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Chatterbox Fall 2020

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Posted by mudchicken on Monday, November 23, 2020 6:36 PM

Anyone got a spare $60K burning a hole in their pocket for a NP/North Coast Limited end observation car looking for a new home? (12inch to the foot scale)

 

Takers?

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 Monday, November 23, 2020 4:26 PM

evening

Ns sent an eastbound stack train after work.Went into town to run errands with a stop at the post office.Csx had q 192 come east.It had international containers,frieght then the domestic containers.Came home and put new chair for computer together.Going to get cleaned up.Matt brought his stuff home for the end of the semester.Going to get cleaned up.

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 zugmann on Monday, November 23, 2020 1:49 PM

BaltACD
The 90's were OVER 20 years ago. Time stops for the dead, not the living.

60 years, 20 years, or 100 years, my point still stands. 

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 Paul of Covington on Monday, November 23, 2020 11:39 AM

   Our frozen neighbours to the north have something to contend with that we down here don't think about.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/canadian-signs-warn-drivers-do-not-let-moose-lick-your-car/

_____________ 

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

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, November 23, 2020 7:49 AM

zugmann
 
BaltACD
The 1950's ended 60 years ago. 

That was my family life into the 90s. Wasn't that long ago.

The 90's were OVER 20 years ago.

Time stops for the dead, not the living.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, November 23, 2020 2:59 AM

zugmann
 
BaltACD
The 1950's ended 60 years ago.

 

That was my family life into the 90s. Wasn't that long ago.

Indeed - the closing of several paper mills and other industrial facilities (including a restructuring of New York Air Brake) marked the change here.

Those industries often worked multiple shifts, providing daytime manpower for the fire departments.  Businesses were usually more lenient, allowing their employees to leave to fight a fire.  Nowadays, everyone is one deep in most positions, meaning that such flexible time off is not available.

LarryWhistling
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Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Posted by zugmann on Monday, November 23, 2020 12:14 AM

BaltACD
The 1950's ended 60 years ago.

That was my family life into the 90s. Wasn't that long ago.

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 BaltACD on Sunday, November 22, 2020 7:49 AM

zugmann
 
CSSHEGEWISCH
I would think that it's getting harder to maintain a volunteer force in urban areas since less and less people work close to where they live. 

Back then someone could work a middle-class job and support a family, house, kids and a stay-at-home wife that took care of the former.  Leaving Dad to spend all his time at the fire company...

The 1950's ended 60 years ago.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, November 22, 2020 7:43 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH
I can remember volunteer fire departments in nearby suburbs back when I was young and some were quite capable.

My uncle was a Captain at a volunteer fire house in a small town in Ohio back in the 1970s. When I would visit him, I always looked forward to a visit to the fire house.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, November 22, 2020 6:58 AM

zugmann
Back then someone could work a middle-class job and support a family, house, kids and a stay-at-home wife that took care of the former.  Leaving Dad to spend all his time at the fire company...

And this is the problem with the youngsters today - most of the jobs available are service related, and they are at all hours of the day and night.  Makes it tough to get them trained.  That, and they move out of mom and dad's house, and out of town.

Those stay-at-home moms were usually in the auxiliary, too, so when there was an event, the whole fam damily was there.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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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 JoeKoh on Sunday, November 22, 2020 6:50 AM

morning

We have some white stuff on the ground.Saw yesterday on the webcam Csx q 560 had an RJ corman engine along for the ride.Matt has a couple things to tidy up in his dorm tomorrow.Going to work on stuff inside 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 zugmann on Sunday, November 22, 2020 12:22 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH
I would think that it's getting harder to maintain a volunteer force in urban areas since less and less people work close to where they live.

Back then someone could work a middle-class job and support a family, house, kids and a stay-at-home wife that took care of the former.  Leaving Dad to spend all his time at the fire company...

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 CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, November 21, 2020 10:03 AM

I can remember volunteer fire departments in nearby suburbs back when I was young and some were quite capable.  The assistant chief of one department had his day job at the lab where Dad worked and his department handled a gasoline tanker fire quite well.  I would think that it's getting harder to maintain a volunteer force in urban areas since less and less people work close to where they live.

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 tree68 on Friday, November 20, 2020 3:42 PM

BaltACD
Trust the fire departments weren't set up in the manner described in the following link...

No, not any more, and I don't recall any fights between arriving companies.

OTOH, the transition from social clubs that fought the occasional fire to bona fide fire suppression outfits has had its issues.  Volunteer fire department membership is down nationwide - have a five department response with just five firefighters is not unheard of.

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 JoeKoh on Friday, November 20, 2020 3:12 PM

afternoon

Ns sent an eastbound tanker train after work.There was another one coming into town as we were filling the gas tank up.Strung some lights outside.Won't turn them on until next Wed.Got a few chores inside to do.Also the state has issued grant money to the ND&W to work west of Defiance.They also issued some to RJ corman in Celina as well.

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 BaltACD on Friday, November 20, 2020 2:49 PM

tree68
Probably our last nice day of the year today - high around +73F.  Cooler tomorrow, with showers likely, but it's been a good run.  

A fifty-year-old motel burned to the ground near here yesterday.  The fire had substantial headway before fire department units arrived.  There wasn't much they could do.  The cause hasn't been established.

Got a few more warm weather tasks done today, and discovered a broken window I've got to deal with, but that doesn't require warm weather, and I've actually got some glass to use for it.

Trust the fire departments weren't set up in the manner described in the following link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUhKcJAsrQ

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, November 20, 2020 11:26 AM

Murphy Siding
In high winds, how is a parked train any safer than a moving train?

Less of a mess. 

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 zugmann on Friday, November 20, 2020 11:25 AM

mudchicken
It does not have to be double stacks, but anything tall with a high center of gravity (even empty) can be an issue. Empty bulkhead flats and high cube boxes can "set sail" in yards or blow over.

Old humpyard near me used to have problems with empty centerbeams being blown back UP the hump. 

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 mudchicken on Thursday, November 19, 2020 11:26 PM

It does not have to be double stacks, but anything tall with a high center of gravity (even empty) can be an issue. Empty bulkhead flats and high cube boxes can "set sail" in yards or blow over.

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 BaltACD on Thursday, November 19, 2020 10:30 PM

Murphy Siding
In high winds, how is a parked train any safer than a moving train?

There are locations along the lines where wind effects are known to be worse than at other locations.  Stop the trains in locations where history has indicated there is a reduced level of wind effect.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, November 19, 2020 10:22 PM

jeffhergert

 

 
SD70Dude

Double stacked empty containers have speed restrictions in certain weather conditions, and we have wind detectors at a number of tall bridges. 

There have been numerous cases of empty double stacks being blown over in high winds, including right off of bridges.

 

 

 

All our cars/trains have a "blow over" speed.  If the wind is expected to be at or over the specific speed for a train, it is stopped and sits until the wind alert is cancelled.

I remember sitting one night on an empty coal hopper train while a thunder storm system moved through.  Sat for three hours while 5 trains went around me because of the wind alert. 

The last few days they've had wind problems out in Wyoming.  Some gusts predicted to be 100 mph, don't know if they actually reached it.  100 mph pretty much stops everything.  

Jeff

 

In high winds, how is a parked train any safer than a moving train?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, November 19, 2020 4:33 PM

Gusts in the 50+ MPH range (Rock Springs/Laramie/Cheyenne) ... give it a while - you never know out there in the great wide empty.

 

ps - Does USA Today - 24/7 Wall Street have a single real journalist left?  Railroaders are seeing a transportation article on infrastructure that is incredibly inept. (USA Today will now be nominated in the "Dumb As They Come" category for first place, with a bullet.)

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 jeffhergert on Thursday, November 19, 2020 4:03 PM

SD70Dude

Double stacked empty containers have speed restrictions in certain weather conditions, and we have wind detectors at a number of tall bridges. 

There have been numerous cases of empty double stacks being blown over in high winds, including right off of bridges.

 

All our cars/trains have a "blow over" speed.  If the wind is expected to be at or over the specific speed for a train, it is stopped and sits until the wind alert is cancelled.

I remember sitting one night on an empty coal hopper train while a thunder storm system moved through.  Sat for three hours while 5 trains went around me because of the wind alert. 

The last few days they've had wind problems out in Wyoming.  Some gusts predicted to be 100 mph, don't know if they actually reached it.  100 mph pretty much stops everything.  

Jeff

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, November 19, 2020 3:47 PM

afternoon

Ns was clear after work.Ran errands in town after work.Wishing today was Friday but tomorrow is.Off to do chores.

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 tree68 on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 2:47 PM

Electroliner 1935
We run 44 seat exCTA cars and at 25% occupancy, it just doesn't work.

Most of our coaches are 60+ seats - and those seats are chiefly cloth.  Just that much harder to sanitize.

It takes just as much fuel to power that 12 car train at lower capacity as it does to run it full (500+ pax).  The variables go down (cocoa, cookies, royalties) but not much of anything else does.

Cases are starting to rise in the area - increasing the possibility that we'd get cancelled out anyhow...

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 JoeKoh on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 2:36 PM

afternoon

Ns has more cars to move uptown.Somebody thought it would be great to move things from one corner of the warehouse to the other.We'll see how they like it tomorrow.Chores to do here.

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 Electroliner 1935 on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 5:27 PM

tree68
mudchicken
Polar Express at CRRM-Golden is gamely soldiering on. 

We threw in the towel quite some time ago.  

Too much unpredicability with COVID - we are now seeing a surge in NYS which likely would have killed the event even if we had held on.

One of our biggest issues is sanitizing 10 passenger cars and the two "backstage" cars.  Running two trains on one night would be virtually impossible.

Likewise at FRTM. We run 44 seat exCTA cars and at 25% occupancy, it just doesn't work. Got one night of Haunted Ghost Story trains in and had to cancel the next. Big lose of revenue.

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 2:54 PM

afternoon

Ns has some cars to get uptown.Csx did issue high wind warning for Sunday.The Ohio turnpike as well was shut down to certain semi traffic as well.I don't think Ns ran anything over the sandusky bay.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").

 

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Posted by rvos1979 on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 2:01 PM

Latest news on the Brent Spense bridge says that Kokosing will have it repaired and open by Christmas, main structure is sound, only top deck and several upper deck floor beams need to be replaced..........

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 SD70Dude on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 11:51 AM

Double stacked empty containers have speed restrictions in certain weather conditions, and we have wind detectors at a number of tall bridges. 

There have been numerous cases of empty double stacks being blown over in high winds, including right off of bridges.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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