Why do they run this train with just 1 or 2 cars??? It's not a Ford priority train anymore...

[@25mfd]

where i worked at on the chicago and northwestern we called a move like this a "shut down car move"... this happens when a customer needs a car/s like RIGHT NOW, and if they don't get it, their operations will be temporarily "shut down" until they do get the car/s... as a switchman, i've been party moves like this, but the moves i did were inside the switching limits... never seen a special move like this one though, where the move is in line haul... the other thing is the railroad ain't doing this move for free... example, CP rail calls this a special move (when a customer requests an unplanned train to have shipments moved directly to destination, CP may offer a direct train service subject to availability of resources and capacity... charges will be assessed to the party requesting the service)... cost to customer, $125.00/mile...minimum of 200 miles

[@paulbergen9114]

Many times I remember seeing the Milwaukee Road sending the freight directly up to North Milwaukee and was like 7:30 a.m.. normally this would have been yarded in the valley but A.O. Smith had coil Steel off the EJ&E at Rondout that was due at their plant by 8:00 a.m. and I was seeing this at like 7:30 so the road power would snap off the first dozen cars and spot them right away then came the fun part of sorting out anything for North Milwaukee then Gathering up the cars to go back to the valley that were for other Milwaukee industry or to continue Westward. It was great fun to watch The Final Countdown which I do believe they just barely made most of the time

[@flashcar60]

Good explanation, but the fact that two locomotives are used is a mystery.

[@25mfd]

@@paulbergen9114 yea i remember AO smith... every time i hear that name i think of auto frames and water heaters

[@J3scribe]

@@flashcar60 Typical mainline consist regardless of tonnage.

[@rc391995]

Shut down cars are exactly what they are. No mystery to 2 engines either . think on that for a second its not as complicated as you might think . The only complication is if one goes down.

[@dwightbernheimer331]

Great stuff wish you had a scanner so we could have heard the Train Talk... Thanks for posting...👍👍👍

[@therailroadtiespiker]

I do have a radio it’s just some of the spots on that line I can hardly pick them up but they’re putting up more boosters is what I’ve been told.

[@dwightbernheimer331]

@@therailroadtiespiker 👍

[@richardtrudeau7363]

Would love to ride in the Locomotive for few hours.

[@chromediesel444]

It kinda resembles what Reading company offered in late 60s to 70s called Bee Line Service, in an attempt to compete against trucks. Cars would be picked up from shipper then go straight to a reciever without going through classification yard. It needed to be at least 5 and 20 maximum cars.

[@lewisgoodridge1308]

We in Aussie have another translation of F.R.E.D. F!!!!!! Rotten Electronic Device. This is a carryover from the introduction of Electronic Control systems in Industry. Most systems would allow status quo to continue when a card became faulty. The way to test the cards was to pull the card out and then replace it. If the plant tripped that card was faulty. If nothing happened the card was good. We became quite skilled as a crew when doing the tests. We would rest all the outside trips before the plant stopped. There were 18 cards.

[@shawnpowell5876]

Great video of this super short NS train! Ive never seen this b4 either and quite unusual to say the least. Definitely must've been a priority for the customer. Thanks again Ty for sharing another great video with us along with your PRICELESS time and effort! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you Shawn for watching. It’s crazy they run a train like that but they get paid to do it.

[@randydobson1863]

hello The Railroad Tie Spiker & it's is Randy and i like yours video is cool & Thanks The Railroad Tie Spiker & Friends Randy

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you Randy for watching

[@davidklauer3422]

FMC must have needed parts badly They could care less on the cost Shuting a major assembly line down costs way more than the price of this hotshot My guess

[@davidglass1327]

I’m following your videos as I grew up in Fort Wayne and enjoy see me old stomping grounds. Pre Amtrak I rode the Wabash Connonball from Fort Wayne to Peru and back. Fun trip. As a 16 year old I got my first Driver’s license at the courthouse in Huntington.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

I would have loved to have rode the train from Fort Wayne to Peru

[@davidglass1327]

It was a fun trip. Made a trip from Garrett IN to Chicago and Chicago to Fort Wayne. That was another fun trip. Also, pre Amtrak. Sadly no passenger trains on those routes post Amtrak.

[@kens.3729]

First train was a really Short Auto Rack and Intermodal Train by Today’s PSR Guidlines. 🤔

[@ChainsawNW1218]

Interesting 181 running with short consist twice, maybe going to next yard to pick up more freight, nice video!🛤🚂

[@therailroadtiespiker]

They ran that way from Fort Wayne to Decatur and I guess they do it a lot.

[@yogiperogy]

I’m used to seeing flat cars strung together with a common truck between them but I’ve never seen tethered auto racks!

[@brianortiz5238]

The I-180 & I-181 are still considered the "Hot" trains because the cars are a priority. Canadian Pacific has the same trains that run from Canada to the Shreveport, LA. The cars have a time limit and have to be delivered under the time constraints.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

181 today was about 40 cars all 86’ box cars.

[@johnalder6028]

Does graffiti paint ever get through to the autos being transported? Nice video on a crystal clear day.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

That’s something I’ve wondered. I love filming on clear days we just haven’t had very many lately. Lol

[@Play_fare]

I see new vehicles come to dealerships now with a white plastic cling film, so if they leave the factory like that, they would be protected from paint and oil or grease that they could pickup in transit. Given the cost of new vehicles these days, the extra cost of protection is negligible.

[@MrEferrell]

The only time the autoracks sit around to be painted they are empty. Once they are loaded they are gone.

[@johnalder6028]

@@Play_fare Good to know. Thanx !

[@irongoatrocky2343]

I used to work at 737 Final Assy at Boeing Renton, we once had a 737 "fuselage arrive from Wichita KS that the taggers got to a P8 Poseidon fuselage so the FBI was really involved as well! (usually these don't stop enroute!) Boeing rejected delivery and it had to go all the way back to Wichita to be corrected before it was returned for assy!

[@walterspringer565]

I don't know much about railroad operations and have always wondered about these multi million $ engines being swapped all over the country. How is a Union Pacific engine being used on a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana? Does UP get compensation for wear & tear on their engine?

[@therailroadtiespiker]

The railroads have found that it’s easier to just leave the power on a train then switch it out when it crosses over to other railroad territories

[@coreypayraudeau9955]

Another channel “distant signal” has a whole video on it, it’s called “why we see foreign power” I believe

[@rc391995]

Is done back and forth constantly like that. I don't think there is an exchange of money involved. You just don't make engine swaps because you crossed a line. That cost time and money . Think on that. You do a mainline engine swap and you got trains on both ends stopped waiting on an engine swap . That's not good business at all. They (the RR ) knows what they are doing sometimes . not alk the time but here they know what hey are doing. They start doing that you going to have thousands of delays a day swapping locomotives around.

[@LeahK2018]

A short train can because of certin issues. First on CSX a train with a few boxcars we called them "HOTS" meaning the customer pays extra $$$ to ship the cars for on time delivery. If they dont get there when there supposed to it can have consequences for a company, like there first shift dosen't have the parts to start there day because there railcars never came in the pror evening. So workers sit around with nothing to do costing the company $$$$. These are usually Auto parts for assembly lines for companies like Ford, Dodge or Chevy. Now with these auto racks the yard that this train original comes out of daily may have only had 3 cars available to put on the train. Railroads will send out a train daily wether it has 3 cars that day or 50 cars. Some Railroads will wait for some more cars and ship it out the next day with more cars or tack on these 3 cars to another train heading to the same vicinity. Or just send out train with 3 cars like in this video. 22 years of employment on CSX for me. Go to school or Stay in school don't hire out on a railroad. It's a rough life, physically and mentally.

[@leecarlson9713]

Those auto racks are so tall! They dwarf the locomotives. And then I saw the intermodals, and they were taller than the auto racks! I enjoy how you explain what the conductor is doing-I can pretty well guess, but new viewers may not know. Didn’t look like the FRED was turned on. Could be just the angle, of course.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

The battery may have been dead on the fred

[@marioxerxescastelancastro8019]

Those specific autoracks are of type Automax made by Greenbrier. They are 6.17 m tall, which is as high as double stack can get with “hi-cube” containers.

[@fstop6139]

The EOT was fine- no battery b/c it’s air powered you can clearly hear the squealing coming from it in the video. EOT flashes only in low-light situations.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

@@fstop6139 I’ve wondered why I see it flashing and then sometimes you don’t

[@floridaboii]

i call it a local

[@therailroadtiespiker]

It travels over 300 miles so a local wouldn’t be the correct term

[@RHicks]

Awesome stuff!!!!!

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you for watching….

[@paulbergen9114]

I can only think of two items. These could be connecting cars off another Railroad and are just in time cars. Perhaps they have shuffled arrival times of other trains at Decatur and there could be Heavy tonnage west to KC otherwise this is expensive

[@ralphpeischl2622]

Don’t know what camera you use but your videos are Chrystal clear. I like it.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you Ralph for watching. I use Panasonic 981 camcorders.

[@wfvideos4099]

181 is still very much a high priority Ford train. Those autoparts boxes are very hot cars for Birmingham, MO. The traffic levels vary though. It also picks up a sizable cut of manifest in Decatur sometimes which can necessitate the short train inbound.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

I’ve been told it also sometimes works the GM Fort Wayne plant

[@TrainsStorms]

Love your videos 😍

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you for watching

[@DuckOfRubber]

I see this type of train (maybe the exact same) go by my house near Lafayette, IN, frequently. I’ve always wondered about them because they seem a bit inefficient.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Yes it would be the train. Most of the trains I film probably go by your house because I usually film up track from Lafayette in places like Clymers, logansport and Peru. Thank you so much for watching

[@9983sp]

To keep it active?

[@therailroadtiespiker]

That was my thought

[@vivianbenge2331]

Badly needed contents to avoid much bigger costs and time losses at the destination seems likely, but a second possibility could be picking up more consist en route. Or both ...my two cents.

[@cdavid8139]

I do not know the operation or the area. But what I'm seeing here isn't uncommon. Perhaps the returning train is bringing back 11k tons. Or perhaps there is work in route. I've run trains where the power leaves the yard with 2 cars and picks up their train at another class yard 5 miles downline.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

They were running from Fort Wayne IN to Decatur IL with just one car. Just seems kinda crazy they could have put that car on another train going to Decatur.

[@cdavid8139]

@@therailroadtiespiker I don't know the territory or the schedules so I cannot comment on the wisdom of such a move. BUt I do know such moves are not uncommon. I've sent many a train out engine light or with just a few cars because I had work for the power downline.

[@johnlicht9151]

Perhaps they were once "bad ordered" cars, repaired on a sidetrack, and are now returning to service.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

No this was the full train that ran from Fort Wayne to Decatur IL and they have done it quite a few times in the past few months.

[@rc391995]

John could very well be right in his assessment though also. That stuff happens.

[@kens.3729]

The Speed Restriction on the Last Short train was Excruciatingly Slow. 😬👍

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Not really sure why they were going so slow 19K was doing track speed just before 181 came through.

[@rc391995]

He could be pacing himself so he can eventually run track speed . could be any number of issues he's running at restricted speed . bad signals broken rail etc etc.

[@pbear6251]

It looks to me like someone is paying NS extra to run that train.

[@rc391995]

It could be also the car missed its connection because of a miss switch or some fault of the RR in that situation the RR might have to cover the cost if the car wasn't delivered on time as promised. That means you drop everything you was doing before and and get them their car if you want to keep the business. The manufacturer knows what they need to keep the lines moving and if the RR failed to deliver as promised the cost of the shutdown falls on the RR. the RR is not the well oiled machine one might think it is. Is run by people and people make mistakes.

[@pbear6251]

@@rc391995 Thanks!!

[@erie910]

Surprised that the second engine wasn't long hood forward to avoid turning the engines if only the two engines were on a return train.

[@jasonclark3127]

If you see on the two trains with the two cars one engine is turned backwards so once the crew got to the drop spot they could us the backwards engine as a lead and go back the other direction so they don’t have go backwards once the cars are dropped off then they could see crossing better

[@robadams5799]

Where do you get the aerial views from?

[@curtisharlan9230]

Alot of action

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you for watching…

[@user-vh1uc6in7b]

Like Your Videos.😎

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Thank you for watching

[@chrislaarman7532]

I don't /know/, but I can compare. (Note that I'm in Europe.) In the grand scheme of things, wagons have to be present for loading at A, then present for unloading at B. Just their number (and weight) may vary. The locomotives have their schedules for duty and maintenance, the crews have their schedules for duty. Canceling one short train may interrupt an otherwise busy and profitable grand scheme. For comparison: I have just paused watching a freight train in Europe running for hours and some 110 miles, that day consisting of just a locomotive running light engine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZrbeX2orpamqdksi=V8XSaAVoPU6pxVKQ. In the description, the engine driver tells the story. The locomotive would be needed for the return train, and therefore must make the trip. It may actually be an interesting 3h44' for American viewers: the trip starts in Germany (and without sound, during a phone call), and ends in the Netherlands. Our locomotive runs on power from an overhead wire, but the voltages differ. In the border station of Bad Bentheim the voltage gets switched from 15kV AC to 1.5kV DC. - About the locomotive (not available in English): de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_ES64F4

[@thomasmitchell7268]

Well, at least you don't have to wait long for the train.

[@therailroadtiespiker]

That’s very true

[@tbb236]

Sometimes there’s just not much tonnage to be moved on certain trains. NS has ditched the operation ratio method and has started focusing on running trains on time regardless of how many cars it’ll have unlike before when they would wait for more cars to add to the train. I’ve taken multiple 245’s down to Meridian to swap over to the KCS that were less than 1,000 feet. Additionally, not that it matters to me, but this train would be out of compliance with NS OB-12. Loaded intermodal cars are to be handled on the head end of trains behind the engines. I couldn’t care less though, as 99% of that bulletin is just a PR ploy to try to make NS look better after East Palestine. Nothing in that bulletin has ever been a problem before but now all of a sudden it is

[@Messicrafter]

As some one whos built mixed + intermodal trains on CSX, you kind of want the intermodal on the rear as putting them ahead of any loaded cars can cause the intermodal cars, even when loaded, to at worse string line the train, at best brake a knuckle or two. (I watched a intermodal break into three pieces due to broken knuckles on the mainline as a yard down the line decided it was a good idea to put 6,000+ tons of mixed freight behind around 3,000 tons of intermodal.)

[@rc391995]

Yep i t happens.

[@imightormightnot]

That first train had a total of three cars?😳😳😳 Are two auto racks considered one car? just curious...

[@1957rickster]

The rail road has nothing to sell but SERVICE. To compete with trucks they have to make on time deliveries if that was the promise. Not every run is a money maker. But you got to what you have to do or loose that contract to the trucks.

[@uprailfan73]

Why do the Freddy make a noise

[@therailroadtiespiker]

I believe the noise you hear is air going through it.

[@fstop6139]

EOT’s are air powered

[@KM-qx6nh]

Because they are headed to lunch !

[@clevelandarearailfan]

I caught this same exact consist on ns 310 in willowick ohio

[@therailroadtiespiker]

When?

[@clevelandarearailfan]

@@therailroadtiespiker 1/28/24

[@henrikjorgensen1614]

När snålheten bedrar visheten

[@rc391995]

It could be what is known as a shut down car . in other words that car may have parts the company doesn't have on hand at the moment and it could or it has already shut the production line down already or there real close to shooting down if they don't soon have the pars on that rail car. It happens all the time. Could also have been an oversight in a classification yard that car didn't make it on the train it was supposed to have

[@RealMelodyBlue]

I want to make a funny but juvenile comment, but I digress 😂

[@therailroadtiespiker]

That’s what she said 😂

[@RealMelodyBlue]

You knew where that was going, lol 😂

[@hoosiersub47167]

Seem to spend more money on labor and fuel compared to revenue

[@peningtondg]

May be driver route knowledge or to keep the line from being closed for good.

[@thomasboese3793]

You only get paid after you deliver the goods!

[@RandyRichey-b5t]

You make it hard to count a train you keep moving the camera😊 to at

[@therailroadtiespiker]

@@RandyRichey-b5t sorry Randy I’m working on some of my older videos showing just one camera angle instead of showing all the cameras my newest videos are easier for you to count cars. Thank you so much for watching

[@paulpochan9631]

... Govt "Black Hat" job....???

[@daveg7172]

new currency?

[@RICKCOPE-q9d]

181. Seems hardly worth running

[@therailroadtiespiker]

Seems like it. Lol

[@rc391995]

You'll end JP paying for it one day if you still drive.

[@markbankson125]

Not very productive

[@therailroadtiespiker]

It doesn’t seem like it but it is the railroad. Lol

[@thomasboese3793]

But, "not" delivering means you don't get paid. And there may be a contract stating speed requirements without a penalty. That's railroading, darned if you do and darned if you don't.

[@rc391995]

Speed restrictions coke from the rule book or timetable or train orders or special instruction bulletins or signal or directives from the dispatcher and signals . oh did I say track side signals.