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The Trackside Lounge 1Q 2012

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:37 PM

PROX, Bruce.

As for crude shipments, yesterday's sighting at Porter was my first of a crude-oil train I've confirmed as such.  I didn't note every car on the train, but I don't recall any PROX cars.  There were plenty of UTLX, and a lot of CIT Group cars (DBUX, CTCX).  Maybe a few TILX. 

However, if a train I saw earlier this year on CP turned out to be a crude-oil train, there were some PROX cars in it--cars in the 78000 series, with logos for Richardson International.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 8:15 PM

Turns out that the C&NW car in the photo is still on the property, albeit privately owned (by the same fellow that owned it at the time the picture was taken).   I walked right past it a month or so ago while doing some switching at our shop. 

It's now numbered "99" and named "Nehasane.".  We've been doing some work on it, and it's sitting on its recently refurbished trucks in the Flickr photo.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:02 PM

tree68

 

In their defense, though, one has to wonder if the system might not share part of the blame for not adequately preparing them for the promotion - like letting them see how the position works.  I suspect that's often due to supervisors who hoard information, for fear that if somebody knew how to do the job, they could do it, too, lessening the super's importance...

Been there, done that.

No promotion involved.  Straight off the street.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by AgentKid on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 1:50 AM

CShaveRR

with logos for Richardson International.

Hmm, PROX. I always thought it was a C. Something about how the O blends with the X on a moving train.

Tank cars with logos for Richardson International would be handling either chemical fertilizer from a plant or some raw chemical going to a plant.

My theory has always been, when you see derailed or broken PROX cars you head for the hills, unless you have special training like Tree, because their cars normally carry something really nasty or there's leftover residue still inside.OopsThumbs Down

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 11:22 AM

zugmann
No promotion involved.  Straight off the street.

Well-known in all industries - not just railroading - as an ideal situation for the long-time locals to 'educate' (befuddle/ indoctrinate/ train/ convince/ mislead, etc.) the 'tenderfoot' as to how things are done around here - for example:  "Yeah, well what that local rule (or supplement to the agreement, etc.) really means you have to turn in a circle 3 times before spotting that car, and the conductor gets an arbitrary for that, and on Fridays you buy us all a case of cold beer soda." 

- Paul North.    

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by The Butler on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 2:33 PM

Carl, what was the use for the MoPac two door box car shown in Feeling a bit BOX'ed in?

James


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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 3:05 PM

That would basically be a baggage/express car--its number is in the series for passenger cars.  MP, if I recall correctly, was one of the last railroads to offer LCL freight service, and it may have had something to do with that (also note the passenger-car trucks beneath it).

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, March 29, 2012 9:37 AM

For Carl, the resident carIDologist:

Couple of LBR (Loweville & Beaver RR, the internets told me) ex-RBOXes in the yard the other day.  Build date of 1975. 

 

 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by switch7frg on Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:15 AM

Smile  an interesting story (post). On subject matter I would prefer Friday afternoon  St. Louis Barley Pop.

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:12 AM

As Mookie would say, ^~^!

Those would be in the 4800 series, which I gather is full of a bunch of neat stuff, not all of which are old Railboxes.  The ones I know about are LBR 4821, 4822, and 4823, all of which came from the RBOX 11000 series, via Missouri Pacific/UP.

I think I'm going to venture out today for fresh sightings.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, March 29, 2012 12:15 PM

Lowville & Beaver River is part of the GVT fold now - I've seen LBR cars in Scranton several times.  No doubt just using the reporting marks as the line hasn't seen freight traffic in years.

They're trying to work out a sale of the line to the county.  The L&BR tracks are to remain, while the former Utica & Black River (NYC) tracks from Lowville to Carthage will come up, isolating the L&BR. 

It's up in the air right now.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by rvos1979 on Thursday, March 29, 2012 6:57 PM

Evening everyone.....

Look over your May Trains issue carefully:  I was missing four pages out of mine.  Customer service has been notified.....

Looks like Wisconsin and Southern will be busy this spring and summer, noticed lots of new ties dropped outside of our Richfield terminal, they are changing out ties and rails from Slinger to Milwaukee.  When all is said and done, track speed will be raised from 10 to 49 mph.

At home again, lots of stuff to do around the house this weekend, which will include mowing the lawn (it's too early to be doing this, yet!!!!), and getting a bunch of trim ready for installation.  There's also some landscaping to be worked on outside, which my company so graciously paid me for this week (safety bonus was paid out this week).

See everyone later...

Randy Vos

"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings

"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:46 PM

Randy, my entire May issue is missing--so far!  But thanks for the heads-up!

Our lawn was mowed two days ago, and the garage was swept out, some evergreens pruned, and rocks hauled.  We'll be having a landscaping consultant in this spring (something we bid on last fall at the Historical Society's auction).

My "venture out" today went a little further than it should have.  By the time I got to West Chicago and return on my bike (32 miles, including a lot of wandering), I was beat--I should sleep well tonight!  Not much spectacular was seen, except for an eastbound welded-rail train on UP.  There was one CN freight that I knew about (northbound), but I missed it because I was too far from the tracks at the point where I heard it whistle through (UP trains don't sound their horns in West Chicago).

I hope to get out to West Chicago on my bike once a week this summer, like I used to do when I was in better shape.  It's the nearest place where I can be assured of seeing freight cars standing still, and that said cars could include some good ones to document.  I did find a good one at the second of the two sites I went to today.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, March 30, 2012 10:54 AM

Another day at the circus, and we had to have a discussion with the ringmaster.

 

Something concerning how to use the canon to shoot the clown across the tent.  The code of conduct for clowns says one thing, but the ringmaster doesn't want us to do it that way - he doesn't think it allows us to shoot enough clowns across the tent as he wants. 

 

I need a new job.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by zardoz on Friday, March 30, 2012 3:24 PM

zugmann

I need a new job.

Naw, you just need new Circusmaster.

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, March 31, 2012 10:58 AM

Well, we came to a satisfactory sollution to the problem.  A good way to start the weekend. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:43 PM

zugmann

Well, we came to a satisfactory sollution to the problem.  A good way to start the weekend. 

For some reason, I feel a disturbance in the force.

Jeff

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, March 31, 2012 5:22 PM

One clown all the way across the tent beats two only halfway across . . .  Oops - Sign

Aren't there safety rules for clowns that supposedly govern all circus acts and personnel ?  Smile, Wink & Grin 

Would reference to them - esp. the "Prime Directives" to the effect that "Safety is of the First importance in the discharge of duties", and "When in doubt, the safest course must be taken" ? 

Or just tie him under the trestle under he comes to his senses . . . Whistling  (see A Treasury of Railroad Folklore).

- Paul North.  

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by The Butler on Monday, April 2, 2012 12:23 PM

James


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Posted by edblysard on Monday, June 11, 2012 5:53 PM

So how far can you shoot a ringmaster across the tent?

zugmann

Well, we came to a satisfactory sollution to the problem.  A good way to start the weekend. 

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