Hovering just above zero F, with negligible wind - a good thing, considering the six inches of snow that fell between 9PM and now (3AM). Woke up and decided to take a measurement of the snow. Had to dig my way out to the snow board...
A neighboring township decided to pull their plows off the road last night, it was so bad along the lakeshore.
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...
MC, that's an older shot taken at Mayfair (UP NW and Metra MN crossing). But I guess the gas melters under the puzzle switches made the news again today (at what appears to be Western Avenue). "Setting fire to the tracks", indeed!I'm showing -16 right now; -26 projected for tonight. I think -28 is the record, and I was working in that one, back in 1983. There was wind and precipitation accompanying that one.
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)
Now I hate Calgary even more.
Edmonton hasn't been too bad this winter, only been brushed by the dreaded polar vortex a couple times. Gonna get it again next week, but only for a couple days, and it's nothing we Canadians can't handle.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Hey, I was out on the motorbike today in Calgary (Canada), many miles north of Mudchicken. Maybe it was only about +40F, but the roads were dry. Should be OK again tomorrow, but then the cold hits, with a high under 0F by Sunday and real ugly lows, and not much warming for a while beyond. Very little in the way of snow though. The story is different in the mountains just west of us though.
Has anyone noticed the terrible irony of this thread to the present northern weather? ? ?
Old signal supervisor used to refer to this type of thing as "dinosaur tech" [please don't use around insulated joints ]....seeing it on about every news feed out there. One of the Chicago area newsworkers tried to explain the purpose about what was going on in terms of rail expansion and fixing pull aparts, but it came out backwards like they were just trying to heat up the track bolts.
(fire snake is a brand name, but all it is is treated cloth/rag rope in a plastic pail that you add kerosene to and light after you lay it on top of the base of rail.)
BaltACDIt is difficult to explain to non-railroaders why 'the track' is not on fire and what they are seeing is a desired action.
Just watched CSX use a fire snake or two to deal with a pull-apart right at the Deshler diamond. Someone commented about the FD being called, but the station is within sight of the diamond, so they'd be able to squelch that in a hurry.
samfp1943 mudchicken Much amused with the reporting on the track gangs using fire-snakes, kerosene rags and wood scraps/chips to fight pull aparts in your backyard Carl. (OOOH fire! - new technology? Whatever happened to simple physics?) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/chicago-is-so-ridiculously-cold-that-the-railroad-tracks-need-to-be-on-fire-to-keep-the-trains-moving/ar-BBSVFbJ?ocid=spartandhp (Fighting sun kinks and raising the rail neutral temperature creates pull aparts, especially in switches and crossing frogs with all the bolts in otherwise welded rail country. The rail anchors can only hold back so much. This is the polar opposite of fighting sun kinks in the summer. You don't want those manganese frog inserts getting loose or free...) M.C. it was kinda interesting to get up early this AM [Temps were at the Holy Cow levels ! The wind chil levels were just down-right ugly, for Kansas.] It was fascinating to watch the AM news, talking heads, marveling over the footage of what appeared to be piles of coal burning on the tracks, and switches. Your explanation of the why of the fires would never made the news, they wouldNEVER have understood the purposes of those efforts.
mudchicken Much amused with the reporting on the track gangs using fire-snakes, kerosene rags and wood scraps/chips to fight pull aparts in your backyard Carl. (OOOH fire! - new technology? Whatever happened to simple physics?) https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/chicago-is-so-ridiculously-cold-that-the-railroad-tracks-need-to-be-on-fire-to-keep-the-trains-moving/ar-BBSVFbJ?ocid=spartandhp (Fighting sun kinks and raising the rail neutral temperature creates pull aparts, especially in switches and crossing frogs with all the bolts in otherwise welded rail country. The rail anchors can only hold back so much. This is the polar opposite of fighting sun kinks in the summer. You don't want those manganese frog inserts getting loose or free...)
Much amused with the reporting on the track gangs using fire-snakes, kerosene rags and wood scraps/chips to fight pull aparts in your backyard Carl. (OOOH fire! - new technology? Whatever happened to simple physics?)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/chicago-is-so-ridiculously-cold-that-the-railroad-tracks-need-to-be-on-fire-to-keep-the-trains-moving/ar-BBSVFbJ?ocid=spartandhp
(Fighting sun kinks and raising the rail neutral temperature creates pull aparts, especially in switches and crossing frogs with all the bolts in otherwise welded rail country. The rail anchors can only hold back so much. This is the polar opposite of fighting sun kinks in the summer. You don't want those manganese frog inserts getting loose or free...)
M.C. it was kinda interesting to get up early this AM [Temps were at the Holy Cow levels ! The wind chil levels were just down-right ugly, for Kansas.] It was fascinating to watch the AM news, talking heads, marveling over the footage of what appeared to be piles of coal burning on the tracks, and switches. Your explanation of the why of the fires would never made the news, they wouldNEVER have understood the purposes of those efforts.
When the Halethorpe Interlocking still existed in Baltimore Terminal, it had 'fire breathing' smudge pots as the switch heaters - they had to be installed and manually lit by MofW personnel in the tie cribs.
No sooner than the plant would be lit and the Dispatchers able to operate the switches then the Baltimore County Fire Dept. would show up and hose down all the pots and freeze the switches solid. It is difficult to explain to non-railroaders why 'the track' is not on fire and what they are seeing is a desired action.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
If your weatherbubba is like the ones here, double or triple the snow totals.
A balmy 40 degrees here while next door in Kansas is considerably colder. Thanks Johnny, for keeping the freezer door shut.
afternoon
Ns was clear when I left work.Trailers,docks,plates,gates and other things were frozen.Maintenance was kept busy all day.Matt's work called.He does not have to do dishes tonight.Chores to do inside here.Guessers say cold tomorrow but 2-4 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday.Yay.
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").
At 17 below, we're up five degrees from this morning. Metra came up with a curtailed schedule for this weather, but I'm still seeing delay reports. Said reports are all that I'm going to see of railroading today, thank you very much!
Wind and snow have now arrived here at the house. Closings are starting to pile up around the area.
The Tug is forecast for upwards of four feet of snow - lesser amounts in my area.
24 below with a wind chill of about 10,000 below this morning. On Christmas Day a small airplane crashed into a big fireball 4 blocks from my house. Because of the bitter cold, every small plane that went over last night had the engine howling like the plane was going down. I think I have a sore neck from instinctively ducking all night.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
rvos1979 Cline Ave north, 1st exit, on right. -18 here in Gary, considering most places are closed for the weather, will stay here and keep the truck running. Even the railroads are curtailing operations.........
Cline Ave north, 1st exit, on right.
-18 here in Gary, considering most places are closed for the weather, will stay here and keep the truck running. Even the railroads are curtailing operations.........
I noticed that last night on the Rochelle webcam- it got pretty quiet as the night wore on.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
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
tree68 For now, I'm trying to get one wheel on my snowblower working right. The mechanism that locks the wheels so they turn together (vs one of them free-wheeling) is rusted and isn't giving up without a fight... The snowblower still works, but it takes some wrestling from time to time to keep it on course...
For now, I'm trying to get one wheel on my snowblower working right. The mechanism that locks the wheels so they turn together (vs one of them free-wheeling) is rusted and isn't giving up without a fight... The snowblower still works, but it takes some wrestling from time to time to keep it on course...
The drive for the auger on my Husqvarna (I assume it's a belt) is slipping badly- packed snow from the plows stop it completely. I've been babying it through the latest storms, hope to get it into the garage next week when it warms up to tear it apart.
mudchicken CShaveRR You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect. Cline Ave [IN-912], south of Industrial Hwy and old IHB/NYC Gibson Yard. (North of I-80)
CShaveRR You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect.
You'll be waiting for a couple of days, I trust--we aren't due to get above zero until sometime Friday.Where is your yard in Gary? Probably close to I-80, I suspect.
Cline Ave [IN-912], south of Industrial Hwy and old IHB/NYC Gibson Yard. (North of I-80)
As the county Skywarn coordinator, I get all the updates from NWS. Lots of snow, especially in the usual lake effect areas. That's no big deal.
The wind will be the problem, both from a blowing snow aspect, and especially wind chill, with -20F and lower expected.
But, it is winter in the north country. As one of the Skywarn coordinator from another county put it, you'll need your ear muffs and you may have to button the top button of your coat...
evening
Cold on it's way.Local was uptown when I left work.Matt is closed the next couple of days.Main roads are fine the backroads are ice rinks.Time to get cleaned up.
Local RTD lightrail train derailed yesterday with injuries. Combination of operator error (speed) and ice in the flangeways from how it sounds. Hope RTD can survive the steep learning curve it has established for itself. Still trying to understand how a passenger was "ejected" from a moving train.
Got to Fort Wayne last night, by the time I had dinner it flash froze. Looking over the weather reports this morning, think I'm going to try for the relative safety of Schneider's Gary yard and wait this out. At least if the truck freezes up, I'll be warm........
Ns sent a stack train past the frieght in the siding at work when I left.We had snow then sleet now rain.Driver from Detroit said they were getting all the snow.Matt helped with the slushy driveway when we got home.Now we are waitng for Ma nature to freeze then it's free skating for everyone until maybe the weekend.Chores to do here.
The skiers here are happy, with several feet of snow at the nearby resorts. The sun is shining brightly this morning and this afternoon. There are still patches of snow left from the last fall. but the streets are clear.
Johnny
While you folks to the east are getting ready to vortex, we are trying to figure out what the weatherliars are overdosing on. Predicted only 0-2" of snow and got 10+" and it hasn't quite stopped yet.
The locals are playing bumper cars here while Fort Collins, 65 miles to the north of here didn't get any snow. Ma Nature trying to remind the weatherman who's boss?
For the moment, it seems that this thread is appropriately named, at least for a lot of the regular participants.
samfp1943 NOTE: 01/28/2019 on TRAINS Newswire: Kalmbach Offices will closed on Monday due to Weather in Milwaukee area!!! "'Trains' offices to be closed Jan. 28 because of severe weather" [H/L: dated] January 27, 2019
NOTE: 01/28/2019 on TRAINS Newswire: Kalmbach Offices will closed on Monday due to Weather in Milwaukee area!!!
"'Trains' offices to be closed Jan. 28 because of severe weather"
Elsewhere....
Copied from the NWS regarding Hawaii:
The mid-level moist layer that brought the layered clouds and frozen precipitation to the Big Island summits yesterday afternoon has shifted east of the state with much drier air filling in across the area behind it early this morning.
Wind observations at the summits quickly surged to warning levels with gusts up to around 90 mph early yesterday evening
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