MisterBeasleyThey claim cats grieve. Maybe they do.
I have no doubt they do and so do dogs and other animals (even some called humans, even.....). We had a dog on the farm who after his owner who worked at my father's cousin's equipment place would go up to the "corner" to see his "master" every work day. After my grandfather retired and his truck was assigned to another worker. "Chummy" still walked up to the "Corner" and sat by the truck every day looking for his friend. Chummy at the age of 16 or so got hit in the road finally. He didn't die right away and our other dog "Teddy" stood over him all night long to be by his side. He died the next morning before the vet could get there to put him down. Teddy would come to the spot and sniff and look sad for months after that.
Thought I would add some local photos of the Finger Lakes area before we move the diner. Here are a few of the Finger Lakes RR.
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good afternoon all.
Flo - A coke float and some asprin please. Thanks.
(Woke up with a full blown migraine this morning...)
York - Sorry about Daisy.
Mr. B - I know when we lost our cat Max, Dozer (dog) spent the next several days looking around everywhere for him.
I will also say that, after Dozer had surgery once, and then a injury forced further treatment quickly thereafter, he legit cried, tears and all, later that afternoon.
(The vet had to remove a tumor on his tail, and had to remove the tip of his tail in so doing. They had also trimmed his nails while he was there, and had fractured one, so when he put pressure on it at that point, it split apart and was very much bothering him. The vet decided best treatment was to remove the toenail entirely. When we got him back home, he sat on the corner of the couch and started crying, with tears rolling down his face.)
So I do think animals can feel sadness, and do indeed grieve.
Brent - I think that is a neat idea for next month.
Garry and Ed - Thanks for the recent pictures.
EDIT: Howmus - Thanks for the FGLK pics.
This month has been very neat in seeing many places rail activities.
Weather - Pretty good storms late this morning prompted a brief (radar issued) Tornado Warning west of me, but no reported damage. Depending on how much of the sunlight we are now getting lasts, and what the temperature rebounds too, will dictate how strong the second round later today will be.
Internet - New router arrived earlier than expected, and was completely DOA... Second replacement, as well as a replacement service chip sim card, arrived late yesterday afternoon and is working properly. While there have been issues from the weather this morning, speed has been correct, and connectivity issues seem to be corrected now.
Trains - Caught the B&P crew returning from Erie on Tuesday afternoon, while on my way to a chiropractor appointment.
I had mentioned that I tend to go to a few locations frequently when railfanning, and have seen several special units in so doing. A few final pics included below.
I caught the Reading heritage unit at Bort road in North East this past May.
Reading 22K Closeup by Richard W, on Flickr
The same location also afforded the NKP heritage unit leading on "home" rails during a lake effect snow storm a coulpe of years ago.
NS 8100 Snowing Blue Hour by Richard W, on Flickr
A different kind of picture was taken in a nearby location just east of where I used to w*rk, showing a different angle of the nose of a GE widecab NS unit, to show the damage that it had incurred after striking a PA State Police cruiser at a grade crossing.
NS 9196 After accident by R, on Flickr
Background story - PSP had been called to respond to a nearby incident, and while responding the PSP officer failed to notice the NS loaded 520-series eastbound coal train, running over WNYP trackage, approaching the crossing, at fortunately slowed speed of ~25MPH. The lead unit, pictured, struck the rear door and fender area of the PSP cruiser. The cruiser was deemed as a total loss, but NS 9196 rolled away with minimal damage from the incident. (Little more than paint transfer.)
I caught her east of the incident after the crew outlawed in Columbus on the WNYP line east of Corry. (The collision occurred west of Corry in downtown Union City PA, while I was at w*rk.) This incident also caused the westbound empty 520-series coal train to outlaw while waiting for clearance on the siding in Columbus, with the eastboun train stuck blocking the main. That caused the returning WNYP crew to also outlaw in Columbus, while on their westbound return to Meadville. (They had already cleared Jamestown NY when the collision between the NS coal drag and PSP cruiser occurred. Due to safety reasons, the local WNYP crew decided to continue towards the passing siding instead of the long reverse move back to Jamestown.) So this little single track railroad, had three seperate trains all get stranded due to running out of service hours in the same location, the only available passing siding on the line between Jamestown NY and Meadville PA big enough to allow opposing meets. (And first siding of any length west of Jamestown NY.)
The wb held the siding at the lcoation designated as West Columbus by the railroad. The picture shows the location designated East Columbus on the line. (East of the train will be the CP for the east end of Columbus siding.)
Columbus siding is now used for storage of railcars. (And is the siding that I pointed to as a "prototype for everything" earlier in the month, that actually sits higher than the actual main.) NS 520-series coal trains no longer roam this line at all.
My final pic for the month will be the west end of Columbus siding, with the local WNYP train overtaking a freshly recrewed westound empty NS 520-series train holding the siding. The 520-series would follow the lcoal to Meadville after several minutes. (The local could get through the line a bit quicker than the longer heavier NS coal trains, even when they were empty.) This picture shows a typical winter day when it decides to not be lake effect snow.
WNYP & NS by Richard W, on Flickr
It was pretty neat seeing that old 4-axle ALCO passing a much newer and much bigger GE 9-40CW unit.
This picture is just a couple 100 feet east of the swith and CP for West Columbus, where the siding rejoins the main, and therefore the height difference is much less noticable here.
Model trains - Still doing little projects while prepping for the biggest chunk of the layout room remodel, scheduled to begin the second week of August. Should take only 1 week, and then the layout can start to be built!
Hope all are well, and all enjoy the day!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
We hired a management company for our comnputers. Now I can take a nap.
Our elevator has been out of service for weeks. It needs a new motherboard, probasbly has to come from China where there is a huge backlog due to Covid.
Been walking up and down stairs...
May as well walk up to the train room. (SOON!)
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I am trying to help a former nurse with MS. She can't do patient care, she can't stand up and be a greeter for Walmart, she can't flip burgers at McDonalds for 8 hours. She is enrolled in a state program and she thinks she can do medical coding. The state wants her to thal to 3 coders.
There is a code for every illness of injury you can think of including some obscene ones. I have a story about a basketball trophy, but Steve and I don't see eye to eye on humor.
There is also a code for the treatment. If you have a broken arm, it may requrire a cast, it may require plates and screws or it may require pushing the bones back beneath the skin. There is a different treatment code for each.
She was in tears saying it was an impossible task. I said no probem I've been retired 13 years but I can figure it out. No I couldn't.
No one will tell you who is in charge. You can only talk to entry level customer service employees who repeatedly ask for the patient's name and date of service.
If you get lucky, you will be transfered to voicemail and ignored forever after or the employee will relay a message from her supervisor that my friend, 300 miles away, currently unqualified for the job, needs to apply for the job before anyone will talk to her.
It's been a long time since I have been that ticked off.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyIf you get lucky, you will be transfered to voicemail and ignored forever after or the employee will relay a message from her supervisor that my friend, 300 miles away, currently unqualified for the job, needs to apply for the job before anyone will talk to her.
I have been looking for an entry-level job just to have something to do and get a little cash flow.
I am so glad I do not need a job right now!
Home Depot, Lowes,and Publix will not call me in for an interview. My resume does not match what I am applying for. No one will talk to me to tell me how to better apply.
It is crazy.
I have not looked for a job since 1989, and the process is ridiculous now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190I have not looked for a job since 1989, and the process is ridiculous now.
As my days at GE were winding down I volunteered to take a layoff that would effectively "save" the jobs of two younger fellow employees. I was happy to get time off, they were happy to still be earning a paycheck.
Much had changed since my last layoff in 1982. The state of Ohio had "farmed out" most, or all, of the administration of the unemployment compensation system to an outfit called Glass Door or some such nonsense.
I had to create a resume, actively search for employment even though I was 59 years old and planning to retire, and I had an actual call back date for return to work at GE. No one was interested in hiring someone in my situation but I still had to jump through the hoops in order to qualify for unemployment compensation.
The state actually denied two weeks of compensation because of a "technicality". Their web site was impossible to navigate.
Six years later I still get many emails from "headhunters" that have found my resume posted — who knows where. The program was called "Jobs Ohio" but I would estimate 90% of the recruiting was for jobs out of state. One was for a pipeline welder in Northern Alberta! Sure, I could see me packing up for a wonderful opportunity like that (nothing wrong with Alberta, mind you, but at 65, I think I'll pass).
Somebody say Grand Trunk Western?
GTW 3754 by Edmund, on Flickr
Busy day at Durand:
GTW, Durand, Michigan, 1951 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Colorful Detroit:
GTW, Detroit, Michigan, 1973 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
I like Brent's idea for the August Diner! I'm in northern Ontario with only my cell phone so I won't be able to move the Diner.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning, everybody ....... I'll have coffee and a donut, please.
Thanks to all who contributed intetersting pictures and converstions.
Ed .... I like your pictures of Penn Station and the interlocking tower being moved. I think the demolition of Penn Station is tragic.
John York 1 .... Your Nebraska photos are intersting. CB&Q had a lot of track there. Burlington's Havelock SHop near Lincoln was a big operation. Numerous frieght cars will built there.
Kevin ..... The McDonalds in Durango looks nice. Too bad the building was razed.
Brent .... Your description of the outdoor model railroad was intersting. I like your idea for the August Diner.
Mr. B ,.... I beleive you are correct about Snowflake grieving loss of Emily. It is times like this when it would be good if the pets could talk to us. I'm sure you are sad abou Emily.
CN Charlie .... I thought of you and your loss of Robbie. I bet you still mourn the loss. It is sad.
Ray .... I enjoy seeing your photos of railroads in Finger Lakes Area. Thanks for posting them.
Ricky .... Those are intersting photos you posted. That was a remarkable chain of events you described.
Sparky Rail .... Thanks for acknowledging photos I posted of GTW in MI. I'm familiar with the Oldsmorbile assembly plant you mentioned. New Oldsmobiles rolled off the assembly line and onto auto rack cars. Being on the GTW main line, the rail service for Oldsmoble was very good. I worked in downtown Detroit for GTW in the 1970's and 1980's. Now, we live in KEetucky.
Henry .... It is good of you to help the former nurse with that situation. I can understand your frustration with the situation you talked about.
Ed ..... I like those pictures of GTW.
Everybody ..... Have a good day.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good morning, diners. Bacon and eggs, please.
Thanks for everyone's concern for Daisy the Dachshund. She is not in any pain, so we will keep her home and happy until she gets worse. It's a sad time.
Nebraska is mostly corn and cattle. As a result, most train traffic for business here is related to those industries.
We have a lot of covered hoppers that are parked on sidings, waiting for harvest.
One big train-related business here is ethanol. This plant is about 20 miles from me, and I would estimate there are between 100 and 150 tank cars there at any one time:
Another interesting railroad related site is about 40 miles away. During the WWII and Vietnam wartimes, the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant produced huge amounts of bombs. Today, this building is about all that is left, other than rail lines that circle and weave over the entire site. Naturally, there is a large amount of land cleanup proceeding with all the chemicals that leeched into the soil:
Today, the miles of old track at the ammuntion plant are still there, but used mainly for storing cars until needed at harvest.
There are still a lot of the old bunkers there, all having rail lines that connect them:
Have a good day, everyone.
York1 John
Before the crossing gates lift and July is gone down the tracks, I'd like to add one more. Back in 1973, I lived directly across the street from the Fitchburg line of the Boston and Maine. One day, I heard a steam whistle as a train approaced the crossing and the station. I rushed out and got to see a short steam train. It had been chartered for a wedding the following weekend, and was being run into Boston from Steamtown in Vermont. i didn't have time to grab my camera, but I had the presence of mind to call the B&M and ask to speak to the Dispatcher. They put me right through, and he gave me all the details, including the time of the return trip. That time, I was waiting with my film camera. I think this was the last time steam ran on that line.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
York1 There are still a lot of the old bunkers there, all having rail lines that connect them: Have a good day, everyone.
John, I always enjoy your pics of central Nebraska as they bring back memories. I've been to that plant.
IIRC, back in the 70's we walked through the bunker area and could actually go inside the bunkers unsupervised. They were all empty by then of course! I supposed the property is more controlled now.
(It was either at this plant or another location that also had bunkers).
I do remember the "Armory" being a big deal in the early 70s.
And yes, grain hoppers are everywhere.
We used to walk the UP tracks near the local elevator and the smell of grain is very unique. Always saw small piles of it in spots as the spillage was collected.
- Douglas
Thanks, Douglas.
I remember the Ammunition Plant running for the Vietnam War in the 60s. The Army had huge cargo jets landing and taking off all day from the Hall County Airport, loaded with the bombs. I don't believe much was shipped by railroad at that time.
I left for Louisiana by the time the plant closed, so I never did get out there to look at things.
There's not much out there today. The Husker Harvest Days are held there each year, which is a big event.
I was surprised how many railroad tracks are still there.
gmpullmanThe administration of the unemployment compensation system to an outfit called Glass Door or some such nonsense.
Somehow Zip Recruiter got their hands on my resume, and now I get four emails a day from Zip Recuiter with open job positions that are posted on Glass Door.
99% of these are for Restaurant Managers. My most recent job title was "Regional Manager of Technician Certification and Dealership Development", and I have NEVER worked in a restaurant.
They classify these as 85% matches. What? I am not in the least qualified to run a restaurant.
I don't know how their system works, but it is sad.
Like I said, if I needed a job I would be pulling my hair out, and there is a lot of it now.
There are no, none, zero jobs open in my previous line of work.
Good Afternoon,
Garry, thanks for your kind thoughts about Robbie. I do miss him.
John, sorry to hear your news about Daisy.
Another hot, dry, smoky day here. Not a very nice summer at all.
Sure hope Ken is ok and Dirk too.
Not sure if I mentioned it but my Doc has me on BP meds. No side effects so far and my BP is down to the 120 range so all is good.
Time to go on another pick up.
CN Charlie
CNCharlie Not sure if I mentioned it but my Doc has me on BP meds. No side effects so far and my BP is down to the 120 range so all is good. CN Charlie
The blood pressure pills I have to constantly say "No!" to are called beta blockers. All their names seem to end in -alol. They typically make you tired and fog your brain. Doctors can easily avoid prescribing those. There are plenty of BP meds.
SeeYou190 gmpullman The administration of the unemployment compensation system to an outfit called Glass Door or some such nonsense. Somehow Zip Recruiter got their hands on my resume, and now I get four emails a day from Zip Recuiter with open job positions that are posted on Glass Door. 99% of these are for Restaurant Managers. My most recent job title was "Regional Manager of Technician Certification and Dealership Development", and I have NEVER worked in a restaurant. They classify these as 85% matches. What? I am not in the least qualified to run a restaurant. I don't know how their system works, but it is sad.
gmpullman The administration of the unemployment compensation system to an outfit called Glass Door or some such nonsense.
I, too, have begun to get job offers from various outfits. Not sure how they got my name.
At least the offers are in my former field.
The silly part is that I know the openings they are offering will have many, many interested people, while I'm not the least bit interested.
SeeYou19099% of these are for Restaurant Managers. My most recent job title was "Regional Manager of Technician Certification and Dealership Development", and I have NEVER worked in a restaurant. They classify these as 85% matches. What? I am not in the least qualified to run a restaurant. I don't know how their system works, but it is sad.
Simple word association managed by algorithms that extrapolate.
IOW, Artifical Dumbness.
Afternoon all, it is 34c on the Canadian part of the Pacific Rim.
Just got back from taking the wife to the specialist for her somewhat significant neurological issues. I see a slow steady decline in her health and it is tough to watch.
She is still well enough to be researching the perfect motorhome for the dog show circuit though and has been inquiring about getting her airbrake endorsement. I told her she needs to get it in case I drop dead while we are far from home. She belongs to a FB dog group that only talks about RVs for dog show purposes and how they reconfigure them to install dog crates. If we do get one at least I can take a bunch of MRR kits along to work on.....and my guitars.
Kevin, if you can't find a job you will have to dust off the strat and become a rock star! If you lived up here, with your towering height you would be well-positioned to work in the Movie/TV industry. They always need more Wookiees. You could likely get classified as a special extra, that's what my kid was/is and he was often making around a $100.00 an hour.
I am always getting calls wanting to know if I want to go back to work. Mostly they come from transportation/logistics circles to oversee the transfer of sensitive cargo from one mode of transport to another such as truck to aircraft, ship, or train, and calls from former industry friends and acquaintances that provide drivers for the Movie/TV industry for on-screen driving scenes. Nothing exciting, just for group traffic driving that requires some blocking out because a car chase weaves through. Really good pay but really boring work. Also, the industry is desperate for truck drivers to move the circus from shooting location to shooting location. Great pay but a lousy lifestyle that I would never consider. It's called the circus for a reason.
Sorry to hear about the pet situation going on with some of you. I still miss my old guy that we put down several months ago. We have a herd of Golden Retrievers but he was the one that stuck with me everywhere I went and I sure miss him. Our new boy has taken over his role of #1 so that is helping to fill the void.
Where is Ken??????
All the best to all.
Bridge construction on the KVR.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Post Hog!
Where's TF?
The month is almost over and I have not dug up anything on B.C. logging railroads.
I'll see what I can find, in the meantime here is one more from Rick.
POST HOG!
Maybe this article on these bridge building brothers will draw TF out.
http://www.fhabc.org/documents/Culliton-Bros-Pacific-Northwest-Railway-Trestle-Builders-202011.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0z8wfL9S-W9Tuf633MTGLbByY4tvSnnWvzE6-LIHM_JnTDob9ssRn1Te8
Had a busy day today.
Going to have a busy day tomorrow. I better finally get some drywall hung up.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
Morning all,
Sending my best to all those on here. Wishing everyone an excellent end of the seventh month.
On the non-MR front, I still haven't heard back about the lawfirm job, but I'm hopeful it can still work out. I do also send out resumes and cover letters for other positions too. I'll send another email next week (last was back on Tuesday). I had found the job online listed both at Glassdoor and Indeed. I do all my job hunting online, as well as use a Facebook page for my school's paralegal program, unless I hear of opportunities from word by mouth. I'd rather get a position where I'm already known by people I may work with who get a say in who gets hired. Someone I know with another firm said she'd love to have me come aboard and will let me know of openings as well as talk to their HR people.
On the MR front, I'm contemplating selling an Oriental Limited PRR M1a (actually an M1b) Mountain and had taken it out of the box to see how it was running. It ran intermittently so I checked the electrical work and the negative or lefthand motor lead came off the motor. I resoldered the motor lead, gave it light tugs to make sure it wouldn't come off again, and found that the PC-Board strip I used for adding electrical pickup points for the lefthand drivers (PC board strip and .015" phosphor wire, plus a wire right to the motor lead) had developed a short somewhere. After that is I glued it back on. I know soldering is better but I had a hard time with that, and a good line of Walthers Goo is quite strong. Ugh! I did the lefthand rail pickup arrangement as I'd planned to convert the model to DCC and sound. However, I've not been motivated to work on it much and now thinking of selling to create funds for different brass models and my shelf layout. I'd rather get it fixed before selling so the next ownder doesn't have a project and I don't have to sell as-is at a great loss.
Alvie
Good morning, diners. It's raining! There are welcome sounds of thunder to wake up to.
Last day of July!
Nebraska has several short line railroads. They mostly exist to connect small town grain elevators to UP and BNSF tracks.
The Omaha, Lincoln, and Beatrice Railway, "OL&B""The Big Red Line", has tracks in Lincoln. Owned by construction company NEBCO, they haul lumber, grain, and cement from BNSF to their own stores and factories. The main locomotive is this GP-38:
The Nebraska Northwestern Railroad, "NNW", operates tracks under 20 miles long, mainly hauling grain on the old Chicago and North Western Railway Cowboy Line.
The Nebraska, Kansas, & Colorado Railroad, "NK&C", operates to mainly haul grain in southwestern Nebraska, northern Kansas, and northeastern Colorado:
I imagine most states and provinces are like this, with dozens of shortlines operating to benefit small towns.
Hope everyone is healthy and has a good day.
Hey guys. Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I'm repairing a portion of my deck today. Something was clearly hiding in a location that is otherwise totally inaccessible to me or the dogs. The fasteners in the old boards were pretty well impossible to remove as a restorative crack filling coating has been applied to the deck, so I had to cut some out. Turns out there was a small opossum hiding under there.
Have a good day guys.
Mike
Moving Right Along:
Amtrak_SDP40f 563 by Edmund, on Flickr
Santa-Fe_FT-cab by Edmund, on Flickr
Century_life14 by Edmund, on Flickr
I hope everyone is doing OK —
Regards, Ed