Do conducters carry bear repellent,,Bears have been known to feed off split grain.
Time, distance, shielding. Works for bears, too.
I'm more likely to run into a deer around our small yard.
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...
It's the deer on top of the railcars that are headscratchers.
Do passengers find holes in the roof so they can stick their heads up when they want the deer to scratch them?
Johnny
tree68I'm more likely to run into a deer around our small yard.
That is a terrible double entendre!
CandOforprogress2 Do conducters carry bear repellent,,Bears have been known to feed off split grain.
Those darned bears must carry some pretty fine equipment to be able to split the grains. “Hey Boo Boo!” “Yes Yogi?” “Bring me our finest razor blade from the toolbox. I have found some grain to split for lunch. We shall have a fine pic-a-nic”. “Here you go, Yogi”. “Thanks Boo Boo! Hold my beer and watch this!”
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I believe that conducters should be alowed to open carry expecialy when working with high value Intermodal Trains in rough neighborhoods.Its the two legged animal that are the most dangerous
It's more of a problem in New Jersey I think than anywhere else. Bears ride the cars in from Maine and even Canada, and after some 700 miles or so get off in heavily populated NJ hungry and expecting food. You never hear about moose roaming the yards in NJ.. there must be a reason.
Doh!!
rdamon Doh!!
I remember an old picture of a Yellow and Gray Milwaukee Road Passenger F7 with Pheasant Tail Feathers hanging out of the second front headlight and the lens was shattered.
They usually go under our cars...
Murphy Siding CandOforprogress2 Do conducters carry bear repellent,,Bears have been known to feed off split grain. Those darned bears must carry some pretty fine equipment to be able to split the grains. “Hey Boo Boo!” “Yes Yogi?” “Bring me our finest razor blade from the toolbox. I have found some grain to split for lunch. We shall have a fine pic-a-nic”. “Here you go, Yogi”. “Thanks Boo Boo! Hold my beer and watch this!”
Murphy, You have too much time on your hands !
Just be glad you're too cold in the Winter to grow Formosan Termites...Around a lumber yard they whould get big enough to go hunting for them with a .22...
Larry might have a black bear problem up there in the hinterlands of Nooo YAK....all he has to do is fix the steering wheel on that Alco (RS whatever ) and just run over 'em!
Now Houston Ed may have a whole different set of issues with the critters in his neck of the woods...The water being so high down there, aligators might be a real problem for the guys having to wade around on the ground...I'd bet hes glad that the piranahas doing get to big in the bayous...
samfp1943Larry might have a black bear problem up there in the hinterlands of Nooo YAK....all he has to do is fix the steering wheel on that Alco (RS whatever ) and just run over 'em!
Oh, yeah...
I almost clipped one one day - couldn't have missed it by more that 15-20 feet at 25+ MPH. Probably answered the question of if bears perform a certain body function in the woods - or on the railroad tracks...
There's an apple tree across the tracks from the station. For a while it was an evening activity to watch a rather large bear scale said tree to enjoy some fresh fruit.
Then there was the bear that tried to break into a candy store in Old Forge, or another some years ago who discovered that an outside cooler at the station containing ice cream wasn't locked...
Life in the north woods. At least I have yet to have one knock on the door of the camp car when I've been staying there...
CandOforprogress2 I believe that conducters should be alowed to open carry expecialy when working with high value Intermodal Trains in rough neighborhoods.Its the two legged animal that are the most dangerous
We had a moose stroll through our engine house once.. everyone stood very still..
I didnt actually see it but I was told that a large cat ran through our yard. Larger than a bobcat. Speaking of bobcats , they make the scariest noises in the dark when you have to walk a train .
I was afraid one cold dark night in November when I walked back 60 cars to recouple an airhose on a centerbeam. So afraid that I didn't want to walk back. I rode a centerbeam about 30 miles. It gets really dark in the Maine woods !!
Now I'm more afraid of the two legged critters in the dark here.
Randy
I chased a rabbit down the yard lead last night/early this morning.
Bears aren't much of a problem in Iowa. Most of the bears here hangout around the highways, good buddy.
Jeff
Murphy Siding CandOforprogress2 I believe that conducters should be alowed to open carry expecialy when working with high value Intermodal Trains in rough neighborhoods.Its the two legged animal that are the most dangerous To be fair, it would only be sporting to allow the bears to carry sidearms as well.... With the appropriate permit of course.
To be fair, it would only be sporting to allow the bears to carry sidearms as well.... With the appropriate permit of course.
Sounds good to me, I've always supported the right to keep and arm bears.
"The bear and the big hook - wildlife vs. the Alaska Railroad" by Gale, George Jennings, from Trains, April 1967, pg. 23
"The only bear to have been flagged down by a fusee." (or similar)
Bears near or on the tracks were mentioned in this article, as I recall:
"Rogers Pass reverie - all about Rogers Pass" by Harrop, Doug, Trains, Nov. 1985, pg. 32 &etc.
"The worst kind of bear - a cub."
I believe there was a similar story a few years ago, but I don't recall enough details to find it.
- Paul North.
Both CP and CN have problems in the Rockies with bears and other animals becoming intoxicated on fermented grain dropped from hoppers. The animals become unable to move and as a result are hit by trains.
samfp1943 Larry might have a black bear problem up there in the hinterlands of Nooo YAK....all he has to do is fix the steering wheel on that Alco (RS whatever ) and just run over 'em!
Back in the late 80's, my dad wanted to see the Tumbler Ridge opeation and the W.A.C.Bennett dam in British Columbia so we took the B.C.Rail RDC's up to Prince George. Great trip. The route had three divisions, N. Vancouver-Lillooet-Williams Lake-Prince George. We had trouble with one engine overheating on the grade North of Lillooet making us late into Williams Lake. A senior engieer took over for the final lap to Prince George. I was allowed to ride up front with him. To him, it was his job to get us into Prince Ggeorge on time (we were over an hour late) but he knew his railroad and we exceeded the timetable speed limit by a significant amount. (I had a current ETT and could see the speedometer) About forty miles N of Williams Lake, we came upon a black bear that may have been doing about 25 mph running between the rails and I thought we were about to find out how a Budd Car handles a colision with a 200+ lb bear. Fortunatly, the bear realized that it should leave the ROW about 10 feet before we would have hit it. Engineer never considered braking. Did hit the horn. We made up almost 50 minutes. It was my last train ride with my dad.
Not that many gators...they already have the bayous to themselves, but we have had one decide to sun himself on our main running track in one of our yards.
23 17 46 11
I'd bet RBBX has seen very large animals in it's yard. ELEPHANTS!
Norm
I think it's in one of my Milwaukee Road books, but there is a story about a bear encounter out in Idaho or Montana.
A covered hopper of grain was involved in a derailment. After the track was reopened, the cars weren't immediately removed. The covered hopper had broken open and the grain was able to ferment. One day a sectionman was talking on the dispatcher's phone at a wayside phone box/booth. All of a sudden there was some screaming and the phone went dead. Later, he was able to come back on the line. It seems while talking, he had heard something, turned around and found a woozy black bear behind him.
For a time after that, until the car was removed and the bears sobered up, section gangs were allowed to carry firearms.
jeffhergert I think it's in one of my Milwaukee Road books, but there is a story about a bear encounter out in Idaho or Montana. A covered hopper of grain was involved in a derailment. After the track was reopened, the cars weren't immediately removed. The covered hopper had broken open and the grain was able to ferment. One day a sectionman was talking on the dispatcher's phone at a wayside phone box/booth. All of a sudden there was some screaming and the phone went dead. Later, he was able to come back on the line. It seems while talking, he had heard something, turned around and found a woozy black bear behind him. For a time after that, until the car was removed and the bears sobered up, section gangs were allowed to carry firearms. Jeff
Are bears 'mean drunks' or 'happy drunks'?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Depends if the beat the Packers...
jeffhergert...until the car was removed...
Not railroad, but related to the stuff left behind aspect -
A truck hauling fruit went off the Interstate into the median near here some years ago. Much of the fruit came out (I think the truck rolled over). DOT decided that letting the fruit just stay there and "return to dust" was the appropriate action - until the local wild animal population discovered the smorgasbord.
There were so many car-animal "encounters" that they were forced to go back and clean up the mess...
NS occasionally gets some good sized alligators in the yard in Macon GA. They have a gator wrangler on call for such occasions....
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmannd They have a gator wrangler on call for such occasions....
Have to start the new manager trainees somewhere.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
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