At about 4:00 CST today I was driving north on IL 31 in Geneva IL and saw a short westbound UP train that was bright yellow with locomotives on each end that had cabs that almost looked like what you would see on a ship. The cars were enclosed. I have searched the net and have not had any luck finding a photo. Sorry I can’t be more specific. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks.
Could be the weed spraying train that the UP built or a rail grinding train from Loram
Did it look like this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R3iiVdgEdI
If so, it’s their new weed sprayer train.
Jeff
That’s a cool train. I hope the graffiti goons don’t find it.
Yep, that trainset went through Rochelle headed west about 9:25 AM this morning. You can access a webcam and rewind to watch…
Unlike certain railcars (auto racks, reefers, etc) that sit for long periods of time, I suspect this set will be in motion most of the time, or parked at supervised locations.
Probably will turn white over time from the weed chemical and crop oil that sticks to everything.
That looks the one! Thanks.
Saw several flatcars with Army Abrams tanks on a WB today at 2:25pm.
I think I met this train out in western Iowa about noon today.
Jeff
Interesting coincidence they are reconditioned and built at the Army Lima Tank plant in Lima, Ohio. I think the former Lima Locomotive Works was around there somewhere.
In relative terms there is always military equipment moving on trains throughout the country all the time. New equipment moving to units. Used equipment moving to refurbishment locations. Armed forces units moving to participate in ‘war games’ or other training exercises. Remember, loading and unloading a battalion’s equipment is also a part of the training exercise.
During Desert Storm, Ft. Stewart, GA outside Savannah was part of my territory. CSX crews would place 90 DODX and TTX cars on base trackage one day and pull 90 loads of equipment the next to be forwarded to the port of departure for shipment in support of Desert Storm
We lived in my hometown (just outside the western boundary of Ft. Stewart) during Desert Storm. You and the other good folks at CSX must have had your hands full hauling all the equipment from Ft. Stewart to Savannah, because there was a BUNCH of it. We happened to be down by the river in Savannah the day the USNS Bellatrix sailed downriver taking it overseas.
One never comprehends the size of ocean going vessels, until you get to view them ‘up close and personal’ in a normal ‘human’ surrounding. Vessels in the Savannah River while one is walking along the river front in Historic Savannah is one such human surrounding. Vessels make us feel like the Lilliputian’s viewing Gulliver.
I think you are correct. Only two tanks plus one APC. All looked like in fresh paint.
Maybe not the same train. The Train I met had three tanks.
The last few weeks there have been a couple military specials, but I believe they were trains of mostly support vehicles.
Jeff
We used to have warehouses full of equipment in Europe so all they had to do was fly troops over there and they would draw the equipment from the warehouses. The Military transport ships are a lot faster now (some over 50 mph on the open Ocean) with speed and I wonder if this is why they have moved away from the warehousing concept in Europe. They still use warehouses in the Middle East in part.
I also wonder how the transport ship speed now compares with the warships that used to escort them in convoy. I’ll bet since they are newer they are faster than most of the warships.
Until recent events, I don’t think anyone thought that we might ever be involved in a land war in Europe again. The prepositioned materials were there because of the possiblilty of minimal warning of a Soviet/Warsaw Pact move against West Germany.
Even the fastest sea transport is a matter of days, the movement by air of troops to use the prepositioned equipment a matter of hours.
Jeff