HEAT RESTRICTION!!???

Its just pretty sad that for all the years Conrail maintained the Albany Div. we never had a problem w/ heat orders, flash flood warnings, etc. I didnt notice GRS, CP Rail, or Metro North w/ ANY heat orders. And why on earth on the Boston line would you put a heat order from CP-187 and CP-142-187 (Post Road Branch which is stick rail) to CP-92 (East Springfield, MA) and from CP-92 to CP-3 no restricions at all? Can someone please enligten me? Maybe theres some lunar heat difference between the east end and the west end of the B&A. Yeah...it prob. is a safe mode due to the extreme lack of maintence. So I guess we run a 19th century RR in the 21st century. Gotta love it.......

Amtrak700 wrote:Its just pretty sad that for all the years Conrail maintained the Albany Div. we never had a problem w/ heat orders, flash flood warnings, etc. I didnt notice GRS, CP Rail, or Metro North w/ ANY heat orders. And why on earth on the Boston line would you put a heat order from CP-187 and CP-142-187 (Post Road Branch which is stick rail) to CP-92 (East Springfield, MA) and from CP-92 to CP-3 no restricions at all? Can someone please enligten me? Maybe theres some lunar heat difference between the east end and the west end of the B&A. Yeah...it prob. is a safe mode due to the extreme lack of maintence. So I guess we run a 19th century RR in the 21st century. Gotta love it.......

There are myriad local peculiarities that apply to a railroads physical plant, all of which are well known to the local Roadmaster who have the responsibility for the maintenance for their segments of track. Some areas of track are built on ground that is basically stone, some areas are basically swamp and most of the rest vary between the two extremes. Each type of terrain has it's own maintenance issues that must be addressed on a continuing basis. Track tends to be a living organism as it responds to the ground over which it is laid and the weather conditions is must endure.

gprimr1 wrote:The attack is on the fact that there rail has low heat tolerance. Amtrak doesn't impose heat orders on the NEC often.

Nor does Norfolk Southern, which operates in the same geographic areas, absent the old NYC line, across NY. We see heat orders nearly everyday here in NC on the CSX and almost never on the NS.

matthewsaggie wrote:

gprimr1 wrote:The attack is on the fact that there rail has low heat tolerance. Amtrak doesn't impose heat orders on the NEC often.

Nor does Norfolk Southern, which operates in the same geographic areas, absent the old NYC line, across NY. We see heat orders nearly everyday here in NC on the CSX and almost never on the NS.

Wow-are you serious? I have only worked for CSX--so I dont know about tracks for other companies! Heat orders are just a normal occurunce for us. Is this correct? Do you work for the railroad?

And why on earth on the Boston line would you put a heat order from CP-187 and CP-142-187 (Post Road Branch which is stick rail) to CP-92 (East Springfield, MA) and from CP-92 to CP-3 no restricions at all?

In fact, in summers past, the CSX did impose 90 degree speed restrictions on the east end of the B&A such that MBTA trains were slowed on the Worcester to Boston line (much to the ire of commuters) while T service ran at normal speeds elsewhere. Of course, given the T rotates trains sets from one Southside route to another during the day, an incoming Worcester train delayed 30 minutes becomes a delayed outbound Franklin, PVD, or Middleboro train.

Strange that the soil/subroadbed is that different on the Hudson Sub(csx) and Metro North, the only difference I see from the head end is the way both are maintained. Also why would CSX put an heat order on stick rail they own it but Amtrak maintains it . Probally the same reason they give you High and Wide messages on a sub thats single track with no sidings and sees two Amtrak trains aday.

CSX-COAL HAULER wrote:

matthewsaggie wrote:

gprimr1 wrote:The attack is on the fact that there rail has low heat tolerance. Amtrak doesn't impose heat orders on the NEC often.

Nor does Norfolk Southern, which operates in the same geographic areas, absent the old NYC line, across NY. We see heat orders nearly everyday here in NC on the CSX and almost never on the NS.

Wow-are you serious? I have only worked for CSX--so I dont know about tracks for other companies! Heat orders are just a normal occurunce for us. Is this correct? Do you work for the railroad?

No I don't, but I try to pay attantion to these things.

matthewsaggie wrote:

gprimr1 wrote:The attack is on the fact that there rail has low heat tolerance. Amtrak doesn't impose heat orders on the NEC often.

Nor does Norfolk Southern, which operates in the same geographic areas, absent the old NYC line, across NY. We see heat orders nearly everyday here in NC on the CSX and almost never on the NS.

If you don't work for the railroad, How are you getting your knowledge of heat orders that are on CSX nearly every day? Are you having the CSX dispatchers sending you orders to your house? Heat orders are not broadcasted (generally) over the radio and are not displayed by wayside markers. Unless you or your Uncle Cletus work for a railroad-I don't think the average railfan would have a clue as to heat orders in effect!

OK Mr Coal Hauler- I see you are a know it all-

1. I probably mis-spoke to the extent that I said "every day"- I should have said nearly "every day in the summer". Last summer really sucked. #79 is only two hours late tonight- who the hell knows why.

2. And actually yes, I actually do get a report on a monthly basis of delays on the NC trains, and causes. I am in the NC Train Host Association, and we put a train host on nearly every Carolinian and Piedmont nearly every day, 365 days a year. I work the Carolinian and will run from Charlotte to Rocky Mount and back, a trip of about 500 miles. We will put in a 15 hour day, when we are on time. When CSX stabs, us especially #79, it can be an 18 hour day, but hell we are free, so who cares.

Almost all of us (theres about 120 of us in the association) monitor 73/74 and 79/80 everyday, and yes, a report IS prepared and shared among us, and the Rail Director of the NCDOT, who is paying for these trains every month.

Next time, don't assume that just because we don't work for the RR that we don't know what we are talking about.

matthewsaggie wrote:OK Mr Coal Hauler- I see you are a know it all-

1. I probably mis-spoke to the extent that I said "every day"- I should have said nearly "every day in the summer". Last summer really sucked. #79 is only two hours late tonight- who the hell knows why.

2. And actually yes, I actually do get a report on a monthly basis of delays on the NC trains, and causes. I am in the NC Train Host Association, and we put a train host on nearly every Carolinian and Piedmont nearly every day, 365 days a year. I work the Carolinian and will run from Charlotte to Rocky Mount and back, a trip of about 500 miles. We will put in a 15 hour day, when we are on time. When CSX stabs, us especially #79, it can be an 18 hour day, but hell we are free, so who cares.

Almost all of us (theres about 120 of us in the association) monitor 73/74 and 79/80 everyday, and yes, a report IS prepared and shared among us, and the Rail Director of the NCDOT, who is paying for these trains every month.

Next time, don't assume that just because we don't work for the RR that we don't know what we are talking about.

Sorry to piss you off dude-I just am curious as to where you are getting all this valuable info on heat orders? A monthly report on heat orders? I have re-read your post a couple of times and I think I have figured it out! Are you a volunteer working on a Amtrak train? I get the whole picture now---sorry dude---you gotta be right!

Mr coal hauler--i dont know if you were refering to me in your post, about my info about heat restrictions and how i get them. but in answer to your question, yes i do work for the railroad, yes i do get phone calls from dispatchers, and unfortunatly i do operate over CSX 's ill maintained railroad. no need for sarcasm.

cool the engines guys or ill have to lock it, if you have something to say to another member PM them, dont do it on the boards

Coal hauler- I tried to respond to your PM, but I keep getting an error message saying it didn't go through. ( 3 times)

Let me know if it actually didn't. Truce until then.

Nope it wont let me pm you either

gprimr1 wrote:They must be using welded rail. When rail is welded, it cannot expand and contract in the sun, which means it can bend, which is called sunkinking.

Heat restrictions are intended to keep the trains going slow enough to see and stop in time to avoid heat kinks.

Why Albany? CSX can't maintain those tracks. It happens in Baltimore alot too.

you don't work on the railroad, or atleast if you do, you have never left a yard.........no train, even light power is going to stop at 40mph on a dime or even within 50 feet......

hmmmmm