John Deere train

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

NS runs a frequent solid unit train of Deere combines on the ex Conrail Chicago line east.

Word is these are for export via Port of Baltimore. Also these trains are restricted to 10mph.

Does anyone know the symbol for these trains? How frequently does this train run? Is the 10mph restriction the truth? or just legend? I see the train from time to time parked at Porter in the siding. No crew and the train was split for the road crossing into my place of employment.

Other than the Ringling Brothers Circus train, this is probably the coolest train running these days, IMHO.

Any other info is welcomed.

ed

2

You can see videos of this train on Youtube. Based on the video the 10mph restriction is either bunk or some engineer could get in a lot of trouble. Check out this video. The train is moving pretty good.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=F6wPw0vXPXg&feature=related

Granted YouTube is probably not the best place to get information but there are several references in other videos this train NS 62A.

3

That looks more like 40 - 45 mph!!

4

Perhaps it has a 10mph when meeting another train due to hi/wide load.

It is definately a bit faster than 10mph in the video. If it does have a 10mph limit when meeting trains, it sure wouldnt go too far on the ex Conrail line between meets.

ed

5

Which ex-CR line out of Chicago? Do you mean the old PRR/PC main through Valparaiso? The old NYC “Water-Level Route”? I imagine it’s the latter since I think CSX owns the old PRR main.

6

These are combines from Deere in Davenport and IH. They are indeed export. The tractors come from Waterloo, IA for the same destination. Because of flooding damage in Waterloo, they are moving via Mason City to Chicago. Train MMNPRX 14 had 34 loads of them.

7

High and wides come with specific paperwork, detailing all speed restrictions.

Speeds can vary depending on whether you are passing standing or moving equipment. Some locations may require you to walk the load by. So, while there may be 10mph limits in some spots - that is just for those spots.

8

On our return trip from Chicago we saw an ns train with Deere tractors too in Elkhart Indiana.Like to see those come by while at work along the former nyc water level route.

stay safe

joe

9

I watched a train (62A?) go by in Kendallville, IN on the former NYC wlr loaded with combines. They didn’t look like the ones you see in American fields, so I would guess they were export models. The train was moving at a good clip as it was by itself, maybe 45mph. I could hear it twenty miles out on the scanner and it took a lot longer to make it there than regular trains. If I heard the conversations between trains correctly, the J.D. train came with a milepost by milepost list of restrictions depending upon track centerline, curvature, superelevation, and passing train type. Some of the opposing trains had to stop or slow down, depending upon where they were, others had no restrictions. Almost everytime, the high-wide would slow or stop for a passing (opposing) train. Some of the other crews weren’t happy as the poor conductor had to guess where they would meet and figure out the restrictions ahead of time to give the other train time to slow down. He was a little late for some of them. The only problem was it was Friday after dark when it went through, so no photos.[sigh]

10

Deere combines come out of E Moline. The IC&E picks them up from Harvester works and give them to the BN there in E Moline.We run them to Galesburg in a solid train then on to Chicago.

No more IH combines out of the Quad Cities. They are all in Nebraska now. The old plant is even torn down now.

11

This is an example of a track bulletin for an excessive dimensional load. It goes to all trains that may encounter it, as well as the train with the load.

The train date, car initial and number have been omitted to protect the innocent. I am guessing this was an IH/New Holland combine move. These usually have the severest restrictions. Not all dimensionals may have as many, or any restrictions, it all depends on the load.

HIGH/WIDE LOAD(S) ON TRAIN MCBPR 00

ENROUTE COUNCIL BLUFFS TO CLINTON

CAR(S) XXXX 000000 MEASURING 12 FEET 10 INCHES AND 17 FEET 08 INCHES HIGH

MOVEMENT MAY CONTAIN OTHER CARS WITH SAME DIMENSIONS AS LISTED ABOVE

THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND/OR SLOW ORDERS MUST BE OBSERVED

MUST AVOID THE FOLLOWING

BOONE SUB MP 274.59 TO MP 274.49 MT 1

SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS UNLESS HIGHER THAN AUTHORIZED SPEED THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS WILL APPLY

BOONE SUB

MP 309.71 TO MP 309.61 MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

MP 274.59 TO MP 274.49 MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

MP 223.42 TO MP 223.32 MT 1 DO NOT EXCEED 10 MPH

MP 223.42 TO MP 223.32 MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

CLINTON SUB

MP 177.43 TO MP 177.33 MT 1 AND MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

MP 161.14 TO MP 161.04 MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

MP 161.14 TO MP 161.04 MT 1 DO NOT EXCEED 10 MPH

MP 138.15 TO MP 138.05 MT 1 DO NOT EXCEED 10 MPH

MP 137.90 TO MP 137.80 MT 1 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

MP 137.90 TO MP 137.80 MT 2 DO NOT EXCEED 10 MPH

MP 94.37 TO MP 94.27 MT 1 DO NOT EXCEED 25 MPH

As you may have guessed, these locations are bridges. At one of the locations above only a certain track may be used. One time a train had this type of restriction and had to stop because the dispatcher had forgotten and had lined them for a track they couldn’t use.

Jeff

12

While stuck in a construction zone this past April, I caught this train heading east through Pittsburgh. I didn’t have an opportunity to count cars, but I can tell you that it apparently wasn’t restricted to 10 mph in this area.

Tom

13

That You-Tube video ain’t showin no ten MPH guys! By the way, I always thought Deere equipment was painted green and the video showed a bunch of dark red equipment…what gives?

14

Jim, I think that’s been touched on here before. We often get fairly long strings of tractors. The John Deere Greenies are not dimensional loads. The red ones are Case/International Harvester, and are usually wide loads.

As for speed restrictions, as Jeff says, dimensional loads may have restrictions while going through bridges or meeting trains on adjacent tracks. Otherwise, they’re probably 40-50 mph.

EDIT: I finally looked at the video for myself. Most of the train was in fact carrying green John Deere stuff for most of the train’s length, but these are combines, not the tractor loads I always see. The red ones at the hind end looked pretty familiar, though.

15

Jim, I just went back to watch the video again. If you pause it, you can see the combines are green with yellow stripeing and yellow wheels, So I’m pretty sure they are John Deere equipment.

Tom

16

Green = Deere

Red = Case

If you farm or live in a farming community you know the colors. Very similar to Ohio State vs Michigan in football.

ed

17

I have seen something like that before. But it has been train of case tractors from racine wisconsin but. It usually is not a whole train it is sometimes only a few cars in a train like the first 7 cars in a mixed freight train that is run by Cp.

18

These trains to indeed go into Baltimore. I know from East of Enola/Harrisburg Consolidated Terminal. They travel east along the Port Road branch, then south from Perryville, MD along the Northeast Corridor to the NS Bayview Yard in Baltimore, MD. The tractors then are delivered to the Dundulk Marine Terminal or the Rukerts Marine Terminal and shipped overseas.

Train symbols I’ve seen are usually “052” or “054” or similar, at least from Enola east. Tractors that do not require high and wide (H/W) paperwork are shipped on the 34A from Enola to Baltimore and have no special requirements.

The H/W paperwork included is called a TLC-Thoroughbred Loading Clearance Report. It details every mile post of the trip and every condition of parallel tracks and will give a speed for the train. For example, speeds are listed for YOUR train, and the conditions apply to the track you are not on.

MP 23.0 to 24.0
Single Track Controlled Siding
10MPH Standing
5MPH Unrestricted
Standing

19

There are plenty John Deere combines that ship by Norfolk Southern.

Green - John Deere combines and farm tractors (which include 7000s and 9000 articulateds - not H/W)

Red - Case IH combines, cotton pickers, and tractors (not H/W).

Yellow and Blue combines - New Holland

Blue tractors - New Hollands (Not H/W)

Yellow and Black combines - Caterpillar, name displayed on windshield, no text on sides.

Other tractor companies include Massey Furgeson, Fendt, Agco, Voltra, Krone, and a few I can’t think of…

20

I have seen this train going around Horseshoe Curve, we always look for it when out that way.