Trains.com

Chatterbox Whatever

33257 views
739 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 8:11 PM

Well, we didn't get the early stuff, but Ma Nature is trying to make up for it.  It won't be the foot plus some folks saw, but it's snowing pretty good right now.  Can't measure again till around 11 or midnight, but I'm thinking 4-6" by the time we're done.  Pretty miserable driving right now.

Got some shopping to do in the morning for the fire department Holiday Breakfast, then it's off to the railroad for another few rounds of the Polar Express.

Joe - folks around here eschewed "ditchfinders" today.  Instead, they chose to use "pole finders."  There were several accidents in the area today involving poles, a number of which had transformers on them as well...

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
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 4:48 PM

ns busy this morning.all quiet this afternoon.need to get supper and matt to confirmation class.

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 2010
  • From: Louisiana
  • 2,310 posts
Posted by Paul of Covington on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 5:31 PM

   In case you hven't seen it, here is link to story mudchicken mentioned:

http://theadvocate.com/news/11045175-123/playing-near-tracks-livonia-teen

   He had barely survived being shot in a hunting accident two years ago.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 3:53 PM

thanks MC.Ns local was collecting empties.Saw an eastbound with a csx-bnsf-ns combo this morning.going to hear local Christmas music.Might see some csx trains 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").

 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 3:15 PM

Joe: Tube is on its way to the NE 1/4 of the SE1/4 Section3; T4N ; R4E ; First PM on the east fork of Webb's Run....

 

(Anyone catch the pennies on the rail story ...what got smashed story today? - Calling OLI! How dumb can they get??   Livonia, LA - I feel for the UP train crew that had to deal with this.)

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
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, December 8, 2014 5:30 PM

evening

ns was all clear when I left work.Had an errand in town.Csx had a shorty stack train with 2 cp's on the point.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").

 

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Sunday, December 7, 2014 3:58 PM

I just got here and all that is left is dirty dishes!  Grumpy

Thank you for the good wishes.  I was trackside about 6:30a this morning.  It was 33 degrees and dark with 100% cloud cover, so we couldn't see the "back track" which is about a block away from our parking spot.  But the show in front of us on all 6 tracks was spectacular.  If  you can gauge the economy of the nation by one railroad, we are doing very well. 

It was a little difficult to read the Sunday funnies in the dark, but it was nice to see the signal boards clearly and my one dwarf light very clearly! 

Home and a 4 hour nap in the "engineer position" - Driver says he doesn't know how I keep from breaking my neck (practice, my boy, practice) but that is a very comfy position for me. Would it look good on a railroad resume?   

Pearl is my older "sister" - she came 2 years before I arrived and was so noisy and scary, I slipped in without fanfare. 

It has been a perfect birthday - for me - and life is still good!

Murphy:  You should have sent the festivities to Nebraska, not South Dakota.  E for effort, however. 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Sunday, December 7, 2014 2:08 PM

Gee, don't come in until mid-afternoon, and I miss the festivities.  And I KNOW there's no chocolate cake left over....

A most happy birthday to our favorite feline railfan!

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
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 7, 2014 1:31 PM
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Louisville,Ky.
  • 5,077 posts
Posted by locomutt on Sunday, December 7, 2014 11:11 AM

Happy B-Day Happy Birthday Mookie!!

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Sunday, December 7, 2014 9:33 AM

Happy B-Day

Murphy Siding

Happy Birthday Mookie.  I've lined up a lunch date with the Governor, a parade, and a fly-over by the National Guard in your honor....or something like that.

 

 

Sunday Morning all!:  0900 on December the 7th, 2014. temp her this morning is about 36deg, and a fine,light mist is falling...The dog and I went down to the cemetery and found no new holes...I guess I'm good for today!   Well 73 years ago today, My Mother-in-Law had made it through being strafffed walking across the parade deck at Scholfield Barracks to her duty station in the ER...

NOW to current events!  Happy Birhday to Ms. MOOKIE!

may you and Driver enjoy the day as you want to!  Happy B-Day

 

 


 

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, December 7, 2014 9:21 AM

Mookie- is your middle name Pearl?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, December 7, 2014 9:20 AM

Happy Birthday Mookie.  I've lined up a lunch date with the Governor, a parade, and a fly-over by the National Guard in your honor....or something like that.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Sunday, December 7, 2014 9:11 AM

Sinful Peach Cobbler anyone? Big Smile

Norm


  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, December 7, 2014 8:37 AM

We can cover that one, Ed.  Portillo's (which I think she remembers) has a chocolate cake to die for.  And we just discovered a place nearby in which ordering milk means it's unlimited.

Happy birthday, SJ!

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
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Sunday, December 7, 2014 8:16 AM
We need a shout out for the forums favorite kitty…
Happy Birthday Mookie.
I got the pecan pie covered, who is bringing the chocolate cake?

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Saturday, December 6, 2014 7:46 PM

We took our fire trucks to the big Christmas parade in the neighboring village tonight.  I picked up thirteen bags of candy, which mostly was gone well before the end of the parade route.  Of course, if I'd picked up thirty bags, it still would have been gone...

We found some stuffed animals that had been donated to us some time back, so we gave them out, too, about a dozen.  So a dozen kids got a really big surprise during the parade.  A whole lot better than some candy, for sure.

Slowly getting my decorations up.  Discovered I needed three strings of lights for one part, not two, so it'll be a trip back to the home improvement store for another.

Virtually all of my holiday lights are LED now - a fair savings in electricity, to be sure.

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
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, December 6, 2014 6:39 AM

morning chores to do.off to sisters for thanksmas.people from southern mercer county are in columbus as Marion local and Coldwater play for state football championships.The boys from Columbus are in Indianapolis to play Wisconsin.Hope everyone has safe travels.

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
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, December 4, 2014 5:39 PM

evening

thought we'd have to go to town tonight.Paper had an error for the local Christmas concert.It's next Tuesday.Work is still busy.Ns must like keeping the empty well cars in the siding.Chores to catch up on.

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 2006
  • From: BF Jct
  • 70 posts
Posted by EightNSand on Thursday, December 4, 2014 5:15 PM

Mookie

Final segment for the year. 

Whatever....

 

Mookie

Final segment for the year. 

Whatever....

 

 

Mook. Whats the haps? Ed, ready for Xmas...

8N Sand

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Thursday, December 4, 2014 3:53 PM

Smile, Wink & GrinROFL, Norm! Smile, Wink & Grin

I guess I am just in to calling them like they are!  The dog gets fed, he drags me to the cemetery down the road, and I drag him back home.  The doc says I gotta walk about an hour a day, so our little 45 minute jaunt in th AM, and same in the PM. Dog's Happy, and I get to do some rail fanning. 

  Yeah, I know it sounds pretty bad  Huh?  The dog waters the trees, gets to chase the latest crop of little rabbits, and squirrels, and we see the occasional deer... Embarrassed  OH, Yeah! There is a porta potty at the cemetery....Whistling

LaughLaughLaugh

Thursday night:  took our evening walk..Westbound was blowing as we left the house and one passed Eastbound while we were on the old MoP ROW. Another EB was blowing for the crossings about a mile South.  The only problem with railfanning in the dark is you can't see'em, you just hear 'em.

Well, you can count engines, they have their ladder lights on, so they show up pretty good.If you happen to catch a couple passing, the spaces betweeen the cars or stacks modulates the sounds to a sort of warbble... Which is an interesting sound.

 

 

 

 


 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Thursday, December 4, 2014 1:11 PM

samfp1943

Happy Thursday everyone!    Weather around here is in the high thirties this morning (38deg). Very light wind, and not a bad morning for walking.         The dog, and I went down to the cemetery about 6 this morning for our morning constitutional, his, and my walk.  Not a lot moving at that early hour. The early JBH  stacker WB  was sliding by over on the BNSF...light toots, and a moderate speed. 

It is getting into the Christmas spirit around here. Carla went to 'Sam's' and bought her supplies for Fudge, Peanut butter balls, and cookies.  So it is really starting around here.  The decorating is her deal, I just do the' tote'n'.Huh?

Several years back, Johnny, I took care of that 'climbing' stuff. I gave her a 32' extension ladder, and a 14' step ladder for her birthday. I had found out a number of year ago, my wingspan is way too short for my fuselage.  She's in charge of the things that require a ' higher calling'.Bow 

 

 

SAM! YOU DIDN"T!

Ya gotta read between the lines. Wink Devil

Norm


  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, December 4, 2014 12:50 PM

Weather here in middle Georgia great.  Lows at night near 50 right now 74 at 1330.  Hope the weather on the plains is allowing for unhindered operations of RRs.  BNSF must still be short locos.  For the first time the BNSF intermodal haulage trains are operating with all 4 locos operating. ( usually one idling ) Starting from a start all locos are only in a run 4 (?) power.  once at higher speeds the full power shows up in much quicker acceleration to MAS.

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Thursday, December 4, 2014 7:44 AM

Happy Thursday everyone!    Weather around here is in the high thirties this morning (38deg). Very light wind, and not a bad morning for walking.         The dog, and I went down to the cemetery about 6 this morning for our morning constitutional, his, and my walk.  Not a lot moving at that early hour. The early JBH  stacker WB  was sliding by over on the BNSF...light toots, and a moderate speed. 

It is getting into the Christmas spirit around here. Carla went to 'Sam's' and bought her supplies for Fudge, Peanut butter balls, and cookies.  So it is really starting around here.  The decorating is her deal, I just do the' tote'n'.Huh?

Several years back, Johnny, I took care of that 'climbing' stuff. I gave her a 32' extension ladder, and a 14' step ladder for her birthday. I had found out a number of year ago, my wingspan is way too short for my fuselage.  She's in charge of the things that require a ' higher calling'.Bow 

 

 

 


 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:54 PM

Since the kids are gone, I don't bother with the inside decorations, aside from the candlesticks in the windows.  I put up lights on the big pine tree in the front yard today, and will have a few other lights outside as well.  The "candles" will probably go in tomorrow.

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 Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:38 PM

My IBM Selectric is still downstairs, and gets a workout about once a year or so, when I'm typing out forms (but now that we have a tax preparer, even that use is no longer necessary).

Not all Selectrics had that proportional spacing for different-width letters.  Mine didn't, but I did find a nice ten-pitch element that I used on a 12-pitch setting, which made my stuff look a little more sophisticated (I also worked at justifying the right edge, but that was something I had to figure out).


As for Christmas lights, we're very Grinchy.  We have not, and probably will not, decorate our house this year.  There will be some little (and not-so-little) knicknacks around inside the house, but no tree.  We aren't here for Christmas most of the time, so we don't bother with it. 

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
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:40 PM

tree68

Back in the sixties, the Detroit Free Press ran a column on the front page called "Action Line."  People wrote in with complaints or questions and the paper checked them out and published the outcome or answer.

One fellow wrote in that each morning around Christmastime he and his fellow car-poolers went by a house with Christmas lights lit.  It was still dark at that time of the morning.

As they returned home each afternoon (now in daylight), they noted that the lights were nowhere to be seen.

The paper checked it out and found that the homeowner had enclosed his lights in a translucent plastic channel.  Thus when the lights were on, they could be easily seen, but during the day they "disappeared."  

Ingenuity at its best!

 

 Think I could put my concerned neighbor in a translucent plastic channel? Mischief

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,320 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:25 PM

evening

have done lights along the roof and in trees. This year they are along the railing on the front porch.Inside I set up the tree and put the lights on.Matt and Mamma do the ornaments.Work still busy.Ns still had a well train in the siding.Work comes early. Need to get to 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
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 2:33 PM

Back in the sixties, the Detroit Free Press ran a column on the front page called "Action Line."  People wrote in with complaints or questions and the paper checked them out and published the outcome or answer.

One fellow wrote in that each morning around Christmastime he and his fellow car-poolers went by a house with Christmas lights lit.  It was still dark at that time of the morning.

As they returned home each afternoon (now in daylight), they noted that the lights were nowhere to be seen.

The paper checked it out and found that the homeowner had enclosed his lights in a translucent plastic channel.  Thus when the lights were on, they could be easily seen, but during the day they "disappeared."  

Ingenuity at its best!

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
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 11:20 AM

      Sam-  Three years ago, when we moved into our current house, I put up a string of lights from the house to the top of my flagpole.  Our street is rather dark, and the lights made it easier for friends to find our new house.

     Soon after we moved in, we got an anonymous letter from "a concerned neighbor" telling us how awful it was to have lights up at the wrong time of the year.  In honor of our "concerned neighbor", we keep that sting of lights lit all year long.Whistling

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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