Got the truck more or less hoed out and started loading up for the Pumpkin Trains this weekend. If things go well, I might get a little amateur radio in, too.
Even tonight's meeting went well. On to tomorrow (it's supposed to rain).
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...
Monday was a holiday so I was able to get out to Elmhurst for most of the day. Weather was co-operative (a bit chilly but sunny) and I got some good pix. Nothing unusual showed up but it was still good to get out.
I spotted Metra 211 (CB&Q Heritage) at 14th Street from my train yesterday afternoon. It's a pretty good paint job when you allow for the fact that an F40PH-2M has different lines than an E7.
Speaking of CB&Q paint : Colorado RR Museum painted one of their ex-Georgetown Loop/ Hawaiian narrow gage GE-65T centercabs in CB&Q colors as a ficticious Golden City RR. Did a double take the first time I saw it out running around on the loop track at the museum.
afternoon
Windy and drizzly here in Nw Ohio.Ns sent a short westbound after work today.Chores to do here.Looks nice on Saturday but next week looks rather wet.
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").
Paul, I wish I could have joined you at Elmhurst...I had therapy in the morning and something else not as important in the afternoon.First round of radiation Tuesday, after a quick trip into the city to meet a friend for lunch. Progress on the third main track between Vale and 25th Avenue is pretty good, considering that Trains just announced the construction a couple of weeks ago. I'd say they have almost all of the rail down. In one spot, the new track is covered with ballast, which I assume will go under the ties sometime soon. Both Maywood and Melrose Park have temporary platforms...Melrose Park's is built right on top of some of the new track. A tamper was at work on the new bridge over the Des Plaines River.Happy birthday, Larry (Tree68)! However, I'm now in a different decade from you.
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)
CShaveRRHappy birthday, Larry (Tree68)! However, I'm now in a different decade from you.
One more year to the big "seven oh!"
Had a pretty good day - took myself out for a steak dinner...
Sounds like you had a decent day, too.
Carl, I don't know if this is in your field, but I thought about your database when a PRB coal train passed comprised of WPSX cars with numbers in the 800-1500 series.
Oh, I'm familiar with those WPSX cars, all right--black hoppers with green rotary-coupler ends in the 800s, and aluminum gons with orange rotary-coupler ends in the 1500s and surrounding. I have the data I need from both series: anything one can find in an Equipment Register is available to me, as well as builder and build dates (and lot numbers, if they're visible) from direct obervations either by me or one of my fellow carchaeologists. What I still need from these cars is the numbers of the gondolas with two rotary-coupler ends. I've got the numbers for the hoppers, but there's no pattern in the numbers for the gons, so I don't know if I have them all or not.Today after my rehab we took a quick spin into Downers Grove, where I discovered a string of freight cars on the center main track. There was also a single locomotve unit on the same track, east of the cars, but separated from them by an unsafe distance (i.e., I would not be allowed to cross the tracks between them, if I were allowed on the right-of-way at all). At any rate, I was able to grab some data off a number of the standing cars, at places where I could drive up to the tracks in parking lots. I haven't checked my discoveries yet, but I might have some interesting old coal gons or third-hand covered hoppers in there.
Evening
Happy Birthday Tree. Ns had the local uptown after work.Was doing some push pull switching.Went into town here at home and ran some errands.Did go to Fc and there is an ex Sante Fe bluebonnet switching on the ND&W.Saw a couple eastbounds pass by on CSX as well.Pen pal is coming back this way tomorrow evening.Going to be a nice weekend to enjoy the fall colors.
Ns had a couple trains as I left work.Came home and took care of yardwork.Then cleaned up and went into town and gave hugs.Csx sent a couple trains by as well.Pen pal is coming back this way tonight for supper.Tomorrow is going to be really nice.Trying to figure out which way to go.(will be looking for trains)
Thanks, Joe.
Arrived at the RR today to make preps for tomorrow's "Pumpkin Trains." No conductor in sight for the local. Contacted the volunteer coordinator. Oh - it's you!
Scurry around, don uniform, start getting things lined up so we can go out, couldn't get "paper" as another train already had the track. Finally got the track, but the genset was acting up. It was in the low 40's outside, and about the same inside the train. Finally got the genset (and the heat) going and from there, things went relatively well.
Of course, then I had to head out into the woods to do the stuff I'd have gotten done several hours earlier...
Whee!
The CPL's in Deshler were dark this morning before I left home.Went over to wander Indiana with Stacey.Ns had more going on than CSX.Stopped in Butler on the way home and saw a BNSF "Mookie" unit on the point of an empty coal train.Those have been rare visitors here in Nw Ohio especially leading.Then we stopped in Edgerton to get my brother a shake.Ns sent 20m with the Erie heritage unit eastbound.Brother liked it.Need to get things around for work tomorrow.
JoeKohThe CPL's in Deshler were dark this morning before I left home.
That's like, the third time recently.
Busy, busy weekend. Worked three trains as conductor, plus setting up, running, and tearing down the "Pumpkin Patch." Did a lot of walking, and I can feel it.
I did try to take part in the "New York State QSO Party" on amateur radio on Saturday. A number of things conspired against doing as much as I wanted on the radio, but I did get in one contact (some folks make hundreds of contacts), so it wasn't a complete bust.
The unique part of that is that I was set up out in the woods, running on a generator, as opposed to sitting in the warmth and comfort of my house...
Aside from hoeing out the truck and trailer today, it's a "down" day for recovery from a busy weekend.
Joe, how far west into Indiana did you guys get Saturday? You might have been within range.Laying low these past several weeks due to cardiac rehab and radiation. The radiation should have been done last Friday, but due to various problems and snafus, I still have two sessions to go. Hoping to be done this Thursday. Besides, every time I go to look for trains lately, I've been moderately successful. For example, we saw one train yesterday while dining in Elmhurst. It wasn't much, but my notes led to the discovery of a series of 350 new tank cars, and a block of nearly 400 secondhand center-beam cars that went to the Iowa Northern. And I'm still working on stuff that's over two weeks old!Congratulations to Chris "CopCarSS" May, who was married yesterday. He and Amanda will be living in Elmhurst, where he has a new job and Amanda will be looking for something in Chicagoland suitable to her zoological expertise.
CShaveRRHe and Amanda will be living in Elmhurst, where he has a new job and Amanda will be looking for something in Chicagoland suitable to her zoological expertise.
Maybe Kalmbach needs a forum moderator?
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Carl we only wandered as far west as Ft.Wayne.Also reminds me I have some pictures to send you.Mother nature has sent some rain.Ns was putting a westbound grain train in the siding.They also had a tie gang working uptown.Chores to do here.
Well, Congrats to Chris and Amanda!
Marvelous day here today - well into the 60's, which isn't bad for the end of October. The weekend was mixed, though. Set up the Pumpkin Patch in the rain, it was clear but cold on Saturday (calling the push move for the Haunted History train was a nippy job), and Sunday dawned clear and frosty, but light rain arrived before we made our local trip out of Thendara.
At least the Pumpkin Trains were reasonably well attended, so the work was worth it.
Back home this evening after a week-long trip to Portland, OR via the Empire Builder. The westbound trainset on the 12th-14th initially ran up to 1.5 hours late, but made up for it by the time it got to Spokane. Eastern North Dakota had just gotten walloped with a snowstorm, but that didn't seem to be a factor for this train. The eastbound trainset on the 19th through today was very punctual- on time the whole trip! The east end for us was Winona, MN, where we were able to leave our vehicle with my sister and brother-in-law. Had some rail-related fun while in Portland as well; visited the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, where a crew was busy performing maintenance on SP-4449, and rode the Max light rail on one other outing.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
CShaveRRCongratulations to Chris "CopCarSS" May, who was married yesterday. He and Amanda will be living in Elmhurst, where he has a new job and Amanda will be looking for something in Chicagoland suitable to her zoological expertise.
Happy news, and Elmhurst doesn’t seem to be that far from Brookfield.
Good Evening
Mother nature sent some gusty winds and rain this afternoon.Ns was busy with the Tonka toys replacing ties.Have chores to do quick.Work comes early.
OK - All you folks east of Denver get ready to duck! Ma nature is busy trying to switch gears! The weatherliars are shifting into Chicken-little mode. (5" Wed-Thur and 6" Sun Mon???)....In the meantime, batten-ing down the scottie so he's not off chasing flying monkeys in Kansas. (40-50 mph howlie gusts - light fixtures up here on the 11th floor perch are swinging about 2" as I type)
kongratz Chris & Amanda! (Carl: A few more chairs at the next meet?)
Have had 3+ inches of rain in the past 7 days - more rain than we have had in August, September and the first half of October.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD Have had 3+ inches of rain in the past 7 days - more rain than we have had in August, September and the first half of October.
We're up to almost 0.9" for this latest round, and they promise us more in a day or so. Right now my weather station is telling me that we've gotten 4.37" so far in October, of the 30.05" we've gotten (per my weather station) for the year.
At least it's not snow, yet. Soon enough...
mudchicken (40-50 mph howlie gusts - light fixtures up here on the 11th floor perch are swinging about 2" as I type)
(40-50 mph howlie gusts - light fixtures up here on the 11th floor perch are swinging about 2" as I type)
Sounds like the curtains in our Amtrak sleeper berth two nights ago... we were in the last car, wagging like the tail on a dog.
evening
Ns was further down the siding as they kept replacing ties when I left work.Went into town to run errands and checked on the nD&W and CSX.Shortline was still spreading ballst.Csx sent 3 trains by while I was there.Chores to do here.
Ns was clear when I left work.Came home and did yardwork.Seems a tree dropped more sticks than leaves.Glad tomorrow is Friday.Saturday looks very wet.Not good for the annual parade uptown.Chores to do.
Well, too bad that no one has honored my previous request to steer some moisture our way in Cali. We've got plenty of unseasonable high temps and very low humidity - trade ya!
Here in the SFBA we are due for some high winds starting tomorrow night so most of the areas power may be shut down. Wierdly, last time buildings on my side of the road had power but those on the other did not; almost all power is underground but one of the few PG&E poles had to be called in repeatedly for dropping flaming parts .....
BTW the local squirrels do not seem to like the black oak acorns that have been dropping on my roof. They are very similar to black walnuts in size and texture - a tough meal to eat. Deer are nightly visitors, munching on the landscaping.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
MikeF90Well, too bad that no one has honored my previous request to steer some moisture our way in Cali.
We have lots of folks here who would love to help, it's getting it to you that poses the problem.
The Great Lakes are still very high. Lake Ontario is the only lake with any sort of control, in the form of the dams of the St Lawrence Power Project. Some are calling for an early end to the shipping season (normally late December) so more water can be dumped from the lake and river.
It's a complex issue - balancing high water (and flooding) on the river and lake upstream of the power project with the possibility of flooding below.
While many acknowledge the significant rains in the region in the spring as one factor, a good many also blame the new management plan for the lake and river.
Yes the lakeshore spots continue to get pounded around the region.Ns was clear when I left work.Went out and got some good pictures of Matt. Csx sent some trains by.Went to eat at the station.Needed just a couple more days for the colors to really come out where I wanted.We'll see what mother nature looks like in the morning.
joe
tree68We have lots of folks here who would love to help, it's getting it to you that poses the problem.
I hear ya. I was thinking of the frequently reported flooding along various parts of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and how the USACOE has to deal with it.
A lot of places downstream complain of drought which gives me pause. Been to Oklahoma, how does a now humid state half covered in reservoirs have a drought? The RRs (and others) in south Texas have to deal with overflowing rivers; I'll bet some folks in west Texas would figure out a use for it if an aqueduct sent some there way. Hey, it's only money ....
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