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Chatterbox Spring -2016

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, May 8, 2016 2:14 PM

All field level supervision must be qualified on the rules that are applicable to their operation.  They take yearly Rules Classes the same as rank and file operating employees and then in many cases become the instructors for the Rules Classes for their employees.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, May 8, 2016 1:40 PM

zugmann
The managers actually do take the tests  (at least the TMs and RFEs).  

If you're working on a train, you're taking the tests, including check rides.  We're pretty much all volunteer - even the RFE and conductor supervisor.

Our executive director took the rules class a couple of years ago and did work a number of trains as a trainman.  Lately she just hasn't had the time.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by zugmann on Sunday, May 8, 2016 10:32 AM

The managers actually do take the tests  (at least the TMs and RFEs).  

I just wish we were paid like lineman and crane operators.  I guess we do better than some pilots, maybe.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Sunday, May 8, 2016 10:28 AM

zugmann
tree68
We're doing some engineer-specific stuff, too. More like 9 hours...

I've seen similar large collections of required skills/ knowledge in other careers - electrical linemen, operators of large cranes, and aircraft pilots come to mind.
"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, May 8, 2016 6:58 AM

zugmann
&E rules, RCO rules, engineer rules, territory specific tests, NORAC, and Amtrak electrical.  It was a fun day.

And then I finished the day doing a check ride on the instructor.  Wheeee! 

Sure made for a long day.

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 zugmann on Saturday, May 7, 2016 11:46 PM

tree68
We're doing some engineer-specific stuff, too. More like 9 hours...

T&E rules, RCO rules, engineer rules, territory specific tests, NORAC, and Amtrak electrical.  It was a fun day.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, May 7, 2016 10:47 PM

Murphy Siding
Anybody else smell Canada burning this morning?

Not here - although we did see smoke from fires in Quebec a few years ago.  It was bad enough that several fire departments here were dispatched for "smoke in the area" calls, and it colored the sun an odd yellow.

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 Mookie on Saturday, May 7, 2016 8:19 PM

Murphy Siding

 

 
Mookie

 

 
Murphy Siding

Anybody else smell Canada burning this morning?

 

 

 

The Blue Angels were supposed to fly this weekend in an air show.  It was cancelled due to smoke (air quality) from the fires up north.  

 

 

 

 

Bummer.  They have the equipment to fly those things in bad weather, but I suppose they had to take into account that no one on the ground would be able to see them.Geeked

 

 

 Plus the thousands of gas masks for the crowd....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, May 7, 2016 7:54 PM

evening

Toledo train day was good.We went out to Vickers and Walbridge as well and found more surprises.We then ventured down to Deshler.We got pictures of the geometry train.So did many locals as well.We also gave hugs to.Tomorrow Matt gets to sing with the Sunday school at church.

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 Murphy Siding on Saturday, May 7, 2016 6:48 PM

Mookie

 

 
Murphy Siding

Anybody else smell Canada burning this morning?

 

 

 

The Blue Angels were supposed to fly this weekend in an air show.  It was cancelled due to smoke (air quality) from the fires up north.  

 

 

Bummer.  They have the equipment to fly those things in bad weather, but I suppose they had to take into account that no one on the ground would be able to see them.Geeked

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, May 7, 2016 4:07 PM

Murphy Siding

Anybody else smell Canada burning this morning?

 

The Blue Angels were supposed to fly this weekend in an air show.  It was cancelled due to smoke (air quality) from the fires up north.  

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, May 7, 2016 8:32 AM

Quite a fire...from satellite pictures, the smoke plume is up there somewhere, but I haven't smelled it (it's suposed to rain today; that will beat down any smell).  I have a fellow freight-car freak up in Alberta; he's not that far north, but he told us about it a day or two before it made TV news down in the States.

Darrell said that this is up in the oil-producing area of Alberta, though I haven't heard anything about it being oil-fed (the dry timber seems to be doing fine by itself, thanks).  They did say that we can expect gas prices to spike on account of this (any excuse seems to work).

There have been times when western wildfires have sent smoke our way, and made for some interesting sunsets.  Nothing, though, would compare to the effect Mount St. Helens had--we were in New York when that blew, and could see effects in the sky during daylight!

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 Murphy Siding on Saturday, May 7, 2016 8:04 AM

Anybody else smell Canada burning this morning?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, May 7, 2016 6:55 AM

Norm48327

Officially retire? That'll be the day. Having met Larry, I can attest that he is a "doer" and would go stir-crazy if he stopped doing what he does. No grass is growing under his feet.

 

See - I don't have to worry about the earth moving.....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Norm48327 on Saturday, May 7, 2016 5:33 AM

Officially retire? That'll be the day. Having met Larry, I can attest that he is a "doer" and would go stir-crazy if he stopped doing what he does. No grass is growing under his feet.

Norm


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Posted by Mookie on Friday, May 6, 2016 8:29 PM

Tree:  When you officially retire, I have a suspicion I will feel "the earth move under my feet".....to quote a favorite performer of mine!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, May 6, 2016 7:13 PM

Mookie
...you know - retirement rules.

But.... I am retired.... Tongue Tied

Just got off the air from a local amateur radio net - this particular one dedicated to digital forms of communications.  We traded some pictures via slow scan TV - several were of trains!  

It's pretty neat.  One of these days, I'll get the necessary equipment to try sending some long distance.

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 Mookie on Friday, May 6, 2016 5:42 PM

Ok.  Gentlemen:  It is 88 and high thin clouds.  Wall-to-wall sunshine.  Low humidity - which will change by the end of this month.  Don't have book of rules class, since we make them up as we go along.  Simple things like lids in bathrooms, locked doors, don't burn supper - you know - retirement rules.  

Usually lights out 11p and up @ 4-5 am - depending on how much street noise and garbage man (yes they are men) noise there is.  (they pick up in our neighborhood 4-5 days a week - twice at each resident and business.  

And, Joe, since you are the only one handing them out - I will take a couple of those hugs.  Shy

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, May 6, 2016 5:21 PM

evening

swamp got mowed today.Going to Toledo train show tomorrow.G+G's house on Sunday.Will need to give hugs this week too.

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 Friday, May 6, 2016 2:19 PM

Paul, I used to get the retarder noise from Proviso when I was in the next county, headed to work at zero-dark-thirty.  (Well, okay--"County Line" is a location in Proviso...)  My first apartment when I moved here was several miles away, but the noise was still in the air.  It never bothered me too much--far more disturbing was the sound of an excessively hard impact.  Of course, as I found out, some cars resonate much better than others.

We have a clear sky today, but there's a chance of rain tonight and an even better chance tomorrow.  Figures, as Pat and I are on the schedule to conduct tours of Lilacia Park tomorrow afternoon.  I don't think I can fit thirty probably-elderly people under my umbrella too comfortably.

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 BaltACD on Friday, May 6, 2016 2:04 PM

Rain and gloomy every day this month so far.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, May 6, 2016 12:14 PM

zugmann

 

 
tree68
Getting ready for tomorrow's rules classes...

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 zugmann on Friday, May 6, 2016 10:53 AM

tree68
Getting ready for tomorrow's rules classes...

Passed mine this week.  All 8 hours of it.  Ugh.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, May 6, 2016 10:39 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH
(about 4:45 am)

My trusty pager did the job for me - a difficulty breathing call at 5 AM.  It was actually a pretty serious call - I ended up driving the ambulance to the hospital so both crew members could work on the patient.  

Getting ready for tomorrow's rules classes...

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 Friday, May 6, 2016 6:58 AM

Took the dogs out this morning (about 4:45 am) before I left for work and they were switching up a storm at Clearing.  I could hear the hump pushers notching up and the squeal from the retarders quite clearly. 

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 JoeKoh on Thursday, May 5, 2016 6:30 PM

evening

Ns local was back when I left work.Tomorrow is Friday.Trainshow in Toledo on Saturday.

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, May 4, 2016 2:52 PM

afternoon

Ns local was waiting to go back west when I left work.Chores to do.Matt has his confirmation class early tonight. Leftovers for supper.Better get back at 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 BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 2:18 PM
What a mess. The President is here in Flint and EVERYTHING is blocked, stopped, detoured. Must be he's picking up some city water to take home.
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 5:50 PM

Nice here all day.  Had to run a couple of errands, but forgot my coupons, so groceries will have to wait for a day or two.  It's not like I'm out of food.

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, May 3, 2016 4:37 PM

evening

Ns local was in town when I leftwork.Was also able to see NS had some tonka toys working on the tracks.Soggy day tomorrow.

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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