GDLK Operations

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Saturnalia
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Saturnalia »

OldBastard wrote:
Super Chief wrote:Theres been a change, GM siding is full of cars now. So the plan is the run arounds will be at Park and Cowling both times. Being power switches it will take a little longer.
Might limit the view in both directions from the theater car, but a push-pull arrangement would save a whole lot of effort. Probably a spare GP35 laying around resting on a Sunday...
Save ten minutes or use the theater car...hmmm...hard decision!
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OldBastard
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by OldBastard »

Ten minutes to, apply handbrakes, uncouple, dial dispatch, wait, wait, wait, get lined around, run north, dial dispatch, wait, wait, run south, recouple, move marker, release handbrakes. Hah, child prodigy is a little off on this hard decision. But when you think you're always right, you always are.

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Doktor No
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Doktor No »

He isn't of the real rail world yet OB. Thinks everything JUST HAPPENS and it doesn't. Never has, never will. Work a local or a thru freight for a few years and you'll maybe see the light.
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Saturnalia
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Saturnalia »

OldBastard wrote:Ten minutes to, apply handbrakes, uncouple, dial dispatch, wait, wait, wait, get lined around, run north, dial dispatch, wait, wait, run south, recouple, move marker, release handbrakes. Hah, child prodigy is a little off on this hard decision. But when you think you're always right, you always are.
When the whole point of the trip is to show off the railroad and you want to bring a theater car, then that is totally worth it. It’s not that bad at all to run around the train, even in CTC. I have switched out cars before, I’m not totally in denial that it does take a bit of work, but let’s not make mountains out of molehills here. It is literally two cars. It isn’t a Barge, shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes to airtest.

You could even argue from a financial perspective that that even a 30-minute turn time is financially worth it to only run a single unit. A 30-minute time-savings is not worth the cost of running an additional locomotive. It probably would have been more work to switch the additional unit onto the train, then it took to run the locomotive around!
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PatAzo
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

It's a social event, time is not of the essence. Use the theater car as a theater car. See the railroad going south. Let the kids watch them couple back up at Park. Watch the locomotive and engineer going back.

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Engines at both ends would be bad for the theater car, but unless they can wye the train (or operate from the theater car!) there will be an "obstructed" view in one travel direction (although some might not consider staring at a diesel an obstructed view).

Actually - not a bad idea for a steam excursion. Has anyone ever coupled an observation car immediately behind the engine and tender? Or do car owners prefer their cars be further away from the engine? Most of the steam runs I have seen have open cars near the engine where people can taste the cinders and closed cars (including domes) further back for air conditioned comfort.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

Excursion story. I ran an excursion years ago. 1 group was the tourist railroad, they furnished the passenger equipment, another group was a historical society, the 3rd group was for the "host' railroad who provided the power. Each group got a car to "sell" a car. The RR guy said I don't need a car, my guys ride trains all week, they don't want to ride on Saturday. So I wasn't too concerned when the other 2 groups cars were full. The week of, the RR guy calls me and says guess what, their families want to ride:). He had reservations for a full car. LOL. I don't think there was an empty seat on the train. :D

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Ben Higdon
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Ben Higdon »

OldBastard wrote:Ten minutes to, apply handbrakes, uncouple, dial dispatch, wait, wait, wait, get lined around, run north, dial dispatch, wait, wait, run south, recouple, move marker, release handbrakes. Hah, child prodigy is a little off on this hard decision. But when you think you're always right, you always are.
It’d be ten minutes just being in motion alone to run around on a 25mph two mile pass, and back on a 40mph main.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Upon visit to Gearhart yard this morning observed the 2 passenger cars still there. Empty stone train was ready to depart south. Also 302 & 301 met at Park/Cowling at about 11:30. Stone train arrived there at 3:45. So lots of action on a rainy day.

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kd_1014
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by kd_1014 »

What did the stone train have for power?

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Doktor No
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Doktor No »

"I've switched cars before." Yeah right.
"It should only take a couple of minutes to perform an air test." Try that with an FRA man around and see what happens. See the part about APPLY HANDBRAKES and TEST HANDBRAKES. It takes as long as it takes. If the dispatcher doesn't answer, it takes as LONG AS IT TAKES.
When you have humped the job a year or two as conductor in charge come back and lets us know. Until then.....
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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Stone train had NS 1063 & 7333.

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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

I don’t think he said anything wrong. It should only take a couple of minutes to do an air test on 2 cars. *shrug*
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1TrackMind
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by 1TrackMind »

Look the railroad made a choice that worked best for them. The opinions of rail fans doesn't matter.

kenN
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by kenN »

Got just a quick glimpse from US 131 of the two passenger cars (one of them a dome) at Hughart Yard in GR at noon today. Unfortunately, no time to backtrack and no camera..... KJN

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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

The dome car is supposed to leave Grand Rapids Saturday morning on P371 and the theater car is supposed to leave on Q327 at some point.
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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Stone train pulling into Elkhart now. Elk crew to be called soon, same 2 units NS 1063 & 7333.

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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

Grand Elk shoved about 40 empty centerbeams down to the very end of the Hastings branch this afternoon with WAMX 4190. As far as anyone seems to know, this is one of the only trains (only?) to have crossed Eastern and 36th streets since the Conrail/very early NS era. Also most likely the first time that rail has ever seen an SD40!
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~Z~
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by ~Z~ »

SD80MAC wrote:Grand Elk shoved about 40 empty centerbeams down to the very end of the Hastings branch this afternoon with WAMX 4190. As far as anyone seems to know, this is one of the only trains (only?) to have crossed Eastern and 36th streets since the Conrail/very early NS era. Also most likely the first time that rail has ever seen an SD40!
Well shoot, that would have been pretty excellent to go see today. I'll bike around Steelcase and take a look at the empty centerbeams another day. Last week, saw a lot of empty centerbeams stored in Kalamazoo on the portion of the line north of Mosel Ave that runs into Parchment.
As for cars that have crossed Eastern/36th, there were autoracks stored there within the past 10 years.
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MQT1223
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by MQT1223 »

~Z~ wrote:
SD80MAC wrote:Grand Elk shoved about 40 empty centerbeams down to the very end of the Hastings branch this afternoon with WAMX 4190. As far as anyone seems to know, this is one of the only trains (only?) to have crossed Eastern and 36th streets since the Conrail/very early NS era. Also most likely the first time that rail has ever seen an SD40!
Well shoot, that would have been pretty excellent to go see today. I'll bike around Steelcase and take a look at the empty centerbeams another day. Last week, saw a lot of empty centerbeams stored in Kalamazoo on the portion of the line north of Mosel Ave that runs into Parchment.
As for cars that have crossed Eastern/36th, there were autoracks stored there within the past 10 years.
There are more centerbeams set to be stored on the Hastings Lead up to the L&W switch, so they will have to cross again at some point, however the rail has been knocked out of place for the crossings to be FRA-exempt due to the condition of the electronics, which isn't great.

I think total GDLK is getting about 170 centerbeams, and a bunch will also go on the CK&S north of BO tower.
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