Can you tell me what is going on?

[Larry Kotur]

I had two questions about locomotive movement and what was going on. The first one was answered by looking at the text above the North Camera. I would watch the locomotive movement as it was moved from the engine house down towards the station. Then it took a siding proceeding north and disappeared from both camera's views. I then noticed the description "Bunk House - Coaling area ... " It was then I realized that they were taking coal. Finally, in the last few days the locomotive pulled into the view of the north camera and I watched the coaling in progress.

The second question I still have not figured out. After the days run, the locomotive gets "turned in the wye and heads back to the engine house. It makes a stop after it "disappears" from the north camera view and the rear of the tender is visible in the south camera view. What are they doing? Cleaning out the ash? Do the keep a fire going in the road engine 24x7? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks,

Larry Kotur

[Jason Rose]

Right on both counts.

You can see the coaling area on the far left of the north camera.

The ash pit is just out of view to the far left of the south camera.

[wlhoss@aol.com]

I may be wrong, but I think that after the engine is turned, it stops on the main line (99% out of camera view) and the sand is refilled by passing bags up to be dumped into the dome. The sand being stored in the sand house

Bill Hoss

[Jason Rose]

I don't know, Bill. I've wondered why they usually stop on the main line near the tipple at the end of the day. That's usually the last thing they do before heading to the Engine House. Loading sand is a good explanation.

Does anyone know for sure?

[popeye8762]

I've been watching pretty closely since opening day, and I believe both opinions are correct.

When the locomotive parks on the west, or, main line side of the coal bunker, you can see the -right- rear corner of the tender, they seem to be taking on bagged sand (as others indicate), and, that only seems to happen evenings, to the locomotive used that day for the train.

When the locomotive parks on the east, or, engine house/roundhouse side of the coal bunker, you can see the -left- rear corner of the tender, and that seems to be the ash pit.

Stops on the ash pit occur to any hot locomotive during the day, usually coupled with a stop at the water tower. It's the last stop for the working engine that day, before the engine house.

As a side note, the ash pit sometimes smokes by itself at night, giving the impression there's locomotive activity over it, when there isn't.

Has anyone noticed the deer in the yard, evenings on the north camera?

[Popeye8762]

And, also, Larry,

They seem to keep two locomotives hot at all times. This may be coincidental to maintenance, or the beginning of the season, but so far, I've almost always see two locomotives hot.

[Tom Casper]

The second engine is the rescue engine. Held hot incase something breaks and can't continue. Buses can't get close in a lot of places.

Tom C.