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Chatterbox Spring 2018

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Posted by diningcar on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 4:51 PM

No ....

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Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 4:45 AM

good morning

Had a good time at sisters last night.Matt helped cousin with his homework.Brothers were dealing with some "BIG" numbers too.Today going to the zoo.Might see something on the Wabash in Toledo.The might leave me with the monkeys.Need to get ready to go.

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, April 11, 2018 5:49 AM

One year I bought a T-shirt from Hinckley Ohio.It was pink and for breast cancer awareness.I'll ask if he still has it today.

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, April 11, 2018 6:11 AM
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Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 6:06 PM

Amused to hear on the radio today a commercial from Uncle Pete trying to hire freight train operating crew fodder in the "Denver area" and claiming $60K/yr.

Wonder how many apply, how many are eliminated by drug tests/ background tests/ lack of smarts. Then, if they get that far, where do they get moved to?

Joe: radio station back there to the east of you still has a buzzard as a mascot?

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 JoeKoh on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 8:19 PM

evening

MC not sure about the mascot.Brother still has the T-shirt.Passing the screenings yeah employers are having that problem here too.Plus if the people just show up for the interviews.Had a good time at the Zoo.Mother Nature decided to let the sun shine this afternoon after snow showers in the morning.Saw 1 CSX eastbound as I went to my sisters.Didn't see anything on Ns.Back to work 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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Posted by Mookie on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 10:00 PM

mudchicken
Amused to hear on the radio today a commercial from Uncle Pete trying to hire freight train operating crew fodder in the "Denver area" and claiming $60K/yr. Wonder how many apply, how many are eliminated by drug tests/ background tests/ lack of smarts. Then, if they get that far, where do they get moved to?

  Sir C - send them to Omaha.  We aren't the most expensive place to live; life is a little, (not much) but a little slower here; and if you don't need a Castle on 5 acres, a fleet of cars and cell phones - you could live a comfortable life on $60K/year.  

I could pass the many tests, but don't want to give up my SS to work for UP.  BNSF - maybe....

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 10:35 PM

Aaaaand, our neighbors north of the border (less than 20 miles by air) have an ice storm in their forecast.  Maybe it won't get through customs...

Easily the strangest spring we've had in a long while.

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 11:05 PM

We are sending down warm weather all next week, BUT, if you do not give us back the Stanley Cup then more winter for you! 

Except for the Vegas Golden Knights...they're ok, exempt. 

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, April 12, 2018 2:16 AM

Mookie
Sir C - send them to Omaha. We aren't the most expensive place to live; life is a little, (not much) but a little slower here; and if you don't need a Castle on 5 acres, a fleet of cars and cell phones - you could live a comfortable life on $60K/year.

   And you have a great public radio station, KVNO, 90.7.   Over 25 years ago, when getting ready for work, I used to have my choice of stations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Biloxi for classical music and one in New Orleans for jazz, but all were rather on the fringe for reception.   One morning weather, sun spots and ether  made all of them completely dead, but suddenly classical music came in loud and strong.   It was all the way from Omaha.   The same thing happened the next morning.   I remembered this and a couple of years ago I searched for it and have been listening on line fairly often.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 12, 2018 2:56 AM

Paul:  I like a little classical, but I am more a KGOR listener (Omaha).  But my Driver (husband) loves it.  I will tell him about KVNO.  He will love it.  

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, April 12, 2018 7:37 AM

Miningman

We are sending down warm weather all next week, BUT, if you do not give us back the Stanley Cup then more winter for you! 

Except for the Vegas Golden Knights...they're ok, exempt. 

 
Looks like we'll be stuck with nasty weather.  Only two of the sixteen teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs (Winnipeg and Toronto) are from north of the border.
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 Murphy Siding on Thursday, April 12, 2018 7:48 AM

tree68

Aaaaand, our neighbors north of the border (less than 20 miles by air) have an ice storm in their forecast.  Maybe it won't get through customs...

Easily the strangest spring we've had in a long while.

 

     This week’s blizzard of the century has been postponed until Saturday. Weather dorks are screaming up to anywhere from 2 to 18 inches of snow OR MORE!!!! possible. Surprise

     When and why did it become acceptable for TV and radio weather forecasters to throw away all hints of reliability and turn into the village idiots doing impressions of Chicken Little? SighThe other morning, one of the weather dorks was discussing the possible snow accumulations in the different parts of the city- a city that is about 10 miles by 10 miles.Dunce

     I know......Ashamed Hey! You kids! Get off my lawn! Grumpy

 

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, April 12, 2018 8:08 AM

Murphy Siding
 
tree68

Aaaaand, our neighbors north of the border (less than 20 miles by air) have an ice storm in their forecast.  Maybe it won't get through customs...

Easily the strangest spring we've had in a long while. 

     This week’s blizzard of the century has been postponed until Saturday. Weather dorks are screaming up to anywhere from 2 to 18 inches of snow OR MORE!!!! possible. Surprise

     When and why did it become acceptable for TV and radio weather forecasters to throw away all hints of reliability and turn into the village idiots doing impressions of Chicken Little? SighThe other morning, one of the weather dorks was discussing the possible snow accumulations in the different parts of the city- a city that is about 10 miles by 10 miles.Dunce

     I know......Ashamed Hey! You kids! Get off my lawn! Grumpy


Fear Sells!

The Weather Channel lost all creditability once their parent NBC started calling the shots.  TWC is now a entertainment channel with a hint of weather.  Forecasts of Hurricanes and Blizzards draw ratings - real day to day weather doesn't.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 12, 2018 11:53 AM

BaltACD
The Weather Channel lost all creditability once their parent NBC started calling the shots.  TWC is now a entertainment channel with a hint of weather.  Forecasts of Hurricanes and Blizzards draw ratings - real day to day weather doesn't.

I used to turn the cable box to TWC before shutting the TV off.  Now the cable box times out anyhow, and I don't think I've watched TWC in months.  Especially once the "reality" shows started to outnumber actual weather coverage.

There are enough tools on-line now to allow me to see what's going on, and to gauge a feel for what's coming up.  And I have a home weather station to tell me what's going on here.

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, April 12, 2018 12:12 PM

Johnny is bringing back with him on #5. Find Johnny on the train and the cold front will be with him all the way back to Utah.

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 Mookie on Thursday, April 12, 2018 2:10 PM

tree68
There are enough tools on-line now to allow me to see what's going on, and to gauge a feel for what's coming up.  And I have a home weather station to tell me what's going on here.

  Thumbs Up +1 and I have a weather rock....100% accurate!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, April 12, 2018 4:19 PM

Mookie
 
tree68
There are enough tools on-line now to allow me to see what's going on, and to gauge a feel for what's coming up.  And I have a home weather station to tell me what's going on here.

 

  Thumbs Up +1 and I have a weather rock....100% accurate!

 

 

     Is it blizzarding on your rock yet? 

      A school track meet near here scheduled for tonight was cancelled due to weather- the weather that's supposed to arrive late tomorrow afternoon! Dumb, dumb, dumb.Dunce

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, April 12, 2018 4:30 PM

evening

Well that must be the dose of reality that comes back this weekend for us.Sunshine is nice but the guessers say next week will start in the 40's.Ns had an eastbound BNSF lead coal train when I left work.Saw 3 csx trains as I was running errands in Defiance.Glad tomorrow is Friday.Buzzard should be in the Mercer county area tonight then back to Dayton.Chores to do 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").

 

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Posted by jeffhergert on Thursday, April 12, 2018 5:34 PM

mudchicken

Amused to hear on the radio today a commercial from Uncle Pete trying to hire freight train operating crew fodder in the "Denver area" and claiming $60K/yr.

Wonder how many apply, how many are eliminated by drug tests/ background tests/ lack of smarts. Then, if they get that far, where do they get moved to?

Joe: radio station back there to the east of you still has a buzzard as a mascot?

 

UP has increased the hiring bonus to $20 thousand in some areas.  Still not many takers in some places.  We're starting to lose people with 10 or more years of service. 

Maybe it's what they want.  They'll say they will have to go to one person crews because they can't hire or retain enough for two person crews.

Jeff   

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Posted by zardoz on Thursday, April 12, 2018 8:50 PM

jeffhergert

 

 
mudchicken

Amused to hear on the radio today a commercial from Uncle Pete trying to hire freight train operating crew fodder in the "Denver area" and claiming $60K/yr.

Wonder how many apply, how many are eliminated by drug tests/ background tests/ lack of smarts. Then, if they get that far, where do they get moved to?

Joe: radio station back there to the east of you still has a buzzard as a mascot?

 

 

 

UP has increased the hiring bonus to $20 thousand in some areas.  Still not many takers in some places.  We're starting to lose people with 10 or more years of service. 

Maybe it's what they want.  They'll say they will have to go to one person crews because they can't hire or retain enough for two person crews.

Jeff   

 

And just imagine the quality of those one-crew wonders.  Maybe it's time to move further from the tracks.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the day (geez I dislike using that type of terminology) the rails I worked with were mostly dedicated and willing to "go the extra mile" if needed to get the work done. Safety was a priority, but so was having fun (when possible). Sure, many of them complained every day, yet they kept coming back; complaining was just part of the shtick.

There was a sense of pride in the quality of one's work. If as an Engineer you broke lots of knuckles, you were derided; if as a Conductor you coupled tracks so hard that you knocked the engine crew to the floor, you were derided. But as management continued to berate crews for extremely diminutive rule infractions (such as not crossing tracks exactly perpindicular to the rails), the attitudes began to change - and not for the better.

These days, the railroad employees I've been in contact with (I hesitite to call them "rails" because I use that as a term of respect) do not see the job as anything special, other than it beats flipping burgers.

Of course, this is a generalization, and I would guess that there are a few good men and women still working for the railroad...just not too many.

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, April 13, 2018 2:11 AM

jeffhergert
UP has increased the hiring bonus to $20 thousand in some areas. Still not many takers in some places. We're starting to lose people with 10 or more years of service.

Hmmm.  20 thousand?   Tempting at times.  Our outfit has completely reworked all the jobs.  It's currently a freaking mess.  All the yard crews making tons of OT, crews doing all sorts of oddball stuff.  Maybe it'll eventually work out.  But the old way wasn't really broken.  Customers got serviced regularly, many jobs didn't make much OT.  Now?  Just sit back and watch the fun.  The hours are long, but the pay is lucrative.

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 Deggesty on Friday, April 13, 2018 10:59 AM

mudchicken

Johnny is bringing back with him on #5. Find Johnny on the train and the cold front will be with him all the way back to Utah.

 

Yes. I am sitting in the lounge in Chicago right now. Yesterday morning, in Wilmington, Delaware, and yeseterday afternoon in Bedlam on the Potomac, the weather was comfortable. When I stepped off the successor to Balt's Pride this morning, it was quite chilly here.

It was nice to again ride between the train and the lounge here. I understand that the power carts in Washington have given up the ghost, and stripped-down wheelchairs are now provided for the aged and infirm. It can be a long walk--and if you are using a walker, you have to look out for the valleys (not quite gullys) in the walkway.

 

Johnny

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, April 13, 2018 4:41 PM

evening

Ns was clear when I left work.Had errands to run in Defiance.I heard CSX running but I just saw 1 westbound stack train.Mother nature is going to fill the swamp this weekend.Friend said he found something for me.He will be coming over in a bit.I'll just say our house has the lived in look.Projects to work on.

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 mudchicken on Friday, April 13, 2018 5:49 PM

Johnny must be on his way - 6" of very wet snow overnight melted by noon. Starting to snow here again, sideways (2" of wet white coating on the windward side of signs and buildings), I-70 and I-76 closed east of town to the Colorado border, blizzard conditions... Not much snow, but the wind!

Had one of those religious historical moments today - Handled the original February 1871 field book of J. R. deRemer for the D&RG line between Denver and Colorado Springs - before the line was built. Notes were nothing short of impressive, given the surveying technology of the time. Awesome!

 

COWABUNGA!

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 tree68 on Friday, April 13, 2018 5:56 PM

Cool on the book, MC.  

They're talking some ice here, and people are taking it seriously.  Think I'll run down and get some gas for the generator...

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 Friday, April 13, 2018 7:59 PM

Posted on another site that UP offering hiring bonus to any furloughed CSX T&E person for Houston area.  Any truth ?

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Posted by rvos1979 on Saturday, April 14, 2018 3:59 PM

zugmann
jeffhergert
UP has increased the hiring bonus to $20 thousand in some areas. Still not many takers in some places. We're starting to lose people with 10 or more years of service.

Hmmm.  20 thousand?   Tempting at times.  Our outfit has completely reworked all the jobs.  It's currently a freaking mess.  All the yard crews making tons of OT, crews doing all sorts of oddball stuff.  Maybe it'll eventually work out.  But the old way wasn't really broken.  Customers got serviced regularly, many jobs didn't make much OT.  Now?  Just sit back and watch the fun.  The hours are long, but the pay is lucrative.

Trucking industry isn't much better, customers are having a hard time moving loads now that the new electronic log regulations are in effect. Seen quite a few new drivers out here who have a hard time speaking english, if they can at all. And you don't have to look far to find the results of poor decision making, lots of it caused by too much reliance on GPS......

Managed to get home early this week on Thursday night, but had to do a quick run to Chicago and back Friday to cover a load for a driver who called in. Nice five hours of work, plus I had to go to Sam's Club anyway........

Tomorrow morning should be an interesting drive to work, I'm right on the edge of what could be a very sloppy mix predicted. Luckily I'm headed south towards Oklahoma.......

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

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, April 14, 2018 9:42 PM

Murphy Siding
Is it blizzarding on your rock yet? 

Weather rock sez snow maybe in the area.  Garbage can (a backup rock) sez enough snow to just barely cover the flat lid.  Don't need any more than that!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, April 14, 2018 10:23 PM

blue streak 1

Posted on another site that UP offering hiring bonus to any furloughed CSX T&E person for Houston area.  Any truth ?

 

At the union meeting last week our General Chairman for the former CNW lines was there.  He did say they were trying to work out getting furloughed CSX people jobs in the Texas area.  Down south is where the UP is really hurting for people the most. 

The GC didn't really give any details about getting the CSX people jobs.  Other than CSX was the only major carrier with large numbers of furloughed people.  I got the impression that the GC meant that they were trying to get them hired on without having to resign their CSX seniority.  

Jeff 

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