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Trackside Lounge: 1Q 2011

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 10:42 PM

Cripes...that's complicated Carl! 

It was another good 3 hours...hehe.  Look away now, Carl...all are clickable FMI should anyone so desire.

Started my afternoon off by catching M341 waiting to head north once A416 was clear:
CN 2277 North as M341

Along the way back to the other end of the yard, a local seemed to "get caught", lucky Devil!
L523 Behind Bars

Talk about timing?  How's two FREDs in one shot?
Double Fred

Shortly thereafter the southbound started to pull:
CN 5554 South as L576

These guys had lots to wait for:
L533 Gives a Rollby

Whaddya know...a northbound (#1):
CN 5646 North as M347

Followed by an intermodal (NB #2):
CN 2538 North as Q199

Time to jet to Oshkosh to catch a maiden voyage:
WSOR 3809 South as L595

Yay for the scanner...one more train for the day!
CN 2524 South as Q198

WHEW!

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 5:10 PM

The LSBC cars I saw (this was about the time I hired out for the C&NW, in 1971) were mostly old New York Central 40-foot box cars.  I think the route to LSBC was via some leasing company in Florida.  I'm not sure that it was so much out-and-out theft as a misunderstanding...but I'm sure that the company that suffered because of the misunderstanding (PC) didn't see it that way!  The cars I saw probably never were returned to PC--the same old cars would up with CLK reporting marks soon thereafter (and the operator of the Cadillac & Lake City was not unfamiliar with criminal proceedings, as we later found out).  Some of those CLK cars eventually wound up on the Maryland & Pennsylvania--by which time I presume the misunderstandings had all been ironed out.

Carl

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Posted by AgentKid on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 1:01 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr

Back in the early 1970's days of the financial unraveling of Penn Central, there was the strange case of the LaSalle & Bureau County Railroad in north central Illinois as I recall, which was found to own something like 270-some boxcars.  Now this was before the "incentive per diem" short-line boxcar fleet craze of the later 1970's, so it was somewhat unusual.  Allegations were made that the railroad's officials had been - as the old Western saying goes - "somewhat careless in the manner of their acquisition of riding horses" - or here, "rolling stock"; in other words, they were stolen from PC.

Thank you, Paul. I have been waiting for years to see this item either in the magazine or posted here. I can remember vividly reading about this while I still lived at home. There was a picture of one decrepit looking boxcar. I never remembered the RR name, but I do remember it was in the upper Midwest somewhere. I can't remember if the story was in TIME Magazine or in the CPR staff magazine. The whole thing struck me as so crazy.

Once I started to read TRAINS magazine again and join the forum I began to understand about reporting marks, and began a patient wait for this story to eventually come out. Thanks again.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:44 AM

CShaveRR

Like I said, Dan...don't make me come up there!

The numbers of the ore cars now go up as high as 71203.  I forgot what I said the end point was earlier, but there have obviously been at least 500 added.  I don't see the National Steel Car decals on these, so it's possible that someone else built them.  Nice down-on view, by the way.

You and Pat are quite welcome to come up this way!  I think I could even locate a quilting/fabric store to keep her busy...and some company with which to work her trade whist we entertained ourselves otherwise.  Things are picking up and I've been getting a better feel for when things "should" be moving around here.  Let me know if you do decide to pop up...we'll make something happen.

Thanks for the compliments!

Dan

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:42 AM

Re:  Boxcars owned by railroads with odd names - Back in the early 1970's days of the financial unraveling of Penn Central, there was the strange case of the LaSalle & Bureau County Railroad in north central Illinois as I recall, which was found to own something like 270-some boxcars.  Now this was before the "incentive per diem" short-line boxcar fleet craze of the later 1970's, so it was somewhat unusual.  Allegations were made that the railroad's officials had been - as the old Western saying goes - "somewhat careless in the manner of their acquisition of riding horses" - or here, "rolling stock"; in other words, they were stolen from PC.  However, "the rest of the story" seems that there was a mix-up and bad record-keeping by the tottering rail giant - see, for example: http://www.trainweb.org/lsbc/theft.html 

And at about 3/4 of the way down this webpage: http://www.kinglyheirs.com/NewYorkStateRailroads/PennCentral1.html#BoxCars

From http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2119011 -

LaSalle & Bureau County = "LSBC" = "Let's Steal Box Cars"  Laugh 

You Upper MidWest folks might enjoy the comments in that thread, too !

- Paul North.

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:12 AM

From the sounds of it, it was both!!

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:02 AM

WMNB4THRTL

Are you sure??!! Next, you're gonna be telling us their law firm was Dewey, Cheatum & Howe!! Wink

Actually, I think it was Locke, Stocke, and Baril...

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 10:39 AM

So, I guess I was right on the money! (That's a first!! LaughSmile, Wink & Grin) But...I Googled it and was surprised to see them operating today!! Well, OK, it is now Lancaster & Chester RailWAY, which I've learned from all my studies, is often the case for reincarnation!! It's all paying off!!

I'm glad you are better; gee, maybe another trip to DQ would help you feel even better?  Wink Take care.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 9:58 AM

Like I said, Dan...don't make me come up there!

The numbers of the ore cars now go up as high as 71203.  I forgot what I said the end point was earlier, but there have obviously been at least 500 added.  I don't see the National Steel Car decals on these, so it's possible that someone else built them.  Nice down-on view, by the way.

___________________

Nance, it's funny that you mentioned Dewey, Cheatem & Howe, especially in connection with the Lancaster & Chester Railroad.  If any railroad could ever be accused of not taking itself too seriously, it was the Lancaster & Chester!  Their listings in the Official Guide were required reading at one time.  I have only one of these listings from back in the day (1948, in my case).  It was rather tame compared to the others.  This 29-mile shortline had about 25 vice presidents, most of which were in New York City, but there was one each in Nyack, New York, Xenia, Ohio, Daytona Beach, Florida, as well as many of the larger American Cities.  W. F. Halsey was the Vice President in charge of White Horse supply, based in Charlottesville, Virginia.   (A chapter describing the L&C noted that Gypsy Rose Lee was once their Vice President in charge of Unveiling.)  The line had two attorneys, but three surgeons. This Official Guide listing shows that their Advertising Agent was Lowell Thomas, in New York City, and R. J. Reynolds was their Marine Superintendent (on a land-locked railroad!). 

According to the chapter on the L&C in A Treasury of Railroad Folklore by B. A. Botkin and Alvin F. Harlow, they had other brochures and dining-car menus (on a freight-only line!) that were even more outrageous.  One of the passenger trains, the White Horse, was scheduled to travel the 29 miles in 30 minutes, but was "to be run only by a Vice President".  A note at one station meant "bad connection", and at the next station, "not the slightest connection".  It would be nice if someone could provide a link to some of these items.

___________________

The sore throat lingers, but I'm otherwise feeling much more normal today.  We're going out to BNSF country in a little while, east of our usual haunts (Pat needs to go to a specific location for some supplies; it's up to me to make the most of the journeys to and from).

Carl

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 8:24 AM

Carl & Jim (or anyone else who's interested),

Yesterday I think I caught movement of new (empty) DMIR ore jennies northward.  Unfortunately I didn't realize (or think about it) until this morning when I realized none of the numbers I saw came up on other lists.  Here's some photographic goodies for ya:

Golden Jennies
Golden Jennies

DMIR 70992
DMIR 70992

Inside a Hopper
DMIR 70992 Inside

End Markings
DMIR 70964 End Markings

 

Those cars were part of a semi-eventful 90 minutes (most of which was spent driving...ugh).  First thing I saw just outside of work:
M346
IC 2717 South as M346

After hearing the East RTC tell L528 to "...duck into WINNEBAGO to meet one Northbound" I headed north.  Just in time to catch the local.
L528
CN 9677 South as L528

I decided to head further north to see about getting an overhead shot of whatever was coming I had no idea what it would be.  Soon, IC 1004 leading "Grain Train" (only identifier other than the loco I heard) into Dixie Siding came along.
IC 1004 Leading
IC 1004 North as "Grain Train"

That was the train that had the Ore Jennies.  Today may yield a present from the WSOR...but that depends on timing...stay tuned!

Dan

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Monday, February 14, 2011 7:32 PM

Are you sure??!! Next, you're gonna be telling us their law firm was Dewey, Cheatum & Howe!! Wink

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, February 14, 2011 7:19 PM

Johnny, basically they took a look with a fiber-optic camera down my throat and into my stomach.  Other tools had the capability of cutting and retrieving skin samples.  The procedure was fast, but I'm still sore (as I said, this is unusual--hope I can sleep it off tonight).  It will take a week to ten days for the reports on the tissue samples to come in, but the doctor (he's really a gastrointerologist) says that things look good, for my past history.

I just recently got involved in a project to determine the proper prototype for a series of secondhand (actually thirdhand or more) box cars.  It's an eye-opener for me, because the 40 cars in the series are of at least four different sizes and three manufacturers.  Seven of them are gone now, which doesn't help.

Oh, and from yesterday, the answer to my mysterious blue box cars from the Warwick Railway...they were previously operated by the Lancaster & Chester.  No, I'm not making these railroad names up!

Carl

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, February 14, 2011 4:28 PM

CShaveRR

Nice to get insight like that from time to time, Bruce.  Much appreciated here.


(Back from my checkup.  The name was longer this time--esophagogastroduodenoscopy--so consequently my throat is sorer.  My esophagogastroduodenointerologist says things look fine--improved, perhaps--though he did remove a polyp in the stomach and scraped a couple of places on my esophagus for biopsy.)


Back down for another nap.

Carl, can you please translate into English?I thought it was bad enough to have a colonoscopy and a chemotherapy oncologist.Smile It's good to know that you were given a good report.

Johnny

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, February 14, 2011 3:46 PM

Nice to get insight like that from time to time, Bruce.  Much appreciated here.


(Back from my checkup.  The name was longer this time--esophagogastroduodenoscopy--so consequently my throat is sorer.  My esophagogastroduodenointerologist says things look fine--improved, perhaps--though he did remove a polyp in the stomach and scraped a couple of places on my esophagus for biopsy.)


Back down for another nap.

Carl

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Posted by AgentKid on Monday, February 14, 2011 3:13 PM

I really enjoyed seeing today's, February 14, Photo of the Day. On the TRAINS homepage.

The 2816 is out where it started. Back in 1930, its' first job was taking passenger trains from Winnipeg to Calgary, and back. It worked this run until 1937, when after it's major re shopping it ended up at various locations in central Canada for the rest of its' career.

Take away the diesel and the second tender, and that Express Boxcar would likely have been filled with storage mail right behind the engine. That baggage car you see would have been behind that. Then, you can imagine what "The Dominion" would have looked like.

That plant in the background is at Carseland. The Calgary city limits are about 26 miles back, and he is about 35 rail miles east of the old Calgary station. From around Strangmuir passenger trains would really start to go, I mean go, 700 miles or so to Portage la Prairie, MB. Eighty mile per hour speeds were hardly out of the question for those Hudson's.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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"O. S. Irricana"

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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, February 13, 2011 1:41 PM

I'm definitely not the one to help you with that one, Nance.  I suspect that the problem isn't noticed by that many people, since most engineers these days rarely use the same locomotive on consecutive assignments; and it probably has to be a single unit, or the idiosyncrasies would probably be attributed to something else in the consist.

Finally get to spend a few minutes in here today, what with sleeping in, church, shopping, lunch, and opening up a drain for what we hope will be copious amounts of meltwater over the next couple of days.  One forecaster even says 50 degrees might be reached on Thursday!

While out on our errands (one of which was fueling our car, for the first time in February), we did catch a couple of trains, including a freight that has given me a couple of good sightings.  I have to find out (I think--I might have done this before) where the Warwick Railway got a few big, blue box cars in the 600 series; this is the only really challenging one from this trip.

Also, we saw the ongoing construction in Villa Park of a place named "Trackside".  While I don't doubt for a minute that it would have a lounge in it, it's for off-track betting--not the kind of trackside I'd be even remotely interested in.  (Oh--it isn't beside any railroad tracks, either.)

I might not be in for the first part of Valentine's Day--my Valentine will get to chauffeur me around from place to place much of the day.  Unfortunately, the only place we might be interested in going is from the surgical center back to home, as I recover from being put under for a routine (in my case...I hope!) gastroscopy.  Pat says I shouldn't come near the computer until I've had a good, long nap to recover.

Carl

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Posted by AgentKid on Sunday, February 13, 2011 1:38 PM

Well, fortunately there is no bad news on the weather front. It kind of surprises me though, considering the wind we finally got here very early this morning. When I got my paper at 6:00 AM it was really howling. It is still blowing from the West at 37 kph.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Sunday, February 13, 2011 11:43 AM

Hello, good Sunday everybody. I've been studying in some other resources, so no questions right now from that angle, but...I'd like to re-post a question from back a bit.

As I'm going back through everything, this is really 'bugging' me, too. Why is it that a diesel will handle differently every time you take her out. Like on an am run, it behaves or responds (or not) one way, but on the pm run, it's quite a lot different. I'm thinking humidity, engine fluids being cold, air temp., veh temp (sitting for 4 hours might not be like sitting overnight or a couple days), poss. even the rails being cold in the am but warming up in the sun? Are these viable ideas? I'm sure there are others.

Thanks, as always, and everyone stay safe.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by AgentKid on Sunday, February 13, 2011 12:41 AM

I just finished watching the 11:00 News and I hear it would be a bad day to be a railroader around Lethbridge, AB. At Coalhurst they had straight winds of 105 kph (100 kph is about 60 mph). It was enough to blow roofs off of buildings. Coalhurst is just north and west of the Lethbridge Viaduct (315' high, 5320' long) The bridge runs almost due east/west and these winds were from the SW.  Crossing that bridge WB when one of those gusts hit would be really hard on the nerves.

At the Waterton National Park gate they had winds of 141 kph (160 kph is about 100 mph). That would be south of the Crowsnest Pass line. Winds on that track generally cross the rail line at about Pincher. Actually, having to stop trains in that area due to wind isn't unheard of, but 141 kph is a bit much. I am anxiously awaiting more news in the morning.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Saturday, February 12, 2011 11:13 AM

Well...no.  But I did find the pictures I took of them from August 2010 when they were tucked into Q198 coming south.  I thought I'd misplaced them.  Clearly they were 'grab' shots because of the angle but heck, I'll take 'em!

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, February 12, 2011 8:00 AM

Whoa...you caught the E units yesterday?

My trip out yesterday was not very productive--I was trackside for about 20 minutes, 15 of which were in the pharmacy.  Said pharmacy is apparently very well soundproofed, because I missed at least two trains while I was inside (the new signals told me so!).  The only train I saw was a scoot.  Our trip out today will not be near the tracks, unfortunately.

Carl

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, February 11, 2011 11:45 PM

Evening folks...we're nearing being above freezing for the first time in 42 days!  WOO HOO!  I also got some new shots posted on my Flickr page.  Not quite worthy of an entire 'story' but each has a caption if you desire.  I'll just link to my page since it's late and I'm pretty tired for now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danbraun/

Dan

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Posted by The Butler on Friday, February 11, 2011 12:59 PM

Thanks, Carl.  Paul, glad to hear you're alright.


James


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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, February 11, 2011 9:25 AM

CN 2141, 2144, and 2155 may be heading towards you Carl.  Those are all ex-BNSF C40-8Ws that CN acquired for around $100k.  CN 2104 and 2125 may also be around too...ex-CNW.

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, February 11, 2011 9:11 AM

So glad you're all right, Paul!

Want to come out this way and manage our stormwater?  All of our snow is probably going to melt within the next few days.  After my chore with the Historical Society this morning, I'm going to have to get out there and open our drains.

One of these years, we'll get out to Allentown and visit the Brew Works (hopefully with you in attendance).  I won't try the beer, but definitely will do a burger!

Our temperature this morning is already in the teens--maybe I will leave a little early for my LHS chore and wander trackside.  It's been too long since I've gotten any useful sightings.

Carl

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Thursday, February 10, 2011 9:37 PM

Hi, everyone -

Thanks for your concern about that explosion in Allentown, as several of you were kind enough to ask about.  We're fine - it's just that I was out at an all-day stormwater management training/ seminar, so what with the travel had to leave pretty early and didn't get back until late, without computer the whole time.  The site - 13th & Allen Sts. - is about 4 miles from my home, and about as far from the office.  That's within a block of where the old West End Branch of the Lehigh Valley RR used to be, until it was torn out in the mid-1980's.  However, last night at about 6 PM we were nearby on 12th St. on the way downtown for a dinner presentation* at a local microbrew pub - the Allentown Brew Works - and about 8:30 PM came back on 15th St., so we fortunately missed the tragedy by about 2-1/4 hrs.  Sadly, the news tonight is that a total of 5 people were killed - an elderly retired couple and 3 members of different generations from the neighboring house, so kindly keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

The response by the Allentown Fire Dept. was total - every single firefighter was called in, and surrounding stations moved in to cover under the "mutual aid" pacts.  Just as notable was the evacuation of several hundred elderly residents from a nearby high-rise apartment building - which had its own gas explosion from a construction crew mishap about 17 years ago - which I understand went very smoothly, esp. for late at night in sub-freezing weather.  They were taken to one of the display halls at the nearby Allentown Fairgrounds - the "Spring Thaw" train meet show and sale will be there in 2 weeks. 

*OK, since this is the Lounge: The presentation was by Rich Fegley, one of the family that owns and operates the place as well as the Bethlehem Brew Works.  It was on how the ABW has made its operations more "sustainable" or "green", most notably by having the used brewing grain fed to beef cattle at a local farm, which then sells ground beef back to the ABW for hamburgers, as well as many other steps.  I had the "Steelgaarden Wit", a lighter wheat beer.  We always recommend the place.

Take care, and thanks again.

- Paul North. 

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, February 10, 2011 9:23 PM

He posted in the ethanol thread earlier today.. so all must be all right.

 

 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, February 10, 2011 8:56 PM

CShaveRR

First of all, has anyone heard anything from Paul North today?  There was a natural-gas explosion in Allentown last night, and we sincerely hope he isn't profoundly affected by it.

I'll echo that sentiment.  Calling PDN!

CShaveRR

Dan, don't make me come up there!  (Actually, I'd be delighted to see action like that sometime).

LOL!  Then you don't want me to tell you about today...

Dan

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Thursday, February 10, 2011 7:54 PM

Thanks, Carl. Thankfully, Paul is fine. I spoke to him on here a bit ago. Glad your day went well.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, February 10, 2011 7:45 PM

I had a long post typed this morning, ready to go, then I closed the computer without posting it!   Bang HeadBang Head


First of all, has anyone heard anything from Paul North today?  There was a natural-gas explosion in Allentown last night, and we sincerely hope he isn't profoundly affected by it.


Nance, the last of the diamond photos that Paul posted is probably the best to show how the tracks cross each other.  It was taken in Savanna, Illinois, where the BNSF (two tracks) crosses the CP (DM&E).  That marvelous top-down view is pretty easy to get there; it was taken from a bicycle-trail bridge.  Getting the photograph may not have been all that easy, though, with the fencing on the bridge (but trust me--it's a good spot to view either railroad--we've been there!)  And if you follow the BNSF south and east (up, in this shot), you'll eventually wind up at Rochelle.


James, that third car looks like a hopper for ore concentrate.  I think that the shot was taken on the Ontario Northland, which used to have a few of these as well.  It would be in the CN 346500-346700 series, built in 1973 or 1975.  And yes, that's a scale test car behind it.


Dan, don't make me come up there!  (Actually, I'd be delighted to see action like that sometime).


Today was our first venture out of town since before the blizzard over a week ago.  Our objective:  babysitting for two of our grandchildren.  It went well, even the moment where Emily announced "We'll do it my way!" (She reminds me more and more of my sister!)  Temperatures this morning weren't as bad as what Larry and Joe were talking about, but we didn't get above zero until late in the morning. 



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)

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