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)
Justin,
I think those extra ditch lights are configured in that fashion to facilitate going around canyon curves up in British Columbia where that unit would normally call "home". For the rest of you wondering what he's talking about:
BCR 4646 heading up CN's train 407 (southbound).
Dan
CNW 6000I think those extra ditch lights are configured in that fashion to facilitate going around canyon curves up in British Columbia where that unit would normally call "home".
They may be quite useful in areas where you expect rockfall, such as along the Thompson and Fraser Rivers, between Kamloops and Vancouver. Two years ago, we were running late on our way into Vancouver, and I enjoyed the scenery which is usually passed in the dark, and there were many sheds here and there which looked to be rock sheds, since there were many rock slides along the way.
Johnny
Chris, the prarie shots are fantastic. Not that the other shots on this page are of lesser quality. Photografy has come a long way from the days of my Kodak 616 , LOL . I now have a sp 500 Olympus . My & our many years on the road have seen many wide open spaces such as these posted . Your pics. are uncluttered and centered perfect . Hope yer trigger finger never fails, hee hee .
Respectfully, Cannonball
Y6bs evergreen in my mind
Hi all,
Had a fun day at grandpahs. That makes sence Dan. Hope everybody has a good evenng!
The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.
Good Morning All,
Just a quick note for all you Canon shooters out there: there's a new Rebel that was announced this morning (it's interesting that Canon waited until just after PMA for this announcement). You can read about it at the DPReview announcement and preview.
And thank you Cannonball for the kind words about my photos!
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
CopCarSSYou can read about it at the DPReview announcement and preview.
Boy, Chris....that's an impressive web site showing the new Canon.
Quentin
ModelcarBoy, Chris....that's an impressive web site showing the new Canon.
Quentin - DPReview is one of my favorite photography sites on the web, and one of three places where I actively participate in the fora (the others being here and over at the Fuzzyworld 3um). If you're looking for information about individual DSLRs, DPReview is the place to find it. Their reviews are thorough and well written. They've started reviewing lenses, too. They've got a long way to go on those reviews, though, as they've only got a small selection currently.
The place for a decent listing of lens reviews is over at Photozone. I don't agree with all of Photozone's results, but it's a nice starting point when I start feeling a bit of LBA -- Lens Buying Addiction -- coming on, LOL!
Afternoon everybody!
Cooler and less windy today... 54* here in Indiana. Not mutch to talk about anone have something to talk about? Suprised CArl or Dan Hasent come in already... Mabby later...
I haven't stopped in this version of the lounge yet, but it's good to see the place more active lately!
Chris, thanks for posting that link to the new Canon camera, I hadn't seen that before. Quite the camera really! One of the many things I found interesting was the mention of ISO 3200 expandable to ISO 12800. Is ISO 12800 the one with grain as big as baseballs?
There are some neat features in the "next generation." It's probably a good thing I can't afford the upgrade right now, as I'd have to actually think about doing it if I could. Hopefully another generation or two down the line though (after I upgrade my lens selection).
Noah
Word came through from some friends to the NW that a SB had a pair of DMIR locos headed to Homewood, IL. Neither had any numberboards and were not running. I tried to wait up and get pic/vid but it got late and I got tired! Same consist supposedly had a BCOL loco in it too, but running.
Neat camera (Chris). If I could afford one now...heh. I guess I might be able to look a while after the baby comes. Oh well, off to work for now.
There used to be a siding on the CNW/FRVR/WC/CN that started at New York Avenue in Oshkosh, WI and went north until just short of Harrison St. Does anyone know the name?
Noah HofrichterChris, thanks for posting that link to the new Canon camera, I hadn't seen that before. Quite the camera really! One of the many things I found interesting was the mention of ISO 3200 expandable to ISO 12800. Is ISO 12800 the one with grain as big as baseballs?
Noah,
There's certainly some gimmekry in there, but I would imagine that you'd probably be able to get something fairly usable at ISO 3200. At least I know I can with my K20D. The 6400 and 12800 settings though...well I bet even Kodachrome 200 would look better (and that had baseball sized grain!)
My knowledge of the technical aspects of the sensors in digital cameras is limited, to say the least.
That said, I should think that unless the sensor or software is capable of grouping multiple sensor segments the only method of increasing the apparent speed is to amplify the output from each segment, which, of course, introduces noise. It would seem to be rather parallel to "pushing" film, which I have had done.
The bottom line being that digitally the 'grain' is the same at ISO 64 as it is at ISO 12800. The difference is the quality of each grain.
Or not.
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...
Good evenig everybody! I spent the day with grandpah... Whent fishin. Didn't get a nibble though. Had fun however. Cool in thw wind and wind. Cooler today 57*. Well have a god night might be back later. Mom is doing better just so you know.
I have 30 some $$. Going to see if there is any add ons for MSTS now. I'm still here though. ^~^... As mrs. mook would say..
My parents are bonkers!!! I have enough $$$ to get the add on but she says she won't do it tonoght. She will do it tommorow with a prepaid card she says... Ugh parents are silly!
Let your mom do it with the card, Justin--might have added warranty protection that way.
Whereabouts are you when visiting your grandpa? Any trains nearby? It sounds cold!
Made another one-way bicycle trip home from work today. Boy, do I need to get back into shape--it took 'way too long!
Things are still shaking out at work from the job repositioning--only one CRO position is eliminated, but it seems like more, for some reason. Found out today that one of my favorite people to work with will be joining us on the day shift starting tomorrow.
Justin, I'm glad to hear that your mom is doing better. We will keep praying for her.
Today was an interesting day. We stayed home all day, but had company--window installers. I was not sure they would come because of the promised snow, but they came about mid-morning--and proceeded to take the north kitchen window out. Brrrr. They finished the whole job (eleven windows) before supper, and we have more insulation now than ever before.
Carl, what is a CRO? Twenty-four years ago, I was involved in the manufacture of 32k RAMs--until the bottom fell out of the market. I went home at the end of one week, having worked with about thirteen other people in my area (diffusion). When I went back to work the next week, there were four other people to work with, and I had not worked with any of them before, and we were, of course, starting to work on other products. I am thankful that in my thirty-one and a quarter years in the semiconductor industry, I was never laid off in any of the all-to-often workforce reductions.
Semiconductors, eh Johnny? Familiar product in my line of work here at Rockwell Collins. Which company do you work for?
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
CRO = Car Retarder Operator. A vanishing art, and nobody else in the country does it like we do.
Semiconductor = Most of the people up on the hump--all of the real conductors are CROs!
....That looks like some "tonque in cheek" play on words Carl...
By the way....A real question. By what means does a CRO {actually}, slow said rail cars riding down the hump and to their proper track location. Is there a devise of some sort that clamps against the inside of the flanges to provide friction to slow the movement.....?
CShaveRR CRO = Car Retarder Operator. A vanishing art, and nobody else in the country does it like we do. Semiconductor = Most of the people up on the hump--all of the real conductors are CROs!
Brian, I started working with National Semiconductor and ended working for Fairchild Semiconductor. During my time with National, the company bought Fairchild, kept some and closed some of the plants. About twelve-thirteen years ago, the plants here and in South Portland, Maine, were sold to a group of investors who revived the name "Fairchild." I understand the people who had been working there were glad to be back under their old name.
Carl, when I was a senior in high school, I thought that a conductor was the best work possible. However, I failed the mule leg test, and made it just half-way, ending up in the semiconductor industry.
Today, I get to put the shutters back up, after the outside caulking on the windows has dried. It's bright and sunny here, with a low in the low twenties this morning.
Modelcar....That looks like some "tonque in cheek" play on words Carl... By the way....A real question. By what means does a CRO {actually}, slow said rail cars riding down the hump and to their proper track location. Is there a devise of some sort that clamps against the inside of the flanges to provide friction to slow the movement.....?
CShaveRRModelcar ....That looks like some "tonque in cheek" play on words Carl... By the way....A real question. By what means does a CRO {actually}, slow said rail cars riding down the hump and to their proper track location. Is there a devise of some sort that clamps against the inside of the flanges to provide friction to slow the movement.....? Those devices would be the retarders we operate, Quentin. They actually squeeze the wheels from both sides, using the flat vertical surfaces of the wheels that can be found there. In our yard, we throw our own switches and set up and release our own retarders--most yards have automated these functions to some degree, or switched to passive retarders, such as Dowty. We, on the other hand, can cope with unexpected changes by making split-second decisions that a pre-programed computer would find impossible.
Modelcar ....That looks like some "tonque in cheek" play on words Carl... By the way....A real question. By what means does a CRO {actually}, slow said rail cars riding down the hump and to their proper track location. Is there a devise of some sort that clamps against the inside of the flanges to provide friction to slow the movement.....?
You can put all sorts of information into a computer, but what programmer knows every possible situation that can come up? I think of a situation that an air traffic controller handled more than forty years ago (told me by a woman who had worked with her). Briefly, the controller suddenly realized that two airplanes were on a collision course and screamed (by radio) to each pilot, telling each what course alteration was necessary to avoid the collision; they complied with her instruction. A computer might have detected the error sooner, but it could not have given the instructions as quickly as she did.
As to home work, when I went out this morning to grocery stores, I saw that the front shutters had been put back up, and when I returned home, I saw that the back shutters also were up again. It was nice work.
We don't often have emergencies like that to deal with, Johnny (and protecting locomotives and crews is a routine part of the job). But we often have to deal with extra cars, cars that don't roll as well as they should for whatever reason, bad-order cars that hadn't been marked up on the list yet, and stuff like that. We can divert the cars quickly if a track should fill up, or if a car should stop to foul it. And where I am, I can often make the other CROs' jobs easier by "tweaking" the spacing on the cars to give them more time to handle the cars properly. I don't think an automated system can just speed up and slow down cars beyond what a computer tells it to do.
Every once in a while I get surprised by a major job being done without me around the house. One really appreciates when that happens!
We may dine at Two Toots in Downers Grove after work this afternoon. It will be rainy by then, and we're supposed to get between one and three inches of snow overnight.
Planning is under way for a vacation trip to Nebraska late next month. Looking forward to seeing Willy and Mookie, as well as the new tower in North Platte. Pat is looking forward to seeing the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln. We'll also be covering some new territory in Iowa, and hope to meat some Forum friends in Boone.
Morning all. Had some trouble getting in here last night. I could read but not post! Life moves on...
Carl I'm with you on the snow thing and am glad that we are down to 1-3 inches tonight instead of the originally called for 5-8. Hopefully it won't last more than a day or two! Have you heard of Clarks or "Buttermilk Curve" in Nebraska? I hear that both are places where freights move at a good clip and that Buttermilk Curve is quite busy (triple track main). Not sure how much UP you want to see on vacation but I thought I'd mention it.
Video of Clarks, Nebraska:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQo6wtSffc
Video of Buttermilk Curve:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jyk8ebZ6Nc
On the subject of trains, I was out looking for interesting stuff on CN this morning and came across three 40' hoppers marked "YARD BRAKE CAR" in Shops Yard (NFDL). Exactly what is that? Are they tied on certain tracks to help hold cars in place? If so why wouldn't the brakes on the cars that are there be enough?
Evening everybody!
Cold wet and rainy today. Saw a NS norhbound train just about an hour ago. It was sitting at the siding a t West Point waiting for a southbound. Carl, My grandpah lives somewhere in the ballpark of 15 miles from Attica IN. There is the NS that runs through there. Same tracks that run through Lafayette. Dan I can't think what BREAK CAR could mean. Especially since ti was a hopper.? Besides the name were there any speciall qualites that the car had?
CNW 6000Morning all. Had some trouble getting in here last night. I could read but not post! Life moves on... Carl I'm with you on the snow thing and am glad that we are down to 1-3 inches tonight instead of the originally called for 5-8. Hopefully it won't last more than a day or two! Have you heard of Clarks or "Buttermilk Curve" in Nebraska? I hear that both are places where freights move at a good clip and that Buttermilk Curve is quite busy (triple track main). Not sure how much UP you want to see on vacation but I thought I'd mention it. Video of Clarks, Nebraska:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQo6wtSffc Video of Buttermilk Curve:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jyk8ebZ6Nc On the subject of trains, I was out looking for interesting stuff on CN this morning and came across three 40' hoppers marked "YARD BRAKE CAR" in Shops Yard (NFDL). Exactly what is that? Are they tied on certain tracks to help hold cars in place? If so why wouldn't the brakes on the cars that are there be enough?
Lots of responses to get through tonight, before we turn the lights out at 8:30. Right now I'm listening to A Prairie Home Companion, being broadcast live from Appleton. I know a little about that place--my baby girl went to Lawrence for two years.
Weather: we'll get a bit of everything before this is over--just now we had a clap of thunder. And yes, they're calling for two to four inches of snow overnight. Rain now, sleet later, snow on top of that. And we're not even under the storm watch!
I don't know those places along the UP by name, but I'm sure we'll see them. When I'm on vacation, the railroad doesn't matter--as long as it's trains! And as far as I'm concerned, that three-track main line and the yard in the middle of it have to be the modern-day Standard Railroad of the World, so I'm there!
As to those "Yard Brake Cars", they're cars that currently serve no other purpose to the company, so they're put on a track that would otherwise be clear, to keep cars from rolling out. We have a similar deal here at Proviso, except that the three cars are empty covered hoppers (surprisingly, among the newest CNW cars), and they're termed "post" cars. The bowl tracks are not supposed to be pulled clear, but in the days of slim business, you don't want to delay cars by cutting them off and using them as posts. So you use these cars instead. I'm not sure that your hoppers are used the same way in a flat-switching yard, but at least it's a possibility.
I was thinking today about how dull things were around the yard, if you were a railfan looking for excitement. As noted elsewhere, UP 1995, which used to be a regular around here, was heading a company special in Texas or California or somewhere. So I just looked around...to the south we had a long manifest going out of town, with the two Olympic SD70Ms backing in to Global 2 between me and them. I then faced forward in time to see two brand-new AC4400CWs headed to the shop from the receiving yard. They were followed by ZEMCH, the RoadRailer train, headed by two NS units. So things weren't so dull after all, for maybe five minutes.
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