Western Railroad Discussion > Observations along a remote part of The Overland (Nevada Sub)

Stomping grounds are from Sparks, NV to Winnemucca, NV

The Nevada Sub part of The Overland

Grounds expand to Donner Pass when things get snowy.   

Got some observations to pass along curious what you all think.  

Nothing but UPRR locomotive power on these sometimes huge trains.  No foreign power like ever.  

Yes some locos look tired on the outside but they sure can pull their share! Tired is being nice but hey if the thing can pull...

Amtrak gets the highest priority out here it seems.  Have watched a few very cool saw-bys recently out between MP 348 and 367.  

Some of these PSR Monsters are still hitting on 3-miles long and the CPRR sidings just aren't long enough to accommodate hence the fun-to-watch saw-bys with Amtrak.  Ya'll work together quite well to keep the passenger train moving.  

Lots and lots of traffic usually eastbound but a few westbounds.  Very impressive the amount of freight banging through on a daily basis.  

It is awesome to have the old Victory Hwy 40 bridge over by Poker Brown Wash Road up and running again.  Hats off to the Nevada DOT for a job very well done.  There's a thread on that bridge us locals are McLoving it.  Secret tunnel under I-80 back in play. Very remote RR crossing.  

Pretty close to installing a new memorial for the 6 people sadly killed in the 2011 Amtrak #5 crash on Hwy 95  north of Fallon, NV.  A very large wooden plaque with good paint and reflective so crews can see it easy at night.  

Out here in Lovelock, NV winter is approaching and it will be interesting to watch for the third year the impact winter snows have on Hwy 80 and UPRR Operations up on Donner Pass. 

More to come! 

Chuck 

Chuck, how many trains a day do you think there is there?

texchief1

Good question!

There must be a dozen or more eastbound and some of these are like three trains long.

A local each way and then any number of westbounds that can thread the needle when the Winnemucca Sub up north isn't carrying trains.

One Amtrak #5 and #6 (The California Zephyr) each way except when I-80 over Donner shuts down. More on that later!

Still learning a lot about how the railroad does it.

Chuck

Saw bys to let AMTRAK by?  Is that crazy??!  It woiuld be easier and faster to put AMTRAK in the siding and let the monsters roll by.  But the 3-mile long trains are the problem--less and less and less fluidity, and overall slower service.  I really wish SOMEONE in UP would fight this nonsense and bring sanity back to operations.

coach Wrote:
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> Saw bys to let AMTRAK by?  Is that crazy??!  It
> woiuld be easier and faster to put AMTRAK in the
> siding and let the monsters roll by.  But the
> 3-mile long trains are the problem--less and less
> and less fluidity, and overall slower service.  I
> really wish SOMEONE in UP would fight this
> nonsense and bring sanity back to operations.

The saw-bys definitely take some time.

Even the longest trains can approach track speeds of 70 mph but it seems the freights are always moved out of the way for Amtrak out these parts.  

Chuck 

Got a question about the Amtrak #5 Memorial. 

The accident was on UPRR track and you all are knowledgeable so this might be a good place to ask it.  

It wasn't easy finding the exact name, age and home for the six deceased in the accident.  Took some deeper searching but have come up with all the info for the Plaque.  

Is it inappropriate to post the information here so it can be verified to be correct? This Memorial is going to be set up to survive the worst the Great Basin has to throw at it and there doesn't need to be any typos.  

Took a very rare picture of the current Memorial last night and quite frankly it fit right into the Halloween Spirit all-around.  

Definitely needs some TLC and it's coming soon.  

Chuck

Haven't seen any foreign locomotive power out here on a UPRR train in quite some time.  

There is one dedicated BNSF train each way most days using trackage rights.  Usually two BNSF locos up front and that's it.  Not really big trains.   

It's all UPRR power am curious if other UPRR routes out West are the same?

Chuck
 

A couple things....

Despite what the rail "experts" say, you are NOT going to get speed out of these monsters (intermodal excluded).

With all the locos in storage across the US from all the large Carriers, I wouldn't expect to see a lot of "foreign power". There is less on NS than there used to be as well.

And yes, Amtrak is "supposed" to get the priority, Just make the sidings longer lol (a little sarcasm).

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/24 08:20 by ns1000.

The Truckee Cam showed some Sierra Nevada snow falling last night. 

Just enough for chain controls on I-80.  

Chain controls won't shut the UPRR over Donner Pass down but a closure of 80 certainly will.  

Perhaps this winter will be different but the past two winters the UPRR shut down Donner several times up to a week during winter storms.   

The Overland is a busy route out in the remote Great Basin. When the Pass closes due to I-80 not being available it is a ghost town out here.  Not a single train will go by for several days sometimes.  

It didn't use to be this way.  The SP and then the UP were known for their Donner snow-fighting capabilities but that was when workers lived right on the railroad.  Nowadays the railroaders live all over the place and without I-80 for transport the railroad shuts down completely.  

Last nights snow over the Hill was but a dusting and the PSR Monsters are rolling through right  now like nobody's business.  

Chuck 

 

Dangit was all impressed with how the UPRR was banging out the traffic over the past several weeks...

Unfortunately an eastbound PSR Monster 3 x 2 x 0 has decided to block a much-needed-locally crossing at Coal Canyon Rd near MP 349. 

It's the Colado siding and this train is snug up against the east end with its FRED just a few boxcars from the west end. 

This crossing is how some prison folks, farmers and miners access the back 40.

Anyways there's a ray of sunshine for those traveling east on the old Victory Hwy (40).

The Nevada DOT just completed a most-awesome bridge just east of Colado siding and you can fly right over the railroad at track speed before entering the secret tunnel under I-80. 

After the secret tunnel you again catch the Victory and sail east on a good hwy not used liked it used to be.  This is where one blows the carbon out.  

A much-shorter eastbound 4 x 2 just flew by at track speed passing the sitting Monster.  Apparently having stacks makes it important enough to sideline a really long train for a bit. 

Will catch the lumbering Monster at the remote Poker Brown Camp Rd crossing a couple miles east of Colado.  Thanks again to the Nevada DOT for a cool new bridge and fresh-paved road so that crossing is once again accessible.  

Thanks for listening am still learning how all this works.  

Chuck

At that remote crossing at Poker Brown Camp Rd there is a crossbuck RR sign that has been damaged pretty bad.  

Decided to call it in to the UPRR hotline the crossing has very limited visibility.

The sign has been damaged for over a month thought maybe it would be caught during a track inspection? Do track inspectors catch this kind of thing? 

After a month figured it was best to call it in.  

Chuck 

 

Can someone explain a "saw bye" please.

drwwork Wrote:
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> Can someone explain a "saw bye" please.

Good question!

Some of these UP PSR Monster trains are almost 3 miles long... too long for the sidings out here.  

Let's say two trains are eastbound.  

In order for a faster (or higher priority) train to pass the PSR Monster the PSR stops on a siding leaving the west turnout of the siding clear for the faster train.  The east end of the siding is blocked by the PSR.  

The faster train (usually Amtrak) comes by the west end of the siding on the main and stops at the east end where the main is blocked by the PSR.  

While Amtrak waits the PSR backs up westbound on the siding until the east end of the siding is clear for Amtrak to proceed east on the main.  

The conductor of the PSR has been on the rear of the PSR train during this maneuvering so Amtrak picks him up and drops him off at the head-end locomotives before Amtrak heads east on the main.  

These things take some time but the crews always seem to execute these moves with precision.  Fun to watch.  

Chuck 

Am assuming what is described above is a saw-by?

We sometimes see 2 trains one in each direction both trains too long for the siding.  

They do a very lengthy maneuver with trains being cut-in-two and all sorts of railroad real estate being used up.  

It's not called a zig-zag maneuver but it sure looks like one.  

Chuck 

It has become very quiet on The Overland these past few days.  

It was going like gangbusters and then traffic fell off a cliff it seems.  

Not sure what happened am guessing track work? Haven't seen the generally westbound Winnemucca Sub (the Feather River Route) to our north recently. Perhaps it is taking up all the Overland traffic? 

One can definitely tell the difference in this little town of Lovelock, NV when there aren't a dozen-plus PSR Monsters rolling by every day.  

Chuck 

There's an eastbound UPRR 4 x ? x ? blocking the single-track crossing at very remote Rye Patch, NV MP 367. 

Detour is about an hour folks are chilling in their cars.  

Am trapped on west side so headed east on old CPRR grade.  Nice roadbed still those Chinese were amazing.  It goes around the sand hill the railroad later cut through.  It's a neat cut.  

Watching this stuck maybe-big train from a pretty cool angle. It's 28 degrees out here am curious if the conductor is doing the long walk.  

The UP was hauling some serious tonnage until a few days ago.  Something happened somewhere have no idea.  

Going to watch this stuck train for a bit maybe offer a ride along this cool old grade.  It's chilly!

Chuck 

 

Headed west along grade now near Rye Patch Siding.  

Interesting with the head-end parked about a mile away and the crossing blocked this section of train rocks back and forth gently. Train has been parked for awhile.  

It gets cold out in the Great Basin the second the sun sets.  

Is this train going through shrinkage?

Heaging further west to explore this mini-adventure.  

Chuck 

It's a 4 x 2.  

The back 2 both quit working 2 different reasons.  

Left those 2 at the siding grabbed the rest of the train and headed eastbound.  

Sounds relatively easy but that crew did some serious work.  

Z-train

Was able to give someone a 2-mile ride we'll leave it at that.  

That was a long delay on the single-track.  

Chuck

Any guesses on where a single UP westbound loco pulling about 100 small containers might be headed? It just passed Rye Patch at MP 367. 

Containers looked different and smaller than the 20-footers.  

Seeing just one loco out these remote single-track parts seems a small roll of the dice. Never hurts to have a spare out in the Great Basin.  

There's a nice little snowstorm up on Donner.  I-80 is chain controls but open so Amtrak #6 is on time be passing by soon.  

The 2 stranded locomotives and 6 containers from the set-out a few nights ago are still out on the Rye Patch siding.  

Chuck 

If they are really small, they could be environmental cleanup containers. Like for contaminated soils or such. Might just be be empties if only one engine is pulling them.