tree68 CShaveRRThat woodchuck (yes, I know how to spell Punxsutawney) saw his shadow this morning. Now, if we could only hold him to his prediction that spring will begin on March 16. We should be so lucky! Yep - If he sees his shadow, we're in for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, spring will be here in about a month and a half...
CShaveRRThat woodchuck (yes, I know how to spell Punxsutawney) saw his shadow this morning. Now, if we could only hold him to his prediction that spring will begin on March 16. We should be so lucky!
Yep - If he sees his shadow, we're in for six more weeks of winter.
If he doesn't, spring will be here in about a month and a half...
So true...
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
I hope everyone here gets a chance to look at the video on the thread "Train Watching with rail fan friends" on the Classic Trains forums. It is about two young boys watching a crew doing some switching. It is the way I spent my life as an "AgentKid" for years. As the expression goes "nice work if you can get it!"
I first saw the video last night and my mood has been better ever since.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
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)
Cute video. Reminds me of another young railfan some of us know.
Happy birthday, Jay!
Stopped at the fire station the other day and found a large envelope marked to my attention. One of our members was in a old station now being used by a feed and farm supply store. He came away with several interesting items.
Newest was a pictorial calendar entitled "Railroading 1979." Curiously, it was all steam locomotives - all the more interesting because a number of them are still under steam. Conway Scenic 47 (now known as 7470 and still in service), Roaring Camp and Big Trees #2, "Jupiter", Sierra RR #28, "Edison" at Greenfield Village - still in service, California Western #46 (on the "Super Skunk"), Huckleberry #2 in Flint, MI (still in steam), Knott's Berry Farm # 40 (possibly the current 340?), "Engine #3 at Virginia City", Mt Washington's "Col. Teague" (#10 - possibly now called "Kroflight"), Edaville #7, and Calistoga #1913 - a 1/3 scale Pacific.
The other calendar is a 1964 appointment calendar, side bound, from the P&LE. Noteworthy here is that the art for each month was done by Howard Fogg.
Both calendars are pristine.
From a historical standpoint, the most significant piece is the mimeographed "Standing of Passenger Conductors, St Lawrence and Ontario Divisions" dated January 1, 1919. I want to scan it, but the pages are extremely brittle. We'll see.
The most senior conductor has a seniority date of July 4, 1882. Beginning in 1901, most of the names listed also have a freight date as well, with the oldest being March 1, 1892.
The list also has brakemen, with the most senior listed as 1875, no month given.
Many of these folks would have started with the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg (or one of the predecessors thereof).
Fascinating stuff.
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...
To pass on one's affinity for something to the next generation...that's priceless. I can't wait to have experiences like that with my little guy (not so little...try picking him up!) but that will come with time.
Carl and Larry (anyone else too!)-Does the prospect of being retired make you nervous? My father equated it to not being needed anymore...and was quite antsy about it.
Dan
CShaveRRNot sure, but I think John W. Barriger was still president of the P&LE in 1964. His hiring Howard Fogg to do the calendar art was truly a class act.
His "signature" is on the preface to the calendar, so you have that right, on both counts.
Carl - Trust me. You'll wonder how you ever found time to go to work.
The biggest danger is with the folks for whom working was their life. No hobbies, no outside interests. When they retire, they are lost.
A concern of mine was simply human contact - something you take for granted when you see the people at work every day. I'm getting around enough to see people, so it hasn't been an issue.
I've been missed at work (and I have the emails to prove it), but they're getting by. It's tough trying to pass along everything about a rather complex system in the few weeks I had to get my replacement up to speed - and he is only filling in until the permanent replacement comes on board.
I haven't missed work yet, though.
I retired rather suddenly and not by choice, so it took me about 6 months to figure out a new routine. But just like adjusting to a new job, you figure it out with time. The first thing you will enjoy is the not having to meet deadlines each and every day. Life is a slower pace if you aren't always having to answer an alarm clock.
Even without set hobbies, I have still managed to keep busy. I just pace myself a little more and follow a whole new routine. I still answer an alarm at 5 am, but it is his alarm and not mine and once the car leaves the driveway, life slows down to a nice leisurely pace.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Retirement: Lots of opinions. Somehow I missed Larry and his retirement....Heard him talk about it, but not that he actually did do it....
It took me most of one year to decide to actually stop and really do it {After 37 years}....But certainly didn't cause much of a problem. Soon headed to Florida for that first Winter and did that for about 8 years.
Both Jean and I have been out of the work force now for some time....we're in the 17th year of it this year.
If one can figure out the insurance situtation that goes a long way to comfort one. We've managed to to that. Company {former employer}, has set up reimbursement that helps us with the financing of such. Found the Medicare Part D is really working for us and it's affordable for our meds.
We tried to have our home and peripherals in place by the time we retired and we did.....So....some of it hinges on health and we're all different on such subject, but so far we've managed to do quite well....
I did not have any bad feelings of not going to work anymore once I really did pull the plug.
Each of us of course has our own concerns and I suppose one must simply listen to our personal concerns and along with some outside info., make the decision......and don't look back. Just my
Quentin
I'm fortunate that I can carry my insurance over (at a cost, of course), so that part isn't an issue.
As I've mentioned, having a lengthy list of potential projects helps a great deal - and new ones seem to crop up as well.
One really great thing is losing the 200 miles I drove to and from work each week, and the attendant cost. So far I've managed to avoid many superfluous trips - in fact, it's about time for my weekly shopping excursion.
If anything, I feel I could be doing more with my now-free time, but sometimes there's a good movie on and the Dal has settled into my lap, so unless there's a deadline involved (I run a small printshop, so that does happen), who cares?
I was able to clear out the bill box and cover the truck payment for a while with what they paid me for unused vacation, so right now all I have is the "usual" stuff. That was definitely a goal.
I decided ages ago that I wanted out - I just had to wait until things came together.
Carl.....Check my report in the diner.
I was in Mount Prospect, Ill. yesterday for Dad's 75th birthday. Drove home today. I saw one train the whole trip. It was the Texas Eagle. I saw it along Interstate 55 around 2-2:30 pm. Engine number 40 was pulling seven cars. I can't give a better description because I had the joy of driving in blowing, wet snow that stuck to the front of vehicles, for the last 300+ miles. Sitting here at home, there is now two inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground.
James
We had a "dusting" of snow today that was pretty wet. Basically melted shortly after it hit the ground. At least the roads didn't get too icy today. Waiting for Aedan to get tired (currently bouncing in his ExerSaucer and giggling!) so I can get him to bed for the night.
Tomorrow brings some swimming with the little guy in the morning, some light maintenance of my truck and my wife's car around mid-day and then railfanning with the little one in the afternoon. Should be a busy day.
CShaveRRWe have a coating of snow on the sidewalk--you can still see the cracks through it.
Edited {Sun 7th}...Official count stands at 9.5" of snow from the storm.
That sounds good Carl.....Here, and we were more or less on the out limits of this weather system, there is no chance to see any seems in the sidewalks. I'm guessing we received 6.5" of the stuff, but with 35 mph winds overnight, you can imagine it moved it around quite a bit....A 2 ft. plus, line of snow along the back side of the house where the wind reshaped it from blowing it off the roof.
Now, at noon....we have bright sunshine, an pretty, mostly blue skies. 26 degrees right now.
At least you're not still digging out from the 2+ feet you got over the weekend. The mid-Atlantic region is likely to be closed again on Wednesday.
Last forecast I saw for up this way was 8"-10" with the heavy stuff coming after midnight tonight through midnight tomorrow. Guess I better get that snowblower fixed...
Well, if my math is correct, we are supposed to get 9 to 17 inches of snow here in Burlington, and the wind is to pick up. I might be spending an extra day at home, keeps one less truck off the road, we will see what the weather is like tomorrow morning before deciding. Drove up to Terminal Hobby Shop in Milwaukee today, picked up more track and cars for new layout, as well as my scrap paper building for the paper mill I'm working on. If I wind up staying home tomorrow, I'll have something to do.....
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
Well, I was away from Calgary for the first time since 2008 (Thurs.-Sun.), and wouldn't you know it, CN made the most significant operational change here in the last 30-35 years.
That was when they ceased operating into their downtown station. The discontinuance of through service between Calgary and Saskatoon, SK mentioned in TRAINS last year was also important.
CN announced on Thursday that they are going to build a new logistics park NE of Calgary at Conrich on their Calgary-Edmonton line (Three Hills Sub.). See http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=6295 As far as ideas go, it is not a bad one. It is as flat as a tabletop around there and they should have all the space they need for unloading containers and turning semi's around.
CN has always been a victim of its' own corporate history around here. It inherited two small yards from its' predecessors and built Sarcee after the formation of the CNR. That was on the outside edge of the city then, and was the terminal of both the Hanna and Three Hills Subs. But it to was small and by the time of the intermodal age they had no space to expand the operation there. When it comes time for expansion at this new site, to paraphrase The Who song, they can see for miles. I hope it works out for them.
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