It doesn't take any more time to write (at least semi) correctly, if you stayed awake in school.
BaltACDArguing readability! I want to be able to read and understand the thoughts a poster is making.
Agreed, 100%.
Over on FB, there was quite the discussion about whether there should be one space or two after a period. I learned two. Apparently some editors have conniptions when people use two spaces and will go through a piece and take one out.
Of course, it's a moot point when it comes to HTML (and, probably forum code) as it removes all but one space anyhow...
I also learned long ago that white space is your friend.
I think a lot of the problem today comes from the texting world in which we live, where capitalization, punctuation, and format are optional, and may be seen by some as being elitist. And if that makes me an elitist, so be it!
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...
BaltACD David Lassen Really, guys, we're going to start arguing about capitalization and sentence structure? I'm sure there are some fine spelling and grammar sites you can visit to fight about that stuff. (And there is almost no one here who is flawless enough in this regard to call anyone else out.) notarguingcapitalizationandsentancestructure. Arguing readability! I want to be able to read and understand the thoughts a poster is making.
David Lassen Really, guys, we're going to start arguing about capitalization and sentence structure? I'm sure there are some fine spelling and grammar sites you can visit to fight about that stuff. (And there is almost no one here who is flawless enough in this regard to call anyone else out.)
notarguingcapitalizationandsentancestructure.
Arguing readability! I want to be able to read and understand the thoughts a poster is making.
Johnny
I long have understood that if the various pointers Balt mentioned are followed it is much easier to follow the writer's thoughts. This philosophy was not spelled out back when I was taught, in grammar school (now called "elementary school"), but my teachers endeavored to teach how to speak and write in such a way that the recipient would know what we intended the recipent to know.
This instruction continued through high school--and into college.
So, did they ever get those track bolts back in?
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
David LassenReally, guys, we're going to start arguing about capitalization and sentence structure? I'm sure there are some fine spelling and grammar sites you can visit to fight about that stuff. (And there is almost no one here who is flawless enough in this regard to call anyone else out.)
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Really, guys, we're going to start arguing about capitalization and sentence structure? I'm sure there are some fine spelling and grammar sites you can visit to fight about that stuff. (And there is almost no one here who is flawless enough in this regard to call anyone else out.)
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
OKAY, BALT, I am a reformed "non-capitalizer".. satisfied?? so, if i write in ALL-CAPS, people say, no, it looks like you're angry.. if i write in all "little letters" you "get on me" because you dont like THAT.. so, i would say to you what "murph" said to me in another post in this thread: "MAYBE YOU COULD LEAVE WELL-ENOUGH ALONE".. so, if the advice is passed to me, could i pass it to you? do you guys accept advice as well as take it? how does it work for you?
BaltACD wrote the following post one month ago:
By the way - Capitalization, sentances and paragraphs were taught in school for a reason - to make your thoughts readable and understandable.
COTTON BELT RUNS A
Blue Streak
Murphy Siding wrote the following post one month ago:
Maybe you could just live-and-let-live.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thanks, murph.. isnt that people said about the titanic and a thousand other preventable disasters??
but, i could be wrong!
BaltACD cabforward yes, it is the QNS r.r. and im glad im too far away to ride it..
cabforward yes, it is the QNS r.r. and im glad im too far away to ride it..
yes, it is the QNS r.r. and im glad im too far away to ride it..
tree68 Hillarity generally ensues.
Hillarity generally ensues.
Indeed, between the Amtrak stuff, Bucky-bashing and now this I am getting quite the popcorn gut.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
cabforward >> SOMEONE SAID-- maybe he couldnt fix it by himself.. WHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along! >> SOMEONE SAID-- (some kind of a quote not worth remembering) people run off at the mouth who dont know anything.. WHAT I SAY-- so, what are the qualifications for posting here, to begin with? if everybody knew about r.-r.-ing, why would there be a forum? whatever happened to mutual respect and "live-and-let-live"? maybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post, and they could logon with their union id#? yes, it is the QNS r.r. and im glad im too far away to ride it..
>> SOMEONE SAID-- maybe he couldnt fix it by himself.. WHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along!
>> SOMEONE SAID-- (some kind of a quote not worth remembering) people run off at the mouth who dont know anything.. WHAT I SAY-- so, what are the qualifications for posting here, to begin with? if everybody knew about r.-r.-ing, why would there be a forum? whatever happened to mutual respect and "live-and-let-live"? maybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post, and they could logon with their union id#?
tree68 cabforward WHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along! I rarely see a track inspector who isn't alone. It's not a union issue. That's how they operate. The vast majority of the time there is nothing to be done but roll down the railroad looking for problems. Using two people to do so is a waste of money. On the outside chance the inspector does find something, he calls in a crew to deal with it, and a MOW foreman handles the crew and the access to the track. cabforward maybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post Just a hunch on my part - but it sounds to me like you have an issue with unions. As for your "zhomygosh, how can that be?" state of mind - well, the folks who do know explained it. That's what's great about this forum - there are people who know the answers and/or where to find them. The problems seem to come in when the forum encounters someone who doesn't know, but can't believe what they're reading because it doesn't square with their picture of how things should be. Hillarity generally ensues.
cabforward WHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along!
I rarely see a track inspector who isn't alone. It's not a union issue. That's how they operate. The vast majority of the time there is nothing to be done but roll down the railroad looking for problems. Using two people to do so is a waste of money.
On the outside chance the inspector does find something, he calls in a crew to deal with it, and a MOW foreman handles the crew and the access to the track.
cabforward maybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post
Just a hunch on my part - but it sounds to me like you have an issue with unions.
As for your "zhomygosh, how can that be?" state of mind - well, the folks who do know explained it. That's what's great about this forum - there are people who know the answers and/or where to find them.
The problems seem to come in when the forum encounters someone who doesn't know, but can't believe what they're reading because it doesn't square with their picture of how things should be. Hillarity generally ensues.
Now, as for me, I have been learning about railroading for the past sixty-seven and more years--and I know that I have barely touched the surface on some matters. I am glad to hear from those who know more than I do on this matter or that matter--whether it is someone whose life work is or has been railroading or someone who does not work for a railroad, yet has learned more on the topic than I have.
I appreciate the way many of you have put up with me over the years that I have been participating in these forums.
cabforwardWHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along!
cabforwardmaybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post
cabforward>> SOMEONE SAID-- maybe he couldnt fix it by himself.. WHAT I SAID EVEN BEFORE-- why didnt he take someone who could fix it to begin with? if he couldnt fix it due to union issues, bring someone along! >> SOMEONE SAID-- (some kind of a quote not worth remembering) people run off at the mouth who dont know anything.. WHAT I SAY-- so, what are the qualifications for posting here, to begin with? if everybody knew about r.-r.-ing, why would there be a forum? whatever happened to mutual respect and "live-and-let-live"? maybe you would require only actual r.r. workers with a union card to post, and they could logon with their union id#? yes, it is the QNS r.r. and im glad im too far away to ride it..
I suspect the QNSL is glad that you are not on their property either.
Trains are put over rail breaks and pull aparts under the instructions of a foreman on a daily basis.
Management does what management wants. They perform the work of unionised crafts all the time.
As said before, it's likely the guy couldn't fix it on his own.
The railway is likely the Quebec North Shore and Labrador.
This is yet another example of someone knowing nothing going off like they do know something.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
cabforwardwould it impress the public to klnow this r.r. is ignoring loose rail connections?
Ah, but they aren't ignoring such defects. The problem will be repaired as soon as a crew can get there to fix it, and traffic over the defect will take precautions in the meantime.
The railroad is not going to tolerate a "walking speed" slow order on a 60 MPH mainline for very long.
A simple pull-apart usually means that the bolts are out of one end of the joint bars. The rail is still held in position by the joint bars and the spikes or other securement devices.
Barring lateral forces, like a curve, the danger of a failure is minimal.
cabforward... the roadmaster decides that the gap between the two rail ends is not serious and "deems" the gap safe to drive over.. and so we see the engines and cars rolling over the gap between the rail ends, safe and sound..
Obviously, the roadmaster's judgement, based on his knowledge and experience, was correct.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
cabforwardabout "spicing up" a program to stimulate interest, shouldnt the r.r. have a say in the finished material? if r.r. practices are unduly "besmirched" by this material, why would they approve it? would it impress the public to klnow this r.r. is ignoring loose rail connections? and if the broken spot is safe 99/100 times, would you risk your life on the 100th trip? im truly shocked at the complacency shown in replies to this thread? what ever happened to "PUT SAFETY FIRST, MAKE IT LAST"? and "SAFETY IS YOUR JOB"? is this a clip you would choose to promote safety practices on YOUR r.r., in a 30-second commercial? what's the new slogan for north american railroads, "IT'S PROBABLY O.K., THE TEAM WILL CHECK NEXT TIME THEY'RE OUT THIS WAY"? WOULD AN INSURANCE CO. CHARGE A HIGHER PREMIUM BASED ON THE "ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES" SHOWN? O.M.G.!!
O.M.G.!!
CabF - its your railroad - you find a defect - you are one man and the rest of your employees are 100 miles away - the defect requires four men to 'properly' repair, however, the defect is SAFE for a train to move at 'walking speed' (4 MPH or less).
WHAT DO YOU DO?
about "spicing up" a program to stimulate interest, shouldnt the r.r. have a say in the finished material? if r.r. practices are unduly "besmirched" by this material, why would they approve it? would it impress the public to klnow this r.r. is ignoring loose rail connections? and if the broken spot is safe 99/100 times, would you risk your life on the 100th trip? im truly shocked at the complacency shown in replies to this thread? what ever happened to "PUT SAFETY FIRST, MAKE IT LAST"? and "SAFETY IS YOUR JOB"? is this a clip you would choose to promote safety practices on YOUR r.r., in a 30-second commercial? what's the new slogan for north american railroads, "IT'S PROBABLY O.K., THE TEAM WILL CHECK NEXT TIME THEY'RE OUT THIS WAY"? WOULD AN INSURANCE CO. CHARGE A HIGHER PREMIUM BASED ON THE "ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES" SHOWN?
>> as for the people who are responsible for maintaining the ROW, and those who are responsible for insuring that the responsible employees are doing their jobs, DOES IT MATTER?? REALLY? >> as for how many workers it takes to do the job, etc., DOES IT MATTER? WHO CARES? >> as for whether it's "union rules" or "collective bargaining" DOES IT MATTER?
would it matter to those who lose loved ones in an accident? those who insured the payload? the board of directors and stockholders who would see their investment drop like a load of coal out of a hopper? REALLY? >> to the board of inquiry who investigates these things? to the public which reads it in the media, do you think it matters to any of them? REALLY?
i find it VERY odd that you dont mention the risk to the public for such actions, only word games like "union rules" and "collective bargaining".. REALLY!
selector"...it is possible that the roadmaster COULD NOT legally make the repairs; union rules might prevent anyone other than a union employee from taking any action that would infringe upon the union's right to require a duly-authorized union employee accompany the roadmaster to the site of the flawed track and make the repairs himself, personally, without assistance from the roadmaster,..." I think you mean the collective agreement...not union rules.
I think you mean the collective agreement...not union rules.
Repairing a pull-apart is rarely a one man job. The boss is not a one man gang. He has people that he supervises to perform the work - part of the boss's responsibility is to ensure that the job is done right, not to do the job himself.
One thing to remember about Union contracts - THEY WERE AGREED TO BY THE COMPANY. The company has the same responsibility to uphold the provisions of the contract as do the union members.
"...it is possible that the roadmaster COULD NOT legally make the repairs; union rules might prevent anyone other than a union employee from taking any action that would infringe upon the union's right to require a duly-authorized union employee accompany the roadmaster to the site of the flawed track and make the repairs himself, personally, without assistance from the roadmaster,..."
Deggesty tree68 Pull-aparts are as common as can be, especially during the winter. The joint bars are usually still in place, albeit only connected on one end, and all the spikes are still in place. While it needs to be fixed, it's safe to carefully run a train across that. Fixing it, however, might not be as easy as just sticking the bolts back in. If the rails have contracted the holes may not line up. Oftimes the cure is to burn a kerosene soaked rope along the sides of the rail to expand it until the holes do line up. I rather doubt that every roadmaster carries such a rope in his pocket--so he has to call for help.
tree68 Pull-aparts are as common as can be, especially during the winter. The joint bars are usually still in place, albeit only connected on one end, and all the spikes are still in place. While it needs to be fixed, it's safe to carefully run a train across that. Fixing it, however, might not be as easy as just sticking the bolts back in. If the rails have contracted the holes may not line up. Oftimes the cure is to burn a kerosene soaked rope along the sides of the rail to expand it until the holes do line up.
Pull-aparts are as common as can be, especially during the winter. The joint bars are usually still in place, albeit only connected on one end, and all the spikes are still in place.
While it needs to be fixed, it's safe to carefully run a train across that.
Fixing it, however, might not be as easy as just sticking the bolts back in. If the rails have contracted the holes may not line up. Oftimes the cure is to burn a kerosene soaked rope along the sides of the rail to expand it until the holes do line up.
I rather doubt that every roadmaster carries such a rope in his pocket--so he has to call for help.
He may not carry one in his pocket, however, if his hi-rail truck doesn't have some, he has not properly stocked his hi-rail vehicle. All MofW truck should have such material on hand, especially during the Fall and early Winter when large temperature changes find all the weak rail joints.
http://www.railpictures.net/showimage.php?id=347253&key=8806109
DeggestyI rather doubt that every roadmaster carries such a rope in his pocket--so he has to call for help.
"Harry - are you wearing cologne?"
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