Trains.com

Chatterbox Spring 2018

23444 views
382 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Monday, April 2, 2018 5:25 PM

 

Johnny is within 10 minutes of being on-time to Denver (in at 6:38pm and out at 7:10p), but I just got handed a new headache. (Company safety officer in town) ... May have to catch him in the morning coming back thru.

They could put a sail on that thing and the wind could push him all the way to Lincoln. (35-60 MPH winds today) ... no tacking for sail-trains allowed.

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
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Monday, April 2, 2018 7:07 PM

I'm sorry, I do not know why I said I would be going through Lincoln Tuesday; I am not leaving here until Tuesday morning, so I will be through Lincoln Wednesday Morning.

MC, you will have another opportunity to wave at me. If I am through with dinner (first call), I may even step off (but not go into the station).

Johnny

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Monday, April 2, 2018 7:11 PM

If I lose my charge early enough on Tuesday, I'll go that way.

 

(EDIT) properly disposed of my charge and Johnny be on-time out of Glenwood Springs (city of Falling Bridges) ... hope JD is watching the platform at Denver.

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
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,319 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 4:06 PM

evening

Work not so busy today.Ns sent a westbound stack train when I left work.Took Matt to do errands in town.Csx ran an eastbound stack train.More rain then maybe flurries 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").

 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 4:16 PM

JoeKoh
More rain then maybe flurries tomorrow???

Deshler looked pretty nasty on the railcams.  We're up for high winds tomorrow, and NWS looks pretty serious about this one.

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
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 8:40 PM

Note to self:  Changing the brake pads on a nine year old truck with 180,000 miles on it is never as easy as it ought to be....

Maybe in a few days I'll try the other side...

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
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 9:02 PM

Who was that masked man leaving silver bullets for 632-D?

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
  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 11:20 PM

Keeping a low profile during this yucky weather.  We may wake up to snowy lawns and wet roads tomorrow.  

Today was another Train-spotting Tuesday at the Peck House Museum in Lombard.  Thanks to the weather and kids in school, etc., we still haven't had any takers (last Tuesday, when we were on Spring Break, might have been good, but alas, it was not one of the weeks).  It didn't stop the railroad from running some good trains through town:  only 11 trains in three hours--it slowed considerably after the first four came through in 23 minutes!

Before the Museum duty, Pat and I dined in Elmhurst, during which time a couple of eastbound manifests hit town (Pat actually predicted one using the signals as we came into town...she's getting better!).  As usual, I didn't think my sightings would amount to much, but as usual, I am surprised at the good stuff I got--build dates that were needed, a series or two that were bigger than we thought, and a series of 225 2017-built covered hoppers that nobody has reported yet.  We've also caught a major transfer of equipment from Wells Fargo to CAI Rail.  A couple of dozen covered hoppers freshly relettered CAIX from NAHX, ACFX, and probably other reporting marks came through in a block...and looking these up has led to some intriguing back stories.  And finding a series of 100 Centerbeam flat cars on the Laurinburg & Southern (surrounded by box cars in its numbering system) has led to the discovery of what may be hundreds of ex-CN cars going to a CGLX series.  I hadn't known about the Centerbeams going to a CGLX group before, so this is a double-whammy to my files.

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)

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 5:26 AM

mudchicken

They could put a sail on that thing and the wind could push him all the way to Lincoln. (35-60 MPH winds today) ... no tacking for sail-trains allowed.

 
But running before the wind would allow you to jibe . 
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 5:38 AM

NS is doing headers here in Georgia with big trucks.  Several in past few days.

  • Member since
    October 2014
  • From: Flint or Grand Rapids, Mi or Elkhart, It Depends on the day
  • 573 posts
Posted by BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 6:44 AM

[quote user="tree68"]

Note to self:  Changing the brake pads on a nine year old truck with 180,000 miles on it is never as easy as it ought to be....

Maybe in a few days I'll try the other side...

 

Tree,

In 2012 it took me 7 +/- hours to replace the front rotors and breaks on my 2006 chevy 2500HD.  Dealer wanted $350. to do it so I did it myself.  Had to buy a 3/4" breaker bar and put a 4' pipe on the end of it. Along with the parts and a couple over tools, I spent $370.

Tags: Tree
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 7:10 AM

5 degrees this morning. Mother nature wants to make sure we know who is in charge.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 7:29 AM

Not too bad this morning.  Just a little bit of ice on the sidewalk but still a lot of bare spots.  Some snow fell in the north suburbs but nothing by us.  Train even got into CUS a few minutes early.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 7:56 AM

BOB WITHORN
...so I did it myself. 

Mine would have been easy, but when it came time to compress the piston, it wouldn't budge - which is why the one pad was down to bare metal.  A friend picked up a replacement, but it didn't look right, so he took it back, only to discover that it was the entire brake assembly, not just the cylinder.  I should have known that - duh!

It took heat to get the outside portion of the frame off (they apparently use LocTite on it), only to find that the bolts wouldn't thread into the new piece...

But, it's all back together, and working.

The other side should be OK, but I'll change them out soon, so they match.

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
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 11:12 AM

tree68
 
BOB WITHORN
...so I did it myself.  

Mine would have been easy, but when it came time to compress the piston, it wouldn't budge - which is why the one pad was down to bare metal.  A friend picked up a replacement, but it didn't look right, so he took it back, only to discover that it was the entire brake assembly, not just the cylinder.  I should have known that - duh!

It took heat to get the outside portion of the frame off (they apparently use LocTite on it), only to find that the bolts wouldn't thread into the new piece...

But, it's all back together, and working.

The other side should be OK, but I'll change them out soon, so they match.

Rust is natures loctite - it is much stronger than loctite.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 1:28 PM

BaltACD
Rust is natures loctite - it is much stronger than loctite.

A phenomenon I am all too familiar with...

There was LocTite on these bolts, however.

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
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 3:06 PM

I don't know; I found no silver bullets when I got back to my room after dinner.

I went to the diner at 5:00, thinking that I would be through and back by the time we got into the station. I did not know that the steer had to be slaughtered beforeI could get my streak. The steak tasted just it should--and needed np sauce.

We arived in Chicago 29 minutes early; it would ha e been earlier if wehad not had to wait for a line into a track.

Off to washington tonight--back through Chicago a week fromthis Friday.

Johnny

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 4:34 PM

tree68
 
BaltACD
Rust is natures loctite - it is much stronger than loctite. 

A phenomenon I am all too familiar with...

There was LocTite on these bolts, however.

Blue or Red?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Defiance Ohio
  • 13,319 posts
Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 4:42 PM

evening

Ns had a local uptown when I left work.Csx sent some trains by while I got the oil changed in my truck.Mother nature is sure breezy.Not going to warm up anytime soon.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").

 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 4:48 PM

BaltACD
Blue or Red?

Blue...

 

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
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 5:44 PM

tree68
 
BaltACD
Blue or Red?
 
Blue...

Blue 'should' come apart without undue effort.  Red generally requires heat in addition to a real amount of effort.  Of course blue + rust is its own animal.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 7:10 PM

BaltACD
Blue 'should' come apart without undue effort.  Red generally requires heat in addition to a real amount of effort.  Of course blue + rust is its own animal.

I was able to get enough torque on one of the two without heat.  The other wasn't gonna give up that easy.

On other topics - wind gusts as high as 44MPH here at the house today, and 51MPH at the fire station (not that far away, but I'm more lower and more protected at the house).   Many tree/wires down (and continuing to be reported).  By far the worst was the Amish sugar shack that collapsed, killing one of the occupants.  A barn with animals in it also collapsed.

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
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 7:13 PM

OK Johnny, the "bullet" was disguised as a Blue/White/Green biz card that I (hint) handed you whilst you were on the phone.

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
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Burlington, WI
  • 1,418 posts
Posted by rvos1979 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 9:21 PM

You would think grease in a fifth wheel would be a good thing, but apparently it's a bad thing........

After 74,000 miles of fifth wheel grease and road grime, mine decided to jam up Sunday morning. Wouldn't fully lock, and couldn't release it. Spent two days in a spare truck while the local truck shop disassembled and cleaned the fifth wheel, it now works like new. Guess I'll have to start spraying the mechanism down with diesel fuel about once a month from now on..........

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

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 5, 2018 7:42 AM

rvos1979
You would think grease in a fifth wheel would be a good thing, but apparently it's a bad thing........

I found that with the tailgate on my truck...

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
    October 2014
  • From: Flint or Grand Rapids, Mi or Elkhart, It Depends on the day
  • 573 posts
Posted by BOB WITHORN on Thursday, April 5, 2018 8:03 AM

rvos1979 wrote the following:

You would think grease in a fifth wheel would be a good thing....

That's what I thought and always used on our trucks.  Just got out the trusty grease gun, cranked up the trailer and pumped in the grease??  Did screw up once and didn't have the trailer low enough before before backing in, kind of put the king pin in no-mans land, took awile to separate the two.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, April 5, 2018 9:42 AM

Returned to MD after 3 months in FL.  Sometime during the Winter power went out in MD.  Furnace didn't refire after the power was restored.  $900 in plumbers bills later the leaks caused by the freeze have been fixed.  Found a leaking hose to the washing machine and replaced it, only to find out that somewhere in the machine itself something froze up and broke it's container.  Guess I'll have to buy a new washer.

At least I haven't had to pick up a snow shovel!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Thursday, April 5, 2018 9:57 AM

BaltACD
At least I haven't had to pick up a snow shovel!

Why did you say that?  Now I better go get more gas for the snowblower.

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

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Cordes Jct Ariz.
  • 1,305 posts
Posted by switch7frg on Thursday, April 5, 2018 10:22 AM

Big Smile Bob that sounds a clever stunt my old pal "Pin Jumper" did , hence his nickname came to be.

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 5, 2018 12:52 PM

zugmann

 

 
BaltACD
At least I haven't had to pick up a snow shovel!

 

Why did you say that?  Now I better go get more gas for the snowblower. 

Central NY got measurable snow last night.  We lucked out and had to settle for wind damage.  I hear there's another system headed this way...

 

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...

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy