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Chatterbox winter 2015-2016

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 9:11 PM

Larry, you must be in for a good old-fashioned ice storm--this is what we knew far more often than snow in Upcountry South Carolina when I was growing up. We would bring wood in from the woodpile and stack it on the back porch--and have kerosene lamps handy in case the power went out. 

Johnny

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 7:57 PM

Mookie
...bailing of water or fire personnel...

Learning how to get out a second floor window under duress (fire is licking your derriere) when there's no other way out.   That might include going headfirst down a ladder or using a rope and descender we all carry.

We all hope we won't be faced with that situation, but stuff happens.

And on the weather front, we're up to an inch and three quarters of rain - and some of it is freezing onto trees and wires.  Winds are running 7-10 MPH at the house, with gusts to 15 MPH Flood watch until 10AM tomorrow.

If you'd like a definition of "miserable weather," this is pretty much it.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 6:19 PM

About 6 inches [eyeball measurement] on the ground today with 4 more predicted overnight. Heavy wet stuff. Slow going on the road out front.

Norm


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Posted by Paul of Covington on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 6:06 PM

tree68
Some hands-on training tonight (bailing out of windows). It's a skill we don't want to use, but need to know.

    I have been getting "Windows has stopped working" several times today, so my first thought was that you were talking about MS Windows.

_____________ 

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

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Posted by Mookie on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 4:59 PM

Tree - bailing of water or fire personnel - or both?  Probably not much bailing of water, but you know you sometimes get a lot of precipitation....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 3:53 PM

Rain all day (with freezing rain this morning).  Home weather station reporting 1.2" so far.  FD weather station must be plugged with ice - only showing .03"...

Some hands-on training tonight (bailing out of windows).  It's a skill we don't want to use, but need to know.

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 Wednesday, February 24, 2016 2:47 PM

afternoon

just plain yucky here in Nw Ohio.We are between the snow and rain bands.Getting a mixed bag of stuff.Haven't heard if our church service is cancelled for tonight or not.Gas prices have jumped 30 cents in the event of an apocolypse of a storm.Ns had a n eastbound waiting and a westbound coal train go by when I left work.The local has empties to pick up uptown.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").

 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 12:45 PM

Randy, do let us know, if you can, how conditions are around Battle Creek and Kalamazoo when you're out in it tomorrow.  We are planning a quick round-trip to Battle Creek for Friday (Shhh!  it's a surprise for someone!).  If we're lucky we'll be able to see some railroad action in blizzard country (northwestern Indiana--they're actually under blizzard warnings in Lake and Porter Counties) on our way up.  

Snow has been falling here for at least two hours, but so far the streets are just wet and the lawns are only beginning to look a little paler.

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 rvos1979 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:58 AM
Unloaded in Lansing, MI, this morning, then came down to Battle Creek to wait out the storm. Supposed to pick up near Kalamazoo tomorrow morning, but will see what conditions look like first.

Meanwhile, time to watch everyone else play bumper cars...........

Randy Vos

"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings

"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:49 AM

Norm48327

Well Bob,

You won't have to worry about me being on the road. The guy I purchased my car from put some Chinese tires on it and on snow they have all the traction of hockey pucks. I'm impatiently waiting for some new ones.

Tire stores are open every day!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:37 AM

Well Bob,

You won't have to worry about me being on the road. The guy I purchased my car from put some Chinese tires on it and on snow they have all the traction of hockey pucks. I'm impatiently waiting for some new ones.

Norm


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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:28 AM

BOB WITHORN

I just figure with 6500 pounds of pickup I win. Helps to have a couple of ounces of common sence too. On the 3 hour drives back and forth each week, I get passed by them and then they get passed by me. Difference is I get to keep going, they get to wait for the tow truck

Bob

 

Yes, Bob, that situation is worse than what I experienced driving through Bessemer, Alabama, in the sixties,where the traffic lights were set for 40 mph--with signs along the way informing drivers of the fact. It was pleasant to keep moving across intersections and passing the people who had ignored the signs, passed me--and had to stop.

Johnny

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Posted by BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:03 AM

I just figure with 6500 pounds of pickup I win. Helps to have a couple of ounces of common sence too. On the 3 hour drives back and forth each week, I get passed by them and then they get passed by me. Difference is I get to keep going, they get to wait for the tow truck

Bob

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:55 AM

Observation -

In unpopulated areas everyone thinks they know how to drive in the snow - because they don't hit anything.

In populated areas no one know how to drive in the snow - beacuse they hit things and each other.

In unpopulated areas - there is nothing to hit. 

Drivers in both areas have the same problems - in unpopulated areas there is space available to recover from your mistake.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:47 AM

About 4 hours into "THE STORM" here in Flint, Mi. and maybe there is an inch or so, but, as usual everyone forgot how to drive. Should be interesting when I head home to South Bend tomarrow afternoon. Bob

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 6:52 AM

A little messy around here this morning - many schools on a two hour delay.

Got an errand to run, hopefully it'll quit later.

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, February 23, 2016 4:37 PM

evening

Ns was clear when I left work.Need to do 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 Deggesty on Monday, February 22, 2016 8:24 PM

Thanks, MC. I have been through there several times in both directions, and saw the slide fences, but did not know just how unstable it is. I can imagine that the surveyors were a bit uneasy.

Johnny

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Posted by mudchicken on Monday, February 22, 2016 6:08 PM

Deggesty

Thanks for the update on the Canyon, MC. Is the rock on the railroad side as unstable as that on the highway side?

The street in front was wet when I ate breakfast about two hours ago; it is dry now. The weather was good yesterday; I did not need an overcoat when I went to church, and I certainly did not need one when I was coming home. 

 

Johnny: The railroad is on the south side of the canyon and the highway primarilly the north. Both got creative on how to get through there. From what I'm hearing, one side has no advantage on the other. The original CB&Q/Colorado Railway (Blount & Sumner) and D&RG/Grand Valley (King, Deen and Weitbrec)  guys all were leery in there at the beginning. Rough neighborhood. The Union Pacific guys (UPC&W /Blickensderfer) and DNW&P (Merit & Argo / very late, but the beginning of the Dotsero cut-off idea) guys were just a little too late to gain in any advantage vs. the risk of squeezing through there, only to encounter the D&RG and the Colorado Midland.

 

 

 

At 5PM the HOWLIES hit Denver. Moisture must be close behind.

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 JoeKoh on Monday, February 22, 2016 4:34 PM

evening

work busy.Ns was clear when I left work.Nice today.Mother nature sending us something wed/thursday.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 Monday, February 22, 2016 11:36 AM

mudchicken
Need to do something about the feline furry alarm clock going off at 4am...

Had that problem with a Siamese we had at one point.  As cruel as it sounds, one bounce off the wall (the cat was on the bed when she pulled this - and a little earlier each morning) cured the issue.

Any more, I tend to wake at the "shallow" end of my REM cycles - about every hour and a half.  I can tell if I'm tired - I'll stay asleep for three hours, more or less...

Nice and sunny today - if chilly.  The holes we cut in the ice yesterday for ice rescue training have probably frozen over again.

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 Deggesty on Monday, February 22, 2016 10:39 AM

Thanks for the update on the Canyon, MC. Is the rock on the railroad side as unstable as that on the highway side?

The street in front was wet when I ate breakfast about two hours ago; it is dry now. The weather was good yesterday; I did not need an overcoat when I went to church, and I certainly did not need one when I was coming home. 

Johnny

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Posted by Mookie on Monday, February 22, 2016 8:35 AM

mudchicken
Need to do something about the feline furry alarm clock going off at 4am...

What is it about 4 am - Driver always manages to either sneeze, cough, drop something or somehow wake me every morning @ that time.  My best sleep time, too.  Bang Head

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by mudchicken on Monday, February 22, 2016 8:20 AM

Glenwood Canyon FINALLY opened (if you can call it that) last night.

I-70 is still a one lane road with pilot cars that closes for 8 hours a day. The scaling of unstable rock off the canyon walls goes on. UP is being very careful on their side of the canyon. The offending boulders reside well off railroad property.

Our break from winter ends tonight. 4" of white stuff due tonight.

Need to do something about the feline furry alarm clock going off at 4am...ZzzZzzZzz

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 Mookie on Saturday, February 20, 2016 7:48 PM

tree68
Must be the swishing of the tail from the other thread....

 Were it that easy!  My mind is running rampant....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, February 20, 2016 7:42 PM

Deggesty

Did someone in Lincoln (not to name any name) give the winds a great push to get them out of the area?Smile 

Must be the swishing of the tail from the other thread....

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
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  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, February 20, 2016 7:33 PM

Mookie

 

 
Deggesty

Did someone in Lincoln (not to name any name) give the winds a great push to get them out of the area?Smile

 

 

 

Shy

 

Captain Kangaroo always said "share"....

 

LaughLaugh Perfect!

Johnny

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, February 20, 2016 6:41 PM

Deggesty

Did someone in Lincoln (not to name any name) give the winds a great push to get them out of the area?Smile

 

Shy

Captain Kangaroo always said "share"....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, February 20, 2016 5:11 PM

Did someone in Lincoln (not to name any name) give the winds a great push to get them out of the area?Smile

Johnny

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, February 20, 2016 5:02 PM

Not really...the wind affected everything and everybody.  As I was out there watching trains, I suddenly said to myself "Hold the phone"!  And if I hadn't, I would have had to go down on the tracks several hundred feet to retrieve it.

Seriously, the strong wind blew a power pole over onto CTA's Green Line in Oak Park, perhaps three hours after I'd left the area, disrupting service on that end of the line.  It also shut down some Pink Line service, though I can't figure that one out.

It was much better out there today.  I was out trackside again, getting lunch with my wife while we walked our errands for today and let the car stay home.  In that hour, we had five trains...two scoots, an auto-rack train, a stacker, and a manifest.

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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