Halloween Special - Night time video at Cresson

Hi there,

Fiddler here.

Was having some fun with my video editing software and the Background music generator. I have some great spooky sounding music to add so I took some video I have of some containor trains at Cresson that I filmed last summer (with fellow HAPTers Brad Conant, and Paul Lodge), edited it down, added some of this music and voila -

Cresson at Night

An epic tale of Containorized Horror!

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ_HMsTBPUE

Nov. Picture Worth A Thousand Words

This photo is a mixture of "what do you do while waiting for that train that never comes" and "look at all that ancient track". The piece of track in question is on the old Belfast and Moosehead Lake RR wye/interchange at Burnham Jct., Maine. We were waiting for a train last July and took the time to look over some of the track.

For those used to looking at a well maintained mainline somewhere, this is like a time capsule of all the "old ways" railroads used to maintain regular track and the ways they patched up old track. Upon closer inspection the rails say things like "Open Hearth 85A" and "L S Co Buffalo 850", probably for the Lackawanna Steel plant in Buffalo, NY. It probably also means the rail is 85 lbs. to the yard, light rail by today's standards. In the crossing, just out of sight, were some places that were "enhanced" a bit by welding rods to add some metal at key points, probably because it would be a bear to change out a lightly used rail just because a bit of metal was worn down on the ends.

The ties are a mix of eras dating back to the 1940's if you can believe the date nails - yes date nails - which were still firmly in place. It is hard to believe that a tie from 1945 is still in service anywhere in Maine without some kind of serious mutation in the tree or copious chemical enhancements. Either way, date nails haven't been used in many decades and even concrete ties may not last that long (some of the earliest from the 1970's are being replaced already).

Look at some of the patchwork. Two different fishplates are next to each other. One is probably the original at the end of the rail. The other added when the rail broke. Gauge bars all over the place. I was told once that these were used mainly on curves for strength and such to keep the rails together but this wasn't that curvy - though at the end of a wye. And, if it works so well on curves it would work real well on weak straight track, right?

Finally, look at the ballast. Mostly cinders and gravel. The B&ML did have that Swedish steamer a few years back but they've really been dieselized for over half a century. Cinders can still be found along the rails most anywhere, but usually in heaps that have been pushed out of the way of the tracks. It holds track really well but doesn't drain as well as crushed rock.

Not much exciting in the shot. We were waiting for the Waterville switcher to come down from Detroit and took the time to study the track detail and some of the other "ferroequinarchaeology" in the vicinity. Ironically, the switcher was waiting for a broken rail repair on the Pan Am mainline near MP 100.

Maybe Paul will send us something exciting to look at from California this weekend.

BC

Random Ramblings

1) Here's a link for Debate Coach. He'll shed a tear for a time in his past...

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1788656

2) The Maine Scanner Feed was particularly active today. I heard the Boston East dispatcher talking about North Beverly. I'm regularly picking up transmissions from Vermont, including during the day. I'm hoping the combination of a new antenna, a ham radio, and no more foliage makes for a super winter listening season.

3) There's an Internet Radio show found at http://www.letstalktrains.us It's cool! Much of the discussion involves California (since the show is based in San Diego), but there's a potpourri of interesting RR talk. They "broadcast" on Saturday afternoons and one can listen anytime to that week's show via Windows Media Player.

4) Speaking of California, it appears that's where work journeys will be taking The Wheelman for the forseeable future. I'll be splitting my time between Pomona (hello Cajon Pass) and east of Sacramento (hello Truckee and Tahoe).

Remember - Vote Early And Often

All good things must come to an end?

Well this isn't necessarily an ending however in same ways it is. If you don't know what I'm talking about that fine I will bring that up in due time but first I'd like to start off with my experiences at this very special place.
Growing up in North Yarmouth next to District 1, the Brunswick Branch and the Branch to Yarmouth was full of plenty of rail action. Family for me was up north so trips north to Auburn and Paris were common. Whenever it was time to shop at the mall we always went to Auburn. Some of my earliest memories of Danville Junction are actually on the Ski Train which ran from Bethel to Portland in the early to Mid 90's. Our morning trip would always be exciting catching the daily SLR (Then CN, leasing and the Geep 9's) freight building up its train. As I continued to grow up around Danville I witnessed the changes of both Railroads. The SLR continually had new and exciting lease power and sometimes CN power (There is a picture of a CN SD70i at Danville in the 90's) while Guilford was standardizing its power but eliminating Alco's and GE's as well as painting all its Blue former Conrail units into the Guilford grey. I remember when the High Hood GP40's started running around in the Guilford Patch jobs. And all the while as both railroads changed and grew, the junction stayed the same. The place was always full of some activity or excitement. When I got my wheels I began to make my own voyages to Danville, sometimes 3 or 4 times a week. It was always my first destination to check out the action. The setup of the interchange itself was very exciting because it had a shared yard which could only be accessed by the SLR via "the diamond." Diamonds have always been an exciting place to railfan and being as it is probably the most active one in New England, it was always a great place to go.
In recent times, the State of Maine and both railroads have decided it is time to rebuild the junction. As I said before it isn't the end but in some parts it is. It's the end of the Diamond and the beginning of a new change. Of course this isn't to say there will be any lack of action because quite the opposite there wont be but the special place that Danville is will become completely different. After the changes Danville will never be the same to me. I've got some inside info and pictures of the new Layout. I was supposed to receive two pictures of the diagram however only one made it through. I'm going to work to see if I can get the other one but in the mean time, heres the picture.