Supposedly somewhere in Minnesota:
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That "leaked grain" between the rails is too perfect. There would have been spillage on the other side of the rail plus some of the spilled grain would have been grinded in the steel rail. I don't see any of that. I believe that photo has been "Photoshopped".
prrhorseshoecurve posted:That "leaked grain" between the rails is too perfect. There would have been spillage on the other side of the rail plus she of the grain would have been grinded in the steel rail. I don't see any of that. I believe that photo has been "Photoshopped".
I agree, i.e. "photoshopped". Such a perfect distribution of grain would have taken many, MANY "leaking" grain hoppers. Something just looks fishy.
Judging the depth of the grin that had to be one huge car to spread it that even, deep and far! I would like to see the car that lost it.
Is it yellow snow?
I didn't doubt this for a second, being a farmer all my life. Those hopper doors are wide enough to spread like that, and it isn't very high up the rail, so 1/3 of a 100 ton car would go a long way. Check here.
If this is factual all the local bucks,does, wild turkeys, raccoons, possums and other wildlife including the Canadian geese must think that Santa left them a feast.
John H posted:I didn't doubt this for a second, being a farmer all my life. Those hopper doors are wide enough to spread like that, and it isn't very high up the rail, so 1/3 of a 100 ton car would go a long way. Check here.
@John H - Thanks for finding a news source - I tired and could not find anything to back it up when I initially posted!
Love the headline:
Deeply satisfying Minnesota corn spill has the world talking
The corn is perfectly spread on the tracks, and it's legit.
It's been confirmed that a viral photo of corn-filled train tracks in Minnesota isn't fake.
Nice job JOHN H! Nice job!!! 
Not saying it's not real, but there is still something a bit off about this whole thing.
Haven't loaded a grain car in 50 years or so, but the hoppers then had a ratchet and pawl system similar to what is on grain trailers for a truck. Once closed, they were pinned and sealed. The seal consisted of a metal strip, similar to a zip tie, that could only be removed by being cut or snapped with a bar. The seals were sequentially numbered and the numbers listed on the bill of lading. When the car reached it's destination, the seal numbers were duly recorded, the seals removed and the pin pulled so the trap could be cranked open.
Obviously, not the case here.
Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
I used to see this quite often, but, not that deep.
One thing you nay-sayers aren't taking into consideration is that the chute is made to fit between the rails so it can be unloaded.
Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Probably not.
Big Jim posted:Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Probably not.
Or getting credit for a new ballast replacement mechanism. That’s a cool pic.
Are those grain kernels on the ties outside the rails? Hard to photoshop those to look real.
Probably FAKE, since too perfect and there is no mass feeding by wildlife, as mentioned above!
Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Why? It's not the train crew's responsibility make sure the hopper doors are secured. That's the job of the shipper and the railroad's car inspectors.
The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
Tinplate Art posted:Probably FAKE, since too perfect and there is no mass feeding by wildlife, as mentioned above!
Why do you folks keep insisting it's fake when it's pretty sure not to be fake.
Deeply satisfying Minnesota corn spill has the world talking
Are you looking for a notarized statement that it's real? 
That page also has a video of a guy actually at the tracks, is that faked as well?
https://twitter.com/i/status/1214604939923730433
Wait until this stuff ferments. Watch out for inebriated wildlife!
Up in the Poconos there is always some spilled grain along the last mile to the grain mill and the critters are everywhere. We also get some lovely winter wheat growing in the gauge.
Rich Melvin posted:Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Why? It's not the train crew's responsibility make sure the hopper doors are secured. That's the job of the shipper and the railroad's car inspectors.
The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
That is logical, sound thinking, Rich...meant for my reply to be a little tongue in cheek
Not the thinking of my trainmasters
Pull one of your PS4427, PS4750, or ACF 3-bay hoppers and carefully measure the hopper doors. You'll find that they're not really that wide. Unless the car is sitting, you won't get enough to cover the rails and spread outside.
John Ochab posted:If this is factual all the local bucks,does, wild turkeys, raccoons, possums and other wildlife including the Canadian geese must think that Santa left them a feast.
I my home town the freight yard had a derailment.A covered hopper car got tore open.This was right in front of the train station.Man the pigeons was all over that spill of grain.Funny thing is it smelled like beer.There was people looking on at this.As the clean up crew.
Story made the national news....
I'm as surprised as anyone - especially since I live in the Twin Cities and had not heard anything about it - but apparently it is real. The Strib story has a different picture of the scene....
http://www.startribune.com/the...n-crystal/566783462/
Gunrunnerjohn, I bet no one will doubt this is the real thing 😁.
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Must be photoshopped, nobody grows corn that big! 
John,
Wish I had thought to do that....
Gilly@N&W posted:John,
Wish I had thought to do that....
Ditto! @John H, what a masterpiece!
gunrunnerjohn posted:Must be photoshopped, nobody grows corn that big!
GMO science experiment results!
John H, I love it! LOL
Dan Weinhold
Can we all agree that John has too much free time on his hands.....
Now why didn't I think of that! 
Bravo Sir! 
Rich Melvin posted:The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
They'd know if there was a caboose and a full crew
I guess the EOT device didn't tell them that they were leaving their load behind.
palallin posted:Rich Melvin posted:The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
They'd know if there was a caboose and a full crew
Not necessarily. Brakemen usually face forward watching the rest of the train.
Now I know it is fake as there is no 3rd rail as in Johns photo.
Rich Melvin posted:Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Why? It's not the train crew's responsibility make sure the hopper doors are secured. That's the job of the shipper and the railroad's car inspectors.
The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
Inspectors not inspecting? That is not a good thing at all. Sadly it is not only the railroad industry that has inspectors not doing their job to the fullest. How is it that the next person down the line catches what the inspector failed to, or in the case, the tracks? I'm sure if they followed the trail, they would find that inspector signing off on something else he didn't even look at, maybe some molasses or butter
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Rich Melvin posted:Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Why? It's not the train crew's responsibility make sure the hopper doors are secured. That's the job of the shipper and the railroad's car inspectors.
The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
Inspectors not inspecting? That is not a good thing at all. Sadly it is not only the railroad industry that has inspectors not doing their job to the fullest. How is it that the next person down the line catches what the inspector failed to, or in the case, the tracks? I'm sure if they followed the trail, they would find that inspector signing off on something else he didn't even look at, maybe some molasses or butter
Seeing this occurred essentially "in the middle of nowhere," it's obvious that someone closed and thought they secured the hopper.(Anyone ever drive and discover your trunk lid isn't latched or see one in traffic?)
It's also possible something broke or got damaged in transit resulting in the spill.
(BTW, who ships butter by the tank load or hopper???)
Rusty
Rusty Traque posted:Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Rich Melvin posted:Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Someplace, somewhere... a train crew is getting blamed for this
Why? It's not the train crew's responsibility make sure the hopper doors are secured. That's the job of the shipper and the railroad's car inspectors.
The train crew would not know anything about this. It all happened behind them.
Inspectors not inspecting? That is not a good thing at all. Sadly it is not only the railroad industry that has inspectors not doing their job to the fullest. How is it that the next person down the line catches what the inspector failed to, or in the case, the tracks? I'm sure if they followed the trail, they would find that inspector signing off on something else he didn't even look at, maybe some molasses or butter
Seeing this occurred essentially "in the middle of nowhere," it's obvious that someone closed and thought they secured the hopper.(Anyone ever drive and discover your trunk lid isn't latched or see one in traffic?)
It's also possible something broke or got damaged in transit resulting in the spill.
(BTW, who ships butter by the tank load or hopper???)
Rusty
Was a joke about the molasses and butter. It was corn, right?
I'm mildly curious as to what happened to the corn afterwards. Hopefully, it was left somewhere to feed wild critters, as I don't see the stuff as being commercially saleable, even as animal feed.
Mitch
