G'day Gents!
Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):
CM3 Shane at 8:43 AM ‘n 12:28 PM today: Data dump, data dump! Only kidding - for awhile there I thought 20 Fingers "his self" had returned. <phew> <grin> Figgered you'd have a "bunch" of B&O material - coal related, what else, eh
Many THANX for pickin' up on my "noon or thereabouts' request!
Appreciate the two visits - two rounds - two "sets" of quarters and supportive material!
Lars at 9:10 AM today: Great, great book covers and you're correct - I don't recall seeing them before.
Hope you've met with success in getting your bookings for the Florida trip. There are times when the "old ways" somehow actually serve us far better than what we've become accustomed to. You're not the only "OLD guy" in the crowd! <grin>
I know this trip isn't for "fun ‘ games" and spending big bucks isn't always a joy to behold! Wish the both of you best of luck in your hunt for that "dream" getaway home away from home! Be sure to let us know when you're planning to be gone, as we need to get barn weevil Doug cranked in to his NEW JOB as Assistant Manager!! <uh oh>
James at 9:32 AM today: Good to see ya again, young fella! Seems you missed the biggest event of the year and I surely hope you get ‘round to wishing "Our" Place a well deserved greeting.
Don't have a clue regarding the rework of those B&O heavyweights, but perhaps one or two of the guys may. We used to have a B&O aficionado with us, but he's long departed. A good topic for some research on the web - surely the answer is "out there" in the ETHER!
Nice B&O material - thanx!
DL at 10:33 AM ‘n 10:37 AM today: Buffalo is one of those places one can't get to from here - if in New York City that is. There is no direct route - must take the northerly highway to Albany, hook a left on the New York Thruway and drive, drive, drive ‘til you find the exit. Distance? Over 400 miles from "the city" to Buffalo. An interesting bit of trivia is that the New York Thruway pretty much follows the route of the Erie Canal. But that's another subject . . .
We used to have a resident California rails expert with us, but alas, he's departed the bar. Perhaps West Coast S Dave will pick up on your San Francisco question regarding a rail connection. Yes, rail service did indeed get to San Francisco, but according to what I've read and experienced, the major rail links wound up in Oakland where passenger ferry service across the bay to SFran was the preferred mode of travel. Again, I'm hardly the left coast guy - perhaps we can get one or two others to look into this.
Thanx to YOU, my bride 'n I enjoyed a fine movie the other night - The World's Fastest Indian. Bought the DVD and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Emporium Theatre has some "goodies," eh
Good to see ya again!
Rob at 4:25 PM today: Ah yes, now I remember Kopperkettle! Nick pretty much ‘dumped' him on us in one of his rare moments and I didn't pick up on it right away. Then there he was! I know he's an UNPAID kitchen staffer - works for food ‘n drink. However, he picks up quite a "fee" from the Graf Spee Zeppelin Service, Ltd when he ferries those exotic brews to us from "the continent."
And yes, I figger the B&O will continue for at least a day or two more . . .
Appreciate the daylight visit from Count Robulla and now that you're back on the payroll, I suppose we should let you have "your" dipper back for the upstairs tub! <grin>
Pete at 5:08 PM today: A super Post, chock full o' info for the guys - well done, Mate! By the by, I received your Email response . . .
I've been avoiding Molly Throttlebottom ever since she "suggested" that "arrangement." Don't need such things comin' my way, so I've "delegated" it to Lars!! <uh oh> Once they meet, well - who knows, eh
Thanx for the URLs and the Encore! of my B&O "flood light" ad . . .
Doug at 6:59 PM today: A surprise visit, but most welcome! Strongly urge you to REVIEW the past Pages as YOU have been DRAFTED! Also still waiting for the RECOGNITION!!! <grrrrrrrrr>
Thanx for stopping by . . . .
See y'all in the AM . . . . Leon set 'em up and Boris, ring the bell!
Tom
Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house
Pittsburgh
http://www.kahndog.com/images/Gallery/2005/Buffalo-train-at-B&O-statio.jpg
EMC EA
http://67.15.20.45/images/images2/b/BO52-CNJ-CommunipawTerminalJerseyCityNJ1050rp.jpg.84864.jpg
National Limited postcard
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/348530328_7f15fa9fa5.jpg?v=0
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=ns1261
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=ns1601
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=lh162
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=ns095
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=ht024
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=lh473
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=ht377
http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/view_record.php?URN=lh397
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/04VT/VisCom/screen/4_91_0092.jpg
Mike
Good evening/Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
Leon, just a cup of coffee! I know, but that is enough for me tonight! You'll keep the change! Anything new to tell me? Quiet, huh?
Quite a bit to read tonight! As expected about Baltimore & Ohio! Even James made it in today!
Tom – I don’t know where the trail is leading, it all depends on what I will find out about, hmm, our Manager and miss Ruth. She is a miss, isn’t she?8 days sounds like just right for a long train ride. No rush, have a lot of fun, which you obviously did!B&O! Again I learned something new! The Columbian was the first air-conditioned passenger train in North America! May 24, 1931. Maybe it was the first in the world! The entire article is very interesting. I really didn’t know that much about B&O. Now I know more!CM3 – Quite a few railroads that became parts of B&O over the years! 26 different railroads!!Checking the list of coal mines in West Virginia, the entire state must be a huge crater with just a few patches with some green stuff on them! How many of those mines are still in operation today? Lars – The Investigator, that is actually what they call me at work. One of my duties is to investigate bad parts returned by customers to see why those parts turned bad. Many times it is actually caused by the customer and then I have to prove it. It is kind of like figuring out what “round thing” you lost a few days ago and why the light was on in the Penthouse suite! Very nice book covers and interesting books behind them!! The last one, “Sand Patch”, seems to be most interesting! C&O vs. PRR! James – Welcome back! I hope all that snow has melted away by now. Nice pictures of B&O locomotives! I spent a lot of time in Washington D.C. 1992-93 but never made it to Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum! Shame on me! DL – Buffalo is about 400 miles from New York City. Rob – Thanks for the info on LEDR! The comments about France actually came from some of the CP people (from Toronto) on the train. Pete – Form D could be filled in over the radio. If I recall right those Swedish freight cars that were running between Sweden and UK had at that kind of hose that was used for the vacuum brakes beside the normla trainline. I’ll see if I can find out more info on that. I remember I read about Strata-Dome cars with floodlights! Must have been nice to ride in the dark in one of those!Mike – Thanks for the round! Nice pictures including a number of Blacksburg/VT pictures from happier days than right now!
Not B&O but at least Baltimore!
Eric
Good morning , Ruth. I know that you haven't "punched" in yet, whats that don't talk to you this early in the morning or get punched. Sheesh guess I'll get me own coffee I think. Actually I have one of those early morning meatings today ( and on my day off at that )Figured I would make sure that H&H were behaving. Apparently they they have ( to my dismay , started making prune danishes again vith a kick no less, I'm not sure I want to know what the kick is , something to do with high protien high carbs and Boris likes them ! <uh oh >)
Pete-Excellant recycling of da bosse's flood ligt ad. I wonder if it will cause the same old controversy this time around
Mike-Nice to see you round out the day with some fine urls always good to have input from several fronts. I've never been a big fan of the early EMC/EMD passenger cabs, but they look right in a B&O livery for some reason.
Eric-Those CP guys I'm thinking that since you were called/are called the investigator at work that maybe you should become part of inspector cluelesses team. What say you Herr captain Tom
Tom-Oh boy I get me dipper back, is it the gold plated one after all I do have to deal with and occationally touch H&H, health and saftey and all that. I figured that you would remember Kopperkettle once I reminded you of the extortionist pay scale Nick set up for him, money for Graph Zepplin service no money but food and lodging with Boris while part of the kitchen staff.
Doug-I figured that you would sneak in on a theme day, we weren't dissapointed
Well I'll return later , remember the daily speacials are always posted under the "Bag and gag" or guess the mess categories. As always I strongly suggest that you stick to the numbered fare, unless you have the constituion of an ox or a well funded health plan
Rob
Courtesy: http://www.viarail.ca/
Wednesday's Witticism
Love your enemies, but keep your gun oiled.
Mid-week in mid-continent USA where petrol is at $2.75 (rounded) and the temps have been in the 70s (F). Ahhhhh, springtime!
Grap a cuppa Joe, pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery and a <light> or <traditional> breakfast from our Menu Board!
Today is Juneau's 4th B'day! <woof>
Next week's Theme for the Day! is the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O).
We've done it before, and it's time to see what else can be developed. Come early ‘n often!
Quite a nice turnout for the B&O as some familiar faces provided that shot in the arm requested . . . Thanx!
Mike at 8:03 PM yesterday: The return of Silent Mike with URLs!
Eric at 12:57 AM today: "The Investigator," sounds just about right to me . . . Lars "worried" about a lost "something," <a round thing????> Light on in the Penthouse Suite on a night when it shuddabeen locked tight ‘n vacant. Whispers and such between Ruth ‘n our Manager. A retrieved piece of "unmentionable" apparel with a VS "tag." A bottle of wine and . . .
Yes, there's suspicious activity going on . . .
I've been to Baltimore many, many times and failed to visit the B&O museum as well! In those times, trains were far back on the list of "things to do." But perhaps one day . . .
Interesting nighttime Pix . . .
Rob at 4:51 AM today: FOUR FIFTY ONE in the MORNING????? Say what????? Are you okay???? <geesh>
Pleased to see ya at any time, but that's gotta be a FIRST for getting online before the chickens have time to cluck.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead, use the gold plated, custom made, and just a wee bit larger than the other dippers! <grin>
Oh fine, "Bag ‘n Gag" - now THAT will surely get the appetite juiced up! <ugh> Lord oh Lord, what have I done??!!
Yes, Eric should head up the "crack team" of Clueless ‘n Doyle. Perhaps we can get ‘em running in a direction other than circular!
Appreciate the visit!
Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing.
Boris, serve ‘em all of the "spiked" OJ they can handle!
OPTIONAL Toy 'n Model Trains Day!
Initially Posted on Page 321 of the original Thread on May 3rd, 2006
Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Toy train A toy train is a toy that represents a train, distinguished from a model train by an emphasis on low cost and durability, rather than scale modeling. A toy train can be as simple as a pull toy that does not even run on track, or it might be operated by clockwork or a battery. Many toy trains blur the line between the two categories, running on electric power and approaching accurate scale. Standards The first widely adopted standards for toy trains running on track were introduced inLeipzig, Germany in 1891 by Märklin. Name . . . . . Width . . . . . Width . . . . . size . . . . . . . . . . Comments gauge . . . . . (metric) . . . . (imperial) Number 5 . . . . 120 mm . . . 4 in 5/8" . . . 1:8 . . . . . . . . . . Also known as V Gauge. Number 4 . . . . . 75 mm . . . 3 in. . . . . . 1:11 or 1:20 . . . . Also known as IV or 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gauge.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Measurement is
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . also quoted at 2 15/16 in.
Number 3 . . . . . 67 mm . . . 2 5/8 in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . also known as III, II, IIa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gauges Number 2 . . . . . 54 mm . . . 2 1/8 in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . also known as II gauge. Number 1 . . . . . 45 mm . . . 1 ¾ in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Also known as I gauge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Used by modern G scale. Number 0 . . . . . 35 mm . . . 1 3/8 in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduced later, around 1900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is modern O gauge. Märklin measured the gauge as the distance between the centers of the two outer rails, rather than the distance between the outer rails themselves. Lionel's Standard gauge is allegedly the result of Lionel's misreading these standards, as are the variances in O gauge between the United States and Europe. Most of these standards never really caught on, due to their large size, which made them impractical to use indoors, as well as the high price of manufacturing. Wide gauge trains, which are close in size to 2 gauge, are produced in limited quantities today, as are 1 gauge and O gauge trains. Of these, O gauge is the most popular. An O gauge Marx toy train set made in the late 1940s or early 1950s. GNU Free Documentation The modern standards for toy trains also include S gauge, HO scale, N scale, and Z scale, in descending order of size. HO and N scale are the most popular model railway standards of today; inexpensive sets sold in toy stores and catalogs are less realistic than those sold to hobbyists. O gauge arguably remains the most popular toy train standard. Another size that is attracting interest among hobbyists is building and operating trains from LEGO, or L gauge, which is roughly 1/38 scale. Although the words "scale" and "gauge" are often used interchangeably, toy train manufacturers have only recently concerned themselves with accurate scale. The terms "O scale" and "S scale" tend to imply serious scale modeling, while the terms "O gauge" and "S gauge" tend to imply toy trains manufactured by the likes of Lionel and American Flyer. While S gauge is fairly consistent at 1:64 scale, O gauge trains represent a variety of sizes. O gauge track happens to be 1/45 the size of real-world standard gauge track, so manufacturers in Continental Europe have traditionally used 1:45 for O gauge trains. British manufacturers rounded this up to 1:43, which is seven millimeters to the foot. U.S. manufacturers rounded it down to 1:48, which is a quarter-inch to the foot. However, most engaged in a practice of selective compression in order to make the trains fit in a smaller space, causing the actual scale to vary, and numerous manufacturers produced 1:64 scale trains-the proper size for S gauge-in O gauge, especially for cost-conscious lines. Some of the earliest O gauge trains made of tinplate weren't scale at all, made to unrealistic, whimsical proportions similar in length to modern HO scale, but anywhere from one and a half to two times as wide and tall. Some adult fans of toy trains operate their trains, while others only collect. Some toy train layouts are accessorized with scale models in an attempt to be as realistic as possible, while others are accessorized with toy buildings, cars, and figures. Some hobbyists will only buy accessories that were manufactured by the same company who made their trains. This practice is most common among fans of Marx and Lionel. History Toy trains can be enjoyed by both children and adults. (Fair Use) The earliest toy trains date from the 19th century and were often made of cast iron. Motorized units running on track soon followed, powered by a steam or clockwork engine. Some of these trains used clever methods to whistle and smoke. Toy trains were revolutionized when Märklin, a German firm that specialized in doll house accessories, sought to create an equivalent toy for boys where a constant revenue stream could be ensured by selling add-on accessories for years after the initial purchase. In addition to boxed sets containing a train and track, Märklin offered extra track, rolling stock, and buildings sold separately, creating the predecessor to the modern model train layout featuring buildings and scenery in addition to an operating train. Electric trains followed, with the first appearing in 1897, produced by the U.S. firm Carlisle & Finch. As electricity became more common in the early 20th century, electric trains gained popularity and as time went on, these electric trains grew in sophistication, gaining lighting, the ability to change direction, to emit a whistling sound, to smoke, to remotely couple and uncouple cars and even load and unload cargo. Toy trains from the first half of the 20th century were often made of lithographed tin; later trains were often made mostly of plastic. Prior to the 1950s, there was little distinction between toy trains and model railroads-model railroads were toys by definition. Pull toys and wind-up trains were marketed towards children, while electric trains
Good morning again Ruth, I see that you are your normal self again sooo I'll have a number three and a BK splashed coffee, thank-you my dear oh so theres no hard feelings keep the change ( must replace the confiscated unmentionables that eric found )
Tom-Yup that visit was a correct time up at 5am my time so to get in for a 7am meeting at the store that lasted to 8:35 seemed hardly worth driving in for and on my day off no less, where's Eric and his crack team when you need them Sleeping like most normal people I would guessI'll line the dipper with tin foil so it doesn't take as big a scoop out of the tub hows that. Oh and to set yours and everyone elses minds at ease, I laid the ground rules down with the kitchen staff as to what can be used and how it's abtained as far as the main ingrediantss of the "Bag and Gag " speacials. All food stuffs must be edible by human norms not Boris's and must be obtained fresh via the usual methods. A-store bought , or if obtained by other means the hunt must be fresh and killed by normal hunting methods,not Boris's teeth as is his usual method on his nature hikes with Leon. also only approved hunting tools may be used,no collecting VIA steel wheels on steel rails or rubber wheels on any suitable hard or soft surface.
Tom todays edition of the model stuff was a good read once again. Nice to see the tradition of the old wednesday's still occuring on occation.I'm glad that some of those more obscure size and scale variations have been left in the past, there's enough confusion with the various large scale designators and sclaes in the modern era.
C&O should be a good choice,goes part n parsel with the B&O at any rate.Lets us expand upon the merger and it's various components anyway, B&O , C&O, WM et al. Also lets our coal minner do his thing as well which is always a good read no matter how you slice it.
All right , I think I'll nab another soeacial coffee from Ruth and I'll jot down another encore from the old thread. This will also be one of the former Classic steam series, and also ties in so of our more recent rail topics. this one deals with the Ontario oil belt and it's service by the Canada Southern RY.
CLASSIC STEAM #14 THE CSR's ST CLAIR BRANCH
This was first printed out onto the old thread around page #226 or so.
Up until 1960 people in the "oil belt" of Ontario would have been familiar with trains along the Canada Southern's St Clair Branch right up until it's abandonenment in 1960.Trains of box cars tanks and passenger cars were regulars on this line right up until it's ending.
This line of the Canada Southern ( CASO ) was one of several railway lines whose builders saw this area as a convenient short cut between American cities in this case Chicago and Buffalo via Ontario.Yet the difference with this one is that it was launched by Canadians William thompson and Adam Cooke,althouhg most of their time and effort was spent in the US looking for US intrest and financing.
While the Caso's mainline would run arrow straight from Niagara Falls to Windsor ( some of the heaviest rail built in Ontario in fact ), the St Clair branch veered northwestward from a junction just west of St Thomas and cintinued on through to the St Clair River. Here , at a point on te railroad called Courtright,( named for Milton Courtright the railways principal investor )the railway had hoped to establish a major railway terminus, with a bridge accross the busy St Clair River to the Michigan side.From there trains would make their way to Chicago,and to the rest of the American West.
The American link failed however,and the Windsor route with it's tunnel under the Detroit River earned the bulk of the rail traffic from Southwestern Ontario.The grand scheme of a bridge over the St Clair River was then reduced to a barge operation.This operated accross the river from Courtright and St Clair for a few yeasr until it burned and sank. With the sinking sank tio last vestige of this American link to Chicago and beyond.
The Caso pinned it's early hopes on a reprieve and revenue on this line with teh oil boom in the 1860's. this put places like Petrolia Ontario and Oil Springs Ontario on the map and provided easier acess to these boom towns. To help boost the revunes on this line a new line called the Chatham Sarnia and Eastern ( CSE ) was created. It began in a town called Shrewsbury on Lake Erie and it was intended that it would pass through Oil Springs and Petrolia and terminate at Sarnia,interchanging with the Pere Marquette & C&O.However this project never went beyond short temporary spurs built from the Caso St Clair Branch north to Petrolia and South to Oil Springs. Later the hub of this oil Industry moved to Sarnia where te Pere Marquette was already established.The CSE was then absorbed into the Canada Southern which bypassed the spurs and built the line to follow the St Clair River to Sarnia
Once these short lived oil pockets tapped out the line was given up for abandonement as the ligth agricultural and wood product and the small mixed trains were not enough to keep this piece of the Canda southern viable so in January of 1960 it was abandoned after about 80 years of sporadic frieght rvenues.
Ahoy Cap'n Tom!
Ruth my deAH you are lookin' mighty fine in that outfit today! I'll take a steaming mug of Joe with a "jolt," and if you would, make me a brunch special. Of course a bone for Juneau, treats for the critters of the house, and a small jar of pickled pig's feet for Boris! A round for the boys ‘n keep the change!
What's THIS??? I'm being INVESTIGATED??? Ruth is being INVESTIGATED??? Are we turning into some sort of a "Witch Hunting Society" or are we a man's bar??? Youse guys best WATCH IT, for Vito the Hit ‘n I will handle things the way WE handle things if this gets too far along. Woid to the wise! <grimmace>
What's THIS??? I'm going to meet with a gal named "Throttlebottom"??? For real??? Well, I'll do what the Cap'n orders, but ain't no way this is gonna be a candlelight dinner with me involved. I'll make sure we find out what the deal is with Wolfman ‘n Boris not passing the typing course. But anything above ‘n beyond that, no way Jose!
Hey Cap'n Tom, I sent you an email with the particulars of our trip to the Keys. We'll be out of town for a portion of next week and all that's needed is to line up an Assistant Manager. Looks like AVOIDANCE has kicked in. Could be w-r-o-n-g, however . . . <grin>
Nice bunch o' stuff for the B&O theme day and still more on the way! The "family" RR lives on!
Good to see some of the "missing" return to the bar. We used to have a distinction between REGULARS and OTHERS. But not so these times, which is probably best. Anyway, all are welcome at this saloon, just as long as the PAGE ONE "rules" are read ‘n followed. Otherwise, you don't know me and I don't wanna know you! <uh oh>
Rob has made quite a morning out of this with three visits so far. What a way to spend a day off, huh?? <grin> Really, good to see ya and with all of that work you've got to take care of in the galley, it's good to see that you're "in."
Your menu's are a bit "suspect" as I checked the reefers and those "meats" hanging on the hooks look a hulluvalot like road kill. <yuck> And the hamburger looks more chewed than ground. I'm placing these things "off limits" until the Can-Am County Food ‘n Drug Administration and Tool ‘n Die Works puts the stamp of approval on it all. <grin>
Sorry if I've neglected to make direct responses to any who've asked questions of me, but here's the deal. I JUST NOW can't seem to call up the previous page! Just won't "do it"!! <arrrggghhh> However, I do recall seeing that looooooooooooooooong winded Shane epistle. Reminded me of something from our past when 20 Fingers used to prowl these parts.
Here's my continuing B&O stuff - more book covers that I hope you haven't seen from me B4:
Many thanks for the brunch, Ruth. <grin> I'll take it over at the Manager's table as I try to square away the week's worth of paperwork that's piled up. <groan>
Until the next time!
Lars
Good Afternoon Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox. Just a quick stop between sessions today. Will post more tomorrow. C&O next week - have some good first hand material for that.
"Were you in Mrs. Throttlebottom's chicken coop?" - Great line from Three stooges.
work safe
A few customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS since my last narrative:
Rob at 8:51 AM 'n 9:27 AM today: Great to see ya back in full form and even BETTER speaking with you by phone! It was good catching up on "stuff."
Appreciate the explanation of why the Canadian Railway Museum at Saint-Constant, Quebec is commonly referred to as "Delson." It's a question I've posed several times at the bar, but never got a response. Now I know - but the rest of ya, don't! <grin>
Rob if it wasn't for "the money" is an expression that "dogs" many people throughout life. I'm at a point where if I lived up your way, I'd buy that hobby store. Absolutely - a no doubt about it (no doot aboot it!) situation. What a marvelous setting for a train store, smack dab in the confines (outer) of Brantford's great looking VIA Rail station. Yeah, it wouldn't take me but a New York minute to jump at that one . . . So for me it's, "if it wasn't for the distance"! <grin>
What's to add to the comments Manager Lars made about your <ahem> kitchen specials. <ugh> I think the Food 'n Drug people are coming in this afternoon to check out those meat lockers. <yikes>
Hope the guys appreciate the efforts you've put forth today - I do!
Lars at 10:59 AM today: Wouldn't be a complete day without Manager Lars 'n RR bookcovers, eh <grin>
Many thanx for the visit, Email, and fine Post!
So, Vito the Hit is "involved" in your "defense team, eh Caution, Gents, you are now in real deep, deep doo doo with this "investigative thing." Proceed with caution, or better put - back off! <uh oh>
But, WHAT is the "round thing" you think you lost????
Not to worry 'bout the bar, we'll muddle through. Pete 'n I will also be gone for a day on an Amtrak round trip to KCity. Those left here will simply have to pull a bit more share o' the load.
Odd that you should mention Forum's problems. I had a Dickens of a time logging on, then couldn't get the "reply box" to come up with the "tool bar." Here we go again. <arrrggghhh>
Juneau's had a fine B'day thus far. He got a new "toy" this morning - a stuffed Racoon with a "squeeker." He has quite a collection of toys and for a "rough dog" I must say that he doesn't totally destroy the things he's been given. He does rip 'em, tear 'em and "bust" the "squeekers," but with some needle 'n thread work, his collection is pretty much in tact. A crazy Husky fer sure, fer sure. <grin>
Had a visit from his "uncle" today, a veteran police Sgt who has been doing what he's been doing for nearly 40 years. Juneau goes absolutely "bonkers" when he's around. Good friend to have, for lots of reasons.
CM3 Shane at 12:22 PM today: What's to say other than THANX for the round, quarters 'n visit!
By the by, was this latest mine tragedy in Maryland in any way connected with what you and your contemporaries do? Dangerous work - an understatement.
Ruth, set 'em up and Boris ring the ding!
Hi Tom and all.
To JUNEAU, so a Bathams and a round to celebrate please RUTH.
DOUG Looking forward to your post when your workload lessens.
MIKE Thanks for the links. B&O was another railroad with a good livery, although in my mind not quite as good as the D&H.
The LMS loco shown in the link is an ex L&NWR Claughton class 4-6-0. I believe this loco No 5971 ‘Croxteth', was one of the 2 Claughtons that were re-built as the first Patriot class locos in 1930.
That looks a very interesting photo of the Virginia Anthracite Coal and Railway Co locomotive; perhaps CM3 has some details of her.
ERIC It does seem a bit strange why British Railways stayed so long with the vacuum brake, I think it was the mid 1960s that air brakes were brought in to use on BR, although a few earlier railways used air brakes like the Great Eastern for it's intense commuter service into London, where there were a lot of stopping and starting with closely spaced stations.
I wonder if there were any cine-film taken in a Strata-Dome at night with the floodlights in use, it would be good to see.
Thanks for the photo of Baltimore station; I noticed the' Gauntlet' track through the platform line.
ROB I think Ruth's bad mood first thing was that she had got wind of LARS meeting with Molly Throttlebottom , but after she was told it was ‘business' her mood has improved. OH NO the Prune Danishes have re-appeared, BORIS used to take them to the typing class until he was stopped.
Thanks for the Classic Steam Encore on the Canada Southern St Clair branch. If they had managed to build the bridge linking the line to Michigan its fate might have been so different.
Were you able to look at the links to the KC Streetcars, they worked and then it seem the didn't
LARS Vito the Hit involved on your side into the investigation, I think I will keep a low profile. At least the fish H&H seem to get seems to be first rate; at least I hope it is.
It seems the puters and the forum is taking it in turns to give us problems, I hope your puter probs are over real soon.
Thanks for the latest B&O book covers, the ‘Impossible Challenge looks a good read.
TOM Many thanks for the Toy train encore and the different model gauge sizes, I see the V gauge still wants to be 12 inch to the foot gauge in the imperial width column. It was interesting how the trains went from being toys to becoming models.
It would indeed be great if you did own a model shop and one in a working station would be brilliant.
I am sure Juneau is pleased to have the raccoon to add to his collection on his.
To continue the B&O theme I have another ad posted by TOM on page 127 of the old Our Place.
More on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) of the Fallen Flags from The Official Guide of the Railways - Aug 1956
B&O DIESEL-ELECTRIC FEATURE TRAINS CAPITOL LIMITED - COLUMBIAN - SHENANDOAH Between Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington and the East NATIONAL LIMITED - DIPLOMAT - METROPOLITAN Between St. Louis, Cincinnati, Washington and the East THE AMBASSADOR Between Detroit, Washington and Baltimore THE ROYAL BLUE Between Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York STRATA-DOME CARS* On 3 Fine Trains CAPITOL LIMITED - COLUMBIAN - SHENANDOAH Chicago - Akron - Pittsburgh - Washington Baltimore - Wilmington - Philadelphia - New York (* In service between Chicago and Washington) Enjoy!
Well RUTH I will have another and let me get another round in
Pete.
Good evening Leon. Think I'll just grab a Keith's and here's a bit of cash to spend on the dog and the rest of the critters .I see that you've cleaned your hunting piece. Another larder refilling planned with Boris and Kopperkettle remember the ground rules. The Food n drug guys say everything is fine so long as you follow the rules. That and I think Boris holding his hunting blunderbuss scarred them into aggreement. I thought I had answered that query about Delson oh well my grey matters never been the best,I'm glad to have belatedly cleared it up.
Lars-good to see you again, another fine collection of book covers.Like I said before stay to the numbered selections and you will be fine, that and the saurkraut and saurbraten, absolutly no mystery meat contnet in either of those.
Tom-Yup was nice chatting with you this afternoon as well. I'm glad that Juneau had a good . I can't figure why no one will buy that hobby shop, goes to show that the hobby on a bit of a low times kick again. Your right though, the location is a no miss,If only I had the money , maybe I'll win a lottery.
Pete-Nice additional B&O passenger info, looks like we have another winnah as far as theme railroads go again. Sorry but those prune danishes seem to be a staple with H&H, think of it this way, those who eat them will have alot of personal space. I didn't get those links to work unfortunatly, I'll try again might have been the day.
Well gotta mosey it's been a tad of a long day.
Good evening/morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
I am not even sure what time it is! Leon, I would like a Sugar Cured Ham Sandwich! Fries and cole slaw! Oh, coffee of course. Strong coffee!
It really feels like the middle of the week tonight! Mittwoch (mid week), as the Germans say. This Saturday I'll send the Mrs to Nebraska for a week!
Rob – I had quite a few interesting discussions with those CP guys! Very nice guys, by the way!Bag and Gag specials edible? You know, one can eat everything but some things one will only eat once! I am glad that you will make sure that everything served at the tavern is okay from all points of view!Reading the article about CSR reminds me about something I mentioned last summer, I need to get a good map of Canada so I can follow the locations/cities/towns mentioned. A visit to Map World is now on my list! Interesting article!Tom – You are lucky, paying only $2.75 for the gas! Here most of the stations are just around $3.00 but I managed to find one that was “only” $2.90 yesterday when I needed gas. The Investigator? I don’t know, but I always want to know what is really going on when people are acting strange, talking strange (“round” things) and whispering when they think no one can see or hear them. I’ll keep my eyes open! Running in a direction other than circular?? What would that be? I thought that was the right thing to do, check all those guys driving the NASCAR races! Left turn, left turn, left turn.... Exactly like a circle!
This is part of my strategy, act like a fool and the people you are checking will relax and feel safe!
You are right, one day I’ll visit the B&O museum! Interesting and informative article about toy trains! I have to check all my old, old pictures. I have a feeling there is one with at least some of my toy train cars I used to have more than 50 years ago. Last, but not least, a belated Happy Birthday to Juneau!!!Lars – Don’t worry, I am very discrete investigating different leads! Nice book covers as usual! You must spend an awful lot of time looking for all these books! It certainly helps me, every time I see something interesting I add it to my list of books to look for. CM3 – Thanks for the round! Pete – I agree, BR was very late changing from vacuum to air brakes for whatever reason. I have never operated a locmotive/train with vacuum brakes. I am way too young for that. Nice to be able to call myself too young! Thanks for the B&O info! Obviously the Strata-Dome car were only used between Baltimore and Chicago.
All on the same track!
Thursday with another fine spring day forecast for this part of mid-continent USA. Petrol has dropped to $2.65 (rounded) and we're thankful! Can you imagine THAT??
Coffee's fresh, breakfasts ready for orderin' and The Mentor Village Bakery has just delivered the day's supply of pastries. Time for breakfast!
Have a few things going on ‘round the Haus this morning, so I'll be in ‘n out for a bit . . .
Many thanx to all for recognizing Juneaus B'day!
Pete at 4:43 PM yesterday: A fine inclusive, informative ‘n enjoyable Post from our Bar Chandler, Wolfman Pete! Covered many bases and wound up with a B&O Encore!
Juneau had a fine day, thanx, and is looking forward to your visits in May, especially when you stay over. You remind me of "me" many years ago, I always got along quite well with the mothers of the gals and the dogs of the Haus! <grin>
Did it again, did I, with that Toy Trains piece! Thanx for catching it (again)!!
I used to "dream" about owning a bar once upon a life, but now it's a train store. Owning a bar is like being married to two women - translated: two mothers-in-law! At least with a train store, you can shut ‘em down and go home for the nite!
Thanx for keeping to the mid-late afternoon "slot."
Rob at 7:39 PM yesterday: Some people are "cut out" for certain aspects of life, which includes the things they do to earn a living. You'd be a ‘natural' for that train store. Perhaps I left my "money printing press" in your neck of the woods. If you find it, feel free to use it! <grin>
Just the thought of a prune Danish makes me wanna . . . <grin>
Clean bill o' health for the food service, eh Let's keep it that way! And, time for the H&H "twins" (Mother ‘n daughter) to let go of the "sauer" anything on the menu. We're frightening off more customers than we're attracting. <yuck> However, we do have our weekend Mai Fest coming up . . . <oh boy>
Here's a URL that ticked me off . . . thought you'd find it of interest:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/04/19/vet-museum.html
Thanx for the attention to the bar and good to see ya back amongst those of us dwelling in the Ether again!
Eric at 12:47 AM today: Last things first: That Pix is terrific! Tell us more, tell us more!
Methinks you're pushing the envelope regarding any thoughts of investigating where Vito the Hit may be in opposition. Proceed with extreme CAUTION, Mate! <ooooooooh>
Appreciate the visit, chat and business!
Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing. Fish 'n Chips Nite! tonight with dinner at 5 PM!
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox. Gas is "down" to $2.95 (dropped a whole nickel). Sheesh! First off, Birthday Greetings from the K9 Korps in WV - as they say, any excuse for a meal. Milk Bones all ‘round (the last I saw they were still safe) - they're not too bad if you soak them first - kinda like hardtack or, ship's biscuit. OSP - if you want, send Juneau over here - he chase real raccoons; it's big sport in this part of the country.
Some comments (in no particular order); anybody who got "left out," it was not intentional.
Lars - Off to the southland - good luck and be careful. Appreciate the book covers. B&O in the Potomac Valley is a good picture book. Harwood's Impossible Challenge is simply excellent! Another excellent book by the same author is Royal Blue Line. This was o/p for awhile but has been reprinted. The Roberts books are encyclopedic, but have some good maps and pictures.
James - The B&O r/b the hw cars you mentioned because it was all about the $. They had the shop forces to do it, so they did. Also, thanks for the pictures.
DL stopped by with commentary as did Pete with comments and B&O material.
Mike sent links - The National Limited was a once-proud train which was transformed beyond all recognition by Amtrak - back off, Boris - that's all I'm going to say. The Virginia Tech Special Collections are well worth a visit, especially in person as they have wealth of material relating to the N&W. We do a lot of stuff with their staff and students and look forward to a return to "normalcy" if that will ever be possible down there.
Eric - There's not as many mines in northern WV as there was back in the day, but there are more than a few large operations. BTW, nice NH picture, got me all homesick. R board indeed, with all the activity in the area.
Rob sent Canada Southern material; nice to reread that.
Last, if you haven't done so, enlarge the picture of the Columbian that OSP posted. Look down the track to the left of the train and you'll find a fine beastie - just about new, too.
Also thanks a lot for the historical material - drumheads are wonderful.
Highwalls are dangerous things especially this time of year because of freeze and thaw cycles and rain which all combine to create unstable conditions; something we preach about all the time. The recent weather in the area has been just that. Surface operations have their own concerns as do underground mines. Then you get some common problems at cleaning plants and at surface areas of underground operations. That being said, I still feel better underground than on an airplane.
Work safe
And the Baltimore & Ohio continues . . .
A form of this was initially Posted on Page 233 of the original ThreadNow arriving on track #1 ..... Railroads from Yesteryear! Number One Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O)
Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources. Locale: New York City, New York via Baltimore, Maryland to Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri Reporting marks: B&O Dates of operation: 1830 - 1963 Track gauge: 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. It is now part of the CSX network, and includes the oldest operational railroad bridge in the world. The B&O also coincidentally included the Leiper Railroad, the first permanent railroad in the U.S. The railroad's former shops in Baltimore, including the Mt. Clare roundhouse, now house the B&O Railroad Museum. History Chapter 123 of the 1826 Session Laws of Maryland, passed February 28, 1827, and the state of Virginia on March 8, 1827, chartered the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, with the task of building a railroad from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to a suitable point on the Ohio River. The railroad, formally incorporated April 24, was intended to provide an alternative, faster, route for Midwestern goods to reach the East Coast than the seven-year-old, hugely successful, but slow Erie Canal across upstate New York. Construction began on July 4, 1828, and the first section, from Baltimore west to Ellicott's Mills (now known as Ellicott City), opened on May 24, 1830. Further extensions opened to Frederick (including the short Frederick Branch) December 1, 1831, Point of Rocks April 2, 1832, Sandy Hook December 1, 1834 (the connection to the Winchester and Potomac Railroad at Harpers Ferry opening in 1837), Martinsburg May 1842, Hancock June 1842, Cumberland November 5, 1842, Piedmont July 21, 1851, Fairmont June 22, 1852 and its terminus at Wheeling, West Virginia (then part of Virginia) on January 1, 1853. On July 20, 1877 there were bloody riots in Baltimore, Maryland from Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers. Nine rail workers were killed at the hands of the Maryland militia. The next day workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania staged a sympathy strike that was also met with an assault by the state militia; Pittsburgh then erupted into widespread rioting. The Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in the early 1880s, cutting off the B&O's access to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The B&O chartered the Philadelphia Branch in Maryland and the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad in Delaware and Pennsylvania and built a parallel route, finished in 1886. The Baltimore Belt Railroad, opened in 1895, connected the main line to the Philadelphia Branch without the need for a car ferry across the Patapsco River, but the cost of its Howard Street Tunnel drove the B&O to bankruptcy in 1896. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad took control of the B&O in 1963, and incorporated it, along with the Western Maryland Railway, into the Chessie System in 1973. In 1980, the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System Railroad to create CSX. In 1986, the B&O finally went out of existence when it formally merged with the C&O (which itself formally merged with CSX later that same year). At the height or railroading's golden age, the B&O was one of several trunk lines uniting the northeast quadrant of the United States into an industrial zone. It marked the southern border and corresponded to the New York Central's marking of the northern border. The Pennsy and the Erie railroads worked the center. The corners of this map are Baltimore in the southeast, Albany in the northeast, Chicago in the northwest, and St. Louis in the southwest. Early engineering When construction began on the B&O in the 1820s, railroad engineering was in its infancy. Unsure of exactly which materials would suffice, the B&O erred on the side of sturdiness and built many of its early structures of granite. Even the track bed to which iron strap rail was affixed consisted of the stone. Though the granite soon proved too unforgiving and expensive for track, most of the B&O's bridges have survived until the present, and many are still in active railroad use by CSX. Baltimore's Carrollton Viaduct, named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, is North America's oldest railroad bridge still in use. The Thomas Viaduct in Relay, Maryland was the longest bridge in the United States upon its completion in 1835, and remains in use as well. Branches Washington In 1831 a law was passed in Maryland, enabling the B&O to build its Washington Branch, connecting Baltimore to the national capital of Washington, D.C. This opened in 1835, and later served as a terminus for the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad to Annapolis. Frederick The Frederick Branch was built as part of the original line, opening on December 1, 1831. The continuation of the main line from Frederick Junction opened April 2, 1832. Metropolitan The Metropolitan Branch was opened in the early 1870s. It leaves the District of Columbia and proceeds northwest through Montgomery County, joining the B&O main line at Point of Rocks. It serves as a bypass around Baltimore and is still in active use. Georgetown The line was operated in some manner from 1889 until 1985 when it was proposed for abandonment; it served basically as a minor freight spur carrying coal and building materials to local outlets in Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Georgetown. It was originally built with the intention of connecting to southern railroads to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad's Long Bridge, but no bridge across the Potomac River was ever built. The abandoned right-of-way is now used as the Capital Crescent Trail. Trivia
Ahoy Cap'n Tom 'n fellow travelers at the bar!
Ruth my deAH, 'tis the Larsman with a powerful thirst and hunger! No, it was food I was referring to . . . <ahem> ah yes, a tankard of Keiths finest ale and a Larsman special hero sandwich of ham, Swiss, mustAHd 'n buttAH with two large 'n cruncy pickles from the barrel. A doggie bone for Juneau, a tray of seed for Awk, a saucer of brine for Tex, a bucket of ice cubes for Frostbite and of course a small jar of pickled pig's feet for Boris! That should do it. <phew> Of course a round for the house and the change is yours, you sweet "thang" you! <grin>
Took note that this thread is approaching page FIFTY! AND Da Boss' other thread is nearly at ONE HUNDRED!
Also see that this thread in combination with the old place is almost at the 10,000 posting mark.
Some continuing B&O material from Da Boss, which always goes over well. Really liked that pix at the end. Nicley done art work for sure! Nice of the guy to give permission for its use.
I see some positive words on the book covers. My pleasure, gents, my pleasure. Glad you liked 'em!
Eric, under the circumstances, my attorney has advised that I refrain from discussing this investigation further. Fortunately, Ruth is related to one of the partners of the Mentor Village law firm of Rookum, Bilkem 'n Smiley, a leader in defamation of character cases. They have taken on our case on a pro bono basis with all costs borne by Vito the Hit and the Second National Bank of Mentor Village. As Elmer Fudd says, "Be vewwwwwwy cawwwweful!" That "thing" you tromp all over may be your OWN! <uh oh>
Rob 'n Tom as model train store owners 'n operators. Sounds like a sure-fire-winnAH to me! So how much dough is needed??? Surely we can come up with the funds and I know Vito would love to "hold the note." <grin>
Good to see Pete swing on by yesterday to provide one and all with his typically all encompassing posts. Don't know how you do it, mate, but you surely have an eye for the details. You must've been quite the valuable asset at whatever you did in your career. For I've always respected the guy who got it right the first time and who never spoke until he had something to say. HOWEVER, I do recall that night when you were in your wet suit at the Bar Chandler Exam and Inquisition session. You surely 'sang' quite a song that night! But, that's a story for another time 'n place. The Rendezvous would be appropriate, huh
Shane, I never worry about things not under my control such as flying. Now, I'd be far worse off if they put me up in the cockpit and said, "you got it." That noise you heard is a sphinctor slamming shut! <grin>
Also, perhaps we have more in common than trains. You seem to revel in things under ground, whereas I thrived in the below decks enviornment of engine and boiler rooms. Strange "likes," huh
Rob, you have come back to us with quite a flurry of activity AND managed to squeeze in a phone conversation with Da Boss too. That's quite a day. I counted four appearances, which most certainly helped keep the place rolling along.
Ok, that pretty much covers the bases, so let me get on with some B&O steam!
B&O 2-6-0 Loco #2444 (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com) photo: Robert H. Kennedy)
B&O - 4-4-2 #1474 (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com - Photo: Paul Eilenberger)
B&O - 4-6-4 #2 First Run, B&O "The Royal Blue" 1935 (from: www.yesterdepot.com - photog: unknown)
B&O 4-4-4 Abraham Lincoln Loco #1 (from: www.yestyeardepot.com - photo: W. R. Osborne)
Good Morning Captain Tom and fellow sophisticates!
Just could not sit here and idle away another week without stopping by to sample a mug of coffee, with a "splash" to make it interesting, and a pastry or two from the bakery case. Ruth, it is good to see you again and although things are rather quiet lately, I noted my "booked" has been in today. Brightens up your day, so I see!
Not very much to pass along from our mountain retreat other than to say thankfully life goes on. I have not spent very much time on this "thing" but have been reminded that it is a good way to get "occupied" with something other than everday issues. A wise recommendation from Lydia, who passes her regards to all and noted the birthday for Tom's best friend, Juneau! A belated happy day to THE mascot of "Our" Place!
I have reviewed this page and the previous one and am pleased to see the return of our friend and long time supporter, Sir Rob in Ontario! Also heartening to see the continuance of support from Sirs Eric, Pete, Doug, CM3 and Lars. A fine core group to help sustain this the third year for the bar!
I have a narrative and a few photos to drop off in support of the B&O railroad "theme" that began on Tuesday. Hope those of you who have been participating find something redeeming and enjoyable from these efforts.
History of the B&O Railroad 1827 -- The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), our nation's first common carrier railroad, was chartered on Feb. 28 in Baltimore. 1828 -- Construction of the B&O begins July 4, 1828. 1833 -- President Andrew Jackson boards a B&O passenger coach at Relay, Maryland, in June and travels to Mt. Clare Depot in Baltimore, becoming the first U.S. President to ride a railroad. 1844 -- The B&O Railroad signs its first commercial contract in February to haul large quantities of coal from Western Maryland coalfields from Mt. Savage, Md., to Mt. Clare, Md. 1844 -- On May 24, Samuel F.B. Morse sends the first telegraph message from the basement of the Supreme Court Building on Washington, D.C. to the Mt. Clare Depot. The message "What God hath wrought" was transmitted across overhead wires following the B&O's Washington Branch. The message was received by Alfred Vail and Ezra Cornell in the little passenger depot at Mt. Clare. For the first time in the history of mankind, two persons communicated out of sight and 40 miles apart. 1902 -- President William McKinley passed through Meyersdale enroute to the Baer-McKinley wedding in September. A large number of people were at the station. 1948 -- The B&O's last steam locomotive #5594, Class T-3C rolls out of Mt. Clare's erecting shop in Baltimore on October 16. 1952 -- President Harry S. Truman stopped at the Meyersdale station on a "whistle stop" campaign on behalf of Democratic candidates running in the November election. More than 5,000 people were estimated to be on hand to see him. 1952 -- A steam engine and twin-engine diesel engine sideswiped in a violent crash that tore up track just east of the Keystone Crossing near Sand Patch November 12. There were no injuries. 1964 -- The C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) and B&O jointly filed for permission to acquire control of the Western Maryland Railway with the Interstate Commerce Commission. 1973 -- Chessie System Inc. was formed February 26, and Chessie System Railroads was adopted as the new corporate identity for the C&O, B&O and WM railroads. 1980 -- CSX Corporation came into being Nov. 1, resulting from the merger of Chessie System Inc. and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc. 1983 -- Operation of the Western Maryland Railway was taken over by the B&O, and WM's ownership was assumed by the C&O. 1987 -- The B&O was merged into the C&O on April 30, and the C&O was merged into CSX Transportation Sept. 2. Sources: CSX Transportation Rail Heritage and B&O Railroad Museum; Sand Patch Hotel Image, Somerset County Bicentennial Calendar 1995 from: http://www.meyersdale.org/rr_history/borailhistory.htmlB&O 2-8-0 #2846 (photo: Paul Stringham - yesteryeardepot.com) B&O P7d 4-6-2 #5301, 1950 (photo: Paul Eilenburger - yesteryeardepot.com) B&O 4-4-4-4 #5600, 1937 (photo: James F. Byrne - yesteryeardepot.com) BK in Alberta, Canada's beautiful high mountain country!
1827 -- The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), our nation's first common carrier railroad, was chartered on Feb. 28 in Baltimore.
1828 -- Construction of the B&O begins July 4, 1828.
1844 -- The B&O Railroad signs its first commercial contract in February to haul large quantities of coal from Western Maryland coalfields from Mt. Savage, Md., to Mt. Clare, Md.
1844 -- On May 24, Samuel F.B. Morse sends the first telegraph message from the basement of the Supreme Court Building on Washington, D.C. to the Mt. Clare Depot. The message "What God hath wrought" was transmitted across overhead wires following the B&O's Washington Branch. The message was received by Alfred Vail and Ezra Cornell in the little passenger depot at Mt. Clare. For the first time in the history of mankind, two persons communicated out of sight and 40 miles apart.
1902 -- President William McKinley passed through Meyersdale enroute to the Baer-McKinley wedding in September. A large number of people were at the station.
1948 -- The B&O's last steam locomotive #5594, Class T-3C rolls out of Mt. Clare's erecting shop in Baltimore on October 16.
1952 -- A steam engine and twin-engine diesel engine sideswiped in a violent crash that tore up track just east of the Keystone Crossing near Sand Patch November 12. There were no injuries.
1964 -- The C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) and B&O jointly filed for permission to acquire control of the Western Maryland Railway with the Interstate Commerce Commission.
1973 -- Chessie System Inc. was formed February 26, and Chessie System Railroads was adopted as the new corporate identity for the C&O, B&O and WM railroads.
1980 -- CSX Corporation came into being Nov. 1, resulting from the merger of Chessie System Inc. and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc.
1983 -- Operation of the Western Maryland Railway was taken over by the B&O, and WM's ownership was assumed by the C&O.
1987 -- The B&O was merged into the C&O on April 30, and the C&O was merged into CSX Transportation Sept. 2.
Sources: CSX Transportation Rail Heritage and B&O Railroad Museum; Sand Patch Hotel Image, Somerset County Bicentennial Calendar 1995
from: http://www.meyersdale.org/rr_history/borailhistory.html
B&O 2-8-0 #2846 (photo: Paul Stringham - yesteryeardepot.com)
B&O P7d 4-6-2 #5301, 1950 (photo: Paul Eilenburger - yesteryeardepot.com)
B&O 4-4-4-4 #5600, 1937 (photo: James F. Byrne - yesteryeardepot.com)
BK in Alberta, Canada's beautiful high mountain country!
Hello Tom and friends. I could sure use a drink! Kindly make it my usual bottomless draught, and I'll spring for two rounds since I missed yesterday. I'm still a very busy boy, and hope ya'll can put up with that for awhile. For example, all next week I'll be tending to 5 horses and performing barn maintanence prior to going to work, but I will do what I can do in my appointed capacity of assistant manager (yes, I noticed) while the stockholders of the bar squander invest their dividends in the Keys. Speaking of which .. will you be needing anyone to "tote your barge" or post your bail?
I'm still very behind in reading the many recent excellent posts. Belated from me to Juneau as well, the first mascot of Our Place. Would he like a Siamese cat for a gift? I know where to find one.
Take care for now.
A drunk walked into a bar crying. One of the other men in the bar asked him what happened."I did a terrible thing", sniffed the drunk, "Just a few hours ago I sold my wife to someone for a bottle of Southern Comfort.""That is awful," said the other guy",and now that she is gone you want her back right?""Right!" said the drunk, still crying."You're sorry you sold her because you realized, too late, that you still loved her, right?""Oh, No," said the drunk. I want her back because I'm thirsty again!"
A pint of Bathams bitter please RUTH and,of course, some Fish ‘N' Chips for later.
ROB Sorry the link would not work, there are a lot of photos on the one about the Kansas City Streetcars. I did not know there was an elevated section in K.C. There is even a pic of a steam tram and I gather the last trolley ran in 1957, I see 50 years later the people of KC have voted for a light rail system.
Yes H&H do seem to be very fond of the prune danishes.
ERIC I think one of reasons the British railways stayed with vacuum brakes is that they did not want to pay the money for patents on air brakes.
Right up to the 1970s there was an unbelievable number of short wheel base 4 wheel wagons fitted only with a handbrake. On lines with a steep grade the freight had to stop and have the handbrakes on some of the wagons pinned down to control the speed of the train down the grade, of course the train had to stop again at the bottom to have the brakes taken off again.
In case of a break away there were spring loaded ‘catch points' on the grade, which would derail any runaway wagons. It must have taken a great deal of skill from the driver and the guard in his van at the rear of the unfitted train to prevent broken couplings and runways especially where the line grades were of a ‘saw tooth' profile.
Great photo. I guess the train nearest as stopped and the approaching train with cross over to another line on the points in front of the stopped train. At least I hope so.
CM3 It is good to hear that the Impossible Challenge book is as good inside as the cover promised it to be.
Thanks for the tip to look at Tom's ‘Columbian' photo. Is that a GG1.
LARS We do indeed seem to reaching a lot of different mileposts at Our Place. I see on the old Our Place we are very near 200,000 views, just think if all those who viewed bought a pint we could by that model shop for TOM.
Thanks for the kind words. Usually there was a couple of letters short when they meant to call me an‘asset'. Seriously though I must have done something right or I would have not been there as long as I was.
Great photos of the B&O steam locos. The 4-4-4 Abraham Lincoln looks an impressive loco; by her looks I bet she was capable of a fair turn of speed.
BK Great to see you in. Thanks for the kind words and regards from Lydia.
Enjoyed the B&O History. I did not know about Samuel Morse's connection with the B&O, certainly a very big day in the history of communications. There is wonderful artwork in the ‘Historic B&O poster'
I was just admiring the photo in Lars post of the 4-4-4 locomotive and then there is your photo of a B&O 4-4-4-4 loco. What a great looking engine. I wonder what she sounded like when pulling a heavy train.
My Regards to LYDIA
DOUG Thanks for the two rounds. Good to see you in and it is great news you are taking the assistant managers job, although it sounds as though you have a very busy schedule at home. I will have to talk to you about my bar bill being a lot more than my chandler's pay, when you have a minute.
Enjoyed today's joke.
TOM Thanks for the kind words Juneau soon had me weighed up as someone who would play with his toy's with him, to have a friendship with our 4-footed pals is a great thing.
What a great thing it would be for the regulars of Our Place, in our younger years, to run a model shop and a bar in an old railroad depot, with an operating line running alongside.
Thanks for the B&O Railroad of Yesterday. I see it was another railroad that served St Louis. It is a good testimony of the workmanship in the early days that many of the bridges are still in use today carrying locomotives and loads that were unimaginable when they were built. I think we had some posts at Our Place on the riots that took place in 1877 with the B&O railroaders.
I never knew there was a town called Chevy Chase, the bar is a great place to learn
Pete turned the 50th Page! Drinks on the house! No, no, Boris, don't ring that thing 50 times . . . . <arrrgggghhhh>
CM3 Shane at 9:04 AM today: Husky dogs are singularly minded when it comes to running. They run ‘n run ‘n run and absolutely could care less about returning. Nope, I'm afraid that turning Juneau loose in WVA would most probably mean good-bye. Anyway, I've seen what Racoons do to dogs and it ain't purty!
Great eye! Didn't think anyone (other than perhaps Pete 'n Eric) would find that GG1!!
Honestly don't know where one can be assured of safety at work, at home or at play. In aircraft, ships, cars, trucks, motorcycles or walking. There's always that "something" just waitin' to nail ya! <groan> Stop - Look - Listen! Wonder if that's still inculcated in our kids these days
Many thanx for the B'day greetings - quarters for Herr Wurltizer's Coal Scuttle - round and visit!
Lars at 12:05 PM today: The Manager and B&O, kinda like salt ‘n pepper, they just go together. But then again, we KNOW it really isn't your most favorite of favorites! <grin>
Nice book covers, as usual, and always well received by the crew.
Email received . . . thanx!
Ya know, if I've never mentioned it before, it's past due to say THANX for the attention you give the critters of "Our" Place! You're the only one who regularly considers them and makes sure they get the "treats" indicated. A 5- to you from the critters!
Yes, we are closing in on a total of 10,000 Posts for this new Thread and the old. Just remember, we shut ‘er down at 9,013 at the old place. So add ‘em up!
Good observation about "my other Thread" too. Never figured it would be up ‘n running for that long. But there she be . . .
BK at 12:50 PM today: What a surprise from the mountains of Alberta! Very appreciative for the visit and of course some fine B&O material as well. Great to see ya again and of course we can always use the business! <KaChing KaChing>
Enjoyed that History of the B&O piece and it's something I'll have to archive for it's chock full o' good stuff!
Best regards to Lydia and pass along a ‘wag o' the tail' from Juneau!
Email received too!
Doug at 4:00 PM today: Awwwwwwwwright! You "volunteered" for the position of Assistant Manager of the bar! We have confidence in your abilities and I'm sure the "staff" will support you <????> in whatever decisions you have to make. <hoooooo hoooooo haaaaaaa haaaaaa> But in all "seriousity," we thank you! <grin> <hoo boy> <hooked another one!>
You surely are a friend indeed to and for those "hosses." They just don't know how fortunate they are to have someone to care for ‘em the way you and yours do. Most admirable thing to do!
Pete at 5:08 PM today: A fine offering by our "poor" Bar Chandler who seems to be spending far more at the bar than he takes in from the tub. <what?> Yup, that's a fact and only those who fully understand and appreciate the goings on at this Saloon by the Siding can figure out what that means!
Figured you'd be prone to thoughts when that article about the Canadian War Museum was read. Isn't that the "way" these days ‘n times Hopefully, with sufficient pressure and backing from those in places of influence, that piece of work can be turned about.
Thanx for providing another Encore! of a B&O piece.
Perhaps one day we'll make it to Baltimore for an east coast Amtrak adventure. Then we could take in at least two fine sights in the area - the B&O RR museum and the Inner Harbor. I've been to the latter a few times, but never the museum.
A little something on Chevy Chase:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevy_Chase,_Maryland
I can't think of anything more enticing to do for a living than the idea of a model RR shop in an operating train station with a bar ‘n grill too! Now that would have it all covered, eh Wonder how much money would wind up in the "tills" of the bar as opposed to the hobby shop??? <grin>
You are absolutely correct about the canine friendships. Only those who have experienced that bond can understand . . .
Thanx for the visit,
Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
No thank you, Leon, no fish for me! I'll have a danish and a cup of coffee! In other words, a continental breakfast. I don't know what is so continental about that, though.
More B&O today. More info I didn't know so I learned more new things!
Tom – The pix is from New Rochelle, NY. We were coming from New Haven with the X2000 (revenue service) and ended up behind another Amtrak train, waiting for the train coming from the oppsite direction. This is not far from the point where the tracks to Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station (via Hell Gate Bridge) split. More info on B&O! Interesting new info (for me) about those branches! That painting is very, very nice!!CM3 – I don’t remember what the speed restriction was that ended by that R board but they were doing some maintenance work in that area. When I took the picture, the X2000 was running all the way between Washington D.C. and New Haven in revenue service. It was in April and May of 1993. Lars – Second National Bank of Mentor Village!? Wow, you (or Ruth) must be very important to get economic back up from that bank! Interesting! All I can say is I wish you good luck down in the Keys finding the right place! Interesting pictures of those B&O locomotives! Especially the one of 4-6-4 #2. That locomotive looks so “clean”, a little bit of British touch to it! And the tender has the same shape as the cars! BK – Lydia is absolutely right, it is good to “escape” from everyday issues whenever possible! My best regards to Lydia!Thanks for the History of the B&O Railroad! Very easy to read and get an overview when it is set up that way!I made a comment about a picture of B&O 4-6-4 #2, that it looked so clean. But the 4-4-4-4 #5600 in your last picture looks even “cleaner”. It is a Class N-1, the only one. Built 1937 and retired 1950. That was actually a named locomotive, George H. Emerson, who was B&O’s chief of motive power 1920-1950. It was his ideas that was put together in that locomotive. Doug – 5 horses? That sounds like a lot of work so I guess you know what you are doing next week! Pete – I think you are right about BR and vacuum brakes vs air brakes! Those short wheel base cars and the use of the handbrakes going down a grade, sounds like the use of retainer valves on freight cars in this country!You are correct about the picture. We had to wait for the train going towards New Haven before we could continue to Penn Station, New York City and then to Washington DC.“All Aboard” is a good way to start a holiday! B&O was right in their ad!
*Idiot of the Week #12
A co-worker was forced to leave the company due to
downsizing. At her farewell luncheon our manager commented
cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often!"
Not another word was heard as we all sat silently with
that "deer in the headlights" stare.
Stay Alert - they walk amongst us and they reproduce!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of the work week (for many) and the weekend begins in earnest at the end of this Friday!
Check out The Mentor Village Bakery case, our Menu Board for <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfasts, and of course our freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee!
Tomorrow is ENCORE! Saturday - ‘n - Photo Posting Day! at "Our" Place. And of course, the bar is CLOSED on Sundays.
Eric at 1:45 AM today: An evening to forget, as we had none of our regular or irregular customers show up. <groan> Good to see our Resident Desert Swede come through for us in the early morning hours - most dependable customer, fer sure, fer sure!
Many thanx for the elaboration on your photo . . . For as many times as I traveled the rail route from New England to New York City, my memory of that right-of-way at "the split" is hazy at best. Back in those times I was more interested in getting a start on the weekend rather than anything else. Also, on the Sunday night returns it was after dark, so not much to look at other than lights. The New Haven was a great experience and as I've mentioned previously, it was a 6-month love affair too soon to be replaced with my first sea going assignment. Stories for other times ‘n places.
That painting of the B&O freight is indeed another marvelous work, fer sure, fer sure! Talent that I surely don't have!
Thursdays ‘n fish seem to go together ‘round here. BUT, there are alternative choices on the expanded menu. Our food service, other than sandwiches, provides for several selections on Thursday thru Saturday nites!
Appreciate the visit, conversation ‘n business!
Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing. This is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite! - ‘n - Steak ‘n Fries Nite! at the bar. Servings begin at 5 PM!
A wee bit more on the B&O before the week winds down . . .
B&O #5551 Sky Dome (from: http://www.trainweb.com/)
B&O #7600 Moonlight Dome (from: www.trainweb.com)
Some DRUMHEADS of the B&O
Enjoy!
Good Morning Barkeep and all Preset; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox. Let's play "Jine the Cavalry," and "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" for Barndad - sounds like he needs it; I took many a turn on the "dragline" dealing with needs for bovine and equine inhabitants at my father-in-law's place. His horses had "senses of humor" such as grabbling you by the belt and lifting you up in the air (just to see how you'd react, of course).
Turning out to be a decent day here as we will be seeing the sun (as soon as the fog lifts out) and it is supposed to get somewhat back to normal re temperatures.
A few comments and then some more "stuff."
Pete - You are absolutely correct - The G motor is hiding beside the train.
Lars - Good B&O pictures; what a fine looking Atlantic! Thanks.
BK stopped by. You mentioned Mt Clare in your post. The B&O Museum is there, of course. It was the B&O shops in Baltimore. Issue 195 of Railroad History has an excellent article on the Mt Clare shops with 1872 era (and beyond) photographs.
OSP - I know about huskies running, but it's hilly enough here that he might (again I say might) slow down (yeah, right!). Thanks again for the drumheads. "Moonlight Dome" brought back a few memories as I rode in that car after it went to SCL, IIRC; the floodlights wree gone by then, of course.
Let me digress for a moment. Boris, siddown and listen.
I looked at the museum link you sent along - very similar to what Air and Space did awhile back. Some of you may know that in a previous life (for many years) I "did history." One of the things I learned while dealing with "historical methods" was that it is not desirable to apply present biases to things that happened in the past.
To survive, we must,of course, learn from the problems of the past so we don't repeat them, but we should not fall into the psychobabble (often politically motivated) traps of guilt, self-flagelation, etc. which we often do today. It's all too easy, since history is no longer taught in school.
As the great historical philosopher, Spanky McFarland, once said, "Pups is pups." By extension, "Facts is facts." Let the facts speak for themselves and don't try and blacksmith them to fit present-day attitudes and experiences.
Thank you - we now return back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Chevy Chase was on the Georgetown Branch of the B&O which operated 11 miles from Georgetown Jct. to Georgetown via Chevy Chase and Bethesda. It's probably all paved now.
Here's some more material I put together which will help answer some questions re the B&O and coal.
The Fairmont field covered all or parts of six northern West Virginia counties. Coal mined here came from the Pittsburgh seam which was 12 feet thick in places. Mining had existed in the Fairmont field since the early 1830s with the first coal from the area being shipped by steamboat to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and New Orleans in 1835. Steamboats came to the city of Fairmont itself in 1850 and area mines opened immediately after that. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) reached Fairmont in 1853 and coal was soon on its way to Baltimore by railroad for transhipment to other coastal points. Sustained development began in 1857 with the completion of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad (later part of the B&O) from Grafton to Clarksburg and on to Parkersburg. The B&O operated throughout the Civil War (despite the best efforts of the Confederates to destroy it) and Fairmont field produced coal helped to fuel the Union war effort.
Mine operators in the Fairmont field after the Civil War faced difficulties similar to those of their counterparts in the Kanawha Valley - lack of outside investment, and poor transportation Completion of the B&O extension from Fairmont to Morgantown in 1866 helped to improve the operator's situation as financiers from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Ohio saw the potential of the area and invested heavily in coal mining. Smaller coal companies (as in other industries) joined with larger firms. An example of this was the 1901 incorporation of the Fairmont Coal Company which two years later was absorbed by the Consolidation Coal Company. Mining was never the center of life in the Fairmont field as it was in other parts of West Virginia. Many of the towns in the field existed before the mines opened and the area's economy was mainly agricultural. Miners in the Fairmont field came from many nations but most of them were American-born. Italians and African-Americans ranked second and third in numbers after American-born miners.
I'll be offline on Monday for sure and maybe Tuesday (hope not) so everyone have a good weekend. In any case when I return I have a ton of C&O material to post.
Hello Tom and all in
Very quick post, butr I'll have a pint of Tetley's Mild whilst I'm in - just wanted to say I was glad you'd see the Fastest Indan Tom - I reckon any regular here would enjoy that - quite a cast of characters he meets on his travel but i guess my favourite bit was when the Hell's Angels types surround his car in a particulalry threatening manner (after having beaten him on the beach run) simply to thrust a wad of cash into his hand to help with the trials and tribulations ahead , and then escort him on his way- a nice touch.
Anyway - got to shoot as off to Leeds in a bit - I'm heading for the one direct train of the day for this 80 odd mile trip north - Pete this could be the remains of the Waverely or Thames Clyde Express if the times were right - St Pancras, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Leeds by 125 HST. Hopefully be able to get a trip report in before too long, and prospects of KWVR steam in the offing too.
Have a good weekend.
DL
Ruth my deAH, I'll take a mugga Joe with a "jolt," but nothing more right now, thanks! Got lots to get going on B4 we head off to the Keys next week and all of a sudden I'm feeling "rushed." Crazy for a retired guy to feel that way, huh
I read that article in the Canadian press about the War Museum's WWII display about the allied bombings of Nazi Germany. All I can add is someone should throttle the living daylights out of whoever thought revisionist history would make an appropriate narrative in a War Museum at that! Good Grief Charlie Brown, what in the world has this world come to??? I know we have differences between countries, but this is absurd, simply outrageous and I hope the surviving veterans and their respective organizations get this changed. I'm so "charged" that I'd be happy to contribute to their efforts. <arrrrgggghhhh> <double arrrrgggghhhh>
Couldn't find anymore B&O stuff on the web, so I pretty much closed the "book" on it. We had a good run and looks as if what needed to be covered, was!
Somewhere in the depths of the basement storage shelving are albums of B&O "stuff" from the days of my grandfaher and father. Not that much, but "stuff" nonetheless. Last time I checked 'em out was right after the flooded basement when we were drying out, or throwing out, things. The albums were musty and modling, but the black 'n white photos looked to be in fair shape, with the expected degradation over time. Don't know how they'd measure up to scanning and transferring to digital. Anyway, I'm hardly "into" that kinda punishment! <ugh>
Really a slow night on Thursday and I was really surprised at the no-shows. Seems like things took a shift, now we're seeing daylight customers again. Go figger, huh??? Thanks to Rob, the trolleyMAN and his four appearances, we had a good day at the bar. That's not to say the rest of youse guys aren't appreciated, for you are. Have one on the Larsman, all who entered these premises yesterday!
Nice of you to make mention of the treats for the critters, Cap'n Tom. We do want them to stick 'round, huh??? Also, treating them well means we'll be treated similiarly. Who needs that ankle biting Tex and dive bombing Awk to turn their attentions to us!! <arrrrgggghhhh> dddddddddddddddddddddddd
Enjoyed seeing one of Tom's old B&O ads rerun by the Wolfman along with today's installment of dome cars AND drumheads from Da Boss! Sweet!
Shane came through (again) with the continuing edu-muh-kay-shun on the B&O and coalmining - always an interesting topic. I'd like to read a bit more about the B&O in the Civil War and somewhere 'round this house is at least one book on the subject. Some really interesting material on it, for sure. Anyway, enjoyed your commentary on the "revisiionists" and wonder just what sory of "history" the future holds for us in terms of the "record" and "facts." Just a bit frightening to witness how much our society has actually rebelled over teaching our kids the essentials of this 'n that. <barf>
C&O for next week and I should be able to at least provide something, good Lord willing 'n the ocean doesn't rise! Shane will be coming back just about when I'll be packing up to go. We're leaving on Wednesday, at oh-dark-thrity. <ugh>
Was really a surprise and treat to see my "bookend" stop by yesterday, almost "on top" of my post too.
Nicely done B&O history and steam locos!
Whenever you are able, we hope to see you 'n Lydia pass through those portals. She brightens up the joint almost as much as Ruth! <grin>
Happy to note that barn weevil Doug has relented consented to become the Assistant Manager! Squandering, you say! Squandering! Ha. Monies to be well spent and just think of how nice it would be to have the Florida Keys as a "playground" for a Rendezvous one day!!! So be careful with the terminilogy! <geesh. Nice of you to be so nice to the "hosses"
Eric 'n Pete: You two really bring lots light into this joint and I look forward to reading your submissions. The numbers game with the bar, old 'n new, is rather impressive I'd say. Even the old place is way down on the forum pages by now, it's still getting "hits" - lots of 'em according to what I've been seeing.
Pete, sorry that you're squandering spending your salary at the bar in amounts exceeding the income. I'd have thought that a night in the "tank" would've given you your "fill" for some time to come. But then again, you ARE an Englishman, and we all know about the beer drinking prowess of the lads from across the pond. <grin>
Eric, yes, we are "connected" and once those 'wires' are put together - ZAP! <uh oh>
Ok, time for me to stop with the rambling and get below decks to tend to the matters at hand.
Ruth, one more - a round - and I'm off . . . Boris, stop looking so sad, of course you can have your jar of pickled pig's feet, and while you're at it, get the treats out for the critters!
SPECIAL - SPECIAL - SPECIAL
The 10,000th Post at "Our" Place has been achieved!
We closed the original Thread at 9,013 Posts on Dec 31, 2006.
Today, at 11:38 AM (central) LoveDomes Lars Posted # 987 at our reborn Thread!
Add 'em up and that makes TEN THOUSAND!
CONGRATULATIONS to Manager Lars and I'm sure he'll put that weekend in the Penthouse Suite to GOOD USE! <grin>
CONGRATULATIONS MANAGER LARS ON BEING THE ONE TO POST THE 10,000TH POST AT OUR PLACE. Although I did see RUTH pick up the phone after DL had posted the 9,999 post, surely she did not know the prize was a weekend in the penthouse suite. Anyway let me get a round in to celebrate please RUTH..
ERIC Thanks for the info on the B&O 4-4-4-4 #5600, it was a nice touch to see the locomotive was named after the chief of motive power. Do you know if the locomotive was saved and is in a museum today..
Talking about he unbraked freight trains on British Railways reminded me of a story, I read once, told by the driver of the train. On one route there was a fairly steep grade down hill, anyway as the train descended the hill speed started to increase so the driver whistled for the guard to apply the brake in his van. This seemed to have no effect and it was with a great deal of effort, with the loco brake and the tender handbrake, to keep the train under control. Luckily the loco crew were able to stop the train before a junction and a red signal.
After the train stopped the fireman (stoker) walked back along the train until he reached the brake van (caboose) and felt the brake blocks on the van, next the fireman went into the brake van only to reappear a few minutes later to walk back to the engine. He climbed back into the cab and tended the fire without a word to the driver. When the train reached the yard and the crew were relieved, as they walked to the loco shed the driver noticed the guard was sporting a large black eye. Obviously the guard had been asleep in his nice warm van. He had obviously had a rude awakening, but that was the end of the matter, if it had been reported to management the guard would have been fired and I bet he never fell asleep again. In fact the guard worked with the same crew many times afterwards and always done his job well.
Thanks for the photo. I was of an age as well when the annual holiday started with a train trip to the seaside.
CM3 May I say that I agree with what you say about history, and how well you put it into words.
Thanks for the Chevy Chase info. Enjoyed the B&O coal post, it really was coal that was the reason many of the early railways were built and over 200 years later it still accounts for the major tonnage carried by many railways.
Looking forward to your C&O posts.
DL Have a great weekend.
Sounds a good start with the HST direct to Leeds. Pity is isn't in the past with a Jubilee to Leeds and a Royal Scot north,or in diesel days with a change of ‘Peak' class 45s, at Leeds as the Thames-Clyde Express reverses, next stop Keighley.
The KWVR is one of my favourite preserved lines. Will you be sampling the Timothy Taylors, which is brewed in Keighley. The Fleece in Haworth (when I was last there) serves six of Timmy Taylor's brews although it is up a very steep hill from Haworth KWVR station. The Globe in Keighley is another good pub with a view of the KWVR from the back room of the pub; it is on the left from the train as it leaves Keighley up the grade to Ingrow.
A quiz question for you. ‘In which film was the Fleece pub mentioned in'
LARS I knew you would think the same as Tom and I did about that article about the museum. I really did not know they no longer teach history in schools
Real glad you Grandfather and Father's B&O photos survived in the basement, it would be great if you could scan some of them sometime.
I'm afraid the night in the tank of Bathams as only given me more of an appetite for the brew, as my mate says " No point in going out if you are not going to have a gallon" Seriously, I am a lightweight now with the beer, although we would travel over 40 miles by train to visit the Great Western pub in Wolverhampton on a Saturday evening to have the great Bathams and the Holdens they serve there, and see the railway photos and signs on the walls of the pub.
Have a great time in Florida, although RUTH will be miserable until you get back, no doubt with a present for her. I have to keep on Ruth's good side as if I upset her she runs the Bathams through the cooler. We will have to remember to feed the m
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