Large Scale Central

Keep on learning every day

West of Chilliwack is Arnold siding, most of the time while driving by there’s some action. Either in the hole or rolling.

At the east end I noticed one of the CP’s WB 152 cars coal unit trains in the hole. Lets check it out, oh what’s that? Apart from the passing siding there’s also a short spur track. Hmmm what are the these bath-tub gons doing here.

Turns out since Arnold siding is only 8360ft with a road crossing way before the end of the siding, the need to split the unit train in order to keep the crossing clear. Relinking the train - mid train and end unit - took a lot longer than I wanted to wait around for.

No pictures, video coming up.

PS the only other time I saw that done was at Spences Bridge to let the Rocky Mountaineer pass. That conductor was not impressed and related a week later what a bunch of @#$%$# are sitting in Calgary.

Humm they must have been sitting for a long time for them to split the crossing. I know down in the States we can legally block the crossing for up to 10 minutes without movement. Switching in downtown Seattle, we would block the crossings for 20-30 minutes at a time, but we got around the FRA rule because we were in movement!

Normally the DS will let the crews know about the meet before hand and you can stop clear of crossings (and the siding) and then make a rolling meet. We did that all the time through Monroe, WA were there was 6 different crossings. But that takes extra work on behalf of the DS… :wink:

Craig,

I don’t know how long that train had been sitting there. Wasn’t crewed when I got there, but the crew shuttle arrived a few minutes later. It just seemed a strange place to leave a train that needed to be split to fit.

Other considerations too to think about when the train is off air… If the rear half is off air for more than 4 hours, you have to retest the rear section, which takes even more time. For cutting a crossing for less than 4 hours all that is required is either a set and release, or verify that FRED comes back up. I can’t remember which one it is at the moment, but I think it’s just waiting for FRED to come back up at 90 psi.

Dispatchers know best right? :wink:

Craig,

I posted the question on the BCrailfan FB group. From what the locals (them guys down in the Fraser Valley) report this happens quite often, Arnold is used for short term staging. Coal unit trains do/could apparently sit for days up at Boston Bar. Interesting concepts.

Makes me wonder if CP ran a short length of yard airline underneath the crossing to ‘keep’ the rear end of the train on air. In the Seattle Terminal complex BNSF installed a couple of compressors, and yard air connections so trains being held for crews could have the power stolen, without losing the train line air.