Downers Grove is a quite zone, so I normally don't hear any horns. But since they were doing construction on the tracks, the trains use a series of two short beeps until they pass the zone. The trains are coming through at a restricted speed because of the construction. Although I have noticed that the rear of some of them seem to be doing at track speed for freights --- 45 mph.
The bad news is that most of these videos were taken from the north platform because that is where I could get the best view of the construction activity. That means I'm on the dark side of the trains. I know enough about railfanning to know that is a big no-no. But the silver lining is that I get the depot in the background of many of the views.
This is currently a work in progress and will be updated as I get the videos loaded. But I have to publish now to get a URL for the YouTube descriptions. Hopefully, I'll have all of the trains added in a few days.
(new window) "The third unit is a warbonnet, #716. That means it is an older unit and worth looking up. #716 is a Dash 9-44CW / AC44Cm built in the Summer of 1997. The fact this unit is not in storage indicates the economy has picked up. The placard is 1267, so it is carrying crude oil."
(new window) "While I was videoing ComEd do some aerial truck work, an intermodal train rolled pass. That is why I'm out of position to get a trackside view."
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20180912 1125 Eastbound Mixed Freight and 1128 Westbound Commuter
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The lead unit is a typical "orange pumpkin." The second unit is a run-through Norfolk Southern unit. But the third unit is of interest because it has the Santa Fe inspired warbonnet livery. That means it is an older unit and worth looking up. #752 is a Dash 9-44CW / AC44Cm built in the Summer of 1997. The fact this unit is not in storage indicates the economy has picked up. The placard is 1267, so it is carrying crude oil.
BNSF typically used an old beat up covered hopper for its buffer car in oil trains. This buffer car caught my eye because it looks long enough to be a 3-bay hopper, but I can see only two bays. So I caught this view that shows the end. Then I was really surprised because it has the square end of a boxcar instead of the sloped side of a covered hopper. Then I was shocked to see it has a full ladder and a running board. Running boards disappeared in the 1960s. So did they take an old boxcar, add vertical outside bracing and a couple of hoppers and give it a fresh paint job? I assume they added hatches to the roof as well. If they are using sand, a car that long would have quite a bit of air. Has BNSF "kitbashed" a car that would crush easily in an accident?
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Jim Brewster That is an air slide car
Dennis DeBruler Thanks. I've never noticed one before. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3077946
Dennis DeBruler So the full ladder and running board is to access hatches in the roof.
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I normally don't pay attention to commuters arriving at Downers because we have so many of them. But I was at the station taking photos of the replacement of the Main Street crossing so I took some video of an outbound Metra stopping at the station. They stopped the track work before the 4-min announcement on the PA. The train is honking because of the construction work. Downers Grove is a quiet zone, so we normally don't hear a horn. Since I'm learning to edit clips together, I stopped recording while it set in the station. But you will notice three clips after the original arrival clip. That is because, when it was leaving, it stopped twice before it actually got going. I've never seen it stop while leaving before. Each stop was about a minute long.
20180913 1441 Eastbound Mixed Freight
The two locomotives got past me without a video. It turns out this train was rather short. The covered hoppers and tank cars are typical. But this is the first time I have seen a single empty piggyback car and the special built flat car for wheel-axle sets. (Facebooked)
20180913 1529 Outbound Commuter
I didn't take any video since it was just another commuter stopping at the station and I was on the wrong side of Main Street to get a decent view. To cross Main Street, I have to walk back over to Warren Avenue because BNSF has barricaded off Main Street between Warren and the tracks.
(new window) I normally don't record the cars of an intermodal, especially when the train is on the close track. But when I noticed containers on piggyback cars and then so many "holes" in the load, I decided to let it run. This must have been some sort of clean-the-yard-out train because it is also kinda short. But it still had three locomotives.
(new window) The second and fourth units are in the Executive Paint Scheme.
20180914 1311 Eastbound Intermodal
There is no video of the locomotives for this train because I missed up hitting the record button and got footage of my feet after I thought I turned recording off. (This is not the first time I screwed up hitting the record button. At least I never screwed up when a daughter blew out candles on a birthday cake.)
On a Facebook group I follow, there was a question of weather or not Estes trucking has started using intermodal services. So I take photos of E trailers to document the usage. This is the most I have seen in one train --- 11. The shipper with the most trailers, as is typical, was UPS. J. B. Hunt uses containers.
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