I forgot to menti0on an interesting maneuver that took place yesterday after we left Glenwood Springs: we stopped after passing the east wye switch at Dotsero, backed past the west wye switch--and then took off as though nothing unusual had taken place. I did not have an opportunity to ask anyone why.
Today, we were passed by a coal train on Balt's former road, and I noticed some of the reporting marks --DHPX (the sucessor to Duke Power Company?) GGPX (Georgia Power Company?), and TILX. The train passed us, and we passed it and left it behind.
Coming out of Washington, headed for Charlottesville, we stopped (at Virginia, I think) while a CSX train went on south. after a while, an Amtrak train came north--and then we went south, passing the CSX train.
I was quite annoyed in the Washington station this afternoon; I was unable to et on line while in the Acela Lounge, so I waited until I was in my hotel room inn Charlottesville. I had no trouble at all in Chicago yeserday (last fall, I was unable to get on line in either place.)
Johnny
Per chance, is that big fire on the Atlanta Freeway bridge caused by CSX or MARTA playing with matches under the bridge.???
Lotsa talk about fire under the I-85 bridge, but nothing on the source. What's burning and was it on steel wheels.??? (Or did the rubber tired bubbas do it?) An awful lot of fuel was spent.
EDIT - UPdate: Sounds like MARTA stored combustible plastic electrical conduit under the bridge. There's a reason why ya don't do dat.... If that was GDOT storing combustibles under there, shame on them for torching their own bridge.
afternoon
Ran errands this morning.Csx dispatcher was having signal problems at Indo(near St.Joe Indiana).Raining on and off.Went to give hugs this afternoon.The church was near work.Ns had a coal train in the siding and loads for uptown.Chores to finish up here at home.
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").
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the shutdown of the NYO&W.
Hi, Johnny!The backing in may have been caused by the derailment outside Union Station a coule of days ago. It looks like it occurred over a good deal of the western half of the plant, and may have precluded your going directly in off the BNSF. I couldn't tell you what our train did, as we got off at Naperville, saving ourselves an hour or more in getting home (our next-door neighbor picked us up).
UPY is the normal reporting mark for locomotives in yard service on the UP. Interesting that so many of them would be in storage, to the exclusion of others.
"Tight" is an understatement in a roomette. Pat was a bit claustrophobic in the upper berth, so that was where I was. No window up there...it was totally miraculous that I got up for La Junta and Mudchicken's visit. I think we'll be coach travelers from now on...Pat looked at our credit-card statement, which was the first she realized how much the roomette cost, and the bedroom would have been 'way more than that.We did enjoy some of the first-class amenities, like the complimentary meals (including a reasonable choice for the unscheduled dinner on the way home) and the Metropolitan Lounge at Los Angeles (good Internet there, too, and a ride right to the door of the car next to ours with our baggage, without having to go back into the concourse and the tunnel). Our attendants (a regular and a trainee) did a great job, including leaving the upper berth down at our request during the full day we were on the road.I'm still hard at work documenting the freight-car sightings I got on the return trip. We had daylight through Topeka and Argentine (KC), which helped in that regard. Often I don't know just how good my sightings are until I can check them out, and that's been true in spades this time!
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)
BNsf has let the warbonnets red paint fade to pink.Instructor said Matt did a good job today.Hoping Mamma gets back soon.Paper police reports say too many cars in our area have their deer finders on.While running errands in town we saw a weed sprayer truck go on the ND&W.He was allowed to go all the way to Napoleon.Hopefully they didn't get stuck in the swamp.
I left the Crossroads of the West yesterday morning on # 6--about an hour late, and arrived in Chicago this afternoon five minutes early--we would have arrived fiteen-twenty minutes early if we had not had to wait to be lined up to back in--this seems to be the standard procedure now. Carl, were you and Pat backed in when you returned? Instead of being more than two hours late as we were when I arrived on #22/422 last fall (over the former C&EI; dinner at nine CT)), I was able to get a decent dinner time tonight.
Yesterday, I saw somethingin Grand Junction that I did not recall seeing before: the stored engines all had "UPY" with the engine numbers on them. I did not notice such in Denver--but I saw a ATSF engine in pink paint there. Coming into Chicago this afternoon, I saw several VRE cars in the caoch yard.
Altogether, it is a good trip so far, even though I had to ask my attendant to turn my mattress around (in room C) so I could sleepwith my right sight out--and I will make the same request tongiht, since I will be room E (A,C,&E are all like that; B&D fit me right well) to Washington
I will go down to Charlottesville, Va. tomorrow, and then down to Bristol, Tenn., by Dog on Friday. Saturday will be college reunion time.
Carl, I fear that we will not be able to link up since I will arrive back in Chicago Sunday morning, 9 April, and leave that evening. How was it in a roomette? I ate breakfast and lunch today with a couple from Racine who also had a roomette. They agreed that it is tight in the room.
Last fall, I was unable to get on line in the first class lounges in both Washington and Chicago; I had no trouble this afternoon.
Much needed rain in Lawrence, KS overnight and today - 3 plus inches. Farmers and ranchers with the prized blue stem grass in much better mood now.
Lotsa rain and snizzle, snow coming Friday night. Anybody with a yard with something that still can grow is relieved. On the other hand, Uncle Pete seems snakebit with a bunch of small incidents popping up; many not of their own creation.
Spring seems to be here. Good syruping weather, with the occasional threat of wintry weather, but nothing significant. This morning dawned to clear skies, if a bit chilly.
Lots of projects - better get to work.
Larry 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...
good morning
Driver goes with the driver's ed instructor the next few days.Chores to do around here.Cool but sunshine today.We'll take it.
Morning
Driver and I went to Fostoria and Marion yesterday.Our friend is being qualified to run on the local on the C&O.CSX would like to run stone trains from Carey to Collingwood(Cleveland) without changing crews.We saw our buddy at "Onion" and coming into the quarry too.In Marion we saw the locals running and helping other trains.Ns had a monster frieght go north with DPU's on the back.Went back to Fostoria and saw an Ns L 70 local come back long hood forward.Went to supper with our friend.No more early quits for those at CSX.Today going to let my driver sleep in day.
Took a road trip down to Oswego and the local railroad museum. It's a modest affair. This weekend's event commemorates the last day of the New York, Ontario and Western (variously the O&W, Old and Weary, and Old Woman, among others) sixty years ago.
Helped the club president (a friend) answering a few guest's questions. Always glad to do what I can...
evening
We worked outside this morning.Cleaned out the shed,put away the snow gear and trimmed some weeds and trees out back.Neighbor says he'd keep his shovel out just in case we need it.My driver then wanted to follow CSX west.They have been working on track and ballast west of Defiance.While at the state line my scanner picked up the NS local asking to leave SDI and go pick up some cars in Grabill Indiana before coming back to Ft Wayne.(New Haven).So we followed Indiana road 1 and caught the train at Spencerville.He decided to block Grabil while getting his cars so we drove on to the yard.While waiting we spotted so interesting cars and a high hood working too.They had 3 cabeese lined up on one track in the yard.A big frieght came off the wabash onto the nkp line so we decided to follow that and come home.Rain and fog for tomorrow.Stacey must have missed us.She just brought in cookies and milk.
Nice warm up and windy today.Ns had some loads for uptown.Going into town as soon as Matt gets home to enjoy the weather.We are on spring break now.Going to see what csx has to run by.
mudchicken Springtime In The Rockies: Just got home ahead of the combination red flag warning/ blizzard warning. (and I had hoped our intrepid travellers would beat me home. Apparently not. What the heck bit #4 now?) Howling wind has critters pacing.
Springtime In The Rockies:
Just got home ahead of the combination red flag warning/ blizzard warning. (and I had hoped our intrepid travellers would beat me home. Apparently not. What the heck bit #4 now?)
Howling wind has critters pacing.
JoeKohAlso found out that we will need to give hugs as well.
Joe: I found out today that we will need 2 here. One local and one in CO. And the sun just came out! Maybe it is going to be a pleasant day after all.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
well one team from Fulton county Ohio(Wauseon) has made the state finals in Basketball.They will probably meet Lebron's former team in the championship.Another team(Archbold) will try their luck tomorrow to get in the finals.Ns had a tie train in the siding near the uptown siding when I left work.Glad tomorrow is Friday.Also found out that we will need to give hugs as well.
Well CSX had a Loram shoulder ballast cleaner working around here. It was actually cleaning the local siding. Due to a lot of mud under sections the unit made at least 4 passes over one section each pass produced more fines and mud & dirt. Now the unit is doing the main probably due to siding rail lower ?
The unit was LMIX 442 consisting of two cleaning wheels on each side and two shakers. Counted at least 32 different operating accessories each with one to 6 different function observed.
Several interesing features. When backing up the horn and lights were controlled from the front. The modified rear car was marked plate "C" tofc car with cleaner's rear control compartment built into what appears to be a modified 40 foot container with the section back of engineer's compartment a tool shed.
CARL: As an interest to you the side dump car in the consist was CSXT 995334 build date 11-76. The car was highly modified for many different types of MU cable connections. Most fines were dumped on side of ROW.
mudchickenLuck? - Where???? Extra BNSF4641 East became Amtrak #4/Extra ATK2 East again at La Junta and it was immediately having air issues again.
Bad luck is luck, isn't it? Now showing 8.5 hours late and not even to Topeka yet. Liked the "I think I can" reference; it seems appropriate at this point. The word 'snakebit' comes to mind.
ChuckCobleigh mudchicken Watch the platform at LJ Carl. - BossH and Duncan won't be along now, but I'm gonna still probably be around. Amthrax would have to go croak out in Ya-te-he country. Midnight oil? SWC now showing 5.6 hours late coming into Trinidad, looking like 1 am at LJ. Carl sure has had the Amtrak luck on this trip!
mudchicken Watch the platform at LJ Carl. - BossH and Duncan won't be along now, but I'm gonna still probably be around. Amthrax would have to go croak out in Ya-te-he country.
Watch the platform at LJ Carl. - BossH and Duncan won't be along now, but I'm gonna still probably be around. Amthrax would have to go croak out in Ya-te-he country.
Midnight oil? SWC now showing 5.6 hours late coming into Trinidad, looking like 1 am at LJ. Carl sure has had the Amtrak luck on this trip!
Our intrepid travellers are now the pilot episode of "Little Train on the Prairie"... as they wander thru Ingalls, KS. as I type. If the second locomotive can't handle the strain...
I think I can ... I think I can ... I think I can.
Indeed - between +3F and +7F depending on which thermometer I looked at this morning (they're all in different locations), with several below zero reports on this morning's local amateur radio net.
I'm OK with snow and cold - during the winter. Time to get started on spring. Fortunately, the NWS synopsis for us shows things getting better through the weekend and into next week.
OTOH, cold at night and warmer during the day is great for the maple syrup folks...
Ns was clear when I left work.Cool but nice sunshine.Chores to do.
joe
We apparently didn't get rid of the gremlins that have accompanied us on our last two Amtrak trips--we're currently four hours late and losing time.At Fullerton, we stopped just shy of the boarding area (our sleeper had a great view of the Union Pacific Spaghetti Factory). While we were there, an Amtrak police officer was walking the platform. By the time we got out of Fullerton, we were already a half hour late, and it was dark by the time we got to Riverside.Good news at this point: the rainy skies along the coast gave way to bright starlight for the ascent of Cajon Pass...I fell asleep at about Barstow. A little later I was awakened by silence and a lack of motion. We were stopped between Needles and Kingman, on the Arizona side. Several trains went past us while we were there; I couldn't tell which way they were going, as they were on the other side (biggest disadvantage of the roomette so far is that we can't see out of both sides of the train at once). We stayed in the same spot for well over an hour. I was asleep when we went through Kingman.But I woke up again when we were once again stopped in the middle of nowhere. This time the view was outside our window...we were on a third track, and the two main tracks were occupied by trains much of the time... two overtook us and two met us in the hour we sat there.After we passed Williams, we saw track work--apparently only one track in service in that area (looked like not only tie replacement, but also some serious grading was taking place). I also noticeed that our train was now headed by a BNSF unit. This would explain the jolt I felt when we were on our second long stop.So, with a non-Amtrak unit on the point, we're limited to 60 m.p.h. (instead of 79 in non-ATS territory and 90 in ATS, I think). MC, I think we'll be in La Junta a little past your bedtime...Linda says that Linus misses us, and wants to go to Chicago.So do we, kid...
Ok, I give up. It's 19 degrees at 6am in this tropical paradise, aka FLINT, Mi. We get a balmy 30 degrees for a high today, and 60 deg. on Friday. Then back to the upper 40's on Sunday. Mother Nature must be ticked off about something.
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