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The Trackside Lounge 3Q 2012

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 7:03 PM

We had to visit our pioneer museum today (the Sheldon Peck Homestead), which has a fantastic view of the tracks (Sheldon Peck himself sold the necessary land to the Galena & Chicago Union for this right-of-way).  In less than an hour, we were blessed with three westbounds (including one made up entirely of some apparently new or rebuilt NS coal gons), the eastbound scoot, an eastbound manifest, and the westbound scoot (where was all this action when Willy was around?).

Pat and I then had lunch at a place where the trains could be observed when they went by.  You guessed it--nothing,

We got a bit of rain this morning, and a few blinks of the power grid.  Some places in the area got hit far worse (Pat found that our library was without power).  The rain and breeze kept it fairly tolerable today (we biked the aforementioned errands, as well as a couple of shopping trips), but tomorrow we're under a heat advisory again, with temperatures oozing toward the century mark.

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 edblysard on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 6:46 PM

Rebuilt from a GP 38, has a lot of the same parts as an MK1500D, cab and nose were built by Motive Power (Bosie Locomotive) now a part of Wabco...looks like it has a CAT dual prime mover...would have to research it some.

Great shot by the way, so beside a science fiction fan, hes a photographer too!

23 17 46 11

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 6:36 PM

CNW 6000

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.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7594882462_2729e19e32.jpg

Flickr Link

It may not win any awards...but I like it. 

That I like!!

Beats a grab shot made as I was coming out of a quarry near Beachville ON....

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 6:11 PM

CNW 6000

 

 zugmann:

 

I dream of CN slugification...

 

Why's that?

 

 

 

Never mind.. a play on words of a song. 

I've been going through some of my photos from some reason.  This was just a quick grab shot after work, but it's one of my favorites.  Taken two years ago.  Funny, doesn't seem like two years ago.

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 CNW 6000 on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 5:57 AM

Depending on the time they're driving through...the traffic from EAA could get quite nasty when combined with the ongoing road expansion of US41.  That said...I hope he has a good time.  I'm around after 1 PM and will be out and about.

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, July 23, 2012 10:04 PM

Oh, Dan, Willy and his mother might go through your neck of the woods tomorrow, on their way to the Door Peninsula.  I suggested that they stay on your side of Lake Winnebago.

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 Monday, July 23, 2012 9:18 PM

Uh-oh!  ^

We just returned from supper with Willy and his mother, who probably didn't mind the relative lack of trains through Glen Ellyn as much as I did (they'd been to Chesterton and saw plenty there!). Of course, as soon as we'd gotten ready to leave, two eastbound freights were lined up. We saw one of them (a grain train, with DP), and I heard the other one as soon as I got out of the car at home.

Willy still reads us, but he lurks most of the time.  We civil people here know better than to blame Will for the horrendous weather of the past few months, but some people knock meteorologists a little too harshly.

No word today from Nance...hope things are okay by her.

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 CNW 6000 on Monday, July 23, 2012 8:59 PM

zugmann

I dream of CN slugification...

Why's that?

A video of mine from 2008 with the same pair in action:
http://youtu.be/W6oFVyuo5y8

Dan

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, July 23, 2012 5:18 PM

I dream of CN slugification...

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 CNW 6000 on Monday, July 23, 2012 9:38 AM

Thanks for the compliment Quentin...but that was Zug's shot of the Gensets. 

I'll "switch" gears here...Saturday afternoon there was a "local" that was to run with two engines & slug with 4 cars from Fond du Lac, WI to Powers, MI.  Here's L528 in it's glory:
Two by Four

GP9RM, Slug, SW1500. 

I liked the nice touch of the class lights being turned on.

Dan

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:46 PM

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 !

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:34 PM

.....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...

Quentin

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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:03 PM

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.

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 zugmann on Sunday, July 22, 2012 7:52 PM

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.

 

 

 

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 CNW 6000 on Sunday, July 22, 2012 1:30 PM

Thanks gents.  Just trying to keep learning and trying new techniques. 

Dan

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, July 21, 2012 9:28 PM

.....Glad it did so Carl....I thought that was a really nice and different shot.

Quentin

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, July 21, 2012 8:20 PM

Quentin, thanks for reminding me to compliment Dan on that shot of high-speed UP freight service Wink!  Great one, Dan!  Bring that stuff down here sometime!

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 Modelcar on Saturday, July 21, 2012 4:14 PM

.....Dan I too, really like that photo.  Tripod really made a difference.  LIke the nice warm light that shows up on it....

Quentin

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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, July 21, 2012 2:35 PM

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.  

 

LaughLaughLaugh

And The Beat Goes On . . .

Bruce

 

The big, dumb monolith needs a good reality check every so-often.....Thumbs UpThumbs UpThumbs Up

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 CShaveRR on Saturday, July 21, 2012 2:01 PM

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.

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 samfp1943 on Saturday, July 21, 2012 1:14 PM

Thanks, Carl!

     Just sign me, The "Late" Samfp1943!

 

 


 

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, July 21, 2012 11:12 AM

jeffhergert

 

He actually asked if since he was there, if they could show him the "big picture."  The question didn't go over well.  

LaughLaughLaugh

And The Beat Goes On . . .

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 jeffhergert on Saturday, July 21, 2012 10:00 AM

CShaveRR

On the way home, we saw the best and worst of dispatching.

Carl, Carl, Carl.  You're just not seeing the "big picture." Big Smile 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

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, July 20, 2012 5:16 PM

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.

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 Stourbridge Lion on Friday, July 20, 2012 1:04 PM

A little something for the Lounge Crew to enjoy...

watch?v=vGRR87zkEdo

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Posted by AgentKid on Friday, July 20, 2012 2:51 AM

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.

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 CShaveRR on Thursday, July 19, 2012 9:53 PM

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.

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 AgentKid on Thursday, July 19, 2012 2:28 PM

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"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Thursday, July 19, 2012 8:16 AM

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.
Nonstop Flow

Flickr Link

It may not win any awards...but I like it. 

Dan

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 4:30 PM

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!

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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