Well, it is 2015 somewhere in the world (down under, for instance), so it isn't too early to start a new Chatterbox.
Early Happy New Year to All.
Carry on.....
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
NEWS FLASH: Cat launches pre-emptive strike! (See the chocolate paw prints on the keyboard tomorrow.)
I wonder what the cause of condemnation of the old property was--did the proprietress throw a fit and make a shamblesof it?
Johnny
Deggesty I wonder what the cause of condemnation of the old property was--did the proprietress throw a fit and make a shamblesof it?
It was required for a rapid transit right-of-way
Here, the chattering, so far, is being done by the teeth (four above locally).Oh, and speaking of blizzards (which this isn't...no snow), Happy birthday, Ed!
Yesterday was the last full day that our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were with us. We've had over a week with these guys, and a lot of experiences with them, but not nearly everything I'd hoped to accomplish.
They missed out on Lou Malnotti's pizza.
We didn't get in a proper job of train-watching (we saw a couple in Chesterton, but Linus was upset. Note to self: take him train-watching in a quiet zone next time).
They got to experience changeable Chicago winter weather...everything but the snow they wanted.
Pat vowed to have Linus walking by the time they left. Didn't happen.
However...
Linus learned to climb stairs while he was here.
He also started to greet me in the morning with a big smile. When we were driving home from Michigan, he was in his seat, crying a bit. He acknowledged Chris' noises that were expected to make him smile, just by making a small vocalization. Then Grandpa blew a razzberry, and he laughed outright. (Keep in mind that he was behind us, facing rearward in his seat, so he may not have known who did what.)
Yesterday he was not going for a nap very well. I took him and rocked him, and he eventually fell asleep. Twenty-five minutes later he woke up in my arms and gave me that smile...
We realize that next time we see Linus, he'll be walking and talking a bit more, and probably much more able to communicate with us...he's already demonstrated how smart, observant, communicative, and downright funny he can be.
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)
Why must we have such a chilling name for the thread? Why not pre-Spring?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding Why must we have such a chilling name for the thread? Why not pre-Spring?
Ah, the nice part of having four seasons.
During summer, we look foward to fall - cooler temperatures, the colorful leaves, the coming holidays, the kids back in school.
In the fall, we look foward to winter - that alabaster wonderland, which also serves to cover the drabness of late fall...
As we tire of winter's snow and cold temperatures, we look forward to spring, warmer temperatures, greenery, and colorful blooms.
Come spring, we're grow tired of psychotic temperature swings, hay fever, and mud, and look forward to the sunny, idyllic days of summer.
Rinse, repeat.
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...
And so it was!
workday done.makes things interesting when people shut down computers before it's time to leave.ns still has an autorack train in the siding.The bears are out patroling already.Staying inside tonight.Ma nature is getting ready to send us some goodies this weekend.Ed hope you are having a great birthday.
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").
Well, the lake effect may have started down south (on its usual track), but it swung north late afternoon providing us with an inch or so of the white stuff (won't measure until 5 PM at the earliest).
There were the usual plethora of accidents, including one that involved two tractor-trailers and around 8 cars. That closed the Interstate for a while in one direction.
This stuff is supposed to stick around until tomorrow. Hopefully the partiers will use designated drivers - alcohol and icy roads don't mix well.
Wheeeee!
tree68 Well, the lake effect may have started down south (on its usual track), but it swung north late afternoon providing us with an inch or so of the white stuff (won't measure until 5 PM at the earliest). There were the usual plethora of accidents, including one that involved two tractor-trailers and around 8 cars. That closed the Interstate for a while in one direction. This stuff is supposed to stick around until tomorrow. Hopefully the partiers will use designated drivers - alcohol and icy roads don't mix well. Wheeeee!
I hope Houston Ed is enjoying his birthday. Don't know if he had to work or not, but either way - he was enjoying working or napping. Of course he was!
Happy Birthday and many more to you!
DeggestyWhat? If you pour enough alcohol on the ice, the ice will melt.
If that's some aged whiskey (or name your favorite spirit), though, wouldn't that be alcohol abuse?
Tree - it has been a long time, but....
GROAN!
Well frustration has taken its toll on this poster. Had to travel to Kissimmee on an emergency basis. Air was out as no seats available at a reasonable price. The dog's web site is impossible to navigate to/from smaller cities and its agents not much help.
Had to drive 550 miles down and same back in the time frame of 21.5 hours. Fatigue has taken its toll. Oh for the want of rail service then would have only needed to drive back.
blue streak 1 Well frustration has taken its toll on this poster. Had to travel to Kissimmee on an emergency basis. Air was out as no seats available at a reasonable price. The dog's web site is impossible to navigate to/from smaller cities and its agents not much help. Had to drive 550 miles down and same back in the time frame of 21.5 hours. Fatigue has taken its toll. Oh for the want of rail service then would have only needed to drive back.
tree68 Deggesty What? If you pour enough alcohol on the ice, the ice will melt. If that's some aged whiskey (or name your favorite spirit), though, wouldn't that be alcohol abuse?
Deggesty What? If you pour enough alcohol on the ice, the ice will melt.
Mookie . . . I was wondering how to indicate a move when my favorite Robert Redford/Natalie Wood movie came to mind - "This property is condemned" . . .
"A railroad official, Owen Legate comes to Dodson, Mississippi to shut down much of the town's railway (town's main income)."
When I saw it, I was too young to understand or appreciate anything but the trains - no idea where those were from, though.
- Paul North.
PDN - The movie was a little dark, but so well acted. 2 of my all-time favorites!
blue streak 1Had to drive 550 miles down and same back in the time frame of 21.5 hours. Fatigue has taken its toll.
Ouch. I know I can knock out a trip to the ol' hometown (500 miles) in about 8 hours (that includes passing through the Toronto metro area at Mach 3), but to go there and turn right around would, indeed, be taxing.
It would be--but if you can find a local who makes his own and use that, it might not be. About thirty years ago, I bought some corn liquor in a North Carolina ABC store.
A fellow on a local forum I frequent is "rumored" to make shine... Although I doubt it.
Happy New Year, Trains forum friends. I will now resume my role as Chief Lurker.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
My first post of 2015.
We have had a pretty decent winter by Canadian standards. Right now it is 30º F. and has been like that, or just a bit cooler, for quite some time now. There has been a bit of snow once in a while but nothing significant in the last few months. Being at or near freezing has made driving difficult for some people though, they think they are driving on a dry road and then hit an icy patch and kill themselves or someone else.
Happy Birthday Ed B. I was thinking of you and Tree during a brief incident up at my brother's place on Christmas Day. While making dinner someone put a pot on the counter, not noticing that there was a small piece of plastic from a package that stuck to the bottom of the pot. It was at most about an inch square, but after the pot was put back on the burner after a time all of a sudden smoke was coming out from the top of the stove that looked like one of those oil refinery fires you see on the news from Houston. It only lasted for 5-10 seconds but it was enough to get the smoke alarms going. Once windows were opened, everything proceeded apace. All in all I had a very enjoyable Christmas season.
I hope everyone has a Happy and Joyous New Year.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
AgentKid...but it was enough to get the smoke alarms going.
Our last fire call (and the last one in the county) for the year was.... a smoke alarm, at a local hotel.
Glad that's all it was. This is a big season for big fires. Did whatever was in the pot get a "smoked" flavor?
Still snowing, but not really heavy. Areas to the south have seen two feet, we're on the order of seven inches here at the house. The band did slide north, over us, last night for a while. Decided to be lazy and blow the snow out of the driveway. With the wind and its eddies around the house, though, some immediately made its way back on the driveway...
Hopefully no one is nursing the results of overindulgence today as they peruse the forum.
Happy New Year everyone.
2014 almost went out with a bang, but it turned out to be a whimper. Last night our third engine caught on fire. Had the Jefferson IA FD meet us, but it turned out we didn't need them. Engine had developed a fuel leak and the fuel was burning at the point of the leak. It would flare up or die down with throttle position. Looked impressive. Luckily, fuel and oil in the bottom of the car body didn't start burning. Otherwise it would've been much worse. Had a mechanic come out to make sure the leak had stopped once we had shut the engine down. and make sure it wouldn't leak any unburned leaked fuel onto the ground. After about an hour, we were given the OK, and off we went.
Brought in the New Year on the change-out pad at Fremont, waiting for the outbound to come relieve us.
Jeff
Jeff - you may have told us before, but I don't remember - is Fremont NE or IA?
To answer Tree's question, fortunately the pot was covered, that kind of smoke likely woudn't have been good for us.
One thing I forgot to do in my last post was to make a book recommendation. I received what might be the nicest book I have gotten in a long time. It is "Rocky Mountain Sunrise" by Nils Huxtable, 2009. It is an "art" book that happens to include all Canadian railway scenes, as opposed to a railfan book with some "artsy" photos. It has the kind and quality of pictures I wish we could see in the "Trackside with Trains" contests. I would compare it to O.W. Link's "Steam, Steel and Stars", except Mr. Link's book is all night photos and there are only a handful of night shots in Mr. Huxtable's book. A very fine book, indeed.
Once again wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
SJ, Fremont (at least in TMW terms) is in Nebraska, just to the north of you by perhaps 50 miles. Take U.S. 77 through Wahoo to go there. And it's definitely worth the visit.I had to add the "TMW" restriction, because I also know of Fremonts in Michigan (home of Gerber baby foods), Ohio, and California.
Over New Year's one of the two remaining CNW engines escaped the confines of the Chicago area. It went west on a NS run thru manifest (MELNP) and I think it was added at Proviso. They usually don't add power and the second engine was a UP engine that should've had cab signals, so I'm guessing it had some kind of failure and they had to grap something fast. It was tied down over the holiday at California Jct (Iowa, just west of Missouri Valley) in the siding.
Hopefully, it will make it back to Chicago as a CNW unit. It should, there is a note in it's computer status not to paint or renumber it.
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