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Chatterbox Winter

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, February 19, 2015 4:00 PM

day 7 of the NS train in the siding.The local had empty cars in tow.Lake Michigan sent us some snow squalls.Work is still busy.Going to get the super blankets out for tonight.

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 CShaveRR on Thursday, February 19, 2015 3:20 PM

James, first of all, congratulations!

Second, if your ride to Steelville includes an overnight stay, I'd recommend the Wildwood Springs Lodge.  http://www.wildwoodspringslodge.com  It's nearly 100 years old, and still looks like it--definitely a place to get away from it all!  As you might expect, I have a relative there, too (a niece, in this case).  Lots of good eating places in Cuba, which is the nearest point where you can expect to see trains (BNSF's ex-Frisco line between St.Louis and Springfield).

Carl

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Thursday, February 19, 2015 3:04 PM

Up near Mount Pocono, PA (where I'm currently assigned*), The Inn at Pocono Manor ( http://www.poconomanor.com/about-us ) on several days last week and this week has had dogsleds as a winter outdoor activity for the guests - not a regular one, but they've done it occasionally before. ( http://www.jodikendall.com/blog/2013/2/12/dog-sledding-in-the-poconos.html )   

The way I see it - if we've got sled dogs, then that means we're practically in the Arctic !

*Haven't seen or heard any of the Delaware-Lackawanna RR's ALCo's (or any other trains) in recent weeks, though.  ( http://www.thedieselshop.us/Del-Lack.HTML )

- Paul North.

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, February 19, 2015 2:35 PM

All the way up to +18F here at the house, but most of the trip to Utica and back had the truck thermometer showing single digits.

Saw something unique as I approached Utica.  There was a light snowfall overnight, but no wind, so many of the pines had fluffy snow on them.  At one point a gust of wind dislodged a bunch of that snow.  Because the pines were so tall there, the wind eddied vertically downward, creating a large vertical swirl.  It was pretty cool.  Just wish I'd had a way to get a picture.

The wind was very much in evidence all the way back - on a north-south road with a westerly wind.  The roads were decent, though, and the sun was out.  Wouldn't have wanted to stay outside very long without warm clothing, though.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by rvos1979 on Thursday, February 19, 2015 12:45 PM

Ran up from Tennessee this morning, thermometer in the truck bottomed out at -20 running through Kentucky and southern Illinois. It warmed up to -2 here in South Beloit, IL. Truck ran well, even after dumping in 150 gallons of diesel in LaSalle. 

Stay warm, all.........

Randy Vos

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Posted by The Butler on Thursday, February 19, 2015 12:43 PM

Carl, my bride to be and I drove through Steelville on one of our "Let's go for a ride days." Smile  Next trip, we will look for the coffee shop.  Thanks for the heads up!  Yes

James


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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, February 19, 2015 11:09 AM

I think that today is supposed to be the worst of the "Siberian Express" for us.  It got down to 8 below last night (-4 right now), and tonight will be only slightly less cold.  I don't think we'll willingly venture out today.  

The forecast shows snowy and 36 for Saturday, but by Sunday we're back into the subzero.

James, you mentioned the Lead Belt.  If you get to Steelville, go visit Art & Joe, an eclectic coffee shop.  It's owned and operated by Pat's brother, and some of Pat's quilts are on display (and available for purchase) there.  Pat's brother married into the Bell family, which is very prominent in that town.

Carl

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Posted by The Butler on Thursday, February 19, 2015 4:09 AM

We had six inches of snow fall here in Missouri's Lead Belt Sunday night through Monday.  There has been a lot of blowing and drifting snow this week.  The temperature is at two degrees Fahrenheit this morning.  That is the lowest reading this Winter.  They are calling for snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain, in that order, starting on Thursday night through Saturday night.  After nine years in Missouri, I am still not used to their Winters.  Smile

James


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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 4:23 PM

All the way up to +25.9F today.  Actually went out and cleared the packed snow off the blacktop driveway, then ran the snowblower to clear it way out.  In a sweatshirt and gloves...  Rather pleasant.

We'll see how things get over the next couple of days.  

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 3:39 PM

Deep freeze coming the next couple of nights Joe. Be sure to wear your warmies in the morning.

Norm


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Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 2:50 PM

afternoon

local was shuffling cars.Day 6 for the Ns train in the siding.Mother nature is blowing stuff around. A car found the ditch on the way home and the local deputy was taking care of that.Under a wind chill advisory until Friday.Matt's confirmation class during lent is going to the Lenten services.We will see what mother nature does before we go.

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, February 17, 2015 7:02 PM

CShaveRR
Larry, our cable system has two Weather Channels...the one that drives you crazy and the other one that just repeats thelocal weather conditions (from aout six different points around the area) and has a steady view of the radar, occasionally adding airport information and other pertinent stuff.

Our cable company has 24/7 radar on, one "click" above TWC, with their 24 hour news channel as audio behind it.  And they do weather every ten minutes.  

We've got a wind chill warning up through Friday.  This time they're promising some wind behind it, which has been minimal so far during the extreme cold.

We're back down to +4F, from a high of +23F.  The descent is slowing, though, so maybe we won't get so far below zero tonight.

I've got several weather apps on my smartphone.  Since the phone knows where it is, I get local weather wherever I go, which is kind of nice.  I also get watches and warning from several areas I frequent, although I'm having trouble losing Springfield, MA from one of them...

They're also talking a little lake effect, but no major storms.  That's a good thing, 'cause I have to go to Utica this week, and have a train show in Syracuse on Sunday...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 5:34 PM

work busy.it's day 5 for the ns train in the siding.local had cars to shuffle uptown.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 CShaveRR on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 5:14 PM

Larry, our cable system has two Weather Channels...the one that drives you crazy and the other one that just repeats thelocal weather conditions (from aout six different points around the area) and has a steady view of the radar, occasionally adding airport information and other pertinent stuff.

We are on a slow descent into the deep freeze.  Highs Thursday will be 30 degrees below normal.  I took my walk and train ride today (got skunked for my purposes, and there were only a few trains of any sort).  The snow over the past week or so hasn't amounted to much, but the old stuff is pretty much ice now.

Carl

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 12:12 PM

ChuckCobleigh
Giving thoughts to changing your user name to "t-t-t-t-tree68" yet? That's getting a little to cold to think about out here.

Nah.  I was out feeding the birds around dusk in a sweatshirt and gloves.  

Ironically, that -14F was almost as cold as it got last night.  Despite a slight dip around dawn, it wasn't as cold overnight as it has been.  All the way up to +20F at 1 PM.  Won't be long before it's t-shirt weather!

Ever since NBC bought The Weather Channel, TWC hasn't been about reporting and accurately forcasting the weather - it has been about hypeing whatever forecast is available as being the all time record for good or for ill.  Hype to the MAX to gain market share.  So much for TWC being a niche network, it is now a profit center.

I wholeheartedly agree.  "Zomygod" forecasts, when you can actually view them between the "reality" shows.  Although many disagree with the practice, I kinda like the naming of the winter storms.  Helps you keep track of which Armageddon you're talking about...

I used to tune the cable box to TWC before I shut the TV off, so that was the first thing that came up.  These days I might get to TWC every couple of days.  And I hate their web presence.  I'm enough of a weather geek that I can get a lot of information from the radar available on other sites, never mind the other information that's available.

We've had a "heartier" winter here than over the past few years, although we aren't taking the hit New England is.

On the other hand, as I noted on a FB post by a friend who lives in Boston, when he mentioned getting another foot of snow, "That's just Tuesday in Pulaski, NY."

On their side, though, we have places to put the snow.  I can blow my snow into my neighbor's yard, as no one lives in the house anyhow.  Even if someone did live there, it wouldn't make any difference.  I'd just have to make sure I didn't fill their driveway in...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 11:54 AM

BaltACD

 

 
Murphy Siding
CSSHEGEWISCH

I don't know about anybody else, but my wife and I are both sympathetic to the plight of those in New England but have absolutely none for those south of the Ohio River who usually flaunt their allegedly mild climate at the rest of us.

  As somone living on the upper plains, I always find it interesting that the East Coast keeps having the blizzard of the century, or the cold snap of the century, or the whatever of the century.  In our part of the world, those same events are viewed as something that typically happens a couple of times each winter.

 

 

 

 

Ever since NBC bought The Weather Channel, TWC hasn't been about reporting and accurately forcasting the weather - it has been about hypeing whatever forecast is available as being the all time record for good or for ill.  Hype to the MAX to gain market share.  So much for TWC being a niche network, it is now a profit center.

 

   And providing a template for the local TV weatherdorks to mimic. Dunce

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:54 AM

Murphy Siding
CSSHEGEWISCH

I don't know about anybody else, but my wife and I are both sympathetic to the plight of those in New England but have absolutely none for those south of the Ohio River who usually flaunt their allegedly mild climate at the rest of us.

  As somone living on the upper plains, I always find it interesting that the East Coast keeps having the blizzard of the century, or the cold snap of the century, or the whatever of the century.  In our part of the world, those same events are viewed as something that typically happens a couple of times each winter.

 

 

Ever since NBC bought The Weather Channel, TWC hasn't been about reporting and accurately forcasting the weather - it has been about hypeing whatever forecast is available as being the all time record for good or for ill.  Hype to the MAX to gain market share.  So much for TWC being a niche network, it is now a profit center.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:26 AM

Sam, were those foreign engines or were they natives? If they were natives, I have you trumped with ten CSX engines running light going west on the BNSF in Iowa when my train to Chicago met them last year).

Murphy, I could call those poor people in the Northeast hogs, since we have had only one decent snowfall all winter. We have had a little rain in the valle last month and this month, but we may be on short commons this summer and have to look at our brown lawns.

Johnny

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 8:21 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

I don't know about anybody else, but my wife and I are both sympathetic to the plight of those in New England but have absolutely none for those south of the Ohio River who usually flaunt their allegedly mild climate at the rest of us.

 

  As somone living on the upper plains, I always find it interesting that the East Coast keeps having the blizzard of the century, or the cold snap of the century, or the whatever of the century.  In our part of the world, those same events are viewed as something that typically happens a couple of times each winter.

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Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 8:02 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

I don't know about anybody else, but my wife and I are both sympathetic to the plight of those in New England but have absolutely none for those south of the Ohio River who usually flaunt their allegedly mild climate at the rest of us.

 

Sigh I guess we are all caught up in the fight with 'Mother Nature" who is engaged in 'Climate Change' (?) Bang Head  Oh! Well!  at least in my little corner it is at least tolerable. 25deg, and sunny for today. Snow is melting and al least the fields got some moisture.   While out on our walk this morning, saw an Eastbound 'light engine move'.. If a group of 11 road locomotives could be called 'light'.  Most of the time they move them on trains.  Stay warm and safe, everybody.

EDIT (later in AM   ) Went out for our 'long' walk, while out, watched another group of those locomotives in a 'light engine move' (1015AM Eastbound) all BNSF, and another 12 this time. 

To: Johnnie (Deggesty) Yeppers! They were all BNSF.  About the only foreign power that get down through here is always on the move Westbound.  In the last couple of days, Saw a couple of CP units on grain moves, and yesterday a "Z' (?) came through with BNSF lead unit a couple of CSX units, at about track speed on a COFC (mostly JBH), and then long string of TOFC with about 25 cars of mixed Domestic and Export containers.  It was being chased by a TOFC/COFC with BNSF and a coupe of NS units on the head end, without any DPU's.

 

 

 


 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 7:51 AM

I don't know about anybody else, but my wife and I are both sympathetic to the plight of those in New England but have absolutely none for those south of the Ohio River who usually flaunt their allegedly mild climate at the rest of us.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 1:23 AM

tree68
It got up to +14F around 4 PM, but is already down to -13F at 10 PM.

Giving thoughts to changing your user name to "t-t-t-t-tree68" yet?

That's getting a little to cold to think about out here.

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, February 16, 2015 8:51 PM

The pipe burst, of course, because of the cold.

I had a variety of lows recorded here at the house.  The weather station had -27.9F.  The sensor on the picket fence outside my bedroom had -37F, and one out in the back yard had -33F.  The topper was that sensor on the anemometer, about 20 feet off the ground, which had -43F at 7 AM.

The official low for the nation overnight was nearby Watertown, at -36F.

It got up to +14F around 4 PM, but is already down to -13F at 10 PM.

The waterbed and some warm jammies are sounding pretty good right now.  

And the warm clothes will be all laid out in case we get another fire call...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by tree68 on Monday, February 16, 2015 7:26 PM

Paul of Covington
Larry, why was the fire department called?   To pump out the water?

It was a fire sprinkler pipe, so it came in as a waterflow alarm.

While we do pumpouts from time to time, most of this was taken care of by gravity.

Many times there are concerns about the electric service and other infrastructure issues within a building.  We can be there in minutes.  The utilities and contractors can take hours.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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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, February 16, 2015 4:39 PM

Joe, I was reminded by your signature that they were going to replace this viaduct...last year!  Is this plan just delayed or cancelled?  

It was a cold day today; we're about at the high (19) right now.  The snow that fell yesterday was sublimated by the sun today, so our driveways and sidewalks are dry.  Tomorrow we might get more snow, then Wednesday the temperature gets kind of cold.  I haven't yet seen forecasts that take me beyond Wednesday, let alone into spring!

Carl

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Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, February 16, 2015 2:38 PM

afternoon

Clinton st.viaduct and it's cousin on jefferson haven't had a truck hit them in quite awhile.City used grant money to put up new electric signs before the bridges.They are like Mookie.Lurking and waiting for a truck to come at them.Ns still has the train in the siding it had on friday.Had to wait on the local uptown when I got off work.More snow wed and possibly alot more saturday.MC where did Willy put that weather machine at ? I am ready for spring to get here.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 blue streak 1 on Monday, February 16, 2015 11:32 AM

As usual the snow line here in Georgia moved  the  standard 50 miles.  Fortunally it was 50 miles to the north.  Atlanta is going to be spared. But temperature into the teens by Thursday.

 

 

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Monday, February 16, 2015 11:28 AM

tree68

The new hotel in the neighboring village had a water pipe freeze on the second floor.  Reports from the scene involve inches of water on the floor, running down through the first floor to the basement.  My FD was called, but we ended up standing by in the home department's station while they sorted things out at the scene.

    Larry, why was the fire department called?   To pump out the water?

    Reminds me of years ago when a fellow sailboat owner's boat got hit by lighting in the marina.   His boat did not have lightning protection and it blew out some through-hull fittings causing the boat to start taking on water.   He did something I never would have thought of: he called the fire department and they pumped out the water while he went below to plug the leaks.

_____________ 

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Monday, February 16, 2015 11:03 AM

I wondered the same thing.  See (NS bridge, but originally posted by BaltACD [CSX]):

http://gizmodo.com/5955244/watch-this-bridge-destroying-dozens-of-trucks-and-buses 

- Paul North.

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, February 16, 2015 10:14 AM

Joe Koh, which one is ahead--your miscreant overhead railroad or the one in DUrham, N.C.? http://11foot8.com/faq.html

I thought I made it alive, but I can't get it to go here. So, I would copy it and paste it.

Johnny

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