mudchicken [snipped - PDN] . . . Batteries in the GPS receivers suddenly had VERY short lives- cold compromises productivity in unusual ways. . . .
Carl, I really didn't like the movie either, but had to watch it twice back then for some reason - once was as the attendance-mandatory Saturday afternoon "scheduled entertainment" during a winter weekend high school band trip to Malden (a suburban Boston community), which is no doubt why I remember it. As it happened, the previous year our band had also gone to another community up there (Lynn) in the winter, and that was only 3 years after our family had gone to Boston as part of a summer vacation trip. No rail action to speak of on the Boston portion of any of those trips, so there wasn't much redeeming in Boston for any of them. Remember - this was way back in the day before high school bands and classes started to 'routinely' go to such comparatively exotic places as Disney World, Mexico, Carribean islands, Europe, Japan, etc. As a result, I describe it as a variation of the old W.C. Fields joke about Philadelphia: "First prize is a weekend in Boston; second prize is 2 weekends in Boston . . . ". To the disappointment of my historically-minded wife, I still adamantly refuse to go back to Boston until I've seen lots of other more interesting places - most of which are still on the "to-go-to" list - although I have allowed at times that I would be more inclined to go to Boston if we went by Amtrak, especially the Acela Express or the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited trains.
Besides, at the moment I was more interested in finding a way to needle zugmann atfer his Richard Harris remark . . .
- Paul North.
Carl:
Have to go home and wait about 10 days to come back. New conflict the railroads have to deal with is beyond my control. (another of CR's skeletons has oozed of the closet and is causing heartburn at NS/CSX and city offices)
Froze my butt off Fri morning near Clark Jcn. ...Batteries in the GPS receivers suddenly had VERY short lives- cold compromises productivity in unusual ways. Surprised to see CN-IC end cab switchers still out in transfer service on the old J - love hearing the old 567's and 645's growling without the turboes.
Didn't shovel on the jobsite, but did have to break out the sandvik and machete to hack my way down two main tracks.
The carnage along I-80 (semi's, 5th wheels, etc) was unbelievable last night between Des Moines and Iowa City.....Hope Mr. Vos was not out there in TH-FR's storm.
Get home tonight and ready for some serious...pushed it a little far in the sleep deprivation dept.
Get to attack a BNSF project on Monday in 60 degree weather....woohoo!
Paul, the more I got into that particular movie, the less I liked it.MC, how are things going in the snow belt? Did you shovel your way down to the right-of-way in question?Headed back yet?I'm hoping to get to that new exhibit at the Indiana Welcome Center sometime (check out the Newswire if you can).
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)
Or "A Man Called Horse" (1970) ? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066049/
The fellows who had to go take a look at their new fire engine got back a little while ago. They said they were down to 20-ish MPH and turned on the traffic director on the the back of the light bar to help ensure they didn't get nailed from behind...
The lake effect band has tightened up. Oswego will have a healthy dose of the white stuff by morning.
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...
tree68 CShaveRR I don't envy you going anywhere tomorrow (Saturday might be better). Right now the sun is shining, but it's raw-looking out there! The sun is mostly out at my house. To the south, however, a lot of folks are having some serious problems driving - slick roads and limited visibility due to lake effect snows. I was considering a run into town. I think I'll just stay home.
CShaveRR I don't envy you going anywhere tomorrow (Saturday might be better). Right now the sun is shining, but it's raw-looking out there!
I don't envy you going anywhere tomorrow (Saturday might be better). Right now the sun is shining, but it's raw-looking out there!
The sun is mostly out at my house. To the south, however, a lot of folks are having some serious problems driving - slick roads and limited visibility due to lake effect snows.
I was considering a run into town. I think I'll just stay home.
On the radio show this morning, they were talking about the song "Macarthur Park" - specifically Richard Harris' version.
Now I want to watch the Molly Maguires.
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
Thanks, Carl.
zardoz CNW 6000 Staring at 11" of snow...blower time! Look ma...no hands! In the blower that is. Off to freeze. Good lad!
CNW 6000 Staring at 11" of snow...blower time! Look ma...no hands! In the blower that is. Off to freeze.
Staring at 11" of snow...blower time! Look ma...no hands! In the blower that is. Off to freeze.
Dan
Jim, the best I can suggest is Eola Yard, west end, at the foot of McClure Road (Not easy to find...from 88 West take Farnsworth south. Cross the tracks, turn left and stay on roads that keep you close to the tracks.
Now, as for quilt shops (best I can do on short notice), the closest thing is Prairie Shop Quilts, on the northeast corner of Randall Road and Wilson Street in Batavia. Sadly, Randall doesn't have an exit off 88.
We'd offer to join you, but things are a bit busy here these days--Friday is payday and all that that entails for us, and Pat has a pillow-stuffing engagement on Saturday (soft-stuffed heart-shaped pillows for cancer patients; something the women at the church do). Dan, be very wary when offering to lend someone a hand with snow removal... we're very glad you feel up to it.
Carl,
Wifey and I might head towards Aurora either Friday or Saturday. Do you have any destination suggestions of either a railroad nature or in the crafty/quilting/sewing genre?
More on the freight-car front: one manifest freight on the BNSF yielded sightings of three new (to me...probably built in 2012) series of freight cars, representing over 3000 cars in the books. Over 2900 of them were T109 tank cars (around 31,000 gallons each, probably for the crude-oil business).
Along with LaGrange, where we stopped for lunch and some quick shopping, our little road trip took us into the city, where I explored the area to the north of the old Stock Yards. There are some interesting track layouts in there, with sharp curves and good-looking main lines (probably NS, past their Ashland Avenue Yard). I found one or two industries that were being supplied by a yard with literally dozens of tallow tank cars. We also got to within a block of the warehouse that was burning last week...there are still hot spots in the rubble (Ashland Avenue is still closed past the site).
Yesterday was a little wet during the day, but temperatures went up over 60. Today is more like January, with temps in the 30s and rain expected to change to snow (we got 1.75 inches of rain from late afternoon to this morning), and windy...just perfect for doing my errands around town. Tomorrow we don't expect the high to get out of the teens.
MC, I hope you got as much done as possible before today--this weather is unfit for man, woman, or chicken! As of right now, rain is falling and freezing on contact with the ground. There's a bit of thunder out there, too.On another note, I was surprised to see some new covered hopper cars for the plastics industry yesterday...I don't think we've had too many of those in the past seven years or so. EQUX 12000-12499 (numbers signifying the year of the order, evidently) are ARI Center Flows.
I also found out that somebody else has made the first report of a 2013-built freight car...a flat underneath an auto rack, from what I remember. When I worked at Proviso, I usually won this friendly contest...once I did it on January 5!
The active line there is the old Reading. I don't know what company has it now. It runs through Hopewell Township, Pennington and crosses the Delaware River at West Trenton. SEPTA provides commuter service into Philadelphia. Also New York garbage trains regularly use the line.
Yep, railroad is still there (saw it in the daylight and in the dark - shoulda quit in the dark while I was ahead ), 4 inch trees between the rails on top of a decrepit 15 foot tall doubletrack fill....(RE: Gary & Western)...
Paul_D_North_JrScenic - but probably ran through it in the middle of the night - and slow, since it is has many curves, esp. north of Lambertville, NJ.
But necessary in its day because there was no easy way to get to the PRR to Washington. When the Hell Gate Bridge was completed all that was changed and the train re-routed through New York Penn Station.
John WR Paul_D_North_Jrformer Belvidere-Delaware branch of the PRR, of which only a few miles are still in operation There was a time when the Federal Express (trains 71 and 72) between Boston and Washington ran along the Bel Del and joined the PRR at Trenton. As I recall it ran along the New York and New England Route and crossed the Hudson around Brewster, NY bypassing New York City.
Paul_D_North_Jrformer Belvidere-Delaware branch of the PRR, of which only a few miles are still in operation
There was a time when the Federal Express (trains 71 and 72) between Boston and Washington ran along the Bel Del and joined the PRR at Trenton. As I recall it ran along the New York and New England Route and crossed the Hudson around Brewster, NY bypassing New York City.
Pat and I walked over the Poughkeepsie Bridge on the hottest Memorial Day in memory this past May.
Paul_D_North_JrYep, for about 3 years (Oct. 1912 - Jan. 1916)
President Taft used to ride it.
Yep, for about 3 years (Oct. 1912 - Jan. 1916), using the New Haven's Poughkeepsie Bridge over the Hudson River. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Express_(passenger_train)
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=96&t=56125
http://lhr.railfan.net/BO92TT.htm
Page 28 of 80 of this document - "NAMED TRAINS OF THE PRR INCLUDING THROUGH SERVICES" by Christopher T. Baer, September 8, 2009 ed., at:
http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR%20NAMED%20TRAINS.pdf
Ditto for here in Pennsylvania, where we have the Lehigh Canal (short name - more correctly, the "Lehigh Navigation"), and the Delaware Canal, both of which were links/ feeders to the Raritan Canal; the Delaware Canal went on to Philadelphia as well. See generally: http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/index.php
One consolation is that most of the Lehigh Canal towpath / trail parallels the moderately-used present-day "Lehigh Line" of Norfolk Southern (and ConRail), and/ or other former (now abandoned) rail lines. The Delaware Canal is on the opposite bank from the former Belvidere-Delaware branch of the PRR, of which only a few miles are still in operation (Black River & Western now). At New Hope, PA, it passes within sight of the New Hope & Ivyland RR (former Reading RR branch), and further south at Bristol, PA it's close to the Amtrak NorthEast Corridor.
CShaveRR The pathways along this {Hennepin} canal are also a state park.
Hmmm. With canals we preserve them for our children and grand children. Here in New Jersey we once had the Delaware and Raritan Canal which carried coal from the Scranton area to New York. That too is preserved as a state park. We maintain canals at public expense and no one even whispers about it. It is an interesting contrast to the way we treat passenger trains.
John WR CShaveRRThe most notable canal, from a historic standpoint, is the Illinois & Michigan Canal. I understand the Illinois and Michigan Canal connected Chicago to the Mississippi River. I imagine that was quite important at the time. I also understand that Abe Lincoln voted for the canal when he was in the Illinois Legislature. Lincoln was a Whig and he believed government should undertake internal improvements for the benefit of the people of the state.
CShaveRRThe most notable canal, from a historic standpoint, is the Illinois & Michigan Canal.
I understand the Illinois and Michigan Canal connected Chicago to the Mississippi River. I imagine that was quite important at the time. I also understand that Abe Lincoln voted for the canal when he was in the Illinois Legislature. Lincoln was a Whig and he believed government should undertake internal improvements for the benefit of the people of the state.
It connected the Illinois (River) and (Lake) Michigan (that was the theory, anyway). The Illinois River eventually flows into the Mississippi River (via Peoria and Havana).
There also was (is) the Hennepin Canal, which formed a three-pronged route from the Illinois River (at its big bend, where it starts flowing south instead of west), and the Rock River (above Rock Falls, appropriately enough) to the Mississippi River south of Moline. The pathways along this canal are also a state park.
CShaveRR I don't know whether this will work, but over on Trainorders.com they have a nice down-on view or two of the construction I've been blathering about in the vicinity of Bellwood and Provo Junction: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2974051
I don't know whether this will work, but over on Trainorders.com they have a nice down-on view or two of the construction I've been blathering about in the vicinity of Bellwood and Provo Junction:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2974051
Looks to be quite the site there.
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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