CSSHEGEWISCH Hope that you've got a fairly fresh battery on the car. With all the electronic doodads on modern cars that are always drawing some power, it doesn't take much time for the battery to drain, especially in cold weather.
Hope that you've got a fairly fresh battery on the car. With all the electronic doodads on modern cars that are always drawing some power, it doesn't take much time for the battery to drain, especially in cold weather.
Which is why I keep a charged "jump box" around. I'm usually out at least every couple of days, even in the dead of winter, but that doesn't mean I might not need it.
It was more of a factor when I left the fire two-way radio in another truck on all the time.
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...
Kind of cool here, too...never got out of the 20s, either way, today (that may change before midnight).Tomorrow we crank the car for the first time since last week Thursday. This doesn't mean that we didn't get out, though--we both managed to go to church, out to dinner, see some trains, do some shopping, etc., without using the car. Tomorrow is a little bit of heavier-duty shopping, so out it will come.
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)
None too warm here today - might have made +13F - but if the forecast is accurate, that'll be balmy by the end of the week, when we're supposed to have highs around zero...
At least we didn't get the snow they were forecasting.
I'll have to make a trip to town before too long. Running out of my favorite bread.
things chilly today.Ns had a wastbound in the siding.The local was uptown shuffling cars.I think another local was helping too because they had scrap metal cars for Delta.work has settled back down.Time for chores.
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").
watched the NS parade of trains after working some OT. Saw an NS,csx,bnsf and Ns(former up) 90 mac combo come east into Ohio.Church and Sunday school today.Ma nature is going to freeze us again this week.
I saw a Bald Eagle yesterday just south of Missouri Valley. I see them every so often and in a lot more places across the state.
Jeff
Murphy SidingAny birdwatchers out there?
I like to watch those I feed - mostly "dickie" birds (sparrows, finches, etc). We've spotted over 30 species at the feeder over time. Missing in recent years are the grosbeaks - both the yellow variety, and the rose-breasted.
We do have eagles and osprey in the area, mostly up along the St Lawrence River.
Some years ago I was taking my usual route to work - a side road - but was late for some reason. As I drove along, I noticed a large bird circling a field. I figured it was a hawk - very common around here - but as I got closer I saw that it was a bald eagle, probably lapping the field looking for prey.
I stopped in the road, it circled a few more times, then took off. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me.
Now that we're well past the age of DDT, I believe eagle populations are rebounding.
In other news, spent time with the new granddaughter today. That consisted chiefly of holding her, as one-week-olds aren't into much more than eating and sleeping (and...). Still, it was fun to watch her when she woke up - looking around, reacting to familiar voices (she seems to recognized her brother's voice pretty well.
She does seem to share a trait with her brother - a fascination with ceiling fans. And it wasn't even running....
Been watching the Decorah Eagles on line for the past few years.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
They also have a Facebook page that's open to the public.
Norm
Any birdwatchers out there? My son and I took a road trip today about 40 miles into northwest Iowa. Along the way we saw something we had never seen before. Sitting in a barren cornfield just off the highway was three bald eagles. We went back and took osme fuzzy cellphone pictures. When the eagles eventually decided to fly off, one had an animal carcass in it's talons. About 5 miles up the road, we saw 2 more bald eagles. They were about 100 yards off the highway, about 100 feet up, flying parallel to the road. Now, we have some eagles around here, they live in big trees by the Big Sioux River, and are rarely seen. In 30 years living here, I think I've seen 2 or 3. Today, we see five, and 3 were sitting in a cornfield. Is this more common than I think? Is it an Iowa thing? Maybe it's eagle day in Iowa?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
BaltACD jeffhergert I don't know how accurate they are, some are known to be off, but some of out defect detectors were giving temps of -12/-13. Jeff Your Defect Detectors give temperatures? Ours just give axle count on the defect and total axles - some will give length.
jeffhergert I don't know how accurate they are, some are known to be off, but some of out defect detectors were giving temps of -12/-13. Jeff
I don't know how accurate they are, some are known to be off, but some of out defect detectors were giving temps of -12/-13.
Your Defect Detectors give temperatures? Ours just give axle count on the defect and total axles - some will give length.
Yes, our detectors give temps. The older ones only give an axle count to the defect(s). Some new ones give a total axle count. (One time found out we had 6 extra cars because of the axle count.)
When we have detoured over the CN, they have a detector that gives total axle count, temp and train speed. I know our detectors measure train speed, but it isn't broadcasted with the exit message. Only those with access to the readout of a detector (our "Hot Bearing Desk") can see that.
Norm48327 Saw that on Drudge Report Larry. Not a nice thing to be involved in.
Saw that on Drudge Report Larry. Not a nice thing to be involved in.
Kept our dispatch center hopping for a while, especially with a working structure fire (went to second alarm) at the same time elsewhere in the county, and the normal emergencies that occur every day (accidents, medical, automatic alarms.
nice snowmelt day today.ns had empties to pick up.Had a westbound go by as I left work.Tomorrow is some OT.time to get back to the chores.
joe
Major pile up on the Interstate just south of here - 30-40 vehicles, but no injuries that I know of.
Blame the lake effect band that sat over us all morning before moving south, and drivers who won't slow down even if they can't see the end of their hood.
Some photos on FB: https://www.facebook.com/newzjunky/posts/819087928149350
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Jeff, in one of my earlier reports, I mentioned the horn not working. I could hear what sounded like a wheeze, and that was about it. Could this have been a similar problem to what you encountered? This was in a Metra cab car, so I don't think we could blame GE...Very cold out there today (two below at sunrise; 7 above now), but tomorrow should be warmer. I got outside only to take care of the plowsam that landed in our driveway this afternoon when they widened on the road. Tomorrow might be a better day to chip at some ice on the sidewalks.
Sorry about the format. It's the best this software would let me do.
Temps are Farenheit, the temp/dewpoint/humidity/altimeter setting.
Jeff, Here is the temps recorded at Ames last night.05
Last night it was cold. How cold was it? Cold enough that the horn mag valve below the cab froze up. When pressing the button, all one heard was air blowing beneath the cab, but no horn.
This after I had just heard another train report the same problem to locomotive maintenance. (We both had GE locomotives.) The other train was headed toward Boone and they were going to have the mechanic on duty thaw out the valve with a fusee. (To access the compartment you need a ladder.) I was 30 miles out and heading the wrong way.
I told the conductor (and loco. mtce.) I was going to try something that fixed the same problem a few years ago. We turned on the main heater and auxillary side walls on high. (That's assuming the main heater is actually working OK.) Ours was and it soon got really hot in the cab. Which allowed just enough heat to radiate below the cab and thaw out the valve. The horn started working again.
Ns had a westbound in the siding when I left work.Matt was on a 2 hr delay.Chores and errands to do.
BaltACDBuy 2.
Think I will... This one lasted a couple of seasons.
tree68 Currently investigating a bright orb in the sky. Of course, that's a precursor to sub-zero wind chills again tonight... Got a lot of the packed snow off the driveway. As much as I'd like to clear the driveway before I drive over it and pack the snow down, the pager sometimes overrides that desire with a call to arms that can't wait till I get the snowblower out... Speaking of the snowblower, daughter related the other day that the pull cord on their snowblower had broken. Fortunately, their machine also has electric start, although that does necessitate being able to reach it with a cord. So, last night, my pull cord broke. It was at the end of my driveway, but that's only 75' back to the garage to use the electric start. The reason I had to restart it was because I ran it out of gas, having used the snowblower to clear snow around our banquet hall yesterday... Good thing it didn't break while I was a fair distance from the nearest outlet... So a trip to the appropriate store for a new pull cord is in order.
Currently investigating a bright orb in the sky.
Of course, that's a precursor to sub-zero wind chills again tonight...
Got a lot of the packed snow off the driveway. As much as I'd like to clear the driveway before I drive over it and pack the snow down, the pager sometimes overrides that desire with a call to arms that can't wait till I get the snowblower out...
Speaking of the snowblower, daughter related the other day that the pull cord on their snowblower had broken. Fortunately, their machine also has electric start, although that does necessitate being able to reach it with a cord.
So, last night, my pull cord broke. It was at the end of my driveway, but that's only 75' back to the garage to use the electric start. The reason I had to restart it was because I ran it out of gas, having used the snowblower to clear snow around our banquet hall yesterday... Good thing it didn't break while I was a fair distance from the nearest outlet... So a trip to the appropriate store for a new pull cord is in order.
Buy 2.
Just a reminder to Ed so he doesn't get too smug. I have a younger brother who has resided in Houston since 1980. About 20 or so years ago, Mom and Dad went down to visit and they drove out to San Antonio to see the Alamo. A snowstorm hit which dumped about 18 inches of snow and made for an interesting drive back to Houston. Mom and Dad had a picture of Steve in front of the Alamo in the middle of that snowstorm.
Okay, Mr. Smug swamp-person...I'm just waiting for your occasional fresh picture of a Blysard with a light dusting of snow, looking unhappy.I'm a little unhappy myself, but Pat is loving this! She likes the way the snow brightens things up around here. I don't have any problem getting her to help with the shoveling, either. I did my weekly chore for the historical society on foot today; I think it probably accoundts for about three miles of walking. Then I shoveled everything around the house (driveway, front walk, sidewalk, neighbor's sidewalk, patio) before falling asleep with the paper for a while.The "chore" was a little frustrating today: I had to go to only one bank instead of two--and it was the bank nearer to the tracks that I didn't need to visit. So naturally, while I was out on the streets going to the other bank, no fewer than five trains went through, too far away for me to see much. There have been delay reports involving the scoots on this line throughout the day (switch problems, equipment problems, freight train interference, etc.), but the two I saw were running pretty close to on-time.
Ed, you do not have a monopoly on warm afternoons--it was close to sixty here this afternoon; we had some rain during the night, and I hope it snowed up in the mountains.
If Carl can do it, I will not object to his sending some of the snow that keeps him occupied here.
Johnny
Wow, I almost feel bad telling ya'll it was 60 and sunny down here this afternoon....if it helps any, the wind was blowing out of the north!
23 17 46 11
It's been snowing here pretty much all day. Not heavily, but snowing nonetheless. The roads aren't bad, though - no reports of accidents that I've heard.
The temperature has been hovering a degree or two below freezing most of the day.
Headed down to meet granddaughter on Saturday. She won't even be a week old yet, but I'm sure it'll go well.
snowing temprature dropping roads are getting bad.No confirmation class for Matt tonight.Ns had a westbound going out of the siding and the local was uptown again today. 61 days until opening day for baseball.chores are calling.
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