Chatterbox Winter 2019-2020

[JoeKoh]

morning

Mother Nature sent winter back to Nw Ohio yesterday. Road crews are going to be busy fixing signs that were knocked over.Didn't really see too many trains on our trip.Did stop at Carey Ohio and saw 2 newly painted W&LE locomotives.Going to go check on brother today.Matt has chores to do as well.He also has to do dishes tonight.Keep warm.

stay safe

Joe

[JoeKoh]

morning

Rain has arrived after the snowfall last night.Very sloppy right now outside.Mother nature will open up the freezer and make it an ice rink.Matt and I took care of the snow mess.Going to Marion tonight to watch a friends presentation.Roads should be ok.

stay safe

Joe

[blue streak 1]

Deggesty

It began snowing early this morning, and kept up until late morning. WInds of about 80 mpph were reported in the Cottonwood Canyons. We do not expect more snow until about the middle of next week.

I hope some snow was left for the Front Range. The skiiers love it here.

 

 

Wind must have been widespread.  CAL Z and SKI trains both took wind delays at the big ten today.  Daughter was going to go on SKI and wisely decided  not to go.  Too much wind chill at the slopes!

 

EDIT as of 2100 MST both 6 and 1006 still stopped 1006 over 2 hours late !

[Deggesty]

It began snowing early this morning, and kept up until late morning. WInds of about 80 mpph were reported in the Cottonwood Canyons. We do not expect more snow until about the middle of next week.

I hope some snow was left for the Front Range. The skiiers love it here.

[tree68]

Winter storm warning here, just in time for the weekend.  Tug Hill looks to get 12-18", lower elevations up to a foot.  

Puts the kaibosh on a trip to the train show in Utica (unless the storm follows the lead last weekend's ice storm no-show) - I like to go, see folks, and support the show (I know the organizer), but I'm not going do deal with that weather for that.

Besides, I'm sure they'll issue a "no unnecessary  travel" order for at least part of my route...

[CShaveRR]

We've been getting snow since late afternoon.  I plan on leaving it there, so the ice will form on top of it.  We may need to go out tomorrow, but we'll let road conditions govern that.  Sunday I have to go into the city (Pat has opted out); it's going to be a raw one.

I know that O'Hare is dealing with a ground stop now, and lots of cancellations.

I haven't seen a decent train in several days; I'm hoping that I can get a little more research done (but I don't feel up to that, either).  Thank you to all who've expressd well wishes.  Things go well most of the time, like we're mourning some great person (and she was, in her field), then we realize that she was our daughter, and things come crashing in. 

[diningcar]

Ice closed the Kansas City airport this morning. My son and his wife were coming from DFW and turned around over Tulsa returning to DFW. I am sure some who were coming for the KC Chiefs Tennessee Titans game were also delayed.

[JoeKoh]

afternoon

Ns was clear after work today.Snowmegedden coming for tomorrow.Matt has to do dishes tonight.Chores for me as well.

stay safe

Joe

[Murphy Siding]

Carl & Pat-

     I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

-Norris & Lisa

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Carl, my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

[blhanel]

Thoughts and prayers from Joanie and me in Iowa, Carl.  Give Pat a hug from us.

[tree68]

Carl - My thoughts are with you and your family as well.

Cancer hasn't been a big factor in my family, although my daughter is a survivor, and still "clean."  Two cousins have also succumbed.  

But I've lost a lot of friends and acquaintenences to it.  

[Deggesty]

Carl and Pat, I grieve with you.

[BaltACD]

My sincerest sympathies Carl.  Cancer is brutal - to date I am a 26 year survivor of colon cancer.

[NorthWest]

Carl, my heart goes out to you and your family.

[JoeKoh]

afternoon

Ns was clear after work.Matt has to do dishes tonight.I have chores to do here as well.Hugs as always to Carl and Pat.

stay safe

Joe

[CShaveRR]

BOB WITHORN

Carl, Your family will be in our prayers. Bob

Thanks, Bob, and everyone else.  Linda died peacefully last night, or, as she wanted it said, she was assassinated by cancer.  The California family will hold a memorial service sometime soon, I'm sure; we expect to hold another one here in Lombard in May, for the reatives and her friends through high school and her first degree in college.  

Her role as a "public musicologist", put together after she knew about her cancer and had received her Ph.D., had gained her a following all over the world.  But to me she was still the girl who would go anywhere with her dad, could handle the intricacies of an Equipment Register, and was always up for adventure.

[mudchicken]

blue streak 1

We are drowning here sw of Atlanta,  9 - 1/4 inches in last 48 hours and still raining.  got water in basement for first time in years. Thought had fixed it .  Back to drawing board. Had rivilets in the yard that almost became small creeks with debri pushed around.  .  Only good thing is temp here at 0030 is 65F.  Can you believe that in middle of JAN ?

 

The eastern plains of Colorado would like some of your excess. The mountains are getting record amounts of snow, nothing out on the plains. La Junta (middle of SE Colorado) is under a red flag warning.

[Deggesty]

blue streak 1

We are drowning here sw of Atlanta,  9 - 1/4 inches in last 48 hours and still raining.  got water in basement for first time in years. Thought had fixed it .  Back to drawing board. Had rivilets in the yard that almost became small creeks with debri pushed around.  .  Only good thing is temp here at 0030 is 65F.  Can you believe that in middle of JAN ?

 

I remember a Christmas Day back in the late forties when we enjoyed the grass in the back yard--50 miles south of Charlotte, N.C. I don't remember what the temperature was, but we did not need coats.

[blue streak 1]

We are drowning here sw of Atlanta,  9 - 1/4 inches in last 48 hours and still raining.  got water in basement for first time in years. Thought had fixed it .  Back to drawing board. Had rivilets in the yard that almost became small creeks with debri pushed around.  .  Only good thing is temp here at 0030 is 65F.  Can you believe that in middle of JAN ?

[JoeKoh]

evening

Ns sent an eastbound stack train as I got off work today.Had to go back into town.Csx sent q 016 eastbound.The Nd&W shoved a boxcar into the siding for CSX to pick up tomorrow.Chores to do here now.

stay safe

Joe

[BOB WITHORN]

Carl, Your family will be in our prayers. Bob

[JoeKoh]

evening

Ns local was uptown after work.Ran errands here at home.The ND&W was switching near Fc.The crossing gates were causing people fits.Did get to see a Csx rebuilt engine come west before I came home.Going to get cleaned up.Who will win the big game tonight? A tiger team of course.Somewhere Ms.Mooks is smiling.

stay safe

Joe

[tree68]

CShaveRR

We figure that in about a week we will have lost our daughter.  :(

Very sorry to hear that.

[CShaveRR]

The storm was pretty much a non-event here, too, though the winds were strong enough to cause problems in places.  It did what was forecast:  rain, then a mixture, then snow, just faster than forecast and not as much.  We'll be on some crunchy streets this morning, then maybe smoother roads for dinner.  

My freight-car-historian friend in Texas reports seeing his first 2020-built cars, part of a large order of GBRX tank cars built in Mexico.

We figure that in about a week we will have lost our daughter.  :(

[tree68]

Well, so far, Ice Storm 2020 is a bust for us.  Zero freezing rain.  I'm not sure the areas to the north that were supposed to get the worst of it have seen anything more that the water on sidewalks and driveways freezing in place.  

I'm just one degree below the freezing point here at the house - my driveway hasn't iced over yet.

I find this interesting (the so far busted forecast) because the local utility clearly spent a fortune bringing in outside contractors in preparation for the event.  To me that indicates a pretty high level of confidence.  

But, most of the warnings run until tonight, so it may not be over yet.  There's still some high winds in the forecast...

[Erik_Mag]

mudchicken

[3] Stupid Trucker season resumes at PEETZ, Co. (not so good - managed to set the coal train on fire while he was at it. Some concern for the BNSF crew, but the news is spotty south of Sidney, NE) https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/01/10/logan-county-peetz-fire-train-semi-crash/  

Judging fom the pictures, looks like the truck ran into the hopper and thus would assume that the truck driver was the fatality.

[tree68]

Just left our FD banquet hall after our annual installation banquet.  Nice dinner, good crowd, lots of great conversation.

Now waiting patiently to see what develops in the way of ice.  We've had almost a half inch of rain, but the icing hasn't started yet.  Then, when the ice arrives, we're supposed to get some nasty wind, which will wreak havoc with ice covered branches and power lines.  And guess who they call first...

Our local utility is taking the whole thing very seriously, bringing in dozens of outside crews in preparation.  

[rvos1979]

Had a flash freeze at the house this morning after raining overnight, made for a few jackknifed semis in the area. Salted the walk this morning, grass was crunchy, and sidewalk was slick. Snowing now, looks like we may not get as much as they thought.  Glad I did all the errands yesterday.

Headed to Ohio tomorrow, then after a load back to Green Bay, probably another Muskogee load, been going there weekly since October, save for a two week break over the holidays, and having the ABS computer replaced on the truck (on the newer semis, it controls parts of the transmission, so was fun to drive after it failed)

[diningcar]

1/4 inch of ice followed by 3-4 inches of snow in Lawerence, KS. We did not leave the house today but plan to go to brunch in the AM.