I'd say congratulations are in order--Wow! Congratulations, Chris!MC, there are times when it gets good here, too--and we have so many different railroads to choose among!
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)
Yes, well done Chris.
Weather guessers have predicted more 90 degree heat w/appropriate humidity...and lack of rain to continue. We had brief showers yesterday during a cousin's bd party and instead of taking cover, we all stood in the rain to cool off!
If I get the chance to process them, I'll get some pictures of the work done at the Oshkosh Bridge posted later, should anyone want to see them.
Dan
tree68One young firefighter suffered from heat exhaustion and was taken to the hospital for a check-up.
Larry, we had a 18-yr old Volunteer firefighter from rural Atascosa County (SE of San Antonio) killed in an ATV accident. The VFD firefighters assisted in his funeral (casket on firetruck etc).
Even more significant about this young man, was that he signed himself up to be an organ donor. Some of his organs are now saving the life of a soldier wounded in Afghanistan.
My hat is off to that young man.
Amen, Murray!
Not much I can contribute tonight. I almost wish I were able to go to Northbrook for the UP presentation on the Shermer derailment. But we aren't moving very far from the dungeon today. The local temp has dropped to 93 now. When the sun gets low, I might venture out on the bike.I've gotten myself involved with the local fire department, in a strange sort of way. Next year is their 100th anniversary, and they want to publish a book on the history. From what I've seen, it's pretty colorful. At any rate, they asked someone in the Historical Society to write the book; she, in turn, asked me to be her editor. I'll make sure that the syntax and grammar are correct, and that there is continuity from chapter to chapter.
Carl - sounds like a cool project. Given that in the early days, most small town/rural fire departments were as much social organization as fire protection, I'm sure that there are plenty of interesting stories.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
http://www.850koa.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=124975&article=10249419
GEEE - If that had been a load on a train hitting the bridge, the dime store experts would come crawling outta da woodwork.
Oh - Just two truckers hauling extra dimensional loads (an asphalt plant cylinder and a set of concrete box culverts on end) , running side by side, struck the overhead bridge simultaneously. No pilot car, no permits, no problem!
- never mind...
Supposedly "CDOT engineers . . .determined the overpass is safe" - even though "One bridge beam was bent" ? So why is it that "One lane on the overpass remains closed" ?
Wonder what the posted overhead clearance was ? And the actual clearance should have been pretty decent - it's over an Interstate, so 14' or 14'-6" min. What were those 2 Einsteins expecting to find for clearances along the route - 20 ft. ?!? Why were they surprised by a standard clearance ?
If it had been a railroad bridge, likely just some scraped paint - and 2 dead trucks and loads. I don't know if a full-strength, long-span (>100') railroad bridge (other than a trestle) has ever been seriously damaged by a truck 'strike' ? Lots of trucks don't survive, though. (More for JoeKoh to keep track of.)
- Paul North.
Posted Clearance is 15' 7" Northbound and 15' 9" Southbound...
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
Yes, Larry, I was frustrated by one photograph of some horse-drawn apparatus that couldn't be seen because of all of the firemen standing in front of it . Nice shot of the people and the horses, though. And there were programs for the annual Fireman's Ball, held during the early years--the centerfold of these programs was an honest-to-Goodness dance card!
Just came back from a whirlwind trip to Michigan to have dinner and talk with about eight of my high-school classmates. I think I was crazy...spending several hours in an air-conditioned car making trips yesterday and today when it was 90-plus outside, a couple more hours in a cool restaurant, trading hugs with ladies that I barely remembered. Yup...totally crazy!On the way home, I stopped for an early lunch at the Great Lakes Cafe, right in the middle of industrial Gary. It was a clean place, apparently family run, and very friendly. I had to cross under several sets of tracks to get to it, but there is a main line view of only one track, probably former EJ&E or IHB. However, the food was good, and inexpensive. When the sun isn't so oppressive, I'll go back, grab a lunch to go, and park by the side of the road (plenty of room to pull off) between the CSX (ex-B&O) and the NS (ex-NYC) main lines--probably the two busiest railroads east out of Chicago--for some real train-watching!
Thunderstorms today,,,, nice to be working inside.
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
Zug, we got spit on here, but it didn't even lift the float in the gauge.
Congratulations to Trains' Associate Editor Angela Puzstai-Pasternak (and husband Joe, and daughter LuLu), on the birth of Elliot John, this afternoon. Someone for our buddy Nora to share a birthday with!
Always nice to welcome a new little one!
We got rain overnight nearing an inch worth. Nice to start to catch up! I'd be fine with about a week straight of rain.
Got a remote trigger for my dSLR and am having fun with that and a tripod. Here's a UP coalie heading north for Green Bay.
Flickr Link
It may not win any awards...but I like it.
The Bassano, AB CPR station is on the move to a new home at Beiseker. In the 1960's and '70's my uncle was an operator there on two separate occasions. Bassano had a large station as it was a Division Point, but not a crew change Terminal on the CPR mainline, 90 miles east of Calgary. At one time it was the junction from the Brooks Sub. to the Irricana and Bassano Subs.
http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/pages/story.aspx?id=6442681415
The small section of roof they talked about having to remove to move the building is the same shape as can be seen above the second floor windows in my Avatar.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
That must have been impressive to see, Bruce--I've seen taller things moved, but nothing that long.Curious...they said the station had been added to over the years, and also said it would be restored to its 1911 appearance. Does this mean that some portions could have been left behind?
We received 2.4 inches of rain here overnight last night, and a few drops from time to time throughout the day. Some places got less rain, but more wind damage and power loss (including some power still not restored locally). We survived with a dry dungeon, full power, and no branches to haul out of our yard. It didn't keep it from being a hot, muggy day, though. I was out on the bike for a while, and managed to make it to Elmhurst and back to run errands and visit the hobby shop. I didn't see much in the way of trains, because...I'm apparently into self-abuse now. Two days ago I tripped and fell over a curb, scraping a hand and a knee (the hand was pretty gruesome, and more scars will be added to the ones already there from earlier sutures). Then today, while leaving the bank, I mistook a full-height window pane for the door. Contact was made with bike helmet and nose (I guess I need a nose job, hmm?). There's a cut across the bridge of my nose, and I'm wondering whether shiners will show up later. At that point I thought it best to go home and let the trains take care of themselves for today.
CShaveRR That must have been impressive to see, Bruce--I've seen taller things moved, but nothing that long.Curious...they said the station had been added to over the years, and also said it would be restored to its 1911 appearance. Does this mean that some portions could have been left behind?
The video to the story was finally posted. In it you can see that it left town in its' final form. I suspect space considerations will determine how much they keep, once it gets to the new site.
http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/video/historic+bassano+train+station+moves/video.html?v=2258087006&p=5&s=dd#video
It was unfortunate that the last Station Agent there wasn't mentioned. He probably more than anyone, is responsible for the building remaining in a condition where it could be moved. When the Agencies were closed in the mid sixties, Agents who were willing to take the big pay cut to become Operators again, could continue to live in the dwellings. That fellow continued to live in the building and work as the 1st trick Operator, until I believe 1985. I think he was one of the twelve men I mentioned in the recent Calgary-Edmonton Passenger Train thread who retired along with my Dad. Operators continued to use the office portion of the building until 1992, when the new CROR rule book abolished the job of Operator. I believe that is how they came up with the statement that no one had looked after the building in 20 years.
When visiting my uncle, I have looked out through those three windows to see the tracks.
A little something for the Lounge Crew to enjoy...
watch?v=vGRR87zkEdo
Oh, I did, I did! Thanks, Darren!
I pulled my wife away from the cutting-board to take a train ride into town and see an exhibition of Civil-War-era quilts at the Thompson Center. It was the nicest day in a long time for being outside, so we took advantage of it. Pat made friends with a family of newcomers going to explore the city, and on the train I took the father and daughter to show-and-tell looking out the front of the train. Great show--a welded-rail train unloading rail by where the new track will go around the yard, a stack train leaving the east end of the yard, a WEPX coal train waiting to get into the yard at Oak Park, and a Metra train waiting for us and our clear signal at Western Avenue, before it could cross our tracks.On the way home, we saw the best and worst of dispatching. We met the eastbound scoot just after we left Elmhurst (it was on Track 1, we were on 3, as usual). At Villa Park, an empty WPSX coal train was sitting on Track 2, clear of the station crossing but blocking Ardmore and Addison Roads (that was the worst part--I have no idea how long he was there). Thanks to the DP unit at the east end, I didn't realize it was westbound until I saw more units on the other end, and that they were waiting for the signal at the Lombard crossover. My thought that they were waiting for us to clear so they could follow us on Track 3 was short-lived, as I saw an eastbound WEPX coal train crossing over from 2 to 1. That was the clever part--they could actually put him out ahead of the eastbound scoot, even though he needed the same track at Elmhurst--the scoot, meanwhile, had passed him up along the route. Evidently they also had to move the WPSX train out of the yard so the WEPX train could get in.After we got off the train and onto our bikes, the WPSX empties accelerated through town, staying on Track 2. The control point had a clear eastbound signal on Track 1 when I left. It took me six minutes to get home...by which time UP was running still another train through there.
CShaveRR On the way home, we saw the best and worst of dispatching.
On the way home, we saw the best and worst of dispatching.
Carl, Carl, Carl. You're just not seeing the "big picture." At least, that was for a while a dispatcher's favorite answer to why you were being held for a train 50 miles behind you. An engineer once was at the Harriman Center on a union/company joint project committee once. He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture." The question didn't go over well.
I've started emulating Carl, but probably not as prodigiously. I've started riding my (actually was originally supposed to be the wife's) bicycle. Ogden has a trail laid out on the west side of town. Out and back, the way I do it, gives me about a 4 mile round trip. I don't get to it every day, but have been trying to get out on it when I'm home, about 3 or 4 times a week depending on my schedule.
This morning I did it twice for 8 miles. I took a break between circuits, stopped and got a diet Snapple Raspberry tea and drank it in the city park. While there I talked to a retired gentleman who was walking his dog. He found out I worked for the RR, and said his father had been a fireman back in the steam days. About then a westbound bird (Z train) came through. He wasn't lined up at the CP west of town, got train control and stopped. Pretty soon, we heard the horn of an eastbound. A manifest came through and the bird took off. I think the eastbound had crossed over from track 2 to 1 west of town. Most likely a case of a plan not working exactly as planned.
Jeff
jeffhergert He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture." The question didn't go over well.
He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture." The question didn't go over well.
And The Beat Goes On . . .
Thanks, Carl!
Just sign me, The "Late" Samfp1943!
The yardmasters used to give me that "big picture" line, too. Thing is, I was often looking at bigger pictures than they were. And our little corner was lookin' mighty ugly at times!
Grandson Nico had a special treat for me today. He and his dad often put together toy cars (pre-cut pieces, stamped nail holes, adhesive markings). This time he had a toy locomotive to assemble, so nobody but Grandpa and Grandma could help (Grandma deferred to me). The little kid is pretty sharp at locating the right parts, and at using a hammer several sizes too big for him. I think we should have planned for a trip to Eola or something to take up the rest of the time we had this morning.
AgentKid jeffhergert: He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture." The question didn't go over well. And The Beat Goes On . . . Bruce
jeffhergert: He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture." The question didn't go over well.
.....Dan I too, really like that photo. Tripod really made a difference. LIke the nice warm light that shows up on it....
Quentin
Quentin, thanks for reminding me to compliment Dan on that shot of high-speed UP freight service ! Great one, Dan! Bring that stuff down here sometime!
.....Glad it did so Carl....I thought that was a really nice and different shot.
Thanks gents. Just trying to keep learning and trying new techniques.
Nice stuff Dan...incl. the others on your Flickr.
Night shots are fun... though I hardly ever get the time, nor have easy access to a safe out of the way* spot.
The remote trigger for my Pentax is about the size of a postage stamp. If I was smart, I'd attach it to an old muffler or something, that way I won't lose it.
*- we had a case a few weeks ago here of a guy taking night shots from an overpass. He was called in, and the local yokel cops had no idea or concept of what the guy was doing, and were giving him one hell of a hard time (whole thing ended up recorded, at least audio-wise). 21st century and people still don't understand photography. Sigh.
I like that night shot of yours, too, Z-man!Prayers and kind thoughts, please, for Nance ("WMNB4THRTL"), who is currently in great physical pain and is hoping to avoid surgery.
.....What another beautiful shot Dan. Enlarge it to my full size screen here and it almost comes alive. And the composition of the shot is...just seems a bit different.....Great.
Looks like an engine similar that Ed {Houston}, works with...or, one that has 3 power units...what are they called...Hybrids...??
And a person in terrible pain....That's awful. I'll include Nance with my nightly Prayer's List...
Nice shot, zugmann ! Just enough color to tell it's not B&W !
I too wondered what it is. A lot of info is here, on Chris Toth's great NS power website:
http://www.nsdash9.com/rosters/100.html
Prayers and kind thoughts for Nance, too !
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