I was busy packing things up in my apartment yesterday when I realized I could hear an engine. I live within a few hundred yards of the old Peoria and Eastern RR in Mahomet. NS still uses this branch from Urbana IL to Mansfield IL. I walked outside and was surprised to see two SD-70's and a string of grain cars just sitting west of the grade crossing on IL 47. Closer examination explained why. Both Mahomet Police and Cornbelt Fire Department were on hand. I'm not sure if this was a fuel sending problem or what, I'm not well versed on maintenance on newer locomotives. It looked like they were putting water into something. I heard the master alarm in both locomotives go off as I walked up. The conductor ran to the cab and reset it. Whatever it was, they got it fixed. About a half hour later both locomotives were pulling out of town with the grain cars. Here is a close up. Hoping some resident RR Employees can figure out what was going on as I'm curious. I kept my distance since I didn't want to bother the fire department or RR.
Stack fire that got out of control? COuld have been some gunk there in that area that caught fire. Usually newer locomotives dont have that much gunk on them though.Plus I have never seen an EMD do this before. GE's however.... Great pictures. Ask the local FD if you get a chance. They will more than likely tell you cause.
Im wonderin what the companies OH&S policies are for staff to be standing on guard railings like that bloke........
NS' 70M-2s have had issues with the air compressors cracking and allowing water to leak, eventually tripping the low-water alarm.
osha Yes the standing on the rail would be a huge OSHA violation. My SO works for a construction company. Using anything for a ladder besides a ladder is a huge no no. Using anything for a ladder that makes you six feet off the ground or higher without being tied off is a exponentially larger no no. Doing it out in the open in plain view of the public and swearable witnesses(police and fire) is a firing offense in the construction industry. But at least he had his high vis vest on.
Ok my 2 cents, since I worked this very line! Yes standing on the handrail is a huge nono however on the road, you gotta do what you gotta do, they don't carry step ladders on the locos. That engineer was actually a trainee I had when out there. As far as OSHA, well Illinois isn't an OSHA state except in industrial accidents and then they just assist with NIOSH, so it is a free for all. As far as the loco, yes the air compressor cracking is the cause of the low water. Filled my fair share of older loco also with water and fire depts. are always willing to help with that. Where that is at is about a 2-3 hr. wait for a road truck to get there, so standing on the rail could be the difference of tying up on hours or making it to the other end and this line is not well accessed by vehicle if they tie up in the middle of the trip, so someone is gonna walk several miles in some places to reach the train. Believe me, the rr would overlook it in this case!!!
Jason, tankers or tenders mostly carry only water, no ground ladders. And the dept, that is there has just a water tender with a pump.
