So..... the family got along well, and the brownies were a hit..... I guess I can't complain. We watched the Lions get buried, and the Seahawks get clobbered. listened to all the kids run around the house like mad, threw the football around the back yard, took some photos, and had plenty to eat and drink. My sister-in-law ably assissted by my sister, and my nieces set a beautiful table, made place cards and centerpieces, and the two turkeys were done to perfection.
Most memorable moment from yesterday?.... When I was in the local Jewel to pick up the beer, right after popping the brownies in the oven. I had flour on my shirt, and liberally sprinkled on my jeans, and even on my shoes...I was in a hurry and didn't realize I had so much on me. Anyway, this woman sees me, looks, and then looks at me again and says. "Baking? Or, do you just like to roll around in flour?" I could not reply, because I was laughing so hard.
So, overall it was a great day. I hope everyone enjoyed their day as well......
CShaveRR Actually, PZ, a commutation is not a pardon, but I understand your sentiments. I hear G-Rod got on board; that should kill it completely!
Actually, PZ, a commutation is not a pardon, but I understand your sentiments. I hear G-Rod got on board; that should kill it completely!
You are correct, thanks. I still remember B.J. Clinton gave sex offender/child pornographer/U.S. Representative Mel Reynolds a commutation the last day Clinton was in office. Along with Marc Rich, another controversial move.
Did the Lions play football today? (Rhetorical question.)
I'll be over here this evening, relaxing after a wonderful dinner produced by the best cook in the world, aided and abetted by yours truly, who did all right spooning out cole slaw after burning the water on the first attempt at helping. We kept busy at work for about six hours, after which we were given a quit. It looks like there won't be many manifest trains out there tomorrow--probably not Saturday morning, either.
Hey Chris--did you get in all right?
Congratulations, Dave Heusmann, on 4000 posts!
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)
TimChgo9At least one Turkey got pardoned this year.........
And Dick Durbin is trying hard for No.2.
Always glad to help when I can, James.
Tim, I hope things go well for you and your family, tomorrow and in the future.
Just had a mental image of a turkey sacking the Lions, instead of the other way around!
Thanks for the answer, Carl.
Happy thanksgiving to all.
James
I think the Turkeys stand a better chance..... After all, the Lions are 0-11.... At least one Turkey got pardoned this year.........
Who stands a better chance tomorrow? Turkeys or Lions?
To all --
Amen, Carl. You and Pat have a great holiday together. This Thanksgiving is going to be, well, different. Patched up a long standing family division, and hopefully everything goes well Thursday. It will be my "wife's" first Thanksgiving with the family in 8 years. I have spent the last year repairing burnt bridges, I just hope they all hold up. (They should, I am bringing some good beer, and chocolate brownies, made by my own two little hands.....)
To everyone else, have a great Thanksgiving, and safety in your travels, wherever you may be going!
I'll be out in EJ&E land Thursday...perhaps I can steal a photo or two.....
Thanks, Carl. I'm really looking forward to seeing the little sweetheart, too. (Film at 11...)
Unfortunately it's an eight hour drive, in holiday traffic, and possibly not the best of weather. Worth it, though.
Wherever your holiday finds you, enjoy it safely!
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...
Wow--three posts in a row for me! It's even slower over here than in the cafe!
To everyone (anyone?) out there: safe travels for your Thanksgiving trips, if you're making them. I get to go all the way to Proviso and visit my Uncle Pete. And after my sentence of eight to twelve (hours), Pat and I will enjoy a quiet dinner together, giving thanks for all of the wonderful things that have happened this past year.
Whether you get to visit relatives (especially the cute ones--I envy you this time, Larry!) or they're descending upon your house, or you're spending the day by yourselves, remember to give thanks to the Founder of the Feast, enjoy the company you have, and be good to yourself!
I don't know if this is more of a question or a comment. I was up in the middle of the night (old folks have to do that sometimes), and was kept awake by a UP train sounding its horn. That's unusual here, because we're in a horn-free zone that predates my service with the railroad. Anyway, I recognized the horn as being from one of our newest units--a very low, melodious tone. It made my sleep-deprived mind think of an organ stop that I used to think was played by only one organist at the church where I grew up. Totally pleasant--talk about The Lost Chord! I've noticed the difference between the newer horns and the ones on slightly older units (most of the SD70Ms, for example), but never got the organ association before. Maybe the whistles are more lonesome at night.
So, does anyone know the specs of this horn--what it's called, how it's tuned, etc.?
COTS = Clean, Oil, Test and Stencil--something that has to be done with a freight car's brake valve every few years (not sure how many--ten?). On the UP, if I'm looking up a particular car's dimensions or capacity, or any other vital information about it, the same screen also shows the air-brake test date (which will be the COT&S date stencilled on the car). It's that important. Cars can be bad-ordered if they've gone too long without a test.
What is a COT&S?
FRA
Is having one in an active service locomotive a Federal Government regulation or a railroad association regulation?
That's my understanding as well. I know every active locomotive I've been in has one.
Somebody in engine service please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the required record of a locomotive's required inspections, always displayed in the cab. If you're lucky, it can also give some insights (such as a prior number) into a locomotive's history.
(It's a pleasure to have the Lounge around to come into on a day like this!)
What's a Blue Card?
Where I work, missing knuckle pins are a bit of a problem. A supply of them is kept on hand, and our crews insert them when needed. If the pin-pullers aren't alert to a missing knuckle pin, the knuckle will fall out when the uncoupling lever is lifted and the cars separate. Then the operation comes to a halt for a minute or two while the knuckle is replaced (I've forgotten the finer points of doing that!) and a knuckle pin put in.
The Butler So, the knuckle is only the part that moves when the coupler opens and closes!
"Only" is a subjective thing. The "pin" and a few other parts have to move as well. But the major moving part is the knuckle.
We discussed couplers a while back and came to the conclusion that a coupler would continue to hold even if the pivot pin was removed. The locking pin (the one you have to "lift" to uncouple) might not need to be there, but given the motion in a moving train, having it in place wouldn't be a bad idea.
You're probably right about the main body of the couple being analagous in mass to an engine block.
Coldest morning of the fall so far here (19 degrees on my Bug), but the sky is blue, with hardly a cloud in sight.
However...
Somewhere around Milepost 173, roughly an hour's drive south and east of here, they have about six inches of fresh snow, with a couple more inches expected. Probably not enough to disrupt mainline operations through Valpo, Chesterton, and Michigan City, but getting there today definitely wouldn't be half of the fun.
It is possible to break more than a knuckle on a coupler, but it usually requires severe slack action to do it. If you pull the entire drawbar out of the car, the most useful thing on the engine might be a chain, in case you need to pull the car to the nearest siding where it can be repaired.
So, the knuckle is only the part that moves when the coupler opens and closes!
I thought knuckle and coupler both referred to the whole assembly. So, when one "busts a knuckle," the whole coupler assembly doesn't need replacing. Now it makes more sense to me, when I was told there were replacements on the engine, I couldn't figure out where the room for all the couplers were stored. A coupler always looked as heavy as an automobile engine block to me. Oh well, you live and learn. Thanks to all of you that answer my basic questions
Still an awesome picture Larry. Thanks
Tom
COAST LINE FOREVER
It is better to dwell in the corner of a roof than to share a house with a contentious woman! (Solomon)
A contentious woman is like a constant dripping! (Solomon)
CShaveRRFrom the looks of the rods, there's nothing behind the nearest axle in the way of drivers--suggests that it's a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-0.
You're right - I'm off by an ocean... It's a 4-4-2 Atlantic. Now I'll remember!
All I know is that Houston Ed doubles his weight with a knuckle pin in each pocket , and that the knuckle alone weighs about 80 pounds.
Somebody like Carknocker might be able to come up with a ballpark figure for the rest of the coupler/drawbar assembly. I'm sure the weight varies widely between E and F couplers, rotary couplers, etc. Even the presence of one or two "shelves" on an E coupler would add quite a few pounds to the total. I suspect you won't want to put one in an ordinary half-ton pickup truck!
Does anyone know how much a coupler weighs(approx.)?
tree68The shot I took from the pit below the Pacific at Greenfield Village struck me as merely "interesting" when I took it. Once I saw it full screen on my computer I was awestruck - it's a very powerful image.
Is that a Pacific? From the looks of the rods, there's nothing behind the nearest axle in the way of drivers--suggests that it's a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-0.
That in no way detracts from the shot, though.
More details in tonight's Newswire, for subscribers.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.