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Pine Penalty Box
The Penalty Box.
For those of you who monitor a scanner during your fanning adventures, you may recall hearing "The Penalty Box" mentioned in a radio transmission or two. It does have meaning on the railroad.
On a busy mainline where freight trains intermingle with intermodals in both directions, snags develop. Fast train catches slow train. It's expected and can be handled.
When a passenger corridor is added to this mix, the stress level of the DS is exponentially amplified. Rails are bent to weave hotties in and around the slow manifests
Even the priority intermodal train experiences a delay or two to keep passengers moving. Occasionally, this may involve being tucked away in a siding. Hence the Penalty Box.
On this westbound trip, we are taking a timeout. The DS had no other options. He informs us that we will be in the Penalty Box to meet Amtrak 364, 370, and 30.
Thank God for the long days of summer light. My time in the box will put to good use, giving pixel roll-bys to all passing traffic. Trains of CN can be seen behind us overhead, while trains of CSX are just off to thr right.
Port Huron bound 364 has no visible defects as the trailing Charger flies by at 70mph. It's not a bad day to be in the Penalty Box!
Pine Junction
September, 2022
Pine Penalty Box
The Penalty Box.
For those of you who monitor a scanner during your fanning adventures, you may recall hearing "The Penalty Box" mentioned in a radio transmission or two. It does have meaning on the railroad.
On a busy mainline where freight trains intermingle with intermodals in both directions, snags develop. Fast train catches slow train. It's expected and can be handled.
When a passenger corridor is added to this mix, the stress level of the DS is exponentially amplified. Rails are bent to weave hotties in and around the slow manifests
Even the priority intermodal train experiences a delay or two to keep passengers moving. Occasionally, this may involve being tucked away in a siding. Hence the Penalty Box.
On this westbound trip, we are taking a timeout. The DS had no other options. He informs us that we will be in the Penalty Box to meet Amtrak 364, 370, and 30.
Thank God for the long days of summer light. My time in the box will put to good use, giving pixel roll-bys to all passing traffic. Trains of CN can be seen behind us overhead, while trains of CSX are just off to thr right.
Port Huron bound 364 has no visible defects as the trailing Charger flies by at 70mph. It's not a bad day to be in the Penalty Box!
Pine Junction
September, 2022