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Chatterbox Spring -2016

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, April 1, 2016 6:19 PM

evening

ns was clear when I left work.Going to be rainy and colder this weekend.Back to 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 Thursday, March 31, 2016 6:20 PM

evening

rain here in Nw Ohio.Going to get a cool down this weekend too.Ns local was moving around when I left work.Tomorrow is Friday and April 1st.Don't get fooled.

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 mudchicken on Thursday, March 31, 2016 10:32 AM

NorthWest

40 years ago today was the last day of operation for the LV, AA, EL, RDG, CNJ, LHR and PC. Conrail began 40 years ago tomorrow.

 

Solved one set of problems and created a new set of nightmares.

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 NorthWest on Thursday, March 31, 2016 9:10 AM

40 years ago today was the last day of operation for the LV, AA, EL, RDG, CNJ, LHR and PC. Conrail began 40 years ago tomorrow.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, March 31, 2016 8:49 AM

That sounds like the yearly reports that we receive from our local water district.  They supply us with Lake Michigan water purchased from the City of Chicago so the various contaminant levels are well below the allowable limits.

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 Wednesday, March 30, 2016 8:11 PM

My water runs through limestone - it's off the scale for hardness.  But when I brought water to my aunt's cottage (which used lake water for "utility" but had no well), they always liked it.

A nearby town, located on Lake Ontario, for many years pumped their municipal water straight out of the lake.  Aside from a sand filter and any requisite chemicals, that's what it was, and it won awards.

Many cities and towns have water issues, but because the levels of "issue" components are below thresholds, they don't make the news.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by Mookie on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 6:41 PM

Bob - this Flint MI deal has me really upset.  i live smack in the middle of the country where our water is very hard, but some of the best I have ever enjoyed.  I just can't imagine not having fresh clean water to drink - right from the tap.  I feel for the people of Flint who do not have the same situation.  

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 2:36 PM

afternoon

Ns had a westbound when I left work.Need to get cleaned up.Need to go give hugs tonight.Matt starts his confirmation class again tonight.Better get to it.

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 CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 8:17 AM

It's been rather mild over the last few days, temps running into the upper 40's and lower 50's.  Not much wind, quite unlike the Southwest.  It looks like spring is finally here.

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 BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 7:25 AM
Sun's out in Flint, Mi., the nations leading lead in the water city. If you look out the window you would think it was spring. Walk outside and it's 34 degrees. Hopefully it's warmer in Elkhard when I get there.
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 5:25 PM

Peaceful here so far today - sun's out and the temperatures are relatively seasonal.  

Raked up some of the sunflower hulls from the bird feeders.  Doesn't look like much spread out under the feeders, but when you pile it up...

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, March 29, 2016 5:09 PM

evening

work busy.Ns had an autorack train in the siding when I left work.Local Defiance comissioners talking about CSX blocking crossings and 911 tapes.Going to get ugly quick.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 JoeKoh on Monday, March 28, 2016 5:22 PM

evening

work busy.Saw a westbound and eastbound when I got off work.Homework to check and 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 Sunday, March 27, 2016 7:33 PM

Go 'Cuse!

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, March 27, 2016 4:39 PM

Beautiful day today.Matt and cousins had fun.Back to our regular schedule tomorrow.Happy Easter.

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 Saturday, March 26, 2016 8:33 PM

evening

Delivery done.Dad was happy to get out in the sunshine too.Csx was jammed up in Lima today.Q 365 was talked by a stop signal in North Lima.Thing is the back of their train was still across State road in Allen county.Tomorrow is Easter with the family.Hope to find some PB eggs.Back to work Monday.

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, March 26, 2016 7:38 PM

I can hear the conversation on the radio now:

Conductor:  Amtrak 123, can you bring it to a stop?

Engineer:  Sure, what's the problem?

Conductor:  No problem.  The cook needs to pick up supper from along the tracks...

Helped with the 1400 passengers on the Easter Bunny Trains today.  I'm pooped.

Tomorrow,  Easter with daughter's family.  Can't wait to see how the granddaughter has grown.  Just have to watch out for her mouth.  Daughter says she has six or seven teeth now...

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 samfp1943 on Saturday, March 26, 2016 1:38 PM

Saturday AM and not much going on...Wife is planning Easter Family Meal..Looks like a trip to the grocery for us later.   Been waching the Saturday  AM  mixed merchandise train. They've been cooling it for about 3 hours waiting to get a slot West.  It was one of those trains you just know as an interested train watcher was more than likely a 'clean-up' out of the KC area or Argentine, or Topeka. It had prctically every kind of car on it, and the mix was eclectic. Auto racks, gondolas, flat cars, loaded and empty, empty container cars, one or two of every kind of closed hopper cars, some loaded bulkhead flats with lumber loads, and then a whole string of empty bulkhead flats with sheet rock residue on them. Lat car was a company load (BNSF) of brand new wheel sets, no rust and the treads shiney.  

What usually runs this line is generally unit type trains, cude  oil empty and loaded, unit grain moves, solid, unit auto rack moves.  merchandise trains have lots of box cars, and multiple groups of the same types of cars in their make-up.  it al makes for some interesting train watching. Just another Saturday morning going down...

  

 

 


 

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, March 26, 2016 10:53 AM

Wednesday, I spent the day in the hotel in Los Angeles, catching up on this and that while Ginny and her daughters went down to Anaheim to see the wonders of Disneyland again..

Thursday, we returned to the station in plenty of time to board the northbound Starlight--and waited an hour and a half for a train (with forty passengers who were going north) from Sn Diego which had been delayed because someone apparently had dropped a package on the track between Fullerton and Los Angeles. To comound matters, somewhere above Paso Robles (I was asleep at the time and knew nothing of it) our train broke a truck into two (and many more little) pieces, which made us more than five hours late into Salinas. No one was hurt, so far as I know. We arrived in Oakland 4:59 late--and took a taxi from there to our hotel in Emeryville (#14 arrived in Emeryville 6:30 late). Yesterday's trip was uneventful, except for seeing, after we left Winnemucca, the conductor who used to scan the tickets in Salt Lake City in charge of the train from Reno to Salt Lake City. A little while before we arrived, he came to my room and told me that we would be met at our car by one of the men who works in the ticket office. He apparently had called Salt Lake and told them that I was coming in and would need a ride to the station. Usually rides to and from are provided after the checked baggage is taken care of, even though there is now a passenger cart at the station.

Johnny

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, March 26, 2016 10:35 AM

BaltACD

 

 
blue streak 1

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

 

 

 
Springfield City Manager Nathan Henne says Amtrak passenger trains that use that stretch of track "are really cooking when they go through there."

 

Guess Amtrak should put crow on the diner menu. Laugh

 

BaltACD

 

 
blue streak 1

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

 

 

 
Springfield City Manager Nathan Henne says Amtrak passenger trains that use that stretch of track "are really cooking when they go through there."

 

Guess Amtrak should put crow on the diner menu. Laugh

 

A good idea! Then the passengers would be able to eat crow.Smile

 

Johnny

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Posted by edblysard on Friday, March 25, 2016 9:26 PM

tree68
 
blue streak 1

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

 

Just read that they had a problem in Boston with crows being killed on the highways.  On investigation they found paint on the birds, and it almost exclusively matched that found on trucks.

Further study showed that it was the crow's limited vocabulary that was to blame.  They could warn their compatriots of oncoming automobiles, but not of the trucks that ultimately struck them.

Anyone with a knowledge of the Bahston accent will get it....

 

Larry,

My nephew moved to Boston a few years back, from San Antonio.

With his deep Texas accent, they can't understand a word he says most of the time, which is just as well, he can't understand them either!

First week he was there, and eating in a dinner, he asked his waitress for some salsa...I would have paid money to watch that conversation!

23 17 46 11

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, March 25, 2016 7:58 PM

blue streak 1

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

Springfield City Manager Nathan Henne says Amtrak passenger trains that use that stretch of track "are really cooking when they go through there."

Guess Amtrak should put crow on the diner menu. Laugh

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, March 25, 2016 7:24 PM

blue streak 1

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

Just read that they had a problem in Boston with crows being killed on the highways.  On investigation they found paint on the birds, and it almost exclusively matched that found on trucks.

Further study showed that it was the crow's limited vocabulary that was to blame.  They could warn their compatriots of oncoming automobiles, but not of the trucks that ultimately struck them.

Anyone with a knowledge of the Bahston accent will get it....

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 blue streak 1 on Friday, March 25, 2016 7:08 PM

Another you can't make this up.  Amtrak blamed for killing hunders of crows.l

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/25/train-blamed-deaths-hundreds-crows-michigan/82255998/

 

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, March 25, 2016 6:07 PM

evening

Matt and cousins are safely back home.Saw 2 ns trains while waitng at the airport.Csx train is waiting for air to come up here in Defiance. Q 324 is a monster as usual.Going to play delivery person tomorrow.Also going to visit my Dad.Will try to play nice on I-75.

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 rvos1979 on Friday, March 25, 2016 2:35 PM
Went up to Green Bay yesterday morning, called dispatch before I started to ask how the roads were. I didn't have to worry, they were cleared by the time I got there, despite getting over 8 inches of snow. Was a speed limit ride back to Chicago.........

Picked up at WestRock in St. Charles on the way home this morning, by the time I got home, the 2 inches of snow had melted. Was going to fertilize, but I think I'll give the ground a day to dry out a bit first..........

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 tree68 on Friday, March 25, 2016 10:30 AM

blue streak 1

MC my daughter just west of downtown got a 25-1/2 " dusting.  a few blocks away 18 " .  Sounds very localized like most times ?

 

Heck, that's everyday life here in lake effect territory.  Sun's out here, a few miles away you can't see your hand in front of your face...

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, March 25, 2016 10:19 AM

Again, Chicagoland's horrendous storm turned out to be a dud.  It was raining by us up until about 5:00 (we got over an inch and a half of rain), then turned to thick heavy snow for an hour or so before the storm cleared out entirely.  It didn't drop below freezing until early this morning, so there's no sign of it around here.  Sun's out, but the temperature is still cold.  I may go out train-hunting this afternoon.

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 mudchicken on Friday, March 25, 2016 7:00 AM

Streak: Life on the front range. This stuff swirled back into town from the NE. (mountains got very little; the reverse is happening later today)....If you don't like the weather here, wait 5 minutes.

What was amusing was seeing cars abandoned inside parking structures because they got stranded/stuck before even getting out of the building.

Even with chain rules in effect in town, and CDOT pleading with motorists to not venture out except for people involved in key services, there were abandoned vehicles everywhere stranded or slid off the road. The cars with 2WD, baloney skin tires and low clearance were being equipped with "stupid tickets"by police as they were cleared or towed off. The whining by the vehicle owners had already started.

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 tree68 on Friday, March 25, 2016 6:52 AM

Temperature took a big jump in the past hour after a slow rise overnight - now up to +44F.  Just finished with some rain, now snow/ice is coming off the metal roof a chunk at a time.

It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, which will be good for our Easter Bunny Trains.  I'm not working the trains as such, but will be doing some supervisory stuff.

Waiting on a call on some decals I ordered from a local sign shop.  Don't know if I'll have them as soon as I'd like, but we'll see...

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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