20170724 Intermodal, Grove GMK3055, Amtrak with a "wrapped" car

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1:45  As I mentioned earlier, I'm collecting pictures of wood chippers.

1:52  As I was headed to the Forest site, I noticed a headlight in the distance. So I waited to check out what the train was. It was an intermodal train with five locomotives pulling it.

#8188

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#8492  It is interesting that only the first and last locomotive had the more modern "swish" paint scheme. I thought BNSF put their better power on the intermodals.

It is a double-stack, domestic intermodal.

For intermodals, I tend to take pictures where the type of load changes to note how many different blocks are in the train. A 3-pack, two singletons, and then piggybacks

A close up of the transition to piggybacks

One 3-pack in the middle of a bunch of piggybacks

A container put on a piggyback flatcar

Some more single-stack containers. I believe CMA is an international 40-foot container. So this train does have significant variety. In contrast, many intermodal trains on BNSF's former Sante Fe route will be 100% double-stack containers of either domestic or international. In fact, the international trains will include 5-packs that have just 40' wells instead of the 53' wells that are needed by domestic containers.

It even has a 20-foot trailer.

1:54 The end

Since the north side of the Forest site is next to the tracks, I turn around to get a status shot. In addition to the tower crane, I note the top of a hydro-crane

So I walk down Forest to get...

...a shot from the construction entrance on Gilbert.

1:59  The crane has its counterweights off and and is ready to lift them, but nothing is happening. Comparing these views with the shots I took on July 20, I can't figure out what the crane was used for.

So I'm walking over to the M&M site. I hear a train and take a picture along the east side of the library. I see a hopper car on the other side of the trees in the background.

Since the view is really bad, I continue to main street. But by the time I get there, the train had just cleared Main Street because the crossing gates are going up.

They have brought a bigger excavator to the site, but it is not working.

They are removing the forms from the segment that was poured on the south wall and using the forms to build a new segment on the north wall. When I talked to someone, they said they have the concrete pump about every 3 or 4 days. The other days are needed to move the forms.

I zoom in on the sign of the crane. It is Creative Crane & Rigging Inc:  www.creativecrane.com

Another overview before I leave.

Going back to the Forest site.

2:12  And another intermodal comes through town.

This looks like an international container train.

It has some 20-foot containers on the right peaking through the trees.

2:14 EoT (End of Train)

Now I understand the above 1:59pm photo of the crane waiting with a load of counterweights. It was waiting on a truck to carry the counterweights. The crane was small because it doesn't even need an 18-wheeler to carry the weights. In contrast, the GMK6300L needed 6 trailers to carry its counterweights.

The counterweights are loaded and the boom is parked in transport position.

They are bringing in the outriggers. Another indication that the lift job was small is that the mats are little things that they can carry by hand.

The controls for lifting and bringing in the outriggers are on the side of the truck.

I'm still looking for what they lifted.

Off go the counterweights.

The thin ones are 1t and the thick one is 2t.

The crane is backing up off the site.

Note that the back wheels are turnning in a direction opposite of the front wheels so that it can make sharp turns.

2:23:40  He has straightened all of the wheels and is operating some controls off to his right side.

2:23:46  He spent some time fiddling with those controls. I guess is was changing from site driving to road transport. Maybe things like gear range.

2:23:56  One thing he obviously changed was from 4-wheel steering that pivots around the middle axle to normal front wheel turning as used by road trucks.

He is turning North on Forest from Gilbert. We can again see that just the front wheel is turning.

The mat pads are stored on a bracket in the middle of the back of the truck. The crane is small enough that it is not marked "Oversize."

He had turned east on Burlington Avenue, which is a no-no because it is a one-way street the other direction. So this gave me some time to cross Forest and get up to the Gilbert intersection to catch some more turning. He is backing up on Forest to head south. Note that he switched back into 4-wheel steer for that turn.

Heading south allows me to get some shots of the other side of the crane.

Nichols painted over everything except the Grove signs, so I can't see a model number for the crane. Obviously, it is a six-segment, three-axle model. Looking at Manitowoc's web site, it appears to be the All Terrain Grove GMK3055.

A couple more views of the Forest site from the track side.

I still can't figure out what the crane lifted.

While stopping to take those pictures, the crossing gates started down.

2:29:26  It was one of the Amtrak Superliners.

It had a different type of car in front of the baggage car. I've never seen so many small windows placed so close together. Amtrak trains normally fly through Downers Grove quite fast so it is hard to spot photograph interesting cars.

The above cropped

I noticed that the second Superliner car had a different paint scheme.

So I tried to grab a roster shot of it. But I was too close to the tracks. I asked on Facebook how many Amtrak cars have been wrapped with advertisements. But I did not get an answer.

2:29:36  The end

2:34:54  As I got back to Main Street, an outbound commuter was parked at the platform. I didn't walk over to get better pictures because commuters are boring.

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