Good morning and Happy October all. Welcome to the new place. Here's a link back to the old one:http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/207621.aspx?sort=ASC&pi332=15
Hopefully I can get some decent fall color when I go hunting & get trackside tomorrow. Have a great day.
Dan
I'm in.I'll be taking a scoot west to Winfield (medical test for Pat) later today, so I'll be able to check progress on the new crossovers at Wheaton.Good luck to you, Dan! I'll be back tomorrow to <ahem> check on you.
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)
Johnny, just read your note over in the old Lounge, and am glad you're back home, hopefully none the worse for wear.
Just wanted to get in the new lounge quickly so I could get a seat reserved. Last time I took too long and sometimes I had to wait in line. Of course, if the bouncers weren't so belligerent....
Carl,
I have my telephoto lenses and .22 rifle packed for tomorrow. Ma Nature even looks to cooperate. I'll be back.
Jim,
We'll let ya in. With a smile even.
CShaveRR Johnny, just read your note over in the old Lounge, and am glad you're back home, hopefully none the worse for wear.
Johnny
Walking was something I was bugging my mother to do while I was looking after her after her procedure last week. She was initially reluctant, but finally ventured outside for a couple of brief strolls just before I left.
Before the procedure, she was walking and taking the bus all over town. I presume she'll get back up to speed fairly soon - she's a pretty tough old bird.
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...
With the possible exception of Johnny, I think everyone posting here so far has something in common. First hint will come tomorrow.Pat and I walked about three miles total today (Pat slightly more, as she was taking a stress test). We took the scoot from Lombard to Winfield and back. It looks like portions of all eight of the switches have been assembled near the site of the control point in Wheaton. One pair was even arranged like a crossover (you know they aren't going to take two tracks out to drop it in like that, though!).The high point of my day was when the collector on our coach asked me about how long I'd been retired and where I'd worked. Turns out he's the son of the guy who's been the senior car retarder operator since the day I retired!
Dan,
What are you hunting? Bow season for deer started here in Missouri a couple of weekends past. The guys at work talk about their weekend adventures every Monday.
James
Squirrels are my main quarry today but the trip also doubles as a scouting trip for deer (gun & bow) & turkey seasons.
Might get trackside too...CN usually runs busier on Tuesdays around here.
I hope cake is on your quarry list--I'm pretty sure you'll be successful there. Happy birthday, Dan!
I, too, am hoping to get trackside today. My trusty pen and legal pad will be at the ready!
CNW 6000 I have my telephoto lenses and .22 rifle packed for tomorrow. . . .
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_Jr CNW 6000 I have my telephoto lenses and .22 rifle packed for tomorrow. . . . I'm glad you clarified this just above, 'cause I just wasn't seeing any logical connection between them . . . - Paul North.
Trackside I found a neat overlook where I shot photos of some stack trains. Will have to see how they turn out. I also found a potential host for another ATCS feed which would nearly complete coverage of the Neenah Sub. Gotta have a couple more conversations and see what we can find out.
Fog today...& lots of it. It's kinda nice out - but the current temp (51 F) will be the high on Friday & Saturday around here. Lows in the mid-20s! I wonder about the long term guess on snow...Willy?
We have the drizzles here today. Tomorrow's supposed to be warm but rainy, and we're in for a cool weekend, too. I hadn't heard about 20s for down here, but Eolafan may freeze in the mornings (Aurora, for some reason, gets much cooler than the surrounding areas).I had only a brief time in Elmhurst yesterday afternoon, but fortunately the manifest I saw was a productive one for me. Also fortunately for me, I viewed it from the south side of the tracks...I would have stayed on the station side, but got out of there when I saw the lunar signal for an inbound on an intervening track. And yes, my view of the manifest would have been blocked by a WEPX coal train.
Hey Carl - we gonna get that hint? You've piqued my curiosity.
CN 2433 put her rear truck on the ground today. Seems that the gage of a switch didn't want to play nice and a CTC controlled siding, two yard leads and a mainline all got blocked for a few hours. The speed was low enough that only the leading loco (C40-8M) went on the ground. Radio traffic was "colorful" for a short while, to say the least!
I'm going to try to get a mobile ATCS setup in my truck for testing and network expansion purposes. Just gotta figure out where to go with all the "stuff". Here's a shot of the ATCS running on my Droid RAZR MAXX.
Link to Flickr:http://flic.kr/p/deUX19
Later!Dan
That hint was directly aimed at you three days ago, Dan. Next hint in four days, unless I'm reminded of an event sooner. 'Tis the celebratory season here in the Lounge!Hmmm. I can see where ATCS would be a nice app to have on a phone, I think it probably would be a Facebook-league consumer of time on my laptop, but it would be a great thing to have on the road. The owner of Riley's Railhouse in Chesterton had it on his computer, but that was for his use, not the public's.Can you bring it up on your phone any time you have cell service? If so, I think that would be adequate for in-car use. I have ab adapter for my phone in the car at all times.
Yes I can. I'm running a remote desktop viewing client and have a dedicated ATCS computer at home with several "servers" running off of it. Also is useful when friends message that are elsewhere asking "What's running?" even though I can't (and don't need to) see train info - I can tell where things are and aren't. I'll be thinking back now Carl...
Dan - where'd you get the app for ATCS? There's not much in my area (if any), but I do drift down to Deshler now and again when I go to MI, so it would be handy to have, instead of having to fire up the laptop.
There's a bit of a hole in the Deshler feed since they put the new intermodal yard and environs on satellite, but last time I was there, it still helped a lot with the diamond.
As SJ would say, ^-^ (my fur is shorter).
Somewhat lucky this morning...we did our errands on foot (taking our bikes would have added a wind-chill factor I didn't want to deal with). While Pat went to the library, I walked the extra couple of blocks to the tracks. In the time it took me to walk the block down the tracks I caught one freight, then, after starting back to the library, had to hightail it back for a second manifest and a work train with ballast hoppers and dump cars. Total time elapsed: ten, maybe 15 minutes. Time to enter just that data into the books: probably about the same.
tree68 Dan - where'd you get the app for ATCS? There's not much in my area (if any), but I do drift down to Deshler now and again when I go to MI, so it would be handy to have, instead of having to fire up the laptop. There's a bit of a hole in the Deshler feed since they put the new intermodal yard and environs on satellite, but last time I was there, it still helped a lot with the diamond.
It's a remote desktop viewing software on my phone that lets me see the screen of my laptop at home running ATCS. ATCS can be found by joining the ATCS_mon Yahoo! group. The remote desktop access software I'm running is called "TeamViewer" but others like "LogMeIn" can also work too. You have to have that software set up on both the phone & computer you intend to view. It's pretty easy.
Here we go...happy anniversary today to Joe and Stacey Kohnen!
Busy week or more ahead...
On the home front, five lines in an old sightings pad have added about 1000 words to my Soo Line file, will add several hundred to the CEFX file, and untold numbers will be added the KCS, LDCX, PVGX, ATSF, certain NAHX, and perhaps other files. Hundreds of prior identities, sometimes two for the same car, are falling into place.
Off shortly for a trip to see the fall colors (and the grandchildren!) at the local arboretum. Tomorrow is the best weather-day of the week and Pat will be occupied in the morning, so guess who's going to ride his you-know-what to you-know-where!
Dan - I've got ATCS - I use it any time I visit Deshler (if nobody else has it running). Nobody here uses ATCS (CSX St Lawrence sub is dark, I think the Chicago line is all "wired") so the app would have little value for me most of the time. Good stuff to know, though! Thanks!
Not the best trip I've had. Plenty of ****holes.One of the pilots thought we should fight the war smelling nice.Adrianspeeder
USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman
Neat pictures Adrian, thanks for sharing. The views you get must be nice at times!
Larry,My area was all dark until this spring. Since then, ATCS feeds have popped up around WI & MN. Each host site is around $500 for equipment alone - plus the data connection. I have successfully timed trips of around 2 hours for a "surgical strike" at a train - arriving within 10 minutes before said train arrives at my intended spot. That sure beats sitting hours on end with nothing in sight!
Currently I'm watching:-CN from the WI/IL state line up to Stevens Point (including Fox River Sub up to Appleton)-CP's C&M Sub (N of Chicago), Watertown Sub & Tomah Sub (to Twin Cities)
Uncle Pete sent a coal train to Green Bay last nignt and was kind enough to include a patched SP AC44, however it came through after midnight. Maybe I can catch empties in a couple days.
I'll be trackside in Elmhurst in an hour or so; anyone who wishes can drop by the platform.
Thanks for sharing those pictures, Adrian! I'll be thinking about your high-tech conveyance as I hop onto my bicycle soon. (I agree with Dan on the fantastic views you must get.)
Big week for the Forum Auxiliary coming up, starting today. Happy birthday to Pat, a.k.a. Boss Hen!
Today's birthdays include my wife Pat (that's two Pats in two days!), and Forum Meteorologist Willy2 (or Willy 22, today). Happy birthday, folks...guess which one gets the birthday hugs!I believe that later today I'll be taking my Birthday Girl on an apple run out west, and maybe, just maybe, home via Rochelle.
CShaveRR Today's birthdays include my wife Pat (that's two Pats in two days!), and Forum Meteorologist Willy2 (or Willy 22, today). Happy birthday, folks...guess which one gets the birthday hugs!I believe that later today I'll be taking my Birthday Girl on an apple run out west, and maybe, just maybe, home via Rochelle.
Willy's back to normal, and was given a clean bill of health after a subsequent examination. Haven't heard too much from him lately (we're on opposing sides of the political spectrum), but he's doing okay.
CShaveRR Willy's back to normal, and was given a clean bill of health after a subsequent examination. Haven't heard too much from him lately (we're on opposing sides of the political spectrum), but he's doing okay.
Seriously, I'm glad to hear he's ok.
Yes, Jim...you got it. Let's just say he believes the lies.
We stopped out at Rochelle this afternoon, but didn't see much while we were there. The same westbound manifest that had blocked our crossing earlier in the morning at Lombard was waiting for us there (only we came the long way after we had lunch in Marengo and visited the apple orchard in Poplar Grove).
The city-owned railroad in Rochelle is in the process of expanding. The small yard near the north end of their track (for interchange with UP?) is having all of its tracks nearly doubled in length--right now they're packing the subgrade. Further south, in the vicinity of I-88, a second track has been added to their "main line". While we were checking these out, a westbound BNSF stack train--complete with Warbonnet on the point--came through.All those westbound trains we didn't see at the park were showing up on our way home. The parade started with a train of Com Ed empties. As we went over the tracks east of town, I looked east and could see two headlights. One was a stack train; the other was something short---maybe even light power for Global 3. We then caught an empty WEPX train, another stack train, what appeared to be an ethanol train, and yet another stack train, all before we got to DeKalb (that's only 17 miles east of Rochelle).We missed another westbound going through DeKalb, but caught another stack train headed west at Maple Park. An eastbound intermodal (possibly one we'd seen at Rochelle) was standing west of Elburn. From there we lost sight of the tracks and stopped for some shopping. We were blocked by a westbound string of auto racks at the diamond in West Chicago. And an eastbound manifest was in the staging area west of Finley Road in Lombard (feeling smug about that one--I predicted it based on a signal I saw east of Wheaton).
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.