Just turned to Rochelle web cam {8:25 their time}, and to my surprise the end of a covered hopper train and two pushers on the rear…?? Have never seen that there before…UP east. {Or was it a train backing up for some strange reason…??}.
UP still seems to be short of equipment, although it does not appear as bad as it was a few months ago.
That said, I’ve on occasion seen helpers pushing long coal trains eastbound – over the top of the hill at Creston – which is about 3-4 miles east of Rochelle’s diamonds. Not a regular occurence, though.
Another rarity – one day I was in downtown Wheaton and a long eastbound coal train stalled trying to climb the grade that appears to start just west of the Wheaton train station. The conductor called West Chicago yard, which sent out a helper.
The “pushers” you see on the coal trains are DPU (distributed power units) that are remotely controlled from the lead engine. It’s unusual to see any pushers on the UP Geneva Sub as the grades don’t warrant it. I can’t remember seeing any true pusher service (Metra doesn’t count) although I did see a couple of yard engines get tacked onto the end of a stack train for a ride to the W. Chicago Yard once. The only significant grade that I’m aware of near Wheaton is the drop down to the Fox River directly west of the Kress Interlocker in W. Chicago.
CC
The Sheboygan, Waukegan, and Pleasant Prairie trains (at least) all run regularly with DPU power…it’s not that rare of an occurance (I think all of these trains run loaded at least once every two days on the Geneva Sub)
But Quentin said covered hoppers. I’m just as curious as he is.
Speaking only from the BNSF standpoint - here lately, we have seen 6 engines on the front of an empty coal train. We have seen two DPU’s on the end of a coal train - (we always see two on point or one and one.
We saw 6 engines on a freight - granted freight is heavy, but normally 2-3 handle it very well.
We have also seen an absolute abundance of grain trains. Lots of variety that we haven’t seen before.
So…maybe they are moving power around? We check it closely and not all of it is “helping”.
ook?
UP has a yard in Rochelle just east of the diamonds and a BNSF interchange as well. I seem to remember seeing quite a few strings of covered hoppers stored on sidings in that general area as well. They might have switching moves. What kind of power?? I’ve never seen DPU’s or pushers on the UP Omaha line or the BNSF racetrack around the Chicago area.
Fellows…I might have misstated the covered hopper bit…I just had a quick glance at the train as I turned to the web cam…The “end” was already in the pic when I got it turned on…It’s possible they were coal cars but I really doubt it as they were all {all that I saw}, whitish in color. Not the usual for coal cars.
The 2 engines I saw {pushing}, were not wide cab units…Can’t really tell you what they were except that.
It sure was a surprise to see them as I’ve been taking a peak at this location for a long time now and this is the first I’ve seen “pushers”…
Another comment: I was turning to the cam every few minutes last evening and almost each time I “found” a train…headed east…Seemed to be an exceptional amount of traffic that direction. I thought, just a bit more than “normal”.
That’s about all I can add.
yes lots of end of train units used on coal thru rochell. there are several hilly areas in region heading towards chicago.the steepest is from dixon,il. to nachusha,il say 2 % grade. so years ago cnw built a cutoff around hill 10 miles long , that ran from nelson to nachusha. rip 1920-1965.
now the up is getting more congested from global 3 containers increase n coal output,to east,one way they increase capacity is to get dem heavy coal drags moving faster.and with edelstein il.[:)] coming on line in october may be another 6-12 trains added to east-west mainline.
Many of those coal trains are going to Wisconsin Electric just across the IL/WI state line. They typically use the “New Line” which goes Northeast from Proviso through Glenview, Northbrook, and Highland Park among others. They pass my place of work several times a day. Some, but not all, have DP units on the tail end.
I see DPU on that line constantly.
Once in a while I’ll see photos of UP local trains with engines on each end, but I’m not entirely sure what’s going on there either. However it sounds like what you’re describing.
Can you clarify that? What’s coming online at Edelstein? You’re talking about Edelstein on the (ex) ATSF north of Peoria, right? Thanks!
Well, one example, if the train is heavy, their will be a pusher engine. A second example, maybe the engines win’t go onto the turntable, and their might be a single engine in the front, and one in the back. Another example, I have seen this a couple of times. If a coal train, is comming from Rochelle to chicago (WEST-EAST) In West Chicago, the train will cross the junction, and then backup onto the spur line onto The J to go to Waukeegan.
Believe me, that’s definitely not the case here in Kenosha/Bain (where I’ve seen the local with engines on each end a few times). There is no turntable at Bain, only a wye. In other cases they’ve used two engines on the local, although one almost always suffices.
up has trackage rights on bnsf (atsf) line through there,but cannot get access to their monster global 3 container yard unless it gets off a newly constructed track connecting to the up,which will take container trains from west to nelson,il.(global 3 1/2) from there east onto up double main to rochelle at global 3.
up fellow told me october sometime will be opening of track. may double track some parts of nelson to peoria line,too. nelson will be real hot for trains then.
Not to be a jerk, but the lack of proper grammar makes that impossible to read.
Not to be a jerk, but the lack of proper grammar makes that impossible to read.
It is my assumption based on what you have said that the train you saw was a yard move. As far as I know there are no standard cab UP units that are equipped with DPU, only newer EMD and GE widecabs (SD90MACs, C45ACCTEs, C44s, etc.) Since you state that you saw standard cabs and not widecab units- this would not have been a DPU train.
It is not unusual to see UP locals at Rochelle pull east through the interlocking to switch Del Monte or the yard - then shove back west to give the appearance of “pushing”- I am going to guess that the train you saw was “pushing” westbound? I recall as a kid the CNW local that switched Del Monte would make moves back and forth through the interlocker while switching- much to the annoyance of the BN. If the train was “pushing” eastbound- it could have very well been a train backing out of the yard, then far enough east to clear the interlocking and the crossings in Rochelle proper. (I don’t think the dispatcher would be that courageous to do something like that though.)
As for Edelstein- the CNW Peoria Sub. passed under the ATSF mainline there in the middle of a farm field west of town. UP is constructing a connector track there so they can route their trackage rights intermodal trains off the BNSF (ATSF) and up the Peoria Sub. to Nelson- then over the main east to Global III. This saves the UP a good chunk of money in trackage rights fees to get those trains off at Edelstein rather than suburban Chicago.
I was in Rochelle in May and saw multiple pushers behind coal trains with probably 100-125 cars. I was surprised to see them although I’ve seen them on the Webcam. Someone was discussing the grade east of there that would require additional power.