For those who may not know, whenever you see a CSX locomotive with the yellow strobe lights flashing, that’s means the loco is in remote control setup.
Engine 2056 driving down the middle of the street had yellow amber flashing and you can see the engineer inside the cab. Look at 10:33 you can see him inside.
Hello Danny. I lived in Orlando for 31 years and I would often see CSX Freights or AMTRAK come through south Orlando. It was always fun for me to get stopped at the crossing when I was driving. Unfortunately, there are no trains where I currently live, Honolulu, Hawaii. As a youngster, when visiting my grandmother in Bristow, Oklahoma, I would often run the four blocks downhill to see the truly massive trains pass. I could hear their horns for miles. It was much the same in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where the KATY came through twice a day - once each way. Trains are a very important linchpin in our nation’s infrastructure. Together with tractor trailers, they keep America moving. Great job as always, Danny.
If you’re in the Tampa area, if you go North on US-41 into Land O Lakes, There is a CSX main that parallels the highway with an industry they stop at. Last time they came through, they had 2 EMD’s running a consist.
The guy running the RC is living out every little boy's dream with a life size train set! Trains, chili dogs and a drawbridge. Can't ask for more than that. Great video Danny!
Hi Danny - this is Coleman from Newport News, VA - been a subscriber for several years but this is my first time to comment. I really appreciate your content and all the background and context you provide. When it comes to railfanning, your channel is tops in my book. Keep up the good work.
Beginning in 1969, I attended a technical meeting every March in Tampa. I managed to squeeze-in much rail photography around the area. But over a 10+ - year period, I managed to catch only one train on the downtown bridge to Pt Tampa. It was powered by a U18B. The main yards were noteworthy because many of the yard switchers were re-engined Baldwins!. And Uceta Yd. appeared to be some sort of main service facility for the rr's GE locomotives. Unit phosphate trains ran shift-fashion: empty (eb) in the AM; loaded (wb) PM. At that time Tampa Station was was the origination/destination of a passenger connection to Sarasota and Venice. Luckily I kept my Leica busy during these yearly sojourns. It was a great show!
Danny, you never disappoint. Your videos are sooooo interesting and your narration is spot on. No question, you do your research and you know your stuff down to the smallest detail. i really like the drawbridge (another interest of mine). Thank you and 73 de WA4CIF
At The Hub dive bar shown at 10:10, patrons commonly play a game where they pool their money together when they hear the horns and guess how many train cars will go by. Closest one wins the pot.
Thanks! Yes, you should move to Florida. There are so few others coming here right now. I'm kidding. With all the New York, Connecticut and Jersey money flowing into this state right now, home prices are ridiculous.
Another great video Danny. Excellent production values. I have retired after 50 years in broadcast TV, and know that you produce great work. Cheers from New Zealand. FG.
Love the train videos and explanations. But I especially enjoy the tidbits on the mom & pop restaurants. Next time in Tampa, I'll check out Mel's hot dogs.
Great video and tutorial as usual Danny! Nice looking bridge to have been there so long and I'm sure its quite a sight to see when a train crosses it. It just amazes me so much w the Remote Control capabilities of these trains no matter how many times I've watched them. Thanks again for sharing your videos with us along with your time and effort!
it is clear that you spend a fair amount of time with the narration of the videos...always well structured, clear and concise. thanks for taking the time.
Love your videos. Have been in Florida since 2011. So I guess I’m still considered a transplant not a native Floridian. I always learn something new watching your videos and for a little while can forget about the problems of my day. Thanks!
Danny, you are STILL the classiest rainfanner on UA-cam! 2 thumbs up for us here in Colorado. Makes us still wish the DRGW still ran freight over Tennessee Pass through the center of CO as back in the turn of the millennium!
Actually CSX owns the rights to use NYC, PRR, PC, CR, BO, CO, SBD, SAL, SCL, ACL and a plethora of other fallen flags that made them who they are. A lot of times they will apply the fallen flag letters to reporting marks of a series of cars that are used in a special market such as the Rock Hopper business seen here. Reporting marks are 1-4 letters followed by up to 6 numerics, therefor a company like CSX that owns 2.3M cars has to use multiple letter assignments.
@@SD40Fan_Jason How do they keep track of those 2.3M cars? Do they sometime get switched to other railroads or left on a siding somewhere and forgotten?
@@wfermier it's called a Perpetual Inventory Car List PICL for short and it is a system that's used by every North American railroad to keep track of every car. Lost cars are virtually impossible. (Not completely impossible though, heheh)
I love your Bone Valley video from the 90s. This felt like an update. Thank you for your time and efforts in developing this content. I am a virtual rail fan now.
Like the information. I am a train enthusiast from Chicago years back. My Grandfather worked for the NY Central and merged with the Penn Central. We use to travel from Chicago to Dallas on the Super Chief line in the 1960s. We moved to central AZ in 1970 when the Sunset Unlimited use to run through a small town called Coolidge, AZ. We moved to the southeast Valley in Phoenix. The Southern Pacific use to run through central AZ and through PHX until the middle 1990s. Now the Sunset Limited runs through Maricopa, AZ as it's central AZ stop. Took the Amtrak from Flagstaff, AZ to Chicago in summer of 1984. From there, took the IL Central from Chicago to NOLA. From NOLA, all through to downtown PHX. Great trip. Lots of great memories. Have to consider traveling by train again. Thanks.
Mr danny Harmon thank you for the awesome videos I got into trains from my late uncle who passed away 6 years ago and my dad and I used to go so I go to the local train shows in remembrance of my late uncle and my dad
Quite a few years ago I had relations over in Tampa and would usually visit once a year... I could have done with this video back then.. (in the early 2000s) would quite often hear the horns sounding from where I was staying but never knew where they were. We did go for a visit to the Florida Railroad museum at Wimauma that was great! Keep up the great videos Danny, I really enjoy them .👍🏻
Hi Danny, cheers from PEI Canada. I have watched your channel for years, first time comment. I really like the local history that you relay in all your videos, feels like I've been there. Looking forward to more great vids!!
My dad ran the Evansville indiana to Danville Illinois and back leg of Intermodal train 120/121 which ran from Jacksonville Florida to Chicago Illinois for the last 9 years of his career at CSX.
Hi Danny I’m cycling around Europe, currently in northern Lapland in finland (am from Australia) but still check in to watch your videos. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to them.
I come from a very technical background, Naval nuclear power servicing and have just started watching railfanning videos. I enjoy how well you explain the different aspects of rail operations. Keep it up.
Wow! Another masterpiece video from the king of UA-cam. Once again very enterteaining, yet informative video which in every respect is in a class of its own! Congrats my friend! Greetings from a very sunny Sweden! Yes, we do have a summer here too!
Danny Harmon!! I truly love and appreciate your videos! I live in the UK, and your offering is showing me an insight not only of train activities, for which I have no idea the actual mechanics of how an engine or train actually work, I do still like watching!! Only problem I have, if you can can call it that, is the vast and varied variety of places to eat that you find!! Always makes me unbelievably, out of this world, hungry!! Just glad I don’t live to close as I would probably be bankrupt by a week ago that Thursday, after going to them all! I could and would watch videos of you doing reviews of just the eating joints on your journeys!
Excellent video Danny! I went to school at USF in the 1980's. Mel's Hot Dogs was a regular hangout. I miss those hot dogs since I moved far away. Back then there was a yard(s) and daily switching activities across from campus along Fowler Ave. The breweries and Thatcher Glass received rail regular service. It kind of breaks my heart when a spur or siding is severed or ripped up.
The last half dozen times I was in Tampa I tried to catch the street runner and struck out. That is a difficult train to catch. The one in Clearwater would be awesome to catch also
He runs Mon - Thu as Y295. He departs Yeoman yard right after 92 gets out of town, usually around 6PM. Takes about 30 minutes for him to get downtown.Listen out for him on the dispatch channel 160.230. He'll have to get authority over the TWC blocks between TN Tower and the A882.7, which is the switch to the Amtrak station. South of that switch the track is excepted and essentially yard trackage from there to end-of-track at Port Tampa.
Danny. I can't wait until Brightline completes their expansion to Tampa. I certainly hope you will document the ongoing progress, and keep us all up to date.
Another awesome 😎 video +Distant Signal aka Danny Harmon and I love how you make the videos very educational for the rail fans to follow along and showing us the awesome & best places to eat around town! 5 Stars Danny and please stay safe of this storm and yourself a safe weekend and keep up the good work on these train videos!
5:27: the description would be "O700 today is a GP38-3C or P", which would be Cyclops or Popeye. It looked oddly lopsided with one flashing ditch light. And your food reviews of the local eateries are worth the trip to FL alone. Now I am hungry for a chili dog!
Danny, I love all of your videos. Living in Ohio, it’s great seeing all the rails and restaurants back home that I grew up with. My mom is actually a manager at Chemical Formulators on Rattlesnake Point. This was really exciting to see.
Gets new video ping for Danny. Immediately stops watching other UA-cam video to switch to the new Distant Signal video. Glad to see you’re still living life and doing well Danny. Missed watching your content.
That's so bizarre seeing a railway track in the street, especially when the thing running on it is a big diesel locomotive rather than a tram or interurban unit. I wonder what the people of Tampa who aren't railfans make of that situation. My favourite part of this video was the clips of the GP38-3 running under remote control. Here in New Zealand we also have some shunting locomotives fitted with R/C, specifically the DH, DSC, DSG and DSJ classes. On the rare occasions when they venture onto the mainline, they're always driven conventionally instead of by remote. I don't think this video would have been anywhere near as enjoyable without Mr. Harmon's local knowledge and presentation style.
Street running trains used to be a lot more common across the US. There are still quite a few locations where it is done. Morehead City, North Carolina comes to mind, last time I was there the trains still ran down the middle of the road to the port area. It's awesome if you're a rail fan, if not it can be a problem, especially if they are blowing the horn.
Nothing better after a long day at work than coming home to a cold drink and a new Distant Signal video. Love it! Locals are often the best railfanning :)
Yes and no on the one man crew comment about the remote jobs. I work for CSX and we have remote jobs that are both single and two man jobs. Yard jobs with a puck protection system to protect the forward moves can be one man crew, but any remote jobs that require forwards moves with no puck system like industry jobs need a second man to help protect the head end at all times. we also have RCO yard jobs with a foreman and switchman that require heavy switchman because it’s just faster and more efficient to have a switchman versus a single foreman out there doing everything by himself.
Very interesting and good to hear. That's apparently why there were three guys on that Y295 job that night. Although the one guy was in an orange vest which indicates a trainee. Is that correct?
@@distantsignal that is correct. Typically a new hire has to wear a orange vest, or a orange hat if he’s on a RCO job for a year. After one year you upgrade to a yellow vest or if you prefer to work remote jobs you can go back to your normal headwear. When we have trainees for the first few nights we’ll continue to run the engine using the remote box until they’re comfortable and then we’ll hand the box over to them. That’s why on a three man remote job you’ll see one guy without a remote box. Either the trainee will have it, so one of the regular crewmen will not, or a brand new trainee may not just depending on the day and workload.
@@wfermier the puck system is a safety feature they install in yard remote zones to protect forward moves and allows the remote operator to remain in the middle of the yard and make forward moves without the fear of exceeding his zone. There are electronic pucks set every so many feet on the track that corresponds with a speed. The locomotives setup for RCO have a transponder that will detect those pucks and adjust to the speed. Typically you’ll have a 9mph through stop. Obviously once the locomotive reached the stop puck it brings the train to a stop before it can exit its “zone”. I hope I explained that well enough to understand.
Danny! Are you sure you are only "rail fanning"?! Sometimes it sounds more like a report on favorite restaurants! I also had to laugh a bit when you reported on the local "climbing" a hill! We both know "hills" are scarce as hen's teeth in FL!! 😜 Keep up the great work! Always enjoy your well researched and interesting videos. I gotta go; you've made me hungry!! 😋
3:30 IKEA maybe needs rail because if they like need to get their furniture in there stores wouldn’t it be like cheaper and better for the environment to use the trans is one train can haul more freight than a truck 🛻
Danny, I learn something fascinating with every video you produce. Thanks. As a resident only an hour away from Tampa, I now know where to go to train spot. Is there a way to find out in advance what the operating schedule is for any specific freight line?
I used to work at the ethanol terminal on Hookers Point, and when we were light on trains, we'd go over to the Transflo terminal over on 33rd Street and help those guys with area maintenance while they did all of their unloading.
I hate remote control locomotives because they mean that at least one person has been furloughed. Usually a locomotive with flashing amber lights is RCL.
Yeah I feel the same as you, considering I am a locomotive engineer haha. If it makes you feel better, my railroad abolished RCO at a few of our yards and returned engineers to the seat.
That street running just looks out of place that we re not used up here in the north but it gets the job done… another great entry sir and always look forward to the next one…
I always love these videos, been watching for a long long time now and every time one comes out I jump on it within the first couple days of being out!
They are part of the big box movement where everything has to be shipped quick fast and in a hurry. While the intermodal service is capable of setting off containers to truck and shipping quickly, it may take a month or more for a single boxcar to get from its originator to the destination. Big box stores like Ikea, Walmart, Lowe's even Scotty's before they closed, will take a location with rail access but never use it.
@@SD40Fan_Jason if we want a truly green future going back to car load freight is the way forward, removing as much truck traffic as possible and reducing emissions that’s the ultimate goal. But that will never happen with the push towards PSR, the local customer is no longer the RR’s concern
@@ww32 You are 100% correct and I agree with you. But for the last 40 or 50 years, Class 1's have been attempting to distance themselves from carload service. With CSX dismantling a bunch of their hump yards in an attempt to disrupt service, and several others following suit, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
@@SD40Fan_Jason it’s funny too because anyone who remembers the old Reading Line’s “Bee-Line” service will know that it was very efficient despite the slightly high cost in crew over time, it was worth it to both the RR and the shipper to get the car to its destination as soon as it was ready to go even is it wasn’t being sent on a mile long freight train. It was just “oh you have these three cars that are ready to go in this general direction to our shippers? F**k it, send them,” and they would just go. It was really effective until the PC dragged everyone down.
@@ww32 it's currently taking 36-40 days for our refrigerators to get from Idaho to Atlanta by way of Indiana then to Waycross. We are usually switching 16-30 reefers a day and we can't get them any faster yet the customer cannot afford to ship them as a unit train either. If it were a unit train we could get them here in 4-7 days and have the ability to switch them and return the train in 96 hours.
ChainsawN&W1218, really enjoyed Your video, interesting, good 👍 shots of locals working and liked that vasquele draw bridge,caught a Loram rail grinder working on NS Christiansburg District VA, one of the places I film,first one I've caught, My Son really liked it, like filming trains highballing out on the high iron.
There's a few safeguards actually. One is the heartbeat signal. It's a signal sent from the remote that let's the Loco know the pack is active. If it loses that signal, everything stops. There's the man down sensor which is detected when the pack is on the ground or rolled over. In addition to stopping the movement it's also supposed to transmit an emergency beacon. "MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!" it will say.
"Hello again Rail Fans", every time I hear that greeting I can be a kid again for a few minutes.
Yep, I love to hear it too.
Same 😌
Adults are allowed to enjoy trains too :)
I agree greatly
I enjoy your videos
Always a treat when you see a new video from Danny. Thanks for the great content. Cheers for Champaign IL
For those who may not know, whenever you see a CSX locomotive with the yellow strobe lights flashing, that’s means the loco is in remote control setup.
That's a nice thing to know, I was surprised to see the guy holding the remote and "driving" the train ! I didn't even know it existed
TY
Somewhat sad to see that the RR Companies trying so hard to cut out as many jobs as they can 🥺
Engine 2056 driving down the middle of the street had yellow amber flashing and you can see the engineer inside the cab.
Look at 10:33 you can see him inside.
@@icosthop9998 There trying to save money due to PSR
@@unity3596 Price/Sales Ratio
(I had to Google it)
Conductor flexing at 14:51 is a nice touch.
Hello Danny. I lived in Orlando for 31 years and I would often see CSX Freights or AMTRAK come through south Orlando. It was always fun for me to get stopped at the crossing when I was driving. Unfortunately, there are no trains where I currently live, Honolulu, Hawaii.
As a youngster, when visiting my grandmother in Bristow, Oklahoma, I would often run the four blocks downhill to see the truly massive trains pass. I could hear their horns for miles.
It was much the same in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where the KATY came through twice a day - once each way.
Trains are a very important linchpin in our nation’s infrastructure. Together with tractor trailers, they keep America moving.
Great job as always, Danny.
No trains ❔️❗️?❕️?❗️❔️
"There are no trains [in Hawaii]". Yikes. Another reason to add to my list of why Hawaii is a great place to visit, but not live. ;-)
If you’re in the Tampa area, if you go North on US-41 into Land O Lakes, There is a CSX main that parallels the highway with an industry they stop at. Last time they came through, they had 2 EMD’s running a consist.
The guy running the RC is living out every little boy's dream with a life size train set! Trains, chili dogs and a drawbridge. Can't ask for more than that. Great video Danny!
that dream dies reallllll quick
@@treos17 I'll bet but man those first few times gotta be great
@@happyjack880 they were, same as when actually running
@@treos17 haha! Agreed 👍
14:45 lol that conductor was flexing that whole scene
What a pleasant surprise on a Friday evening!
Danny’s videos relieve stress honestly
like the bob ross of trains
Hi Danny - this is Coleman from Newport News, VA - been a subscriber for several years but this is my first time to comment. I really appreciate your content and all the background and context you provide. When it comes to railfanning, your channel is tops in my book. Keep up the good work.
His videos are just amazing. The narration, the details, makes me feel like a little kid watching my favorite show again
Nice video yet again Danny! The way you edit them makes everyone stay to the end! Very informative!
Anytime Danny uploads a new video I drop whatever I’m doing to watch.
Beginning in 1969, I attended a technical meeting every March in Tampa. I managed to squeeze-in much rail photography around the area. But over a 10+ - year period, I managed to catch only one train on the downtown bridge to Pt Tampa. It was powered by a U18B. The main yards were noteworthy because many of the yard switchers were re-engined Baldwins!. And Uceta Yd. appeared to be some sort of main service facility for the rr's GE locomotives. Unit phosphate trains ran shift-fashion: empty (eb) in the AM; loaded (wb) PM. At that time Tampa Station was was the origination/destination of a passenger connection to Sarasota and Venice. Luckily I kept my Leica busy during these yearly sojourns. It was a great show!
Danny, you never disappoint. Your videos are sooooo interesting and your narration is spot on. No question, you do your research and you know your stuff down to the smallest detail. i really like the drawbridge (another interest of mine). Thank you and 73 de WA4CIF
At The Hub dive bar shown at 10:10, patrons commonly play a game where they pool their money together when they hear the horns and guess how many train cars will go by. Closest one wins the pot.
If I were looking for someone to read ANYTHING to me, it's gonna be Mr. Distant Signal. This is one of my favorite episodes.
I lol’d at “I will not do that again”
That area is pretty shady
I need to move to Florida! I'm 58 and tired of Ohio. Your videos are so inspiring! Thanks!
Thanks! Yes, you should move to Florida. There are so few others coming here right now. I'm kidding. With all the New York, Connecticut and Jersey money flowing into this state right now, home prices are ridiculous.
Another great video Danny. Excellent production values. I have retired after 50 years in broadcast TV, and know that you produce great work. Cheers from New Zealand. FG.
Many thanks, Fred!
@@distantsignal how many trains do you see in Florida and Georgia when you travel to see them? Jordan from Columbus Ohio
@@distantsignal very nice video as always!
Love the train videos and explanations. But I especially enjoy the tidbits on the mom & pop restaurants. Next time in Tampa, I'll check out Mel's hot dogs.
Great video and tutorial as usual Danny! Nice looking bridge to have been there so long and I'm sure its quite a sight to see when a train crosses it. It just amazes me so much w the Remote Control capabilities of these trains no matter how many times I've watched them. Thanks again for sharing your videos with us along with your time and effort!
I just found this channel and I must say I am very impressed! I could watch these all day long! Keep it up :)
That street running is really cool!
it is clear that you spend a fair amount of time with the narration of the videos...always well structured, clear and concise. thanks for taking the time.
Yay!!! 🥰🥰😘😘👍👍👍👍 Love watching Danny. Always learn new and fun things. Thank you, Danny
Danny,
I’ve been watching your for about 3 years now
I love every single video you do
I love exploring out of the way spurs. It always makes me sad when i come across dead tracks and how many companies used to get rail service.
Always a great time with Danny Harmon...somewhere out on the high iron.
One day I'm gonna visit down there and see these tracks and diners you've been talking about. The heck with the beach. Let's go watch some trains!
Industrial railroading is my favorite type of operation. I love how you weave eating in your videos as my stomach rules me.
Danny . I'd be lost without the maps. Google maps disappoints when it comes to clarity on railroad routes. Tom . Norfolk UK
Love your videos. Have been in Florida since 2011. So I guess I’m still considered a transplant not a native Floridian. I always learn something new watching your videos and for a little while can forget about the problems of my day. Thanks!
Not me binging all your videos right now. I love your videos! Keep them up!
Danny, you are STILL the classiest rainfanner on UA-cam! 2 thumbs up for us here in Colorado. Makes us still wish the DRGW still ran freight over Tennessee Pass through the center of CO as back in the turn of the millennium!
'NYC', that hopper at2:32is still branded. That's a bit of a relic
Actually CSX owns the rights to use NYC, PRR, PC, CR, BO, CO, SBD, SAL, SCL, ACL and a plethora of other fallen flags that made them who they are. A lot of times they will apply the fallen flag letters to reporting marks of a series of cars that are used in a special market such as the Rock Hopper business seen here.
Reporting marks are 1-4 letters followed by up to 6 numerics, therefor a company like CSX that owns 2.3M cars has to use multiple letter assignments.
@@SD40Fan_Jason How do they keep track of those 2.3M cars? Do they sometime get switched to other railroads or left on a siding somewhere and forgotten?
@@wfermier it's called a Perpetual Inventory Car List PICL for short and it is a system that's used by every North American railroad to keep track of every car. Lost cars are virtually impossible. (Not completely impossible though, heheh)
I love your Bone Valley video from the 90s. This felt like an update. Thank you for your time and efforts in developing this content. I am a virtual rail fan now.
Many thanks, Rob.
I agree with Citta, please continue doing the maps, they are very helpful and interesting. Be safe sir.
Always a very good day when he uploads
What an awesome start to the weekend Danny posted!!!!
Like the information. I am a train enthusiast from Chicago years back. My Grandfather worked for the NY Central and merged with the Penn Central. We use to travel from Chicago to Dallas on the Super Chief line in the 1960s.
We moved to central AZ in 1970 when the Sunset Unlimited use to run through a small town called Coolidge, AZ.
We moved to the southeast Valley in Phoenix. The Southern Pacific use to run through central AZ and through PHX until the middle 1990s. Now the Sunset Limited runs through Maricopa, AZ as it's central AZ stop.
Took the Amtrak from Flagstaff, AZ to Chicago in summer of 1984. From there, took the IL Central from Chicago to NOLA. From NOLA, all through to downtown PHX. Great trip. Lots of great memories.
Have to consider traveling by train again.
Thanks.
Mr danny Harmon thank you for the awesome videos I got into trains from my late uncle who passed away 6 years ago and my dad and I used to go so I go to the local train shows in remembrance of my late uncle and my dad
From a guy who at one time lived in Tampa, now Ga. I love watching your Tampa related videos, thanks😊😊😊
The remote controlled life size train. The ultimate train set!
I never get tired of the videos or the voice. Excellent productions every one.
Quite a few years ago I had relations over in Tampa and would usually visit once a year... I could have done with this video back then.. (in the early 2000s) would quite often hear the horns sounding from where I was staying but never knew where they were.
We did go for a visit to the Florida Railroad museum at Wimauma that was great!
Keep up the great videos Danny, I really enjoy them .👍🏻
Almost nothing makes me happier than seeing a new Distant Signal video pop up!! Thanks Danny.
Hi Danny, cheers from PEI Canada. I have watched your channel for years, first time comment. I really like the local history that you relay in all your videos, feels like I've been there. Looking forward to more great vids!!
My dad ran the Evansville indiana to Danville Illinois and back leg of Intermodal train 120/121 which ran from Jacksonville Florida to Chicago Illinois for the last 9 years of his career at CSX.
Always good stuff.
Danny for President!
Hi Danny
I’m cycling around Europe, currently in northern Lapland in finland (am from Australia) but still check in to watch your videos. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to them.
Thanks for doing the maps, those were super helpful.
I come from a very technical background, Naval nuclear power servicing and have just started watching railfanning videos. I enjoy how well you explain the different aspects of rail operations. Keep it up.
It is a good day when Danny throw a new video!!!
Wow! Another masterpiece video from the king of UA-cam. Once again very enterteaining, yet informative video which in every respect is in a class of its own! Congrats my friend! Greetings from a very sunny Sweden! Yes, we do have a summer here too!
Much appreciated, Ollie!
Please do a video on Pinellas County trains!!
I have never heard the tail end of a freight train called "on the bottom". Until watching your excellent videos. 🙂
Another great video as usual. Keep it up Danny!
First mile and last mile service on the rail is by far the most fascinating. Great work!!
This video was very insightful! Keep it up I’ve been very interested in industry’s! Great to learn more!
Danny Harmon!!
I truly love and appreciate your videos!
I live in the UK, and your offering is showing me an insight not only of train activities, for which I have no idea the actual mechanics of how an engine or train actually work, I do still like watching!!
Only problem I have, if you can can call it that, is the vast and varied variety of places to eat that you find!!
Always makes me unbelievably, out of this world, hungry!!
Just glad I don’t live to close as I would probably be bankrupt by a week ago that Thursday, after going to them all!
I could and would watch videos of you doing reviews of just the eating joints on your journeys!
Excellent video Danny! I went to school at USF in the 1980's. Mel's Hot Dogs was a regular hangout. I miss those hot dogs since I moved far away. Back then there was a yard(s) and daily switching activities across from campus along Fowler Ave. The breweries and Thatcher Glass received rail regular service. It kind of breaks my heart when a spur or siding is severed or ripped up.
Love the K5LA horns on those old geeps! Great work as always! Fascinating stuff!
The last half dozen times I was in Tampa I tried to catch the street runner and struck out. That is a difficult train to catch. The one in Clearwater would be awesome to catch also
He runs Mon - Thu as Y295. He departs Yeoman yard right after 92 gets out of town, usually around 6PM. Takes about 30 minutes for him to get downtown.Listen out for him on the dispatch channel 160.230. He'll have to get authority over the TWC blocks between TN Tower and the A882.7, which is the switch to the Amtrak station. South of that switch the track is excepted and essentially yard trackage from there to end-of-track at Port Tampa.
Nice comment
Hope u catch some trains on July
@@distantsignal Awesome and thanks for the info!
Np
Danny. I can't wait until Brightline completes their expansion to Tampa. I certainly hope you will document the ongoing progress, and keep us all up to date.
Another awesome 😎 video +Distant Signal aka Danny Harmon and I love how you make the videos very educational for the rail fans to follow along and showing us the awesome & best places to eat around town! 5 Stars Danny and please stay safe of this storm and yourself a safe weekend and keep up the good work on these train videos!
5:27: the description would be "O700 today is a GP38-3C or P", which would be Cyclops or Popeye. It looked oddly lopsided with one flashing ditch light.
And your food reviews of the local eateries are worth the trip to FL alone. Now I am hungry for a chili dog!
Danny, I love all of your videos. Living in Ohio, it’s great seeing all the rails and restaurants back home that I grew up with. My mom is actually a manager at Chemical Formulators on Rattlesnake Point. This was really exciting to see.
Gets new video ping for Danny. Immediately stops watching other UA-cam video to switch to the new Distant Signal video. Glad to see you’re still living life and doing well Danny. Missed watching your content.
3:45 - the sad thing is that IKEA could benefit from a rail spur, as many of them in Europe are connected via rail to their distribution centers.
Lived here almost 20 years. Very informative.
That's so bizarre seeing a railway track in the street, especially when the thing running on it is a big diesel locomotive rather than a tram or interurban unit. I wonder what the people of Tampa who aren't railfans make of that situation.
My favourite part of this video was the clips of the GP38-3 running under remote control. Here in New Zealand we also have some shunting locomotives fitted with R/C, specifically the DH, DSC, DSG and DSJ classes. On the rare occasions when they venture onto the mainline, they're always driven conventionally instead of by remote.
I don't think this video would have been anywhere near as enjoyable without Mr. Harmon's local knowledge and presentation style.
Street running trains used to be a lot more common across the US. There are still quite a few locations where it is done. Morehead City, North Carolina comes to mind, last time I was there the trains still ran down the middle of the road to the port area. It's awesome if you're a rail fan, if not it can be a problem, especially if they are blowing the horn.
Virtual Railfan's La Grange, Kentucky cam is street running: ua-cam.com/video/y7QiNgui5Tg/v-deo.html
@@RCAvhstape La Grange, Kentucky also has street-running trackage as well
Nothing better after a long day at work than coming home to a cold drink and a new Distant Signal video. Love it! Locals are often the best railfanning :)
Awesome video! I have been a rail fan since I remember. Believe or not I have a set of railroad tracks in the backyard.
Same
Great video It gives a glimpse of not often seen Tampa.
Yes and no on the one man crew comment about the remote jobs. I work for CSX and we have remote jobs that are both single and two man jobs. Yard jobs with a puck protection system to protect the forward moves can be one man crew, but any remote jobs that require forwards moves with no puck system like industry jobs need a second man to help protect the head end at all times. we also have RCO yard jobs with a foreman and switchman that require heavy switchman because it’s just faster and more efficient to have a switchman versus a single foreman out there doing everything by himself.
Very interesting and good to hear. That's apparently why there were three guys on that Y295 job that night. Although the one guy was in an orange vest which indicates a trainee. Is that correct?
I'm new here. What is a "puck protection system" and how does it work?
@@distantsignal that is correct. Typically a new hire has to wear a orange vest, or a orange hat if he’s on a RCO job for a year. After one year you upgrade to a yellow vest or if you prefer to work remote jobs you can go back to your normal headwear. When we have trainees for the first few nights we’ll continue to run the engine using the remote box until they’re comfortable and then we’ll hand the box over to them. That’s why on a three man remote job you’ll see one guy without a remote box. Either the trainee will have it, so one of the regular crewmen will not, or a brand new trainee may not just depending on the day and workload.
@@wfermier the puck system is a safety feature they install in yard remote zones to protect forward moves and allows the remote operator to remain in the middle of the yard and make forward moves without the fear of exceeding his zone. There are electronic pucks set every so many feet on the track that corresponds with a speed. The locomotives setup for RCO have a transponder that will detect those pucks and adjust to the speed. Typically you’ll have a 9mph through stop. Obviously once the locomotive reached the stop puck it brings the train to a stop before it can exit its “zone”. I hope I explained that well enough to understand.
Danny! Are you sure you are only "rail fanning"?! Sometimes it sounds more like a report on favorite restaurants! I also had to laugh a bit when you reported on the local "climbing" a hill! We both know "hills" are scarce as hen's teeth in FL!! 😜 Keep up the great work! Always enjoy your well researched and interesting videos. I gotta go; you've made me hungry!! 😋
In europe, i'm pretty sure Ikea's stock is served by rail.. Wish they did that here.
love this guy. some great production value here!
3:30 IKEA maybe needs rail because if they like need to get their furniture in there stores wouldn’t it be like cheaper and better for the environment to use the trans is one train can haul more freight than a truck 🛻
9:15 That looks so delicious; for a great price, too! Some of the best street running, in my opinion, lies within the Jack London Square.
Danny, I learn something fascinating with every video you produce. Thanks. As a resident only an hour away from Tampa, I now know where to go to train spot. Is there a way to find out in advance what the operating schedule is for any specific freight line?
Every few weeks I just get this feeling that you’ll post a new video soon. I’ll check youtube, and somehow I’m always spot on. Great work as always!
Love your videos Danny
This man has a golden voice. Thanks for the video
Hi Danny 👋 Saying Hello from Alameda California .
Hello from Tampa! I sure would love to come out to your territory someday.
I used to work at the ethanol terminal on Hookers Point, and when we were light on trains, we'd go over to the Transflo terminal over on 33rd Street and help those guys with area maintenance while they did all of their unloading.
I hate remote control locomotives because they mean that at least one person has been furloughed. Usually a locomotive with flashing amber lights is RCL.
Yeah I feel the same as you, considering I am a locomotive engineer haha. If it makes you feel better, my railroad abolished RCO at a few of our yards and returned engineers to the seat.
i like hearing about the best places to eat and then when im down on vacations i try to stop in at those places
It's sad to see rail being ripped out, because once it's gone it rarely ever comes back.
That street running just looks out of place that we re not used up here in the north but it gets the job done… another great entry sir and always look forward to the next one…
Love this video
I always love these videos, been watching for a long long time now and every time one comes out I jump on it within the first couple days of being out!
What happened to the light that used to be on your fence ?
I moved it in my shed to make room for another sign. I'll put it back up soon. Thanks for asking.
Thanks for catching that remote controller in action! That controller looks pretty robust...if a bit heavy.
It is to bad that IKEA doesn't use the RR like they do in Switzerland to help remove trucks from the road
They are part of the big box movement where everything has to be shipped quick fast and in a hurry. While the intermodal service is capable of setting off containers to truck and shipping quickly, it may take a month or more for a single boxcar to get from its originator to the destination. Big box stores like Ikea, Walmart, Lowe's even Scotty's before they closed, will take a location with rail access but never use it.
@@SD40Fan_Jason if we want a truly green future going back to car load freight is the way forward, removing as much truck traffic as possible and reducing emissions that’s the ultimate goal. But that will never happen with the push towards PSR, the local customer is no longer the RR’s concern
@@ww32 You are 100% correct and I agree with you. But for the last 40 or 50 years, Class 1's have been attempting to distance themselves from carload service. With CSX dismantling a bunch of their hump yards in an attempt to disrupt service, and several others following suit, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
@@SD40Fan_Jason it’s funny too because anyone who remembers the old Reading Line’s “Bee-Line” service will know that it was very efficient despite the slightly high cost in crew over time, it was worth it to both the RR and the shipper to get the car to its destination as soon as it was ready to go even is it wasn’t being sent on a mile long freight train. It was just “oh you have these three cars that are ready to go in this general direction to our shippers? F**k it, send them,” and they would just go. It was really effective until the PC dragged everyone down.
@@ww32 it's currently taking 36-40 days for our refrigerators to get from Idaho to Atlanta by way of Indiana then to Waycross. We are usually switching 16-30 reefers a day and we can't get them any faster yet the customer cannot afford to ship them as a unit train either. If it were a unit train we could get them here in 4-7 days and have the ability to switch them and return the train in 96 hours.
ChainsawN&W1218, really enjoyed Your video, interesting, good 👍 shots of locals working and liked that vasquele draw bridge,caught a Loram rail grinder working on NS Christiansburg District VA, one of the places I film,first one I've caught, My Son really liked it, like filming trains highballing out on the high iron.
Is there a deadman switch on a remote controlled train
Yes, there is but I'm not sure exactly how it works.
There's a few safeguards actually. One is the heartbeat signal. It's a signal sent from the remote that let's the Loco know the pack is active. If it loses that signal, everything stops. There's the man down sensor which is detected when the pack is on the ground or rolled over. In addition to stopping the movement it's also supposed to transmit an emergency beacon. "MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!" it will say.
There was a storage back in the 70’s or 80’s where the University of Tampa Parking Garage stands as of now.