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Virtual Railfan webcams


NickBrad
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That B&M Railcam at Greenville Junction is a bit of a disaster at the moment as there are problems with the internet connectivity in the area (i.e. the back of beyond..) so it still needs a lot of work,

However, this one has gone live today...

 

 

The elevated tracks in the foreground are the MBTA Green Line light rail service to Lechmere which should restart in December this year as the line is currently closed for major rebuilding and the opening of two significant extensions into the north of the City.

In addition, where the two water-level lifting girder bridges can be seen, they are the tracks leading into Boston North Station on which MBTA and the Amtrak "Downeaster" services operate.

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The Greenville Jn cam is up and running again.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoa_GR1LMqk

 

Yesterday was the first full day of it working, but all that passed in daylight were these two things...

 

501739224_Screenshot2021-10-20at18-57-10GreenvilleRailDepotMaine-RailfanCam.png.a60ed8186e265e56d7f5d8dbc9673617.png

 

705017084_Screenshot2021-10-20at20-32-52GreenvilleRailDepotMaine-RailfanCam.png.f990ad4fb94fc39a903ae7869fd011f3.png

 

At the moment it is just one CP train in each direction a day, though this may apparently double in the next few months as CP have several new Intermodal contracts due to start.

 

The current train in daylight hours, an Eastbound normally due in the 12.00-13.00 timeframe, duly turned up at 15.30 yesterday due to the track inspection.  Shame the train frequency is so dire as it's a nice location.

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7 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

The Greenville Jn cam is up and running again.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoa_GR1LMqk

 

Yesterday was the first full day of it working, but all that passed in daylight were these two things...

 

501739224_Screenshot2021-10-20at18-57-10GreenvilleRailDepotMaine-RailfanCam.png.a60ed8186e265e56d7f5d8dbc9673617.png

 

705017084_Screenshot2021-10-20at20-32-52GreenvilleRailDepotMaine-RailfanCam.png.f990ad4fb94fc39a903ae7869fd011f3.png

 

 Shame the train frequency is so dire as it's a nice location.

Would have even nicer if it was still a junction.:good:

 

It's not really surprising there is so little traffic, the line doesn't actually go through many places of note that might generate business and winds through sparse country Northwards & Westwards until it reaches Quebec.

Edited by melmerby
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19 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Would have even nicer if it was still a junction.:good:

 

It's not really surprising there is so little traffic, the line doesn't actually go through many places of note that might generate business and winds through sparse country Northwards & Westwards until it reaches Quebec.

The Canadian Govt. are throwing lots of money at the Port of St John, NB, to enable it to take large container ships, so I think that is what CP are aiming to serve, long term.

https://sjport.com/modernize/project-overview/

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4 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

Nice to see a 55 year old SD40-2 (#8881 - Formerly PRR #6073) leading the CSX Q264 Autorack train through Palmer today.....

 


The carbody is 55 years old, but the engine hasn’t been an SD40-2 for 55 years - the SD40-2 was only introduced in 1972. #8881 was built in 1966 as an SD40 - PRR #6073. At some point in its existence, it was rebuilt internally as an SD40-2. But there are still signs it wasn’t always a ‘Dash 2’. For example, it doesn’t have the ‘Dash 2’ sight glass on the engineer’s side of the long hood, the front ‘porch’ is short and there’s no rear overhang on the cab roof.

 

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/csx/csx8881ael.jpg

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Probably not even the original engine fitted when it became a "dash 2" either, as like much railway/railroad equipment swap-outs are common throughout their life.

 

BNSF have some GP28 locos from the 50s still(?) operating,. How much is original?

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This was a bit of a surprise on the Greenville camera yesterday - an FRA Inspection train - which increased the daily train count by 50% !!

 

1524863309_Screenshot2021-10-29at19-37-56PalmerMassachusettsUSALiveRailfanCam1.png.2ac694db9105356fd05edfb49ea83aa6.png

 

It even appeared to catch the man painting the station building by surprise - though at the moment, you can literally watch paint dry there whilst waiting to see trains on the camera.....

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  • 3 weeks later...
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New location up tonight.

Rochelle Illinois:

It's not currently sponsored so is on a 3 month free demo.

 

I seem to remember this location before somewhere.

Was it "Trains" Mag who had a camera there?

 

EDIT

Trains mag still has a camera there, it is fixed (you can see it when the VR cam pans!) and they claim it is an exclusive location.

Well, it's not exclusive any more and also the VR cam is a PTZ and is mounted higher.

 

Edited by melmerby
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  • 2 weeks later...
12 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Must be a great cam to watch with just 2 trains per day!!

It's a bit of a strange one as the people who run that network of sites seem to have only got into the "Railfan Market" in the past 18 months or less. Palmer, MA, is their main one, and a second camera has been added there in the past couple of months.

They have several non-rail cameras in that area and I'm guessing the group restoring the station offered a free site/power for the Greenville one to publicise their efforts.

CP are currently upgrading the line and are looking at gaining more traffic to the Port of St John, New Brunswick, having only recently bought the line back after selling it off many years ago, so more trains are likely in the future.  At least with the 12 hour rewind facility, you can look for when the train passed rather than being stuck in front of the screen waiting for it to appear!

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I'll stick with Belen, lots of BNSF action, even on Thanksgiving - I thought they might have less on, I only realised it was Thanksgiving because people were saying it in chat, the yard appeared just a busy as any other day.  If anything, it is really busy there are present.

 

Nice to also watch the old SD40 doing the fly shunting.

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2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

I'll stick with Belen, lots of BNSF action, even on Thanksgiving - I thought they might have less on, I only realised it was Thanksgiving because people were saying it in chat, the yard appeared just a busy as any other day.  If anything, it is really busy there are present.

 

Nice to also watch the old SD40 doing the fly shunting.

It always amuses me when on the US railcams a site is considered "busy" if it gets 40-50 trains per day, that's just one an hour in each direction

The busiest places in the UK manage 40-50 per hour!

e.g. Camden junction on a weekday has typically 42 trains between 0800 and 0900

Peterborough has 28.

Birmingham New Street has 54.

 

Yes I know it's a different situation, with little passenger traffic and 3 mile long double stacks carrying as much as 6 or more UK box trains!

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Changing the subject slightly.

Does anyone know if there has been a change in operation arrangements between the big players in the last couple of years?

 

When I first looked at Virtual Railfan a few years back you didn't see many "foreign" locos, let alone trains on one company's tracks. (apart from agreed arrangements like BNSF & UP through Cajon Pass CA.)

These days multi company loco lash-ups are common and "foreign" trains seem to be everywhere. e.g. NS trains on former Sante Fe tracks in the south and west.

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On 19/11/2021 at 16:37, melmerby said:

Closed in July according to reports.

It's not on UP's map of facilities any more.

 

Trains are getting routed there though, reading the chat.  Is it just for re-marshalling?  There are switch jobs that pull out and block the diamond for ages shuffling back and forwards until the train is made up and then depart EB.  Great webcam though, really enjoying it.

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1 hour ago, melmerby said:

It always amuses me when on the US railcams a site is considered "busy" if it gets 40-50 trains per day, that's just one an hour in each direction

The busiest places in the UK manage 40-50 per hour!

e.g. Camden junction on a weekday has typically 42 trains between 0800 and 0900

Peterborough has 28.

Birmingham New Street has 54.

 

Yes I know it's a different situation, with little passenger traffic and 3 mile long double stacks carrying as much as 6 or more UK box trains!

Because a load of generic EMUs is nothing like a load of big (albeit fairly generic :lol:) diesels.

 

No bells and horns at Camden either, or wagon load trains and the only SD40s to be seen are disguised as 66s which may make an appearance on civils.

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