Those aluminum pieces are much bigger than just billets. Those are aluminum slabs, which will probably be reheated and rolled into sheets or cut into solid parts. I learned this information from Trainz 2006 North American edition on the BNSF Marias Pass Route Columbia Falls Aluminum Company switching session.

At the beginning, above the W post had speed restrictions posted, what does T35 mean? Great video as always!

@SeattleRailFan

9 жыл бұрын

"W" means Whistle, or in today's terms - sound the horn for a crossing. The sign is commonly called a "whistle board". The yellow signs are speed limit signs. T=Talgo (Amtrak Cascades passenger trains use Talgo-built cars). P=Passenger (other passenger trains like regular Amtrak trains), F=Freight. So, T35 P35 F10 means that Talgo and other passenger trains are limited to 35mph, freight trains to 10mph. In some areas the Talgos have a much higher speed limit than other passenger trains. I've seen 60mph for Talgos along with only 45mph for regular passenger trains, for example. Sometimes the speed limit signs are angled at 45 degrees. Those are placed in advance of a reduced speed limit ahead (typically they're seen 2 miles before the speed limit drops). Those give the engineer time to get the train slowed to the correct speed before entering the lower speed limit zone.

@jaymuller

9 жыл бұрын

SeattleRailFan Ahh...Talgo! Thank you and Merry Christmas

This is the 2nd clip of yours that has had contaminated soil cars in it .U any idea what they are cleaning up?.

@SeattleRailFan

9 жыл бұрын

The covered gons aren't carrying contaminated soil, they carry concentrated ore. These come from a lead/zinc mine somewhere south of the Seattle area. The mine runs a process that concentrates the ore to like 80% purity. It then goes into the gons. The covers are there to keep the ore out of the environment - they are marked as a hazmat load. The concentrate then comes up through Seattle to Everett, then to Spokane then to Cominco's Trail smelter in Trail, BC. The smelter separates the ore and refines it up to a nearly pure state.

Is that what the red flags are for...contaminated soil? Nice video as always!

@SeattleRailFan

9 жыл бұрын

Don't know what those little red flags on each gon signify. I looked at my other EVESPO video and didn't see any on those gons. Another mystery!

that was strange why he stopped did they have too throw a switch back in the yard after he cleared? didn't see any MOW something came loose on one of the cars before he cleared the yard im just guessing

@SeattleRailFan

9 жыл бұрын

The locos would have stopped just past the crossing behind me. There isn't a signal there (as far as I know). There is a switch, but it's farther down and it's power operated. And they only stopped for like 30 seconds. It's a mystery!

@staintedcards

9 жыл бұрын

he had too stop and pee lol too much coffee lol

@SeattleRailFan

9 жыл бұрын

SeattleRailFan Found out while discussing this on another forum, the switch around the curve from this filming location is not power operated as I had assumed. It is a manual switch that needed to be lined to put the train onto the Lowell Siding, which in turn leads to the eastbound mainline. I had caught trains here before and they didn't make this stop. In those cases, the switch may have already been lined for the siding or perhaps the utility man was on site to line the switch in advance of the train arriving.