I really like your videos Railfan. You obviously have excellent camera equipment and you know how to use it. The trains you shoot are always interesting but the main thing for me is all the everyday stuff around your locations. Being in town or in the city you do pick great locations for your videos. Thanks for posting your videos and great work too. Pete
With all the engines at the front, the coupler of the first car must take the strain of the weight of the entire train. With engines on the rear as well, the strain on that first coupler is reduced. Less chance of a broken coupler and it allows for more tonnage to be pulled. I think I've read that it is more fuel efficient as well. Some long, very heavy trains (like coal) can even have engines in front, in the middle and on the rear.
In this area, the term conductor is used mostly on road trains. On locals, the term "foreman" is used for the same job. If there is a third crewmember, he'll go by the term "helper".
@railfanstreator94 On the road trains the term Conductor would be used. On the locals they use Foreman and Helper. I have a scanner and those are the terms they use to refer to themselves - "Foreman going in between" or "Helper riding point", etc. Don't know if it this way on all the BNSF or if it's a local Seattle custom.
Well here in Illinois in the town I live in I go down and watch some BNSF Local crew guys I know work an industry yard and they use Conductor and Brakeman here for instance when the conductor wants to go inbetween he will say "101 conductor would like to go inbetween" and engineer will reply "Local 101 set and centered for the conductor. so it must just be up there.
@railfanstreator94 Yup, likely it's different in various parts of the country. Not surprising, as the railroad industry is full of customs, terms and practices that go back many decades.
When that guy walked over the train I wish so badly that the train would have started moving and not trying to sound like a know it all but I am just curious even if they are switching like that and your video of that local working the interchange I think they still call the one you call a foreman a conductor and the helper would be the brakeman but maybe I am wrong I don't know, great video!!!
gary wise Probably closer to 7-8000 feet. This is based on that, as far as I know, the longest tracks at Stacy Street Yard are about 4000 feet in length. So two strings of cars would be under 8000 feet total.
+SeattleRailFan when I left Seattle in the 90's, the max footage in the Cascades was 6500 feet. Could have been increased though. The problem is the weight usually gets to the point where 6500' is sufficient unless there are many empties.
do you know if the train crew putting the train together will be the same crew that take its on the 1st leg of the trip or are those guys just yard workers
My understanding is that this is the road crew that will drive the train on the first leg of its journey. This was discussed on a railroad forum. Yard crews would spot the cars on the yard tracks. A hostler crew brings the engines from Balmer Yard (the big yard in Seattle) to the Champion tracks (small engine storage yard). The road crew would then bring the engines to Stacy St yard, assemble their train and head out on the mainline.
A Sony HDR-CX12. Does 1080 resolution, uses SD cards so it's lightweight. I use an add-on "shotgun" style microphone as the the built-in mic is too omnidirectional.
+Gary Ketola In the Seattle area on BNSF, the term Conductor is used on the long-distance trains. The conductor on a local job is call the Foreman. If a local has a third crew member, he's called the Helper. Don't know what a third crew member on a long-distance trains would be called, most just have two. I assume it's something that differs on different railroads or in different area of the country. I have a scanner so I'm sure of what terms are used locally.
8:30 what is going on here is he a pedestrian going over the cars or a stupid HOBO looking for a free ride. that's illegal you never step onto rolling stock.
Great video. This is a great video for us model railroaders to use as a reference for performing switching moves on our model railroads.
Used to work in that yard 15 years ago. My first trucking job there. Now im in Kansas city Mo. Intromodal yard
I like to watch how it's done. Very well shot considering the distances! Thanks for sharing and the info!
Takes quite a bit of work, more than most people realize, to get these big stack trains togeather. Thanks for posting!
When this train arrives in the Chicago area,the pushers will still be in Iowa!!!!!!
Thjs video was on the recommended portion of my listings for some time. Finally saw both parts tonjght. Enjoyed both!
I really like your videos Railfan. You obviously have excellent camera equipment and you know how to use it. The trains you shoot are always interesting but the main thing for me is all the everyday stuff around your locations. Being in town or in the city you do pick great locations for your videos. Thanks for posting your videos and great work too. Pete
very nice. can't believe 1003 is still in service !!!
With all the engines at the front, the coupler of the first car must take the strain of the weight of the entire train. With engines on the rear as well, the strain on that first coupler is reduced. Less chance of a broken coupler and it allows for more tonnage to be pulled. I think I've read that it is more fuel efficient as well. Some long, very heavy trains (like coal) can even have engines in front, in the middle and on the rear.
In this area, the term conductor is used mostly on road trains. On locals, the term "foreman" is used for the same job. If there is a third crewmember, he'll go by the term "helper".
The DP units also save Millions of Dollars on track wear... The push from the back takes a lot of strain off the inside of the rail on corners...
@railfanstreator94 On the road trains the term Conductor would be used. On the locals they use Foreman and Helper. I have a scanner and those are the terms they use to refer to themselves - "Foreman going in between" or "Helper riding point", etc. Don't know if it this way on all the BNSF or if it's a local Seattle custom.
cool video. nice job with that.
Very nice video
Great video....
Train Crew:
Train Driver = Engineer
Foreman=Conductor
Helpers=Train crew (brakeman)
Well here in Illinois in the town I live in I go down and watch some BNSF Local crew guys I know work an industry yard and they use Conductor and Brakeman here for instance when the conductor wants to go inbetween he will say "101 conductor would like to go inbetween" and engineer will reply "Local 101 set and centered for the conductor. so it must just be up there.
Very nice. That is one very long train. My questions is why have engines in the front and back?
@railfanstreator94 Yup, likely it's different in various parts of the country. Not surprising, as the railroad industry is full of customs, terms and practices that go back many decades.
GREAT Clip !! "Man were sure dependent on the Chinese tho" ... *what would we be without China ?
My understanding is that this is the road crew assembling the train.
When that guy walked over the train I wish so badly that the train would have started moving and not trying to sound like a know it all but I am just curious even if they are switching like that and your video of that local working the interchange I think they still call the one you call a foreman a conductor and the helper would be the brakeman but maybe I am wrong I don't know, great video!!!
awesome viedo railfan that train had to be 10.000 ft long...?
from one railfan to another keep the videos coming,,,
REDDING RF-1...OUT!
gary wise Probably closer to 7-8000 feet. This is based on that, as far as I know, the longest tracks at Stacy Street Yard are about 4000 feet in length. So two strings of cars would be under 8000 feet total.
+SeattleRailFan when I left Seattle in the 90's, the max footage in the Cascades was 6500 feet. Could have been increased though. The problem is the weight usually gets to the point where 6500' is sufficient unless there are many empties.
like vid. was this a road crew our a yard crew?
do you know if the train crew putting the train together will be the same crew that take its on the 1st leg of the trip or are those guys just yard workers
My understanding is that this is the road crew that will drive the train on the first leg of its journey.
This was discussed on a railroad forum. Yard crews would spot the cars on the yard tracks. A hostler crew brings the engines from Balmer Yard (the big yard in Seattle) to the Champion tracks (small engine storage yard). The road crew would then bring the engines to Stacy St yard, assemble their train and head out on the mainline.
At first I was like "what, they need 5 engines to build a train?" and then I saw the train...
Btw, where are they going?
nice work! what kind of camera did you use to film this?
A Sony HDR-CX12. Does 1080 resolution, uses SD cards so it's lightweight. I use an add-on "shotgun" style microphone as the the built-in mic is too omnidirectional.
You sure Walmart ordered all that?
6:30. So that's where Jack is hiding...
works for me
never heard a conductor and a brakeman called a foreman and a helper
+Gary Ketola In the Seattle area on BNSF, the term Conductor is used on the long-distance trains. The conductor on a local job is call the Foreman. If a local has a third crew member, he's called the Helper. Don't know what a third crew member on a long-distance trains would be called, most just have two.
I assume it's something that differs on different railroads or in different area of the country. I have a scanner so I'm sure of what terms are used locally.
8:30 what is going on here is he a pedestrian going over the cars or a stupid HOBO looking for a free ride. that's illegal you never step onto rolling stock.