Sunday in Auburn, WA

[DelmonteX]

Originally Posted by auburnrails

Well, since he had to take the second shot while driving down a freeway, I'd say it turned out pretty darn good.

-Dave

Thanks Dave, but that's the freeway in the foreground. I took the shot from atop the Sounder Parking structure. The shot's purpose was mainly to illustrate the number of trains in the yard. Which, based on my limited experience, seemed like a lot.

[GE Power]

Originally Posted by DelmonteX

Other than listening for the detectors, do you have any tips for determining if a train is headed over the pass?

Gotta listen to the scanner, both North Branch and Centralia North, and guard against jumping to conclusions. Generally the traffic has been so light on Stampede that I don't head for Kanaskat or someplace out there until I see or hear a train go by the detector at 100.6 (East Auburn). I can't tell you how many times I've been fooled by thinking a train is starting up Stampede when it's not. Sometimes the crew or the dispatcher will say something that will indicate for sure.

Catching westbounds on this west end is even tougher. If you can get a feel for something leaving Easton or maybe Lester on the radio stream or ATCS then you can calculate how long it might take it to get to Palmer Junction. Pretty iffy! The best way, if you happen to hear a westbound at Kanaskat, you can catch him down toward Auburn someplace.

On you MP 73 thing, as you noted, that is part way to Lester from Palmer Junction, in the watershed. To my knowledge, there is no siding of any kind up there to put a train in. I suspect if someone was closing a warrant there he was rolling up track. I don't know about the ride part.

Incidentally, did you catch a UP detouring on the BNSF through Auburn? UP is doing heavy MOW on their Fife to Seattle trackage, and have rerouted a few. I"ve caught the afternoon SEGL in Auburn twice in the last few days.

[DelmonteX]

Originally Posted by johnwvan

Incidentally, did you catch a UP detouring on the BNSF through Auburn? UP is doing heavy MOW on their Fife to Seattle trackage, and have rerouted a few. I"ve caught the afternoon SEGL in Auburn twice in the last few days.

Thanks John!

No UP detours showed up while I was out there. I did catch one a couple days before at Clear Creek. The MOW crews were quite busy on Sunday. They're using the Autoracks facility in Kent to assemble "snap track" and crews were scattered all the way from Kent to Sumner.

[ES44AC]

There are DED's at MP 81.4, 77.8, 71.6, 66.8, 62.92(with HB), 58.96, 51.99(with HB & HBD), 48.99, 45.96, 43.52( with AEI & HB), 38.9, 36.89,
20.43(with HB), 13.9, 9.16
DED= Dragging Equipment Detector, HB= Hot Bearing, AEI= Automatic Equipment ID Reader

[ES44AC]

I forgot to include these detectors between Kanaskat and Stampede Wye,
MP 86.3(DED), 91.53(DED & HB), 100.57(AEI only), 100.59(HW load detector)
HW= High Wide.

[East Of Easton]

Originally Posted by johnwvan

Gotta listen to the scanner, both North Branch and Centralia North, and guard against jumping to conclusions. Generally the traffic has been so light on Stampede that I don't head for Kanaskat or someplace out there until I see or hear a train go by the detector at 100.6 (East Auburn). I can't tell you how many times I've been fooled by thinking a train is starting up Stampede when it's not. Sometimes the crew or the dispatcher will say something that will indicate for sure.

Catching westbounds on this west end is even tougher. If you can get a feel for something leaving Easton or maybe Lester on the radio stream or ATCS then you can calculate how long it might take it to get to Palmer Junction. Pretty iffy! The best way, if you happen to hear a westbound at Kanaskat, you can catch him down toward Auburn someplace.

That is a rather astute synopsis John. I would only add that if you have any intentions on actually catching a train on the pass that you pretty much have to already be there. Well, at least for eastbounds. From the greater Tacoma area the ATCS is great for westbounds, pretty useless for catching eastbounds west of Easton or Martin on the pass. If you know a train is leaving Auburn your chances are slim for catching any shots west of Martin and east of Lester unless you're near I-90 from about Issaquah east.

Leave ATCS aside, I've actually had pretty good luck catching westbounds coming down the pass just keeping North Branch scanning on the old Regency while spending the day around town. I can often catch dispatcher chatter with a westbound rolling up their track warrant or receiving an extension past Lester after they exit the tunnel. From there, you can easily cruise into Kanaskat-Palmer Jct., or you can wait for the the Covington detector (91.6) and book it to Auburn for a shot.

[GE Power]

Nick, have you noticed road travel times changing on these chases? With the increased development through Covington and Four Corners and up Auburn Way South past the casino if you go that way, travel times Auburn to Kanaskat have to be increasing. I've never failed to make it yet if I leave the Auburn area when the train does, but what about the future?

Ironically, Hwy 18 is much, much better, now that the four lane is finished to the bottom of the hill at Hobart. The worst I had was in the afternoon or evening trying to get home, coming down aff Tiger Summit and hitting the two lane and construction at the bottom of the hill. Made me seriously consider if I even wanted to go across Snoqualmie or not.

[Go4Long]

so out of curiosity I was listening in on the Centralia towers on my blackberry. I have to say this might be the friendliest radio chatter I've heard since I started working for the railroad. Everyone addresses everyone by name(although one guy addressed the foreman as Foghorn Leghorn lol), the Amtrak crew was joking around with the dispatcher about the time they would get to wabash I think it was...heck even your detectors sound way cooler than ours...

I want to move to BNSF :P

[bristol4life]

Nick, the ATCS for Stampede only shows Kanasket to the west, and from what I've seen, the coverage for those BCPs is pretty spotty....sometimes it will catch a signal from W. Kanasket or East...but rarely both, and usually, neither. Am I missing something?

For the OP, unless there is space at Ellensburg, they will slow down after Lester and creep into Easton to wait for a w/b to clear by, so they can arrive in Eburg. This has happened several times lately, where trains have waited at Easton for a w.b. that hasn't even left Eburg left (and it's at least an hour running time from Eburg to Easton).

The DS usually asks for crew shuttle info (providing the crew is not staying in Eburg) between Kanasket and Lester, as it will take time to get a van to Eburg if the crew hauler is coming out of Interbay/Tacoma. They do have Eburg-based shuttle van(s) now, and I've heard one coming from Wentachee as well.

[East Of Easton]

Originally Posted by johnwvan

Nick, have you noticed road travel times changing on these chases? With the increased development through Covington and Four Corners and up Auburn Way South past the casino if you go that way, travel times Auburn to Kanaskat have to be increasing. I've never failed to make it yet if I leave the Auburn area when the train does, but what about the future?

Ironically, Hwy 18 is much, much better, now that the four lane is finished to the bottom of the hill at Hobart. The worst I had was in the afternoon or evening trying to get home, coming down aff Tiger Summit and hitting the two lane and construction at the bottom of the hill. Made me seriously consider if I even wanted to go across Snoqualmie or not.

Yeah and no. A west side chase to the watershed; piece of cake. I've also never had any problem; usually take 18 to Maple Valley, Four Corners via 169. But yeah, I swear there's another stoplight every time. My chases up to the pass haven't been as successful; maybe it's just me. You're most likely correct, as getting over Tiger Summit is much smoother these days. In my mind, if an eastbound is leaving Auburn while I'm in the area, which is usually during morning hours, I'm automatically thinking Martin, Easton, Tunnel 2, for the most opportunities with good light. Or Palmer Jct., for a quick trip. I do make it for shots up above the loop or the across the valley back towards old Stampede; but I've taken too many of those. Then again, a majority of my time spent on the pass is during late summer when driving FR 54, as I'm sure you're well aware, the term washboard is an understatement. And usually an eastbound has already hit east Auburn or Covington by the time I'm rolling down the hill from I-5.

Originally Posted by bristol4life

Nick, the ATCS for Stampede only shows Kanasket to the west, and from what I've seen, the coverage for those BCPs is pretty spotty....sometimes it will catch a signal from W. Kanasket or East...but rarely both, and usually, neither. Am I missing something?

Not that I know of. I've only used the Stampede ATCS, so far, to monitor westbounds lurking around your neck of the woods while I'm at home so, as John said 'to catch a feel,' calculate the time, and see If I want to head out later and hopefully catch 'em west of Kanakskat.