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Trackside Lounge--second quarter, 2011

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Posted by zardoz on Sunday, May 1, 2011 8:59 AM

WMNB4THRTL

Thanks, zardoz! It is unbelievable!!! Not sure what the scariest part of that is but I can't stop watching it!! Mostly grateful no one got hurt!!

I can't help but wondering that if the railroad knew enough about the location to have someone on-site, why had they not done some construction there to divert or at least mitigate the effects of the water flow. From what I can tell from the video, it sure looks like a location that has had water flow issues previously.

Perhaps if MC sees this, he might enlighten us.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Sunday, May 1, 2011 12:56 AM

zardoz

 WMNB4THRTL:

Hi,

    There is an incredible video on YouTube of a washout caught on tape! It's called "CN Stackpool, ON washout April 14, 2011" captured by a CN employee (so obviously not my video!) Poor guy is so (understandably) scared, he gets a bit colorful in his language. (Link feature will not work right now or I'd post it--maybe it will cooperate for someone else?)

Have a good weekend.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQAiTBoJf3Y

Yikes!

At least a clean pair of shorts - wow!

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, April 30, 2011 9:33 PM

I remember you talking about those turkey legs before, Quentin, and I believe Valpo Ed said that Stromburgs is still there.  Something to check out, for sure (Pat has a quilt shop in downtown Valpo that she likes).

Midway is south and west of Chicago--we have to go several miles southeast to get to it.

To let you know how due west of Chicago we are:  Madison Street is the north/south base-line in Chicago, as you probably know.  We have a Madison Street (actually Madison Boulevard) here in Lombard, that lines up with the one in Chicago.  And our house is one block north of it!  And when I say we're 20 miles due west of Chicago, that's pretty literal, too...Milepost 20 of the UP main line is due north of us!

Carl

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, April 30, 2011 8:48 PM

Carl....suppose about all I can say for the location, that it was almost due west from downtown Chicago, and quite a bit west.....and right now I can't remember how far west....Beyond Midway some distance, if I remember correctly.

Right now, can't even remember why we were there....and the time element would be at least 40 years.  Jean mentions, we were with another couple, and in our 1962 super sport Chevy, and we just {Jean indicates}, we {on this trip}, stayed east a bit of O'hare in a Howard Johnsons motel....Must have been there for the weekend.

Also remember on the way up to Chicago we stopped at Stromburgs Restaurant on rt. 30.....at Valpariaso, In. and we can still laugh at the size of the Turkey legs we had there.  And I remember they certainly were excellent in taste...!

Quentin

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, April 30, 2011 8:25 PM

Yea, Carl, that was on my list, along with how close he was standing, that he kept going back up to the edge, that it keeps going multiple times, when he says he feels the ties moving under him, and when he says something like his crew is on the other side and he doesn't think (emphasis mine) he should cross there right now. WOW-ZERS!!!!!

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, April 30, 2011 8:16 PM

I think the scariest part is how fast it happened...and I doubt that it would care whether there was a train there or not.  Amazing footage, and I hope he won't get busted for taking this video on the job.

Carl

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, April 30, 2011 7:30 PM

Thanks, zardoz! It is unbelievable!!! Not sure what the scariest part of that is but I can't stop watching it!! Mostly grateful no one got hurt!!

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown

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Posted by zardoz on Saturday, April 30, 2011 7:21 PM

WMNB4THRTL

Hi,

    There is an incredible video on YouTube of a washout caught on tape! It's called "CN Stackpool, ON washout April 14, 2011" captured by a CN employee (so obviously not my video!) Poor guy is so (understandably) scared, he gets a bit colorful in his language. (Link feature will not work right now or I'd post it--maybe it will cooperate for someone else?)

Have a good weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQAiTBoJf3Y

Yikes!

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:39 PM

Quentin, I could be cheeky here and ask whether it was somewhere near the tracks, but to be perfectly honest, we've been in the area (Glen Ellyn or Lombard) for 38 years now, and I don't remember any steak houses.  There's one out in the vicinity of Winfield, now known as Morgan's Char House...we went for the live jazz trio one Saturday night, but were disappointed in the steaks:  they covered everything with some sort of spice that left a disagreeable taste/smell with us. 

But restaurants come and go around here...some are in their third or more incarnation in the same spot, and there are some places that have their third or fourth building on the same place.  Preparation where the customer could watch doesn't ring a bell with me, either.  There might be a few people in the local Historical Society that we could ask, though.

We got all of our errands run (and the lawn mowed!) before the promised rain (still sunny for the moment), and I'm back to entering data for the unusual freight cars the we observed on our vacation (okay, I observed!).  We saw some CSX coal hoppers that had been converted to aggregate cars (shortened body), NYC 86-foot hi-cube box cars that had been increased in height by a couple of feet (we saw those in Cincinnati, and wonder what they are assigned to), and some NS waste gons that were rebuilt from Airslide covered hoppers, of all things!  At least in some cases, cars that were built to carry sugar for Coca Cola are now carrying the plastic bottles and aluminum cans, perhaps!

Carl

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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:28 PM

Hi,

    There is an incredible video on YouTube of a washout caught on tape! It's called "CN Stackpool, ON washout April 14, 2011" captured by a CN employee (so obviously not my video!) Poor guy is so (understandably) scared, he gets a bit colorful in his language. (Link feature will not work right now or I'd post it--maybe it will cooperate for someone else?)

Have a good weekend.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:03 PM

Carl.....Something reminded me, don't know just what, but took the atlas and took a peek just where Lombard really is located in the Chicago area.

Upon looking and seeing, I'm thinking back in time several {or more}, decades about being in a great steak house and trying to remember just where it was, seems it should be in the general area of where you live....Name of the place was "Tom's Steak House"....Seem to remember they prepared the steaks {filet's}, where it was visible....kind of like an open brick oven of sort....One thing I do remember correctly, they probably were the best steaks we had had up to that time.

Just wondering if that name might ring a bell at all...Not sure how long you have lived in that area, and maybe it's a thing of the past too....or if still there, under different name.

Just a bit of trivia, thought I'd ask....

Quentin

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, April 29, 2011 3:50 PM

We made it out on the bikes today--even went to a visitation at the local funeral home (the guy with the flags asked us if we would be biking to the cemetery; didn't keep that solemn face for too long).  Great weather for Arbor Day; I hope we save a tree by not running the car. 

There are a few--very few!--timid lilac blooms at Lilacia Park this afternoon; the Lilac Festival starts tomorrow.  In about a week things should be looking and smelling pretty good!  Craft show Sunday, art and sculpture show in the park next Saturday, concert in the park for Mother's Day.  (Big Parade is two weeks from Sunday.)  Rumor has it that UP and Metra will be running a few trains right across the street from the park throughout the festival.

 

Materials for the signal bridge at the west entrance to CP Y019 have been delivered...no signal heads or poles yet, though.

Carl

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, April 29, 2011 9:14 AM

CShaveRR
  An "armored delivery vehicle", huh?  I guess they defend themselves by zapping attackers with ultrasound! 

 That's from the caption in the main article linked by tree68 above.  I can forgive the caption writer for that one, though - it sure looks like one, there's no on on the ground to interview or ask - or to do the interviewing or asking, and even with an enlarged photo, it's too hard to read the lettering or see any details that would tip anyone off or tell anything better.

Mischief Besides - think of all the 'get rich quick/ easy money' people who are now going to lie awake at nights trying to figure out a way to get through the floodwaters to see if there's any money left in it . . . meanwhile, it'll evade them by going' hi-rail' and getting out of town 'off-road' that way !  Smile, Wink & Grin

- Paul North.   

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, April 29, 2011 8:12 AM

An "armored delivery vehicle", huh?  I guess they defend themselves by zapping attackers with ultrasound!

Some of those pictures are spectacular!  LaPorte, Indiana, isn't all that far from here (it's on the ex-NYC main line from Elkhart to Chicago).

We've had weather here, but nothing as severe as most of the rest of the eastern half of the country.  The major rivers around here (Fox, Des Plaines) are at or near flood stage, and last week I had to detour around a flooded portion of the bike trail along Salt Creek.

Today is a day of clear skies here (for a change), and temperatures are supposed to be more normal for the season...they have a bit of climbing to do through the morning, though!  I think we'll be doing our errands via bicycle today.

Carl

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 28, 2011 9:29 PM

Looks like Sperry lost a track test vehicle:

That's from this site.

Just got a call from a fellow RR volunteer reporting that a dam in the eastern Adirondacks is under significant stress and it is feared it may fail.  The outflow empties into the upper Hudson River about 15 miles downstream from the dam.  While most of that area is woods, there are some settlements and highways that could be impacted. 

Many rivers and reservoirs in this area are at or above capacity/flood stage, and are as high as some folks can remember them ever being.

Doesn't match the devestation down south, but when your house is floating down a river, that doesn't make much difference.

 

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, April 28, 2011 6:20 PM

My day:

 

Trainmaster had a fit because I put cars where the yardmaster wanted them.


Some severe wx in the area (but nothing compared to down south).  We lucked out... just got soaked to the bone.  Great RRing weather.

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


  

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:46 PM

CShaveRR

This guy was described as a "Midwestern Icon"...I suspect Mookie would be surprised at how far the Midwest stretches when/if we get reaction to this:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/chicago/article_79dfc386-fced-5309-98c9-80e1635d56e5.html

I know I was seeing those commercials everywhere we went on our trip!

Midwest apparently includes the Rockies (Denver) and the Molehills (Zinzinnati) to that outfit.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by WMNB4THRTL on Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:25 PM

Happy Birthday, Don.

Death toll, last I heard, has now risen to 213 just from the storms these last two days, not counting the death toll from a few days ago. So very sad. Thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.

EDIT: (about 3pm ET) CNN is now reporting at least 250 have perished and nearly 1,000 treated at hospitals. So very, very sad.

Nance-CCABW/LEI 

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:17 PM

Happy birthday today to Don Oltmann ("Oltmannd" on the Forum)!  Hope his Atlanta neighborhood has survived the onslaught of bad weather to hit the Southeast (surprisingly deadly tornadoes hit Alabama yesterday evening).

Carl

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 3:45 PM

This guy was described as a "Midwestern Icon"...I suspect Mookie would be surprised at how far the Midwest stretches when/if we get reaction to this:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/chicago/article_79dfc386-fced-5309-98c9-80e1635d56e5.html

I know I was seeing those commercials everywhere we went on our trip!

Carl

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CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 1:50 PM

Paul, I've got to admit that they're yellow and green (and wouldn't have occurred to me, since I have never seen a GEGX car).  But Randy said six axles, and these had a few more than that.

Daughter was letting the grandkids burn off energy by splashing in the puddles after lunch (the rain had let up).  They had some good-sized boots on, but would have needed waders to keep from getting their clothes soaked.  Nico was probably asleep before they got home.

Carl

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 9:19 AM

rvos1979
  [snipped]  Have been meaning to tell you this, Carl, but when I was down in Columbia, SC, saw some six-axle flatcars on a siding, could not get numbers or marks (was rolling down the interstate), looked to be privately owned, ex-BN and TTX colors. 

  A year or so ago someone from that area posted a photo or two that he snapped from his office in a business park of a CSX high-wide movement with such cars and a rider caboose going by nearby.  A little research found that they were likely owned by a major electrical equipment manufacturer, such as ABB, Alsthom, Siemens, GE, etc.  I'll see if I can find that thread again . . .

- Paul North. 

EDIT:  Here's the link to it:  http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/171368/1881151.aspx#1881151 

From looking at some of the links there - and the 2 sets of flat car photos in the one below - GE appears to have flatcars in both BN green and TTX yellow colors . . .

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=GEGX  - PDN. 

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 6:01 AM

CShaveRR

Green or yellow six-axle flat cars would probably be DODX--Department of Defense.  They aren't secondhand; the yellow is newer paint than the green.

Them things end up in my neck of the woods at Oshkosh Corp fairly often.  I've gotten so used to seeing them that I don't even really notice them.  Another interesting tidbit on those cars - some have stenciling for the different branches of the military (US Air Force, United States Marines, United States Army).  I'll see if I can dig up a pic or two of them.

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 6:50 PM

Green or yellow six-axle flat cars would probably be DODX--Department of Defense.  They aren't secondhand; the yellow is newer paint than the green.

Carl

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Posted by rvos1979 on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 4:25 PM

Well, I have not owned a vehicle with spark plugs since 2001, when I bought a Ram 2500 Diesel.  Average fuel economy is about 20-22 MPG, not bad for a 7,000lb truck.  Next vehicle will probably be a diesel offering from Volkswagen, the ride will be much better in that......

Have been meaning to tell you this, Carl, but when I was down in Columbia, SC, saw some six-axle flatcars on a siding, could not get numbers or marks (was rolling down the interstate), looked to be privately owned, ex-BN and TTX colors.

Randy Vos

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 3:45 PM

CShaveRR

I'm sure we'd look into the economy of a new purchase (cost vs. fuel) when the time comes.  I'd be concerned about the mileage we sometimes put on, and how nice the ride would be.  We would not be interested in having one car for the city and another for vacations.

Z-mann...still headed his way next month?

There is that one car company with the 10 yr/ 100,000 mi. warranty. 

 

I haven't made any plans at all.  Been a weird month.

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


  

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 3:30 PM

I'm sure we'd look into the economy of a new purchase (cost vs. fuel) when the time comes.  I'd be concerned about the mileage we sometimes put on, and how nice the ride would be.  We would not be interested in having one car for the city and another for vacations.

Z-mann...still headed his way next month?

Carl

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 2:39 PM

I'm just wondering if it would be worth it to buy a hybrid vs. a small econobox (focus, cruze, hyundai or kia micros) and use the money saved toward gas?

 

I hear rumors of a diesel chevy cruze in 2013 - now that would be cool!

 

zug - who still has two V8 trucks.  Blindfold

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


  

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 2:18 PM

I'd be tempted toward a hybrid - and fortunately, they're getting up into sizes my 6'5" frame will fit in.  Still, I tend to carry a fair amount of "junk" with me (my truck has been referred to as a rolling "Home Depot"), so until I can match that in a hybrid, I'll have to stay conventional.

And, as Carl notes, there's the cross-country aspect to consider as well.  One kid lives 85 miles away.  The other is 500 miles. 

That said, I tend to walk to the post office and local convenience store whenever possible.  The mountain bike will be coming off it's hook in the garage soon, too.  The nearest 'real' grocery store is 15 miles, so walking/biking is out of the question there.

Maybe I could borrow a horse and buggy from the Amish up the road....

 

LarryWhistling
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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 2:00 PM

I'm pretty sure we'll never buy a 100-percent gas-powered vehicle again.  Since we've been married, we've always monitored the efficiency of our cars, and have steered (pun!) our purchases in the economical direction.  We'd need one car that would be good for anything from cross-town to cross-country, though.  The price we saw today was $4.259 at the only downtown station.

But, we did all of our errands--Historical Society, library, train-watching, lunch out, and groceries--without using our car, so the streak goes on.  We'll probably have to break down (please, no pun!) and use the car tomorrow for a visit to some further-out specialty shops, and maybe daughter and grandkids.

We were lucky to run our errands between the drops...it had rained while we were at the historical museum, and we saw it coming down pretty good when we were having lunch, but we never got much on ourselves while we were walking (over two miles total).  And while Pat was looking things up at the library, I was trackside, with no rain falling...unfortunately not much in the way of trains, either, except for a WEPX coal train overtaking a manifest--fairly spectaculer, and a nice surprise.

The HIRR gondolas are ex-GFSX, same numbers (they own 50 of them, out of the 150 originally in the GFSX series); I'm pretty sure they originated as woodchip cars on one of the western, or maybe southeastern, railroads.  Something to look for this evening...

Carl

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CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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