Weekend is here, it's raining, but I did add 3 more cars to my small but growing O-scale fleet.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Some sort of Civil War re-enactment is going on at Shiloh, Tennessee--one of our local Historical Society staffers is planning on going down there (next weekend, I think she said). I'm not sure about why the UP would be so involved with that, though. (I heard a little about that "cannon car", so it's not a complete surprise.)
That is a fantastic haul for one trip, Jeff!
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)
Friday at work I had the chance to see:
A. The CP's geometry train at Council Bluffs, complete with Soo Line engine over on the Iowa Interstate.
B. The UP 844 coming into CB. The bad thing is I was pulling out of town as it came in, blocking the view of spectators that were waiting for it on the wrong side of the tracks. I felt bad about having to do that, but that's the way it is sometimes. Also was able to see a business train waiting at Heritage Park (up at the old CNW yard) that had a dolled-up flat car loaded with 8 or 9 civil war era type (they looked pretty new so were probably not original) cannons as the last car. There was a sign on the car saying something about Shiloh.
Last but not least, C. Amtrak No.5 detouring over the UP because of bridge work at Burlington on the BNSF. I think after this weekend's round of detours there will be one more time before the bridge is done.
I wonder what the next trip will bring.
Jeff
Well, congrats there, Carl!! That is fantastic!!! WOOT WOOT!!
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
Just heard through the grapevine that Lombard, Illinois, will be receiving the "Train Town U.S.A." designation from the Union Pacific, as part of their sesquicentennial celebration. I wonder how that happened...
Carl,
Good to hear that you're getting good results; good thing you studied prior to taking the tests.
zugmann Need the LED light bulb, now. This is food-grade - going to a sweetener company. They also occasional get barrels of molasses in boxcars. Those smell better (the tank car is a little strong).
Need the LED light bulb, now.
This is food-grade - going to a sweetener company. They also occasional get barrels of molasses in boxcars. Those smell better (the tank car is a little strong).
What was even more amazing, was watching the employees during lunch at the facility where these guts cars were being delivered eating and drinking like they were on a picnic.
They said I did well at the scan.
I haven't been able to see my pictures (though they're on a disc that I brought home with me), but I did get the good news that there are no loose screws, bolts, or nuts.
The not-so-good news: no marbles, either.
I should have results by the weekend.
Tom, I followed your advice, and they just smiled patronizingly at me. However, in honor of that, if they have to go in there for something, I'll have them replace the old idea bulb with one of those newer screwy ones.We used to get a lot of tank cars of industrial-grade "molasses". Later on, they went by another name: lignin liquor, and most recently still another name: calcium lignosulfonate. All pretty much the same stuff. I'm sure that there is/was some food-grade molasses shipped as well; companies like Cargill used to have cars lettered for it.
Just be sure to let the doctor know that you were a railroader. A few screws loose up there is normal.
And for today, we had an old GATX tank car full of molasses. Very aromatic.
Happy birthday to Stacey ("Mamma") Kohnen today. My apologies for not getting in here sooner today...we were busy with computers in other locations, trying to produce our Historical Society's letter in-house. It may work, giving us a lot more bang for the buck. After that bit of excitement (to be continued!), we had to go fabric shopping for some material for Civil-War-era costumes for one of the staffers at LHS, then attend a dinner/fundraiser for our grandchildren's Park District (responsible for preschool, swimming, hockey, and other lessons they take).
Tomorrow is examination day for the Shaver Family: MRI and MRA for me, an exploratory exam of my older daughter to check something out, and the oral exam for my baby girl in anticipation of her PhD. The only one not doing anything of this sort is Pat...poor kid!
........Just now checked our instrument. 82 degrees at 4:40. Believe 85 is the all time high for this day. Everything that gets green is well on the way doing so.
Quentin
Pat and our pastor are both saying that they feel deprived of a good winter. I wouldn't take it quite that far. Today we had a little rain go through, which has apparently deprived us of our sixth consecutive day of record-breaking, above-80 highs. This may be the magic touch that we need to make things really green up around here. Portions of our lawn (the parkway by the street in particular) look like they could use a mowing. The crocuses have all disappeared already, and violets are coming out in certain places on our lawn. In the neighborhood, the daffodils are at their peak, and the magnolia trees are blossoming. Lilac bushes (very important to our locale!) are leafing, as are tulips.
We had to go to the museum-by-the tracks yesterday, for an awards ceremony (Pat was among those on the giving end--several fifth-graders were on the receiving end). My reward for biking there was a string of three freights that came by as the ceremony was concluding. One of these was a grain train, and it had a few secondhand hoppers (CHTT reporting marks replacing CEFX) that UP has recently begun leasing.
Sun's out now; that should steam off the streets from the shower.
....Winter weather apparel....I too invested in a quality "parka" with fur{faux} edged hood, and modern super effective insulation....and pockets to accept all kinds of hand held modern communication gagets....And it's still hanging in the closet. Certainly not needed this Winter season. {I'm sure the coat will hang on until next season}.
That's ok with me. I'm not complaining about our weather...{Actually mowed the yard on the 17th}...love it. That's 8 days sooner than I've ever mowed it before. But hopefully it doesn't draw up conditions to excite tornado action more so than we see in this part of the country normally.
CNW 6000 Plus the lack of snow this year really put a damper on photography. I can only be excited about everything being brown/grey for so long...I feel like it's June already. All the windows are open, t-shirts & shorts are the norm...and it's almost 80. Again.
Plus the lack of snow this year really put a damper on photography. I can only be excited about everything being brown/grey for so long...I feel like it's June already. All the windows are open, t-shirts & shorts are the norm...and it's almost 80. Again.
zardoz CNW 6000: ...man this weather sucks! Did you get in to the snow-removal business last fall?
CNW 6000: ...man this weather sucks!
...man this weather sucks!
Dan
I bought myself a new pair of insulated bibs before last winter. I never even took the tags off them, much less wore them.
Last year I spent several months wearing my old insulated bibs. I'm not complaining, though...
CNW 6000 ...man this weather sucks!
The weather may not agree with you (can't understand why not!), but it sounds like a neat day up in Oshkosh!
I've been hearing about what a hot spot West Chicago is becoming, with CN trains going through at a rate of 12-20 per day now (some other railroad there might account for four or five per hour besides). I'm hoping to be able to resume bike trips out that way this year, once this most recent issue is resolved. I'll use a different route than I used to, one that incorporates the new pedestrian bridge over the UP tracks west of Wheaton (current practices occasionally dictate that a freight will be stopped there for staging at times).
Today's been "Non-CN Day" on CN...at least as far as power goes. Seen two blue/red GTWs leading, blue IC, black IC and an orange J SD38-3 leading. Only missing some WC and Missabe...man this weather sucks!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Chicago dyed its river green, as usual (I understand there may have been a splash of pink this year in commemoration of the former mayor's late wife Maggie), and held its parade.
As far as I know, Metra did not run any extra trains to the city today, but BNSF had to run one in two parts...by the time it got to Hinsdale, it was "filled to capacity", and expressed from there to Chicago, then came back west as far as Western Springs to pick up the people it left behind the first time.
My bicycle was retrieved from the shop today, and it was great to be able to ride it home (via the "scenic route", of course!). There are cautions I'll have to take in my present condition, but a normal bike trip shouldn't be much of a problem.
Thanks! I'm feeling better today. We'll just have to see what causes the problem from time to time (a relative of mine has suggested that I take better care of the squirrels up there).
I just saw where Union Pacific has named its first "Train Town U.S.A.", in connection with the sesquicentennial of the railroad. Not a bad choice: Rochelle, Illinois. I'm not sure how many towns are being named, or how many are in the running (I provided some information to the Village of Lombard for their application, but know nothing about what may have happened along those lines).
Carl, hope everything turns out o.k. for you.
CShaveRR And, on a more personal note, I need to have my head examined--literally--due to some equilibrium problems I've been suffering. For now, that means no driving, and taking things easy (honestly, I thought I was!). MRI and MRA are scheduled for next week, and heart monitoring for early next month.
And, on a more personal note, I need to have my head examined--literally--due to some equilibrium problems I've been suffering. For now, that means no driving, and taking things easy (honestly, I thought I was!). MRI and MRA are scheduled for next week, and heart monitoring for early next month.
Well heck, you better get better. You're retired now - you don't have time to take it easy!
Beware the Ides of March!
Today seems to have brought nothing but bad news.
First, a report that Norfolk Southern has put a 30-m.p.h. speed limit on all of its trackage on Amtrak's Wolverine route, between Kalamazoo and Dearborn, due to "deteriorating tie conditions." Even the 110-m.p.h. running west of Kalamazoo won't offset the negative impacts this will have on running time or timekeeping.
Now is the part where they tell you about the increase in dues...
Hey, I got a new green bar under my name. I'm now a top 150 contributor - I was a top 200.
Moving on up...
Thanks guys. Gotta change things up once in a while, ya know?
Carl-At least the guy wasn't killed. Hopefully he learned that gates are there for a reason.
Me, too, Dan!
Today, Pat and I took advantage of this great weather to walk our errands...would have been nice and easy to use our bikes, but they aren't back from the shop yet. While Pat went to the library and the Historical Society, I went trackside. Had an amazing half-hour there, starting with a westbound scoot. When he left, a westbound freight (the West Chicago local?) crossed over from Track 2 to follow him out of town on Track 3. An eastbound manifest came in on 2, crossed over to track 1, after which a westbound showed up on track 3. The signal on Track 1 was immediately lined up again, and went through the full cycle (flashing red, yellow, flashing yellow, green). Pat came up, and we went to lunch before the train came, but an eastbound stack train came through before we got to the restaurant. Another westbound manifest came through at the same time. So that was six trains, from about 11:20 to 11:50 this morning. Then...nothing. Even the next westbound scoot, due in Lombard around 12:20, didn't come yet by the time we were finished, about 12:35. I thought I must have missed it, until I came home to a bunch of e-mails from Metra. Apparently there was some sort of accident west of us that had things blocked. The scoot had been held at Villa Park--for over an hour, as it turns out. The accident apparently directly impacted Track 3, as Tracks 1 and 2 were eventually reopened (another good use for the crossover--had it not been there, the scoot would have had to back to Elmhurst or would probably still be sitting there!). They had held some eastbounds at West Chicago for a time. A check of news sources soon led me to what had happened...the last westbound freight I saw hit a guy at College Avenue/Hill Street in Wheaton. It's a tricky crossing, but there is no excuse for the man driving around the lowered gates. His Jeep was pushed aside and onto its side. The driver (52) was able to get out on his own, but was taken to the hospital.This incident led to two westbound scoots being delayed, one eastbound being annulled completely, and a second one delayed about a half-hour waiting on equipment from one of the delayed westbounds.
CNW 6000 Some of my friends and I have a term for that: foam-gasm. You do the math. At least he's happy. I've been away for a while...be coming back a bit more. TTFN.
Some of my friends and I have a term for that: foam-gasm. You do the math. At least he's happy.
I've been away for a while...be coming back a bit more. TTFN.
Welcome back, Dan. Hope all's well.
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