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That Old-Time Southern Engineering

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Posted by Wizlish on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:45 PM

Semper Vaporo
which one has something to do with "Old-Time Southern Engineering"?

The one with the stick.  The Norfolk Southern guy used good old-fashioned 'Southern' ingenuity to get the train rolling again.  (And the kludge was good enough for 'safe' high-speed running...)

To quote another sort-of-Southern source, "It's a joke, son."

Falls about as flat, too, come to mention it...

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:41 PM

Deggesty
 
Semper Vaporo

Would someone please give some indication of where this blog is located?

 

 

 

Look up at the top of the page, and click on "Blogs & Forums"

I did, which one has something to do with "Old-Time Southern Engineering"?

"Trump Hunter 'can't be so soft' [Satire]"

"60 minutes in the life of EHH"

"Rare endcab switchers are still among us"

"How inventive use of a stick saved the day aboard The Canadian"

"It's springtime for railfans ... in Wisconsin"

"Requiem for the Tidewater Turn"

"10 questions for the manager of this year's Norfolk & Western No. 611 trips"

 

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by Wizlish on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:37 PM

chutton01
Wouldn't Red Green, set in northern Ontario, Canada IIRC, be the Canadian analogue to the duct tape theology?

Ye Gods, I had no idea!  Didn't even bother to fact-check it.  I was sure that was making gentle 'redneck' fun, targeted at the typical sort of redneck areas so popular on YouTube...

It sure is Canadian, isn't it ... perhaps even more so than Lake Wobegon is "Minnesot'n"

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:31 PM

Semper Vaporo

Would someone please give some indication of where this blog is located?

 

Look up at the top of the page, and click on "Blogs & Forums"

Johnny

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Posted by chutton01 on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:28 PM

Wizlish
I was not aware of a Canadian analogue to the duct-tape theology represented by the Red Green franchise, nor did I think that the Canadian 'analogue' of 'git-r-dun' had the same unique combination of kludge-like expediency and unlikely found materials as that particular 'school' of emergineering and aleatory materials science.


Wouldn't Red Green, set in northern Ontario, Canada IIRC, be the Canadian analogue to the duct tape theology?

Anyway, to keep it simple, the story involves fixing a broken (missing) air brake valve on a VIA "The Canadian" train trip by jamming a stick in the hole and duct taping it enough so the brake pressure doesn't blow the stick out the hole.

And I think most Canadian people in the 1980s liked SCTV...

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:26 PM

tree68

We don't call it "sixty mile an hour tape" for nothin'...

Thats 200 MPH tape in my favorite sport!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, March 3, 2016 2:23 PM

Would someone please give some indication of where this blog is located?

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by Wizlish on Thursday, March 3, 2016 1:45 PM

chutton01
Wouldn't referencing the Red Green Show make it the "Great White North" school of engineering?

I didn't want to bring up Bob and Doug with so many Canadians active in the forums right now.  In any case... I was not aware of a Canadian analogue to the duct-tape theology represented by the Red Green franchise, nor did I think that the Canadian 'analogue' of 'git-r-dun' had the same unique combination of kludge-like expediency and unlikely found materials as that particular 'school' of emergineering and aleatory materials science.

I would be delighted to hear what the detailed Canadian versions of both the philosophy and the implementation are, for the various geographical regions (or regional stereotypes!) that might apply.  Is it politically correct to use "Newfie" humor any more, even if one is Canadian and therefore poses no risk of PC nation-state disrespect?

EDIT: I am leaving this post intact as an example of the amazing pitfalls that happen when you ASSume.  Aside from noting that yes, Red Green would be 'Great White Northern engineering'...

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Posted by chutton01 on Thursday, March 3, 2016 1:26 PM

Wizlish
Especially if you are familiar with the general Red Green School of Engineering use of duct tape...

Wouldn't referencing the Red Green Show make it the "Great White North" school of engineering?

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, March 3, 2016 10:34 AM

We don't call it "sixty mile an hour tape" for nothin'...

LarryWhistling
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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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That Old-Time Southern Engineering
Posted by Wizlish on Thursday, March 3, 2016 10:00 AM

I don't know how many people have read Malcolm Kenton's Feb 29 blog post, but if you haven't, you may have quite a treat in store.  Especially if you are familiar with the general Red Green School of Engineering use of duct tape...

Perhaps the best part of the story is the sentence containing the highly-interesting-in-context words "at speed"...Surprise

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