I recently upgraded my home internet access from dialup to high speed wireless/broadband.
This allows for faster internet surfing as well as faster downloading.
I decided to test out some video uploads to YouTube with an older digital camera that I own.
I took a trip out to Cresson, Pa and spent a weekend shooting action along the former PRR Mainline between Cresson and South Fork, PA.
Based on that test, I subsequently ordered a new camera which will have HD video capability which I plan to test out on my next West Slope trip in the near future.
NS has begun rebuilding its existing SD50 fleet and reclassifying the rebuilds to SD40E status, rebuilding from the frame up, and rerating them to 3,000 HP.
Several of these units have been placed into Altoona helper pool duty to supplement the exisiting SD40-2 helper pool.
A recent video taken with my older camera of a heavy NS 500 coaldrag at Cassandra, PA…A double set of helpers shoves on the rear, with a 3300 series set of SD40-2’s and two rear units SD40E’s numbered in the 6300 series.
David - Thanks for sharing ! really liked the sounds from both sets of units - the rhythmic “drumbeat” / chant of the lead GE’s & the growl / whine of the SD-40 pushers. Music to my ears !
For others who may want to “Stop, Look, & Listen”:
The 2 GE Dash 9 - (whats ?) are audible from the start to about 2:00 - I’d guess about 1/2 mile down the track.
The 4 various SD-40s show up at about 4:40, and are audible until about 6:20 or so.
Thanks also for the comments on the cameras and the SD50 → SD40E rebuilding program - I hadn’t heard about that before.
Oh yeah - tell “wabash1” from over on your piost of a similar link to your “Video of a heavy NS 10N at Lilly, PA on the former PRR” at - http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/145526.aspx - to come over here and watch this video, if he wants to see steep grades, big trains, & lots of helpers !
Enjoyed your video Dave. Cassandra…If I remember correctly, that is up grade headed east. It sure did give a good show of the units doing hard work up grade. Trying to remember just what the grade is in that area…believe it’s about 1.5% up that side.
A nice use of the camera…nice and steady so we could really watch and listen…panning only when you wanted to show us the close up of the engines. Now I must go look at the other one near Lilly.
Edit: Just checked the Lilly video too…That one done well too. Enjoyed just being able to watch with a steady camera position.
Thanks, Modelcar…I used a tripod…The movies were shot with my digital camera which has video capability .
The new camera that I have on order is supposed to have High definition video capability, along with zoom capability while videoing so I am hoping for improved video quality… My current camera requires me to set the zoom prior to hitting the record button, and then I cannot change the zoom rate again until I stop recording…My still pictures will hopefully be even better than before as the new camera is 10.1 MP while my older camera is 6.1 MP…Cassandra is located downgrade West of Lilly by a mile or two…It is between 1 and 1.5% grade at Cassandra, so heavy Eastbounds do get a workout heading upgrade through there…Dave W.
The leader is an NS C40-9W and the second unit is an NS SD70M-2…Most of the sound from the head end is the turbo howl from the SD70M-2.
The pair of rear helpers against the train are former Conrail SD40-2’s…Analyzing even further, the NS 3433 is from a group of 40 former ‘straight’ SD40’s that Conrail rebuilt to SD40-2 status back in the early to mid 1990’s…those 40 units were later divided up between NS and CSX during the Conrail split…The NS 3329-3424 are ‘as built’ ex-Conrail SD40-2’s and the NS 3425-3447 SD40-2’s are former Conrail SD40 rebuilds and the rear two units behind those are a pair of former SD50’s, rebuilt to SD40E status…Confused??? What is interesting is that the NS-former Conrail SD40-2’s are now numbered in the 3300-3400 series. Back in Conrail days, those same e
After watching the video once more, I forgot to mention that there are four different EMD variations on the rear end helper consist.
The 3433 is a former SD40, mated to 3373, an SD40-2. The SD40’s had shorter frames than the SD40-2’s…If you freeze the video at 5:01, you will see the difference in rear ‘porch length’ between the 3433 and the 3373, giving away the SD40 heritage of the 3433.
In addition, before the SD50 model was formally introduced, EMD built several units called 'SD50S’s which were sold to NS.
These were built to SD50 mechanical specs but on SD40-2 frames.
The production SD50 was built on a longer frame.
The 6300 is a former SD50S on the shorter frame while the 6303 is on the longer SD50 frame.
So the original heritage of the rear helper consist on this train is SD40, SD40-2, SD50S and SD50.
Hey paul why Should I look at movies of trains. I do this real time every day… the only reason i looked at theese is that i wanted to see the territory and the sceanery. otherwise all i did was make a commit, and as ussual you guys cant handle it. As much as you want to think your area is the greatest wonder in railroading there is other places on the NS that are steeper and i was refering to handling trains that are 12,000 tons with 5 big units. look at the old films of saluda and these trains going down hill have 5 units to hold them back. along with air.but pulling is differant. how about out west- cajone pass . all i am saying is that every post says the sd40 s as pushers these little units are ok but if other areas are using bigger units it must be steeper… Oh and 1 guy said we must have better engineers. roflmao. the rules are the same the way to do it is the same the amount of power needed is dependant on tonnage and grade.
I’m sure there are RR’s all over the eastern sector of railroading steeper than the accending and decending of the Alleghenies in the Johnstown, Gallitzin, Altoona area…I believe this section of engineering the route up and over {and thru}, the Alleghenies was well engineered and speaks well of the route. But coal trains the length and weight of the one in Dave’s video still must be a difficult drag to conquer the {long}, grade…Especially from Altoona to Summit.
Think about that statement, loaded coal trains and the skill it takes to handle it thru the grade. The real answer is that the coal train or a grain train is easy to take over the top. the skill comes from a mixed manifast train. you take a train loaded with all the same type of cars same wieght is not a problem but take differant cars loads empties etc… it is so easy to kick a car out while shoving a empty inbetween loads can be kicked out so fast you cant react to stop it this is why you must know the train and the terrain. Im not saying these grades are not steep or that they are not good at the job they are doing and am not putting down the area. All im saying is that it does not seem to be as steep as most people try to say it is because of the type of engines they are using. Ive ran pusher service its a great job but its a job you dont get in a hurry to do.
Now for the guys who have seen the pushers in person and have watched everything they do, here is a question for you guys. What end of the cansist do the crew sit in? the end closest to the train or the other end away from the train, and is there a reason for where they are sitting
I am certainly not passing judgement on any engineers running trains anywhere…I’m simply commenting on the stretch of track {original Pennsy route}, that amounts to getting local and or thru traffic up and over the Alleghenies. I know it gets a good bit of comment from fans, etc…and in printed matters…and what I point to is the good engineering of the route to make that happen without having had to resort to nasty steep{er}, grades. Believe it is roughly 1.8 for the western climb and 1 to 1.5 for the eastern {direction}, climb.
Nothing regarding the posting of these videos was meant as a comparision to…or a put down of other railroads.
It was simply a posting of a video of a heavy train running upgrade through a well known stretch of railroad.
My family originated in that area.
My Great Grandfather was a steam engineer for the PRR and worked for them for 39 years in that very same stretch of railroad…
The area hosts two railfan oriented Bed and Breakfasts, along with a railfan motel (at Cassandra)
One of the Bed and Breakfasts at Cresson easily hosts over a thousand railfan guests each year.,
The area offers alot of history, along with interesting places to railfan.
Nobodyon this thread, including myself is trying to put down any other railroad, nor is anyone saying that the area around Cresson has one of the steepest railroad grades around
That being said, it is still quite an impressive stretch of railroad and I may be a bit biased, in that my family roots are from the area, but I still return to the area again and again to watch the parade of trains climb up and over the Alleghenies.
Rear pusher crews on this line often ride in the trailing unit rather than in the unit against the train…My guess on that is that if there is a problem with the train, derailment or sudden stop, by riding in the trailing unit, the crew has more of a buffer zone between themselvss and the rear of the train itself.
This is exactly right, There is even rules that prohibit crews riding in engines with the cab next to the train. they can be in the engine next to the train but must be long hood forward. but nost times you will see 2 engines