Tim Stockwell
Ethanol Train and Tornadoes
A 7:00 AM work meeting yesterday gave me the flexibility to try to catch the Pan Am Loaded Ethanol Train in the afternoon. Of course, the train was supposed to run much earlier, having been reported southbound through Plattsburgh, NY on the CP D&H around 10:00 PM the night before, but apparently something happened on CP and the train wasn't through Whitehall, NY until almost 12 hours later! I arrived at Alplaus in Glenville, NY to find a Pan Am crew running the train's power from the south end of CP's Mohawk Yard up to CPF480, then back down onto the Controlled Siding East where the loaded ethanol train was parked. As the train performed its brake test, I shot a few "hide the blobs" photos, one of which you see here. At about the same time, the National Weather Service in Albany issued a Tornado Warning for nearby Amsterdam, NY and surrounding area. My brother (who's a meteorologist) and I both occasionally storm chase as well, and the storm chaser in me was a bit tempted to take off after the storm instead. But, having chased plenty of storms, I know too well that trying to see a tornado in the Northeast is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There's just too many hills and trees to block one's view, not to mention that many Northeast tornadoes are often wrapped in rain. Anyway, I decided to stick with the loaded ethanol train, but I would only get them at one more location (Crescent / CPF477) before the skies really opened up with torrential downpours, some hail, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. Giving up on the chase ended up not being a bad idea considering the train then had to hold at CPF464 on the Pan Am side to let a track patrol run ahead. Then, further delays were in store for this train as the storm messed with the signals and switches, and they ended up having to sit at CPF464 for an extended period of time before finally hand lining the switch and proceeding just before sunset. It was an eventful afternoon for this train for sure, but it was also an eventful afternoon for the whole Capital Region. As it turned out, the National Weather Service in Albany confirmed that not just one, but two, short-lived EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Johnstown and Saratoga Springs, respectively.
Ethanol Train and Tornadoes
A 7:00 AM work meeting yesterday gave me the flexibility to try to catch the Pan Am Loaded Ethanol Train in the afternoon. Of course, the train was supposed to run much earlier, having been reported southbound through Plattsburgh, NY on the CP D&H around 10:00 PM the night before, but apparently something happened on CP and the train wasn't through Whitehall, NY until almost 12 hours later! I arrived at Alplaus in Glenville, NY to find a Pan Am crew running the train's power from the south end of CP's Mohawk Yard up to CPF480, then back down onto the Controlled Siding East where the loaded ethanol train was parked. As the train performed its brake test, I shot a few "hide the blobs" photos, one of which you see here. At about the same time, the National Weather Service in Albany issued a Tornado Warning for nearby Amsterdam, NY and surrounding area. My brother (who's a meteorologist) and I both occasionally storm chase as well, and the storm chaser in me was a bit tempted to take off after the storm instead. But, having chased plenty of storms, I know too well that trying to see a tornado in the Northeast is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There's just too many hills and trees to block one's view, not to mention that many Northeast tornadoes are often wrapped in rain. Anyway, I decided to stick with the loaded ethanol train, but I would only get them at one more location (Crescent / CPF477) before the skies really opened up with torrential downpours, some hail, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. Giving up on the chase ended up not being a bad idea considering the train then had to hold at CPF464 on the Pan Am side to let a track patrol run ahead. Then, further delays were in store for this train as the storm messed with the signals and switches, and they ended up having to sit at CPF464 for an extended period of time before finally hand lining the switch and proceeding just before sunset. It was an eventful afternoon for this train for sure, but it was also an eventful afternoon for the whole Capital Region. As it turned out, the National Weather Service in Albany confirmed that not just one, but two, short-lived EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Johnstown and Saratoga Springs, respectively.