Rob R
Western Thunderer
All I can add is that it is an SW1200
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4371608
Edit :- Rebuilt from an SW9 apparently..........
Rob R
(3 days to go)
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7mm US model dabblings
- Thread starter Jordan
- Start date
All I can add is that it is an SW1200
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4371608
Edit :- Rebuilt from an SW9 apparently..........
Rob R
(3 days to go)
mickoo
Western Thunderer
It was one of those better life moments.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Nice thought but in Cajon people don't need leading by the hand, they need some basic guidelines and then go explore themselves, it's much more rewarding.
Some of these photo locations I've not seen before, but clearly they have been as you can see where people have been before, not many, but one or two for sure.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Better day today, but back early as MOW crews are now out, not to worry, picked off one excellent spot and another so so, would be better earlier in the day. More trains in three hours than the last three days so far and I'll go out later once it's picked up and cooled off a little.
Todays mission (I did choose to accept) was where the I15 crosses the lines, often called noisy point due to the I15 but I've seen it called breezy point, that's more historical I think; either way it lives up to both names.
It's a point midway between CP Walker and Alray and requires the use of BNSF roadways, there is another way in, which I had to take out due to BNSF workers turning up and parking on 'their' roadway. It's certainly not rental territory and I'm seriously glad I picked a FWD; there was one point where I nearly became very stuck as the track and been washed out over a drain. But the hearty old Chevy bounced through with a little scraping of the mud flaps, exciting, terrifying at one point, but glad I did it ok and won't push it that hard again. I'll park on more accessible roads and walk the half mile.
Anyway, early morning, this is what you get, perfect lighting and scenery. A rather grubby (for BNSF) 6995 climbs up through CP Walker crossovers on Main 3
Followed moments later by 7072 heading down grade under the I15 over pass.
No sooner had they cleared then 6325 came grinding up the hill.
And it wasn't long before 7770 came through Alray and dived under the I15 overpass.
There were other trains in between and after, but it'd be boring to put them all up. From my vantage point I could see all the way down to Mormon rocks and spotted two UP trains coming up, one on Main 3 and one on the cut off and then the down line on Main 2 suddenly signalled, amber, flashing amber and then green in short notice, a three way meet and all timed badly.
Main 2 turned up first so I bagged that and legged it up the bridge abutments to just grab the UP crawling up Main 3, barely pausing I ran, yes ran.....
.....across the knoll to grab the UP Manifest on the cutoff, you can just see the empty flats on the previous train still passing on Main 3
Finally the DPU turned up and blasted through the cut into the I15 over pass.
Having just made it back to the rental this popped out of the over pass, so a low angle grab shot was the only option.
Several other trains passed down grade and eventually the one to complete my views going up hill arrived, a low angle to capture the snow topped mountains in the background, shame about the dratted overhead wires, I'll edit those out on the final copy once home.
After that it was time to move on, via the non rental agreement trail, to Cosy Dell, first off I spotted a UP manifest heading down the cutoff so scooted up to the crossing, just managed to bag the head end but the location is so tight and in shadow it'll take some post processing to recover, it'd be better later in the day. Mind the DPU was sunny side up.
Popped down to the BNSF lines and bagged a few coming up, you're always going to be shooting into the sun with uphill trains, so tight crops are about as good as it gets. I could hear this train for a good six or seven minutes before it arrived as the wind was blowing up the canyon, I reckon he was at Keenbrook or even Glen Helendale when I first heard him. Anyway he was crawling up the hill and lucky for me on Main 3 as I'd also heard a down hill train signal for Cajon depot crossing.
It was the downhill shot that I wanted, it would of been better a little earlier in the day and with nothing on Main 3, so that all three dead straight tracks could be seen, but I'll take it none the less.
A sedate drive up to Summit and decamp with plenty of time, allowed me to get 6053 yet again crawling up through Silverwood and into Cajon Summit cutting.
Todays mission (I did choose to accept) was where the I15 crosses the lines, often called noisy point due to the I15 but I've seen it called breezy point, that's more historical I think; either way it lives up to both names.
It's a point midway between CP Walker and Alray and requires the use of BNSF roadways, there is another way in, which I had to take out due to BNSF workers turning up and parking on 'their' roadway. It's certainly not rental territory and I'm seriously glad I picked a FWD; there was one point where I nearly became very stuck as the track and been washed out over a drain. But the hearty old Chevy bounced through with a little scraping of the mud flaps, exciting, terrifying at one point, but glad I did it ok and won't push it that hard again. I'll park on more accessible roads and walk the half mile.
Anyway, early morning, this is what you get, perfect lighting and scenery. A rather grubby (for BNSF) 6995 climbs up through CP Walker crossovers on Main 3
Followed moments later by 7072 heading down grade under the I15 over pass.
No sooner had they cleared then 6325 came grinding up the hill.
And it wasn't long before 7770 came through Alray and dived under the I15 overpass.
There were other trains in between and after, but it'd be boring to put them all up. From my vantage point I could see all the way down to Mormon rocks and spotted two UP trains coming up, one on Main 3 and one on the cut off and then the down line on Main 2 suddenly signalled, amber, flashing amber and then green in short notice, a three way meet and all timed badly.
Main 2 turned up first so I bagged that and legged it up the bridge abutments to just grab the UP crawling up Main 3, barely pausing I ran, yes ran.....
.....across the knoll to grab the UP Manifest on the cutoff, you can just see the empty flats on the previous train still passing on Main 3
Finally the DPU turned up and blasted through the cut into the I15 over pass.
Having just made it back to the rental this popped out of the over pass, so a low angle grab shot was the only option.
Several other trains passed down grade and eventually the one to complete my views going up hill arrived, a low angle to capture the snow topped mountains in the background, shame about the dratted overhead wires, I'll edit those out on the final copy once home.
After that it was time to move on, via the non rental agreement trail, to Cosy Dell, first off I spotted a UP manifest heading down the cutoff so scooted up to the crossing, just managed to bag the head end but the location is so tight and in shadow it'll take some post processing to recover, it'd be better later in the day. Mind the DPU was sunny side up.
Popped down to the BNSF lines and bagged a few coming up, you're always going to be shooting into the sun with uphill trains, so tight crops are about as good as it gets. I could hear this train for a good six or seven minutes before it arrived as the wind was blowing up the canyon, I reckon he was at Keenbrook or even Glen Helendale when I first heard him. Anyway he was crawling up the hill and lucky for me on Main 3 as I'd also heard a down hill train signal for Cajon depot crossing.
It was the downhill shot that I wanted, it would of been better a little earlier in the day and with nothing on Main 3, so that all three dead straight tracks could be seen, but I'll take it none the less.
A sedate drive up to Summit and decamp with plenty of time, allowed me to get 6053 yet again crawling up through Silverwood and into Cajon Summit cutting.
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mickoo
Western Thunderer
JB, yes they are, but in that instance I actually chose the wide angled and location to add them in as a bit of a feature. If you have to have pylons then make them part of the whole image.
I did also do a telephoto shot before they got to the bridge, which would of worked if there were three or four engines on the head, but eleven was too much and I couldn't get them all in between the rocky outcrop and bridge.
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
Not sure a proto photo could look more like a model photo board than this shot. Especially the way the overpass blocks the horizon. And the curving track isn't the most common presentation angle. Something to store away for future reference.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
I do try to experiment with views and angles, something you can do when there are plenty of trains, this morning was good for that, having got the ones I'd wanted I could then take a more cavalier approach.
Concerning pylons, either make them part of the shot or avoid them like the plague.
The first shot is best from a composition point of view I think, but is blurred, at 1/2000 second I think I was either zooming or panning as the pylon is blurred, it's also a witch to get the contrast and colour balance right post editing...one for the bin.
Second one, this time unlike the first in the previous round of photos was planned.
Much crisper and clearer, better colour but I should of waited a fraction of a second longer to better place the engine front, from exiting the overpass to being too late to get a head on shot is about 2 seconds, being such a low angle precludes any advanced warning other than perhaps the cab roof once it first appears.
Same train but wider, trying to achieve two shots with the one train is always a compromise, very hard to set up to achieve two different types of image in about 2 seconds.
Again, better clarity and colour and the pylon is focused but the composition is wrong, the camera angle should be higher so less foreground is present, also a little closer zoom so that there isn't such a large gap on the left to the pylon. I should of triggered the shutter a fraction sooner earlier so that the cab did not obscure the pylon base, another one for the bin.
It doesn't look like I'm going to get much more sun during my stay, the forecast for the pass is pretty grim, which is a shame as there were a few more locations I'd liked to have picked off in the sun. Frankly I'm not even going to bother to waste electrons on claggy and overcast shots.
I may get lucky and get the odd break in the weather, especially up at higher altitudes, if not I'll be heading in land to less spectacular scenery and trying to pick something off there, I still need to get to Cadiz and Bagdad early one morning for the pure desert shots.
Having said that, this morning it was all clagged in and I kid you not, in less than 10 minutes there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the weather here changes really fast.
Concerning pylons, either make them part of the shot or avoid them like the plague.
The first shot is best from a composition point of view I think, but is blurred, at 1/2000 second I think I was either zooming or panning as the pylon is blurred, it's also a witch to get the contrast and colour balance right post editing...one for the bin.
Second one, this time unlike the first in the previous round of photos was planned.
Much crisper and clearer, better colour but I should of waited a fraction of a second longer to better place the engine front, from exiting the overpass to being too late to get a head on shot is about 2 seconds, being such a low angle precludes any advanced warning other than perhaps the cab roof once it first appears.
Same train but wider, trying to achieve two shots with the one train is always a compromise, very hard to set up to achieve two different types of image in about 2 seconds.
Again, better clarity and colour and the pylon is focused but the composition is wrong, the camera angle should be higher so less foreground is present, also a little closer zoom so that there isn't such a large gap on the left to the pylon. I should of triggered the shutter a fraction sooner earlier so that the cab did not obscure the pylon base, another one for the bin.
It doesn't look like I'm going to get much more sun during my stay, the forecast for the pass is pretty grim, which is a shame as there were a few more locations I'd liked to have picked off in the sun. Frankly I'm not even going to bother to waste electrons on claggy and overcast shots.
I may get lucky and get the odd break in the weather, especially up at higher altitudes, if not I'll be heading in land to less spectacular scenery and trying to pick something off there, I still need to get to Cadiz and Bagdad early one morning for the pure desert shots.
Having said that, this morning it was all clagged in and I kid you not, in less than 10 minutes there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the weather here changes really fast.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Quick trip out for some night shots.
Started off at West Colton, very little happening but this manifest rolled through very slowly so I chanced a hand help high ISO shot, almost worked.
Overall view of West Colton yards.
Popped over to West Colton and spotted these little beasts loading, mini straddle carriers. From a professional viewpoint very interesting to observe and note technical details. Interesting to see that the cab can go up and down, the other one had it at low level, the driver obviously preferring that vantage point. I doubt they use a PLC, but it'd be interesting to know what it was if they did.
The photo was taken from the elevated walkway across the tracks and amazingly through a ½" steel mesh, there are at least six steel wires across the image but they are all but invisible.
A BNSF stacker rolled through followed by a UP one going the other way, lighting is lower than West Colton so no chance of a photo but the location has merit during the day time and there looks to be zero restrictions on access.
Behind the UP stacker a BNSF local job rolled by and stopped outside the depot, a quick whizz around the roads found him but thwarted by a 7 foot high fence, so hand held at arms length and spray and prayed, this was the best of the bunch. Technically poor but subject matter wise, worth it. An ATSF liveried GP60 and behind a cascade green GP (#3119, will look it up later)
Started off at West Colton, very little happening but this manifest rolled through very slowly so I chanced a hand help high ISO shot, almost worked.
Overall view of West Colton yards.
Popped over to West Colton and spotted these little beasts loading, mini straddle carriers. From a professional viewpoint very interesting to observe and note technical details. Interesting to see that the cab can go up and down, the other one had it at low level, the driver obviously preferring that vantage point. I doubt they use a PLC, but it'd be interesting to know what it was if they did.
The photo was taken from the elevated walkway across the tracks and amazingly through a ½" steel mesh, there are at least six steel wires across the image but they are all but invisible.
A BNSF stacker rolled through followed by a UP one going the other way, lighting is lower than West Colton so no chance of a photo but the location has merit during the day time and there looks to be zero restrictions on access.
Behind the UP stacker a BNSF local job rolled by and stopped outside the depot, a quick whizz around the roads found him but thwarted by a 7 foot high fence, so hand held at arms length and spray and prayed, this was the best of the bunch. Technically poor but subject matter wise, worth it. An ATSF liveried GP60 and behind a cascade green GP (#3119, will look it up later)
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Brian, cheers.
Well as my Grandad used to say, you can't make a roast dinner out of
scraped off the pavement, and so that's basically how it's going to be until I fly out. Tripped out to Victorville and still in clag so head bay into San Bernardino, no point wasting gas for crap photos. Basically most of CA is socked in with a wet low until late Saturday, even out in the middle of the desert at Ludlow. It does mean I might get to see the Cajon creek in flood which will be impressive.
Anyway a Manifest rolled by the Motel around nine with some mixed units in, too late to chase and appalling weather, so imagine my surprise when it rolled into San Bernardino and came to a stand nearly 2½ hours later.
Shame he stopped short so I couldn't get some detail shots, behind a Metrolink thingy rolled in and departed, ugly is as ugly does.
Once he'd cleared the crossing to the west the Manifest headed out, there were two GP60 in the consist.
And three GP60M units.
Moved onto West Colton, reasonably busy, more SD40-2 photos and some roof top detail photos, probably a replica of what I already have from last year.
A five unit consist led by a SD70ACe rolled out the storage lines and set back onto it's train, stopping short so as to not allow any detail shots of the other engines, it was clearly going to be one of those days, so once he'd set back I headed back to the motel for an early evening.
Well as my Grandad used to say, you can't make a roast dinner out of
scraped off the pavement, and so that's basically how it's going to be until I fly out. Tripped out to Victorville and still in clag so head bay into San Bernardino, no point wasting gas for crap photos. Basically most of CA is socked in with a wet low until late Saturday, even out in the middle of the desert at Ludlow. It does mean I might get to see the Cajon creek in flood which will be impressive.Anyway a Manifest rolled by the Motel around nine with some mixed units in, too late to chase and appalling weather, so imagine my surprise when it rolled into San Bernardino and came to a stand nearly 2½ hours later.
Shame he stopped short so I couldn't get some detail shots, behind a Metrolink thingy rolled in and departed, ugly is as ugly does.
Once he'd cleared the crossing to the west the Manifest headed out, there were two GP60 in the consist.
And three GP60M units.
Moved onto West Colton, reasonably busy, more SD40-2 photos and some roof top detail photos, probably a replica of what I already have from last year.
A five unit consist led by a SD70ACe rolled out the storage lines and set back onto it's train, stopping short so as to not allow any detail shots of the other engines, it was clearly going to be one of those days, so once he'd set back I headed back to the motel for an early evening.
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
Any idea what the extra rail is in the attached West Colton photos? I suppose it could be guard rails for the bridge you're presumably standing on? But that's not what they normally look like, as far as I recall. And I think they are usually on the bridge, rather than under it.
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Big Train James
Western Thunderer
Huh. I think of them as always being in pairs. Maybe it represents the latest in protecting shareholder value....
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Hi,
Seeing check rails to minimise damage from a derailment, it may be of interest to read about some of the control procedures and systems involved in running long heavy trains with distributed power and the mess due to a failure.
The preliminary report of a runaway loaded ore train, on 5th November 2018, that was deliberately derailed.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5775748/ro-2018-018_preliminary.pdf
Regards,
Peter
Seeing check rails to minimise damage from a derailment, it may be of interest to read about some of the control procedures and systems involved in running long heavy trains with distributed power and the mess due to a failure.
The preliminary report of a runaway loaded ore train, on 5th November 2018, that was deliberately derailed.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5775748/ro-2018-018_preliminary.pdf
Regards,
Peter
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Interesting, I'll read that in detail later.
One thing I have noted and commented on in previous messages, is that some trains come down the hill very slowly with brakes set, specifically the tanker and coal unit trains.
More interesting is that none of the engines are in dynamic mode or if they are are at the lowest setting because they appear to be idling when they pass and there is no obvious dynamic brake fan whine or increased fan noise associated with the dynamic grids.
Perhaps a safety feature in case of DPU failures. Some trains do not stop at summit, some do, those that do tend to then progress down the hill at very slow speed, usually the extra long stackers or manifests with DPUs (typically UP, I'd have to look through all my photos to be sure, but can't recall seeing a DPU BNSF manifest).
One thing I have noted and commented on in previous messages, is that some trains come down the hill very slowly with brakes set, specifically the tanker and coal unit trains.
More interesting is that none of the engines are in dynamic mode or if they are are at the lowest setting because they appear to be idling when they pass and there is no obvious dynamic brake fan whine or increased fan noise associated with the dynamic grids.
Perhaps a safety feature in case of DPU failures. Some trains do not stop at summit, some do, those that do tend to then progress down the hill at very slow speed, usually the extra long stackers or manifests with DPUs (typically UP, I'd have to look through all my photos to be sure, but can't recall seeing a DPU BNSF manifest).