And they followed a star in the West......

[Mookie]

Well, ok - they followed Interstate 80. But they came bearing gifts! None of that silly stuff either - I got a 2004 locomotive roster book. Eat your hearts out guys!

Now the Mookie can sit in Millie and follow all the CSX, NS, FURX, etc! [:D]

Plus I got some cracker jacks to eat right in front of that "other" guy that train watches at 10 am and eats popcorn...watch him drool!

Got a good book on railroading with diagrams and "pitchurs" and a book on Big Boys.....sigh......could almost smell the soot.....

Such nice people! And we are lucky to have someone dedicated to freight cars on our forum! We were getting really up close and friendly with a couple of them (coal cars) when we spotted a rather large "bull" coming our way. Smiled and left - fast! Imagine - two older people with a getaway car running! Thrills a minute!

Of course, I got to see the usual amount of traffic while our visitors were off chasing UP trains out west. When they tried to watch with us on Sunday afternoon - BNSF called a quick employees picnic or free beer or 1/2 day holiday - whatever they do when I want to show them off. You could have shot off a cannon at my "place" and not hit anything close to a train.

But on my own - I saw - 8 actual trains on one day - with 3 engines out for a saunter around the tracks.

Then 2nd day - saw 5 trains and 2 engines. (this was only about an hour).

But - I did see a GP38-2 and a GP 35 - there's an oddity - pulling containers headed east.

And my old friend the B23-7 which seems to be a weekend visitor.

So glad to be back - altho - you got a little spicy while I was gone.

For now - the BC & P short line is heading to Missouri - (shudder) and will be home again this weekend. And no I am not sharing my Cracker Jacks! Even going to keep the toy! (Matt it is really too old for you!!!!! Trust me!!!!! I'm not Skeets, but trust me!)

Oh yes - highlight of the Sunday afternoon watching - got to place just in time to watch something - a really long grain train - blocking a xing and moving about one car length and then rolling thunder. Would start up - more rolling thunder and move about one more car length. Then stop and more rolling thunder. It about deafened all of us - if I didn't know better, would think Mookie was at the controls. Did this probably 3-4 times and finally got into the yard. Wow - was sure we were going to break something - besides our ear drums!

OK - back to work - keep the noise down.

Mook

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Such nice people! And we are lucky to have someone dedicated to freight cars on our forum! We were getting really up close and friendly with a couple of them (coal cars) when we spotted a rather large "bull" coming our way. Smiled and left - fast! Imagine - two older people with a getaway car running! Thrills a minute!

For now - the BC & P short line is heading to Missouri - (shudder) and will be home again this weekend. And no I am not sharing my Cracker Jacks! Even going to keep the toy! (Matt it is really too old for you!!!!! Trust me!!!!! I'm not Skeets, but trust me!)

Mook

I am Mook, and Mook I am,
Driver and mook are on the lam.
Running form RR Bulls are we,
Watching trains illegally.
Hopper, flats and double stacks
Keep your paws off my cracker jacks...


Dr Sooze strikes again.......

[Mookie]

Dear Dr: Yep - that about sums it all up!

Mook

[coalminer3]

Grain cars stalled
Alas-alack
My ears do hurt
When they take up slack.

Mookie- beloved C&O (still can't call it by its other initials) does this near my house quite often - lots of noise and clouds of coal dust; but at least we know there's something going on.

work safe

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by coalminer3

Grain cars stalled
Alas-alack
My ears do hurt
When they take up slack.

Mookie- beloved C&O (still can't call it by its other initials) does this near my house quite often - lots of noise and clouds of coal dust; but at least we know there's something going on.

work safe

It was awful and I can't believe it isn't hard on equipment! He had slack going in and slack going out and it was just setting my teeth on edge. I don't know - maybe they had the yardmaster trying to move the train - (oops, I'm a gonna be in trouble over that one!)

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a good weekend. Amusing as always. [:)]

[JoeKoh]

Sounds like you had fun.
stay safe
Joe

[CShaveRR]

I thought that was a string of coal cars, SJ (DEEX gons). Sure was loud, though! I'm not sure that's what they meant by "rolling thunder", but it was interesting to hear the slack run out the length of the train.

One time I humped a long string of empty ballast cars. They tied onto the track at a safe coupling speed, but I not only made them resonate--I also loosened the dust in all of them, so there was a 30-carlength cloud of fine pink powder, for which I was taken to task by a not-too-bright management type. My offer to take the track out of service while he inspected it was met by a lot of muttering...

I'll raise my box of Cracker Jack in a toast to you later today, Sis!

[Modelcar]

...And after all of the above Jen...I really loved your topic title.....

[Mookie]

Brother Carl - sorry was thinking it was grain cars, but you remember correctly it was mt coal cars. Mookie has to write everything down, otherwise her memory .........well.......

Anyway - ate all my Cracker Jacks - someone kept lifting my prizes!

Glad you made it home safely! We really must do this again sometime!

SJ