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Chatterbox summer 2015

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, July 9, 2015 8:22 PM

I don't feed the birds in the summertime.  I figure they will do fine by themselves.

Have seen several families of turkeys on the railroad- the young ones can fly now.  

And the loon (or a relative) is back on one of the ponds we pass.  Pretty cool.

Long day and a half.  Two hour drive to attend a hearing on the trail issue, followed by a two hour drive to the railroad so I could work as conductor today.

Tomorrow is preparations for the "French Festival" near here on Saturday.  Gotta get the bike (and some other stuff) ready.  Hopefully everyone remains healthy and accident free all day...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, July 9, 2015 9:29 PM

Just back yesterday from a few days in Michigan.  As usual, not much in the way of trains though I did see a series of secondhand covered hoppers that I had fun sleuthing out (they originated on BN, but you'd never know it!) and a new reporting mark to me...third or fourth one for the cars I saw.

On the way home, I saw what appeared to be a freshly-graded base for a new third track on the NS main line near Ogden Dunes, Indiana.  This is basically for improving passenger service between Chicago and Michigan, though I'm sure NS will benefit as well.  It won't be three tracks for the whole distance from Porter (at least not yet), but every little bit will help.

NS also disrupted our trip home by blocking the crossing on Burnham Avenue, so I had to detour around Dolton and Blue Island.  However, they've finished the grade separation of the NS (ex-NKP) main line at 130th and Torrance.  The streets now go under the NS, with the huge truss bridge of NICTD/SouthShore flying over the whole thing.  We wouldn't have seen this had we not had to take the route through Hegewisch.

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)

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Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, July 12, 2015 7:39 AM

morning

went to Deshler yesterday.Trains,friends and the Deshler Legion put on a fireworks show.The crews waiting in the wyes got a good show.Carl we sent a big q 393 full of goodies.Had 2 KRL heavy load cars looking for loads.Going to relax today.Mother nature has sent us more rain.

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 NorthWest on Monday, July 13, 2015 1:47 PM

On Friday, I saw one of the oddest Cascades consists I have ever seen. A Midwest NPCU led Dash 8-32BWH 510, which was followed by one of the original Talgo sets and another Midwest NPCU. Couldn't get a picture, unfortunately, as I was travelling the other way on the highway.

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Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, July 13, 2015 4:22 PM

afternoon

work is busy.Ns was clear when I left work.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, July 13, 2015 4:39 PM

Tongue in cheek

Maybe Amtrak needs to look elsewhere to reduce their expensive tunnels.  If a $1.0+ Billionaire drug lord can get a concret lined , 60 foot deep, 1 mile + escape tunnel built then something may be wrong ?

 

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Posted by Mookie on Monday, July 13, 2015 5:35 PM

blue streak 1

Tongue in cheek

Maybe Amtrak needs to look elsewhere to reduce their expensive tunnels.  If a $1.0+ Billionaire drug lord can get a concret lined , 60 foot deep, 1 mile + escape tunnel built then something may be wrong ?

 

 

 Laugh

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 13, 2015 5:37 PM

blue streak 1

Tongue in cheek

Maybe Amtrak needs to look elsewhere to reduce their expensive tunnels.  If a $1.0+ Billionaire drug lord can get a concret lined , 60 foot deep, 1 mile + escape tunnel built then something may be wrong ?

Not exactly tunneling under the Hudson River through New York schist rock.

Seems like his 'crewe' has been consistant tunnelers in running his drug business, so this was just one more.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, July 13, 2015 6:17 PM

blue streak 1
Maybe Amtrak needs to look elsewhere to reduce their expensive tunnels.  If a $1.0+ Billionaire drug lord can get a concret lined , 60 foot deep, 1 mile + escape tunnel built then something may be wrong ?

Odds are he's not paying prevailing wage, either....

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by Norm48327 on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 8:39 AM

A DEA agent friend of mine says the pay is good. Job longevity, OTOH, is not. Wink

Norm


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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 9:33 AM

Norm48327

A DEA agent friend of mine says the pay is good. Job longevity, OTOH, is not. Wink

Not much of a retirement program I expect!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 2:18 PM

Time to buy a lottery ticket (or maybe it's too late...)

Notified this morning that my "vanity" ham call sign has been approved.

Got a call this afternoon that the hamfest (amateur radio flea market) I stopped in to briefly on the way to daughter's Sunday drew my name for first prize - so I have another radio (which I do want...)

Whoooo hoooo!

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...

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 6:02 PM

evening

Ns had a train both ways when I left work.Mowed the swamp today.Mosquitos tried to carry me away as well.Going to watch the all star game.

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 JoeKoh on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 4:51 PM

evening

Ns had a frieght in the siding when I left work.Work still busy.Chores to do today and tomorrow.Thinking of following the wabash line from Ft.Wayne to watch the 765 put on a show this weekend.Depends what else is going on.Guessers say the triple h's are coming this weekend too.We will see.

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 JoeKoh on Thursday, July 16, 2015 6:28 PM

evening

Ns had an eastbound waiting when I got to work.It had a csx,bnsf,ns combo for power.Went into town.CSX had a grain train and a stack tarin go west.The stack train had orange bnsf power.Rain tomorrow.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 tree68 on Thursday, July 16, 2015 8:57 PM

Nice day here today - cooler and not as humid.

Been working hard to get that trailer kit I bought all assembled.  Need it next week, but I'm on the railroad this weekend, so that's cutting into the assembly time.  Not that I mind being on the railroad.

Gotta hit the road early in the AM, so time for 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...

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, July 17, 2015 6:39 AM

Hitting the road shortly, headed away from civilization once more.  I'm hoping that we'll find some neat stuff on the fringes before we plunge into oblivion for a while.

It will be hot and sticky here in Chicagoland through the weekend; at least ten degrees cooler where we're headed.  Walks on the beach would be nice, but Lake Michigan has swallowed up the beach this summer.  I'm bringing my bike this time; Pat will rent one up there if we take the trail.

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)

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Posted by switch7frg on Friday, July 17, 2015 11:22 AM

Tree, has the man been found that fell into the manhole yet?? I guess Cameron Il. took a hard hit from a tornado. All we get here in the mtns. is just the summer sunshine.

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

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Posted by NorthWest on Friday, July 17, 2015 9:35 PM

A massive fire on Cajon Pass has wreaked havoc on I-15. Any word on railroad operations?

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/30-Acre-Brush-Fire-Shuts-Down-15-Fwy-at-Cajun-Pass-316347791.html?partner=xfinity1

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, July 18, 2015 4:36 PM

evening

Brother and I got early start and went to Ft.Wayne.We watched the 765 get underway on it's trip on the Wabash.The wabash heritage unit was also in the yard but it was back in the fueling rack.Mother nature sent us a monsoon and we are under a tornado watch now.We stopped at Garrett and saw a k 630 go east.They shut down the 2nd engine because no one at Garrett could fill it with water.Going to relax.

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 BaltACD on Saturday, July 18, 2015 6:02 PM

JoeKoh

evening

Brother and I got early start and went to Ft.Wayne.We watched the 765 get underway on it's trip on the Wabash.The wabash heritage unit was also in the yard but it was back in the fueling rack.Mother nature sent us a monsoon and we are under a tornado watch now.We stopped at Garrett and saw a k 630 go east.They shut down the 2nd engine because no one at Garrett could fill it with water.Going to relax.

stay safe

joe

 

CSX has decreed that only Mechanical Department personnel are allowed to add water to a engine that is running low on water.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, July 18, 2015 6:37 PM

BaltACD
 
JoeKoh

evening

Brother and I got early start and went to Ft.Wayne.We watched the 765 get underway on it's trip on the Wabash.The wabash heritage unit was also in the yard but it was back in the fueling rack.Mother nature sent us a monsoon and we are under a tornado watch now.We stopped at Garrett and saw a k 630 go east.They shut down the 2nd engine because no one at Garrett could fill it with water.Going to relax.

stay safe

joe

 

 

 

CSX has decreed that only Mechanical Department personnel are allowed to add water to a engine that is running low on water.

 

The UP has been fitting out it's engines so that the hose needs an adaptor to attach to the water inlet.  Something only the Mechanical Department has.  The days of filling an engine with just a garden hose from the nearest spigot or by the local fire department are going away.

Jeff

Jeff

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, July 18, 2015 8:26 PM

switch7frg

Tree, has the man been found that fell into the manhole yet?? I guess Cameron Il. took a hard hit from a tornado. All we get here in the mtns. is just the summer sunshine.

His body was found some distance from where he fell in, a day or two later.

Filling engines with water - I've stood on top of more than one locomotive and filled it with a garden hose...

We don't fill fire tankers from the top any more, however.  Pretty much everyone has "ground fill" connections, usually with quick disconnect "Storz" couplings.

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...

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Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, July 19, 2015 7:27 PM

Balt,we heard the dispatcher explain that to the crew.Tunder in the area but no rain yet today.We do have flood warning for the rivers as they have got more rain to our south.Tomorrow it's back to work.

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 Dakguy201 on Monday, July 20, 2015 9:01 AM

BaltACD

CSX has decreed that only Mechanical Department personnel are allowed to add water to a engine that is running low on water.

Do you have any idea why they have made such a decision?  Perhaps to insure the proper anticorrosion chemicals are also added?

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, July 20, 2015 11:10 AM

Dakguy201
 
BaltACD

CSX has decreed that only Mechanical Department personnel are allowed to add water to a engine that is running low on water.

Do you have any idea why they have made such a decision?  Perhaps to insure the proper anticorrosion chemicals are also added?

That would prevent having to stock the chemicals on each locomotive, a logistics issue, or could have to be with the crossing of craft lines.

In reality, unless there's a problem, or it's an older locomotive with lots of potentially loose connections, etc, adding water is a relatively rare event.

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...

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, July 20, 2015 1:21 PM

Dakguy201
BaltACD

CSX has decreed that only Mechanical Department personnel are allowed to add water to a engine that is running low on water.

Do you have any idea why they have made such a decision?  Perhaps to insure the proper anticorrosion chemicals are also added?

I don't know for certain; however, knowing the company culture - either someone got injured adding water or water was added to the wrong fluid.

Now if the Mechanical Dept would redouble their efforts to see that engines don't leak like seives and don't fail on line of road account tripping the low water alarm.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, July 20, 2015 6:57 PM

evening

work busy.Ns sent an eastbound when I left work.Got home and took care of yardwork.Matt also helped as well.Going to relax.

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 JoeKoh on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 4:52 PM

evening

work still busy.Ns sent a westbound when I left work.Local was uptown too. We sent a load of stuff to Lincoln Nebraska today. It didn't have Mookie's address on it though.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 Mookie on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 5:58 PM

JoeKoh

evening

work still busy.Ns sent a westbound when I left work.Local was uptown too. We sent a load of stuff to Lincoln Nebraska today. It didn't have Mookie's address on it though.Chores to do.

stay safe

Joe

 

Awwww....Grumpy

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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