Eastern Railroad Discussion > Early Spring Day in Durand 2024

Date: 04/26/24 08:15
Early Spring Day in Durand 2024
Author: jkh2cpu

So I've been sitting at home watching ATCS to see what the current activity in Durand looked like. It seems like there is usually a westbound coming up the Holly Sub between 10 AM and 1 PM, and there is another train headed east that heads down the Holly between 11:30 AM and 2 PM, so I jumped in the Escape yesterday and buzzed down to Durand (76 miles on a clear day.) Well, the track guys have been out this spring, rail testing and working on the roadbed, so things were a little off yesterday, time-wise.

. At 2:21 PM, the westbound finally sails up the Holly and takes the Chicago Wye to the west. He's looking good as he pulls his train onto the Flint Sub. I'm stationed 150 yards from Oak Street and I snap this one.

2. A few minutes later he walks his train past me, and I head back to Oak Street to wait for the train to pass so I can get into my car and drive to a spot just across the tracks from the Depot. Oh No! He grinds to a stop, and gets on the radio to the DS, telling Homewood Illinois that he's in emergency, and there is no air at the end of the train. Eventually the conductor begins to walk the train. After maybe 45 minutes I walk along the right-of-way back toward the Depot so that I can see how much train is down the Holly, Well, he had what looked like a mile of cars to the end of the train, so walking around the train is not the thing to do. I head back toward Oak Street and sit on a stack ot new ties and wait. Finally the conductor finds a separated air hose, reconnects, and the pressure goes up on the end. The DS gives him permission to to get moving once the conductor gets to the head-end.

Finally the train starts to move and travels several car lengths when BAM! he looses the air again. The conductor begins to walk the train again and I decide to head back to the Depot to walk around the train. I get up to the Depot and see my buddy Ralph. We chat about the stalled train a bit, and then I ask Ralph for a ride around to the other side of the tracks to my car. That's a six mile drive. Finally when we get close to my car the train is moving again, the air holds this time and he gets moving west about 2 hours after he stopped.

3. I Hop in the Escape and get to my desired spot just across the tracks from the Depot and snap an eastbound who has been waiting maybe an hour and a half to head down the Holly toward Pontiac. I snap him (no photo of him as the lighting was too poor) and wait for the GLC who has also been waiting for over two hours to head up the Holly to the Durand Yard. GLC arrives in great light and I snap the view.

John.