from June 1988 to September 1996, and Non-Executive Chairman of Southern Pacific from 1993 to September 1996.

Tunnel 18: Making Double-Stack SPACE

2010-03-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier, I wrote about double-stack container traffic having been opened up over Donner Pass this past November.

That was significant insofar as Union Pacific, if it wanted to move double-stack traffic east/west, had to do so through the Feather River Canyon route -- former Western Pacific territory (UP bought WP back in 1983). This canyon path is roughly 75 miles and three hours longer than the Donner Pass route. Because of height clearance problems, Union Pacific, in order to enable the taller double-stack cars, had to either cut up into tunnels or cut down into tunnel beds. Because some sidings were also increased on Donner, UP can run up to 9,000-foot trains here, as opposed to the 5,700-foot limitation through the Feather River Canyon due to siding length.

Recently I drove to Tunnel 18, which is located near Newcastle and directly adjacent Interstate 80. Below Auburn and at about the 945' level, Newcastle is where the double track splits just east of Tunnel 18 itself. West of Tunnel 18 is the Newcastle trestle which passes directly over I-80.

Having accessed this article in The Sacramento Bee last year regarding UP's tunnel work, I drove to the area for my own photographic purposes.

As you can see, work crews made radial cuts in the upper portions of the tunnel concrete.

In the top photograph, you can also see that the cuts on the upper right portion portion of the tunnel are deeper and wider, because the track is closer to the wall. In that photograph, taken looking east, the westbound #1 track is on the right, and the eastbound #2 track is on the left.

After the snows clear I'll attempt to acquire more photographs of altered tunnels in the higher elevations.

MP154

Day of the Union Pacific 844

2010-02-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

Whilst at the ocean enjoying my 3rd anniversary this week, I chanced upon a CF card from my Sony A300. I hadn't used this card in awhile and, zounds, there they were! Photos of UP's Alco 4-8-4 #844, taken on April 17th of 2009! And here I thought I'd lost them completely! (click on each photo for enlarged version)

It's a joy coming across important photos one originally thought had been lost -- kind of like finding a nice, crisp $100 bill in your sneaker.

Here, the 844 is on its way to Roseville, California -- home to the J.R. Davis Yards and the HQ of the Roseville Subdivision -- during the 2009 Western Heritage Tour. 844 is running light, downhill (you can tell because of the minimal stack plume) on the number one track. Check out the number of people packed into the cab.

Also behind 844 are EMD SD-70ACe's #1996, painted in SP Daylight colors (1996 being the year UP bought SP) and #1983, painted in Western Pacific colors (year that UP bought WP).

Finally, just a minute or so later, Amtrak's #6 California Zephyr heads uphill, eastbound, past the point I had attained for the prior photographs.

As you might suspect, it is always extraordinarily difficult to locate a position from which to photograph UP 844 or UP Challenger 3985 and not get a host of other photographers and railfans in the way. I have since found my "it shall not be revealed" site for all time, just a short distance from my cabin, quite luckily.

Recommended Reference Sites:

MP154

Advantages of a Train:

2010-01-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Cribbed from RailsNW: Train Blog:

NINE UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF TAKING A TRAIN:

1. No wait, no security. Amtrak asks passengers to be at the train 30 minutes before departure. If you show up a little late, you simply walk straight on the train and find a seat that looks good to you.

2. If you want to pee, go pee. There’s never a time on a train when you can’t stand up and do whatever you want. And that includes having a nice lunch in the dining car, which is what I’m going to go do now.

3. The seats ACTUALLY RECLINE! Instead of the 1.5 inches of lean that the little silver button will give you on a plane, Amtrak’s big black button gives a recline of about eight inches. I could actually sleep in this chair! If I wasn’t so excited about how much it reclines.

4. PLUGS! Some planes are starting to finally provide power jacks so we can keep charged through long flights. But all Amtrak trains have three-pronged jacks to keep you electrified throughout your journey.

5. No NAGGING: It’s a frakkin' pleasure not having someone bug me about my seatback and tray tables and whether my electronic device is approved for that particular segment of the trip. And no seatbelts at all! Whether or not that’s technically safe, it’s certainly more comfortable.

6. Legroom: As a six foot + guy, I notice a couple extra inches here. And it’s nice.

7. No beverage cart slamming into your knees and elbows. The beverage cart on a plane absolutely ensures that you never ever ever put any piece of your body into the aisle. Well, the train aisle is considerably wider, for one, and the cart is nonexistent.

8. Treats: If you happen to want a cheese danish on an airplane, you’re out of luck. Not here, my friends. And the cost of said treats is much more modest than the $5 you’ll pay for a snack pack on American Airlines, filled with crap you probably don’t even want.

9. You handle your baggage. If you lose your bags on a train, it’s your fault. There’s no waiting at the baggage claim and no worrying about how the baggage handlers (or TSA) will treat your bags.

MP154

P.S.

Photo not by MP154. I take all my own photographs unless otherwise indicated.

Roseville Yard: When Nose Units Were Plentiful

2010-01-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Above, an EMD SD-40 in final Southern Pacific speed lettering, littered with itinerant Mexi-graffiti and affixed with an afterthought UP number in yellow, awaits fueling. To the left, a UP flanger car. CLICK ON ALL PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

Above: schematic, J.R. Davis Roseville Yard.

UP 1425, a hastily re-numbered SP unit, approaches the engine house.

UP employee rides the front of an SD-40 in UP armour yellow paint in the yard.

On a siding south of the engine house, a series of UP locos await orders next to one of SP's original steam rotary units. Yes, that's a GE in front, but I couldn't resist the rotary in the yard. So sue me.

An amazing and elderly fellow. Here sits an original DRGW SD-40 unit, original number unknown, dating back to when Philip Anschutz's DRGW bought SP outright in 1988 (and then did his level best to drive SP into the ground, making it vulnerable to UP's purchase in 1996). Being part of SP, this ancient unit served for a time in the yard shuttling cars to and fro prior to its ultimate retirement.

EMD left, GE right, in the Roseville loco house drop pits at night.

Running up an older EMD SD-40 outside the loco house. You know what? I love the smell of diesel and the sound of 16-cylinder American locomotive engines. How about you?

This shot was taken when Chuck "CW" Smith flew me over the Roseville Yard in the Sacramento Sheriff's Department Hughes 500 -- because he was a railroad buff. As a Sergeant, I tapped CW for a few aerial runs over the Roseville Yard. CW was a former Vietnam Huey pilot who admitted he used to make his own LZs by chopping down through the jungle with the Huey's blades tips. That's some scary stuff. And there are more aerial photos where this came from. This is a view, looking west, of the J.R. Davis classification yard.

MP154

Winter Photos Over Donner Pass

2009-12-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

A small respite from a serious snowstorm. Here, under breaking blue skies, a downhill UP consist has just cleared the Big Hole and meanders towards the Soda Springs crossing. The sun smiled down upon me and presented some wonderful lighting conditions.

This is a UP train running downhill on the #1 track, EMD SD-70M on point, in the midst of a rather serious 2004 snowstorm. At the time I still had a smaller, nimble 4WD vehicle. The train approaches "American." Flangers had just, about an hour prior, cleared the downhill track.

This was the head-end of a special consist purposely run up Donner for former UP CEO Dick Davidson's Christmas cards for 1998. Yes, that is the reason these units are inordinately pristine. This train stopped just past Shed 41 for the photographs. Please note the sequential engine numbers: 4526, 4527, 4528. The engineer is waving. It's good to be King.

A very unusual consist over Donner: two Norfolk Southern engines. NS is seldom if ever seen this far west for good reason. Here a mixed manifest train pulls uphill, eastbound, past a spot UP engineers know as "Rocky Point." In the mid-1800s Central Pacific named this area "American" and would stop their open-car trains here. Passengers would step down and gaze west towards Sacramento and down to the north fork of the American River.

GE, EMD, GE, EMD: An autorack with an elderly GE engine on point exits the Big Hole, Tunnel 41, 10,322-feet in length, having summited and now beginning to run down hill on the Number 1 track towards Norden and Soda Springs. This portal, now concrete, was once comprised of massive timbers, removed in the early 2000s.

The City of San Francisco, a Southern Pacific train, gets trapped in the Winter of 1952:

MP154

Farewell to Double Stack Trains Over the Feather River Route?

2009-12-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Union Pacific recently opened the Donner Pass route (otherwise known as the Number 1 and Number 2 tracks) from Roseville, California to Sparks, Nevada for double stack container service. This was done because running intermodal trains over Donner saves about 75 miles in distance, as opposed to running the Feather River.

See my prior post here for that opening.

Before November 19th, Donner could never handle double stack traffic due to the height restrictions in most of the tunnels, first holed by Chinese laborers for Central Pacific's portion of the Transcontinental route.

East/west double stack traffic into and out of California historically had to travel through the Feather River Canyon, as the multiple tunnels there could easily accommodate the height of well cars -- roughly 22' tall.

Now, there are those who fear that the removal of intermodal traffic from the Feather River Canyon will doom that route.

Union Pacific, at this point and to my knowledge, is not making any indications that it is even remotely considering the abandonment of Feather River traffic.

There are those, however, who believe that the writing is on the proverbial Union Pacific wall, and the above beautifully-done video laments what the producers believe may be the end of trains through the Feather River Canyon.

I personally do not believe Union Pacific can afford to close the FRC route. Each route, Feather River and Donner, have their weather problems. For example, when snow and drifts occlude or close Donner Pass, the alternative route is the FRC.

And when heavy rains, the rising or flooding Feather River or loose shale closes the FRC, then Donner is the viable alternative now.

Both routes have their own very serious weather issues.

For now, railfans and railroaders alike will have to simply enjoy what exists, while it exists.

MP154

Double Stack Trains Over Donner Pass!

2009-12-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

Southern Pacific had a problem at first. Then, when SP was bought out (actually owned by DRGW's Philip Anschutz) by Union Pacific on, oddly enough, 09-11-1996, Union Pacific inherited that problem.

And that is this:

Double-stack (also called intermodal) trains could not be run up and over Donner Pass due to tunnel clearance problems.

Now, double stack traffic can run over Donner.

If UP wanted to move double-stack traffic west/east, east/west through California, it had to do so through the Feather River Canyon -- once the province of the Western Pacific (purchased by UP on 12-22-1981).

The problem with the Feather River Canyon route is that it's inherently fluctuous. The Feather River is prone to flooding, and the area is rife with shale rock -- making the route notoriously unstable and -- as UP discovered once purchased -- requiring thousands and thousands of dollars spent for track stabilization programs to shore up the sides of mountains, hills, tunnels, sidings, bridges, trestles and basic trackwork.

The additional problem was that running double stack traffic east/west through the Feather River Canyon added 75 miles to the journey and another three hours.

Today, what is known as "Donner Pass" corresponds to Union Pacific's Roseville Subdivision, what are now termed the Number One and Number Two tracks from Roseville, California to Sparks, Nevada.

When originally holed in the mid-1800s by the Central Pacific, the tunnels comprising the Central Pacific portion of the Transcontinental Railroad were built only to accommodate the traffic of the day. And certainly not traffic corresponding to the height of today's double-stack well cars.

The average locomotive is 15 to 16 feet tall.

Auto rack cars are currently 20' 2" tall.

Double stack traffic can run up to 22-feet.

The specific tunnels in question were holed down to accomodate 22-foot traffic. Enviro- and historically-concerned issues included destruction of the original Chinese tunnels. But, as Union Pacific worked, it didn't scrape the tunnels up. Instead, it lowered the track beds through the affected portals.

Efficiency and history can be reconciled.

MP154

Older Power Up The Hill

2009-11-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

An extremely rare sight and consist indeed. Recently, I caught a mixed manifest train running through Gold Run and past Casa Loma Road towards Giant Gap, over UP's Roseville subdivision towards Donner Pass.

These days, the bulk of the power is GE, with a smattering of EMD for good measure.

This unique train, however, had UP 8224 on point, an EMD SD90/43AC, and UP 8270 on the rear, another EMD SD90/43AC -- albeit a bit nose-battered.

UP has already completely scrapped all the true SD90MAC-H units; the only ones left are the original convertibles -- huge frames containing AC traction motors but with smaller 4,300-hp diesel prime movers.

What a shame neither EMD nor GE could produce a reliable 6,000-hp American locomotive.

MP154

First Major Snow

2008-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I heard the roar of engines approaching a local crossing, so I unholstered my trusty Sony and caught UP 8369 (EMD SD-70ACe, 4,300 hp) followed by UP 5095, a 4,000hp EMD SD-70M. Two other locomotives followed, but I couldn't capture their numbers in the swirling snow obscuring this mixed manifest train.

The camera had much difficulty finding its focus in the heavy snow, and the train was having its own set of difficulties as well. Sounding to be in Run 8, the locomotives were working for all available traction, sanders on overtime.

With such a new unit, I'm sure the heaters were working effectively for the engineer and conductor.

MP154

UP's Z-Train

2008-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

In Union Pacific parlance, a "Z-train" historically means a priority train consisting of time-sensitive commodities, usually TOFC (trailer on flatcar) or single/double-stack (intermodal) well cars. Here, well cars carry single-stack containers (click on photo to enlarge).

This Z-train is rather unusual insofar as it is fronted by UP 4579, an EMD SD-70M with 4,000 hp and followed by two other EMD SD-70s. A pure EMD consist is extremely rare indeed.

Caught at milepost 148 on the number one (westbound) track, you can see it's about to hit the detector ahead. Note the flaps spanning the width of the track. This detector can sense dragging equipment, hot boxes and locked wheels and axles.

Freight speed is generally limited on the number one (downhill) track to 25 mph; it is easy to hear traction motors howling in dynamic braking. Engineers run about 10 pounds of air in the brake pipes downhill.

A brief note about single- and double-stack containers over Donner Pass: UP can only run single-stack containers on the Number One and Number Two tracks, as its older Transcontinental Railroad tunnels are insufficiently tall. UP would have dug down into these tunnels in order to accommodate double-stack, but met resistance by enviros who objected to the alleged "ruination" of these historical tunnels.

Therefore, east/west northern California UP double-stack traffic must run over the Feather River (formerly Western Pacific) route instead of Donner -- but this adds another 70 miles to the journey. Therefore UP would rather run double-stack over Donner and save mileage but cannot yet do so.

That is why you will only see single-stack intermodal Z-train traffic over Donner Pass on the Roseville Subdivision.

MP154

A Train Meet: New Power On The Hill

2008-06-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Whilst in Gold Run today, I happened upon a "train meet" between UP 7834, a brand new Union Pacific General Electric ES44AC (the newest fuel-efficient and "greenest" locomotive from GE, an AC-powered unit with 4,400 horsepower) and Amtrak's #5 (westbound) California Zephyr, powered by GE P42DC (4,250 horsepower, DC-driven, manufactured in October of 2001) #206 on point.

From where I stood, just after #5 passed by westbound on the #1 track, UP 7834 hauled by and acknowledged my presence with a nice horn series -- thanks. Here's a video of UP 7834.

The new GE ES44AC sported pristine armour-yellow UP paint (that won't last long running through the tunnels over Donner Pass) and was followed by UP # 6439, a GE AC4400CW (AC-driven, 4,400 horsepower).

Capturing a train meet on film or video is a rare event indeed, completely subject to the whim of the variables involved.

While it was 99 degrees in Sacramento, it was 80 degrees in Gold Run.

MP 154

Traffic Heat

2008-06-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, UP has been running a lot of GE equipment on the head end up and down Donner Pass on the #1 and #2.

I caught this photo in Gold Run, of a GE C44ACCTE -- UP's description of an AC-driven General Electric unit with 4,400 hp, possessing CTE or Controlled Tractive Effort.

Gold Run has been the subject of a new tie test project, where older wooden ties have been replaced with composite ties.

In the first heat of the 2008 mountain season, the lead unit is in focus whilst the rest of the mixed manifest blurs out in heat lines.

MP154

Welcome To Milepost 154!

2008-05-10T18:24:00.001-07:00

Hello, and welcome all to the new Milepost 154 blog, a blog dedicated to modern railroading, its nature, its employees and its fans.

With the introduction of this blog I hope to accomplish a few, perhaps, lofty goals:

Allow the general public to realize just how important railroads are to this nation;
Allow people to understand the realities of railroading and look "beneath the hood", so to speak;
Become a resource for railroaders and railfans alike;
Offer the site as a place where railroad employees may feel comfortable and vent when necessary;
Be a repository of original and "inside" photographs to the railroading world;
Keep current on safety, union and industry news affecting railroaders in the Northern Americas;
Allow anyone and everyone to comment with honesty, openness and, due to the nature of some railroad companies, anonymity if desired.

Here is my background:

I got into the hobby of “railfanning” entirely by accident.

To begin, I moved into the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1993, leaving the Sacramento Valley far behind — motivated primarily by a murder next door, helicopters, sirens and cop pursuits at night, barking dogs, gangbangers in my neighborhood park, thump trucks and the press of too many people. I wondered, however, if I’d taken absolute leave of my senses as I now faced a 78 mile commute — one way — each work day. Luckily, a major perquisite at that time was a “take home” car with unlimited gas. I was up at 4:30 AM and home by 8 or 9 PM — pretty much my current schedule. Life then decided to throw a series of curve balls at me, culminating in 1997. I began to re-evaluate some very personal priorities. For literally months, I could not sleep at night. And so: I began to hear what was present all along in the mountains where I lived.

The nearby rails would sing, just to me, in the middle of my summer night, when all the windows were open as I lay awake.

I could hear plaintive horns sounding for rail crossings. On good nights, I heard horns dancing off the rocks and canyon walls: two, three, four, five crossings? I knew the tracks were nearby. Where were these trains going? Where were these crossings? Why did they seem to sound so different at times?

One day I drove by the tracks in Gold Run, not far from my cabin. On the siding sat a nicely painted idling locomotive numbered 772, and a few cars. I had a small camera with me and felt compelled to stop. The locomotive read “ELECTRO MOTIVE” on the side and, in small letters under the cab, “THE NICHOLAS” and then “GP-38-2.”

Despite standing some distance away, the locomotive literally shook my lungs as its engine loped along in idle.

I realized only later: I had been hooked right then and there.

I was in it for the power. Not so much for the train, not so much for the cars. The locomotives.

Since then, my journey led to a re-kindled interest in 35mm and then digital photography. From there, into digital video. And then history — much history.

I am lucky enough to live (at the 4,000 foot elevation) in the midst of history, a few hundred feet from the original lines laid down by the Central Pacific Railroad in the mid-1860’s. I have photographs of my young town surrounded by nude mountains dotted with stumps, due to placer mining and clear-cut logging.

And now, a “mere” 150+ years later, the pines are thriving and thick. Each spring the new tips sprout and green pollen dusts my car, the deck and my house; it seems another place altogether from the old photos I have.

Yes, I am a railfan. And a fan of history, for I am surrounded by the sound of whistles, the chuff of steam, the clatter of Chinese picks and shovels so long ago. I can hear them at night, along with the diesels.

Make no mistake. I do not profess to be an “expert” regarding the rails. I'm just one guy who can appreciate the sound of an EMD set of traction motors howling downhill, or mixed consists of EMD and GE locomotives on the #2 eastbound track notched into Run 8 as engineers pour sand to the rails and hope, with the requisite 2.5% grade, that their 12,000-ton grain trains or pigs or mixed manifest or Z-trains or passenger trains encounter no difficulties in their runs up The Hill.

For that is where I live, and what the bulk of this blog will deal with: Union Pacific's Roseville Subdivision, and the 139 miles between Roseville, California and the next crew-change spot, Sparks, Nevada. And yet, not just this line (the number 1 and number 2 tracks on the Roseville Sub) but others as well.

My admitted soft spots:

1. Locomotives. Nothing like a set of 5 modern diesel-electric locomotives passing by at track speed in Run 8. Nothing.
2. The cab. The interiors of locomotives fascinate me, not only because insight into any loco cab is rare, but because of the crew and employee dynamics that occur there.
3. Employees, working conditions, unions. And the relationships between these areas and our Class I railroads.

If you are an employee and wish to write for the blog in full concert or anonymously, please write me at milepost154@gmail.com. I would enjoy nothing more than engineers, conductors, MOW workers, dispatchers and others to utilize this blog as a focal point of issues, information and safety alerts.

If you wish to comment (and I heartily encourage any and all comments) then please do so.

I fully recognize the general adverse nature that exists between railroad employees and their employers. You need not post or write your true name(s) and/or locations either in regard to comments or entries.

And finally: please do not label me anti-industry or anti-Class I. I am, however, a realist when it comes to the history of this nation and its railroads and, moreover, railroads' military origins.

One thing I do know:

The Class I railroads -- and railroaders -- are frequently their own worst enemies in terms of self-promulgation and promotion for the future. Sometimes it seems as though railroads refuse to hire those who don't already hate the system.

If Class I railroads (railway companies with a minimum annual operating revenue exceeding $319.3 million) in North America are to continue, this practice has to stop. The Major Players, to include CSX, BNSF, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern need to collectively change their Corporate Cultures.

But -- in the meantime -- let the rails sing with traffic, movement, employment.