I am from Australia, and I have been looking at your videos for some time. I do like them a lot, so I wish you all the best for Christmas and a happy New Year. Stay safe, and I hope 2025 is going to be better for you.
It’s always fun to go to your channel when watching other real fans just watching trains go by pretty cool but go to your channel wow 503 want to use the F word but I’ll just say mess up after mess up always good derail action
I didn't realize there was room for that many cars back in Alter Metals. And I'm guessing the 3 axle trucks under the SD is why they're having problems at the switch and frog.
I'm blown away never have I seen a channel with so many derailments seems like they spend more time getting stuff back on the tracks then anything else how do they even make money running this way hopefully that sweet sd9 doesn't get destroyed in a derailment
Whenever you lift cars from a customer, you have to test the brakes on the cars to make sure they are working. Otherwise, you can't go track speed. The conductor will ask the engineer for a "set up", in which the engineer moves the train (air) brake handle to Full Setup. The conductor will then walk the cars checking that the piston for the air brakes is sticking out, indicating that the brakes are set. Once he's checked them all, he'll ask the engineer to release the brakes. In this case, the conductor told the engineer to "back up 10 cars for a roll-by release", where the engineer will shove back 10 cars so the conductor can check the pistons again to see if they have now retracted, indicating the brakes have released. He could also do a standing release, where he walks alongside the cars while the train is stationary, if he couldn't back up for some reason (a road crossing behind him, for example).
@@MrNorth69 At CN, we call it a 1a brake test. It's more for checking if the brakes set up or not. But you will certainly know if there are any air leaks when you walk the cars.
@@Andrewwr14 Ah Ok I see what you mean now. I remember doing a few of those. Think BNSF just called im a class 2 or something. Luckily I'm just glued to the engineers seat now
Nice catch and good suspicion! You can get closer as long as not trespassing. Video from the other side of the grade crossing looking down the track to reveal whathey are doing.
with 0 air in the car, the brakes release. You have the brake pipe, which is a continuous air line from locomotive to rear car. This is used to fill two reservoirs on each car, an auxiliary and a emergency res. When the engineer applies air brakes, it causes the pressure in the brake pipe to drop below the pressure in the aux reservoir which then applies the brakes on that car. When the train line/ brake pipe separates it goes into emergency, where air from the emergency res puts on the brakes. You can bleed off that emergency application to move cars around without air, which is very common while switching in yards. The air can also leak out over time without any human intervention, which is why we still put handbrakes on cars in emergency.
The 3 axle locos should stay off of that switch, they aren't known for being too great at navigating tight radius turns that's why they are mostly used for 'highway'. Guess they just carry around blocks of wood and hope for the best 😂
@@Jleed989 Yes usually.. but then again they shouldn't be having any SDs on this track unless it's SD7s or smaller GP38, regardless I think it's time to sell the line to someone who actually knows how to railroad.. these guys are a joke..
That old switch maybe doesn't like the weight of the engine or the wheel configuration. They avoided putting the engine on the switch.???? Enjoyed watching them work it out. Thanx.
The ties are likely rotted and keep pulling up the spikes. Surprisingly, they don't derail more. It looks like the MOW crew has their fingers crossed that the train doesn't derail again.
I think someone need to get up there with a roadbed tamper and some fresh ballast.They can drive spikes all day long if they want it's not going to fix the problem.
I'm sure Upper Management is well aware of the lack of maintenance on their rail line but as outrageously expensive as it is to maintain it I'd imagine they're cutting every corner they can.
Management is the problem.. I've been at BNSF for 20 years.. I've never seen track this bad.. I'm in disbelief they run 390,000 lb engines with 286,000 lb cars on 65 lb per yard jointed stick rail.. what's even worse is they actually have to rent a high rail truck, when trains derail twice a week.. they need to probably call it quits.. and get into the trucking business or something
@@MrNorth69 " ... I've never seen track this bad." Napoleon Defiance & Western is getting better, but when they took over from Maumee and Western ... "Worst Railraod Track ever!"
@@MrNorth69pretty sure most of that stuff is 263k, even then you can get waivers for 286k cars. The rail is heavier than 65 pound. Someone else said it’s in the ballpark of 90-105. And you realize class 1’s lease highrails right? CPKC gets all their service trucks, grapple trucks, dump trucks, and a lot of their F-250’s and F-350’s through the same company els does. CSX goes through Danella out of PA for their highrails as well as most of their loaders and excavators. And I think G&W still goes through REALM. It’s stupid for any company to buy trucks outright right now. When the most barebones work trucks start out at $80-100k from the dealer. And that’s before you install radios, highrail gear or any work equipment to them. With how vehicles are made today and how quickly they loose value, it’s smarter to lease them, wait until they drop a significant amount of value and then buy them.
@Maine_Railfan I do understand class 1s do lease most equipment including railroad equipment such as engines car ect. but in the end this shortline is such a disaster its almost comical
I agree with others, they're not done making repairs. Going north there isn't much chance of picking the points, but southbound they may want to pay close attention to it. But I believe it's Alter Metals responsibility to fix it.
@@mshum538 Thanks for the clarification. I know in some cases the business pays to have the turnout installed. So I thought they were also responsible for repairs. I guess it depends on the original agreement.
You know i would think they would get the track fixed at this point. Its not like they would have to pay for it, they would get grants from the government.
I’m guessing the side track switch was off not allowing 503 to pass on the main line . Possible with them with chains and sledge hammers banging it in. Then 503 pulling so slow with them making sure no derailment occurs
Hi it is MRL / man in west valley city Utah what is wide is it,s been in high 40,s and no snow. By next week in the 50s that is wide. From Neil schwerdt 😊
Is the #503 overweight to get into Alter Metal? If the moving blade of the switch is damaged or the locomotive has thin wheel flanges... Then that may be why this locomotive has split the switch before.
Different crew, they may have subcontracted another company if they are short on hands or they need the outside expertise on something they may not have felt comfortable fixing or didn't know or have the right tools
At Railroad is gonna go broke with all of the derailments that they have it seems like they would put all new ties, ballast and continuous welded rail down and do a way with all of them problems
You realize how much that costs right? For a minimal amount of money they can keep installing ties as needed and keep things at 10 mph. It costs a lot less to fix a dozen derailments per year than to rebuild the entire railroad. FWIW the only things which could have caused this derailment are worn switch components or rotten ties.
lmao, continuous welded rail...right. to give the freight a smoother ride? for absolutely no reason. you obviously have no idea how the railroad business works and how slim their margins are.
Another derailment? This owner obviously doesn’t care! G&W, WATCO, or someone else must buy this railroad and get it back into shape! I truly wonder in hindsight what would have happened if the often talked about merger of the Milwaukee Road and Chicago and North Western had occurred?
Watco and G&W are just as bad. Watco ran a switching operation here in Maine and almost all the guys working for them were drug addicts. One of my friends worked for the connecting railroad and said he found their conductor strung out in the yard several times.
Where's ELS 402? Seems like 4 axle power is what they need to use there. Or, have some empty cars behind the engine as idler cars to get in that siding, and pull the loads out, and put empty gondola cars in??
51:14…see the crow in the foreground? That railroad is so nearly dead it is attracting scavengers 😏
That was just great Jason - and watching from the UK, well we don't have anything like your railroads over here, so always enjoy your vids
I watched this from Facebook first! I Love Your takes on ELS!
Another great looking video. It’s a very interesting railroad operation for good reasons and not.
It sure is
I enjoy watching the video.
Love your videos. This railroad needs to spend some time and cash on improving their rail system.
Thanks Jason for the inside view ! love your vids greatings from the Netherlands
I'm betting the the points on the switch are worn and need replaced. The wheels aren't tracking when the switch is thrown. But don't replace it.😉👍
Another great video Jason!
You know the easiest thing they could do would be to fix the tracks
The Abbot and Costello of railroads
No joke
I am from Australia, and I have been looking at your videos for some time. I do like them a lot, so I wish you all the best for Christmas and a happy New Year. Stay safe, and I hope 2025 is going to be better for you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the US!
It’s always fun to go to your channel when watching other real fans just watching trains go by pretty cool but go to your channel wow 503 want to use the F word but I’ll just say mess up after mess up always good derail action
Looks like a broken siding switch great video thanks Jason
I didn't realize there was room for that many cars back in Alter Metals. And I'm guessing the 3 axle trucks under the SD is why they're having problems at the switch and frog.
15 at times I think.
The 2 Yellow metal posts are Radiation detectors.
@@ihc1963 absurd
I'm blown away never have I seen a channel with so many derailments seems like they spend more time getting stuff back on the tracks then anything else how do they even make money running this way hopefully that sweet sd9 doesn't get destroyed in a derailment
133k subs! Jason congrats. 🎉 dont seem that long you got 100,000 😊
Whenever you lift cars from a customer, you have to test the brakes on the cars to make sure they are working. Otherwise, you can't go track speed. The conductor will ask the engineer for a "set up", in which the engineer moves the train (air) brake handle to Full Setup. The conductor will then walk the cars checking that the piston for the air brakes is sticking out, indicating that the brakes are set. Once he's checked them all, he'll ask the engineer to release the brakes. In this case, the conductor told the engineer to "back up 10 cars for a roll-by release", where the engineer will shove back 10 cars so the conductor can check the pistons again to see if they have now retracted, indicating the brakes have released. He could also do a standing release, where he walks alongside the cars while the train is stationary, if he couldn't back up for some reason (a road crossing behind him, for example).
Thanks for the explanation! It helped me understand better
@@ejjunkins9740 You're welcome!
@@Andrewwr14 Sounds like a Class 2 brake test - the air leakage test
@@MrNorth69 At CN, we call it a 1a brake test. It's more for checking if the brakes set up or not. But you will certainly know if there are any air leaks when you walk the cars.
@@Andrewwr14 Ah Ok I see what you mean now. I remember doing a few of those. Think BNSF just called im a class 2 or something. Luckily I'm just glued to the engineers seat now
I think it would be cool to see Alter's process.
Good job Jason
I think the railroad needs to buy better duct tape for repairs
Thats exactly what they are!! An Alarm will sound if any cars are hot!
Nice horn on 503
@@DavidKuschmann-jj6im I do agree sounded great
Nice catch and good suspicion! You can get closer as long as not trespassing. Video from the other side of the grade crossing looking down the track to reveal whathey are doing.
Have fun shoveling!
Where does Alder metal get all that scrap metal?
That crazy stalker that you had awhile back would go insane with all the derailments lately. 😅
Hey Jason !! Wasn't 503 & 501 that derailed on the switch last time ?? Thanks for the video & Have ""HAPPY HOILDAYS "" 🎄🎄🎄🎄🥳🥳🥳🥳👍👍👍👍👍
I thought once the cars were disconnected and there was no air in the lines the brakes would be locked up...guess I know nothing lol
with 0 air in the car, the brakes release. You have the brake pipe, which is a continuous air line from locomotive to rear car. This is used to fill two reservoirs on each car, an auxiliary and a emergency res. When the engineer applies air brakes, it causes the pressure in the brake pipe to drop below the pressure in the aux reservoir which then applies the brakes on that car. When the train line/ brake pipe separates it goes into emergency, where air from the emergency res puts on the brakes. You can bleed off that emergency application to move cars around without air, which is very common while switching in yards. The air can also leak out over time without any human intervention, which is why we still put handbrakes on cars in emergency.
The 3 axle locos should stay off of that switch, they aren't known for being too great at navigating tight radius turns that's why they are mostly used for 'highway'. Guess they just carry around blocks of wood and hope for the best 😂
Isn’t that why they usually have buffer cars behind the locos so they don’t have to enter the siding?
@@Jleed989that’s my thought too .
@@Jleed989 Yes usually.. but then again they shouldn't be having any SDs on this track unless it's SD7s or smaller GP38, regardless I think it's time to sell the line to someone who actually knows how to railroad.. these guys are a joke..
@@MrNorth69
Get a Big Boy in there.
@@Bassotronics I'd pay money to see that
That old switch maybe doesn't like the weight of the engine or the wheel configuration. They avoided putting the engine on the switch.???? Enjoyed watching them work it out. Thanx.
Rotten ties or worn switch components
Roger hall of my vernon Illinois, is watching...
The ties are likely rotted and keep pulling up the spikes. Surprisingly, they don't derail more. It looks like the MOW crew has their fingers crossed that the train doesn't derail again.
Hi from...Vancouver Island ;-)
Thanks for watching!
Looks good
I think someone need to get up there with a roadbed tamper and some fresh ballast.They can drive spikes all day long if they want it's not going to fix the problem.
Surfacing doesn’t fix rotten ties…
It was slow as watching paint dry but I couldn’t look away.
Looks like a bicron stand , which is panels that contain scanners for radiation it scans the cars as they pass thru!
I think it is time that the upper Management should look at maintenance of this rail line. Small as it is , it appears to be going to shambles
I'm sure Upper Management is well aware of the lack of maintenance on their rail line but as outrageously expensive as it is to maintain it I'd imagine they're cutting every corner they can.
Management is the problem.. I've been at BNSF for 20 years.. I've never seen track this bad.. I'm in disbelief they run 390,000 lb engines with 286,000 lb cars on 65 lb per yard jointed stick rail.. what's even worse is they actually have to rent a high rail truck, when trains derail twice a week.. they need to probably call it quits.. and get into the trucking business or something
@@MrNorth69 " ... I've never seen track this bad." Napoleon Defiance & Western is getting better, but when they took over from Maumee and Western ... "Worst Railraod Track ever!"
@@MrNorth69pretty sure most of that stuff is 263k, even then you can get waivers for 286k cars. The rail is heavier than 65 pound. Someone else said it’s in the ballpark of 90-105.
And you realize class 1’s lease highrails right? CPKC gets all their service trucks, grapple trucks, dump trucks, and a lot of their F-250’s and F-350’s through the same company els does. CSX goes through Danella out of PA for their highrails as well as most of their loaders and excavators. And I think G&W still goes through REALM. It’s stupid for any company to buy trucks outright right now. When the most barebones work trucks start out at $80-100k from the dealer. And that’s before you install radios, highrail gear or any work equipment to them. With how vehicles are made today and how quickly they loose value, it’s smarter to lease them, wait until they drop a significant amount of value and then buy them.
@Maine_Railfan I do understand class 1s do lease most equipment including railroad equipment such as engines car ect. but in the end this shortline is such a disaster its almost comical
Looks a lot like this morning.
Snows disappearing is it spring yet what happened to my winters na and down hill skiing ????
I agree with others, they're not done making repairs. Going north there isn't much chance of picking the points, but southbound they may want to pay close attention to it. But I believe it's Alter Metals responsibility to fix it.
Railroad’s responsibility is from the clearance point ( usely were the derail is located ) to the switch…
@@mshum538 Thanks for the clarification. I know in some cases the business pays to have the turnout installed. So I thought they were also responsible for repairs. I guess it depends on the original agreement.
The MOW guy should of got a violation.
Came down "not" facing the steps😮.
If they have had problems with that switch I would think they would work on it to prevent that again
I used to call him PM’s but that’s a big word and a lot of work probably too much for the crew. They call it preventative maintenance. What a concept.
@@roady1710 Maintenance is not in ELSs vocabulary
@ gotcha
Time to keep 503 off that switch.
Be careful out there Jason
Edmonton Alberta Canada
Looked like a gauge widening problem on the turnout side. The cars could negotiate it OK, just not the loco.
I enjoyed the video👍👍
You know i would think they would get the track fixed at this point. Its not like they would have to pay for it, they would get grants from the government.
Yay 503 🎉🎉
That Ford truck is too new to belong to ELS
They stole it from Milwaukee Road....
It’s leased from Hi-Rail Leasing.
I’m guessing the side track switch was off not allowing 503 to pass on the main line . Possible with them with chains and sledge hammers banging it in. Then 503 pulling so slow with them making sure no derailment occurs
good train video
Hello how are you doing today good afternoon
They need to start maintaining their racks better. Too many derailments isn't good for expenses.
Hi it is MRL / man in west valley city Utah what is wide is it,s been in high 40,s and no snow.
By next week in the 50s that is wide.
From Neil schwerdt 😊
Is the #503 overweight to get into Alter Metal?
If the moving blade of the switch is damaged or the locomotive has thin wheel flanges... Then that may be why this locomotive has split the switch before.
Looks like from the phone number on the side of the hi-rail truck, it belongs to Hi Rail Leasing, 6802 39 St, Le Duc AB.
Why is it 503 having trouble? 1221 and 502 seem to manage it without issue. There may be an issue with the axel alignment on 503
How many people shovel the stairs at the ski jump
They three axel's truck locomotives are not welcome in this kind of swiitch !
Where is This Alter Metals located ? I used to haul out of the south Beloit Alter 4 times a day.
Kingsford, MI
East kingsford I believe just down from his house
What's this 3 now, in the period of 4-6 weeks?
They need better maintenance.
Different crew, they may have subcontracted another company if they are short on hands or they need the outside expertise on something they may not have felt comfortable fixing or didn't know or have the right tools
Flying close to the asphalt do you have your pilot licence ?
Once they drop off empties how long does it take the crane to fill up a car of s scrap metal?
They don’t use a crane I believe they use a conveyor belt system
All depends how much is prepared on the ground. Those gondolas hold around 90 ton all depends on the empty weight on the car and how clean it is!!
Winnipeg
Same old E&LS.........
Contractor not railroad. quick work.
Where is this from at ...
At Railroad is gonna go broke with all of the derailments that they have it seems like they would put all new ties, ballast and continuous welded rail down and do a way with all of them problems
You realize how much that costs right? For a minimal amount of money they can keep installing ties as needed and keep things at 10 mph. It costs a lot less to fix a dozen derailments per year than to rebuild the entire railroad. FWIW the only things which could have caused this derailment are worn switch components or rotten ties.
lmao, continuous welded rail...right. to give the freight a smoother ride? for absolutely no reason. you obviously have no idea how the railroad business works and how slim their margins are.
@ bingo. Just stick enough ties under everything to keep things in operation is all they need.
Looks as if that HiRail is leased.
the first axle of the first bogie is derailed...
You need to buy some studded tires. 😉
Old ELS building 0:14
There has to be something wrong with that switch if it's that dicey trying to get through it.
beast
Watch the kars as they pass.
Cars
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Is that a end of the line industry at this location...
No.
What's good Jayson? 503 is a SD40 am I correct?
Yup, BNSF SD40
Originally SD40 for GTW in 1970. BNSF upgraded to SD40-2 specs in early 2000s.
Thanks for answering me yall!☮️🫡
Alter Metal is spending $$$ on thier RR infrastructure...
No you can't be serious another derailment the trains can't seem to stay on the rails.
Dam talk about flat light but we can see it
Maybe they should restrict movements there to 4 axle power only.
No.. why do that when you can do it the hard way
They don't have any on this side of the railroad. 3 SD40-2s and a SD9
Is stairs more important than videoing trains? Someone could slip on said stairs then you’ll be asked why didn’t you do it?
Maybe the turnout was “Alter”ed
I'd say the points are badly worn....
Maybe it should be “scrapped” and rebuilt
@@Jleed989 how about replace the points....
Another derailment? This owner obviously doesn’t care! G&W, WATCO, or someone else must buy this railroad and get it back into shape! I truly wonder in hindsight what would have happened if the often talked about merger of the Milwaukee Road and Chicago and North Western had occurred?
Derailed on the switch nothing to do with any rails being out shape.
All short lines are the same. Spend as little money to run track speed. Fix problems as needed. Preventive maintenance isn’t in their vocabulary
Watco and G&W are just as bad. Watco ran a switching operation here in Maine and almost all the guys working for them were drug addicts. One of my friends worked for the connecting railroad and said he found their conductor strung out in the yard several times.
They need to do major work to there tracks and switches
No it just derailed on the wrong switch it has nothing to do with that
Where's ELS 402? Seems like 4 axle power is what they need to use there. Or, have some empty cars behind the engine as idler cars to get in that siding, and pull the loads out, and put empty gondola cars in??
been dead since ~April. it's not coming back w/o overhaul or block replacement.
I enjoyed the video👍👍
They need to do major work to there tracks and switches
They need to do major work to there tracks and switches
They need to do major work to there tracks and switches
They need to do major work to there tracks and switches