Trackside Lounge: 3Q 2010

[zardoz]

CNW 6000

Today was another 'gangbuster' day but for both directions.  The first of 5 NB trains hit Oshkosh at 0515 followed by two more at 0532 and 0550 then a "lull" until 0620 and 0645.  Then it was the SB run...I heard RTC talking to 4 trains between Anton Siding, Nelson Siding, and the Steven's Point Yard.  All were to be run immediately following the NB clearing their areas.  The last SB went through around 12:30 (if I heard correctly).  9 trains in one morning!

So why is it every time I visit up there I feel lucky if I see 2 trains?!?  Or drive all the way from Milwaukee to FDL without hearing or seeing even 1 train.  Guess it's all in the timing.....

[rvos1979]

I can remember, back in the Wisconsin Central days, of seeing trains running on 10-minute headways, usually late at night in Burlington.  Made for some interesting watching, usually got to catch both intermodal trains, as well as everything else that plied WC rails.

As for timing one's speed to lights, when you have ten gears to go through to get up to speed, you tend to want to do as little shifting as possible, besides, it's part of the fun of dealing with traffic.  Got a bottle of water thrown at me the other day from the driver I jerked back to reality, after he tried to block me from changing lanes.  Some people just don't understand what it takes to drive a truck...... 

[zugmann]

CShaveRR

I'll have to check, but I believe the full circle (minus the center light) also had an indication.

 

 

I believe that was an indication to take the siding...

[CShaveRR]

CNW 6000

CNW 6000

I may have a way of checking what the signals were for one, possibly two of those trains from today. 

I can confirm that the rock train was running on the Yellows (Advanced Approach) and the stack had hung back far enough to be hitting Green (Clear) until closer to Milwaukee. Aarrrrrrghhh!

Today was another 'gangbuster' day but for both directions.  The first of 5 NB trains hit Oshkosh at 0515 followed by two more at 0532 and 0550 then a "lull" until 0620 and 0645.  Then it was the SB run...I heard RTC talking to 4 trains between Anton Siding, Nelson Siding, and the Steven's Point Yard.  All were to be run immediately following the NB clearing their areas.  The last SB went through around 12:30 (if I heard correctly).  9 trains in one morning! 

I am terribly jealous, Dan! I spent the morning mowing the lawn, and could hear the action, but couldn't do anything about it. Tomorrow I hope to do better--we have errands to run in Elmhurst. Then a wedding in the afternoon--my "Princess" from work is getting hitched (hence many references in previous posts to the "Princess Bride)!

[CShaveRR]

I'll have to check, but I believe the full circle (minus the center light) also had an indication.

[Deggesty]

tree68

Didn't PRR use an aspect on their position lights which involved a backwards diagonal?

There was also an "X" (try that with color position lights) which, as I recall, was a signal to lower the pantograph.

[CNW 6000]

CNW 6000

I may have a way of checking what the signals were for one, possibly two of those trains from today. 

I can confirm that the rock train was running on the Yellows (Advanced Approach) and the stack had hung back far enough to be hitting Green (Clear) until closer to Milwaukee.

Today was another 'gangbuster' day but for both directions.  The first of 5 NB trains hit Oshkosh at 0515 followed by two more at 0532 and 0550 then a "lull" until 0620 and 0645.  Then it was the SB run...I heard RTC talking to 4 trains between Anton Siding, Nelson Siding, and the Steven's Point Yard.  All were to be run immediately following the NB clearing their areas.  The last SB went through around 12:30 (if I heard correctly).  9 trains in one morning! 

[CShaveRR]

Yes, they did, Larry--three of them, to be precise.

If you had just the "\" on a black background, you would be in Manual Block territory, and it would be a Permissive Block signal. Passenger trains had to stop for it, but freight trains could continue, not exceeding 15 m.p.h., prepared to stop short.

The black disc displaying "\" with a single yellow light below was a Caution signal--basically an Approach signal (immediately reduce to 40, prepared to stop at the next signal), with the added stipulation that if there was a facing-point switch associated with the signal, you had to be prepared to stop short of it as well.

Finally, if there were three diagonal lights showing "\" below a disc displaying three horizontal lights, that was a Restricting signal--proceed prepared to stop short of train, engine, or obstruction, looking out for broken rail, and not exceeding 15 m.p.h..

[tree68]

Didn't PRR use an aspect on their position lights which involved a backwards diagonal?

[zugmann]

I always liked "medium approach medium" signals.  Red over yellow over green.  Used around here when you have two interlocking signals in a row without an automatic b/t them.

 

Or approach slow (either yellow over yellow or yellow over red over green or the PRR position light aspect of the two diagonal strips of light).  

 

Then there's always the "approach ambiguous" when you can't quite make it out...

[jeffhergert]

UP likes the Advance Approach.  Where they have added CTC and wayside signals, flashing yellows have appeared.  Still a few places where you go green, yellow, red. 

Out around Omaha there are a couple of two mile long blocks.  The Advance Approach is still used. 

When I was at Conductor's school years ago, we formed small groups that had to arrange cards with signal indications/aspects in their proper sequence.  One instructor, off the original UP, said the cards in the clear/green, approach/yellow and stop/red sequence were wrong, there needed to be an advance approach, either a flashing yellow or (at the time) yellow over green.  He was surprised that there were places where there was no advance approach.

Carl, if you think "advanced approach" is bad, you should hear some call out a red over lunar, "Diverging Restricting."

Jeff  

[Deggesty]

chad thomas

That's just as puzzling to me as drivers that race to the next red traffic light on the road..yet 90% do (round the urban areas anyway). while I cruise the speed limit and 'hit the greens', save fuel, save brake wear & tear, reduce stress,, ect.......

Chad, what is really puzzling is that the same people do it every day, on the way to or from work. I used a certain highway, which had signaled intersections every mile or mile and a half. I knew how fast to go so I would not have to stop (it was slower than the speed limit)--and the same people passed me daily, traveling at the speed limit or faster, and had to stop because they were unable realize that they could not influence the signal system. Did they want to see how long they could wait at a red light light? I do not miss being in such traffic.

When I lived in Reform, Alabama, I drove to Birmingham occasionally. Along the highway through Bessemer, there were signs indicating that the signals were set for 40 mph--and they were so set. I passed many other vehicles at the lights after they had passed me along the way. Poor reading comprehension?

[CShaveRR]

Z-man (or, I guess, "Z-men"), I hope it was really "Advance Approach".

I agree that an Advance Approach would be used in the event of those shorter blocks, and probably not in the case of the longer blocks. Good case in point is the new area of block signals out here on the Geneva Sub. The signals are roughly a mile apart, and are capable of displaying the flashing-yellow aspect.

[zardoz]

zugmann

chad thomas

  Or is there some other mechanism to insert additional reds (or yellows for that matter) where short signal blocks are?

 Under the NORAC (and former NORAC) lines, there was the "advanced approach". 

http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Signal/aspects_us_norac.html

 

It's  a flashing yellow that means to:

Proceed prepared to stop at the second signal. Trains exceeding Limited Speed must begin reduction to Limited Speed as soon as engine passes the Advance Approach signal.

Around here, they use these at two spots:  (1). where the signal system has very short blocks (one particular spot, special instructions require you to bring your train down to medium speed as you pass the advanced approach, due to the short blocks, and (2) where the next automatic signal is a "layback point".  In those cases, if you would stop at the interlocking signal - you would be tying up towns, or crossings, or be in the way.  So you would get an advanced approach, then stop at the approach, unless told otherwise (timetable instructions cover this, too).

Metra suburban territory also uses 'advanced approach' ("proceed prepared to pass the next signal not exceeding 40mph"), the difference being that the indication is yellow over green. This is because not only of the short blocks, but also due to the frequency of trains. It is quite common for rush-hour trains to be constantly running on approaches. But due to alternate-station stopping, by the time you are done with your station stop, the signal ahead will have already changed to a more favorable aspect.

[zugmann]

chad thomas

  Or is there some other mechanism to insert additional reds (or yellows for that matter) where short signal blocks are?

 Under the NORAC (and former NORAC) lines, there was the "advanced approach". 

http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Signal/aspects_us_norac.html

 

It's  a flashing yellow that means to:

Proceed prepared to stop at the second signal. Trains exceeding Limited Speed must begin reduction to Limited Speed as soon as engine passes the Advance Approach signal.

 

Around here, they use these at two spots:  (1). where the signal system has very short blocks (one particular spot, special instructions require you to bring your train down to medium speed as you pass the advanced approach, due to the short blocks, and (2) where the next automatic signal is a "layback point".  In those cases, if you would stop at the interlocking signal - you would be tying up towns, or crossings, or be in the way.  So you would get an advanced approach, then stop at the approach, unless told otherwise (timetable instructions cover this, too).

 

 

[chad thomas]

zardoz

]I could never figure out why engineers would run on the yellows. It certainly is not going to get them anywhere any faster. Running on greens makes for a much more relaxed trip. Much better to back off on the throttle a bit for a few minutes and get some distance from FRED.  Plus chances are that you'll just sit behind the train ahead when they get to the yard.

 

 

That's just as puzzling to me as drivers that race to the next red traffic light on the road..yet 90% do (round the urban areas anyway). while I cruise the speed limit and 'hit the greens', save fuel, save brake wear & tear, reduce stress,, ect.......

 

While we are on the subject..... I have wondered,( but not enough to ask till now ).........

When you are 'riding the yellows' out on the main where signals are spaced evenly, like the ex AT&SF across the desert (2 miles),  you would have to stay at least 3 or 4 blocks back (depending on aspect count of the sig. system, R-R-Y-G or R-R-FR-Y-G)  to avoid catching up with the yellows, 6-8 miles in the SF case. But what happens when you get into a congested area where the blocks may be shorter? Like between a couple closely spaced interlockings? Does that allow you to get that much closer to the preceding movement where those short(er) blocks are only to be spaced out again when you get back to blocks with even signal spacing again? Or is there some other mechanism to insert additional reds (or yellows for that matter) where short signal blocks are?

 

[AgentKid]

AgentKid

all of a sudden hail started hitting the window harder than I have ever heard it in the twenty years I have lived here

 

AgentKid

and ran and hid behind some counters in the kitchen

 

That post was written on July 13. I heard on the news yesterday that the storm on July 12, 2010 is now the most expensive storm in Canadian history. The Insurance industry group has reported claims of C$400 million.

Zardoz's post on August 10 got me thinking about an unremarked job of Station Agent's. Every day they would record weather readings in log books. In my Dad's case it was done at noon just before he went back for lunch. There was a thermometer on the semaphore signal post in front of the office, and a rain gauge on a clothesline post in the back yard. Cloud conditions were reported and wind speed and direction were estimated. In the winter in particular, any weather activity that could affect the operation of the railway was to be recorded when it started, and also reported to the dispatcher to aid in his work.

You had agents doing this every seven to twenty miles apart, and if those log books were still available, would have made a very good start to building a historical database of weather history in an area. There might have been local inconsistencies, but over time they could have been factored in and help to produce a very good history. Some former small towns around Calgary have become fairly large size bedroom communities now, and I get frustrated and sad when I hear them talking about record setting phenomena based on history going back to 1980!

Oh, well.

Bruce

 

[zugmann]

 

CNW 6000

CShaveRR

Dan, I would have given a lot to see the signals that the two following trains were receiving! I suspect that they were indeed running on the yellow block of the train ahead. I can't recall what CN says a following train should be running on an Approach indication, but wouldn't be too surprised if it's within 10-20 m.p.h. of track speed through there. But something like that is always impressive. I'm jealous--don't know when I'll be back to train-watching around here.

Carl,

I may have a way of checking what the signals were for one, possibly two of those trains from today.  I'll have to check and possibly report back and see if I can get an indication of what "the rules" would've said too.  Seems like a couple times per week we'll get a run of back-to-back-to-back (and sometimes one more!) trains in one direction.  I was lucky once last year: caught the string of 3 SB trains in a row and then 4 NB trains...all in around 45 minutes which I don't think is too bad for basically single tracked mainline.

they're probably approaching (heh) the  signal prepared to stop, see that it is displaying another approach, and speed up just to slow down to be prepared for the next signal, speeding up again, etc.... Unless they are timing it just right so the signal goes back up to clear just before they pass it...

They are basically "hot-dogging" it.  As zardoz pointed out, no real reason to do that.  Just mosey along on the first approach, then you will usually end up with some better colors. 

 

[CShaveRR]

Paul--I know it was Robinson Crusoe whom Daniel Defoe wrote about. But if you listen to the song, they stretch it out into three syllables, like Enrico's name.

[zardoz]

CNW 6000

CShaveRR

Dan, I would have given a lot to see the signals that the two following trains were receiving! I suspect that they were indeed running on the yellow block of the train ahead. I can't recall what CN says a following train should be running on an Approach indication, but wouldn't be too surprised if it's within 10-20 m.p.h. of track speed through there. But something like that is always impressive. I'm jealous--don't know when I'll be back to train-watching around here.

Carl,

I may have a way of checking what the signals were for one, possibly two of those trains from today.  I'll have to check and possibly report back and see if I can get an indication of what "the rules" would've said too.  Seems like a couple times per week we'll get a run of back-to-back-to-back (and sometimes one more!) trains in one direction.  I was lucky once last year: caught the string of 3 SB trains in a row and then 4 NB trains...all in around 45 minutes which I don't think is too bad for basically single tracked mainline.

I could never figure out why engineers would run on the yellows. It certainly is not going to get them anywhere any faster. Running on greens makes for a much more relaxed trip. Much better to back off on the throttle a bit for a few minutes and get some distance from FRED.  Plus chances are that you'll just sit behind the train ahead when they get to the yard.

[CNW 6000]

CShaveRR

Dan, I would have given a lot to see the signals that the two following trains were receiving! I suspect that they were indeed running on the yellow block of the train ahead. I can't recall what CN says a following train should be running on an Approach indication, but wouldn't be too surprised if it's within 10-20 m.p.h. of track speed through there. But something like that is always impressive. I'm jealous--don't know when I'll be back to train-watching around here.

Carl,

I may have a way of checking what the signals were for one, possibly two of those trains from today.  I'll have to check and possibly report back and see if I can get an indication of what "the rules" would've said too.  Seems like a couple times per week we'll get a run of back-to-back-to-back (and sometimes one more!) trains in one direction.  I was lucky once last year: caught the string of 3 SB trains in a row and then 4 NB trains...all in around 45 minutes which I don't think is too bad for basically single tracked mainline.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

CShaveRR

  Old business: No net, no cell, no cable wire,

Not a single luxury.

Like Robinson Caruso*

It's as primitive as can be.

(Apologies, between grimaces, to Gilligan and company.)  

     

*Should be "Crusoe" instead, I believe - but it still works ! 

- Paul North.

P.S. - The "Gilligan's Island Theme Song Lyrics", from someplace on the 'Net:

Just sit right back
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
The Skipper brave and sure,
Five passengers set sail that day,
For a three hour tour,
A three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost.
The Minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore
Of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan,
The Skipper too.
The millionaire
And his wife,
The movie star,
The professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligan's Isle.

(Ending verse)

So this is the tale of our castaways,
They're here for a long long time.
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

The first mate and his Skipper too
Will do their very best,
To make the others comf'terble
In their tropic island nest.

No phone, no lights, no motor car,
Not a single luxury
Like Robinson Crusoe
It's primitive as can be.

So join us here each week my friends,
You're sure to get a smile,
From seven stranded castaways
Here on Gilligan's Isle!

gE('songlyrics').innerHTML = gE('songlyrics_h').innerHTML; if (typeof startSignatureInsert === 'function') { startSignatureInsert(); }

[CShaveRR]

Dan, I would have given a lot to see the signals that the two following trains were receiving! I suspect that they were indeed running on the yellow block of the train ahead. I can't recall what CN says a following train should be running on an Approach indication, but wouldn't be too surprised if it's within 10-20 m.p.h. of track speed through there. But something like that is always impressive. I'm jealous--don't know when I'll be back to train-watching around here.

[CShaveRR]

Old business: No net, no cell, no cable wire,

Not a single luxury.

Like Robinson Caruso

It's as primitive as can be.

(Apologies, between grimaces, to Gilligan and company.)

______________

I think I saw a train forming to the east of us on our way home today. One thunderhead was well formed and downright wicked-looking, and there was another forming behind it, then another. I should have looked at our radar when we got home, to see where these storms were popping up. I'd guess southeastern Michigan, or perhaps northwestern Ohio or northeastern Indiana.

Meanwhile, both in western Michigan and here, we are hot and sticky, highs hovering around 90 into the weekend. There is a chance of showers throughout the forecast. This morning western Michigan got hit with some severe thunderstorms. We were north of the line, but not so far north that we couldn't see the dark clouds passing over the Lake to our south, and we heard rumbles of thunder. The cottage received a half-inch of rain, being about 60 miles outside the severe storm warning.

Our local NBC meteorologist regularly takes the "computer guidance" out a full week in advance. My experience with these long-range forecasts is that they're pretty accurate in general terms. What often happens is that they change somewhere in the middle of the week, then change back the evening before the actual event.

_______________

The railroad has cut off all of its direct obligations to me. This resulted in a pretty impressive paycheck, encompassing my last few days of work, three weeks of 2010 vacation, and five weeks of 2011 vacation. Now we have to make it last until the Railroad Retirement checks start rolling in--possibly not until October 1.

_______________

Last night I was at a party that could make basketball fans envious. Both MJ and Labron, James, were there! Their only entourage was Mrs. Labron and about 15 other former high-school classmates of mine. (I don't suspect that Joanne knew what a furor she could cause over 30 years ago when she married James Labron. And MJ--a.k.a. Mary Jane--and I have been friends for nearly 53 of my sixty years!) The party was at a classmate's cottage near Lake Michigan. It was a comfortable gathering (everybody talked to everyone else and seemed genuinely glad to see them), and the food (potluck) was excellent! There were people there that I'd wondered about for years, and others who, thanks to Facebook, we've talked to and seen several times this year alone. I was not the one who came the farthest to attend--that honor went to a girl (Dr. Nancy), who came in from the Virginia side of suburban D.C. Pat, who did not go to high school with me, found interests in common with several of the people there.

[zugmann]

Paul_D_North_Jr

 

Zug - are you familiar with the book that Railway Man introduced most of us to about 2 years ago - The North American Railroad: Its Origin, Evolution, and Geography, by James E. Vance, Jr., 384 pages, The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1st edition (September 1, 1995), ISBN-10: 0801845734, ISBN-13: 978-0801845734 ?  See also http://www.amazon.com/North-American-Railroad-Evolution-Geography/dp/0801845734  If not, I highly recommend that you get hold of a copy.

- Paul North. 

 

 

Never heard of the book, but not much time for reading, lately.  I'll take a look for it, though. 

 

We have people of all walks of life in this industry, which is part of the fun of it.   Yeah, I went to college straight out of high school, but you have to, or else you lose most of your student aid, which is what I consider a major problem with the current system.  Of course once you start working, paying into retirement, 401(k), have health insurance, it is hard to turn back.  I'd like to, but.... 

 

At the college I went to, it was all professors.  I never had a teaching assistant.   Many were smart people, but they just can't teach worth a ***.  I guess it's that "you pay all this for tuition, it is pretty much up to you to learn the material".   I call BS on that argument, but it was very prevalent.  There were also some that did not have English as their first language, and it could be very hard to understand them.   Nice enough guys, but it did get frustrating after awhile. 

 

CEO?  I doubt I could be a trainmaster, much less a CEO.  I am just too nice, and have too much respect for other workers (to my determent at times).  Besides, management in a RR is not a nice profession.  We are going to end up in a serious shortage of management soon, because of retirements and no one in my generation will move "up" to that position.   Why would you?  You make a salary that isn't much higher than our pay, and you work about 3x as much (and end up getting screamed at by everybody at a daily basis).  Just no respect for that position at all.  

 

Like I said, these thoughts happens every fall.  And also due to the fact I had a manager question us because he thinks we were intentionally screwing him in the speed which we were working.  (I don't play those petty games, and am pretty angry about the accusation). 

[CNW 6000]

Question:

On the CN in my area (Oshkosh, WI) today I observed three trains heading SB following each other what I'd call "close" together.

A little background:
Near the crossing at Murdock Ave. (http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.03953,-88.53109&z=15&t=M ) is an 'approach lit' signal that you can see clearly from the crossing at Nevada (next crossing south of Murdock).  I usually sit at or near the Nevada crossing or another place further north...I digress.  I like this spot because a quick glance at the signal (clear block is dark) will tell me if I anything's coming.

I was watching the signal when it turned red on the head facing to the south, indicating a SB train was approaching.  Sure enough a manifest went by and the signal remained red as the train was still "in the block".  The light went out and within 30 seconds it turned red again.  I found it odd that would happen but sure enough a rock train went south.  30 seconds after the signal went dark again it went red...again.  Q198 (containers) came south.  Each train seemingly was at the max authorized speed for the sub.

My question is this:
Does dispatching software allow the dispatcher (or CN's "RTC's" ) to plan for trains to hit blocks to such precise timing or could it have been trains just short of 'running on yellows'?  I mention the timing because I was noting the times and actually timed the second one as I was cued in by a talking defect detector over my scanner.  Or could it be simply "that's how it's done" and I've missed thinking about it because the trains normally aren't this tightly spaced around here?  TIA.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

zugmann

  [snip] . . . But I did find my true passion (which I never would have imagined) in geography (with a gov't minor).  Loved every minute of that, and I *SHOULD* have went to grad school to pursue a master's in planning.  But stupid me let the RR bug bite, and now I get to spend my nights fighting with a robot locomotive in a yard.  [snip] 

Zug - are you familiar with the book that Railway Man introduced most of us to about 2 years ago - The North American Railroad: Its Origin, Evolution, and Geography, by James E. Vance, Jr., 384 pages, The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1st edition (September 1, 1995), ISBN-10: 0801845734, ISBN-13: 978-0801845734 ?  See also http://www.amazon.com/North-American-Railroad-Evolution-Geography/dp/0801845734  If not, I highly recommend that you get hold of a copy. 

You might be surprised who else you'd find doing that.  I know of a couple guys with MBAs from the 'other' Pennsylvania state universities in that system who are quirte content with herding cars at a nearby independently-owned multi-purpose yard in the 'Christmas City'.

And I'll bet that you went to college right out of high school.  That's the typical pattern, but it doesn't work for everyone.  Lots of people do much better after some 'seasoning' = work experience away from the school environment for a few years - I worked for 2 years before going to grad school.  It's more than just motivation of "I'm not doing that for the rest of my life" - there's a better perspective and maturing, plus some better analytical abilities after being in a different place for a while.  Also, starting over again in another school with a better choice of faculty helps a lot.  I'm always amazed at how ignorant the otherwise pro-consumer culture is about the quality of the professors teachers at any of those schools, for what they charge for tuition - are they merely grad students that are earning their way through, or full professors ?  Do they know the subject well - is it their major ?  Can they teach worth a darn ?  Can they even speak the English language intelligibly ?  And so on . . .

Besides - you may have the makings of a future railroad CEO !  Lots of them started out on the trains or in the yards, and then moved up through the ranks, acquiring one or more degrees along the way.  An easy one that comes to mind is the now-retired E. Hunter Harrison of CN . . .  

- Paul North. 

[CNW 6000]

zugmann

  But every fall I think about the school choices I made and wonder....

I'd bet that there's a lot of folks that do just that.  I'll say "+1".

[zugmann]

Willy2

Zug,

I'm a meteorology major at Creighton in Omaha right now. I've made it through Calc I and Calc II, along with Physics I. This semester I have to deal with differential equations, and then it will be Calc III and Physics II. So far, I've been lucky to have good professors and upper classmen that have actually been willing to help me out with the math.

Did you have any idea where you wanted to work? TV station, NWS, private forecasting company?

And I've never really understood the whole concept of storm chasing. There's this one storm chaser who posts beautiful photos on the internet, which is fine. But, he drives into thunderstorms on purpose, hoping to get hit with the biggest hail in the storm. Why would you want to destroy your car like that? There's also the risk of personal injury from that. I just don't get it.

 

 

I never gave it much thought - probably government, though.  I think that gov't work is pretty noble, and I have a face for radio, so any type of on-air stuff was 100% out of the question.  And I don't really care if the high temperature today is 92 or 94, it's just going to be too stinking hot!

 

It was funny, everything I learned in calc 1 at college, and most of calc 2, I already learned in high school calculus.  Yes, I had a hell of a teacher.  She could teach circles around those professors with one hand tied behind her back.   I also didn't really fit in with the weather  guys (I barely fit in with anyone) and wasn't a huge fan of the whole department. I found most of the people in the geography department (both faculty and students) more down to earth (pun intended?)

 

If I had to do it again - maybe I would have tried engineering.  Who knows.  Too late now. Or I would have tried to hire on with the RR at 18.  Would have much better seniority now.  Of course when you are 2nd in your high school class (not a huge accomplishment - small school), I guess it was always expected I'd go to college and make something great of myself.  Oh well, it's a job and more than many can say.  And I run probably the biggest, baddest R/C toy in the county.   Will I last the 33 years I have remaining?  Who knows.  But every fall I think about the school choices I made and wonder....

 

On a simpler note, I'm thinking about making a drive up to Steamtown this weekend.  Been ages since I've been up there.  Depends on how the rest of the week goes...

 

[zardoz]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Around here the weather forecasters and reporters often call that . . . "training" . . .   (sorry - I couldn't resist)

The point goes to you, Paul.  I can hardly believe I didn't think of including that term.

My mind is going (I just wish I knew to where).