JoeKohMother nature decided to open up.
Watching dark skies at Deshler for part of the afternoon, but they only got a little rain as the worst of it stayed north. You probably got that...
Nice here today - high 70's and sunny. Tried to check out the eclipse this morning, but there are trees between me and the sun at that hour so I didn't get to check it out.
Almost time to run the "Seaway Net" for a Thursday evening. It's a ham radio net. I'm "net control" a couple of days a week, although I have so many conflicts on Thursday nights that I'm trying to dump that night, anyhow. But it's fun.
I sent out some publicity for the my local club's ARRL "Field Day" event, which is the last weekend of this month (June). Twenty-four hours of trying to see how many other hams we can contact. Club-wise, we got over 400 last year. Maybe the radio conditions will look favorably upon us this year.
Check around - you may have a group participating in the field day in your area. Since we can get points for people visiting, they'll probably be glad to see you, and might even put you on the air!
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...
afternoon
Ns was clear after work.Matt went into town to mow.I started a project here.Mother nature decided to open up.Maybe I go go back out in a bit to put it back together.Have some other chores to do as well.Glad tomorrow is Friday.Mc(owners) after Ns put lipstick on the track and left.
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").
If they keep stockpiling OTM, some of that tired 100#-105#-110# rail is getting replaced with something larger (The raised letters on the plates will give you a clue ... going from something with a 5 1/2" or smaller base up to a 6" base?)
I seem to remember most of the ND&W was all Wabash era 80# (4 5/8" base) to 110#(5 1/2" base) way past the end of its service life...The last Pioneer regime (Peoria) started to upgrading the bad track -post Brenkman) and the new regime (Denver / BRX Brookhaven) chose to continue that. The pre-Pioneer owner ran the plant into the ground with no maintenance.
evening
Ns was clear after work today.Ran errands in town.Csx was busy.The ND&W has quite the stockpile of ties,plates etc in a storage area on the west side of town.Our trainroom is slowly getting back to normal.Time for supper.
Ns sent a westbound stack train after work.Ran errands in town.Matt is doing more benchwork on the layout.Mother nature has sent some more rain for the swamp too.Time for supper.
tree68 Public Service Announcement: A significant number of the calls to which local ambulances are dispatched involve falls. Please ensure that you do your best to remove tripping and slipping hazards from your home, and from the homes of relatives who may be subject to falls. I know, Aunt Harriet loves that throw rug in the front foyer, but is it worth a broken hip?
Public Service Announcement: A significant number of the calls to which local ambulances are dispatched involve falls. Please ensure that you do your best to remove tripping and slipping hazards from your home, and from the homes of relatives who may be subject to falls. I know, Aunt Harriet loves that throw rug in the front foyer, but is it worth a broken hip?
Three years ago my siblings and I went together on a robot vacuum for our parents, thinking it would be great for them to help keep their home clean. One day our dad, who had the beginnings of dementia, either was so intently watching it meander around or lost track of where it was such that he lost his balance and fell, breaking his back. That was the final straw that put him in assisted living, and later memory care.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
Hoping the system that doused Ohio will come our way - we're pretty desperate for some rain.
Ns has some boxcars to shuffle uptown.Mother nature sent us a shower.Chores to do.Happy Birthday to the resident rooster(MC).
That's where I go--Old Harlem. Is there another safe location that I could also hit?
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)
The west end of Clearing is kind of a hit-or-miss location. If I'm on a photo outing, I'll often go over to Old Harlem Avenue and scan the north edge to see if anything is visible, telephoto lens helps.
Today was the return home after a long weekend in Michigan and Indiana. We went up Thursday noon after Pat's physical therapy, and stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. Friday was mostly taken up by a lunch and social conversation with 13 of my high-school classmates. It's the way we roll...hoping to have another in July, and the one in mid-August is already being planned--though I just realized that we might not be able to do it!Headed home yesterday, we stopped outside Grand Rapids for a graduation party for the son of one of Pat's cousins. Saw a bunch of relatives that we hadn't seen in well over a year.After that party, we decided that trying to come home would be too stressful, so we stopped at Riley's Railhouse in Chesterton. This wasn't as impromptu as I just made it sound; we'd had a room in the box car reserved since early last week. However, they called us that night, saying that they'd had a cancellation, and would we like the "upper berth" instead. Well, that's the room on the top floor that has a balcony overlooking the track, so we jumped at the opportunity. We got there before dark, but didn't see much last night (couple of auto-rack trains with drawbars banging toward the end). This morning, however, we had stack trains, rack trains, Amtrak trains, tank trains, and enough manifest action to keep me busy before, during, and after a delicious breakfast.Coming home, we went through Gary to Pine Junction, where the CN kept things hopping. Joe and Matt, we could actually drive pretty easily under the bridge. I wish I could have gotten a video of the three CN trains moving simultaneously--two overhead on the bridge and one on the adjacent track at grade-crossing level. After the train cleared, we went on down the road, and encountered in the distance a couple of houses made of poured concrete. The delicate decorations on these houses looked great--probably as good as when they'd been poured! The houses themselves might not have been habitable, though.At Dolton Junction we were stopped by a train with two Genesee & Wyoming-affiliated units for power...one from Marquette Rail (Michigan) and the other from the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (South Dakota). It turns out that the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad (Indiana) is also a G&W affiliate, and this was likely a train headed to their own former-PRR trackage from IHB's Blue Island Yard.At Blue Island Junction, we were stopped by two trains in the throes of switching...one an Iowa Interstate ethanol train, and the other a long CSX freight, which came all the way out that far from the west end of Barr Yard, either to double up or to double into the yard.
We also went to Bedford Park, at the west end of Clearing Yard (don't look for a park there; it's an industrial community!). Nothing much that we could see from the edge of that end of the yard, but before we got there, we were able to see most of an arriving BNSF freight, moving slowly enough for me to get lots of information off the cars I needed...again, Pat was most helpful when I missed a car...we went into the yard and she had the binoculars ready for the number on that car.From there, we went into LaGrange, and were ready to follow the BNSF out to Downers Grove. But both of us were getting tired, and--since the signals on the Racetrack didn't show anything close in either direction--we opted for taking the Tollway home instead.
Home again, with a report that didn't get completed, coupled with "news" that now has to go into the report. I'm too tired to do much about it tonight, and I'll probably need to be busy with other things tomorrow. But this is one of the best weekends Pat and I have had in a long time (yes, it was good for her--the Railhouse is relaxing, and we bought three new jigsaw puzzles on the trip...and when the train-hunting becomes boring for her, she often reads).
Went and checked on my brother.Ns was in hurry up and wait mode.L 96 had to wait for the SDI crews to switch before they could come in.Told Ns to split the scale track with their cars and track 9 was all for them to take out.On the way home saw some Carl specials as well.Going to relax this afternoon.
Just mowed my lawn this evening. It really didn't need it - just evened things out. We need more rain. I fertilized the other day and that .42" of rain we got barely soaked in enough for the fertilizer to kick in.
Should be interesting when it does.
In chatting with area hams on the air yesterday, apparently they got a good thunderboomer north of the river (ie, in Canada). We got a light mist here.
I need to make a trip to the local greenhouse and pick up my usual bedding plants. Then, of course, I have to plant them.
Warm and muggy here in Nw Ohio.Matt and I spent the morning doing the benchwork for the new layout.Still have acess to both windows in the train room.The extra boards are in the shed.Alos did some chores around the house while Matt was measuring and cutting.The swamp dried up enough to run the mower through as well.Waiting for Stacey to get home from the store with the groceries.Going to check on my brother tomorrow.Show him the July issue of Trains.
Yesterday was a fun morning. Was headed north on 294 near Proviso when the driver of a set of doubles fell asleep and hit the Jersey wall by the St Charles road bridge. Truck burst into flames, which normally wouldn't be too bad, except for the fact that the trailers he was pulling were loaded with fireworks. O'Hare airport fire department had to come out to put out the fire. Took about three hours before the fire was out and enough of the road was cleared off to let us through, I think the overpass is still closed due to fire damage, they were working on replacing that bridge anyway........
Got home and finally received the May issue of Model Railroader, only two months late. Apparently the replacement issues ship from Texas, even though I'm 45 minutes away from Waukesha. Between that and the online issues that can't seem to be fixed, I'm giving serious consideration to dropping all my Kalmbach subscriptions.............
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 still had some cars uptown after work.Matt is working on some connections on the layout.When he is done we can do the benchwork for the layout.Going to get things back together in the trainroom.
Ns had the local uptown when we left work.Matt went into town and did his mowing.Then I mowed the swamp when he got back home.Going to get warmer.Guessers are saying the triple h's are coming.Welcome to summer.Time for supper.
Ns sent a westbound stack train after work.Mother nature is sending rain so the yardwork will have to wait.Got the mail yesterday.Got the new issue of Trains and got a check as well for a picture.It's of the J 715 crew when they worked omni a couple years ago.One of the last times the CSX caboose in the yard was used.It is still in yard but wonder how long before it gets retired.Still have chores to do inside.
Busy afternoon. FD called to assist a neighboring department with a brush fire. Supplied two lines with a water/foam mixture. Thought we were done, but, no.
Shortly after I finished putting our brush truck back in service, we were called back to the same location. There was a lot of hidden smoldering going on.
The owner went in as we were leaving and did some work with a tractor. Hopefully, we're done.
On another note, missed a chance to meet with Harrison, as he was busy with family stuff while he was here. There will be other times.
Ns local was by work today.Dropped of a boxcar.They also sent 2 power moves westbound.Csx had a problem with its q 171 last night.Seems there is a dip in the Hamler diamond.It caught the plows and pulled some hoses between the engines.Going to go watch niece play ball tonight.
JPS1Why are sleeping cars called sleeping cars?
You'd think in France the term would be something like Mann's 'boudoir car' -- but instead we have the novel (1925), then the first film (1928) and then the second big-name film (1955) of 'La Madone des sleepings'... in one of the major haunts of the 'wagons-lits' (which translates roughly as bed-cars).
And this when European railroad English understands 'sleepers' as crossties in the track!
This seems as good a place as any to raise this issue. Why are sleeping cars called sleeping cars? How come they are not called room or compartment cars?
And if I book coach class on one of Amtrak's trains, does that mean that I am not allowed to sleep?
The dining/lounge car on the Texas Eagle has a "Welcome" sign by the outside door, which leads to the lower level kitchen. But passengers don't board the train through it. Do you suppose it is management's way of making the cook and servers feel welcome as they come to work?
Checked on brother today.Ns sent an eastbound powder river coal train.Matt is watching the DT&I special.They are going back to Springfield Ohio tonight.Tomorrow we are going to G+G's house.
stay safeJoe
good morning
Had a great day yesterday.People were excited about the train along the DT&I.Found out a couple of friends were on it.Deshler was also fun.Unfortuneately the wind took out one of the cameras for people to watch the trains.It will be getting fixed on Wed.New friends and old friends stopped by.Need to edit pictures and check on my brother as well today.
We've had over two inches of rain over the past couple of days; it may not be done with us yet. Today the temperature never got out of the 40s...no frost tonight, but we had to switch back to heat today (it felt good to come in from the wind outside!). By next weekend they're talking upper 80s.Caught a CP train in Bensenville yesterday. Lots of very crazy stuff on it, including a Soo Line non-revenue flat car that used to be an SP bulkhead flat, a CMQ box car that originated on BC Rail, and two covered hoppers (one PLCX, one ITLX) that had obliterated "Reynolds Aluminum" lettering on the sides. They may or may not have been related.
Well the monsoon is done for now.The ditches and swamp are full.Wouldn't want to be on Lake Erie right now.Did go to Deshler.Saw an I&O train near Hamler on the way.Did what I could at the museum.They haven't brought us a new dumpster yet.Larry will get measurements tomorrow.With the east wind and scattered showers might be a lighter crowd than in years past.Chores to do here.
The weatherguessers used "frost" in their forecast...
We were up to near +80F earlier in the week. As I type this, my weather station says it's +54.4F. Skies are clear, so radiational cooling will be the word of the night.
We still need rain. We got a few scattered showers yesterday, but my place wasn't hit by any of them. On the other hand, areas to the south of me got high winds, trees down, and power outages. It's spring!
Ns was clear after work today.Matt went into town to do yard work.The trimmer he was usuing ran out of line.Luckily I had some in my truck.We got most of the trimming done but the trimmer ran out of battery.They will make sure the battery is charged next time.Mother nature is starting to cool us down.Going to be rain tomorrow.
Ns was clear after work.Came home and took care of yardwork.Going to cool off for the weekend.Will take time to remember as we go to Deshler.Need to get some measurments for Larry.
Matt reported the Ns local was running after work.Did errands in town.Csx sent a westbound tanker train and an eastbound stack train.Will get the yardwork tomorrow.
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