[?] With all the work going on there is an excellent show for hotel guests on the upper floors to watch. Does anyone know what and why this is going on??
Respectfully, Cannonball
I have been watching this stuff going on for quite some time (I think it started over a year ago!) and I have yet to figure out what the final track configuration will be.
Right now that new track where the passenger platform used to be seems to be aimed right at the north end of the signal bridge and the single triple light signal post. Both of those will surely have to move before that track can go any further… and the original flanking tracks converge a wee bit further west so something else has to move to make that track worthwhile.
I also noted a few weeks ago that they ran some sort of cutting tool mounted on a back-hoe and cut or chopped up the surface of the former parking area in what appears to be a place for yet another track on the north side of the original northern most track.
Last week I spent some time searching the web for a “final” track plan of the area but could not find one. I have been thinking of posting the same question here! I hope someone has a good answer!
Canonball:
Here is a place for the information you seek: TRAINSNewswire
"Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: Other Virginia Museum of Transportation projects moving ahead"
By Steve Glischinski
Published: March 5, 2014
Article explains all that is going on , the cosmetic repairs to their GG-1 and the improvements to the current display pavilion that is being sided and a cantilevered extension added to it.
Sam, he is referring to the construction east of the museum in the shadow of Hotel Roanoke and visible on the Roanoke Railcam. It would appear they are installing high-speed turnouts to access the line to Hagerstown leading one to conclude this is part of the Crescent Corridor improvements to speed service between the Northeast and Memphis.
Mea Culpa! [:^)]
Have only watched the Roanoke web cam on spotty occasions…My response was prompted by the Newswire story and the fact that at approximately the same time frame, I had gotten a regular e-maiu note from the ‘fireup611’ group. Both sources mentioned the afore mentioned construction and what was being planned for the upgraded exhibit spaces and new track at the VMT in Roanoke…
Does not the position of the web cam at Roanoke show an area adjacent to the Hotel area,and part of the VMT there at Roanoke? [X-)].
There are two video feeds from cameras of the Roanoke area.
One is on the Northeast corner of the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) building about 15ft up. It views to the East Northeast, toward the Hotel Roanoke. It is very close to the tracks. It only updates the image once every 1 to 30 seconds and that seems quite variable and unreliable. Very good picture, poor video “presentation”.
The other is mounted on the roof of the pedestrian walkway from the Hotel Roanoke to the south side of the tracks (near the Wachovia building). It is about 30 ft up with a view to the West Southwest. The picture is good, and the video can be obtained is 3 modes, One is larger and about 10 to 15 frames per second, the others are either smaller and/or slower (1 frame per second).
The two cameras do face each other and view the same set of tracks, but are so far apart as to make the scenes quite different. You possibly could make out either camera in the view of the other, if it weren’t for a couple of obstructions between the two; a signal bridge tower and a pedestrian bridge over the tracks.
Here is a Google Earth view of the scene and I have drawn in some lines showing the edges of the views of each camera. The green lines meet at the VMT camera at the center of the left edge and the red lines meet at the Hotel Roanoke camera at the right side. This is an older image than what is available on G.E. today, but will suffice for this discussion.
The majority of the work is presently being done between the northernmost and 2nd track in front of the Hotel Roanoke camera, but there is also working being done at the other end in front of the VMT camera.
Here is Google Earth image of the area in the Hotel Roanoke Camera view where I have done some copying of track images to represent the
Is anyone else, NOT getting the cam feeds the past day or 2? I’ve been eagerly following the construction, but the cam went down. What a shame, right during the height of the activity. It has been good for at least a year now. I wonder if they had to cut a cable to the cams or something?
It’s working for me this AM.
Yes it is up and working well.That must be a high priority project as they have been working thru the weekend on it with full crews…This has been a winter full of watching and learning.To watch them lay that prebuilt track with just a few men and some big machines.Wow. Thanks to you good people from Roanoke.
Thx for the replies guys. Yes, I just checked and it seems to be back online for me now. I would like to know out of curiosity though, was the cam in fact down for others over the weekend?
I trust someone is frame-grabbing so we can see a time-lapse view of the work…
One of my regular routes takes me right past the Roanoke shops on US220/Interstate 581, they are doing lots of track reconfiguration and signal replacement on the N&W side, probably for the Crescent Corridor work, and to streamline things through town. Have also seen a rail train from time to time parked in the Virginian yard as well. Lots of work…
Yes, I was unable to access it on Sunday Night. I have seen that happen in the past, usually on a weekend and I have assumed that one of the servers involved went belly up and nobody was around to re-boot it, so it was down until Monday morning.
They are working to get train speeds up through downtown Roanoke.
[:)] Sam, thank you for the info about the work at Roanoke.
Respectfully, Cannonball
[:)] Big Jim thanks to you also for your info about Roanoke work being done there.
Respectfully, Cannonball
It would appear that everyone’s questions will be answered today, Sun Apr 6. A lot of work happening today.
A really large crew working today.Old signals and stand removed and new formed rail ready to be put in place.No wasted effort here.Some good planning eveident. Only rail in service appears to be on far side. Seen one train thru so far.
I look at the Hotel web cam each day, usually more than once and have been doing so for a few years… A great web cam
Someone mentioned Crescent rail, not sure quite what that is but I do know that it is intended to operated Amtrak services to Roanoke within the next few years. I look forward to seeing passenger stock there - apart from the occasional specials that run to and from there.
I expect a new passenger station will be built as the original building is now the famous O. Winston Link gallery. I have the feeling that a lot more work on other parts of the NS system need to be upgraded for the passenger service to commence hence the start date of (I believe) 2017?
It is certainly a hive of activity to day again - 6th. April. Signal gantry gone and total line occupation on all tracks. 3pm EST