Happy early birthday, Jeff! Many, many more!
You can bet there will be lots of glasses passed out to correct oversight.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
I couldn't believe the railroad let it happen but they did. This morning, a Friday morning, at 0715 I tied up from my seventh consecutive start. Now I'm on 72 hours of Federally required rest, not marked up until Monday morning at 0715. They gave me a three day weekend! Not just any weekend either, but the weekend my birthday falls on this year.
Usually when I get close to Federal Rest, something happens to reset the clock, but not this time. (For quite a while my sixth start was looking to be a dead head and that would've set me up to reset, but they pulled them off and I got a train.) I'm sure it was just an oversight on someone's part and heads will roll over it.
Jeff
Johnny, I'm still trying to find out or figure out what makes the different reporting marks that UP uses on its modern equipment (UP, or CHTT, or CMO) significant. It must have something to do with the nature of the lease or trust. I've already decided that their numbering system, when it comes to these cars, makes no sense at all.Today I hope to get down into BNSF (Q) country as we take care of some routine shopping. I need a fix of a few freight trains with unusual equipment and perhaps a crude train or two.Speaking of BNSF, does anyone remember Colin, who used to be "MetraKid2" on the Forums here? He is now officially a student engineer on BNSF.
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)
That is, Saturday morning I leave for LA.
Johnny
4/24
As I go up to Oklahoma City from San Antonio and Ft. Worth (I had a bedroom to Ft. Worth on the Texas Eagle, but the Heartland Flyer is coach only), I have enjoyed the Texas scenery. Somewhere above Austin, I saw a field of what I believed to be bluebonnets–and by the time I got my camera out it was too late to take a picture, and I never saw another such field.
At Opal, the junction of the Katy with the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe, I saw that some new signals were being put in.
Somewhere, I saw an HLCX locomotive, painted brown.
I also saw many UP covered hoppers, with CMO numbers (20-22 thousands) on them. The St. Louis Southwestern of Texas freighthouse is still in Ft. Worth, and it looked to be in good shape.
There was a Pullman Troop Sleeper in a park in Austin.
Tomorrow morning, I leave for Los Angeles, changing trains in Houston.
ns was working uptown when I left work.Rain tomorrow.Need to go help out Grandpa after errands in town.
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").
Mower is still in it's winter hiding place in the garage. Snowblower is still in its usual shelter. Might swap them out next week.
Took the truck in for an oil change and to have them check on what I thought might be a problem in the rear end. Turned out I was 180 degrees off - both front wheel bearings were having issues. Covered under extended warranty, fortunately.
A full weekend of EMS classes, then the early part of the week will be spent at our local PBS station for their annual merchandise auction. I'll make an appearance in front of the camera on Tuesday, when the railroad sponsors a portion of the evening.
Back to yard work.
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...
60's today, wind, thunder, lightning - almost rain. Moving the lawn about 30 miles north of house. That seems to be where all the rain goes. Too far to move it to Iowa!
evening
got the mowing done today.ns had some csx company today.saw an ns (old hlcx) engine too.Also saw a ballast train go by.need to get a shower.
Good Morning!!
Chloe...I'l have a large coffee and a breakfast bagel please...
It's going to be a sunny but cool day with wind ...
I've got a bunch of runnin' 'roun' with doctor appointments today so I be up and getting ready for them...
Haave a good'un!!
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/
Murphy Siding http://www.ksfy.com/category/185294/video?clipId=10079623&topVideoCatNo=185293&autoStart=true Can I share something fun with you? Above is a link about our son Will. He's the one on the right. Will is 6'-2, plus he's wearing 4" of heels. The local weather goober is named Phil Shreck. He's all of about 5'-2. He must be standing on an office chair.
http://www.ksfy.com/category/185294/video?clipId=10079623&topVideoCatNo=185293&autoStart=true Can I share something fun with you? Above is a link about our son Will. He's the one on the right. Will is 6'-2, plus he's wearing 4" of heels. The local weather goober is named Phil Shreck. He's all of about 5'-2. He must be standing on an office chair.
Murphy SidingIt's ok. I doubt if anyone will miss the Easter Opossum.
Nobody missed the Christmas Opossum I left with a split personality last fall, either.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
BC - they are so thrilled to have sold the Big Boy whatever, they will extend the yellow bands by another year!
Back to using the window again. This is getting old. Wonder if any of the techies that work on this ever read any of these posts? I bet the Sunset Route never has to climb thru a window and they have to be taking up some major space.
UP seemed to be having its share of problems this afternoon. There were about ten minutes, max, in the two hours I was trackside in Elmhurst, that nothing was in sight. Unfortunately, two of the trains were eastbound freights strung out across the downtown, disrupting scoots' normal operation.And therein lies a tale about rude treatment by UP employees in Metra service to about twenty fare-paying passengers (which I may get into later, after I address the situation in a choicely-worded letter to Metra). I was able to harvest some good information off some of the stopped and/or slow-moving freights there, after which I went home, then caught another good manifest before leaving the tracks.And, in other news, I purchased Kalmbach's Big Boy booklet/magazine/whatever-it-is at the local hobby shop. Now, could we please reduce the number of pop-ups, yellow bands, etc., on my screen?
Joe - I think the people that switch cars would, some days, rather read than switch cars.
afternoon
nice sunshine this afternoon.time for chores and such.Ns had empty cars uptown.enjoy the day.
Good Evening
Wonderful day here....got to 74F and was very sunny. We had the BBQ out here....
Sorry for the no-show for the past few days...we had a bit of a tour set up and we did it..in spite of certain issues with the health here....now is r&r time....
.....or the Easter Porcupine....
Sir C: next time thru, bring 3 bunnies. We are short about 3. Please be sure they aren't all ladies or steers.
nice day again.mower is ready to go.did a test run today.Ns was busy uptown where I work.They have also started rebuilding streets so we have to get around that too.Ma nature might send us some rain.Need to get some chores done.Matt needs to do some reading before he can go back to switching cars on the layout.
jeffhergert There has been a unit train of crude oil running over the UP's ex CNW line. I think it comes out of Ft. Collins CO and goes east. It isn't (or maybe wasn't, I can't recall seeing an oil symbol on the line up recently) daily. Maybe once or twice a week.Today on the trip home, I almost ran over the Easter Bunny. Well, it was a rabbit and you never know. He raced across right in front of us but we think he made it. The opossum a couple of miles down the tracks may not have been as lucky.
There has been a unit train of crude oil running over the UP's ex CNW line. I think it comes out of Ft. Collins CO and goes east. It isn't (or maybe wasn't, I can't recall seeing an oil symbol on the line up recently) daily. Maybe once or twice a week.Today on the trip home, I almost ran over the Easter Bunny. Well, it was a rabbit and you never know. He raced across right in front of us but we think he made it. The opossum a couple of miles down the tracks may not have been as lucky.
Jeff: More likely came out of Carr, CO on the UP Denver Pacific/Greeley main near the CO/WY border. May also have come off the GWR Windsor loop and interchanged at FtC. (UP has no loading facility at Ft. Collins and the upper end of the branch at LaPorte is virtually mothballed from FtC to the mine pit...good chance that R/W may find itself under a water storage reservoir in the future.)
Der bunnymonster most likely made it and ran away at right angles from the train. It's the dumber wildlife and cattle that try to outrun the train. (we'd volunteer to replace any deceased rabbits with our oversupply here, especially from the noticeable juvenile population)
There has been a unit train of crude oil running over the UP's ex CNW line. I think it comes out of Ft. Collins CO and goes east. It isn't (or maybe wasn't, I can't recall seeing an oil symbol on the line up recently) daily. Maybe once or twice a week.
I detoured over the CN yesterday. Uneventful, except for a reported bridge fire ahead of us. It turned out just to be a grass fire. It was near a bridge, although the fire was on the wrong side of the MP we were told to stop at until given the all clear. We were okayed to proceed before we made it to the MP.
Today on the trip home, I almost ran over the Easter Bunny. Well, it was a rabbit and you never know. He raced across right in front of us but we think he made it. The opossum a couple of miles down the tracks may not have been as lucky.
DeggestyThere are many abandoned industrial tracks scattered here and there; apparently the labor to lift the rails is more costly than the scrap value.
Interesting observation, and certainly another nail in the coffin of ideas the local trail advocates have been pushing - usually they completely neglect the cost of lifting the rails, considering only the basic scrap value. They say the money thus gained could be used to start building the trail...
That the cost to lift the rails may equal or exceed the scrap value certainly doesn't bode well for their arguments.
A combined Easter and surprise birthday celebration for grandson today. All of his local grandparents were there, and he got a couple of presents, as well as some cake.
I had a delightful afternoon and evening with KCSFan in Shreveport yesterday. He was waiting at mey hotel when I arrived, and took me around Shreveport and Bossier City to show me what there is in the way of railroading in Shreveport now--and some of what used to be there. For its size, the city is full of railroad activity, most of it through traffic on the ten main Class I lines that come into the city. We saw only on full length train, one that came in on the Meridian Speedway, with an NS unit on the point.
There is also one shortline, Louisiana Southern, which operates on part of the former L&A.
KCS has five lines--to Kansas City, Meridian, New Orleans, Port Arthur--and to Dallas. the UP has five lines--the former MP and the former Cotton Belt to St. Louis, the former T&P to Dallas/El Paso and to New Orleans, and the former SP to Houston--and all of the ten lines have much more traffic than they used to have.
After church this morning, I left for Metairie, to spend the night here.
There are many abandoned industrial tracks scattered here and there; apparently the labor to lift the rails is more costly than the scrap value.
Tomorrow, onto San Antonio
Thanks, Brian! I've seen something similar in a picture recently (different series? can't find any 257000s yet). They're undoubtedly for crude, so IANR makes more sense than UP--at least this end of the pike.
Edit: never mind, I see the problem--initials transposed. These cars start somewhere in the DPRX 255000s and will go into the 258000s before they're done.
Happy Easter to everyone from here as well (I remember seven years ago spending Easter morning with you and Joanie, Brian!)! We attended our regular church services, then took a walk in Lilacia Park, where the bushes are getting green, and some daffodils have begun to flower. We had our scripts in hand, but this tour-guide stuff is going to take a bit of work!
Happy Easter, everyone...
A sighting to report to Carl:
Managed to get out for a brief period of train observing (for the first time this year) a couple of days ago while Joanie kept a PT appointment on the SW side of town- watched a long local of mixed freight leaving Beverly yard headed into downtown. Mixed in amongst the other non-descript cars were several dozen nearly-brand-new DPRX tank cars in the 257XXX series, black with white ends. The cars were all indicated to be built on 03/2014. Nothing in the placard yet. Later it looked like they were parked in the Iowa Northern railyard.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
good Sunday morning
Happy Easter.Csx was crawling across the diamond in Deshler.Had a railginder in the siding in south Deshler.He is going to work west come Monday.Off to church and G+G's house. Ma nature is going to give us a great day.
Important note: That glow in the sky on the horizon is the moon coming up, not a fire.
Back to bed...
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