Eastern Railroad Discussion > Ultra-long UP train

At Woodland Jct on the old C&EI I found a UP empty coal train headed north (tt eaat) with three units at the head end, three midtrain DPUs and a DPU at the rear.  It was travelling in the 45-50 mph range, and given the time it took to clear the crossing, it had to be well over three miles in length.

I'm guessing here, but it might be that it was two trains coupled together.  The first with the three head end units and the first DPU at midtrain.  The second would then consist of the the remaining two midtrain units plus the DPU at the rear.

 

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Where would this train be recrewed to go west, at Yard Center?  Offhand I can't think of where you
could stop a 15,000+' train without blocking a junction or highway crossing in the Chicago area.
Looks like an afternoon photo, so the train will likely be a victim of the hours-long Metra/UP 
scheduled service interruption if they try to run it via the B&OCT Low Line, on which it will not
fit anywhere. Thanks for the interesting photos.

Seventyfive Wrote:
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> Where would this train be recrewed to go west, at
> Yard Center?  Offhand I can't think of where you
> could stop a 15,000+' train without blocking a
> junction or highway crossing in the Chicago area.
> Looks like an afternoon photo, so the train will
> likely be a victim of the hours-long Metra/UP 
> scheduled service interruption if they try to run
> it via the B&OCT Low Line, on which it will not
> fit anywhere. Thanks for the interesting photos.

See, this is the thing. Nobody cares. Management sure as hell does not give one damn how this train impacts operations and crews have given up screaming into a vacuum.

Operating ratio!!!!
And the band played on.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

Doubled up coal,double-stack and manifest are very common in Kansas and onward to the west.  

Wes Chiles
Topeka, KS

there may be places way out in the sticks where such a train may stop ithout blocking anything...the crew know where these are....the cab company that has to pick them up when go on the law does not.

Any idea what the trains destination is

Posted from iPhone

rantoul Wrote:
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> In Chicago, UP coal empties could use ex C&EI and
> C&NW tracks which are elevated (S 88th north)
> eliminating vehicle grade crossing issues. 
> Interfering with other railroad operations?  Good
> question, not sure how the train(s) are routed.

I'd guess they take the Western Ave. corridor up to the UP Geneva Sub. If so, that is where I'd see the issue with blocking rail traffic. Trains constantly block Ash Street and Brighton Park, at that length, this one would be a likely candidate for that. Then, it may not fit into the space between the Geneva Sub connection and Global 1, so maybe it blocks some moves there. And lastly, it is quite a length to weave onto the Geneva Sub around the Metra traffic.

rantoul Wrote:
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> In Chicago, UP coal empties could use ex C&EI and
> C&NW tracks which are elevated (S 88th north)
> eliminating vehicle grade crossing issues. 
> Interfering with other railroad operations?  Good
> question, not sure how the train(s) are routed.

I assume you refer to the route that uses the BRC
between 80th St.and Forest Hill to connect between
the old C&EI and B&OCT.  About 5000' will fit between
80th St. intlerlocking and the CRL crossing at Oakdale and approx 
8000' will fit between 80th St. and  the 95th St. grade crossing.

While the CRL crossing is not that busy, occasionally they will
have a train out of Blue Island that needs to go east in order
to clear up the Metra Rock Island Dist. before the rush.

95th St. is a MAJOR city street that connects with the 
expressway a little east of the UP crossing.

As Seventyfive and TAW can also testify, the layout of Chicago
does not accommodate 8000' trains easily.    Anything longer is insane, as
it is in the wide open spaces.
 

inCHI Wrote:
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> I'd guess they take the Western Ave. corridor up
> to the UP Geneva Sub. If so, that is where I'd see
> the issue with blocking rail traffic. Trains
> constantly block Ash Street and Brighton Park, at
> that length, this one would be a likely candidate
> for that. Then, it may not fit into the space
> between the Geneva Sub connection and Global 1, so
> maybe it blocks some moves there. And lastly, it
> is quite a length to weave onto the Geneva Sub
> around the Metra traffic.

To get there it would have to plow thru busy Dolton Jct.  My rough calculation is that at 25 mph it would take about.10 minutes, tying up traffic on CSX and IHB as well as two road crossings nearby.  It would be about the same crossing 95th St.

Expect a lot of angry motorists and dispatchers.