Over-and-over-and-over

“Norfolk Southern detector, milepost 2-3-8.2, Track One; no defects.”
That’s the Norfolk Southern defect-detector at Brickyard Crossing in Altoona (“al-TUNE-uh,” as in the name “Al”), PA.
Actually, it’s another road-name, but it’s by an abandoned brickyard.
Norfolk Southern’s assault on Allegheny Ridge begins just east of here.
Actually, it’s the old Pennsylvania Railroad.
Pennsy merged with arch-rival New York Central Railroad in 1968.
Penn-Central soon went bankrupt and eventually failed.
Penn-Central was taken over by Conrail, at first a government amalgamation of all bankrupt eastern railroads, including others like Reading (“REDD-ing,” not “READ-ing”), Jersey Central, Erie-Lackawanna (“EAR-eee lack-uh-WAHN-uh,” as in “wand”), Lehigh Valley, and others.
Eventually Conrail privatized — it was making a profit — and was broken up and sold to both CSX (railroad) and Norfolk Southern, a merger of the phenomenally successful Norfolk & Western and Southern railways. Norfolk & Western served the Pocahontas Coal Region.
CSX got most of the ex-New York Central lines, and Norfolk Southern the ex-Pennsy lines.
Track One is downhill, although the grade isn’t very steep. Only 1.8 percent; 1.8 feet up for every 100 feet forward.
Steep enough to require helpers uphill, and for trains to run away downhill.
There are three tracks past Brickyard — used to be four.
One is downhill (east), Three is uphill (west), and Two can be either way.
I think the detector is only for downhill trains.
The defects detected are -A) hot wheels or bearings (or sliding wheels), and -B) dragging equipment.
Sensors are trackside to detect overheated equipment, and other sensors would get knocked over by dragging equipment.
Often a brake-shoe will hang up and drag against a wheel, overheating it.
Often I see metal retaining straps, part of a freightcar load, bouncing along the ties.
Such straps probably wouldn’t trip a defect-detector, but suppose one of the long rods under a freightcar broke loose, and was dragging.
It could derail things, like the train it’s on, or an adjacent train.
Both overheated bearings and dragging equipment are an invitation to disaster, especially on the old Pennsy’s assault on the Alleghenies, where operation is treacherous enough.
The video was supplied by Phil Faudi (“FAW-dee,” as in “awe”).
I’m a railfan, and have been since age-two. —I’m currently 66.
Phil is the railfan extraordinaire from Altoona, PA, who supplies all-day train-chases for $125 (I’ve done three, and have another scheduled). —I did one two years ago, alone, and it blew my mind.
Phil has his rail-scanner along, tuned to 160.8, the Norfolk Southern operating channel, and knows the whereabouts of every train, as the engineers call out the signals, and various lineside defect-detectors fire off.
He knows each train by symbol, and knows all the back-roads, and how long it takes to get to various photo locations — and also what makes a successful photo — lighting, drama, etc.
I let Phil do the monitoring. I have a scanner myself, but leave it behind.
Phil knows every train on the scanner, where it is, and how long it will take to beat it to a prime photo location.
We zag furiously back-and-forth along the railroad.
“20Q; we can beat it to Lilly.”
A giant U-turn gets executed; off we go towards Lilly.
“You get out, and I’ll park over there.”
Here it comes; still out of sight, but hammering up the hill.
I don’t think I’ve ever waited over five minutes for a train with Phil.
All I know is defect-detectors.
“N.S. detector, milepost 2-5-3.1, Track Three; no defects.”
Here comes another. —I’m at Cassandra Railfan Overlook, 253.1 is Lilly to the east.
“N.S. detector, milepost 2-5-8.9, Track One; no defects.”
Here comes another. —258.9 is Portage to the west.
“N.S. detector, milepost 2-4-1.0, Track One; no defects.”
“Probably a helper-set,” says Phil. “We’d have seen a train by now.”
Phil’s video is picking up all the scanner chatter.
Dispatchers Jeannie and Bob (who we call Marlon Brando, because he talks like Brando’s Godfather) are on Phil’s scanner.
Plus the defect-detectors.
All stuff I’ve heard many times before.
Which is why I keep playing the tape.
It reminds me of all the pleasant times I’ve had along Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Division near Altoona.
—We are right near Alto (“AL-toe,” as in the name “Al”) Tower in Altoona, at night, from the 17th St. bridge.
Alto is where The Hill is dispatched, helpers added and cut off, etc.
A double-stack has just come down The Hill, stopping to cut off helpers, I guess.
The slab-train rumbles up to Alto; open gondola cars full of steel slabs.
It’s heavy, and will need helpers to get up The Hill.
Helpers attached, here we go!
The slab-train slowly accelerates; you can hear the Dash-Nines hammering.
Clearance was given by Jeannie; 21A is following, and will go around on Track Two as it climbs The Hill.
All set up by Jeannie.