Randy
Saw that post too.Thank you.He and Mookie have the best place to view trains.Imagine all the questions.
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").
How sad, although I understand he was in poor health the past few years.
His insights will certainly be missed.
Rest in peace Ed!
From Mike ( Wanswheel)
My training as a switchman for yard jobs in the early 1990s for the Port Terminal Railroad Association consisted of a two-day familiarization at a little-used yard by the docks near Houston and a week of classroom work. Then I began two weeks rotation on various jobs from all shifts as a second switchman. Next, we headed back to the classroom for a three-day rules class. At that point, we were either let go or marked up as a rookie on 90-day probation. The idea was that working the jobs for two weeks would enable us to learn by example and get familiar with the tracks and industries we served. Also, we saw the rules put into action, so we would have the basics when we got back to class.
The truth was, the regular crews didn't like to baby-sit a new guy. We were in their way, if they were running for a quit. Mostly, they were sure we'd screw something up and get them all fired. So, instead of teaching you anything useful, they found a switch as far from the real work as possible, and parked you there for the entire job.
If they were nice, they left a couple of cans of water and a newspaper. You drank the water, read the paper, and when you were through reading, you used it for a fan or to swat mosquitoes, the state insect of Texas. You also saved a page, just in case. They'd say if they wanted you to line the switch (fat chance), they'd call you on the radio. Then they disappeared for five or six hours.
On my first day of training, Rabbit was in charge and made an example of me by instructing me to fill my pockets with rocks to "hold my skinny butt down when the wind blows," and tossing my favorite felt cowboy hat right into a drainage ditch.
A few years later, I was working on his regular job. At night, we worked way out in the boonies of the ship channel surrounded by refineries, which were separated by huge expanses of empty land. They were designed such that if one refinery blew up, a safety zone existed between them. Southeast Harris County, Texas, is really nothing more than a huge delta with bayous and swamps.
Deer, real rabbits of the bunny kind, birds, raccoons, coyotes, mosquitoes the size of sparrows, swamp rats, and snakes made themselves at home around the refineries. Lots and lots of snakes. Most were harmless corn snakes, also known as hognose or bullwhip snakes, which eat rats and squirrels. Some were rattlesnakes, cottonmouth, water moccasins, and copperheads.
Rabbit was deathly afraid of snakes. It didn't matter what kind of snake; he was just as scared of the little grass snake as he was of the big bad rattler. Because his job was at night, he spent a huge amount of time inspecting every switch stand when he had to line a switch. He looked under it, around it, between the ties; he even shined his lantern on the handle because he once grabbed a rattlesnake that had climbed up the stand and was wrapped around it. Because snakes are cold-blooded, they liked the heat from the ballast, so at night they gathered on the tracks and right-of-way to keep warm.
Rabbit must have taken a shine to me: He didn't dump me at a remote switch. He allowed me to work the job with him and the crew. We pulled and spotted a few refineries, took a load of lumber out to a warehouse, and backed into a siding light motor to eat dinner.
Now, I am not a mean person by nature, and after watching Rabbit's antics around switch stands, I almost felt sorry for the guy. But, opportunity sometimes knocks loudest when you least expect it.
I went out of the back of the locomotive to have a smoke and walk around a bit. What do I find but a whole bundle of rough green snakes, a common Texas grass snake. Small and quick, with green stripes down their sides, and only about a foot long when mature, they're totally harmless and eat insects. Right beside them lay an old piece of rope, about an inch thick, used to tie down some long-forgotten load, then discarded on the tracks. It was slimy and damp from the evening dew, and three feet long; perfect for what sprang to mind.
I don't subscribe to the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold--I think it should be a big bowl of Famous Brand Chili, hot and steamy, and right in your face, so I can watch. Someone was due a little bowl of this recipe over a pocket full of rocks and a favorite cowboy hat.
Rabbit was on the front porch of the locomotive, spitting his used chew all over the knuckle and the tracks, when I got back. His grip, the bag railroaders carry to haul the rulebook, timetables, clean socks, newspaper, and other necessary goods was sitting on the floor beside the center seat, with the top open. As a new guy, I didn't get a regular seat. The three seats in the cab went to the regulars: Booger, the engineer; Dribbles, the switchman; and our foreman, Rabbit. I sat on the water cooler.
As I was easing back onto my cooler, I carefully laid the piece of rope I had found in the top of Rabbit's bag, out of sight under his newspaper, which Dribbles had told me he liked to read on the run back in. With dinner over and Rabbit chewing a new hunk of tobacco, which replaced the hunk of crud that looked like the leaves I rake out of the roof gutter, Rabbit decided it was time to gather up our train and head home. Rabbit, Dribbles, and I got out and started lining up switches. Rabbit was on his second lantern battery of the night. We got back against the train and, because I was the new guy, Rabbit decided I needed to do the air-brake test and walk the set along with him, he on one side, me on the other, so it would go quicker. He gave me the side with the drainage ditch, in case the snakes decided to attack.
We got back to the motor and everybody settled in, they in their nice seats, me trying to find a way to sit on a cooler never designed to be a stool. Rabbit got the OK from dispatch to head in. Booger notched it up to track speed, and we all sat back, ready for a cup of coffee.
Rabbit reached down in his grip for his paper. Even better than I had hoped, he grabbed the damp, slimy rope instead. Now, ex-Marines are not supposed to scream, and I hope I never hear that sound again. Age hadn't cost Rabbit his reflexes; at the same instant he screamed, he also managed to stand up and fling his grip right out the cab window, straight into the ditch while we ran at track speed. I felt better knowing my hat had company.
Poor Rabbit, standing at the cab window watching his grip sink out of sight--in his fear, he never let go of the rope, which still dangled from his fist. Dribbles, who saw me put the rope in there, had a very dry sense of humor, and a quick wit. He got up, reached over, tapped Rabbit on the shoulder, and calmly asked, "Hey, Rabbit, what's that you got in your hand?"
I never saw a rope get so thoroughly stomped to death. Rabbit was so mad, scared, and embarrassed, he made me ride the rest of the way back on the front porch, so he could keep an eye on me. It all would have worked out fine if I hadn't forgotten about the grass snake.
See, my wife raises boa constrictors, and my kids have a collection of common snakes, most of which get to live in an aquarium for a few days before they get turned loose in the backyard. While picking up the rope off the tracks, I caught a small rough green snake. Planning to take it home to the kids, I stuck it in my shirt pocket, where it immediately curled up, and lulled by my body heat, went to sleep.
We got back to North Yard, put the train away, and even managed to get inside and enter our time in the computer system, before the little guy woke up.
I don't know if it was timing, luck, or divine intervention, but the snake decided to poke its head out of my pocket just as Rabbit turned to me to ask my employee number. I didn't think a guy that old could do a back flip and not break his neck.
So now you know why they call me Snake Charmer. Rabbit had another name for me, but it isn't fit for print.
ED BLYSARD, a switch engine foreman for the Port Terminal Railroad Association, lives in Houston with his wife, Aimee, and their two youngest daughters.
Haven't heard from Ed for sometime.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
$¢rew cancer!I feel so bad for Aimee and his girls and grandchildren. A lot of the things he wrote allowed us to take full measure of the man, but there are also many things that went on behind the scene that showed what a thoughtful, generous person he was.All lined up, Ed! Highball!
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)
JoeKoh Randy Saw that post too.Thank you.He and Mookie have the best place to view trains.Imagine all the questions. stay safe Joe
That begs the following question: Are there yellow thingies in heaven?
This is very sad news.
Condolences to Ed's family.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
afternoon
Westbound stack train with a couple toasted looking Dash-9s on Ns after work.Chores to do.
Doing my part to create new railfans:
My grandson Stuart, age 6, loves his Papa and loves trains as much as I do. My daughter just sent us a text with a picture of one of his assignments, which (after studying MLK Jr. last month) was to draw a picture of a dream that you have that would make our world a better place, and then write about it. Stuart drew a picture of a couple of locomotives pulling a couple of farm implement flats, and wrote below it, "My dream is that we had more trains. I want trains so that people can get stuff kwickly. I allso want trains because it is cheep get stuff from place to place. Last, trains can get stuff without that much gas."
We're ROFL here...
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
One of those days today.......
Was a four and a half hour wait at a customer this morning, got to Port Hudson, and noticed that I was leaking engine oil. The oil filter had backed off and was loose on the engine, so lost another two hours having road service come out to tighten up the filter. Managed to get to Jackson, MS, so won't be home until Saturday, but these things happen..........
On the plus side, got to see the enormous gantry that CN is assembling to replace the trestle over the Bonne Carre spillway west of New Orleans, hoping that Trains does a story on it........
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
Ns had a Carl special(mixed freight) in the siding after work.Going to go outside.Yes outside and collect the divots out of the yard from the snowplow.Don't forget to spring ahead this weekend.Check your detector batteries too.
I wouldn't say spring is here but winter is definitely fading. Temps to be in the 40's today and tomorrow with rain and the trend seems to be in that range or at least above 32 degrees.
Morning
Ns has a mess to clean up in Laporte Indiana.They have run some detours on the NKP line.Rain on the way for this afternoon.
JoeKohNs has a mess to clean up in Laporte Indiana.They have run some detours on the NKP line.Rain on the way for this afternoon.
There was speculation on the Deshler chat that some traffic could come that way, but some concern that CSX might not have the crews to handle the added traffic.
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...
tree68 JoeKoh Ns has a mess to clean up in Laporte Indiana.They have run some detours on the NKP line.Rain on the way for this afternoon. There was speculation on the Deshler chat that some traffic could come that way, but some concern that CSX might not have the crews to handle the added traffic.
JoeKoh Ns has a mess to clean up in Laporte Indiana.They have run some detours on the NKP line.Rain on the way for this afternoon.
If my years with CSX taught me anything - they barely have enough crews to handle their normal traffic let alone short term detour traffic.
No detours on csx.The patrols were watching trains at Fc too.With the bridge construction and detours people were waiting on the tracks for road traffic to clear.
Remember - "Spring Forward!"
And if your smoke detector is more than five years old, replace it with a ten-year model.
Good to be home. At least the real estate isn't sliding down the hill like to the west of here and not raining on top of snow like east of here in NE and IA ... Population in the ditches of I-80 in NE and IA seems to be growing. (BrianH: Ft Dodge was a lesson in futility)
Absolute mess around here this morning. I think we got the entire gamut of freezing precipitation. Still, it's above freezing...
My morning was a loaded milk semi that ended up in the trees at the side of the road. I wasn't driving - I responded with the fire department.
Was anyone crying about spilled milk?
Electroliner 1935 Was anyone crying about spilled milk?
No milk was spilt. A little Diesel from a hole punched in one tank, but most of that was caught, so no environmental disaster.
Worst part about the Diesel was that he'd just filled up that morning. It was pumped off (as was the milk - some 48,000 pounds of it...)
If the milk tank had ruptured, we'd have had the environmental conservation spill people - that much milk is considerd a hazmat problem.
tree68......... It was pumped off (as was the milk - some 48,000 pounds of it...) If the milk tank had ruptured, we'd have had the environmental conservation spill people - that much milk is considerd a hazmat problem.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Darn. Guess I don't have to round up a couple of semis full of Frosted Flakes and Rice Crispies to throw in the ditch with the milk. They can stay in the median of I-80 in Iowa.
Ns must have the mess cleaned up because they sent a big westbound train after work.Nice and sunny today.Still have a little snow residue and the end of our street.Chores to do.
mudchicken Darn. Guess I don't have to round up a couple of semis full of Frosted Flakes and Rice Crispies to throw in the ditch with the milk. They can stay in the median of I-80 in Iowa.
And it's a little early for some maple syrup to sweeten your breakfast...
Some years ago, a local produce company lost a truck in the median of the Interstate near here. Figuring that it would simply rot away, or something, DOT didn't make them clean up the various fruits and veggies.
Big mistake, soon rectified. Seems the local wildlife took a fancy to all that good eating. Unfortunately, that meant they had to cross the Interstate to get to it.
That's not too bad for the little guys like rabbits and squirrels, but the bigger animals (up to and including deer) tend to cause problems when hit by a vehicle...
tree68 mudchicken Darn. Guess I don't have to round up a couple of semis full of Frosted Flakes and Rice Crispies to throw in the ditch with the milk. They can stay in the median of I-80 in Iowa. And it's a little early for some maple syrup to sweeten your breakfast... Some years ago, a local produce company lost a truck in the median of the Interstate near here. Figuring that it would simply rot away, or something, DOT didn't make them clean up the various fruits and veggies. Big mistake, soon rectified. Seems the local wildlife took a fancy to all that good eating. Unfortunately, that meant they had to cross the Interstate to get to it. That's not too bad for the little guys like rabbits and squirrels, but the bigger animals (up to and including deer) tend to cause problems when hit by a vehicle...
On a trip to Florida several years ago I was making great time until I got to the Florida/Georgia line - a truck load of assorted produce had been involved in a accident and spilled its load across the Southbound lanes of I-95 - ended up being stuck in a non-moving jam for about 3 hours. Once traffic started to move and I got to the scene of the accident - the trailer had been moved to the shoulder of the road so it could be loaded on another truck and several Bobcat loaders were shoving the spilled produce into the waterway.
Several days later there was a blurb on the 6 PM News about the residents of Fernandina Beach complaining about 'rotton garbage' that was floating down the St. Mary's River through town.
Ns local was going to move around his train.Ns also had an eastbound coming into town.It's been some years now but had to pray for the battery to hold.The belt broke in the middle of the night on "alligator alley"while we were in Florida.Made it safely to Aunt's house and Dad got a new belt the next day.Chores to do.
tree68That's not too bad for the little guys like rabbits and squirrels
Currently outside the 11th floor here it is sixty degrees and windy.
They have already issued BLIZZARD WARNINGS for most of the east half of the state and east of the Continental Divide up high. The media is all obsessed with Snowmageddon. Guess tomorrow is gonna be a DQ kind of day.
(Make mine a Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard please)....Wonder what Johnny is gonna get?
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