Trains.com

Chatterbox 2.0

45391 views
585 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 4:58 PM

Yes, Dan, the RDC looked very much like that.  When I saw it, the red marker lights were lit.

I had to climb in...you'd think the Chatterbox could get a Dutch door instead of a high-up window, but nooooo...

Little news today.  I was only two days late with my latest sightings report to the freight-car freaks; it went out yesterday.  Not 15 minutes later, I received an e-mail with lots of information that could have rounded out a few sightings (but probably wouldn't be done before tomorrow).  

I'm thinking of putting it all aside for a little while, though--I have two books in the editing queue:  one exciting sci-fi novel by Pat's brother, and a book about UP box cars in service now, by a fellow freak.  My own book will, I hope, soon be in production...until I get the last draft, it's out of my hands.

Tonight, Pat and I go to the LHS to learn how to guide tours at Lilacia Park for next month's Lilac Festival. Pat's done it before; I just want to have the capability.  I can tell 'em all about the railroad across the street, which actually predated the park by a few decades.

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)

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 8:30 PM

Carl, it's too bad that very few, if any, would have an interest in railroading. I did not remember that Pat did all the talking when you and she gave Ricki and me a tour of the park four years ago.

I had a pleasant trip, despite the unseasonably cool weather, this morning as I went across Mobile Bay from near Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island. A large contingent of gulls flew around the ferry almost all the way; they began gathering at the dock at the east end of the run while the ferry was coming in, and they gradually dispersed as we approached Dauphin Island. I also saw five brown pelicans, but I did not see one with its beak holding more than its belican.

You may note that I have my favorite typeface back and the paragraphs I created stay separate. Apparently something was lost in the wireless connection I had last night and it was found in the wired connection I have tonight. 


Johnny

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:08 AM

Johnny - do you have a traveling companion or are you doing a solo? 

I am enjoying traveling with you, albeit by my puter!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:38 AM
Well, my options as to type face and size and ability to make paragraphs are gone again this morning.------And, Mookie, I think you would be a good traveling companion, but I know Driver would have a few words to say about that. ----I also have lost my smilies.

Johnny

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:28 AM

Well, of course Pat does most of the talking...doesn't she always?

We went to the orientation yesterday evening, and were given a book with the high points of the tours in it.  Plenty of maps...I'll just have to take the walk out there myself and refamiliarize myself with the park.

But that will have to wait...every time I did anything yesterday--the bike trip with the banking deposits, the trip in the morning with the seniors, picking up our food from Market Day, and that orientation session, I wound up feeling wiped out.  When I started shivering while at my computer, I knew something was wrong.  I have probably the highest fever I've had since before I retired.  So I won't be doing much of anything today.

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)

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:40 AM

Where CN's Geometry Car ("geometizer") goes, frazzled track crews are sure to follow....racing to get the slow orders off.

Dump the bug quickly Carl. As for me, I'm recovering from a serious case of roadbutt. I'll stay put in town for a while. (Found a 100 year old set of oops-es (sp?) at Tolleston that I now get to sort out.) Never saw a CF&E train around there the whole time, although they quickly blotted out any sign of CSX ownership.

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
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:57 AM

mudchicken
Where CN's Geometry Car ("geometizer") goes, frazzled track crews are sure to follow....racing to get the slow orders off.

We get visits from one of the FRA cars pretty much every year.  They're smart enough to test "for the record" on the way out (we're a dead-end line) so they don't get trapped if they find a major fault.

Our track guy usually rides along, so he knows exactly what's up if/when they find something.

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...

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,323 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:47 PM

evening

well Ns was working in archbold when we left work. We caught up with them as they were putting things away in Bryan.Matt wanted to look at a model rr club in Montpelier.We always thought of joining one but the spare time is few and far between.Maw nature might give us some rain tomorrow so it will be a chore day.Plus a bench work day for our layout.We have a friend who is a sperry guy that looks at CSX.(when they can give him the track time!!) Time for bed

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").

 

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Southeast Missouri
  • 573 posts
Posted by The Butler on Friday, April 18, 2014 9:16 AM

Partly cloudy and a high temperature of 69 is what is called for today here in Missouri's Lead Belt.  Which is approximately eighty miles south of Saint Louis.

I talked with my dad the other day and he told me about Chicago's cable car system.  He said it was the largest in the world at the turn of the last century.  He, also, described how he built a "working model" of the cable car.  The difference is the model uses a chain instead of a cable because his favorite medium does not have a cable system.  His favorite medium is LEGO blocks.  Big Smile

He told me he will display it, along with his model of Chicago's "L" at the LEGO Convention in June.

James


  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Friday, April 18, 2014 9:22 AM

Still a lot of flooding along the Black River - roads closed, etc.  Emergency services still busy over that way.

Got through the county firefighters dinner/meeting last night.  Attendance was way down, mostly due to the flooding issue.

Other than that, it's shaping up to be a decent day and a decent weekend!

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...

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Friday, April 18, 2014 9:26 AM

Facebook post today by a friend who works for a shortline...

I was working today at the Mill pulling a long string of cars by me. This one car goes by me and is making the most horrifying noises possible. I look down, "All the wheels are turning and there's no smoke or anything. What the heck?" The car gets about a hundred feet past me and this big black thing falls off it, hits the ground, and makes this super loud THUD. By this time I'm freaking out because it looks and sounds like a wheel just fell off the car. While I'm standing there speechless, the black thing gets up and walks away into the woods. Long story short, that's how I almost got mauled by a bear today.

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...

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Friday, April 18, 2014 1:44 PM

Friend of mine in Connecticut has honey bees. Bears are constantly trying to get through the electric fence to get some honey.

Norm


  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Saturday, April 19, 2014 1:55 PM

Attended a great fire seminar today, presented by a nationally know speaker who hails from the Cincinnati area.  I've been to his presentations before, and this one lived up to expectations.

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...

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, April 19, 2014 3:10 PM

I'm back, after a miserable Thursday and a recovering Friday.  Today we managed to get me out into the sunny weather on the bike, and after lunch and shopping was finished, I lingered trackside for about an hour (Pat went home by herself, with the groceries).  Nothing exciting happened while I was waiting for a train (one set of scoots was behind schedule due to an earlier medical emergency at Ogilvie), but I was able to update my paper-trail while Pat got some time on the computer.

I see that Union Pacific has managed to make our brutal winter look like a walk in the park, with the latest quarter's earnings.  My 401K should appreciate it!

Now to catch up on putting more of the organized information into the computer. 

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)

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Sunday, April 20, 2014 12:48 AM

Important note:  That glow in the sky on the horizon is the moon coming up, not a fire.

Back to bed...

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...

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,323 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, April 20, 2014 4:33 AM

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.

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").

 

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Cedar Rapids, IA
  • 4,213 posts
Posted by blhanel on Sunday, April 20, 2014 6:36 AM

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.

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, April 20, 2014 1:42 PM

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! 

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)

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, April 20, 2014 8:52 PM

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

Johnny

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,023 posts
Posted by tree68 on Sunday, April 20, 2014 9:02 PM

Deggesty
There 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.

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...

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Sunday, April 20, 2014 10:45 PM

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. 

Jeff 

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, April 20, 2014 11:15 PM
It's ok. I doubt if anyone will miss the Easter Opossum.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Monday, April 21, 2014 8:35 AM

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. 

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)

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
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,323 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, April 21, 2014 3:23 PM

afternoon

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.

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").

 

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Monday, April 21, 2014 4:41 PM

Sir C:  next time thru, bring 3 bunnies.  We are short about 3.  Please be sure they aren't all ladies or steers.

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

Moderator
  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: London ON
  • 10,392 posts
Posted by blownout cylinder on Monday, April 21, 2014 9:56 PM

Murphy Siding
It's ok. I doubt if anyone will miss the Easter Opossum.

.....or the Easter Porcupine....Whistling

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/

Moderator
  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: London ON
  • 10,392 posts
Posted by blownout cylinder on Monday, April 21, 2014 9:57 PM

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....

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/

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,323 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 2:43 PM

afternoon

nice sunshine this afternoon.time for chores and such.Ns had empty cars uptown.enjoy the day.

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").

 

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 3:49 PM

Joe - I think the people that switch cars would, some days, rather read than switch cars.

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 4:08 PM

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?

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)

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy