Tehachapi, BC

[jagged ben]

* The main UP intermodal over the Pass is the LA-Portaland stack train (which might have a Bay Area component - I'm not sure); as Eric notes, this routinely has at least one DPU and it's not uncommon for it to have a 1+1 configuration.  (I'm going to need a bunch of green HUB Group cans soon if I'm going to model this train though!)

The Portland to LA train (ZBRLC) is usually mostly TOFC with some stacks mixed in.  I suppose it may be getting to be more stacks and less TOFC as time as gone on.

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?train_id=ZBRLC  (or search for keyword ZBRLC, you'll get more results).

There is also the Lathrop to LA train (ZLTLA).   (Lathrop is just south of Sacramento.)   I believe this train handles any domestic container traffic from the Bay Area.  I believe this train is only a few years old and has been almost all 53' stacks since it's inception.  Often it is a short train that could realistically be modeled at full length on a model railroad.

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?train_id=ZLTLA-18
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?train_id=ZLTLA

The northbound counterpart for the ZBRLC is similar in makeup.  I'm not quite sure about the northbound Lathrop counterpart.  Both of those trains run over the pass at night, so there are relatively few pictures of them.
 

[sizemore]

Those vids are sexy! Can't believe it's not DCC!

The S.

[Bsklarski]

By coincidence, another videographer caught the same train on the Loop, with a better camera

https://vimeo.com/56851891

-gfh

If I had a dollar for every time I pulled a train over our ruling grade at 2 mph, I would be wealthy. Nothing like sitting there pulling at 2 mph and watching your marker on the head end box go STOP..... FORWARD....... STOP......... BACKWARD....... STOP........

[LKOrailroad]

Nothing like sitting there pulling at 2 mph and watching your marker on the head end box go STOP..... FORWARD....... STOP......... BACKWARD....... STOP........

Help out the uneducated please. What does this mean?

[C855B]

Help out the uneducated please. What does this mean?

This is on the display unit in the locomotive cab corresponding to the EOT Device, a/k/a "FRED". Not only does it display the brake line pressure, it displays the status of the sensor which tells whether the rear end of the train is moving (or not) and what direction it is moving. At very low speeds the inertial detector doesn't see quite enough momentum and will display ambiguous information mostly due to vibration.

Sort of the prototype's version of the MTL "slinky" effect, but in this case it's just the sensor data giving the impression slack is running in and out.

[davefoxx]

Sort of the prototype's version of the MTL "slinky" effect, but in this case it's just the sensor data giving the impression slack is running in and out.

Ed's law at play. 

[LKOrailroad]

This is on the display unit in the locomotive cab corresponding to the EOT Device, a/k/a "FRED". Not only does it display the brake line pressure, it displays the status of the sensor which tells whether the rear end of the train is moving (or not) and what direction it is moving. At very low speeds the inertial detector doesn't see quite enough momentum and will display ambiguous information mostly due to vibration.

I get it now. Thanks for the explanation.

[eric220]

Ed's law at play. 

FTW

[Bsklarski]

Sort of the prototype's version of the MTL "slinky" effect, but in this case it's just the sensor data giving the impression slack is running in and out.

Actually, it slack. You can feel the training coming in and running out. You can also see it on the amp meter and feel the units slipping when it runs out. The rear really does stop as far movement goes. A train with more empties than loads will make this worst lol.

[ednadolski]

Ed's law at play. 

"Watch it wiggle... Watch it S-T-R-E-T-C-H!"   

http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z001/Z00105/Z0010546.jpg

[Bsklarski]

"Watch it wiggle... Watch it S-T-R-E-T-C-H!"   

http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z001/Z00105/Z0010546.jpg

I WANT ONE.

[C855B]

Actually, it slack. ...

Well, that's fun. Apparently the newer FREDs must be better at low speeds than the early stuff. Makes sense; lots of advances in inertial sensor technology since then. The old FREDs had a steel ball on sliders to detect movement and direction. Pretty sloppy.

[GaryHinshaw]

The new one is also a phone, and can update Facebook....    BTW Bsklarski, how long a climb do you have?  Is it undulating or steady?

So a symbol question: when I listen to the UP and BNSF dispatchers around Mojave, they never refer to train symbols; they call trains by the number of the lead loco.  If they don't use the symbols, who does, and for what purpose?

[jagged ben]

So a symbol question: when I listen to the UP and BNSF dispatchers around Mojave, they never refer to train symbols; they call trains by the number of the lead loco.  If they don't use the symbols, who does, and for what purpose?

Well, I think the dispatchers still know which lead locos are attached to which symbols, so they can remember where each train is supposed to go and decide which trains get priority.  And whoever makes up the trains in the yards, usually before road power is even chosen, must also use the symbols. 

For purposes of modeling mainline operations without yards or branches, you can probably do a dispatch session without train symbols, if you like.  Unless you get a kick out of having your trains realistically match what's seen on different prototype symbols.

[Bsklarski]

The new one is also a phone, and can update Facebook....    BTW Bsklarski, how long a climb do you have?  Is it undulating or steady?

Well Coming South out of Amherst Mass, its very undulating. The worst part is 2 miles of 1.37, then some undulations or a .5 or so for 1.5 miles. The 1.25 or so for about 5 miles with some minor changes. Lots of steep short sections of grades.