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The Trackside Lounge 3Q 2012

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Posted by jeffhergert on Sunday, July 29, 2012 9:43 PM

zardoz

Backward? Using mirrors or head out the window?

Went around a train that was stopped to do intermediate work today.  Going past the cab, it wasn't his head that was out the window.Whistling 

Way to go Brian.  The Boone & Scenic Valley is always looking for volunteers if you'ld like to continue sitting in the right hand seat.  You could even expand to engines that move by boiling water.

Jeff

 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, July 29, 2012 9:50 PM

Used to happen at work fairly often, Jeff...ah, the things that disappeared with remote operations!  Of course, other CROs could still reciprocate...

Congratulations, Brian!  Watching Joanie's video over on Facebook as we speak!

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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Posted by blhanel on Sunday, July 29, 2012 9:53 PM
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Posted by CNW 6000 on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:09 AM

Very, very cool Brian. 

Dan

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 9:03 AM

Good Morning!

I've been out of town for the past 10 days and this might give you a clue to where I have been...

 

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Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 9:23 AM
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 12:08 PM

Brian - Pretty cool.  It's a unique experience that not many fans get.

Our F-10 (nee GM&O F3) has a modern stand it it, so I don't have to deal with the "cans."  When we get our RS-3 back in service it'll be manual transition and a 6 brake...

Push move?  Try 10 miles through the Adirondacks, including near 1% grades, 5.5 degree curves, and a half dozen crossings!  Just a day in the office, but with six miles of varying downgrade you better understand air brakes...  And your conductor better know the territory, too.  A downhill pinpoint stop on the conductor's sayso is a bit of a challenge, too (to pick up canoes).

Carl can probably tell you a bit about that ride.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
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There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 12:09 PM

Darren, some folks will go to any length to seek out good weather!  Hope you've had an enjoyable time.

Happy birthday today to RJ, known as "Miniwyo" on this Forum.  Hope it's a great day for you!

Today, after I cut the grass (it finally needs it!), I have to descend to the STYX for a while.  Last week I saw a covered hopper car with "STYX" lettered over the previous reporting mark (DOWX).  The fact that Styron, L.L.C., had secondhand covered hoppers wasn't news to me, but the fact that they also had some ex-DOWX cars is...now I have to find these cars (there could be several hundred, with random numbers) and note the DOWX series from whence they came...then note the numbers on the DOWX listing and describe the cars in the STYX listing.  Then, since Dow also owns the Union Carbide cars now, check to see whether some CCBX cars were similarly relettered, and repeat the rest of the process.  I should do this today, because when we go to our cottage in Michigan, I won't be permanently tethered to the Internet.

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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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 1:38 PM

CShaveRR

Darren, some folks will go to any length to seek out good weather!  Hope you've had an enjoyable time.

It was about 30F cooler in Alaska then Denver and we also got away from all the Political Ads and Shooting News which was nice too.  Was sure tough to come back to work today...

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Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:17 PM

Stourbridge Lion

 CShaveRR:

Darren, some folks will go to any length to seek out good weather!  Hope you've had an enjoyable time.

 

It was about 30F cooler in Alaska then Denver and we also got away from all the Political Ads and Shooting News which was nice too.  Was sure tough to come back to work today...

Appreciate you bringing the water with you on the way back.

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 blhanel on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:22 PM

mudchicken

 Stourbridge Lion:

 CShaveRR:

Darren, some folks will go to any length to seek out good weather!  Hope you've had an enjoyable time.

 

It was about 30F cooler in Alaska then Denver and we also got away from all the Political Ads and Shooting News which was nice too.  Was sure tough to come back to work today...

 

Appreciate you bringing the water with you on the way back.

So how about you send some of it this way?

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, August 2, 2012 5:54 AM

Remember that high water mark at the restaurant we met at Brian?  Be careful what you wish for!

Dan

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Posted by blhanel on Thursday, August 2, 2012 7:33 AM

No kidding... although right now I don't think 6+" over all of Iowa would even bring the river back up to normal, let alone cause a flood...

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, August 2, 2012 11:15 AM

I-R-Confuzzed Department:

In 1996 BNSF spins off 120 miles of branchline that becomes the Nebraska NorthEastern.....NOW they are buying it back (?)

The Forum Cat got to Warren Buffet?

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 CNW 6000 on Thursday, August 2, 2012 11:26 AM

One never knows...maybe he used catnip for cologne!

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, August 4, 2012 6:01 PM

I understand that Lombard got hit by some good storms today.  I hope to watch them roll in across Lake Michigan later this evening.

Nothing railroady to report.  We're on our annual foray to the County Where Railroads No Longer Exist.  (Good thing they leave their rights-of-way as usable bike trails!)

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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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, August 4, 2012 7:16 PM

CNW 6000

One never knows...maybe he used catnip for cologne!

^~^ ?

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, August 4, 2012 8:38 PM

Mookie

 CNW 6000:

One never knows...maybe he used catnip for cologne!

 

^~^ ?

Shhh! - Driver's "secret" is out.....Whisper

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 Mookie on Saturday, August 4, 2012 8:58 PM

mudchicken

 Mookie:

 CNW 6000:

One never knows...maybe he used catnip for cologne!

 

^~^ ?

 

Shhh! - Driver's "secret" is out.....Whisper

Smile, Wink & Grin

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, August 4, 2012 11:33 PM

Good evening.

I was catching up on a week or so worth of posts from my favourite Canadian RR forums, and found a couple of items I thought might be of interest. Don't you just hate it when reality intrudes on your hobby reading time?

The two EMD SD9043MAC's, 9142 and 9134, that had been retrofitted to be EPA compliant and then turned loose in the US, have been sent back to Winnipeg about July 22 to be put back into storage. Another good idea gone bad, I guess.

And there has been speculation on several threads about what EHH has been planning to do with the 2816 steam program. I don't know about that, but... the GP38-2, 3084 that had been painted in the old maroon and gray paint job and otherwise outfitted to work with the 2816, has gone back into the regular service pool starting August 1.

Hope everyone is well.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, August 6, 2012 4:37 PM

Since Carl is on vacation, I'll fill in for a freight car post:

 

Conrail coil car, and two conrail covers.  Taken last week, and it's a site that isn't as common as it used to be. 

 

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


  

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Posted by Mookie on Monday, August 6, 2012 5:21 PM

Zug - we see coil cars thru here every so often.  Just not Conrail, altho we have had some Conrail marked rolling stock. 

Someone once told me that a coil car with a "lid" was pretty unusual, but we still see more covered than not.

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Monday, August 6, 2012 9:43 PM

Note the different style and much longer cover on the car to the rear, from the pair of covers on the closest car. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by CNW 6000 on Monday, August 6, 2012 10:09 PM

The markings seen on the coil car below (my picture) were seen in Neenah, WI on a train going to Green Bay, WI.  All I'm gonna say is yikes...
Yikes

http://flic.kr/p/bHNKza  Direct link to Flickr.

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 11:54 AM

I can occasionally get away and comment on what's happening.

It used to be that all coil cars had covers, two per car.  But the "standard" coil car was made for "standard" coils, and could only handle steel coils of that size. 

Cars built without covers may be for hot metal that gains nothing from being kept covered.

The single-covered coil cars are shorter than the traditional cars...42 feet inside, versus 49.  These concentrate the load in a shorter overall length, and can haul lightly more payload, due to reduced tare weight.

A lot of the cars with covers with unusual shapes are designed to handle coils of varying sizes, including those larger than in traditional coil cars.

Thank you.  Now, back to my vacation.  I hope to be able to see a few freight cars before returning to the cottage in railroad-free Oceana County tonight.

Before I forget, thoughts and prayers, please, for our weatherman friend Willy.  He went into the hospital Sunday with a collapsed lung (he says it happens to skinny guys for some unknown reason).  He doesn't know how long he'll be in there.


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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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 12:59 PM

I have yet to visit Deshler without seeing a coil car.  Or a bunch of them, actually.

LarryWhistling
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...

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 1:04 PM

A little something to pass the Lunch Hour by with... Cowboy

watch?v=xxQcvlLnzTY

 

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 1:41 PM

tree68

I have yet to visit Deshler without seeing a coil car.  Or a bunch of them, actually.

 

The coil car wasn't the rare part.  The rare part is having a Conrail coil car with two Conrail covers.

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

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 3:32 PM

Yes...coil cars with properly matching covers are rare.  At least, those from the earlier generation are.  Quite often the newer coil covers will be stencilled as belonging to a specific series.


Willy's in surgery this afternoon. 


I found a 20-mile bike trip pretty exhilarating today, in cooler temperatures, remote areas, and so on (unfortunately, Pat had to be rescued after not quite making it 15 miles).

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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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:18 PM

Willy's still having problems--can't keep that lung filled without a tube.  Please keep him in your prayers and kind thoughts (my thought wasn't so kind, unfortunately...had to do with a tire pump).

_____________________

We returned from our ten-day vacation in Michigan yesterday (yay for good neighbors, dry basements, and rain in the gauge). Car goes in for an oil change tomorrow, 1000 miles overdue.

We couldn't do much yesterday, so I was long overdue for a train fix (where we were in Michigan, NOTHING was moving--good for researching standing freight cars, but not for the thrill!).

Thus it came to pass that today errands needed to be run. As Pat was doing quilt work in the Museum, I bought her (us) lunch from Johnny Dog, then went on to Elmhurst on my bike. When I got to town, the signals appeared to reflect the impending arrival (in about 15 minutes) of the scoots from each direction--they usually meet at or near Elmhurst.

So I went to the first bank, then back to the tracks--no scoots yet. To the other bank...no scoots yet when I was done. To the hobby shop (more later on the book I bought)--when I got back trackside, both scoots were gone.

But the control-point signal at Park looked pretty good--two more eastbounds lined up! Track 3 had a yellow on the bottom for a train headed into the yard, and Track 2 had a lunar-white on the bottom. When it changed to yellow on top, I knew that the lineup was for a train to hold the main line and follow the eastbound scoot.

That train on 2 was the first to show up--it snuck up slowly, but opened right up when its signal changed from yellow to high green. A stacker, and the lead locomotive was CNW 8701--one of only two locomotives still carrying its original number and paint job for my alma mater, the Chicago & North Western.

As that train was moving past, the ATWS started sounding off: "Danger--another train coming!" The train was another stacker, westbound on 3, moving at roughly 50 m.p.h. There was a DP unit working hard in the middle of this extraordinarily long train. Both of these trains cleared the York Road crossing at about the same time.

The eastbound on Track 1 then showed up, moving pretty fast. By the time he got past me, the air had been applied pretty hard (I didn't hear any dynamic brakes as the power went by), and he slowed down to a speed more appropriate for going into the yard. This was a manifest, made up entirely of loads of soybean meal and soybean oil, no doubt originating in the Des Moines/Eagle Grove area of Iowa.

After the manifest cleared, I crossed the tracks at York Road. Looked left--another headlight! Another stack train, westbound on Track 2. This was another long one. As it was passing, I went east to the Haven Avenue crossing. It looks like the eastbound home signal at Park is going to be revamped soon, to accommodate the third mainline track that will be going in to the east of there. I may have to learn these signals all over again once this track gets up and running.

But the existing signals finally showed all red, so I decided to head back home. It was about 15 minutes before the scoots were due to arrive, and as I crossed the tracks by the gravel pit, I could see that the signals were lined up for them, once again.

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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