"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[passengerfan]

Good evening Tom How about a CR and a round for the house.

Trainnut 484 thanks for the passenger car pics.
The METIS was originally built in 1937 by Candadian Car & foundry as a 7-Compartment Library buffet Observation Car and has undergone extensive remodeling since. The car is Amtrak compatible and is said to be in excellent shape.

SKYKOMISH RIVER was a 4-Section 1-Compartment 7 Duplex Roomette 3-Double Bedroom Car built for the GN Mid Century Empire Builder in November 1950 by Pullmen Standard. In 1963 car 1260 SNOHOMISH RIVER was remodeled to a 1 Compartment 7-Duplex Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Car and remained in Empire Builder service. The ribbed siding was added to the car by BNSF for Business fleet use.

Milwaukee Road 170 was outshopped by Milwaukee Road shops in Milwaukee Wisconsin in June 1948 as a 48-seat Dining Lounge cars for assignment to the MIDWEST HIAWATHA along with a twin number 171. They operated for years in this service between Chicago and Omaha. The 171 was scrapped while the 170 remains and is an excellent example of the type cars produced by the old Milwaukee Road.

The GN 1292 GOING TO THE SUN MOUNTAIN was one of six Mid Century Observation cars built by AC&F for the GN and delivered between October 1950 and March 1951. These cars were among the finest Lounge Observations ever built and seating was for 39 only in the cars. The cars spent most of their GN careers on the rear of the Westyren Star or sandwiched midtrain in the combined Western Star/Fast Mail. Fortunately the car was saved and is an excellent example of a Mid Century EMPIRE BUILDER car.
The car also operated on the Internationals between Seattle and Vancouver for its final years of operation after the PORT OF SEATTLE and PORT OF VANCOUVER were withdrawn and stored. In INTERNATIONAL service they served as Parlor cars.

[nickinwestwales]

Hi guys ,just checking in really-it`s 05.20 am and I`ve just got back from a jolly boys outing to wet the baby`s head,any sensible group of people would have gone to the local pub and had a few beers-not this bunch of water rats,by boat(s)we proceeded downriver about 3 miles(just as the sun was going down-a magical experience)-to a pub on the other side of the river known for it`s generous interpretation of licensing laws and have returned only recently after a return journey made entertaining mostly by the effects of several hours of continuous drinking,will attempt a more coherent posting tomorrow,be well & happy,nick[C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Well, I'll be ........ Posts from Trainnut484 Russell -and- passengerfan Al! Thanx for the pix, Russell. And of course, thanx to you Al for the round and insight provided on those cars. [tup][tup]

Hey Nick I see you've begun a new page! That should be worth a round on me. Mightly late night for you - early in the mornng - or better yet - an all nighter. Man oh man, don't know where you get the endurance! [swg] Last time I watched the sun rise from one of those toots ........ oh well, it WAS the last time! [;)]

Well, it's closing time - Boris RIng the bell! One round and that's it, Gents!

See ya on Monday.

Nite ...... [zzz]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

SUNDAY’s NEWS & SUMMARY of RECENT POSTS

”Our” Place is CLOSED on SUNDAYS!

You may drop your messages off by putting them through the slots in either set of front doors. See ya tomorrow! [tup]

News of the Day:

(1) The St. Louis Cardinals are Champs of the National Leagues' Central Division! [yeah][wow]

(2) [bday] U.S.AIR FORCE - 58 years old today!

(3) Check out the Fallen Flags Posts on pages 106, 108, 109 and 110. The roads covered are: SP – MoPac – WP - Frisco and MKT.

SUMMARY

Name - Date/Time - (Page#) – Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 09:02:42 (111) Saturday’s News & Summary

(2) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 09:56:29 (111)

(3) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 10:08:33 (111)

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 10:30:50 (111) reply to Theodorebear

(5) West Coast S Dave Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 11:51:26 (111)

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 12:43:04 reply to West Coast S

(7) West Coast S Dave Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 13:40:52 (111)

(8) pwolfe Pete Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 14:05:42 (111)

(9) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 14:26:31 (111) reply to West Coast S & pwolfe

(10) West Coast S Dave Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 16:11:02 (111)

(11) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 17:58:26 (111)

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 18:50:04 (111) reply to West Coast S & Theodorebear

(13) Trainnut484 Russell 17 Sep 2005, 19:46:08 (111) Photo display

(14) passengerfan Al Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 22:05:34 (111)

(15) nickinwestwales Nicks Posted: 17 Sep 2005, 23:32:40 (112)

(16) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 00:56:47 (112) reply to Trainnut484 – passengerfan – nickinwestwales

=======================================
That’s it! [tup][;)]
Tom (Siberianmo) [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[Anonymous]

Well, well, the week begins with a fresh new page and let us hope a fresh start from the previous seven days of rancor and malice from "nay sayers" and spineless toadies on Capitol Hill and beyond. This being Sunday, we can forego the usual greetings and salutations in favor of, hopefully, some quiet, meditative thoughts. The fine pics Trainnut 484 posted from around Union Station and the W.W. I Soldiers War Memorial really "hit home" in a most pleasant way. Those were my "old stomping grounds" as a youth and I can remember riding my bike to the Memorial for the vistas overlooking Union Station and the downtown area of K.C., MO. That was when America's "downtowns" were vibrant busy hubs of commerce, banking and transportation for miles in all directions. Union Station was the fourth largest terminal building when it was completed in 1914. It hosted over 200 trains a day at one time and never failed as an effecient, clean and impressive "people mover."

The air terminal, by contrast, was located in the bottoms near the Mo. river and appeared as a hickeldy-pickeldy montage of out buildings laced together with corrugated iron covered walkways. DC 4's and Lockheed Constellations would strain mightily to clear the high bluff marking the north edge of downtown. More than a few came to rest in the waters of the Misourri due to fog, sleet, mechanical or pilot error. While Union Station was a show place for travelers, the K.C. airport was an embarassment. As a kid, I loved the "war birds" but thought passenger planes were an abomination with their noisy and dangerous practice of falling from the skies.[(-D]

That was then, this is now. Russell, do my eyes decieve me or in the background of the second shot, are there a couple of vintage Railway Express Agency trucks? If so, passengerfan Al would be interested in the "original" colors of those vehicles. The dark green and (later) white or silver roof over the "box" certainly "rings a bell."

Nick, maybe a little chicken soup will help? Strange custom that; buying cigars and tippling 'til oblivious after a child birth.[:O] Doesn't it seem the mother, not the father, should be engaged in this self indulgence? I'm no one to talk! Unbirthdays qualify for a friendly "toot" amongst old friends on my social register.[:D]

Owright, owright, Boris and Leon are back from the "Gorge" and they let Awk outside in their haste.[:(!] Hmmm! Wonder what these Skunk hides will bring down at old man Fleishmeister's curio shop?[tup] Oh, Tom, that was my Grandfather who did the "Bunny Hop." He played with the Galveston, TX team but took a bad injury at a exposition game in San Francisco aftter the earthquake. It was a short but very good career. He later did well with some patents in the plumbing business. Happy rails.

[siberianmo]

G'day Guys!

Just getting ready to leave for Can-Am Gorge for our weekly jaunt through the forests ... had the Boyz out early this AM, over by Mentor Gorge - Awk got out - was a veritible calamity for awhile - finally got him back! Phew .......

Okay - the purpose of this Post is to announce something NEW for "Our" Place".

Given that we are CLOSED on SUNDAY's we'll make this our PICTURE POSTING DAY!. So, save up your pix for Sunday's and as long as they connect with our theme 'round here, Classic Trains - real or model - Post 'em! [tup][tup][tup]

Trainnut484 Russell's Post of last night was the inspiration for it ......

Enjoy the next Post!!

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

Nostalgia time at "Our" Place ....... Here are some of MY favorite railroad heralds to kick off Picture Posting Day ...


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[Trainnut484]

Good Afternoon Tom et all. I know we're closed today, so I'm slipping this GENTLY through the mail slot.

Thanks Tom for posting the Katy information earlier, and also posting logo pixes of great Fallen Flags. It's good to know my influence on something is positive for a change [;)] I was in a hurry last night to post mine.

Al, thanks for providing the 411 on the cars. As I was leaving, they were putting up the bright orange fencing that's in the second pix in the back of the cart. That won't make picture taking fun for classic train buffs next weekend.

Ted, I'll go back and see if those trucks in the second pix are old REA trucks. I'm glad the photos gave you a warm-hearted back home feeling. You have mail that has another heart-warming photo [;)]

Here's my pix for Sunday Photo Day:

UP E9 951 Topeka, KS RR Days 1993


Russell

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Just returned with the Boyz from Can-Am Gorge ... <whew> what an afternoon! Those two really give me a workout ... Boris 'n Leon what a combo ....... just like a loco 'n tender! [swg]

Ted Didn't mean to ignore your Post .... Most times when we visit KCity on our semi-annual jaunts to western MO - we stay at Union Hill, either the Residence Inn or Fairfield Inn (relatively new). So, we're in close proximity to the WWI Memorial ... great tribute indeed to those who fought "The war to end all wars." Wouldn't it have been nice if only could've been true [?]

Russell I've seen some interesting consists at KC's Union Station. The KCS passenger train, on two occasions, over the years tops the list. At least 10 cars, if I remember, maybe a few more. Really somethng to see in that great looking livery. I've got some pix 'round here somewhere - but they're 35 mm and a bit labor intensive insofar as Posting 'em is concerned.

We're tryying to get something going for a trip to the Midland ..... Right now we're communicating by Email to coordinate it for Oct 1st. Looks like it might be Pete - me and Dan, along with our wives. So if you're interested drop me a note .....

Okay - here's a URL of pix to continue with our Sunday Photo Day::

http://photobucket.com/albums/b222/siberianmo/Can-Am%20RR%20display%20cases/

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[Gunns]

Rolled up and poped through the slot,


and an expanded view,


Gunns

[siberianmo]

MONDAY’s NEWS & SUMMARY of RECENT POSTS

Good Morning! A new day, a new week and another opportunity to spend a bit of time with us at ”Our” Place! Coffee’s fresh – The Mentor Village Bakery pastry case is full – and our light breakfasts are ready to serve ……. Whatillyahave [?] [tup]

News of the Day:

(1) Something new! Sunday Photo Day got off to a good start ….. check it out! You are invited to post your Classic Trains pix (real & model) on Sunday’s.

(2) Check out the Fallen Flags Posts on pages 106, 108, 109 and 110. The roads covered are: SP – MoPac – WP - Frisco and MKT. Heralds of the Fallen Flags are on page 112.

SUMMARY

Name - Date/Time - (Page#) – Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 01:11:12 (112) Sunday’s News & Summary

(2) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 07:25:27 (112)

(3) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 12:01:38 (112) Picture Posting Day!

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 12:04:10 (112) Nostalgia RR heralds

(5) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 13:12:50 (112)

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 15:24:27 (112) reply to Trainnut484

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 15:24:27 (112) reply to: Theodorebear & Trainnut484

(8) Gunns Kevin Posted: 18 Sep 2005, 15:41:59 (112)

=======================================
That’s it! [tup][;)]
Tom (Siberianmo) [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[coalminer3]

Good Morning - Coffee, please. A round for the house and here's some money to replace broken cue sticks, etc. from the weekend!

I rec'd my October issue of RMC the other day and inside is a feast of delights for those of us interested in mining railroads, especially in the UP of Michigan. The title of the article is "From Out of the Past: The Isle Royale Copper Comapny Railroad." I am still studying the picture of IR Copper Co's No. 4, a 2-8-2T with a monstrous snowplow. Also some lovely pictures of Copper Range hopper cars.

"High and the Mighty" ran on AMC (I think) awhile back. The moral of the story is never fly with a pilot who whistles. Not a bad picture.

Today's installment, from the stack of notebooks is abt the C&O's operations in deepest Fayette County, WV. This dates back to when C&O was still C&O as you can tell from the references to trains and places; much of what's talked about in here is either gone or changed beyond recognition.

Quinnimont

The call sign was a simple QN, but Quinnimont was (and still is) a busy place on the C&O. The name Quinnimont means five mountains, and if you stand in the right place, you can see all five. Quinnimont was settled about a quarter century before West Virginia became a state, and was a quiet place until iron and coal were discovered and the railroad came.

The main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio sits on the north bank of the New River. The tracks exit the east portal of Stretcher’s Neck tunnel about one and one half miles west of QN, pass through Prince and sweep around a horseshoe bend in the River. There used to be a tower (cabin in C&O language) at Prince, call sign NI that controlled traffic to and from the Piney Creek line. NI cabin was torn down in one of the railroad’s periodic drives to reduce tax liabilities and other potential lawsuits by demolishing unneeded structures.

There are two yards at Quinnimont; one at the west end of the curve and one to the east the railroad hugs the base of Backus Mountain as it heads east toward Hinton. The west yard lead begins at Prince almost at the same spot where the Piney Creek branch enters the main line. The yard lead allows work to be done without having to tie up the branch. Also, Piney Men could leave QN and head up the branch without having to go out on the main line. A set of crossovers near NI allowed access to the main which made for additional operational flexibility.

Heading toward QN, the mainline is on the left (north) side and several yard tracks are to the right of the main. These tracks are used to hold loaded coal cars from mines near Beckley. These cars are picked up by eastbound coal trains as trailing point switches allow for a simple backup move. A short piece of mainline track separates the two yards. This is called the "neck" because the tracks pinch down. The tracks cross Laurel Creek on a wooden bridge that is in the middle of the neck. Sets of crossovers in the neck allow trains to cross from one main track to the other and to pick up and set out cars without having to run through too many switches. The east yard is on a curve and it can be entered from two directions. Typically westbound loads are set out in this yard and empty coal cars, which generally return from Tidewater, are set out for movement up the Piney Branch.

Immediately west of the neck is a wye. The middle of the wye used to have an engine house and other servicing facilities for the steam switcher that was based at QN. When I first started spending time at Quinnimont the old sandhouse was still there along with a wooden water tower and a water column located adjacent to the westbound main line.

The tail of the wye ran into a small yard and then to the Laurel Creek Branch which operated on almost vertical terrain from Quinnimont to Hemlock Hollow. Here was some tough railroading over terrain that looked more like that found in Colorado than in West Virginia. A resident told me about how as a boy he along with some of his friends would hitch a section car to a train headed up the branch and then ride the car from the top of the branch down into the yard at Quinnimont. This was pretty dangerous at any time, but was made even more so because the section cars had no brakes!

The shifters that ran on the line followed standard C&O practices except that the caboose was chained to the rear of the train as well as coupled, in case of a broken knuckle on the way up the branch. Coming down, retainers were turned up on all cars, train length was limited and engine crews were instructed to bail out if the speed got over about 10 miles per hour. It was not for the weak kneed or faint hearted. I rode the shifter a few times and was always very pleased to reach the end of the return side of the trip.

Have a good day.

work safe

[Anonymous]

Good Mornin' to all you early risers. Tom, can't wait to get my chops around a Black Rasberry Danish and a cuppa Joe. Russell, thanks for the mail, have replied to same post haste. I had an uneventful weekend but then, most of my weekends are pretty much like any other day. The "live steam" crowd will be starting their activities over in Largo (FL) soon. Its a real "kick" to see the little kids wide eyed and excited with steam, smoke and cinders filling the air. Fairland Park (KCMO) had a 4-6-2, Pacific in 15" guage that I rode as a Tot. Before my time (and most of yours), there was a Trolley Park across the river in North KCMO which, until destroyed by fire, was "the place to be" on a lazy summer weekend. I have some old pix of the place and WOW, does it beckon me back to that era when this was a totally different Country.[^]

I hope some found the time to watch the Travel Channel special on: "Riding Millionaires Rails." The Blue Train (S. Africa), Orient Express (refurbished Eorope) and Northern Belle (U.K.) were documented in good detail.[tup] Of course, it wasn't long before realizing these trains truly are targeted for the affluent.[:O] Beginning at around $4500, they are way out of my league.[V] The best I can do is a trolley ride to the Columbian Restaurant in Ybor City (Tampa). But, you know what? That ain't bad either.[:D] BTW, soon the Tourist season begins hereabouts (Nov. thru April), If any of "Our" Place folks have plans to perambulate around the Tampa Bay are, drop an e-mail in advance and we'll "do Tampa/St Pete."[8D]

Gunns, the "scull and disc" drivers had me going until I saw the "expanded view." The first frame looked like something out of a Rod Serling episode of "The Twilight Zone."[alien] Yes Tom, another winner from the "head shed." Sunday is perfect for sitting around the den, viewing slides and sharing memorabilia with the gang. The logos are surely appreciated and look great.[tup]

Gots'ta make this a wrap for now. Okay Boris, Herr Fleishmeister is interested in the Skunk hides for his Curio Shop. 'Says they will make great Daniel Boone caps for the kids. Looks like you and Leon may have the start of a small enterprise on your hands.[tup] But, how about something less odoriferous next Safari?[alien] Happy rails all.

[siberianmo]

Mornin' Guys!

Another Monday and looks like we're off to a fine start with two of our more dependable regulars having jumped into the conversation; good seeing you coalminer3 CM3 and Ted ....... [tup]

Looks as if the Track Gang Pool Tournament has hit a snag and has been postponed until further notice. Actually, postponed until bail is made sums it up a bit better! The Can-Am Flyers, The CP Railers and the CN Noodles were doing fine in the round robin affair - up until someone decided that it was time to see who could down the most beer between turns at the table. Leon the Night Man set up a couple of kegs in the pool room and they were drained before he got back to the bar - or so it seemed. Pool turned to boys being boys, and the next thing you know, the Mentor Village Constabularly and Volunteer Fire Department descended upon "Our" Place to break up the friendly scuffle. Fortunately, the boys took most of it out back, but the pool cues and a few pitchers bit the dust. And I'm not too sure just how that keg wound up wedged between the urinals in the men's room - but some things are better off not being explained. Boris was overheard saying, "Me having great fun - me like bashing heads, me ........." Fortunately, Leon got him away from the main brawl and somehow managed to shackle him inside his shed. What a weekend!

CM3 I see that Fayette County is in southeastern WVA ... didn't know that. Pretty rugged country - but then again, so is the entire state. Should have been named something other than West Virginia - pehaps something more relevant to the mountainous terrain. Those Appalachians are great in that part of the country .... [tup]

Enjoyed the accounting of the C&O and it brought back some memories of viewing those long coal trains that I used to see while passing through the state to & from Ohio. Those were up north, to the east of Wheeling if I recall. That was back in the early 60's - have no clue what things are like up that way today.

Thanx for the round and the funds to replenish our pool equipment! [swg]

Ted Didn't catch the show you mentioned, and probably wouldn't have know it was even on. I'm terrible when it comes to browsing through the TV section to find out what's on. Saturday evening we were at the theatre and last night we watched a DVD concert - The Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" tour. Really great stuff, love their music! Also have their "Farewell 1 Tour" DVD - which is next on the viewing list for a night when we get tired of watching same-o, same-o on FOX News or CNN!

Know exactly what you mean when it comes to the pricing for those "millionaire" trains. We priced the Rocky Mountaineer a few years back for one of their 8 days/nights tours, beginning and ending in Vancouver, BC. Came to somewhere around $15k for the two of us. Can you bellieve it? That's way out of our league; 8 days at that! <yikes>

Glad you noticed and appreciate the heralds posted on Sunday. My hope is that the guys will catch on to this and save up their relevant Classic Trains photos - real or model - for Posting then. As you said,. Sunday is rather perfect for that kinda thing.

Catch ya later! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[West Coast S]

Morning Tom and the gang...

What a weekend! What a week, Cuppa joe if you please.

Exceptional posting CM3, It's a shame that the great coal hauling roads are now just a memory. The era of the super mergers may be great for the stockholders, but not the railfan or historically inclined ,somehow the railroading world seems a bit empty with their absence.

Russell, Ted, good info on KC, I was relieved to see that E unit dressed in the proper colors, I understand KCS is seriously considering bringing those colors back, can you imagine modern power done up that way, would be one sharp looking fleet indeed!

Tom, love the fallen flag theme and anadotes , Pictures, you want pictures? Got lots of pictures, now to get off my duff and scan my select 35mm collection to disc, takes time to review over 4000 negatives you know!

A round of thanks to all who make "Our Place" what it is and a big kudo to Tom for providing the oppertunity to sit a spell and partake in our mutual love of classic railroading..

I'll return a bit later, gotta go put some fires out around the office, duty calls.

Dave [tup]

[siberianmo]

G'day West Coast S Dave

Thanx for the kind words! [tup] It's a labor of love kinda thing that we all engage in 'round here. The fun part is knowing that the majority who take in this thread, appreciate, enjoy and paricipate in the goings one. [tup]

I've got 'nother Fallen Flag coming up .... stay tuned!

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads:

Canadian National Railways

Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec

Mileage as of 1955: 24,220

Locomotives as of 1963:

Steam: 0
Diesel: 2,125
Electric: 27

Rolling stock in 1963: Freight cars– 105,177 Passenger cars: 2,808

Principal routes in 1955:

Halifax, NS-Montreal, QC (two routes)
Halifax-Sydney, NS
St. John’s-Port aux Basques, NL (42” gauge)
Montreal-Portland, ME (via subsidiary Grand Trunk Railway in U.S.)
Montreal-New London, CT (via subsidiary Central Vermont in U.S.)
Quebec City-Montreal-Toronto-Windsor & Sarnia, ON-Detroit, MI & Chicago (via subsidiary GTW in U.S.)
Toronto-North Bay, ON
Toronto-Niagara Falls, ON
Quebec City-Winnipeg, MB
Montreal-Winnipeg
Winnipeg-Churchill, MB
Winnipeg-Duluth, MN (via subsidiary Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific in U.S.)
Winnipeg-Vancouver, BC
Winnipeg-Regina, SK
Saskatoon, SK-Calgary, AB
Calgary-Edmonton, AB
Jasper, AB-Prince Rupert, BC

Passenger trains of note in 1955:

Super Continental (Montreal & Toronto-Vancouver)
Continental Limited (Montreal & Toronto-Vancouver)
Ocean Limited (Montreal-Halifax)
Scotian (Montreal-Halifax)
Caribou (St. John’s-Port aux Basques)
International Limited (Montreal-Toronto-Chicago)
Inter-City Limited (Montreal-Toronto-Detroit & Chicago)
Northland (Toronto-North Bay & Timmins & Kapuskasing, ON)
Maple Leaf (Toronto-Philadelphia & New York City)
Montrealer & Washingtonian (Montreal-New York City-Washington, DC)
Ambassador (Montreal-Boston)
Gull (Boston-Portland, ME-Saint John, NB-Halifax)

Of note:
Montreal & Toronto-Chicago route with GTW Detroit & Port Huron-Chicago.
Toronto-Philadelphia & New York route with Lehigh Valley, Niagara Falls, NY-New York City.
Montreal-New York City & Boston & Washington route with CV, B&M, NH and PRR.
Halifax-Boston route with CP, Maine Central and B&M.
Toronto-Timmins & Kapuskasing route with Ontario Northland Railway.

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

[CFournier]

Hello TOM and the crew...
Cup of columbian svp.
Hello Tom, I see you are online now. Those fallen flags reports are fun and instructive. But you think CNR is a fallen flag???[?][:0]
I spent much time this morning reading 4 or 5 pages of discussions for the last few days. I was away at the ST-Tite rodeo with my son. I got to work now, see you later.
[:)][C):-)]CHRIS

[siberianmo]

More on the Canadian National Railways of the Fallen Flags from The Official Guide of the Railways - Aug 1956

Canadian National Railways

Canadian National

Super Continental - Dieselized all the way

Faster daily service between

MONTREAL - OTTAWA - TORONTO - WINNIPEG - SASKATOON - EDMONTON - JASPER - VANCOUVER

No Extra Fare

Westward - Read down ..................................................Eastward - Read up
Example..........Daily ......................................................... Daily .........Example

Sunday............4 00 P.M. ..... Lv. Montreal ... E.T. .. Ar. ...5 05 P.M. .... Wednesday
Sunday............6 00 P.M. .... Ar. Ottawa........E.T....Lv......3 05 P.M. .....Wednesday
Sunday............6 10 P.M. .... Lv Ottawa.........E.T. ..Ar. ....2 50 P.M. .... Wednesday

Sunday............6 00 P.M. .... Lv. Toronto.......E.T. ..Ar. .....2 15 P.M. ... Wednesday

Monday..........10 25 P.M. ....Ar. Winnipeg.....C.T. ..Lv. .....8 20 A.M. ... Tuesday
Monday..........10 50 P.M. ... Lv. Winnipeg.....C.T. ..Ar. ....7:55 A.M. .... Tuesday
Tuesday......... 8 00 A.M. ... Ar. Saskatoon....M.T. ..Lv. ....8 50 P.M. ... Monday
Tuesday..........8 10 A.M. ....Lv. Saskatoon....M.T. ..Ar. ....8 40 P.M. ... Monday
Tuesday..........3 10 P.M. ...Ar. Edmonton......M.T. ..Lv. ...1 50 P.M. .... Monday
Tuesday..........3 25 P.M. ...Lv. Edmonton......M.T. ..Ar. ...1 35 P.M. .... Monday
Tuesday..........8:55 P.M. ...Ar. Jasper............P.T. ..Lv. ...8 15 A.M. .....Monday
Tuesday..........8 05 P.M. ...Lv. Jasper............P.T. ..Ar. .. 7 05 A.M. .....Monday
Wednesday....1 05 P.M. ....Ar. Vancouver .... P.T. ..Lv. .. 2 45 P.M. .... Sunday

Through deluxe coaches with reclining seats betwen Montreal and Toronto and Vancouver.
Parlor Car between Montreal and Ottawa only.
Dining Room Refreshment Lounge Car between Toronto and Winnipeg.
Coffee Shop Car between Toronto-Capreol.
............................... between Montreal-Vancouver (until May 31).
............................... between Winnipeg-Vancouver (first trip June 2).
Dining Car between Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Tourist Sleepiong Cars between Montreal-Toronto and Vancouver.
Drawing room, compartment, double bedrooms, duplex roomette, lower and upper berth accommodation available in latest type standard sleepers between Montreal-Toronto and Vancouver.
Attractive lounge accommodation for standard sleeping car passengers.

NOTE: Perhaps our Canadian friends can elaborate on what appears to be discrepancies with the time zones. In current times, Saskatoon is on Central Time and Jasper is Mountain Time. Don't know why in 1956 the time zones were listed this way ... Perhaps the zone maps were different back then. Anyone know [?]

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Hello Chris

Nice seeing you again and hope all is well. I was wonderin' ..........

CNR IS a Fallen Flag in the context we are using - Passenger Railroads from the days of Classic Trains! Tsk - tsk - surely thought a Barrister would've known that! [swg]

Glad you are enjoying these ... that's what they are intended for!

See ya and next time you plan on disappearing - you'll need a "liberty card!" [swg]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom and all my friends. I'll take a cantalope and some ground glass. Sorry I haven't been around, but my broadband connection bit the dust, so I got it replaced with cable!
Big doings at the IRM. I have temporarily jumped ship on the steam department, and am now needle chipping, sanding and wire brushing to my hearts content in the diesl department. And guess what happens to be right next to the U-boat I'm working on??? ....... A Doodlebug! See my pics at: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/dougsecrist?page=2
I'll go in to more detail on the museum thread later.
Take a gander at the car damage to two of the consist on our Nebraska Zephyr. Apparantly, the train was being backed-up, and hung on a closed spring switch ... and jack-knifed! The Zephyr was supposed to be in Chicago was a movie shoot, but now it can't go. I've heard damaged estimates near $130,000.
Take care for now, I've got a ton of Summary reading to do to get caught up!

[siberianmo]

Hi barndad Doug

[wow] Don't be too hard on yourself - 'puter problems and Gremlins get to all of us now 'n then! Have on on me ... [swg] [#welcome] Back!

Very interesting pix .... and I hope that when you get through the pages that have amassed since your last visit, you'll find some things of interest from us as well! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[BudKarr]

I'll have a cold bottle of Coors Light, please, barkeep! Make that two .... I've got a thirst, maybe one of those great big sandwiches you advertise too. That should be fine, thank you.

Must say that those reflections back in time of the passenger railroads no longer in operation brought back some vivid recollections. I know about some of those roads and traveled them from time to time. For me and my time, the travel aboard passenger trains was centered about the experience of riding the trains, rather than simply getting from place to place. The latter was a given - it was the on board service that made all the difference - and let me tell you, there were many people who made the travel worth the while.

Had a friend who worked as a Pullman Porter for years and years. Let's just call him Jim, which was his first name. He was a gentle soul and perfect in temperment and disposition for the job at hand. His interactions with the traveling public, I believe, were the most positive ever witnessed on the part of any rail employee I've had the pleasure - or displeasure - of meeting. Jim had a gleam in his eye - a smile on his broad face - and a calming tone that sent a message to the listener: Listen - this guy knows what he's talking about and will take care of whatever needs attending to. That was Jim. He's gone now, but not for those of us who knew him.

I liked that segment Tom put out on the CNR - trully a road that took a back seat to CPR in the hey day of passenger rail in Canada. However, a finely tuned operation with just a bit of difference to make it a special experience. Somewhere in my reading of these pages, one of your customers traveled the CNR across Canada. Maybe he will reiterate some of the highlights now that Tom has come up with his Fallen Flag idea.

I'll have another one .... then back to what I have to do.

BK

[Trainnut484]

Evening Tom and all. I'll have a Miller Lite.

Ted, those black trucks in my pic are not REA. Kinda resemble them though.

Please forgive my misplacement of manners [#welcome][#welcome] BudKarr to OUR Place. Glad you're getting the feel of the place [:D].

Gotta go for now.

Russell

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom and welcome back BudKarr, a "round" all around and a Anisette "straight up" for me, please. That should settle my slight indegestion from dinner. Hey Barndad, thanks for the latest pics.[tup] I'm interested in seeing how M-35 progresses. Is the Roi engine a diesel? That would explain the missing louveres (air intake) from the center third of the front bulkhead.[#oops] OUCH, I hate it when that happens.[:O] Will the Zephyr repair come totally from IRM budget or is insurance involved? Trainnut 484, yeah from that distance, it looked possible. That is what too much imagination will do.[:I] In fact, I thought the brick building in the background actually was the old REA loading docks. Surely, that has been "history" for years? Wouldn't the old Post Office Building be close by?

I thought I had best "pitch in" even if I'm a little late arriving. I guess all of us can recall some of the crew members from that "special train" through the years. I had several encounters which I'll cover at a later Post. For now, a bartender on the Pennsy comes to mind on the D.C. to New York leg. He was always polishing the crystal shells and singing (in a low voice) a tune no one could quite identify. I was in uniform and every other drink was "on the house." Needless to say, I left a generous tip every trip. Thanks for bringing that aspect of classic train travel up BudKarr.

Okay, I'm outta here for now. Hope to see you "Regulars" more often as we head into Fall and cooler weather. So long for now.

[nickinwestwales]

WELLLLL.........HELLO DOLLY,YEAH HELLO DOLLY,IT`S SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK WHERE YOU BELONG....yeah-Boris seems better for his trip up the mountain.....!--Good evening [4:-)]TOM & fellow tipplers,glad to see we`ve survived another weekend-unlike many of the fixtures and fittings,-judging from the time of my last posting,I must have walked right through the middle of that-could well explain some of the bruising....Right,beer first then idle chit-chat,a pair of those Ice-cold bottles of Staropramen from the back fridge for me,and if you`ll excuse the liberty of a suggestion,how about a bottle (U.K.pint ) of Shepeard Neame "Spitfire"for yourself-a full-strength, fairly light coloured Kentish Ale-drink with caution,about 6/7% if memory serves-enjoy...[^]..Right,a genuine attempt to answer post before I collapse into Ga-Ga land and start typing gibberish............WEST COAST DAVE-Welcome home,nice one on th S.P & C & A,also stuff on S.D.24`s-all new to me[tup].WOLFMAN PETE-thanks for kind thoughts regarding "Prize" weekend---stay tuned---will check out Bilston Shay-what do we know..?-gauge ? Time in operation ? Ever mentioned in local press ? Access to Company records ?......helps to narrow parameters.......on case and raring to go...[^]...RUSSELL-nice shots of C.N.cars but loved the K.C.S Covered Wagon-by ***,those colours DO work,against all reason-what did their road switchers look like ?.........BIG AL-Welcome home my man-your input has been missed..............MANAGER TED-What Ho !-quite take your point R.E. Baby`s head-wetting--imagine it dates back to time when survival of both Mother & Child was for cause of celebration in itself, now more representative of the new father`s last chance to get pi**ed out of his head (tick box ),start a fight (tick box ),hand out cheap and horrible cigars to complete stangers (tick box ) and score with the barmaid ( box not ticked ) and then be carried home by his closest friends............[4:-)]TOM-another pair of bottles if you please,tis thirsty work this-and the same for yourself,no,really you need to try a second one to appreciate the flavour.[tup].-now Sunday Slideshow-a brilliant idea-not only because it gives you a much-needed night off, but also for the hint of `50`s style "gathering `round the set" for whatever family viewing was going on then,-right,next scribble on my note page-ah yes -Display cases,-I am several unwholesome shades of envious,despite my best attempts at regaining Buddhist inner peace, A Magnificent collection-they deserve to stretch thier legs...............One favour only,could you restore the Ontario Northland "progressive " scheme 40` box (pic 5) to service as the "Our Place" kitchen dry stores car-The track gang have agreed to work a weekend for beer & food only to cut in a 100` spur behind the bar so we can have the beer & meat reefer eased in as well and save all those long delays when Boris has to be sent out & about foraging. Glad to hear you are a fan of the Appalachian region-I`m a huge fan of the music,mandolins,hammer dulcimers,banjo`s & fiddles...lots of the tunes are unchanged from when they came over from the old countries back in the day,and in many cases have been lost over here...living history,speaking of music,glad you enjoyed the Eagles show-did they have Joe Walsh playing guitar ?-for my money,without him-only half a show, a fine player. Well,I`ve delayed enough,I`m sure you are all dying to hear about my prize-winning weekend with the beast of the Carpathians & Herman Munster`s ugly cousin-Well.my initial plan-to lock them both in the cabin and pitch a tent outside and take my chance with the wildlife suffered an early reversal when we unloaded the large crate from the back of the taxi and it proved to contain Leon`s Chrome-plated A.K.47`s,Magnum handguns and even more worryingly,Boris`s prefered fowling piece, the seven-barelled,.85 calibre muzzle-loading Rhino gun-any less well armored target will be reduced to a faint pink mist above a scorched wedge of earth--Took the obvious choice and locked them out and me in and am happy to report that the weekends "bag" includes:- 4 moose,2 deer, a balderdash,a rangers truck,numerous skunk,bits of several otters,a Poli***ourist on a walking holiday, and a confirmed hit on a Swiss Navy helicopter--no birds have been seen in the sky for several days now , and the beasts walk lightly upon the field--ENOUGH...! moonlight mile for me,take care one & all-nick[C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Evenin' Guys! Whoa - looks like I've gotta crowd at the bar tonight! [tup]

BudKarr BK - Looks like you prefer BK, so unless you say otherwise - that's it! [swg] Appreciate your commentary on that Pullman Porter friend of yours - oddly enough, I too knew a guy who fit that description. He was a St. Louisian who worked the trains crossing the country in either direction (east-west) and had stories that not only captivated, but seemingly went on and on .... a nice man with some wonderful insights. Special people, weren't they [?] [tup][tup][tup]

That customer who traveled across Canada on board the CNR was passengerfan Al - he says he'll be away, or an infrequent visitor for about 4 or 5 weeks - BUT - I've seen his cyber name "up'" tonight and over the weekend. No Posts, however ....

Trainnut484 Russell - Hey - no quickies at this bar! "Sit a spell" is what it says in the subject line. So, unless you want to put up with Boris 'n Leon holding you to your stool - you may want to rethink this quick stuff ....... Heck your graphics take up more space than your narrative! Feeling picked on (again) [?] [swg]

Ted What, no comment about the CNR [?] Thought for sure this one would have gotten your attention. Hmmmmmmm. Anyway, I recall a bartender or two aboard those Pennsy's who were extremely kind to the guys in uniform. But then again, so were many of the travelers. Give the sailor a drink ...... [yeah] remember those words (and times) well! [tup]

Nick Hello Dolly! was well done and provided a throughly enjoyable Saturday night out for the bride and I.

Appreciate the endorsement of the Sunday Picture Day idea. Hope you join in on it!

The pix in the display cases will have to be redone. I'm not happy with the clarity - mainly a bit too dark. Pehaps when they get "clicked" on the details show up better than what I've been seeing. Anyway, it's a fine collection over a span of years going back to the mid-60's. Every bit of it comes from the budget-minded hobbyist; nothing upscale, believe me. Glad you like 'em. I do put together special runs now 'n then - but these loco's and cars are retired from model railroads that no longer exist. My current road, the Can-Am is a period piece in that it's from the 1990's thru present times. Therefore, those loco's and cars just don't "fit." Insofar as the ONR and a few other Canadian roadnames are concerned in the display case, they are there because there's no room on the sidings! That, plus they are 40 footers and I like to go with the longer cars for the Can-Am; a few exceptions of course - but mainly without the roof walks too. I can bring back the ONR box car for your dry storage car! That'll work real well - good idea! [tup]

Me 'n music are about as "tight" as me 'n trains. I'm just not talented in that department - but love the tunes, all kinds. I'm "into" the music of the Maritimes and like to pick out the origins from European sources. Same for the music we call Blue Grass. I wonder how many of my fellow countrymen even give a Rat's Patoot about things like that [?] I do!

The Eagles! Now - they wouldn't be diddly squat without Joe Walsh, and yes - he's featured in the "Hell Freezes Over" concert. That was their reunion from a 14 year hiatus - in fact they all made it back. Music was fine - but the interaction with the audience was a bit restrained. Proabably because it was done for MTV. The actual tour wasn't marketed on video. Their next video DVD is of the Melbourne, Austrailia tour called Farewell 1 Tour. That was in 2004 and featured 4 of the 5, with Joe again being up to the task. They are a fine, fine group indeed, and just dig the heck out of their tunes.

I've got so many favorites - but one that I'd go a long way to listen to is the "Littlle River Band" - only with the originals of course. They used to swing through St. Louis each summer and we never missed a concert. Great songs - great lyrics and marvelous performers. During their brief breakup, they somehow weren't the same. Once Glenn Shorrock returned, all was well again. The heart and soul of that group, in my opinion, belongs to Wayne Nelson (a 2nd generation member) and Stephen Housedon (an original I believe).

Well, compared to my outings with the Boyz up at the Can-Am Gorge, your weekends in the woods rival none. Next time you go, let me know .... I'd enjoy comin' along! [swg]

Thanx for the great Post and of course, contiunuing on as a Regular 'round here. Of course, being on the payroll helps a bit, eh [?]

Thanx for the round! [tup]

Okay - Leon the Night Man has arrived ...... so it's time to bid adieu.

Nite! [zzz]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[Gunns]

Evening all,
Coffee and some of that pastery,
Just checking through, spent the day at the State Fair, ended up as one of the "Interpreters" for passenger trains at one of the big modular layout they have set up. I was in looking for a "N" scale Northern to put in a model of our "Dream" Maint shop I'm making.
More later,
Gunns

[siberianmo]

TUESDAY’s NEWS & SUMMARY of RECENT POSTS

Mornin’ Guys! You know where the coffee urns are – so let’s get started, shall we [?]

News of the Day:

(1) repeat Something new! Sunday Photo Day got off to a good start ….. check it out! You are invited to post your Classic Trains pix (real & model) on Sunday’s.

(2) Check out the Fallen Flags Posts on pages:

106 - SP
108 - MoPac
109 - WP
110 - Frisco
112 - CNR (fallen only as a passenger carrier)

(3) Heralds of the Fallen Flags are on page 112.

SUMMARY

Name - Date/Time - (Page#) – Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 00:20:18 (112) Monday’s News & Summary

(2) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 09:18:20 (112)

(3) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 09:50:24 (112)

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 10:40:37 (112) reply to coalminer3 & Theodorebear

(5) West Coast S Dave Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 12:57:52 (112)

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 13:20:10 (112) reply to West Coast S

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 13:21:31 (112) Fallen Flag – CNR

(8) CFournier Chris Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 15:08:20 (112)

(9) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 15:40:39 (112) Fallen Flag – CNR, cont’d

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 15:46:13 (112) reply to CFournier

(11) barndad Doug Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 17:52:29 (112)

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 18:15:24 (113) reply to barndad

(13) BudKarr Bud Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 18:38:58 (113)

(14) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 19 Se0 2005, 19:43:43 (113)

(15) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 20:35:46 (113)

(16) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 20:36:39 (113)

(17) siberianmo Tom Posted: 19 Sep 2005, 21:23:23 (113) reply to BudKarr – Trainnut484 – Theodorebear – nickinwestwales

(18)Gunns Kevin Posted: 20 Sep 2005, 00:12:50 (113)

=======================================
That’s it! [tup][;)]

Tom (Siberianmo) [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[coalminer3]

Good Morning All: Coffee, please and, as usual, a round for the house. weather here today is hazy and warm - maybe some rain later this a.m.; we could use it as DNR folks are geting concerned abt. fire danger.

Today's installment is 1 30+ yr old piece that deals with meanderings along a Boston and Maine branch line which, alas, is no longer with us. There's another part which I'll save for colder weather. I'm so glad I saved the notebooks, even though I was tempted to toss them in moving all over the country.

Branch Line Set Outs – Rocky’s Visit

It’s a quiet midsummer afternoon. I’ve slipped through the fence to walk along the track of a B&M branch line near Boston. This is about as close as I can get in the last third of the century to the New England I remember before my childhood was ripped up, paved, and turned into condominiums.

The track is interesting to look at and I slow my steps to examine it more closely. There are old ties crumbling back into wood splinters. Many with date nails in them dating back to the time when my father was an infant and Lindbergh had not yet flown from New York to Paris. I reach down and pull on one of the nails and it easily comes away from the tie The nail is flat headed with the date in raised numbers on the head. It’s round and rusty, about one and one-half inches long; 1923 it says.

By summer 1923, the last American occupation troops are leaving Germany in the aftermath of the Great War, the Teapot Dome scandal is starting to take over the newspapers, Yankee Stadium is open, and President Harding is dead, replaced by a taciturn man sworn in by lamplight at his father’s house in Vermont. And on a day when all this was happening a work crew came along, replaced some ties, and probably never thought about them again. I put the nail in my pocket and walk on.

There is not much cinder and gravel ballast along the branch. Somewhere, I muse, in the B&M’s offices in North Station there’s a book that tells when the last shovels of cinders and gravel had been spread on that section, but again it was probably long forgotten, like the men who sweated and swore as they lifted the rails, slid the old ties out and the new ties in, and spiked them into place. Now the rail is rusty and the joints “clack” alarmingly like a child running a stick along a picket fence when the morning and evening passenger trains pass.

Grass and weeds sprout up from the ballast between the ties. A small breeze blows fitfully from the northwest and Queen Anne’s lace nods it’s head alongside heavy pregnant spires of goldenrod. I walk on and look across the meadows on the northeast side of the tracks. Grass and flowers, flowers and grass waving in the breeze to a counterpoint of cricket sounds. A few clouds are off in the distance, but it’s not going to rain this afternoon.

In the distance, behind me, I think I hear something, but I’m not sure. It can’t be a train as they never run out this far late in the afternoon as there’s not enough time to get back before the passenger train runs. But there it is - two longs, a short, and a long for the crossing two streets down. As my high school Latin teacher said, it’s the exceptions that make things interesting. Two longs, a short, and a long for the nearby crossing and here’s the engine, or should I say the train: B&M 1751, a Great Northern boxcar, and a caboose.

Whatever anyone says about the B&M, its roster is small enough so that I knew every engine by number. They haven’t bought any new power in years and 1751's one of a batch of chop nosed GP18s that are the newest engines they have. So here it is, rocking perilously along the light rail of the branch. They stop and I ask the engineer what they’re doing out here with that engine. Railroaders, like anybody else who works a hard and dangerous job, use few words to say anything, so it’s real important to listen. His reply is typical, “It's all they !@#$% had to give us. The !@#$% is so heavy she’ll probably turn over. Anyway, we won’t be here too long - I hope.” He pauses for a minute and adds, !@#$, it’s hot out here. The brakeman unloads from the buggy, and pulls the pin between it and the boxcar. He flips a go ahead to the engineer and 1751 and the boxcar move ahead with the brakeman on the car’s side ladder.

After moving ahead a short distance, the engine brakes to a stop. The brakeman gets down from his perch and says quietly, “Haven’t been out here in awhile,” then looks around and shakes his head. “Let’s see if we can find the *** switch,” he says, and spits into the weeds.

The weeds are so high and the vegetation so thick that it’s hard to see where the switch is. The brakeman stomps and flattens vegetation until the switch appears nestled in the weeds. The lock works, surprisingly. The siding is down there somewhere in the grass, milkweeds, and sumac bushes. The brakeman climbs back up onto his perch and the engineer slowly backs the loaded car down the siding. It crushes the grass and the milkweeds and the sumac bushes as it rolls. The crushed vegetation yields a hot, dusky smell that makes my nose itch. The rails groan under the car’s weight as it backs and the brakeman yells to me as he passes, “At least it’s goin’ slow. If I have to jump I won’t have far to go, if the weeds don’t get me.” The car crashes through the last of the grass and the milkweeds and the sumac as it gets to the lumber yard’s spotting point. “Ho,” yells the brakeman, and the engine stops. The brakeman jumps down and reaches down between the car and the engine to undo the air hose on the boxcar. The air line makes a harsh, flat “snap” as it parts. The engine pulls up a little and waits while the brakeman goes up high to turn the brake wheel with a “clacka, clacka, clacka” sound to tie down the brakes on the boxcar. He climbs down then goes to reline the switch and lock it. It works a little easier now. He looks at his watch and says, “We’ll have just enough time if we hurry.”

“’Mon back,” he yells to the engineer and swings onto 1751s footboard as it passes. They couple onto the caboose and start backing south along the branch. Again I hear the long, long, short, long signal for the crossing as 1751 disappears around the curve. One more crossing signal and it’s gone.

I’m left alone with the Great Northern boxcar. This light green with rust spots representative of Rocky’s Road is a bit banged up, but there’s Rocky himself proclaiming “Damage Free” service on the route of the Empire Builder. The card on the tackboard says the load had originated somewhere in Washington State about 12 days ago. The car smells of distance, oil, hot metal and lumber. It’s come across the country to rest here on the branch, about as far from Marias Pass as it can get. It’s getting late, I pat the Rocky’s car on it’s rusted side, and turn to walk back down the track toward home.

All for now.

Work safe