tree68It's rare that we have any major issues with the passengers. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Understandable; nobody wants to migrate from the "Nice" list to the "Naughty" list, do they?
evening
Ns had 2 stack trains pass each other after work.The local was also uptown.Ran an errand with Stacey.She got her Christmas present a little early.Chores to do here at home.
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").
blue streak 1Have often wondered if some kind of air jet hooked to main reservoir and controled from cab could blow at least some leaves away ? Realize that might be too much drain on the air supply but ------
It would have to be pretty powerful - you'd probably need a separate compressor for the purpose, and it would need to be high pressure with plenty of volume - probably a turbine compressor vs a piston version.
And that wouldn't help for the leaves that get stirred up by the train and end up sticking to the wet rail and subsequently being squashed...
One of the transit agencies (which one escapes me at the moment) has a special car the includes a pressure washer and brushes to clean the rails.
I've wondered if some sort of wire brush could be used ahead of the wheels. The devil is in the details, like how fast it would have to spin and how long each brush would last before it had to be replaced.
OTOH, a hopper full of good sand can make a world of difference.
Some railroads had steam jets mounted to blow the sand off the rails behind the drivers. They felt it helped reduce rolling resistance for the rest of the train.
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
Ns had a westbound in the siding when I left work.Matt is doing homework.Chores to do.
tree68 By now the leaves are all down, and we've made enough trips to clean them pretty well off - so they aren't the problem they are earlier in the season. Actually a couple of our first trips were pretty slippery.
By now the leaves are all down, and we've made enough trips to clean them pretty well off - so they aren't the problem they are earlier in the season. Actually a couple of our first trips were pretty slippery.
Tree. Hove often wondered if some kind of air jet hooked to main reservoir and controled from cab could blow at least some leaves away ? Realize that might be too much drain on the air supply but ------
We lost two well-known local railfans aboard 501 yesterday. Thoughts and prayers are with their families.
Electroliner 1935 No leaves on the track? tree68 Two more nights - four more trips to the North Pole - and we wrap up another year. As it stands right now, I'm in the cab for all four trips. Is this what you prefer, peace and quiet, or would you rather be with the excited kids? Both have their plusses and minuses.
No leaves on the track?
tree68 Two more nights - four more trips to the North Pole - and we wrap up another year. As it stands right now, I'm in the cab for all four trips.
Is this what you prefer, peace and quiet, or would you rather be with the excited kids? Both have their plusses and minuses.
I do like working on the train and interacting with the passengers. Sunday night I spoke with families from New Jersey and Leesburg, VA. We draw from a wide audience. On the other hand, being on your feet for several hours on a rocking train can get tiring, so sitting in the cab is a welcome respite.
Walking into a car where Santa has made his visits and hearing the clamor of all those bells...
We do see entire families in "matching jammies," as I say. Its' fun to see them into the event like that.
It's rare that we have any major issues with the passengers. Or anyone else, for that matter.
tree68Two more nights - four more trips to the North Pole - and we wrap up another year. As it stands right now, I'm in the cab for all four trips.
I spent all of Sunday on the Seattle Subdivision south of Pt. Defiance shooting the last day of Amtrak service along the coast, and then today happened.
I know a few people on 501 and this is all a huge shock.
Colder than the dickens last night, and tonight we even shut down the locomotives and didn't connect the "hot starts" because it's going to warm up overnight.
At least the tracks weren't slick, even though they had snow and ice on them. I hardly used any sand at all on the way up the hill.
Two more nights - four more trips to the North Pole - and we wrap up another year. As it stands right now, I'm in the cab for all four trips.
Work busy.Ns sent an eastbound when I left work.Went uptown here at home and made a delivery.Got there just before they were leaving for the day.Supper and chores to do.
joe
Snowmelt here in Nw Ohio today.Picked up more t-shirts for the historical society.Going to pick up Matt from his caroling.Tomorrow it's back to work.
BaltACD jeffhergert Highs in central Iowa were forecasted to be around 50 today. I saw a golf course with some of their sprinklers on. TV weather person said last night drought conditions are coming back. Today for the first time in 19 years there were no temporary speed restrictions in our bulletins on the subdivisions I currently work. Two subdivisions didn't even have any advisory bulletins (tracks out of service, bad footing conditions, etc.) meaning there was no page for them in the bulletins. With nothing on those subdivisions it felt like we were overlooking something. Jeff Do your bulletins identify the sub division and that there is nothing to report, or do they not mention the subdivision at all if there is nothing to report for the subdivision.
jeffhergert Highs in central Iowa were forecasted to be around 50 today. I saw a golf course with some of their sprinklers on. TV weather person said last night drought conditions are coming back. Today for the first time in 19 years there were no temporary speed restrictions in our bulletins on the subdivisions I currently work. Two subdivisions didn't even have any advisory bulletins (tracks out of service, bad footing conditions, etc.) meaning there was no page for them in the bulletins. With nothing on those subdivisions it felt like we were overlooking something. Jeff
Today for the first time in 19 years there were no temporary speed restrictions in our bulletins on the subdivisions I currently work. Two subdivisions didn't even have any advisory bulletins (tracks out of service, bad footing conditions, etc.) meaning there was no page for them in the bulletins. With nothing on those subdivisions it felt like we were overlooking something.
Jeff
Do your bulletins identify the sub division and that there is nothing to report, or do they not mention the subdivision at all if there is nothing to report for the subdivision.
Our track warrant, used only to deliver bulletins, lists the routing the track warrant covers and all subdivisions on (or portions thereof) contiguous to that route. The bulletins are arranged by subdivision and identified on the page(s). (The contiguous subdivisions only list about 40 miles from the connection point. Just in case we should have to wye power for example.) Should a subdivision not have any bulletins in effect, there would be no individual page for it. When printed out, the bulletin pages have at the bottom, (for example) page 1 of 10. So if a page didn't print out, you could see one was missing. That, and checking bulletin numbers against those listed on the warrant provide against one missing because of technical error rather than nothing in effect. Still, it seems weird not having something in effect. I'm saving that warrant and bulletins.
jeffhergertHighs in central Iowa were forecasted to be around 50 today. I saw a golf course with some of their sprinklers on. TV weather person said last night drought conditions are coming back. Today for the first time in 19 years there were no temporary speed restrictions in our bulletins on the subdivisions I currently work. Two subdivisions didn't even have any advisory bulletins (tracks out of service, bad footing conditions, etc.) meaning there was no page for them in the bulletins. With nothing on those subdivisions it felt like we were overlooking something. Jeff
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD blue streak 1 Unusual sight on CSX this afternoon. 2 locos in run 8 leading a very long and slow intermodal that was under powered. The catch ? Both locos leading long nose forward. The forward facing horn certainly wasn't providing much noise to front of train. Were there ditch lights on the leading long hood? If not train is restricted, by rule, to 20 MPH over road crossings.
blue streak 1 Unusual sight on CSX this afternoon. 2 locos in run 8 leading a very long and slow intermodal that was under powered. The catch ? Both locos leading long nose forward. The forward facing horn certainly wasn't providing much noise to front of train.
Were there ditch lights on the leading long hood? If not train is restricted, by rule, to 20 MPH over road crossings.
Highs in central Iowa were forecasted to be around 50 today. I saw a golf course with some of their sprinklers on. TV weather person said last night drought conditions are coming back.
blue streak 1Unusual sight on CSX this afternoon. 2 locos in run 8 leading a very long and slow intermodal that was under powered. The catch ? Both locos leading long nose forward. The forward facing horn certainly wasn't providing much noise to front of train.
Unusual sight on CSX this afternoon. 2 locos in run 8 leading a very long and slow intermodal that was under powered. The catch ? Both locos leading long nose forward. The forward facing horn certainly wasn't providing much noise to front of train.
BaltACD Been snowing lightly since 10 AM - have to go 50 mile up the road this evening.
Been snowing lightly since 10 AM - have to go 50 mile up the road this evening.
The wife spoke to one of the BNSF guys at Casey's in Belle Plaine. He mentioned to her, that their daily train count is now in the 50/60 a day count ( both directions ). Glad we live away from any crossings!
I guess Their going to have a good year end! Noticed a couple of the Herzog, self-unloading Ballast trains, and a couple of their ultra sound units on the road as well.
Saw a CSX lead stack train go east on Ns when I got to work.Also saw a coal train in the siding after work.Cleaned off some snow when I got home.Tomorrow it's Kp duty at G+G house.Chores to do here.
Afternoon
Ns was clear when I left work.Matt was on delay today.Chores to do.
Yesterdays barely to freezing temps and the overnight clipper have left a dusting of white all over. High today is supposed to be 40 so the white covering won't last long.
Well, the clipper isn't bringing us any snow here (can't say the same for points south!), but it did bring frigid temperatures - currently -5F on all my thermometers. Just finished up a ham radio net and everyone else in the region is reporting a similar chill.
Good day to settle in and stay in.
No snow this morning but my morning trip was delayed about 15 minutes by switching at the west end of Landers. Weekend is supposed to be relatively mild.
Currently quite flaky in my neighborhood and likely to stay that way over night.
Plenty of food in the house and no reason to go anywhere. I guess I'll just sit and look out the window to see motorists slipping and sliding there way home.
Dang; it is nice to be retired and not be obligated to drive to work in the mornings.
Take care Joe and be safewhile driving.
Norm
No snow yet.Ns had a frieght going west into the siding.Going to do chores.
Larry,
It appears from the forecasts that southeast Michigan is about to get dumped on by the first really significant snow storm of this winter. Expecting as much as eight inches by tomorrow morning.
Yesterday I grocery shopped and stocked up. Good timing on my part or just pure luck?
Murphy SidingSnow fighting equipment? They must experience some pretty aggressive snow storms.
Carl H. Frink Co. called their early plows "Snow Fighters."
An area that can see snowfall rates measured in inches per hour can probably be considered to have aggressive snow storms. That would be the lake effect bands at the east end of Lakes Erie and Ontario.
I posted a video of old Frink plows on the snow thread.
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