Wow, and I was all grumpy because it was in the 50s this morning…of course, by noon it was 80, and all the girls are out Christmas shopping in short shorts and stuff, so it aint all that bad after all!
23 17 46 11
Once again - Mookie is pleased! Welcome back Houston Ed.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
I think someone left the freezer door open.....
18 degrees in Burlington this morning, struggling to reach 30 later, then 13 tonight(!!). Go back to work today, fellow driver sent me a picture of the lake effect machine starting up in northeast Ohio. Joy......
Had my maternal grandfather's funeral last night, very good ceremony, and I managed to keep it together for the entire time (I do not do well at funerals). He passed away last Tuesday night at age 84. Glad I spent time with him when I was younger.......
See everyone later......
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
Just a dusting of snow overnight - enough so you can tell it snowed but not enough to have to do anything about it. Temps are still "mild," with 27 showing on the weather station right now. Sounds like we'll be dealing with some colder stuff, though.
Several hot projects - I'd better get to them!
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...
evening
have Matt's fundraiser stuff all sorted. need to make so more deliveries here in a bit. The little snow and ice this morning caused some bending fenders and ditch finders. Need to get back to work. Ns was uptown tamping and spreading ballast in the siding.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
You guys can take your cold front back, anytime you’d like…please.
Houston - 7 am 38.5
Lincoln 24
However, Lincoln was 9 yesterday with a stiff north wind. So you still have some toughening up to do. (How did you get a half?)
Tree68 ------ This morning I observed my first unit crude oil train passing by. I had thought our A&WP route would not be subject to these trains and obviously that was an assumption not based in fact. Our town is very small and I need references to take to our mayor elect and get some additional emergency planning. The CSX tracks are in good condition however our 3 grade crossing are very close to parallel US-29. Many of the tractor trailers often foul the tracks ( especially logging trucks ) and of course that concerns me for the possibility of a BLEV. Do you know any good reference materials to pass on to the city ?
blue streak 1Do you know any good reference materials to pass on to the city ?
Off hand, no. Sounds like a good time to get your emergency management folks involved. Locally, that would probably be fire and police. Your county may have a specific office for emergency management, and your state certainly will. Get them all involved.
If you have a traffic problem, as you say, you need to get your roads people involved - DOT, or whatever they go by there. If it's a signal issue, it can likely be resolved. If it's driver behavior issue, it could come down to some focussed enforcement, or even changing traffic patterns so there is little or no reason to stop on the crossing.
Don't be afraid to reach out to the railroad in question. They want the folks along their line to be satisfied that the movements will be safe and without incident, and will be able to help you know who to talk to at the various levels.
You may also need to sort out authority. Here in NY, we are governed by "home rule" - the lowest level of government has the most authority. Under that arrangement, barring a declaration of emergency at a higher level, your mayor would be essentially in charge. Your laws may be different. If your local authorities don't know what those are, this is a good time to find out.
That said, start at the lowest levels and work up. That way you know what your local knowledge and abilities are as you work your way up the chain. You also don't hurt feelings because you bypassed someone who needs to be involved. There will be some meetings involved here.
Once you figure out what you have and what you need, your city may be eligible for grants to help you prepare - something else your state emergency management folks can help with.
Mookie Houston - 7 am 38.5 Lincoln 24 However, Lincoln was 9 yesterday with a stiff north wind. So you still have some toughening up to do. (How did you get a half?)
Not real sure, but we are sneaky that way…..not that it made that much difference to me!
Switching into a strong north wind all morning….need a toe heater now.
edblysardneed a toe heater now.
Joe - I am so excited - actually got to go watch trains this afternoon. Super sunny and 51 with south wind, which just happened to blow in a freight from St Joe - had CP on the head, 2nd motor BNSF(norange) and a CAT long arm digger on a flatbed right behind the 2nd motor. (Xmas?) Then lots of mt lumber cars and evergreen boxcars along with the usual freight fare. I think it has been at least 2 years since we saw CP in any part of the headend.
Also saw a blue/yellow Santa Fe GP38 - I think that is what the Driver said it was - I was taking notes and not paying attention - with a boxcar and a waycar. Wonder if this 3 item unit might have been out doing some repair on something mechanical? I guess I will never know, but don't think they went too far from the yard.
Millie had to go to the doctor today. She has a leak in her heater gasket (I think that is what he said. Since they don't come with a crank any more, I have kind of lost track of how to work on a car) Anyway - no heat because no coolant so need new gasket - $700 and a RF wheel bearing $500 and an empty bank account.
Ed - do you want me to see if I can get us a deal if they do both yours and ours?
38? That's switching weather. May need a light jacket to go over the sweatshirt.
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
SJ, you may have to explain "evergreen box cars" to me. I'm of an age that remembers the Evergreen Freight Car Corporation and its fleet of olive-green insulated box cars, but those have been gone for a long time.We got some sort of slop that looked like snow on Monday, right about the time when a bunch of soldiers and onlookers were in our cemetery for a dedication ceremony (five new markers for veterans whose markers were either destroyed or nonexistent), followed by a cemetery walk, in which some of the Historical Society volunteers were portraying the people who were buried there. I was there as a gatekeeper of sorts, but the walk kind of got drowned out, so I brought the Society's president and the staff member on duty home with me for some hot chocolate (we showed off the new room and Pat showed a few quilts).
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)
BC - think Boise Cascade - not Evergreen. Just the common reddish-brown car with a little stick tree off to the side. But there were so many mt lumber cars and heading west and probably north, that it seemed to fit right in as part of a mostly lumber train.
tree68 blue streak 1Do you know any good reference materials to pass on to the city ? Off hand, no. Sounds like a good time to get your emergency management folks involved. Locally, that would probably be fire and police. Your county may have a specific office for emergency management, and your state certainly will. Get them all involved.
Tree that is what I've thought. Just thought you might know some web sites that have more info. Co EMS is too far away. Our grade crossing problems come mostly from challenged drivers not understanding the dynamics of RR trains.
Saw another full one and one empty just adding to my surprised persona. Sudden appearances of the unit oil trains makes one wonder if it is some kind of detour ? ?
In case of an incident very rapid response may be needed.
Thanks, SJ! I don't think I've seen red ones with the Boise Cascade logo, but plenty of light green MDW and IBT cars have it. I can see clearly now...We've still got a little of that snow from Monday on the ground. Tomorrow may be my snow day (sit indoors, get caught up on things, watch it melt...ah, retirement!)
blue streak 1Co EMS is too far away.
They may be too far away for immediate response to an incident, but they are not too far away to serve as a resource for your planning. In fact, unless you are the only community in the county that the railroad passes through, it's a county issue as well (not to mention adjoining counties and communities). You may well set in progress a much larger planning effort.
As I mentioned, the county and state EM offices have resources your community likely does not, especially in terms of planning and funding. By working with them now, you may be able to acquire equipment you will need if an incident does occur. You may be surprised when you raise a concern to find that they have the answer already.
If they haven't already, everyone in city management should be taking the FEMA ICS courses. They are available on line. Here's the URL for ICS 100: http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=is-100.b
Your leaders can take ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800 on-line. ICS 300 and 400 are classroom courses running for several days. ICS 200 is sometimes offered as a classroom session as well. Your fire department probably already has at least some of those courses under their belts. If not, they need to take them as well.
If everyone is familiar with command structure under ICS (especially unified command for major incidents), then any incident (including natural disasters) will be run just that much more smoothly.
Football Friday. Agony or Ecstasy Saturday.
Mookie Football Friday. Agony or Ecstasy Saturday.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding Mookie Football Friday. Agony or Ecstasy Saturday. They have football in Nebraska?
Johnny
Yes Murphy. It is our state bird, state song, state flag; we live & breathe it.. We don't, however, always have a good team, but I think we are finally back on track.
Now back to a doll I am working on. Johnny - hand me another pin....
Mookie Now back to a doll I am working on. Johnny - hand me another pin....
OW! STOP THAT!
Norm
About 10 years or so back, we had neighbors who had moved here from Lincoln Nebraska. They showed me their prize procession- a used car. It had belonged to some famous coach, with some well known football team based in Lincoln. But it was just a used car- an old Ford 4 door something or other. This car was so precious, that they didn't drive it. It lived in their garage 365 days a year. After a year or so, they moved to Minneapolis- taking the car with them- on a car trailer. I always wondered if they belonged to some sort of cult or something.
Coming soon to a theater near you… …
The Attack of the Blackshirts
(it is beyond a cult, trust me!)
Murphy Siding About 10 years or so back, we had neighbors who had moved here from Lincoln Nebraska. They showed me their prize procession- a used car. It had belonged to some famous coach, with some well known football team based in Lincoln. But it was just a used car- an old Ford 4 door something or other. This car was so precious, that they didn't drive it. It lived in their garage 365 days a year. After a year or so, they moved to Minneapolis- taking the car with them- on a car trailer. I always wondered if they belonged to some sort of cult or something.
Must be time to make the donuts. (If you are old enough, you remember the commercial - he met himself coming and going. You had to be there....)
Anyway - I am answering myself, so I will tell myself that I finally saw a Ferromex - 2nd unit on a DEEX coal train heading east. Joe - you got your ears on? Somebody had just recently given it a bath and it looked very spiffy.
Not much rr traffic today, but heard a lot in the evening and overnite last nite. Sneaking in and out again.
Nice morning - no wind and jacket weather. 55 and now that a cold front is coming in, we have nw wind @ 23-28. Landlord just cleaned up all the leaves in the yard. New shipment will be down by tonite. And with a north wind, they will hold late meetings at our backdoor!
Blah!
Watching the weather in IN, IL, MI, etc with great interest, 'cause we're next, probably during the overnight. Wasn't planning on sleeping tonight anyhow.
Did some training with our newer FD members this morning - everything went well, other than a drain plug that decided it was time to drain the pump (it lasted for 20 years...). We were able to fix it right away, so we still have a "complete" fire department...
It was also a review session on some seldom used skills for the older members. And we needed that review as well.
On to other projects.
Joe and Quentin are under the gun right now. Sir Chicken has relatives in Cincinnati. Must reach out and touch.
Tree - I wish you well! Put your gear on before bed?
Been watching the weather all day. Drizzly, low clouds, ceiling 1500 above ground level. wind S 16-20 kts. Glad I'm not near Peoria.
Norm48327 Been watching the weather all day. Drizzly, low clouds, ceiling 1500 above ground level. wind S 16-20 kts. Glad I'm not near Peoria.
Just looked at your radar. Duck!
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