The weather guys were accurate around here...we got no more to speak of today (footprints were obscured, but that could well have been drifting). We even have enough of a clear sky to see the moon with a bite out of it. I don't think I'll stay up for totality.We took a little ride after dinner today, and I saw a covered hopper with a strange logo on it. As it turns out, this "Biafra" logo is very elaborate graffiti, and this isn't the only car to have it. It looks a little like the modern Alton & Southern logo (C&NW ball-and-bar, with MP buzz-saw effect). I also saw a green SIRX covered hopper car with white "Garvey Grain" lettering obliterated. The GGIX fleet is something that I'm going to have to look into. The SIRX cars (27 of them) came via the ITLX 24000 series (133 of them); the GGIX fleet was 150 cars total.Interesting how one old car can make my day (or ruin it, depending on how I choose to look at it).Oh...some of the GGIX cars were green and some were orange. I have to work on that aspect of things, too.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
The snow has ended, but the bitter cold remains. Currently -9F this morning, with a wind chill nearing -20F. OTOH, temps in the thirties later in the week...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
afternoon
Stuff is on it's way.Ns had a coal train in the siding,Westbound stack train and local uptown.Matt needs canned goods for an english project.All the goods will be donated to the local pantry.Chores to do here.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
It's forty degrees warmer now than it was at dawn - and it's still only +12.4F.
tree68It's forty degrees warmer now than it was at dawn - and it's still only +12.4F.
CSX is supposed to put heat warnings out when a temperature difference of more than 30 degrees F is forecast.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It's been one of those weeks where I feel like Wile E. Coyote after a plan goes awry........
Truck went down for service Thursday night, finally got it back Monday afternoon. Go to Green Bay, load to Oklahoma not ready, so got my 1st quarter and tablet training done Monday night. First order of business Tuesday was a drug test, that makes four quarters in a row now. Then the freezing rain and snow from Green Bay to about Rochelle before the roads got better. Made it to St Louis area last night, only to hear of a hazmat wreck involving dangerous when wet product in Rolla, MO, that shut down I44. Last time I checked, the road has reopened, hoping today will be uneventful.........
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
evening
Tempratures didn't warm up quite fast enough this morning.We had standing water on top of the ice on the backroads.Matt was closed today.Ns sent an eastbound coal hopper train when I got off work.Went and did errands in town.Chores to do here.
Ns was clear when I left work.Matt was back to school today.Guessers say next big storm to come Monday then the freezer opens up again.Chores to do here at home.
joe
rvos1979 It's been one of those weeks where I feel like Wile E. Coyote after a plan goes awry........ Truck went down for service Thursday night, finally got it back Monday afternoon. Go to Green Bay, load to Oklahoma not ready, so got my 1st quarter and tablet training done Monday night. First order of business Tuesday was a drug test, that makes four quarters in a row now. Then the freezing rain and snow from Green Bay to about Rochelle before the roads got better. Made it to St Louis area last night, only to hear of a hazmat wreck involving dangerous when wet product in Rolla, MO, that shut down I44. Last time I checked, the road has reopened, hoping today will be uneventful.........
What appears to be an extended cold snap opened this morning with a chill (-3F). The ride to work was delayed at Belt Junction by sticking switches. Got to work about 10-12 minutes later than usual.
Guess we're further out in the 'burbs than you are, Paul--it was six below here when I looked, and decided to slide under the covers for a couple more hours. We have no plans to go out anywhere today. I have the book-editing (red pen's at the ready!) and three prior-identity tables for my files that I can work on.Years ago when we were putting little quizzes on this forum, I built up a train, listed the reporting marks and numbers, and asked what was unusual about it. The answer was that everything, including the power, had formerly been lettered CNW. One of my tables has some cars that were built as CNW in the early 1980s, but UP unloaded them (expensive leases, perhaps?), and since then they're now on their third, fourth, or sometimes fifth, operator (CNW > NOKL (renumbered) > KO > KCS (renumbered) > CRDX). Not all of the cars were lettered NOKL, and not all of the cars were lettered KO, but all combinations exist. And my table will be designed to show each of these possibilities. There are just over 300 cars in the series, to tackle one by one.Our weather all along the coast may prevent a trip to Michigan after the weekend (up Monday and back Tuesday) that we'd been plannng on. And after the snowy-blowy days, we'll go down into the real deep freeze--this morning's lows will be the highs on Wednesday!
CShaveRRAnd after the snowy-blowy days, we'll go down into the real deep freeze--this morning's lows will be the highs on Wednesday!
Ns was clear when I left work.Ran errands in town.Going to check on brother tomorrow.Will see what Ns runs by.Matt and his group are serving lunch at a shelter on Sunday.Snow next week? how much?? but the Brrrrrr will come afterwards.Winter in Nw Ohio.
First day of the Amherst show is done - pretty good crowd. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Lake effect at home - I hope I don't have to deal with a lot of snow in the driveway when I get home late Sunday evening. It's a long drive home from MA and I won't need that to cap off my trip.
morning
Larry we are sending more your way.Cleaned up here then went into town.Saw an eastbound on Csx.Haven't heard if Matt is still doing lunch today or not.We'll be sure to get our buns into town anyway.
JoeKohLarry we are sending more your way.
Yeah - lots of talk about that on our morning ham radio net. The PD in my old hometown in SE MI put out a note about it, too. As long as the weather is decent this coming weekend for an event at the local community college - it seems like every year in the past it's been pretty lousy, but this year (so far) we're a little more optomistic.
"Super Science Saturday" includes a lot of science related displays. I plan to be there with our amateur radio group.
It appeared to be a good crowd at the big train show in MA. I haven't seen attendance figures yet, but they usually figure on upwards of 20,000 visitors.
NOTE: 01/28/2019 on TRAINS Newswire: Kalmbach Offices will closed on Monday due to Weather in Milwaukee area!!!
"'Trains' offices to be closed Jan. 28 because of severe weather"
samfp1943 NOTE: 01/28/2019 on TRAINS Newswire: Kalmbach Offices will closed on Monday due to Weather in Milwaukee area!!! "'Trains' offices to be closed Jan. 28 because of severe weather" [H/L: dated] January 27, 2019
Elsewhere....
Copied from the NWS regarding Hawaii:
The mid-level moist layer that brought the layered clouds and frozen precipitation to the Big Island summits yesterday afternoon has shifted east of the state with much drier air filling in across the area behind it early this morning.
Wind observations at the summits quickly surged to warning levels with gusts up to around 90 mph early yesterday evening
For the moment, it seems that this thread is appropriately named, at least for a lot of the regular participants.
While you folks to the east are getting ready to vortex, we are trying to figure out what the weatherliars are overdosing on. Predicted only 0-2" of snow and got 10+" and it hasn't quite stopped yet.
The locals are playing bumper cars here while Fort Collins, 65 miles to the north of here didn't get any snow. Ma Nature trying to remind the weatherman who's boss?
The skiers here are happy, with several feet of snow at the nearby resorts. The sun is shining brightly this morning and this afternoon. There are still patches of snow left from the last fall. but the streets are clear.
Johnny
Ns sent a stack train past the frieght in the siding at work when I left.We had snow then sleet now rain.Driver from Detroit said they were getting all the snow.Matt helped with the slushy driveway when we got home.Now we are waitng for Ma nature to freeze then it's free skating for everyone until maybe the weekend.Chores to do here.
Got to Fort Wayne last night, by the time I had dinner it flash froze. Looking over the weather reports this morning, think I'm going to try for the relative safety of Schneider's Gary yard and wait this out. At least if the truck freezes up, I'll be warm........
Local RTD lightrail train derailed yesterday with injuries. Combination of operator error (speed) and ice in the flangeways from how it sounds. Hope RTD can survive the steep learning curve it has established for itself. Still trying to understand how a passenger was "ejected" from a moving train.
You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect.
CShaveRR You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect.
Cold on it's way.Local was uptown when I left work.Matt is closed the next couple of days.Main roads are fine the backroads are ice rinks.Time to get cleaned up.
As the county Skywarn coordinator, I get all the updates from NWS. Lots of snow, especially in the usual lake effect areas. That's no big deal.
The wind will be the problem, both from a blowing snow aspect, and especially wind chill, with -20F and lower expected.
But, it is winter in the north country. As one of the Skywarn coordinator from another county put it, you'll need your ear muffs and you may have to button the top button of your coat...
For now, I'm trying to get one wheel on my snowblower working right. The mechanism that locks the wheels so they turn together (vs one of them free-wheeling) is rusted and isn't giving up without a fight... The snowblower still works, but it takes some wrestling from time to time to keep it on course...
mudchicken CShaveRR You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect. Cline Ave [IN-912], south of Industrial Hwy and old IHB/NYC Gibson Yard. (North of I-80)
Cline Ave [IN-912], south of Industrial Hwy and old IHB/NYC Gibson Yard. (North of I-80)
tree68 For now, I'm trying to get one wheel on my snowblower working right. The mechanism that locks the wheels so they turn together (vs one of them free-wheeling) is rusted and isn't giving up without a fight... The snowblower still works, but it takes some wrestling from time to time to keep it on course...
The drive for the auger on my Husqvarna (I assume it's a belt) is slipping badly- packed snow from the plows stop it completely. I've been babying it through the latest storms, hope to get it into the garage next week when it warms up to tear it apart.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
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