Thanks for the kind notes from all. We never lost power in the night. The first "dump" of rain yesterday afternoon flooded the street for awhile, but that actually seemed to clean out the storm drains for the rains in the night. The sun is shining and shutters are now open. We had a total of 3.5 inches of rain - Nature's ballast tamper.
hoofe116: The pipes out of the steam dome carry steam down, run forward just under the running boards alongside the boiler, and carry that steam to the cylinders on each side. Pelinore the Pelican is the Company "Overseer", in charge of long-range planning. Al the Alligator is the Company Auditor - one doesn't have to be warm blooded to be on a Management Team.
In photos taken this morning, the SHAG RR worktrain is out clearing the line, but have to pause for the mandatory breaks provided by the contract with the Woodcutter's Union:
Bill
The indian villiage has folded up their Tee Pees, and have left for higher ground. The fire department has pulled their equipment back into the building, and closed the doors. Otherwise, its business as usual on the Beachwood Railroad, which may become a beach after today.
Paul
The Virginia Beach disaster preparednes day has been cancelled. No s*#t.
The DDSL remains in a high state of readiness for any contingency, no special preparations for the storm are under way.
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
Hello All,
I am also in the path of tropical storm Hanna, and the preliminary stages of the storm have begun to bump rain on us. The yard between my house and the next (my uncles) slopes down, and then slopes back up to the next house. It looks like a river.
A ditch used to be there, and for reasons beyond my comprehension it was filled in a few years after I was born. Whenever we have a heavy rain it floods and sometimes, like when Hurricane Charlie came through, it stays under several feet of water for days. I remeber after charlie, I, along with my sister and two cousins took 2 blow-up boats that you get at walmart and had naval battles for a few hours until a water moccasin came swimming towards us. I proved that day that white men can run.
We are also under a tornado watch, and its possible that Hanna can become a Category 1 Hurricane before landfall.
Now we just have to worry aboute Hurricane Ike. Its supposed to hit Florida and continue west, but its still possible that it will curve back and come up the east coast and hit us. Now its a Category 3, but its possible that it can get worse, as it went from a tropical storm to a category 4 in a day or so.
Keep us coatal dwellers in your prayers tonight, though it might no be tht bad.
Cheese
Nick! :)
Bill,
Thanks for posting that pix. Tell me, what's the purpose of the large pipe that comes out of the steam dome, splits and goes down each side of the boiler? Where's it end up?
Do the pelican stay with the engine when it's in service?
Les
Well we have had a pretty windy and often wet time over this side of the pond recently.
I have a short wooden tunnel, about three feet long,that is camouflaged quite well by plants and bushes. I decided to build a longer one, around 8ft. long with removable roof, over a spur which runs between bushes and a fence and is also quite well hidden.
The tunnels are substantially built: the sides are floor joists timbers on their edge with roof joists added to gain extra height (needed for steam loco stacks) and the roof is a builders plank with a strong framed edge added. They are strong enough to stand upon.
The idea was that I could reverse a train into the tunnel relatively quickly should a rain shower occur. This area is hilly and often rain showers arrive suddenly.
Due to the frequency of the showers I decided to move the new longer tunnel to where the shorter has been. As this is on my main line it allows for a far more rapid run for cover.
The long tunnel can accomodate a short five car train. This is not ideal but at least I can run trains with the knowledge that cover exists if needed. Another example of the compromises we have to make.
Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad
https://www.buckfast.org.uk/
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)
vsmith wrote:Yeah, board'em up... then pick'em up and carry them both into the house
Especially "Mr. Pelican" (atop the cab.) Wouldn't want him to float down stream.
Tom Trigg
Be cool and be safe let us know how it goes! Have all emergancy numbers and keep all cell phones charged.
Toad
Have fun with your trains
As seen here, the Management Team of the Seashore, Horry And Georgetown (SHAG RR) held a conference this afternoon to discuss preparation options for the impending Tropical Storm or Hurricane. After some debate, it was decided to move to "OpCon 3"!
In OpCon 3, the locomotive is put into the shed, the doors are closed, and the staff goes home to get the shrimp pot boiling before tonight's University of South Carolina Gamecock football game. Storm shutters are in place; Keep your heads down, Boys.
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