For those that don’t know me from the Model Railroader General Discussion forum, I am a pilot for both the military and a corporation.
I flew for the corporation last night, and did a little railfanning from the air.
Last night’s flight took me to Roanoke, VA, and on the way out of there I departed runway 24 and made a lazy turn to the east so I could get a glimpse of the former Norfolk Western (now Norfolk Southern) yard and engine terminal. I was amazed to see that there was still a turntable there, and there were TONS of locomotives sitting there to be worked on. Anyhow, as I was looking down into what was a relatively dark yard, I saw dozens and dozens of what could only be described as blue/white strobe lights. It looked like fireflies had invaded the yard! I was wondering if anyone with some knowledge of the prototype can tell me what those lights were and what they are used for. Thanks in advance!
I’d gaurantee that those are indeed blue lights. Engine servicing facilities within yards are heavily protected due to the fact that people are working on, in, or under them. There are usually blue lights and derails protecting each track used for engine service.
that is a blue flag (blue light at night)…meaning…DO NOT ENTER THE TRACK…DO NOT MOVE THE LOCOMOTIVES…their might be mechanical personel on under or between the equipment… going past a blue flag is A BIG NO NO… WILL LAND YOU 30 DAYS OFF RIGHT NOW…it is just as serious as going by a red signal…if you dont kill anyone in the prossess…
csx engineer
Thanks guys. I have never seen that before. It appeared that the blue flashing lights were also in parts of the yard - perhaps as crews are hooking up airhoses and whatnot?
The majority of them were around the engine servicing facility. I do the same trip tomorrow, so if the weather holds I’ll do the same departure and request a slow climb so that I’m lower over the yard. If the weather doesn’t hold, I’ll be in the clouds and avoiding the surrounding mountains! Oh joy!
This is my civilian job - so no dropping bombs and shooting the gun. I primarily fly Beech Baron 58s (light twin) and TBM 700 (light single engine turboprop) for the corporate job, and of course the A-10 for the Guard. That’s the ‘weekend’ job when I go for a Sunday drive and get to blow stuff up!
oh ok…got ya…so your just a weekend warrior then…lol… and you get to play with one of the greatest military aircraft ever built… ill make you a trade…you take me up in the A-10…and all give you a cab ride on a locomotive…lol
csx engineer
Thanks for the compliment on the 'Hog, it certainly does CAS better than any aircraft in the inventory - and the gun speaks for itself!
I would love to take you for a ride. The way I look at it, the average U.S. citizen who is really interested should have the opportunity to fly in the backseat of a fighter at least once in their life as long as they pass a security check, and meet the medical and physical requirements. However, it’s NOT up to me, but I try to give back to the American taxpayer as much as I can by going to distant foreign lands and getting rid of the scum that would do harm to our citizens, as well as protecting those who can’t protect themselves.
It would be very hard to give a ride in an A-10 since there was only one two-seater ever built, and it’s not in flying condition. However, if we strapped you on to one of our 11 hardpoints, that would be something to tell your friends about!
Our squadron doesn’t even have a simulator, we do all training in the aircraft (we have a mockup that we sit in to go over emergency procedures in, but nothing works in it).
If you still wanted to fly, I could definately take you in a light civil single like a Cessna 172. Sometimes the corporation allows us to take someone along in the right seat if there isn’t a copilot requirement, but they’ve started restricting that a bit more lately.
I’d love to go for a cab ride again one day. I did once when I was quite young - Conrail had just been formed, and I rode in a GP series engine that was pulling a passenger train from Bound Brook, NJ, to Somerville, NJ, along the Raritan Valley Line. This was before NJ Transit came to be. I was probably only 4 or 5 y
Thanks for the compliment on the 'Hog, it certainly does CAS better than any aircraft in the inventory - and the gun speaks for itself!
I would love to take you for a ride. The way I look at it, the average U.S. citizen who is really interested should have the opportunity to fly in the backseat of a fighter at least once in their life as long as they pass a security check, and meet the medical and physical requirements. However, it’s NOT up to me, but I try to give back to the American taxpayer as much as I can by going to distant foreign lands and getting rid of the scum that would do harm to our citizens, as well as protecting those who can’t protect themselves.
It would be very hard to give a ride in an A-10 since there was only one two-seater ever built, and it’s not in flying condition. However, if we strapped you on to one of our 11 hardpoints, that would be something to tell your friends about!
Our squadron doesn’t even have a simulator, we do all training in the aircraft (we have a mockup that we sit in to go over emergency procedures in, but nothing works in it).
If you still wanted to fly, I could definately take you in a light civil single like a Cessna 172. Sometimes the corporation allows us to take someone along in the right seat if there isn’t a copilot requirement, but they’ve started restricting that a bit more lately.
I’d love to go for a cab ride again one day. I did once when I was quite young - Conrail had just been formed, and I rode in a GP series engine that was pulling a passenger train from Bound Brook, NJ, to Somerville, NJ, along the Raritan Valley Line. Th
Are theese blue flags/lights portable then? do they just put them out where they need them? I have seen this over in the Green River yard too, I thought they just denoted a switch was there for visiblilty puropses.
some are…some are perminet…the ones that are preminet useuly have an electric controlled deraill with the blue light …as for the moveable ones… they are a sheet of blue painted metal that they put up in the middle of the track gague…and they can hang a small blue light on them at night… normaly thier is a blue lock that is placed at the switch and the switch is lined and locked so you cant get into the track… or if they didnt lock the track out…they can place a portable derail with a blue flag protection 50 feet befor any equipment they are working on… and the only person that can put on or take off blue flag is the same craft that put it on…meaning that if someone from mechanical department puts up a blue flag for a track…mechanical personal are the only ones that can take it off… T&E are NOT alowed to remove blue flag protection…and not alowed to go beyon the blue flag…
csx engineer