Horseshoe Curve, Summer 2019

What is the access to the webcam at Horseshoe Curve?

If you have trouble with the link, try googling Virtual Railfan, look for the Horseshoe Curve image. If clicking on that gives you a bad message, look for a second image below and that seems to work.

 Tom 

I watch the Curve webcam all the time-the best. Right now the VR cams are  down,falling snow gives them trouble, I guess. I get good info off the chat bout the Lurgan branch which is a half mile away.

Thanks Tom,snow looks great,as long as it stays south of us.....

I agree Joe! 

Tom 

jim pastorius posted:

I watch the Curve webcam all the time-the best. Right now the VR cams are  down,falling snow gives them trouble, I guess. I get good info off the chat bout the Lurgan branch which is a half mile away.

Jim,

 It's back up and working as a train of mostly double-stacks and empties is passing by.

Tom

didn't know you had a Way Back Machine Tom.......

Dave, OK...it took me 2 minutes to get that one. I fixed the title to show 2019! Thanks. 

Tom 

Just watched a double headed NS container train go past heading east. Pretty cool how the camera follows the locos around the curve. Still snowing there too.

Thanks for posting this Tom.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Just watched a double headed NS container train go past heading east. Pretty cool how the camera follows the locos around the curve.

Thanks for posting this Tom.

Bob

Glad you like it Bob. Pretty cool at night, too.

Tom 

Nice!

I finished my beer before the last car..…..

Thank you! 

well I imagine you were too busy polishing all those Prewar Switchers........

Been watching on and off this afternoon, and the most impressive thing I saw was a westbound train consisting of mostly tank cars being led by 5 locomotives and pushed by another two...

The amount of reflective placards really show at night on the intermodal trains... would be nice to get something like that into our models...

Just as I hit send above, the PRR Heritage Unit (NS 8102) just led a intermodal train westbound...

Good day virtual train watching...

Ha, I was watching this morning since I'm not feeling well enough to shovel the 6-10" that we got.  At that time it only looked like a couple inches on the ground at The Curve.

LOL! Have to admit; I'm addicted to the Curve!

Billy C

MNCW posted:

If you haven't seen the Horseshoe Curve webcam lately, it looks pretty nice after the recent snow.

 

Tom 

Seems like the Horseshoe Curve webcam nerds are out in force today... now I’m going to have to check out the webcam in daytime. Like I’m retired and I’ve got nothing better to do... wait a minute  

This is way cool!

I should have a link playing in the train room next time.

Farmer_Bill posted:

Ha, I was watching this morning since I'm not feeling well enough to shovel the 6-10" that we got.  At that time it only looked like a couple inches on the ground at The Curve.

 

Same here in Fredericksburg, I looked at it this mornig and started cusing, however I calmed down and sent the wife to shovel it.

RootBeerRail posted:

 

The amount of reflective placards really show at night on the intermodal trains... would be nice to get something like that into our models...

smokeboxgraphics.com sells  the reflecting stickers in O-HO-and N scales...use ro148 for the cars.....they also have the yellow and white long strips to go on locomotive side frames.....all my locos and cars have these....looks great 

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

Farmer_Bill posted:

Ha, I was watching this morning since I'm not feeling well enough to shovel the 6-10" that we got.  At that time it only looked like a couple inches on the ground at The Curve.

 

Same here in Fredericksburg, I looked at it this mornig and started cusing, however I calmed down and sent the wife to shovel it.

LOL John, my wife refused to let me out of the house to shovel and I didn't argue.  She went out by herself and was back inside within 10-15 minutes saying she hired someone -- a driveby who initially wanted $50 and she talked them down to $20. 

Looks like it's starting to accumulate up on Horseshoe Curve.

I prefer the Ashland, VA site. More passenger trains (as opposed to long displays of graffiti on freight cars). Lots of "locals" plus auto train, Silver Meteor and Star. When no trains, you see a busy town. For snow, check out the Canadian site, and for palm trees, San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Ashland doesn't compare to the Curve with the long freights pulling up the hill' double & triple meets, special moves-lots of drama plus a good chat room. I find passenger trains boring. For snow I just look out the window. We have trees too. I have the Horseshoe Curve on all the time. Real railroading.

Ashland has CSX; Horseshoe Curve has Amtrak.  It's all good! 

Freight with problems stopped on curve since 10P eastern. Personnel checking between cars.

Farmer_Bill posted:

Ashland has CSX; Horseshoe Curve has Amtrak.  It's all good! 

I was watching it rain last night at Ashland and some knucklehead ran up on the tracks, It took an hour to pull it off the tracks, that the forth one this year and it is still January.

Than I watched it snow on horseshoe, boring night.

Last night about 11 PM an east bound NS train lost its air on the Curve right past the park. Watched for a good hour while the conductor walked the train through the deep snow and cold. wa carrying a bright lantern, finally stopped at a freight car and waited. Tied down some brakes because it was on the hill. Never learned what caused the problem but finally headed for Altoona. Almost 500 watching. The guy earned his money on that trip. Good thing it was a  man crew. Real railroading.

Jim...I was one of the 500 also watching. That must have been pretty tough trudging through the snow on a long train. 

The same Virtual Railfan folks came out with a beautiful "Best of 2018" complilation video which nicely done showing action from the many webcams they have across the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I6fJaSUt_U

Tom 

I was another. The whole time I was thinking I'm sure glad that's not me out in that cold and wind and snow.

I meant to write, "it was a god thing it was a 2 man crew" but  I really think a woman doing that-walking through deep snow, climbing up on the cars and setting he brakes would have been tough for a woman to handle. the Curve is the only camera I watch.  the terrain, weather, the MOW crews and the long freights climbing those grades are the best. A bunch of the other cameras are just IMs and oil trains blowing past the camera at 60mph. Or watching passengers get on and off Amtrak.

I thought the same and only watched the Curve cam...but the video of 2018 in review was pretty nicely done...especially at around 11:00 in when a steamer (Tweetsie 630 at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, I think) and a Norfolk Southern freight pass each other and do the "Shave & a Haircut/Two bits" with their horn and whistle...kind of a wonderful nice nod to the past. 

I probably will still only watch the Curve cam, but there are some other neat locations. I just don't have all the time needed to watch them. 

Tom 

Tom that was a great link you posted. Thank You. 

Horseshoe Curve is such a cool, historic place to visit. The snow just adds another level of interest.

The "Best Of..." compilation video from Virtual Railfan is just as interesting...plenty of Horseshoe Curve shots in there, too. 

 Tom 

The snow is starting to pile up there on the Curve.  Almost gone here in VA.

I was watching the rain the other night Tom...left to right...right to left....straight down....straight up....

Yes, there's wind up in "them thar mountains!" 

They are actually under a high wind warning that is headed east. Put some paperweights on that muscle car of yours. 

Tom 

yeah crazy winds all day today, trees down all over the place.

Saw it as well. Great photo!

MNCW posted:

Yes, there's wind up in "them thar mountains!" 

They are actually under a high wind warning that is headed east. Put some paperweights on that muscle car of yours. 

Tom 

Excuse me Tom, but if I want bad weather reports, I’ll watch the news!!!