Hi folks,
I posted this in the Cafe as well as here in hopes for some feed back from those that know how to think a bit outside the box.
With all due respect to all who have great pride in their teams and conferences involved in the BCS Bowl picture.
The SEC is standing 5 and 2 in post season play so far. South Carolina and Alabama did give brave performances. All the others, especially Vandy and Kentucky did great things even as teams that had a rough regular seasons. My GA Bulldogs did good duty in Orlando with some green Spartans, Ole Miss I have to admit looked very good in the second half against a well thought of team known as Red Raider's, as did LSU against my favorite team to dislike (****) known to us from UGA as the North Avenue Trade School. (We thank LSU for keeping SEC honor alive after our less than fortunate outcome against the ACC's GA Tech Jackets)
With January 8 coming for all the marbles I hope Florida can make this a 6-2 matter for the record. If you think I am leading up to something, you would be right. The BCS system that is currently being used is in need of some re-engineering. Computers programs are not the place to decide matters best decided on the gridiron face to face. I would suggest a playoff system similar to the NCAA Basket Ball System. A separate thread would of course be in order, but I would rather have the feelings of the lounge before such a thing would be put in a railroad forum.//
PL
PS - Tommy M.---GA Tech is a great engineering school, but you knew that. - RA
That sounds like our "mini-train" (CNW called it the "Commoditrain") that hauled sand from Harvard to Elmhurst. Those were ex-DMIR ore cars with heightened sides, and were lettered IWSX (Illinois-Wisconsin Sand & Gravel). The big deal about these runs was that one crew would handle them over several seniority districts. I used to think it strange that these trains would bring the sand into the quarry at Elmhurst. It was probably waiting to get on to the New Line/Milwaukee Subdivision.
No more rail operation at the Elmhurst gravel pit; the locomotives are gone, and the tracks covered over (a very literal "railbank").
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)
Carl or any CNW folks or fans,
Back in the 90's, on the triple track line through Mount Prospect, Ill. (Harvard sub?), between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. an ore train would stop and sit just West of the Ill. 83/Main St. crossing for over an hour.
Would you know why it would sit there, where it was going? If not, any suggestions on how I might find these things out?
Also, Happy New Year, Loungers!
James
Quiet here in the lounge over the past couple of days--snow deadens both the noise and the action. This area has made the national news for the brutality of the storms, not to mention what they've done to Amtrak. And was that a CN truck out in West Chicago with some guys with poles and shovels looking for their new railroad?
We took about five inches of saturated snow off our driveway this afternoon--this before we head out to a dinner uniting the Illinois contingent of the Shaver family (a.k.a. Those Who Couldn't Make It Up To Michigan).
So saty safe wherever you go, and stay warm wherever you are! A merry Christmas to any and all fellow Loungers (it's not a bad day for it!)!
Based on forecasts and after consulting family members, we're cancelling Christmas this year--at least as far as extensive travel is concerned.
Amtrak's Pere Marquette was stalled overnight last night between Holland and Zeeland, Michigan (usually our fuel stop when we're driving), due to frozen switches and, eventually, Hours of Service issues. This is the area where Lake Effect merely adds to blizzards coming across the plains. It's still snowing there, but by Wednesday it's supposed to turn sloppy, followed by falling temperatures on Christmas Day, really icing things up. My sister reports that they couldn't see the house next door during the height of the blizzard there.
So, we'll let the Michigan families hunker down together, and we'll spend Christmas Eve with our daughter's family, relatively close by. Anyone else who may have weather to contend with, please put your prioritirs in place before attempting to venture out--problems exist pretty much all over in the northern half of the country, from what I gather.
It's been pretty brutal around here too... we are right now, as I type, at -4 degrees, and my car, for the moment is frozen solid.
Snow is due tonight, tomorrow, and possibly Wednesday, but that is looking more and more like a sloppy mess than a snow storm.
In keeping with the snowy/cold theme around here..... I shot this at the beginning of the month, after our first snow.
I hope every one has a Merry Christmas, and God's blessings upon your families.
Murphy Siding Larry- nice photos. Either you're quite tall, or that really is a jolly old elf standing next to you.
Larry- nice photos. Either you're quite tall, or that really is a jolly old elf standing next to you.
Yes.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
CShaveRR The Weather Channel says we're supposed to have a low tonight of zero, but as of now, we're still struggling to get up that high!
The Weather Channel says we're supposed to have a low tonight of zero, but as of now, we're still struggling to get up that high!
This is serious stuff. Weather people said we were gusting to 45 mph here today and right now we have 2.1 degrees. Have not been out since we made it home after lunch today. Just a few flakes in the air blowing sideways today but really the ground is bare. Improvement tomorrow to a high of 17....I hope.
Quentin
Our winter didn't look much like that today. But it was just as real, believe me!
I think we humped maybe four or five trains, less than half of what we usually do. Lots of frozen switches, with wind blowing snow into the points, where it was melted by the switch heaters then quick-frozen. Only one of my switches was affected, and I was able to keep in working after they chipped the ice out the first time (it was the first one to be taken care of).
Can't be too nice on the road, either--our hot perishable train from California barely eked out 100 miles across Iowa while I was working today. It still hasn't made it through here (but it's close!).
Our Christmas travel plans may have to be cancelled, due to rough conditions on the other side of the puddle. We get the cold; they're getting blizzard warnings! My sister reports that church was canceled up there today--in that Dutch community, that's saying something!
tree68 Friday evening, in the midst of our big snow storm:
Friday evening, in the midst of our big snow storm:
Brrr.....That looks too much like winter Larry.
Well, since this is more or less the photography thread, and we've been discussing weather, how about I mix the two?
Two of the more photographed items on the railroad during Polar Express. The "To North Pole" sign, and one of our "conductors" (that would be me - I'm actually working as a trainman). Yes, most of us carry our lanterns during the trip. The difference between the reaction you get with and without is amazing.
ADIX F unit 1502 arrives at the "North Pole" with the Polar Express in tow. The (actual) conductor is preparing to do a brake test. We run an F at each end and have to change the brakes over so the lead unit has control. After that's done, we bring the train up so each cars occupants can see Santa give the first gift of Christmas.
And finally - Believe!
MookieAlready a long winter and it doesn't even start until tomorrow
.....But we've already gained 3 min. of daylight in the evening...Just 3 months of winter and we'll have it beat....
Already a long winter and it doesn't even start until tomorrow.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Mookieand a white New Year, Prez Day, Val Day, Easter, May Day and probably well on its way to July 4..... Zardoz - I am so happy it is there and not here!
Thanks Mook
However, I must admit that it is very pretty. We had 6" last Tuesday, 12" yesterday, are supposed to get another 6" of light fluffy snow tonite, and possibly 8+" of heavy wet snow Christmas eve day.
I am actually looking forward to getting out and taking some photos. But not tomorrow (Sunday). We're going to have wind-chill readings approaching -40 along with major blowing snow (the 6" of tonite). I'm too old to go out in those temperatures unless I have to.
zardoz Due to my extensive knowldege of the weather, as well as many years of observations, I will absolutely guarantee that the residents of northern Illinois and all of Wisconsin will have a white Christmas. Very white. Incredibly white. Nauseatingly white. Ridiculously white. Absurdly white. Painfully white. Inconveniently white. Preposterously white. White white everywhere, and no place to put it. But at least Santa's sleigh will have no problems. Ho Ho Ho.
Due to my extensive knowldege of the weather, as well as many years of observations, I will absolutely guarantee that the residents of northern Illinois and all of Wisconsin will have a white Christmas. Very white. Incredibly white. Nauseatingly white. Ridiculously white. Absurdly white. Painfully white. Inconveniently white. Preposterously white. White white everywhere, and no place to put it. But at least Santa's sleigh will have no problems.
Ho Ho Ho.
I don't think we got above freezing yesterday, Q (that was your 40s day), but it dried off most of our shoveled areas. Today the temperature dropped steadily throughout the day; it will go down close to zero tonight and hover there all day tomorrow. Add an inch or two of forecast snow, and it might get interesting. Did our sidewalk and the neighbor's this afternoon after work, getting the rest of that heavy stuff off there. Anything that falls tomorrow should be able to be handled without too much stress.
Tomorrow's my last day of work before Christmas. Looks like my usual two-day weekend, plus two days of holiday travel. If all goes according to plan, we'll get another four-day weekend for New Year's.
We handled a carload of meat today. The kicker is, it was a covered hopper! Turns out to be some beef scraps ("Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants"), presumably for processing into fertilizer. I'd hate to have to clean out that car for its next load!
.....Got rid of all our ice today. Got pretty well up in the 40's. No snow.
So we got off pretty good. It is cooling down again now, as another front works thru. Looks like most of the snow is staying north of us. But this stuff changes so quickly......so we'll see.
The weather started later than forecast, so it wasn't as bad as originally anticipated. Still, we got several inches of heavy, wet stuff (I don't think it was all snow). In fact, someone melted down the snow and reported that it was only a 3:1 ratio, instead of the normal 10:1. Pat commented on how unusual it looked as we were shoveling our driveway this afternoon (sidewalks will have to wait until tomorrow).
The warning was supposed to last until noon, but it was well before that that I could make out Chicago's skyline from work--that's about 15 miles away.
Work today went smoothly. A few switches open to the wind had to be swept out, and my only problematic switch was fine once the calrod was replaced.
Yes, we're looking at the ice thing too Carl, but checked my weather instrument and it has risen a few tenths this past hour or so. It is to get warmer overnight and be all rain later. No snow in the forecast for here now....
Waiting to be dumped on tonight...nobody seems to agree on just how much snow we'll be getting--or when the sleet will fall, and how much of that. It's doubtful that we'll receive the foot of snow we were initially promised, but it's likely that it will be falling hard as we drive to work tomorrow (don't think it'll be biking weather, quite).
The calrods aren't going to be able to keep our switches functional, if the snowfall rate gets too heavy. We'll probably have to have switches blown out with compressed air (forget that jet-engine thingy--the switches ice over almost immediately after they're blown out).
I'd rather be here...
Thanks for the nice words Carl....We're in a quiet mode this weekend {today's the day}, and just enjoying the early holiday atmosphere and staying out of the cold blustry wind today.....{Although we did enjoy a good lunch at Bob Evans}, we'll have a nice dinner after church tomorrow at a nice Muncie establishment.
We both are doing rather well now...Much blessings.
Best wishes for a good holiday time for you and yours.....
Worth repeating:
Sometime this weekend, Quentin (Modelcar) and Jean will be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.
Congrats and best wishes to both of you; I hope this festive occasion finds you both in good health and high spirits. (Gee, I could use that line for Christmas and New Year's, too!)
Thank you, guys.
Carl,
Thanks so much for the nice dinner and the talk about Proviso. I am amazed not only at how much it has changed, but also how much it has not! It was real nice meeting you and your wife, and Kathy really enjoyed her time with Pat.
That sure was a delicious meal; I'd recommend that resturant (Two Brothers From Italy) to anyone that likes Italian food. I quite liked the view out the front window of the resturant showing the UP triple-track main. It was most entertaining watching the parade of trains while enjoying a good meal with some good people.
Thanks again!
Jim (&Kathy)
p.s. cool shirt!
Sounds like quite the good evening for both of you. I was hoping for an excuse this weekend to chase the SOO 1003 down to MILW and eventually CHI for other reasons but the bank account says "Not This Time!" I guess that will have to wait for spring.
Dan
I can't remember a time when trains didn't use their headlights at any time. The General Code of Operating Rules (used by most western railroads) follows NORAC fairly closely on the headlight rule, though we have no mention of "crossing lights" in our rule.
Tonight, Pat and I had the distinct privilege of taking Mr. and Mrs. Zardoz to dinner. I was able to give Jim some nostalgic feelings and visions of head-shaking changes around Proviso, and Kathy and Pat caught a good quilt show in Elmhurst. Pat found a kindred spirit in Kathy, who once worked at the same fabric-store chain, and still does a considerable amount of needlework. And Jim was an old CNW man--need any more be said?
The ButlerI've seen old footage of traction and steam where it looked as though the headlights weren't used in the day time.
I'm drawing on memory but as for Traction....I believe I remember the headlights turned on in the daytime at Johnstown Traction Co., Johnstown, Pa....But I'm referring back up to 50 years or more ago.
As for headlights turned on on the nearby B&O running in daytime, I'd say they were not lit. {Same time frame}.
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