Hit in Hocky, or Bombs on a Madrid Train

[Anonymous]

Back to the subject about where our priorities are.

Today I had something happen repeatedly and it really got me to thinking. I was driving through a strip mall and a car back out right in front of me. Now the parking was vertical to the sidewalk ( think of a "T"). So when the car backed out it backed out into the "road" of the mall. He should have yeilded to the traffic in the road but still backed out in front of me. I had to stop and wait on the idiot to get out of the way. So just as I start going another car comes flying out of no where to try and get into the newly vacated spot. I wasn't parking just passing through to the post office at the end of the mall. This car attempted to cut me off and take the parking spot. After the first incident I just had to give idiot # 2 a bad look. So I start moving again. About 5 cars down the row another idiot backs out into the road in front of me. I again had to stop, even thought I had the right of way, and wait on another no-brainer to move his vehicle out of the way. Once again I start moving. Now this strip mall is say roughly 75 yards long, kinda small yes. You won't believe this. It happened AGAIN. Another idiot backs out right into traffic. I am thinking "I must be invisible". Where do these idiots come from and where do they get off. In the short span of about 2 minutes 4 people pulled in front of me throwing safety and commen sense out the window.

As I continuted home I noticed other drivers being extremely rude and dangerous. People pulling out from a side road between two cars (headed in opposite directions) and almost causing a crash, was another instance. There were other "things" too that made me stop and think.

Priority -- ME ME ME

No one cares about the "other" guy anymore. It is all "ME" I want to get where "I" am going and the H*** with you. I don't care if "I" cause a wreck I just want to go. ME ME ME

Our society is not about "us" or "we" anymore. It is about "ME".

I WANT!

ME!

Now I know that this is a generalization. But it is becoming more of what our society is, and where it is headed. This is why the train bombing didn't rate much air time at first. Because it wasn't about "ME".

Who cares about "You", I am thinking about "ME".

ME ME ME


Now the media has shifted gears and are trying to bring it "home". Shifting the bombing to "here" and trying to show us what can happen here. I don't know if enough of the "MEs" will wake up and smell the coffee or not. Only time will tell.

[edblysard]

Hi Vic,
Yeah, on the flathead, the exhaust started at the driver side exhaust mainfold, ran around the front of the motor, into the passenger side exhaust mainfold, then under and out.
Now day, most engines have a internal port to balance the exhaust, and the pipes run together behind the engine, then down one side to the catalytic converter.
When you dual out an exhaust, if you can, putting a cross over pipe somewhere in there balances the exhaust better.
On new motors, the valve springs are designed to have some back pressure from the exhaust help seat the valves.
On flatheads, its a must, if you dont have any back pressure, the valves rattle.

On your bug, you adjust the rocker arms to the valve stem, on flat head, which have no rocker arms, you grind a small amount off the valve stem.

The back pressure hold the valve seated in the block.
Not enough pressure, valves get burned, to much pressure, one side of the engine can get too hot.
Flat heads have two water jackets, two water pumps, two thermostats, its almost like two 4 clys side by side.

When you set them up right, they run like scalded bats....

Ed

[ironhorseman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

QUOTE: Originally posted by valleytenderfoot

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those lost in the Madrid bombings.

Further to my comment this morning regarding the french rail bomb threat (ongoing) I found the link on CNN : http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/05/france.bombthreat.reut/index.html

My question tonite would be, [?] how long would it take to search all the miles of class I rail in the US and Canada if a similar situation came up here?

How many miles of track in total are there in North America?

How would you go about examining the track, is it just visual, or what? Seems like a monumental task which might easily miss something. [%-)]

Jeff

With literally thousands of miles of track, much of it remote, a thorough inspection would take a lonnnnnng time. For all we know, we've already been set up....

Think about this: everyday there's a rail inspection going on somewhere. You ever see those guys in the high railers? Just last Sunday I saw an inspector in the pickup truck going down the rails, goin rather slowly too. Stopped and backed up, stopped and backed up, then proceeded, stopped and backed, proceeded, you get the idea. I see them do this quite frequently.

Here's something to consider: of all the miles of track use in the US how long does it take before it's all inspected before the cycle starts over again? I'm trying to equate this to all the human cells in the body which are all completely replaced in a 7 year span. Some cells are replaced more often than others. And I'd assume that some sections of track are inspected more often than other? So then in what time frame is every mile of track inspected before the cycle is repeated?

The point is with all these rail inspections, and the rail griders out there, the MOW crews fixing things all time, and the train crews out there runnin their freights I would think that most of the track is in good hands, right?

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard


Could this bombing be a cayalyst for our goverment to start to get off the fence about our national passenger system?

Ed

Yeah Ed it could be, but with the list of Bozo's running things in DC, I lay even money thtat they will use this as a reason to try to eliminate Amtrack all together. [:(]

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

I will tune in tomorrow morning, and see how it goes...

Flathead in a 1950 Ford 2 door Custom.
Making a "sleeper" out of it, sorta a retro hot rod project.
Flathead motors have the valve train inside the block, instead of over the heads, and dont have internal exhaust crossover ports like most modern engines.
So you have to add a crossover pipe between the two exhaust pipes to balance out the exhaust pressure.
Ford flatheads have two seperate water chambers also, and two water pumps, one for each side of the engine, left and right.
With dual carbs, your shoving a lot of gas into the engine, and if you cant get the burnt exhaust out quick, you sorta defeat the purpose of dualing the carbs, and can overheat one side of the engine.
Crossing over the exhaust keeps the back pressure on the valves matched, and allows for excess heat to escape

Ed.

Is that what that exhaust pipe connector I see going from one header under or behind the engine to the other header is for? I'm not a V-8 guy, I've always been more prone to insects like the Beetle but I have an avid interest in hot rods. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth Rules!

[edblysard]

Just caught Nightline,
30 minutes of coverage.
Rudy, it was mentioned that so far, Spain has named the Basque, and possibly Al Queada as likely suspects.
And they showed Amtrak, and raised a quick question about our passenger system being such a soft target, which is quite true.

From my limited perspective, the Northeast corridor looks like a easy target, as do most Amtrak stations I have seen.

Funny, several years ago, I was riding Amtrak thru New Mexico, and at one station, the Feds did a drug search of the train, dogs, officers, the works.
Car by car walk throughs, along with a really complete search of the baggage car.
I talked to one of the officers, and she said they spot check this train and this station often, because its a major drug route.

So, that brings to mind a somewhat odd and morbid thought.

Could this bombing be a cayalyst for our goverment to start to get off the fence about our national passenger system?

True, our railway system is huge, and could never be completly protected, both freight and passenger train are pretty easy targets, but if this could be used as an example....

One of the guest pointed out that 9/11 wasnt a singular incident, that it was, in fact, the beginning of more active terrorism, that there have been more attacks of this nature in the 30 months following 9/11 that in the 30 months preceeding 9/11.
And today was the 11th, so some sort of symbolism at work there.

The same guest pointed out that, now that we have closed Al Quaeda's head office, all the "back offices" are pretty much free to run as independent operations.

Which implied that all the small groups we dont know about, (and bet on there being hundreds) have free rein to pretty much do as they please.
A somewhat sobering thought.

As for the raid on the Amtrak train, the agent I spoke to confessed they only nab a few drug smugglers per year, so if we cant even keep the dope smugglers out, how in the world do we expect to keep the terrorist out?

Want to see ole GW's spin on the Madrid bombing, and see if Amtrak can get a little federal help out of this.

Still, its only 14 feet or less to the ground on a train, so I think next trip, Amtrak will get my business.

Ed

[RudyRockvilleMD]

Ed:
Anything that happens in the United States normally isn't given much play in Europe or elsewhere unless it's major news, and the same holds true for events in Europe making the news here in the United States. There can be exceptions, however. My wife and I visited Portugal, Spain, and Great Britain in October 2002 during a period when two snipers were wreaking havoc here in suburban Maryland (in fact 4 of the shootings occurred within a mile of our house) Those shootings were given extensive coverage on TV in Lisbon, on our cruise ship, and in Madrid. The capture of the snipers was given extensive coverage on TV in London.

Judging from the video taken after the bombing and shown on the Fox 5 News at 10 PM this evening the train appeared to be a commuter train, and not an intercity train. As somebody pointed out earlier the Al Quaeda claimed responsibility for the bombing. When I first heard about it I thought it might have been done by some Basque separatist extremists who have been using terror tactics to obtain autonomy. The Spanish railroads, as well as the other European railroad systems, are fairly open in that you can stand on station platforms and photograph the passing trains to your heart's content. Whether this bombing changes things remains to be seen.

The news cast went on to deal with the security measures in effect on the Metro system here in the Washington, DC area and on Amtrak nationwide.

Rudy

PS the same news cast also carried the story about the hit at the hockey game, and the players tearful? apology.
But more important, the bombing of the commuter train in Madrid raises some questions. Why did Al Quaeda pick on Spain? Where else could a train bombing occur? Could one happen here? If so, where?

[Anonymous]

Ed I know you're speaking to me but, doggone it I don't know in what language. [banghead][banghead]

Actually, I got the general idea, thanks.

So along with your classic engine mechanics ticket, your penchant for hand made exotic writing implements, and Oh Yeah, that little job you do playing with Hundreds of THOUSANDS of pounds of TRAIN everyday, is there anything that you feel, you know,... like you haven't done?

Jeff

[edblysard]

I will tune in tomorrow morning, and see how it goes...

Flathead in a 1950 Ford 2 door Custom.
Making a "sleeper" out of it, sorta a retro hot rod project.
Flathead motors have the valve train inside the block, instead of over the heads, and dont have internal exhaust crossover ports like most modern engines.
So you have to add a crossover pipe between the two exhaust pipes to balance out the exhaust pressure.
Ford flatheads have two seperate water chambers also, and two water pumps, one for each side of the engine, left and right.
With dual carbs, your shoving a lot of gas into the engine, and if you cant get the burnt exhaust out quick, you sorta defeat the purpose of dualing the carbs, and can overheat one side of the engine.
Crossing over the exhaust keeps the back pressure on the valves matched, and allows for excess heat to escape

Ed.

[Anonymous]

Hey Ed,

The madrid story has definitely overtaken the hockey story, even up north here.

But to fill you in on the hockey side:
Mr Bertuzzi has been suspended (without pay) [*^_^*] from all remaining reg season games and all playoff games. NHL dicipline committee to review further action after the playoffs. It is estimated this will cost him around $500K in lost salary
The Vancouver Canucks were fined $250K just for being there and the police are still contemplating assault charges against Bertuzzi.

Mr. Bertuzzi made a tearful public apology insisting he is not a mean spirited player and he had no intentions of hurting Mr. Moore [:(]

Scott Moore (the injured Avalanche player) has compression fractures of two cervical vertebrae but appears to have no spinal cord damage (also a concussion, facial cuts etc.) [B)] and is expected to recover, but will he be able to play pro again????

As for you helping your neighbour out with the Ford, ahh.... wellll......, I know what a Ford is but me not being a car guy, ya lost me on the rest of it.

Jeff

[edblysard]

Okey, dokey guys,
Missed the evening national and local news,
(was down the street, explaining once again to my hardheaded neighbor why, if he put dual carbs on his Ford flathead, he has to install headers with a crossover pipe)
So, how much coverage of the train bombing versus the hockey hit?

By the way, the butthead who did the hockey hit should be arrested, that was assault, not part of a game.
These guys were just tooling around, waiting for play to begin.

Ed

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by valleytenderfoot
How many miles of track in total are there in North America?

All I know is that in 1962 US roads had 380,000 miles if track. subtract the removed ROWs, add doubled up track since, and add canadian track, and I guess it would be just a little less

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by valleytenderfoot

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those lost in the Madrid bombings.

Further to my comment this morning regarding the french rail bomb threat (ongoing) I found the link on CNN : http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/05/france.bombthreat.reut/index.html

My question tonite would be, [?] how long would it take to search all the miles of class I rail in the US and Canada if a similar situation came up here?

How many miles of track in total are there in North America?

How would you go about examining the track, is it just visual, or what? Seems like a monumental task which might easily miss something. [%-)]

Jeff

With literally thousands of miles of track, much of it remote, a thorough inspection would take a lonnnnnng time. For all we know, we've already been set up....

[traingeek087]

The latest I heard it was up to 190.

[vsmith]

Cant even talk about it , too dam depressing.

the bombing that is...

[Anonymous]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those lost in the Madrid bombings.

Further to my comment this morning regarding the french rail bomb threat (ongoing) I found the link on CNN : http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/05/france.bombthreat.reut/index.html

My question tonite would be, [?] how long would it take to search all the miles of class I rail in the US and Canada if a similar situation came up here?

How many miles of track in total are there in North America?

How would you go about examining the track, is it just visual, or what? Seems like a monumental task which might easily miss something. [%-)]

Jeff

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainheartedguy

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFRailroad

I just heared that Al Qaeda is claiming responsibility for the train bombings.

Really? last I heard the us was suspecting them, but Espana suspected a local group.

Yep I heared it on both Fox and MSNBC.

[Anonymous]

I would choose the Hockey but with the Bombing by Algerba that's a kinckname for ALKATA my sadness goes out to the family of the victoms

DOGGY

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFRailroad

I just heared that Al Qaeda is claiming responsibility for the train bombings.

Really? last I heard the us was suspecting them, but Espana suspected a local group.

[coalminer3]

Grew up playing and watching hockey; it's a great game, and I agree with Puckdropper re fighting. It's not the first time the NHL has had to deal with stupidity and "goons." In fact, it's probably a cleaner game in many respects than it was a decade ago.

IMHO, the NHL is probably about to go under given overexpansion and the intransigence (my one big word for the day) of owners and players.

Let's have a two-year lockout and see who notices that it's gone; some of us will, but not enough; the NHL may become a truly international league. Some international players have already departed NHL teams and gone back home so they don't get caught in the upcoming unpleasantness.

To keep it on rr topic; I remember seeing the following on a PCC car in Boston "Jesus saves, but Espostio scores on the rebound."

work safe

[Anonymous]

I just heared that Al Qaeda is claiming responsibility for the train bombings.

[Mookie]

Ed I think you hit it - we are becoming numb - there is so much violence around the world, it has become a daily news item. However, as a human defense mechanism, you have to become a little numb to some of it, or you will go crazy. That doesn't lessen the tragedy of it all - but as I said before, the genie is out of the bottle and it will continue and probably worsen. Self-preservation will kick in and you will numb up a little. You have to in order to survive.

[Puckdropper]

I think I saw the tail end of the hockey segment on the news. Some guy said "Fighting's a part of hockey." Man is he wrong! Fighting is something that happens OUTSIDE of the play, thus not a part of hockey. Tripping, slashing, spearing, they're two minute minor penalties, but are part of hockey none-the-less.

Also, some of the human-interest type stories are definately prepared before-hand, so they may get more time than something happening currently.

[edblysard]

Could be...
I wait to see whats on tonight.
Another thought...
Are we in the west becoming numb to things like this?
After all, almost every nightly news cast has a report of a sucide bomber, somewhere, blowing up a market or place of worship, a school, or a train in Russia, now Spain.

Have we really become so used to it that it dosnt bother us as much as it used to?


I think Jim is partialy correct, we feel like its is over there, not here, so of less importance, yet, like trainguy said, this may be Spain's 9/11.

And by tomorrow, will it even rate mention on US newscast?

Whats really weird, this is a forum for railfans, so shouldnt we be outraged at the attack?
After all, train travel is a big part of life outside of the US, and in a roundabout way, it is a part of our industry and hobby, and this forum.

We have devoted pages upon pages of posting on non US locomotives and railroads, yet this incident raises almost no alarm?

I'm not nit picking, just really wondering....

Then again, it may be because like ironhorseman pointed out, it "just" happened....
Still....

Ed

[ironhorseman]

Consider this, Ed: you posted this topic around 7AM CDT, it was still very early after the bombings. The hockey incident occurred Tuesday (was it?) Now people have criticized the media before for jumping to conclusions and reporting the facts before the facts are in. Remember the Oklahoma City bombing, by golly the experts were absolutly certain that afternoon that it was middle east terrorist. Well, we all know what the outcome was of that eventually.

In this case, at 7AM CDT on today, Thursday, most of all the facts were in on the hockey incident, a two-day-old incident. The Spain occurred while we, in America, were still sleeping. We're about 5 hours behind them and the bombings occurred in the AM Spain time. Here it is almost 12:30PM CDT while I type this and as I watch the TV more and more time is being given to the bombings. Now they've got "analysts" and "experts" talking all about what group has committed this act and the characteristics of it when no one has claimed credit yet.

Just watch the news this evening, it'll get more coverage and probably be either the top story or the top world news story. The hockey incident: well, I've heard there was outrage over the fine imposed on the guy who hurt the other guy. But I saw video of that and saw the blood all over the ice, the guy who did that should be arrested and prosecuted. The reason it's beening talked about in great detail because of how horrible the act was. But it won't be a top story much longer.

[Anonymous]

1. The Hockey attack was not only unsportsmanlike it was a premeditated assault in which the victim was targeted based upon a prior incident where he allegedly took a shot at a player on the assailant's team. As such it should be charged as a criminal assault and the same penalty applied as if it occurred anywhere else. As to whether the guy should be banned that is a question for the league, but it certainly seems appropriate. This from a guy who played hockey up to High School so I know what the game is like.

2. The madrid thing is a horror, but also something everyone should know. Rail facilities are big and spread out and thus very vulnerable. The really scary thing about this attack is the scope of it. Ten bombs exploded and at least another three were found unexploded.

LC

[Mookie]

And Paul Harvey gives us more to think about -

Martha Stewart will serve time in jail and OJ is on the golf course.

Sigh

[Anonymous]

We don't rate hockey particularly high here in the UK but there's been a lot of coverage of the Madrid incidents on the News. I was appalled to see banner headlines saying that there were no Britons killed. I guess our priorities stink as well.

Just remember that nothing justifies this kind of attack wherever in the world it happens.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevinstheRRman
Where the hell are the priorities?

Frankly the priorty in this country is $ $ $.

The train bombings doesn't effect our $ $ $. The hockey game has an impact on Canadian and American finances. Maybe not everyone but many people do watch hockey. So there are advertising dollars, player paycheck, vendor paycheck, ticket sales, arena parking costs, traveling costs, hotel and food costs, etc., etc., etc.

I am not trying to be heartless. Please don't take me wrong.

What is it that Americans think about most: our jobs, our families, our MONEY. I can't speak for the Canadians here but I would believe their thoughts would be similiar.

I am appauled by the bombings. Isreal has put up with this type of circumstances for years. How long before it becomes a real and present danger here in American or Canada on a regular basis? Sooner or later it will come. Then WE WILL pay attention to it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevinstheRRman
Where the hell are the priorities?

Frankly the priorty in this country is $ $ $.

The train bombings doesn't effect our $ $ $. The hockey game has an impact on Canadian and American finances. Maybe not everyone but many people do watch hockey. So there are advertising dollars, player paycheck, vendor paycheck, ticket sales, arena parking costs, traveling costs, hotel and food costs, etc., etc., etc.