A favorite pastime in the past, watching the patrol switch Rondout while the F40C's, Amtrak, the scoots and, lots of freights and, the "J" would entertain.
I wish my audio recordings of Rondout had video with them. You would See F40C's with the original horns in place, Amtrak running with Metra bi-levels (not ex CNW but 1990's corrugated former Milwaukee Road cars). You would see ex Metroliner cab cars blowing the horn in heavy snow at the crossing. You would see the WICT BL2 and Funits in action making set outs at Rondout and heading towards Janesville. Many a Milwaukee SD40-2's, GP40's and finally, the SOO SD60's The way modern railroading is nowadays i don't enjoy that style and character that was present in the "old days". I do feel kinda cramped in the old locomotives because most units don't have a desk or elbow room like the wide cab units have. As a railroader give me a wide cab so i can work efficiently but, as a rail nut my love for the old units is still strong. Modern railroading to me feels so sterile compared to what we used to do.
Too bad im not in this video with my Dad's Buick. In 1987 i learned how to railroad. In 2015 i learned how not to railroad. I remember catching Don one day when the power was out in the area due to a storm and the gates were struggling to work on back up power. Don issued a verbal slow order for trains approaching the area. R.I.P. don.
At 13:14 a Milwaukee Road boxcar with "America's Resourceful Railroad" - a sign that the Milwaukee Road in spite of its shortcomings was not afraid to advertise its freight services to the shippers.
Shots fired!! Haha. Cool video, I used to hangout at the Sturtevant depot at this time as kid a few miles to the north so this brings back some memories.
After nearly 100 years of operation, Rondout tower will be closing on Saturday, March 7, 2015. This will come just over a week after longtime tower operator Don Shields passed away on February 27, 2015.
Wow, that truly is the end of an era. I figure that CP will be controlling it remotely? Are any Rondout fans going to be there that date to witness history being made? I might have Don's voice on the radio on one of my later videos from this location.
Even as recently as 1987 the ex Milwaukee Road trackage looks like it was still in bad shape in spots and especially on its main line between Chicago and Milwaukee. And the Amtrak Hiawatha Service had a mere two cars back in those days. Amtrak now has up to seven cars total on its Hiawatha Service trains and the tracks are in way better shape largely thanks to Canadian Pacific. And CP has got some of the most skilled track maintenance crews around I have learned. Canadian Pacific was instrumental in bringing the former CNW/DME line in South Dakota up to date just before it sold the line to RCP&E in 2008. Now the RCP&E which had lots of rickety track and 10-mph slow orders especially between Pierre and Rapid City can achieve up to 30 mph between those two points.
Hey! At 7:40 those guys on their bikes disobeyed the crossing on Highway 176! Now what would have happened if that second train bore down on them from the other track? Bam! Two less idiots in this world and two more gravesites at the cemetery. Old bad habits like disobeying grade crossings never die, don't they?
You mean to tell me that the Milwaukee Road aka Soo Line was ACTUALLY doing track maintenance? You got to be kidding me. Back in the day the Milwaukee Road stopped doing track maintenance so that it could boost its profitability. Bad move, Milwaukee Road. Bad move. And what happened next? A slew of derailments especially in the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and Washington. This tarnished the Milwaukee Road's image big time and this led up to its bankruptcy.
@@MetraEverythingProductions yes it it's one of the locomotives from the first batch of f40s deliver to Metra. locomotives in the first batch for 100 through 125.
I should have replied to this months ago. I'm speaking from personally working in the railyard of CN & CP. Some of my co-workers have shared some of their experiences working in CN/CP rail yards. Some of the crews have told me how poorly the railroads are run. The media brought to light some of the issues that are a result of some of the carelessness that was festering within at least one of the companies. It took the FRA to step in and issue a mandate that spread industry wide even though many common sense safety procedures were already in place for many railroads. I've had many a train and heard many a story from co-workers about trains not being built properly ie. hazmats positioned incorrectly (prime example). Cn is supposed to have some type of software that tells them about placement errors for our particular railroad. You bring it to the yardmasters attention you get a response akin t,o" every thing is our fault and we are trying to delay the train". On case i had a Manager hand me a single train list when both conductor and engineer need a copy, this fool manager threatened me with calling my managers up because i'm not qualified, i'm delaying the train. Nevermine he is the one that printed the paperwork himself. My last trip well over a year ago on the CN was better than others so maybe things have gotten even better since then. Most of the complaints i've heard are about management under pressure to produce so they pressure the employees and skip over rules etc, to get the job done.
Awesome Throwback
It was better even back into the 80s. Remnants of the classic railroads still lingered on.
A favorite pastime in the past, watching the patrol switch Rondout while the F40C's, Amtrak, the scoots and, lots of freights and, the "J" would entertain.
217 is the F40 with the bi levels.
Wow Amtrak ex CnW bi level cars with strobe lights mid cab car wow and Milwaukee road painted engines simply classic great timeless video
Andrew Bowe Glad you enjoyed it! Things you don't see anymore these days...
I wish my audio recordings of Rondout had video with them. You would See F40C's with the original horns in place, Amtrak running with Metra bi-levels (not ex CNW but 1990's corrugated former Milwaukee Road cars). You would see ex Metroliner cab cars blowing the horn in heavy snow at the crossing. You would see the WICT BL2 and Funits in action making set outs at Rondout and heading towards Janesville. Many a Milwaukee SD40-2's, GP40's and finally, the SOO SD60's The way modern railroading is nowadays i don't enjoy that style and character that was present in the "old days". I do feel kinda cramped in the old locomotives because most units don't have a desk or elbow room like the wide cab units have. As a railroader give me a wide cab so i can work efficiently but, as a rail nut my love for the old units is still strong. Modern railroading to me feels so sterile compared to what we used to do.
Soo Line gone but never forgotten
My grandfather used to work for the milwaukee in savanna, il. Brings back good memeories.
This trains were old and sold out, but sent to the museums
Too bad im not in this video with my Dad's Buick. In 1987 i learned how to railroad. In 2015 i learned how not to railroad. I remember catching Don one day when the power was out in the area due to a storm and the gates were struggling to work on back up power. Don issued a verbal slow order for trains approaching the area. R.I.P. don.
This is a nice page from the past; rarely do I find treasured good ole tapes from back then when I was little. Thanks for the upload!:)
Thanks, everything happened within a 3 hour midday time period.
At 13:14 a Milwaukee Road boxcar with "America's Resourceful Railroad" - a sign that the Milwaukee Road in spite of its shortcomings was not afraid to advertise its freight services to the shippers.
despite the fact that the Soo Line owned the Milwaukee Road at this time...
Shots fired!! Haha. Cool video, I used to hangout at the Sturtevant depot at this time as kid a few miles to the north so this brings back some memories.
Excellent video, you managed to catch a little bit of everything.
why did some metras keep going on the C&M?
i noticed the second metra train had a coach that still had a faint "The Milwaukee Road" visible!
My guess is that some commuter trains on Metra's Milwaukee North Line terminated in Deerfield or Lake Forest and "turned around" at Rondout.
After nearly 100 years of operation, Rondout tower will be closing on Saturday, March 7, 2015. This will come just over a week after longtime tower operator Don Shields passed away on February 27, 2015.
Wow, that truly is the end of an era. I figure that CP will be controlling it remotely?
Are any Rondout fans going to be there that date to witness history being made?
I might have Don's voice on the radio on one of my later videos from this location.
do you have more from rondout
Even as recently as 1987 the ex Milwaukee Road trackage looks like it was still in bad shape in spots and especially on its main line between Chicago and Milwaukee. And the Amtrak Hiawatha Service had a mere two cars back in those days. Amtrak now has up to seven cars total on its Hiawatha Service trains and the tracks are in way better shape largely thanks to Canadian Pacific. And CP has got some of the most skilled track maintenance crews around I have learned. Canadian Pacific was instrumental in bringing the former CNW/DME line in South Dakota up to date just before it sold the line to RCP&E in 2008. Now the RCP&E which had lots of rickety track and 10-mph slow orders especially between Pierre and Rapid City can achieve up to 30 mph between those two points.
Throwback to when the f40c’s had rs3l’s
Did the f40c’s have Leslie horns
We'll have to get an air horn expert to answer that!
carvcom1 the manifold looks similar to that of a Leslie horn
Prime 920
What's with the horn copying off of metra
Hey! At 7:40 those guys on their bikes disobeyed the crossing on Highway 176! Now what would have happened if that second train bore down on them from the other track? Bam! Two less idiots in this world and two more gravesites at the cemetery. Old bad habits like disobeying grade crossings never die, don't they?
The old metra horns very weird.
You mean to tell me that the Milwaukee Road aka Soo Line was ACTUALLY doing track maintenance? You got to be kidding me. Back in the day the Milwaukee Road stopped doing track maintenance so that it could boost its profitability. Bad move, Milwaukee Road. Bad move. And what happened next? A slew of derailments especially in the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and Washington. This tarnished the Milwaukee Road's image big time and this led up to its bankruptcy.
Rondout had a train station?
When did it close
I guess it was in the late 50's or early 60's when it closed. Maybe someone will have an exact date.
Was this Train coming from Bensenville Yard?
The two northbound freights were probably out of the Bensenville yard.
@@carvcom1 Which way are they going? To Savannah, Illinois or Kansas City, Mo?
@@rooseveltmccarter6087 They were going to/from Milwaukee WI.
17:50 Metra 123
Got to be one of metras oldest f40ph
@@MetraEverythingProductions yes it it's one of the locomotives from the first batch of f40s deliver to Metra. locomotives in the first batch for 100 through 125.
@@RailBrothersProductions wow
@@RailBrothersProductions its sucks that Metra wants to get rid of them
What happens when you have two of the most poorly operated railroads in the United States cross paths? Stay tuned America.
Most poorly operated? CN has the highest operating ratio of any railroad.....
TeamGlockAustria back then, EJ&E owned and operated the CN track.
I should have replied to this months ago. I'm speaking from personally working in the railyard of CN & CP. Some of my co-workers have shared some of their experiences working in CN/CP rail yards. Some of the crews have told me how poorly the railroads are run. The media brought to light some of the issues that are a result of some of the carelessness that was festering within at least one of the companies. It took the FRA to step in and issue a mandate that spread industry wide even though many common sense safety procedures were already in place for many railroads. I've had many a train and heard many a story from co-workers about trains not being built properly ie. hazmats positioned incorrectly (prime example). Cn is supposed to have some type of software that tells them about placement errors for our particular railroad. You bring it to the yardmasters attention you get a response akin t,o" every thing is our fault and we are trying to delay the train". On case i had a Manager hand me a single train list when both conductor and engineer need a copy, this fool manager threatened me with calling my managers up because i'm not qualified, i'm delaying the train. Nevermine he is the one that printed the paperwork himself. My last trip well over a year ago on the CN was better than others so maybe things have gotten even better since then. Most of the complaints i've heard are about management under pressure to produce so they pressure the employees and skip over rules etc, to get the job done.
The Milwaukee Road had terrible track on most of the system, but the commuter lines were maintained way better.