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Chatterbox winter 2015-2016

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, February 4, 2016 10:49 AM

mudchicken

About to crash for the evening. Morning will come too soon. Wasted 60 minutes watching a series called "Blood Feuds" on a History Channel spinoff. Did an episode on the Royal Gorge War. - Colossal waste of time. Embellished to the point that what passes as "history" is really, really bad fiction. Barely got the names right and totally skewed the facts.Ick!

PDN and DiningCar will have a good giggle if and when they see "it". Having read some of Palmer's 1869-71 field notes on his recon surveys between Denver & Pueblo, I think Palmer would roll over in his grave. I want to see the reaction of two respected historians that have worked up a detailed history of the Royal Gorge War what they think.

Totally ignored: El Moro, Dick Wootton, Holbrook at Canon City, AA Robinson, Louis Kingman, (Half of Raton Pass is in Colorado), Palmer & Kingman in 1866-68 in the Maxwell Grant, Palmer on the KP/UP, Palmer's earlier & later fails....As far as I'm concerned, the portrayal of W B Strong was all wrong.

(this production team ought to be banned from historical recreation. BTW - Diesel locomotives in 1878?)

 

I am sure that the presenters of their farce of the Royal Gorge War believed that nobody who knew the history of it would be watching it. I do not remember all of the details, but I learned of it close to sixty years ago after an uncle gave my youngest brother and me The Modern Wonder Book of Trains and Railroading (I may not have remembered the title exactly). This book opened the world of railroading to me. And, I have since found that what it presented had very few, if any, errors in it. The author knew his stuff, either personally or through careful research. How long it took him to prepare the material, I have no idea--but he wanted to present the industry as it is, and not in a manner to attract and excite the unlearned.

 

Johnny

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, February 4, 2016 2:25 PM

afternoon

snow flurries here in Nw Ohio.Ns has some empties to pick up in town.Taking Matt to town for errands when he gets off the bus.

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 4, 2016 4:39 PM

Johnny, the author was Norman Carlisle.  Book is in my dungeon.  It was one I borrowed frequently from the library as a kid, and when it was discovered in a used bookstore I snapped it up.

I haven't been out of the house since yesterday morning...exciting freight-car projects are begging me to stay and work on them, and to not even think about going out and looking for more.  I think I have completed maybe two files that required upgrading (too many left to count!).

Something to watch for...apparently at the beginning of this year, the requirement for the "little black box" that had air-brake information and the car's build date was eliminated.  The build date on new and repainted cars will be "outside the box", and brake information will be somewhere nearby on the car.  I hope it makes build dates easier to see.

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 Mookie on Friday, February 5, 2016 3:51 PM

Sunday is the Super Bowl - any thoughts?  (Go Denver!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 5, 2016 4:56 PM

Mookie

Sunday is the Super Bowl - any thoughts?  (Go Denver!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope the commercials are better than in recent years.  There was a time when they were pretty entertaining.  If I have to watch one more recycled puppy & Clydesdale Budweiser commercial, I may go crazy.  They pay the advertising folks millions of bucks.  The ads should reflect that.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, February 5, 2016 5:30 PM

evening

Ns had a westbound power move when I left work.Work still busy.Need to do chores.State has sent us a tell us who you are letter so we can get our refund.

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 Friday, February 5, 2016 5:46 PM

Mookie

Sunday is the Super Bowl - any thoughts?  (Go Denver!)

I'll be singing "Happy Birthday" to my granddaughter (she turned 1 on Monday).  Aside from that, I've got nothing into either team, so if I watch, I'll be reduced to rooting for whoever seems to be the underdog.  

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 5, 2016 9:11 PM

tree68

 

 
Mookie

Sunday is the Super Bowl - any thoughts?  (Go Denver!)

 

 

I'll be singing "Happy Birthday" to my granddaughter (she turned 1 on Monday).  Aside from that, I've got nothing into either team, so if I watch, I'll be reduced to rooting for whoever seems to be the underdog.  

 

Underdog?  Well good thing the Yankees aren't in the Super Bowl.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, February 5, 2016 9:16 PM

Football....pffft!   If I were into any sports, I'd be spending my time down at the track.  Come to think of 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)

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, February 6, 2016 6:26 PM

evening

worked this morning.Ns had an eastbound stack and 2 westbound frieght when I got off work.Picked up Matt and went to Deshler.CSX stack train went west on 1 followed by a bnsf powered empty coal train off the NW wye.He was met west of town by an eastbound powered Up empty coal train with csx hoppers.He had to wait as west Deshler as q 365 turned left at Deshler to go south.Q 365 also had some chessie kitty boxcars near the end of the train.Sunday school and Church tomorrow.Also making G+G dinner for a happy happy 49th anniversary.Well maybe I'll just help with the dishes.

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 Saturday, February 6, 2016 6:59 PM

Super Science Saturday display (local amateur radio club) went well.  Discovered after the fact that we were advertised as teaching Morse code.  It's a good thing we had a Code activity!  Offered the kids an opportunity to key their name on a practice key.  Some of them were pretty good!

One of our fire trucks went to the dealer this past week for a check engine light.  After some pretty heavy repairs, it arrived back at the station - with the check engine light back on.  It's going back to the shop first thing Monday AM.

Still cold - a little snow this morning, but not enough to stifle travel.

Granddaughters B-Day party isn't until 5 PM Sunday - I get much of the day off!

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 Paul_D_North_Jr on Sunday, February 7, 2016 8:49 AM

There's a football game today ?

Wehn I was a kid, my Dad often took me to the Philadelphia Eagles' home games* at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field (South St. & S. 33rd St.).  But what I really like was that the southern end of the upper-level concourse looked down on the PRR's elevated "High Line" freight bypass of   30th Street Station and other urban congestion.  Once in a while I'd get to see from above and close by a train pulled by GG1's or E44's.  Plus, on the bus to and from the game, we went by the northern ladder and approach tracks to 30th Street, as well as some of the RDG tracks and yards up towards Manayunk.

*I wasn't missing too much.  The Eagles often lost under the 'coaching' of Joe Kuharich.

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by mudchicken on Sunday, February 7, 2016 9:39 AM

Our big giggle for the week was watching a trucking company recover a 90-foot windmill blade after it got dumped on the ground in a major freeway interchange in a construction zone in rush hour here. Appears the trailer wheels under the blade got ripped out from under the blade by a concrete barrier. Ooops?

Hope I'm off the plane quick enough to watch some of THE football game.

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
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Posted by Norm48327 on Sunday, February 7, 2016 2:48 PM

The forum certainly has been quiet this weekend.

Norm


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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, February 7, 2016 2:54 PM

Guess we need better commercials, like steam videos or something.

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 Uncle Jake on Sunday, February 7, 2016 3:09 PM
MC, near where my grandparents live in SE Idaho, a truck hauling one of those wind turbine blades took out an overpass. The week after the new overpass was opened, the same thing happened. The current overpass sits a good foot and a half higher than the original one did.
PS: go Broncos.
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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, February 7, 2016 10:22 PM

Uncle Jake
PS: go Broncos.

Looks like you got your wish.  I wasn't rooting for either team...

 

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 Murphy Siding on Sunday, February 7, 2016 10:29 PM

CShaveRR

Guess we need better commercials, like steam videos or something.

 

I did see one with UP locomotives in the background.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, February 8, 2016 12:17 AM

Murphy Siding

 

 
CShaveRR

Guess we need better commercials, like steam videos or something.

 

 

 

I did see one with UP locomotives in the background.

 

 

Yeah, the Jeep "4x4 Forever" commercial.

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Monday, February 8, 2016 7:31 AM

     My wife enjoyed the Prius commercial best.  She has a red Prius and has used it on two occasions to help law enforcement chase down lawbreakers!

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, February 8, 2016 7:43 AM

Wife and I took in a movie yesterday, "The Finest Hours".  As far as the game went, I prefer rugby union or football to American football (too much dead time in the American game).

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 tree68 on Monday, February 8, 2016 10:39 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH
(too much dead time in the American game)

There's an awful lot of "television timeouts" during televised US football and basketball.

Games without coverage (more common in basketball - at least college BB) run much faster. 

It took my entire 90 minute drive home for them to complete the second half of the Super Bowl - 30 minutes of actual playing time...

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 Norm48327 on Monday, February 8, 2016 11:51 AM

tree68
It took my entire 90 minute drive home for them to complete the second half of the Super Bowl - 30 minutes of actual playing time...

If ya can't dazzle them with football, bore them to death with commercials. My 2 Cents

Norm


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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, February 8, 2016 3:37 PM

Metra derailed an empty dinky this morning at the crossover east of Naperville.  The entire "Racetrack" was shut down for a while (at the begnning of the eastbound Dinky Parade), with nothing operating west of Lisle and passengers from Naperville, Route 59, and Aurora being advised to find alternate transportation into the city.  The site appeared to be the crossovers under the Columbia Avenue overpass.  There were track workers there early this afternoon, and Metra advises that a normal evening rush hour is planned.

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 Monday, February 8, 2016 4:38 PM

evening

Ns has an autorack train in the siding.Work is busy.Catching up on 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").

 

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 5:00 PM

evening

snow flurries and colder today.Ns local was at work when I left.Csx made a mess in Marysville Ohio today.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 Deggesty on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 7:27 PM

It's stll winter at the Crossroads of the West. No snow since a surprise snowfall Saturday morning (one of the weather guessers at one station wears his father's white coat (he has his father's former position) when he predicts snow; he wore a dark coat Friday.

Today, the temperature reached 53 degrees at Alta (about 4000 feet higher, up Little Cottonwood Canyon), the official high in the valley was 40 degrees. Isn't it amazing what gunk un the air at keeping the temperature down?

Saturday, Katie took me up to the house so I cold gather all sorts of things to bring down here; as we came down the hill, I saw the gunk that was spread over the valley.

I generally use a walker when I am out of my rooms, but I try to get around with just a cane when I am in; it can be interesting, what with my knees that do not work just as they should.

Johnny

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 10:30 PM

A very light blanket of snow overnight, with scattered flurries all day still hasn't amounted to much snow here.

On the other hand, I got the weather station at the fire station hooked up to the 'Net now.  Pretty cool!

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 CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 7:03 AM

Got a dusting yesterday, it's the most snow that I've seen for a while.  I've got a day off coming on Monday, hoping that the weather will co-operate.

 

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 CShaveRR on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 9:53 AM

We had a little more than a dusting...I had to clean off the driveway, sidewalks, patio, and neighbor's walk.  With a broom.  

I understand that the lakeshore, Gary and east, is getting clobbered.  Schools are closed in my home town.

UP West (both UP and Metra) is being hampered by an electrical fire that occurred yesterday in a signal bungalow at 25th Avenue (basically the eastern connection between the main line and Proviso).  All wiring has to be replaced and tested (I would assume that switches have to be thrown by hand); this probably won't be completed until tomorrow afternoon.  Meanwhile, most of the scoots are running, and incurring big delays at this point.  The control point has two or three major bungalows; I'm assuming that the fire destroyed only one of them.  (Too busy with damage control on one of my files to check it out for myself.)

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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