Trackside Lounge: 2Q 2010

[CShaveRR]

My younger daughter is a teaching assistant for some music theory classes at a university out west (and a grad student, as well). Among the other things she does, she writes the program notes for the university's orchestra concerts. She also grades papers, and enjoys some of the answers she receives. Evidently that aspect of the "job" has affected her a bit. You don't need to know my daughter or the music to appreciate the fun she was having here:

Tonight's concert begins with Debussy's Prélude à “L’après-midi d’un faune,” which is often mistaken for The Rite of Spring on listening exams because the syllabus includes four different pieces that open with a flute solo, and even though The Rite of Spring features a bassoon instead of a flute, it's playing in such an obscenely high register that many students just can't tell the difference. You'd think that the Debussy would have made more of an impression, though, because we showed them a video of Nijinsky's choreography, and they sounded pretty flabbergasted when the lead dancer simulated ejaculating onto the nymph's scarf. Um, spoiler alert.

The next piece, Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite, is pretty neat; I played it with my high school orchestra and my youth orchestra. There's a viola solo in the second movement that I definitely played in high school, but I don't remember who played it in my youth orchestra. It was probably Lucy, but it may have been me [it was she.--Dad]. Anyway, the viola solo is completely overshadowed by the string bass solo because, let's face it, those guys just don't often get solos in movements named "Romance." Later on, there's even a tuba solo. The "Troika" music shows up all over the place, especially around Christmas, but I really can't muster up a lot of enthusiasm for it. The strings have to play a lot of fast pizzicato quadruple stops to simulate balalaikas, and I got blisters both times I played it. Oh, by the way, Kijé isn't real. It's a funny story; you really should look into it.

Next are a bunch of student compositions. The composers are in the audience, so please be polite.

The concert concludes with Liszt's Les Préludes, which my friend Mike (a Liszt scholar) admits wasn't his best work. The horn melody always reminds me of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," so I really have a hard time taking it as seriously as it seems to take itself.

P.S. I also saw the real notes for the concert--they're a good read, too!

[CShaveRR]

Just saw that UP 6936 is working its way east on some intermodal freight (into the "chaos"). It's supposed to be at Franklin Park's Railroad Days, coming up next (not this) weekend. I saw this unit the last time it visited Chicago. It doesn't seem as big as it used to, probably because it's only 20 or so feet longer than an SD70ACE. It figures--I probably won't be home for this appearance.

I've been out on the computer for about 40 minutes now, and have heard three freight trains go through.

[AgentKid]

Would you believe there is an entry for FTD in Wikipedia? Some things have really gotten easier. No more heavy encyclopedia books to lift.

Anyway, FTD was established in 1910 as Florists' Telegraph Delivery and changed its' name to Florists' Transworld Delivery in 1965. I sort of remember that, because by then telegraph was disappearing from the railways and as an idea in society as a whole. Both my parents always lamented that fact, but time marches forward.

The idea of telegraph, and its' expressions, have mostly disappeared from people's minds, but I still get a certain feeling when I hear the line from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"; "The Captain wired in, he had water coming in..." They would have of course been using a radiotelegraph set.

Bruce

 

[CShaveRR]

Thanks for the flashbacks, Bruce! I'm of an age to remember a specific Western Union Telegraph office downtown, but not connected with any railroads. However, I can remember telegraph chatter at the local GTW station--something that wasn't all that necessary, because the operators also had the railroad phone lines.

FTD was (is?) Florists Transworld Delivery. I still remember their ad with the little old lady saying, "Now you be sure those flowers aren't damaged going through the wires, young man!"

[CShaveRR]

Dale, I think the holiday schedule might still be up in the air. But I know that I am unaffected, for several reasons:

1. I regularly have Mondays off.

2. So does everyone else on first shift.

3. I start my vacation on Monday.

Having said all that, I think the latest plan was to pull off the second shift for that day, but work the first shift on Tuesday, which is also normally a shutdown day. I've been told that Monday will not be a day off for track and signal forces, as some of the switches high up on the hump lead are due for replacement. I'll give them a whole week to work out the kinks before I have to return.

I can tell you right now that the differences between us and North Platte are like night and day. They are so much larger, more automated, more centrally located, and perform many functions that we don't, just by virtue of their location. It's virtually impossible to run a train through Proviso with a 1000-mile inspection, for example. They usually try things there first, and then move them out to outlying yards (their technology for wheelset changeout on empty coal trains is now being used on stack cars in Global 2, for example).

However, I'm excitedly waiting for this issue to arrive--I'll probably take it with me on vacation.

____________________

SJ, if my sensitive side is ever mentioned by any of my little sisters, you know it's gotta be there somewhere!

Or were you referring to my sensitive stomach?

____________________

Just heard on the radio that Art Linkletter has passed away, at age 97. I remember listening to his "House Party" on weekday afternoons, before I was burdened with such things as all-day school. He was a firm believer in sharing and enjoying the wisdom of young kids. His show was on TV already back in the 1950s, but on radio well before then.

____________________

[nanaimo73]

CShaveRR

Time to return to work, after a three-day weekend. I don't expect the yard to be a pretty place this morning.

Do you get another 3 day weekend for Memorial Day? Or will your yard be close to normal on Monday?

You should be getting your new Trains magazine on Saturday. Perhaps after reading the article on Bailey Yard you could give us a comparison between your place and that one.

[Mookie]

There are a few people (I won't mention names) who are missed around here like a toothache would be, and some who turn my stomach whenever they do post. But then, people might say the same about me, in which case I may be one of the better stomach-turners around!  (Carl

Ahh - BC - your sensitive side is showing.....

[zardoz]

nanaimo73

Perhaps I'm the only one that misses Futuremodal?

Nah.  I miss him too. 

The forums may be 'safer' and less crontroversial with FM and the others like him gone, but at the same time the forums have become more bland.  There is nothing like a spirited discussion to generate interest.  I remember back when many threads would get ten pages or more long with the back-and-forth diatribes.  Nowadays, most threads die out after one or two pages.

[AgentKid]

I was down at my local Safeway store yesterday evening and had an interesting experience. There was one lady talking to one of the store staff about the money she had just wired by the Western Union service provided in the store. Fifty years ago people would have come to our station to do that. There was a bit of a line at the cashier, so I had a few minutes to listen to them and have memories rolling in at the same time.

CPR stations all had money orders sales and wire transfers as well as telegraph service. And compared to today's credit cards and Interac debit cards, was it ever complicated. If you wanted to wire money in Canada the recipient could receive it at any other CPR station or if you wanted to send a money order in Canada the recipient could cash it at any CPR station in Canada.

Although it could be done outside of Canada, that is when it got really complicated. Each country outside of Canada had its' own corresponding financial institution to deal with and each station had different money order forms for many of the most common destinations. Since Canada was a member of the British Commonwealth, sending money orders or wire transfers to the UK was fairly straight forward

Sending money to the US however, was way more complex, as there were a number of financial institutions involved. You had to figure out which bank would be closest for the recipient to cash his money order or receive his wire transfer at, and these banks were not created equal. There was a bank in Boston that was supposed to serve the New England area, but if you were from the other end of the city, not to mention all the other states in the area, it could take weeks to get your money. There was a bank in New York City that seemed to work not too bad for a large area, but if you could, you sent these items through a particular bank in Chicago that would be fast and efficient. And that bank handled all the business to the west coast. There were more banks in the SE US.

As these women were talking I also remembered Dad could send flowers to people through FTD, Floral (Florist?) Telegraph Dispatch, I think it was. He had a a colour 8.5 x 11 tri-fold pamphlet that he kept in the cash drawer. When someone wanted to send flowers, they picked an arrangement out of the pamphlet, and the catalog number was sent to the nearest flower shop anywhere in Canada or the US. We had a small decal of that famous logo in one of the windows, but I forget where.

This would commonly happen after someone would receive a telegram about the death of a loved one, and sometimes right when they picked up the telegram. Now there is a flower shop right in the Safeway.

As I have told younger friends many times, there are not as many new things in this world as you might think, it was just a lot harder to do them then.

Bruce

 

[CShaveRR]

I think Phil Z popped in somewhere not too long ago, but he certainly not the regular he used to be. A very intelligent guy, who could be a lightning rod at times.

Dale and Jim, you two are folks that I miss when you're not on for a while. I always look forward to your posts. There are a few people (I won't mention names) who are missed around here like a toothache would be, and some who turn my stomach whenever they do post. But then, people might say the same about me, in which case I may be one of the better stomach-turners around!

Time to return to work, after a three-day weekend. I don't expect the yard to be a pretty place this morning.

[nanaimo73]

zardoz

Poppa? Yeah, I remember him.  He is one of the more interesting posters we have lost over the years.  I know that many more have left, but right now I can't think of any.

There are a few of the older members I'd like to see around again, Overmod, arbfbe, Dan Harmon and Ed King (Old Timer) come to mind. Perhaps I'm the only one that misses Futuremodal?

[zardoz]

CNW 6000

I may have business related reasons to visit Milwaukee-land...too early to tell yet though.  I'll keep you posted.

Anyone remember "Poppa Zit" from on here?  I haven't seen him in forever.

Poppa? Yeah, I remember him.  He is one of the more interesting posters we have lost over the years.  I know that many more have left, but right now I can't think of any.

Regarding your business-related reasons for being in Milwaukee, I think we can work around that.  Lots of other stuff for me to do in town.

[CNW 6000]

zardoz

CNW 6000

One of these weekends...I'm actually going to be able to go south and spend some time looking around.  Hopefully it'll help!  Sad to admit I've never been to Duplainville or Butler Yard yet.

If you want a guide, let me know.  I can either give you some suggestions, or if you want, I could meet you somewhere, and I'll give you the tour. You may reply either here, or you can PM me.

I may just take you up on that Jim.  I'll PM with more details...however, I may have business related reasons to visit Milwaukee-land...too early to tell yet though.  I'll keep you posted.

Anyone remember "Poppa Zit" from on here?  I haven't seen him in forever.

[zardoz]

CNW 6000

One of these weekends...I'm actually going to be able to go south and spend some time looking around.  Hopefully it'll help!  Sad to admit I've never been to Duplainville or Butler Yard yet.

If you want a guide, let me know.  I can either give you some suggestions, or if you want, I could meet you somewhere, and I'll give you the tour. You may reply either here, or you can PM me.

[CShaveRR]

Interesting to think about. Unless the CSA remained very isolationist, I think they'd probably have to convert to survive economically, probably by the time World War I rolled around. It's so hard to think about things like that, because if they had become independent so much else would be different as well.

Not as hard to think about wishing Kathi Kube a really happy birthday. This young lady was born just before Pat and I graduated from high school--amazing! Hope your day--and the upcoming year--goes very well for you, Kat!

[nanaimo73]

I came across this interesting article, which mentions the 5 foot gauge railways of the south converting to standard gauge during the 1880s. This has left me wondering how long the 5 foot gauge would have lasted if the Confederate States had gained independence. Anyone have an opinion?

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1993/3/1993_3_54.shtml

[switch7frg]

In spite of things that happened today;  life is still good and trains will still roll on by. ~~~ LOL    albiet a bit jerky.    Jim

[AgentKid]

Nothing too much going on with me this long weekend. I hope my fellow Canadian readers enjoyed their Victoria Day holiday.

Bruce

 

[CShaveRR]

Not much railroady new here, and the other stuff usually goes to Facebook now.

90 and sticky here, but I got the lawn mowed. It needed it. Our lawn is the best-looking it's been in years, probably due to the warm, wet spring we've had (oh, and Tru-Green!)

All three of the grandchildren were baptized yesterday, and a lot of the family from Michigan came down to witness it. The minister let Katelyn (5) give the benediction for the service. She thought that was big stuff (and so did we!). We then went to an Italian restaurant in Naperville where they stuffed us with a country-style dinner. Seven kids seven and under were present, so it was anything but a calm dining experience. We enjoyed it, though.

As a result of attending the baptism service, I'm on a three-day weekend, and haven't seen a train since I got home Saturday. One thing exciting in the yard is that UP is getting back some of the SD60Ms it sent to EMD for rebuilding. They're unrepainted so far, and have large, new flared radiators at the hind end. No new number series, so far.

[tree68]

CNW 6000

What's new with everyone?

Same ol' same ol'.  Eat, sleep, work, watch trains....

[CNW 6000]

Had to get out the GPS to find this place...

What's new with everyone?

[CShaveRR]

Pat and I had to spend most of the afternoon in the Naperville area yesterday. We wound up with a little time to kill, and Pat had her knitting with her, so we went to Eola. In just 40 minutes we caught a westbound Amtrak Superliner train (I can never tell those two apart), a couple of dinkies, two stack trains, and a manifest of sorts (still being put together, apparently).

[The Butler]

mudchicken

Butler:

Look at the STB website under today's decisions...EP-695....(Ex-Parte Hearing 695)

The shine is off the cow-pie...

From what I've read here: STB EP_695_0 , it sounds like Conrail, in 1996, discontinued service to and sold parts of the Lehigh Valley Main Line.  Conrail did this without proper filings with the Surface Transportation Board.  Now, Conrail, CSX and NS want to discontinue service and abandon what is left.  The paper trail for this joint effort has stirred up some muck from Conrail's past.

MC, are you implying that this is the tip of an iceberg, not an isolated incident? 

[mudchicken]

Butler:

Look at the STB website under today's decisions...EP-695....(Ex-Parte Hearing 695)

The shine is off the cow-pie...

[AgentKid]

For the first time since the 3rd week of March, I got trackside today and there was an amazing sight. After years of talk, the original CPR yard in Calgary, built in 1883, has had all of the track removed and it is being graded for some new non railway construction. There is only the double track mainline left.

Alyth was built in 1899 and the original yard became known as the Industrial Yard, although it was never a station in the timetable. One of the first photographs ever taken in Calgary shows a windmill being used to pump water out of the Elbow River into the water tank, which was at the east end of the yard. Kind of amusing when you hear about all of the windmills RR's are carrying around the country in this Green Craze.

And another thing I always found interesting is how some traditions went on, even though RR's are always looking for new ways of doing things. From the time Alyth was built and all of the servicing facilities for engines, cars, and cabooses were moved there, during slow times surplus cabooses were stored on what was the original yard caboose track. One author I read said he believed that there were cabooses stored on that original track for at least a few weeks or more a year, from 1899 to the end of cabooses in 1991.

They have been talking about it for so long I kind of thought it was never going to happen.

Bruce

 

[The Butler]

mudchicken

Happy to see that the STB is finally gonna start looking at some of the "creative" ways that Conrail cooked the books and take some of that smurf blue shine and halo away. (EP-695)

Where did you hear about this?

[CNW 6000]

nanaimo73

On page 65 of the June 2010 issue of Trains, it says the July issue will contain a Trackside Guide to Milwaukee. Has anyone heard if this will be a 16 page pullout section, like those 5 guides that appeared while Mark Hemphill was the editor?

That'd be good.  One of these weekends...I'm actually going to be able to go south and spend some time looking around.  Hopefully it'll help!  Sad to admit I've never been to Duplainville or Butler Yard yet...sheesh...

[CShaveRR]

nanaimo73

On page 65 of the June 2010 issue of Trains, it says the July issue will contain a Trackside Guide to Milwaukee. Has anyone heard if this will be a 16 page pullout section, like those 5 guides that appeared while Mark Hemphill was the editor?

I never pulled out these guides. But one for Milwaukee sounds like a good idea. There was a lot there that isn't any more; let's see if they can make it persuasive enough to pry me away from here for a day (by train!).

[mudchicken]

Happy to see that the STB is finally gonna start looking at some of the "creative" ways that Conrail cooked the books and take some of that smurf blue shine and halo away. (EP-695)

[nanaimo73]

On page 65 of the June 2010 issue of Trains, it says the July issue will contain a Trackside Guide to Milwaukee. Has anyone heard if this will be a 16 page pullout section, like those 5 guides that appeared while Mark Hemphill was the editor?