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On 13/05/2023 at 00:18, melmerby said:

New Camera at a residence on a hill west of Denver.

Big 10 Curve, Arvada in view, where trains are definitely in the landscape:

 

 

Big 10 curve sounds like some ditty with suspect lyrics by Judge Dread!   I think he did get up to that number with his "songs"........

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29 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

Big 10 curve sounds like some ditty with suspect lyrics by Judge Dread!   I think he did get up to that number with his "songs"........

Hey, hey diddle dum day...........

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  • 4 weeks later...

A couple of new cameras provided by Steel Highway Railcams have appeared in the past 6 weeks, the most recent being in Galesburg, IL.....

 

 

There is another one in Fort Madison, on Lost Duck Brewing, which is jus a bit further down the road from the Kingsley Inn VR camera.....

 

 

The beer isn't bad at Lost Duck Brewing either (having been there once..) !

 

 

.

Edited by Johann Marsbar
New address on YouTube for one of the streams
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3 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

A couple of new cameras provided by Steel Highway Railcams have appeared in the past 6 weeks, the most recent being in Galesburg, IL.....

 

There is another one in Fort Madison, on Lost Duck Brewing, which is jus a bit further down the road from the Kingsley Inn VR camera.....

 

The beer isn't bad at Lost Duck Brewing either (having been there once..) !

 

Another set of decent webcams are "South West Rail Cams" They cover California, Arizona and New Mexico:

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxaKME3e34j3aTESZZ3h7Sg

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On 09/06/2023 at 23:25, melmerby said:

How's this for shuffling trains around on Big 10 curve:

 

This camera was taken off the free streams only 2 months after it came on.

Edited by melmerby
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On 01/07/2023 at 05:42, Johann Marsbar said:

Steel Highway now have a camera overlooking the Ogilvie Transportation Centre in Chicago....

 

The've now got three, South, North & East

The north camera shows the street level tracks from Union Station

Edited by melmerby
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18 hours ago, Talltim said:

Scaletrains have now bought Virtual Railfan. (along with Fox Valley, ExactRail, MTH...)

Or part thereof.... maybe.

 

Very confusing announcement.

VRF say this "We are thrilled to announce the addition of ScaleTrains, a renowned manufacturer of high-quality model trains, to our ownership team!"

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On 08/07/2023 at 09:26, melmerby said:

The've now got three, South, North & East

The north camera shows the street level tracks from Union Station


I'm currently playing "guess which entrance the next train comes in from" whilst watching the morning rush - that's a cool camera, wasn't aware of Steel Highway before yesterday but it looks like they have quite a few really cool locations.

 

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41 minutes ago, Glorious NSE said:


I'm currently playing "guess which entrance the next train comes in from" whilst watching the morning rush - that's a cool camera, wasn't aware of Steel Highway before yesterday but it looks like they have quite a few really cool locations.

 

You could also play guess when the next UP loco appears as well.

These are UP operated services*, most use all Metra stock, occasionally a UP loco will be rostered.

I read that UP are intending to hand the operating of the services to Metra by the end of the year.

 

*BNSF likewise operate a Metra service going  south from Union Station to the west of Chicago.

It's currently the busiest Metra line and possibly the fastest, sadly no coverage of that route.

 

Steel Highway are currently expanding their coverage and locations seem to be added frequently.

Another site with plenty of cams is "South West Rail Cams", mainly in Arizona but also into New Mexico & California.

 

One of SWRC cams covers Needles, CA which is on the Colorado River across fron Arizona. A few days ago it registered 50C/120F and the midnight reading has been more than 38C/100F.

Edited by melmerby
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On 27/07/2023 at 13:57, melmerby said:

You could also play guess when the next UP loco appears as well.

These are UP operated services*, most use all Metra stock, occasionally a UP loco will be rostered.

I read that UP are intending to hand the operating of the services to Metra by the end of the year.

 

 

I would have thought that the UP (not UP-operated Metra) locos are only moving empty stock as they don't have HEP capability.

There is a GP15-1 that is looks like it's used as a "station pilot" at OTC moving stock to/from a servicing facility not too far away

 

My pic from a passing "L" last year

20220505_223512.jpg.6588b15364edff60c12d1f483e401e7a.jpg

 

Or maybe used if there's an issue with the cab car or failed train.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/685429/

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

I would have thought that the UP (not UP-operated Metra) locos are only moving empty stock as they don't have HEP capability.

There is a GP15-1 that is looks like it's used as a "station pilot" at OTC moving stock to/from a servicing facility not too far away

 

My pic from a passing "L" last year

 

 

Or maybe used if there's an issue with the cab car or failed train.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/685429/

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.

Y723 seems to be the usual loco, it's there today in that short siding.

I wonder why the train loco wouldn't ferry the cars to and from the yard?

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17 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Thanks for the info.

Y723 seems to be the usual loco, it's there today in that short siding.

I wonder why the train loco wouldn't ferry the cars to and from the yard?

 

They do seem to swap locos and move them to/from the servicing area quite frequently.

I saw a couple doing that when I was there last year for a couple of hours.

 

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On 11/08/2023 at 14:10, melmerby said:

Thanks for the info.

Y723 seems to be the usual loco, it's there today in that short siding.

I wonder why the train loco wouldn't ferry the cars to and from the yard?

 

Just seen this...

image.png.47702907c01284f76e6fa3e12698396e.png

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They seem to have more locos than they know what to do with.🙂

 

Those 6 were sitting in the servicing sidings as two lines of three.

They went into the easternmost platform and shortly after emerged as a consist of 6 locos.

Interrestingly they are all the older loco type from the '80s

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On 14/08/2023 at 23:44, melmerby said:

They seem to have more locos than they know what to do with.🙂

 

Those 6 were sitting in the servicing sidings as two lines of three.

They went into the easternmost platform and shortly after emerged as a consist of 6 locos.

Interrestingly they are all the older loco type from the '80s

 

Metra have over 100 F40PH (most are -2 spec) - especially on the UP operated route from OTC (in the video)

Some have been upgraded to FP40PH-3 spec

There are also a few F59PHI s that are ex-Amtrak West/Cascade and a few MP36PH-3S (now 3C) that work that route as well. #90 in the CNW heritage scheme turned up yesterday.

Never got to sample the FP40PHM Winnebago locos that work the BNSF racetrack, other than a blurred passing pic at Aurora.

 

There was another move of 6 F40s today - just after the morning rush.

Made up of odd ones and a pair that congregated on track#1 under the roof

 

It does seem unusual the number of loco swaps on a push-pull service. 

OTC would make a great layout apart from the cost of the double slips............

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On 16/08/2023 at 22:07, newbryford said:

 

Metra have over 100 F40PH (most are -2 spec) - especially on the UP operated route from OTC (in the video)

Some have been upgraded to FP40PH-3 spec

There are also a few F59PHI s that are ex-Amtrak West/Cascade and a few MP36PH-3S (now 3C) that work that route as well. #90 in the CNW heritage scheme turned up yesterday.

Never got to sample the FP40PHM Winnebago locos that work the BNSF racetrack, other than a blurred passing pic at Aurora.

 

There was another move of 6 F40s today - just after the morning rush.

Made up of odd ones and a pair that congregated on track#1 under the roof

 

It does seem unusual the number of loco swaps on a push-pull service. 

OTC would make a great layout apart from the cost of the double slips............

I've got plenty of video and shots taken at Naperville!

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On 16/08/2023 at 22:07, newbryford said:

 

It does seem unusual the number of loco swaps on a push-pull service. 

I had a back of a fag packet add up and I would guess a loco could do three or four out and backs (typically up to 2 hours each way), without needing refuelling. (Unless they have very small fuel tanks!)

That should be enough for a days work.

None of these routes are that long, typically 30-50 miles max each way, with several stops

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