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Chatterbox.1

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, March 27, 2014 6:26 PM

Murphy Siding
      Can anybody remember where they were, 50 years ago today,  right about now?

Waiting to be born 20 years later.

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 tree68 on Thursday, March 27, 2014 6:19 PM

Murphy Siding

      Can anybody remember where they were, 50 years ago today,  right about now?  I was in the Alaska earthquake, trying to save a bottle of my favorite cherry cough medicine from meeting it's maker on a concrete floor.

Hmmm - I'd have been 13 - it was Good Friday, so things Easter were undoubtedly on the agenda.  

I remember it hitting the news, and reading about it for some time afterward.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, March 27, 2014 4:57 PM

      Can anybody remember where they were, 50 years ago today,  right about now?  I was in the Alaska earthquake, trying to save a bottle of my favorite cherry cough medicine from meeting it's maker on a concrete floor.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Thursday, March 27, 2014 3:19 PM

Mookie

Was a loaded coal train, so 2nd motor must have been either sick or a substitute.  Either way, they both would have run out of the  yards and probably out of town for a way before the smoking stopped, which to me seems like quite a long ways.  Since we have a diesel shop, wouldn't they just pull it off and use another - or not.

Randy - do you do the actual work on the engines and then hostle them in and out?  (showing my ignorance in a roundhouse setting.)

I do a little bit of everything. I'm a qualified engineer so I can move engines around and fill in for sick crewmen if need be. Primarily I spend time in the engine house doing QC work or troubleshooting (or causing trouble). I work for a shortline so many of us are much more flexible than our class one counterparts.

 

Randy

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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, March 27, 2014 2:54 PM

Was a loaded coal train, so 2nd motor must have been either sick or a substitute.  Either way, they both would have run out of the  yards and probably out of town for a way before the smoking stopped, which to me seems like quite a long ways.  Since we have a diesel shop, wouldn't they just pull it off and use another - or not.

Randy - do you do the actual work on the engines and then hostle them in and out?  (showing my ignorance in a roundhouse setting.)

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, March 27, 2014 1:13 PM

Randy

watched the ND&W tiptoe on a switch near Fc in Defiance.Was wondering if a Maw ghost would come up and derail them.Glad everything and everyone is ok.

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").

 

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Thursday, March 27, 2014 12:53 PM

mudchicken

Most likely a GE with a bad rack setting that had been sitting too long & "carbon-ed up". Ask Randy or LC.

Leaking airboxes maybe ?

 

I derailed my first engine in nearly 20 years Monday. Crossing was packed with ice . Number one axle walked off. Fortunately I was able to back up and it fell back on.

 

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, March 27, 2014 4:20 AM

morning

busy day yesterday.CSX was backed up from Fostoria west to Holgate. Saw a coal train back up at Galetea.The usual route is on the C&O turn left at Fostoria on the B&O.Can't figure out why they were on the former NYC branch.Did they miss the turn left sign at Galetea?Saw lots of good stuff.Rain coming today.Good day for a foamer break.Chores to do.

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").

 

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Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:45 PM

tree68

edblysard

There is a reason we call them “toasters”…

Big Smile

Given our CMO's propensity for ALCO's, and our host railroads dedication to them, I've got a fair number of hours running them (and EMD's).  

Never been in a GE that was running.  Once at a display.

May you never be left in the lurch by one during an episode of "Quasimodo's revenge".

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 tree68 on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:39 PM

edblysard

There is a reason we call them “toasters”…

Big Smile

Given our CMO's propensity for ALCO's, and our host railroads dedication to them, I've got a fair number of hours running them (and EMD's).  

Never been in a GE that was running.  Once at a display.

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 edblysard on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:25 PM

There is a reason we call them “toasters”….

23 17 46 11

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 7:14 PM

mudchicken

Most likely a GE with a bad rack setting that had been sitting too long & "carbon-ed up". Ask Randy or LC.

ALCO wannabe....

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 mudchicken on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 6:35 PM

Most likely a GE with a bad rack setting that had been sitting too long & "carbon-ed up". Ask Randy or LC.

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 Wednesday, March 26, 2014 4:52 PM

50 mph winds arrived.  Scanner going nuts.  DQ will have no grass in certain areas.  Tree fell into power line and started a fire.  (I hope he wasn't hurt!) County north - lots of field fires.  My guess is that most were careless smoking.  

But my favorite one was a motorist called everyone he could get hold of to tell them that a train was on fire heading east out of town heading toward Omaha. 

Fire truck chased it about 2.5 miles before it stopped (BNSF called them to stop) and when the fire dept and a BNSF official checked it all out, they decided it was just some smoke from the 2nd motor. 

I wonder if this is the same one we saw a few days ago that was smoking so bad, it looked like a mosquito abatement unit. Was the 2nd motor, also.  Why would BNSF let this go even the 1st time we saw it?  Is pollution not a problem any more?  This can't be good for the innards of the engine? 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 3:49 PM

Paul of Covington
   Tree, what kind of grass do you use up there? 

There's so many kinds of grass in my yard that hazarding a guess would be hazardous...  Indifferent

My house was built around 1840.  I think it's safe to assume that there is still some remnants of whatever grew then still in the yard.  On top of that, if I have had to seed, I usually just grab something at the home improvement store, with little to no concern over exactly what it is.

My yard definitely has a lot of brown in it right now too (that which isn't still covered with snow and branches from the ice storm).  Once we get some decent weather, it'll green up pretty well.  I'll probably have mowed several times by the end of April.

The dry grass in the fields is our challenge on the fire side.  Get a field of foot high dry grass burning on a windy day and you've got a job on your hands.

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 Paul of Covington on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 11:33 AM

   Tree, what kind of grass do you use up there?   It amazed me when I was in that area that when the snow melted the grass was a beautiful green.    Our grass (mostly St. Augustine) turns brown in winter.   Mookie mentions brown grass, too.

_____________ 

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Posted by Mookie on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 10:06 PM

I think grass is but a distant memory.  Heard on weather tonite that our dew point was down to ... 1 (one)

What should be the start of green grass is now just brown thatch unless someone got careless - then it is just black. 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 8:24 PM

Mookie
Small grass fires on the north side of the city tonite.  Tomorrow - 50mph winds.  If someone spills a bottle of hot sauce outside, the whole city will be threatened. 

We're starting to see some grass - most of my front yard is open, but that's still right next to at least a foot of snow from a drift.  The statewide burn ban goes on until the middle of May.  Might just need it extended, unless the green stuff gets to work.

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 Mookie on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 7:30 PM

blownout cylinder

Good Evening...

We are supposed to go to 3F tonight...can winter go now? >:D

I'm having to dl some huge files here...ordered a new DAW online and now need to dl 3 seperate files. 

1-Daw itself, 2.5 Gb .zip
2-instruments, 3.0 Gb zip. 
3 soundsets and etcetera...6.7 Gb .zip

It will probably take most of the evening here.... 


 
 

Gosh and I thought it was exciting just to get to sort and fold socks tonite....

Small grass fires on the north side of the city tonite.  Tomorrow - 50mph winds.  If someone spills a bottle of hot sauce outside, the whole city will be threatened. 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 7:13 PM

Good Evening...

We are supposed to go to 3F tonight...can winter go now? >:D

I'm having to dl some huge files here...ordered a new DAW online and now need to dl 3 seperate files. 

1-Daw itself, 2.5 Gb .zip
2-instruments, 3.0 Gb zip. 
3 soundsets and etcetera...6.7 Gb .zip

It will probably take most of the evening here.... 

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 JoeKoh on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 8:35 AM

more white stuff today.probably going to the ymca.might see what csx and ND&W are up too here.

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").

 

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 7:03 AM

One tiny bit of snow in the northeast (never mind that mess coming up the coast).

And it's over my house.  Sheesh!

Don't think it's gonna be snowblower fodder, and I could probably get by without shovelling at all, but it's the principle of the thing....

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 CShaveRR on Monday, March 24, 2014 8:30 PM

Randy:  Moi?

I was too busy screwing things up at the airport! Wink

Well, to tell the truth....

Zzz 

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 JoeKoh on Monday, March 24, 2014 6:41 PM

cold here.NS was busy in new haven near Ft. Wayne.Csx's Garrett was plugged up as usual.They had a UP yard slug in the yard.How the heck did that get there??? chores to catch up on.Need to read the paper too.

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").

 

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Posted by rvos1979 on Monday, March 24, 2014 6:40 PM
Carl: thank you for the fatal wreck on the Dan Ryan this morning, made life interesting going from Plano to 103rd street in Chicago......

Gonna have to have a talk with Mother Nature, this is getting monotonous........

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

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, March 24, 2014 4:51 PM

What's this about having use the window? My door works quite well. Perhaps you need a carpenter to plane a little off the edge of the door?

We are up to about sixty today, and expect some rain in about two days.

Johnny

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Monday, March 24, 2014 3:09 PM

Mookie

We were supposed to have itsy-bitsy snow last nite.  Itsy-bitsy went north, south and east of us. 

   Yes, yes.  Thank you for the itsy-bitsy snow last night.  We had all of a quarter inch, but some place out in the country had drifts up three-eighths.  I heard of some areas getting dumped on with up to five-eighths in spots.  It's been hard on the weather guys.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Mookie on Monday, March 24, 2014 2:56 PM

Guess I should elaborate on that! 

The window is still being used.  Hopefully when we change for April (Chatterbox.2 -  if you don't mind) maybe there will be a new door to get in.  I am going to strain something serious if I have to keep climbing in the window. 

Re - the ballast on the tracks - I was thinking at the time that it might be possibly dust on the rails.  That makes me so happy that I got it right.  After how many years, I am learning a little. 

Sam, if we make a wrong turn, we just end up further from home.  Would love to make a wrong turn and end up with some trains! 

Heard about the CTA and escalator - even back here in the sticks.  Talk about service!  Stay seated, we will take you up. 

Carl - no chance on the window.  Have enough trouble staying out of the way on the door! 

We were supposed to have itsy-bitsy snow last nite.  Itsy-bitsy went north, south and east of us. 

Be careful what you ask for, so I am requesting 70-75 degrees and gentle rain for about a week.  We have a very $$$$ fairly new flood control system - that has had almost no water go thru it.  Would like to get some $$$$'s worth.  At least up to someone's ankles. 

More train appreciation, appreciated.  Love to hear what you are seeing or working.  Which reminds me - Houston Ed has a very sticky situation in his work area.  Sigh 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, March 24, 2014 2:41 PM

There's very little now, MC, if you hurry...

Took an amusing picture this morning, which I posted on Facebook, of our neighbor's trash can, with the snow shovel propped up against it.  Now there's an optimist! 

SJ, I hope we never meet each other trying to crawl through this back window in opposite directions! 

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 Monday, March 24, 2014 2:37 PM

I am thrilled beyond words!  Thumbs Up

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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