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Post by curtmc on Aug 5, 2013 13:09:41 GMT -8
Peddler, the view on the west facing Fostoria cam (I won't say the LLC site name because anybody with a brain can Google Fostoria webcam - then complain that they have to pay to see it) is at a tight head-on angle so that individual cars and units (other than the lead unit) can't be identified. It is an "artsy shot" during the day but you still can't see what the trailing units or cars are on the CSX trains. One day there was a Santa Fe second unit on an EB CSX train and not one other person in the chat group noticed it because of the head-on angle - and there was no way to tell what the unit number was with that head on angle either. At night - when I used to do most of my viewing (since I have a day job) - both of the current Fostoria cams are terrible and much worse than the prior cams. Mike has even commented on how poor the current cams are at night - but he apparently only cares about what the day view looks like (as that is his selling point to get paid memberships from NS fans). The eastbound CSX trains at night are nothing but a blob of light and good luck identifying anything on the train. Some of us watch trains to see more than just the headlight or the front of the lead unit you know... Well maybe you don't know... (With the prior west cam side shot you could identify trailing units and most cars/containers in a train - and that isn't possible on the east cam at night due to the bright light glare on the sides of the cars from the line-side scanning equipment). Yes, Fostoria is busy 24/7 and it is pretty rare to have a 20 minute spell without a train. With trains going around the connection tracks at 10 mph you can also have a train take 20 minutes to roll through on the NE or NW connector (during which other train(s) pass by at 45 on the other main). (For those not familiar with the Fostoria web cams they don't pick up the NE or SE connector track traffic and the N/S ex-C&O line is tough to see due to its distance from the cams, so there are some times that you are hearing trains that you can't see) One club saw 50 trains (between 9 AM and 7:30 PM - which is about when the evening intermodal fleeting parades start passing through) on their Longest Day visit last year akronrrclub.wordpress.com/about/activities/2012-longest-day-at-fostoria/ Busiest times I have observed in Fostoria are from 8 PM to 2 AM during which there is usually a parade of CSX intermodals in each direction and NS RoadRailers and intermodals too. Those parades are why I used to watch the webcam late at night. Doing work on the computer or around the house with the computer on... Hear a horn, go to the computer, watch the train, then after go back to doing the chore (or web surfing) for the few minutes until the next horn. I hope the new park has a web cam. I'll support it. |
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Post by atsfan on Aug 5, 2013 13:48:43 GMT -8
Maybe I missed it but where or how are these webcams viewed?
THanks
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Post by Brakie on Aug 5, 2013 14:17:10 GMT -8
Maybe I missed it but where or how are these webcams viewed? THanks Here the place. www.railstream.org/-------------------------- Curt,I agree but,that was the only view they could get on the NS or zoom out and reduce the size of the NS trains.The members decided it was better to see NS and use the East cam for CSX.Its best to watch CSX on the East cam anyway since you can see the South to East connector and the South to West connector..The West cam is a block from the CSX/NS diamonds that's why it such a tight zoom. You can have both Fostoria cams up or you can have four different cams up plus you can open the chat window if you are so incline. |
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Post by curtmc on Aug 5, 2013 14:32:56 GMT -8
Peddler, don't believe that... The wider west cam view at the near street actually had a closer view of the NS in the background, along with crossing gates to alert you to which rails the train was on before it got there. The east cam is still at too much of an angle to see the sides of cars (and the reporting marks) and the glare at night washes out everything.
I am well aware of the other cams - including the changed view at Berea (where CSX trains usually fly by so fast you can't identify anything in them, and the new view doesn't even include the tower or the signals)...
Try this...
Tell me all the unit numbers in the next EB CSX train through Fostoria at 11 PM (with the prior west cam it was easy to see)
Tell me the unit numbers of the next NS eastbound (which could easily be seen from the initial cam on the bar)
Tell me the unit numbers of the next eastbound at Grand Island (where the idea was to have both UP and BNSF, and ended up with a 100 yard away view of just UP across two streets)
What I wanted to see, and what his apparent goal was at first, was a webcam where entire trains could be viewed - close up so that you could tell the units and the cars. There is not one single CSX view on the site where that is commonly possible, but yet there easily could be (and was).
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Post by Brakie on Aug 5, 2013 14:45:43 GMT -8
Peddler, don't believe that... The wider west cam view at the near street actually had a closer view of the NS in the background, along with crossing gates to alert you to which rails the train was on before it got there. The east cam is still at too much of an angle to see the sides of cars (and the reporting marks) and the glare at night washes out everything. I am well aware of the other cams - including the changed view at Berea (where CSX trains usually fly by so fast you can't identify anything in them, and the new view doesn't even include the tower or the signals)... Try this... Tell me all the unit numbers in the next EB CSX train through Fostoria at 11 PM (with the prior west cam it was easy to see) Tell me the unit numbers of the next NS eastbound (which could easily be seen from the initial cam on the bar) Tell me the unit numbers of the next eastbound at Grand Island (where the idea was to have both UP and BNSF, and ended up with a 100 yard away view of just UP across two streets) Curt,By 11 pm I'm in bed or playing video games..I enjoy the cams in daylight,usually morning with my coffee and have no problems seeing engine numbers. The West cam is indeed a block away that's why the tight zoom as I said. Maybe the Rochelle cam on trains.com will work for you since it has stop action.. |
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Post by atsfan on Aug 5, 2013 16:04:49 GMT -8
11pm and watching web cams of far off trains in the dark?
I can think of many things more better than that at 11pm to be doing.
Some involve women.................:-)
But, more likely, as Larry says, sleeping...............:-o
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Post by atsfan on Aug 5, 2013 16:08:13 GMT -8
I see an audio (scanner) feed for Fostoria, but not a web cam.
The Cresson webcam had a train on it. Many phone wires to see through though.
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Post by Brakie on Aug 5, 2013 16:42:09 GMT -8
I see an audio (scanner) feed for Fostoria, but not a web cam. The Cresson webcam had a train on it. Many phone wires to see through though. The Fostoria cams are member only.. Finding business that is willing to accept a cam and the needed hardware isn't that easy.The Station Inn was one that agreed to host the cam and the needed hardware. The thing is with these cams is to enjoy train watching at various areas one may not get to visit..I been to Fostoria many times and "go there" every morning and I never would be able to make a trip to railfan Grand Island or Coal City..I can go there now by cam. |
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Post by curtmc on Aug 5, 2013 17:06:12 GMT -8
Peddler, the current west cam view is focused in on a point about 1000' feet (2 blocks) away whereas the prior view - even without zooming - had NS at about 400' away. The new view shows maybe 2% of what the old west view did. NS fans just complained about the focus being more on CSX. With the CSX EB headlights directly into the camera at night he's going to have a lot more iris trouble with the new zoomed west cam view too. On the old west view (wider shot of crossing closest to cam location) if there was an interesting unit in a CSX lashup - eastbound or westbound - you could do a print screen, save and edit to get a pretty decent "roster shot" of the unit as it passed. You can't do that now. There was even one forum topic where several members were posting their roster cam shots of passing foreign power - everything from Warbonnets to UP Heritage units. Do you see any of that now? Heck no... because you can't get a side shot of a foreign power unit in Fostoria on the current cam angles. Everything on CSX is a sickening tight angle head on shot where almost every train looks like the last one and the next one... And BTW, I doubt if you can actually identify trailing units or freight cars (by number) in CSX trains on the west cam as you said. Sometimes it is possible in the east cam but not for freight cars with ribs. Maybe someday when I have more time to watch during daytime I might contribute again (after all, I was contributing even before it became a member site). PS. 11 PM is early, and besides 7 PM (winter) or 9 PM (summer) is usually dark/night... And when your work days are often 6 AM to 7 PM that doesn't leave much time for daylight viewing except days not working... BTW. Below is a grab shot of a hot CSX intermodal passing at 45 mph showing what the west view used to be (and it could have been zoomed a little more to help with seeing the NS line behind the CSX - the NS was just beyond the brick building visible between the containers)...  |
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Post by curtmc on Aug 5, 2013 17:32:44 GMT -8
Oh, and here's what the Berea cam used to be...  Even with the old lower def camera and a limited connection, you could tell what those new (at that time) NS units were... |
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Post by atsfan on Aug 5, 2013 17:38:33 GMT -8
I always wondered why the railroads don't use more webcams themselves for dispatching and other purposes.
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Post by Judge Doom on Aug 6, 2013 11:01:34 GMT -8
August 6, Tuesday - Start railfanning all day (7am-maybe 6pm) at the Amtrak Station (May head to Deshler, Oh that day or the next) - Eating out at Bob Evans restaurant with the other 11 club members and my family. Deshler is supposed to be a railfan mecca from what I hear, you won't be disappointed stopping there. There's always a few out at the railfan park by the diamond. |
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on Aug 7, 2013 19:42:40 GMT -8
Ok so it is Wednesday night and I am in Altoona, PA at the Motel 6. Shiit it was $81 per night for a room at the Best Western or $45 per night for a room at Motel 6. I easily chose Motel 6 dawgs!! Anyway it is late now and we got in town around 8pm on the dot. Today is Loretta's birthday and we spent it driving from Marion, OH to Altoona, PA but we had dinner after we checked in to the Motel. Tomorrow morning we will be showing up at the Amtrak Station in Altoona behind the McDonald's. If you are in the area come find us! We have met one Youtuber in Deshler OH yesterday. Deshler was great but not a "mecca" as Fostoria is and BEST OF ALL I am awaiting Horseshoe curve later tomorrow night. That is the ULTIMATE railfan spot ever! It is so relaxing and just feels like an Oasis come true dawg! Corny but true! Anyway I am off to bed so I can get out for 8am. See you on the rebound, Peace out!!
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Post by curtmc on Aug 8, 2013 17:56:27 GMT -8
Al,
I'm betting (and hoping) you'll have better weather at Horseshoe Curve than the day I was there with +6 degrees, 20+ mph winds, and snowing with 4" already fallen... IMHO The Curve would be better with the variety seen at Fostoria.
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on Aug 8, 2013 18:34:58 GMT -8
Shoot the weather this afternoon into the evening was sucky! It was rainy and hot. At least railfanning is not an event relying too much on weather conditions. It was raining but it was warm so it was not as bad as being out in the cold while raining. I am in the Motel and leaving to Enola, PA in the morning. I have done a bunch of video recording and have taken more than 1000 photos! So far it is good! See ya back here soon!
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Post by atsfan on Aug 9, 2013 12:10:28 GMT -8
Kids crashing train models is as old as........train models.
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Post by atsfan on Aug 9, 2013 12:11:19 GMT -8
Monster, railfanning in August in the North east is begging for heat, humidity, rain, and bugs.
You should be out west as in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho.
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Post by Brakie on Aug 9, 2013 14:07:32 GMT -8
Kids crashing train models is as old as........train models. Don't forget the master crasher-Gomez Adams..  |
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Post by atsfan on Aug 10, 2013 9:45:43 GMT -8
sirs, not wanting to spoil childish fun....my grandchildren would say...granddad is this a toy or model and would then play accordingly....I too enjoyed the zany world of the adams family....if an accident happened to any models with children playing my first concern would be had a child got hurt if a carriage was being shaken about I would gently say...you'r not hurting the little people inside them are you or careful the little people are eating so don't spill their soup....but each to their own and enjoy. happy trails......jim brodie Some people are resisting the bubble wrapping of America still.................thankfully. Nevermind the mind games of telling your grandkids you are hurthing the (non existant) "little people" inside the trains? It is simple, if you have kids give them some trains that are not something you mind getting damaged. It is called "play value". Anyone who does otherwise is not having fun. When they are older, sure you can them into more real train running. But for crying out loud, can't a kid be a kid anymore without all this nonsense of delibrately destroying their fun? |
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