Ballast, Ties, Rails, Computers, Trains, and other fine oddities(etc.) of Trains and Railroads

[Sterling1]

If you have any odd, weird, bizarre occurances with trains or you feel that you want ot vent for a while go ahead, share them, but please . . . oh well nevermind . . . I've had some crazy experiences too. Getting chased off private power plant property (had a long access road) to get photos of CSX AC4400CW locos.

Go ahead share anything to your heart's content . . .

[Sterling1]

Head scratching why don't I see any markings but my own . . .

[Anonymous]

Contributing to this thread might be the most bizarre thing I've ever done . . .

Old Timer

[railman]

Nothing really wild, unless you count getting our car stuck in a snowbank two years ago as bizzare...our farm is adjacent to the BN Monticello sub, so I guess it counts as an odd RR experience, in a minnesota kind of way...

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

Contributing to this thread might be the most bizarre thing I've ever done . . .

Old Timer

HA!HA!HA! . . . . . . . . GOOD ONE!!![:D] [:D] [:D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D]

[daveklepper]

OK. I and my then girlfriend were part of a tour in Europe. We were riding a Spanish electric mu train from Madrid (boarded at what looked like a subway station one block from the hotel) to "Le Tour d'Carole" (spelling?) on the French boarder. For a four hour trip, the train was not joyessly comfortable, something more like regular USA commuter train equipment, but the scenery made up for it, and we had brought our own breafast and hot coffee in a thermos. At one point the conductor came through yelling something in Spanish. My girl friend said: "From what I know of French and Italian, I think he said this part of the train will be left behind at the next stop and we should move up one car." I went to the tour leader (I won't name him) and told him what my girlfriend told me. He assured me it was nonsense, that he had reserved the car for us and that it was supposed to go all the way. I said I trusted my girlfriend, and told every other member of the tour about the dissagreement. The tour leader was angry with me, of course. But at the next stop I and my girlfriend left the train and sure enough a car knocker came along side to make the uncoupling. And meanwhile the rest of the tour group followed me and my girlfriend off the train. Then the tour leader looked out the door and saw what was happening, and we boarded the next forward car, with the tour leader climbing up from the rail-level platform just as the forward part of the train started up. We enjoyed the ride north of Le Tour d'Carole on the "Little Yellow Train of the Pyranees, a third rail electric narrow gauge, with passengers seated in gondola cars with seats, open sides and top. Very French. Great scenery.

[Sterling1]

Indeed it is slow on this topic jeez

[Sterling1]

Need some sort of caralyst to move this thing along else it may be executed or not . . . Are you people sure that you have no stories to share?

[Anonymous]

Yep. I'm sure, absolutely no stories. Sorry...

LC

[Sterling1]

Must seriously be bad and slow these days, too bad we can't critters and young children to yak at our jokes and grandparent stories . . .

[Sterling1]

Maybe I ought ot change the name of the topic because it's probably turning people away. Hmmm . . . I wonder what would be a better name for this topic to be more conducive to people who want ot share sage advice and stories and other fine things?

[daveklepper]

Another happening. I had sent an evening looking at streetcar (OK, tram) and railroad slides at a friend's home in Outernord, near Utricht, after he had shown me and my friend a the Dutch Railway Musuem there (non-operating, but interesting and worthwhile). We planned to catch a local downtown to Utricht Central, to take the last non-stop back to Amsterdam where our hotel was across the street from the Central Station. We got interested in the slide collection, and by the time we got to the commuter station, the connection had left. But our host said there would be one more inbound train that night before service would quite for the day, and it would run throught to Amsterdam, as a local, getting there about 2AM. We had no choice. As we waited, about five or six Dutch people showed up to wait for the train. A Dutch announcement blared from the loudspeakers, and neither I or my friend understood one word. But we didn't need to ask for a translation because the others on the platform started moving to the stairs to the bridge over the tracks to the platform on the outbound side and we followed them. Suppose we had not had any fellow passengers waiting on the platform?

[railman]

I'm afraid this is been quiet, because most tell their odd stories in the diner. Why? I dunno.

[espeefoamer]

I visit my local library to post on this forum,because I don't have my own computer.This is about as strange as It gets.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

I visit my local library to post on this forum,because I don't have my own computer.This is about as strange as It gets.

thanks for telling me that SPfoamer. and oh how did you get your screen name, it's quite curious . . .

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

I visit my local library to post on this forum,because I don't have my own computer.This is about as strange as It gets.

Going to the library for that purpose isn't really strange at all,now this thread
on the other hand...........................................[:0]

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railman

I'm afraid this is been quiet, because most tell their odd stories in the diner. Why? I dunno.

Maybe it's because people get fed at the diner and this place sounds/seems like a shrink/counselor or person who works for the military . . .

[Sterling1]

Hit #286 the same number for the current weight standard for for heaviest rolling stock allowed in North America. The next and newest one is 315, will see you at that mark . . .

[morseman]

ok sterling, you seem disappointed no one writing in on your query

When I was working in the CP Telecommn's office in Megantic, Quebec years ago, I was on the graveyard shift. The train from Montreal to Saint John stopped as usual to drop off the dining car which would be picked up in the early AM from the train coming from Saint John. It was around midnight. This old timer got off the train and came into the office to chat with me. The train was shunting cars around and started down the tracks. This guy (about 80 years old) got excited and thot the train was leaving without him. I assured him they were just dropping off some cars. However the train started picking up speed, Sure enuff it was on its way east. He ran out waving his arms. Luckily the conductor was at the back of the train and noticed him & stopped the train. Quite a few rr employees were on the platform laughing their heads off. Megantic is in the middle of nowhere near the border of Maine> I sure wasn't one of those laughing that night as therrrrre would not be another train till midnight the next day.

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

I visit my local library to post on this forum,because I don't have my own computer.This is about as strange as It gets.

thanks for telling me that SPfoamer. and oh how did you get your screen name, it's quite curious . . .

Southern Pacific is my favorite railroad, and I foam at the mouth whenever I see red and gray diesels.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

I visit my local library to post on this forum,because I don't have my own computer.This is about as strange as It gets.

thanks for telling me that SPfoamer. and oh how did you get your screen name, it's quite curious . . .

Southern Pacific is my favorite railroad, and I foam at the mouth whenever I see red and gray diesels.

espeefoamer,
There's nothing wrong with that.![:D]
I model the C & O; show ME Enchantment Blue & Yellow[:)]

[FThunder11]

I guess that the idea of having BNSF locos with UP trains is weird, and here in colorado, I saw A BNSF loaded Coal train heading south with a CN loco on it?!?! Why doesnt a railroad just take pride in itself and use its own locomotives!?!? And i was watching the California Zephyr on day, and I wondered hwy there was a hole(missing door thing) on the front below the window??? Again, its another pride issue, a railroad should take pride in itself, keep locos and as much rolling stock as possible, clean and maintained. Blowing off a little steam on that one. Get it a, little steam, like a steam engine!!!

[Sterling1]

Man has this place been slow or what!!!

It's a wonder that this place hasn't come off my "roster" . . .

[Sterling1]

Because of the darn 4 hurricanes, I finally managed to get out of school for the holidays only to have a _________ 10 day winter break instead of two full weeks. Maybe I should be thankful because other don't have such a rigid schedule like the railroaders who drive the trains we see on 12/25. [sigh][sigh][sigh]

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FThunder11

I guess that the idea of having BNSF locos with UP trains is weird, and here in colorado, I saw A BNSF loaded Coal train heading south with a CN loco on it?!?! Why doesnt a railroad just take pride in itself and use its own locomotives!?!? And i was watching the California Zephyr on day, and I wondered hwy there was a hole(missing door thing) on the front below the window??? Again, its another pride issue, a railroad should take pride in itself, keep locos and as much rolling stock as possible, clean and maintained. Blowing off a little steam on that one. Get it a, little steam, like a steam engine!!!

It's when you have a shortage of something and you need real bad but you cna't have it, so you use the other thing you have as a substitute. The RRs have locomotive agreements as such.

[Sterling1]

This will be my 400th post, racking up the postings and horsepower per ton ratio to get myself out of the yard and pull some unit trains.

[Anonymous]

Fine oddities? How about some broad Generalities? That might just help things along.[swg] By the way, be gratefull that you are not on the old quarter system, In the bad old days all we ever got was the ten days around Christmas, The seven at Spring break in March, Double sessions in the Summer (That's two 5 week quarters compressed into one summer mostly for grad students, ambitious over achievers, football players, school teachers and no one had ever heard of wonderful Wednesdays. You got it good guy.

[Anonymous]

I myself got ran of by the "COPS" just for watching and enjoying them, and i almost got arrested. But the let me go because i was only 13yrs Old.
I still do this and i have not goten caught yet, now i am 17yrs old.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

Fine oddities? How about some broad Generalities? That might just help things along.[swg] By the way, be gratefull that you are not on the old quarter system, In the bad old days all we ever got was the ten days around Christmas, The seven at Spring break in March, Double sessions in the Summer (That's two 5 week quarters compressed into one summer mostly for grad students, ambitious over achievers, football players, school teachers and no one had ever heard of wonderful Wednesdays. You got it good guy.

For now at least, just wait . . .