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Chatterbox Fall-2016

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Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, November 28, 2016 5:11 PM

Rain here in Nw Ohio.Ns was clear when I left work.Got Christmas card from Lincoln Nebraska today.Time to eat.

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 Mookie on Monday, November 28, 2016 5:26 PM

JoeKoh

Rain here in Nw Ohio.Ns was clear when I left work.Got Christmas card from Lincoln Nebraska today.Time to eat.

stay safe

Joe

 

Ah-ha - I got ahead of you this year!  

Did you hear we had 5 tornado touchdowns yesterday.  Well, quiet Sunday and tv wasn't that interesting.  Did get some rain out of it, but it was all west of us - tore up some farm ground.  The price of irrigation systems and farm buildings, you don't want tornadoes around!

Ohio State - what a mess.  So senseless.  I will go out on a limb and say it probably wasn't a disgruntled Husker fan.  

Johnny - I am with you.  I won't drive any more - will keep adding claw marks to the passenger door!  I don't know how the Driver even keeps his concentration!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, November 28, 2016 7:08 PM

We received a card from Ohio today...the first of this year!

We might be late this year...haven't even begun to write the letter on a very eventful year for all four of us.

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 tree68 on Monday, November 28, 2016 7:53 PM

I've been trying to think of a picture in my collection to use for a photo card this year, but I can't come up with one, so it'll be off to Hallmark for several boxes...

My parents used to do around 100 cards every Christmas.  

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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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 Tuesday, November 29, 2016 4:23 AM

Rain dance has done his job here .  Have a 1 inch + soaker going on now.  Will send rain dancer to New England for their drought,   

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Posted by Mookie on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 8:33 AM

blue streak 1

Rain dance has done his job here .  Have a 1 inch + soaker going on now.  

 

 Maybe the nose did work....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 11:07 AM

Ours arrived from the same Matt place, same Matt day...

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 4:42 PM

evening

Looks like Ns is getting ready to put the larger crossing gate section up at the crossing at barre road.Not sure when they are going to put the new plates in the crossing.Ns was clear when I left work.Did see a crew change while I was going from on spot to another.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 Wednesday, November 30, 2016 4:39 PM

evening

Ns had a bunch of John Deere green got eastbound this morning.Had 2 frieghts pass each other when I got off work.One frieght had amtrak hopper cars on it.Ns looks like they set the form for the new signal but haven't started digging yet uptown.Cp will be running it's holiday train through  the very corner of NW Ohio,but it will be past my bedtime.

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 Thursday, December 1, 2016 11:34 AM

Winter weather has arrived. We had an excellent snowfall earlier this week--40 inches at Snowbird Summer and Ski Resort; 12 inches at the University of Utah, which is on a bench; I did not see any report of how much fell down in the valley.

Johnny

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, December 1, 2016 12:31 PM

The weather here can't seem to make up it's mind.  Snow, rain, wind, cold, mild.  And that's just in the past week.

I'm sure we'll get some more "interesting" weather soon.  The lake (Ontario) is still pretty warm - all we need is some west to northwest cold wind and it'll be a very white Christmas...

Redfield (Tug Hill) got a couple of feet worth of the white stuff last week.  Perhaps a precursor of things to come.

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 Thursday, December 1, 2016 5:32 PM

2-1/2 inchs of rain Monay , 1/2 inch Wedensday.  About 4 inches in north Georgia.  Fires are still burning in north Ga. due to exceptional dryness of underbrush but much more in control.   The Gatlinberg fire caught many residents unaware.  It is still burning in the Smoky mountain park and we hope the rain Sunday will help. 

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, December 1, 2016 5:46 PM

evening

cold here in Nw Ohio.Ns was clear when I left work.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 switch7frg on Friday, December 2, 2016 3:27 PM

Smile Tree,I have seen the weather change very quick here in the mtns.First wind (cold) then slushey snowdrops splatter on windshield, all at 33deg.at 5200 ft. then comes wind driven sleet as the temp. lowers. Not a good day  to work outside.  I feel for the night switching crew, the sleet feels like needles when it hits your face.  Stay warm and dry if you can.

 

                                               Cannonball

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, December 2, 2016 6:44 PM

evening

Ns was clear when I left work.Stopped by at church to help put up lights and decorate.Marion local will be bringing the big trophy back home.Two more games to go for that area tomorrow.Have 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 Saturday, December 3, 2016 2:39 PM

afternoon

well Minster came up short today.Will be watching for Coldwater tonight.Ns had some CN help today.Need to get stuff for tomorrow.Going to sisters house.She has the most room.

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 Monday, December 5, 2016 7:44 AM
Good morning, At about 4:30 pm sunday I decided the weather (snow) might get nasty and I needed to pull a 7 x 16, extra tall empty trailer to Flint from Elkhart. The weather reports said 3/8" snow 34 -36 degrees, I pulled out. They were wrong. It very quickly dropped to 29 - 30 degrees, the roads covered with snow and became slush or worse. By the time I got to Kalamazoo and I-94 east bound was down to 35 - 45 MPH. Not a big deal, except when you come up behind the driver that SHOULD NOT BE ON THE EXPRESSWAY, doing 15-20mph with flashers on in heavy traffic. Other then a couple of cross wind blasts on north bound I-69 that got my attention, the 3 hour trip only took 5 1/2. It pays to have been a truck driver in my past I guess. Today it's in the upper 30's and cloudy, guess I should have waited till morning.
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Posted by tree68 on Monday, December 5, 2016 4:00 PM

Bob - was travelling from Chanute AFB to the Detroit area during my USAF days when I started encountering vehicles in the ditch on the west side of MI.  The roads looked OK, but were black ice.  I got through OK, albiet much more slowly...

Almost as bad as the too-slow drivers are the "I can handle it" types who usually soon make the acquaintance of a tow truck driver.  Had four semi's go into the median, virtually nose-to-tail during our first big snow.

Only minor traction problems with Polar trips this past weekend. Just enough precip to get the rail wet enough to need some sand.

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 Electroliner 1935 on Monday, December 5, 2016 4:53 PM

tree68
Only minor traction problems with Polar trips this past weekend. Just enough precip to get the rail wet enough to need some sand.

No leaves to create problems?

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, December 5, 2016 5:20 PM

Electroliner 1935
No leaves to create problems?

Nah - that part of the season is pretty much past.  Now it's ice, snow, and just plain wet rail.  It's still a 1000 ton train, and we have some grades to deal with.

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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Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, December 5, 2016 5:49 PM

evening

well what fell yesterday is gone today.Guessers say by the weekend we'll need our mittens.Ns was clear when I left work.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").

 

  • Member since
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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Monday, December 5, 2016 6:03 PM

I had planned to sting the lights on the bushes today, the forcast had been for a high of 42 and turning cold on Wednesday, but the 6.7 in of heavy wet snow Sunday is still weighing the bushes down so its hasta mon yana for the lights.

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 4:48 PM

evening

Looks like Ns came and got some cars today uptown.Going to local Christmas concert.Santa is coming.We could use more coal for our layout.

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 Tuesday, December 6, 2016 4:52 PM

Got the animated lights up on the big tree out front.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get the lights on the arbor vitae.

Exchanged amateur radio traffic (JT65) with Russia and France today...

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
    September 2010
  • 2,515 posts
Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 5:10 PM

Today, it got above freezing, snow melted on the bush, so got the lights up. Polar invasion forcast for tomorrow. So things do work out. 

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Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 6:20 PM

Got the Wranglerdeer out and handlers ready…

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Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 6:35 PM

Johnny apparently propped the freezer door open so us to the east could get a reminder of winter with a 35 degree drop in temperature and the coldest day in 2+ years. (negative numbers the next two days)

The scottie pup (fur factory)is absolutely frisky in the cold. He should be looking at his first significant snowstorm tonight (but the weatherliars can't agree on how much as they ogle the "european model" ....) . Hung the lights on the roof a week ago with the cat stalking that "really big" squirrel wandering around on the roof.

Survived my first night of 2016 "Polar Express" duty last night. Regular, to be expected, all non-sense view of backstage operations played out. Madhouse. (Looks a lot different than Tree's vantage point from the "Polar" train cab, especially when key actors almost miss the train and the que to set events in motion. Cookies, PJ's and hot cocoa were in abundant supply at CRRM-Golden )

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 CShaveRR on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 7:11 PM

Just seeing those two adoable granddaughters of yours is proof positive that Winter hasn't arrived yet.  Wink

We got several inches of snow Sunday, and nothing since.  Warm temperatures have cleared off the roads, but we begin the inexorable plunge into the deep freeze tonight.  Next snow is scheduled for the weekend, and this one won't be as warm.  By this time next week the highs will be in the single digits.

Less than three weeks before the California contingent arrives, chemotherapy regimen permitting.  They've booked their flights, so I'm pretty sure we'll be okay.

Other than physical therapy, I'm not getting any fresh treatment for my own cancer at the moment.  In a couple of weeks, I go to the medical dungeon to be measured and tattooed for radiation treatments, which will begin in January (five days a week, 36 total treatments).

Nothing about trains to mention this time, except that I'm working on a couple sets of complicated freight car histories.  One series I saw has cars on their sixth operator now!

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 Deggesty on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 7:28 PM

mudchicken

Johnny apparently propped the freezer door open so us to the east could get a reminder of winter with a 35 degree drop in temperature and the coldest day in 2+ years. (negative numbers the next two days)

The scottie pup (fur factory)is absolutely frisky in the cold. He should be looking at his first significant snowstorm tonight (but the weatherliars can't agree on how much as they ogle the "european model" ....) . Hung the lights on the roof a week ago with the cat stalking that "really big" squirrel wandering around on the roof.

Survived my first night of 2016 "Polar Express" duty last night. Regular, to be expected, all non-sense view of backstage operations played out. Madhouse. (Looks a lot different than Tree's vantage point from the "Polar" train cab, especially when key actors almost miss the train and the que to set events in motion. Cookies, PJ's and hot cocoa were in abundant supply at CRRM-Golden )

 

I wanted to share the winter weather. It is cold here--32 or colder in the mornings; we are warned of a morning temperature about 10-12 degrees in a few days. MC, perhaps you should ask that Scottie to share some fur?

Johnny

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 10:34 PM

mudchicken
(Looks a lot different than Tree's vantage point from the "Polar" train cab, especially when key actors almost miss the train and the que to set events in motion. Cookies, PJ's and hot cocoa were in abundant supply at CRRM-Golden )

I spent last Friday on the train as the conductor of record, and Sunday as a trainman, so I do get to see the chaos first hand.  We've got most of the operation down to a science, even the cocoa and cookies for the coach passengers, a new feature this year.  In the past, only "Cocoa Class" got cocoa and cookies on the train.

But when you have over 550 people on each train, there can be those moments.  Don't recall if I mentioned that we had a proposal on the train Friday night (she accepted).  We get one of those almost every year.

Our biggest challenge operationally is getting the train back to the station just when all of the "big guys" have finished.  Some nights they are able to get through the cars quickly, some nights not...

We run with two engineers - one takes the train to the North Pole at track speed, the other takes instructions from the conductor based on progress on the train enroute back south.  Sometimes we're right down to a creep.

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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