Happy First day of Spring.
Yesterday we gave hugs.Seems Csx had a hiccup in Willard yesterday.We looked in the yard in Defiance.They have more cars to take to omni for scrap.We went to Fc and a couple gentlemen were moving a junk storage trailer.The rear axels were locked up and the tires were dry rotted.They got it moved.Today is officially the bosses B day.So where we are going is up to her.
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").
Spring has sprung,
The grass is riz,
The leaves have come upon the triz,
I wonder where the flowers is.
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...
You know how, when you wash your car, it rains right away on it? Well, last winter, right after our 17" snowfall, I bought a huge new snowthrower. The day I bought it was the last day it snowed. This season I used it just twice; the last time on only 2" of snow.
So I'm taking credit for this mild winter in Northeastern Ohio, and no snow last winter after I bought my snowthrower. It was expensive "insurance", but worth it!
You're all welcome. And Happy Spring!
I can't say anything about affecting Ohio's weather, but I bought a replacement (slightly smaller) non-self-propelled snowthrower in 2021. I used it only twice last winter and not at all this winter. I only used the snow shovel twice this winter.
My snowblower has been out several times this year. Not that we got huge amounts of snow, but my driveway is 75' long. Why shovel if a machine can do the work for me? And some of it has been pretty dense, either because of drifting or just plain moisture content.
We aren't getting the snow we used to.
OTOH, the St Patty's Day parade just 15 miles south of me was cancelled due to snow (lake effect) while the sun shone brightly at my house.
Standing out in the +2°F windchill while collecting money for the chicken barbeque on Sunday wasn't much fun.
Barely a day into spring and the CSX bridge in Syracuse has gotten its second overheight vehicle.
https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/tractor-trailer-hits-railroad-bridge-on-onondaga-lake-parkway-westbound-lanes-closed/
adkrr64Barely a day into spring and the CSX bridge in Syracuse has gotten its second overheight vehicle. https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/tractor-trailer-hits-railroad-bridge-on-onondaga-lake-parkway-westbound-lanes-closed/
Will say that 10'9" is mighty low clearance - with normal box trailers going at 13'6".
As I recall, my mini-motorhome was 9'8 when I bought it and 10'4" after I added the roof top AC unit.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
evening
Have seen a few of those vents below the Clinton St. viaduct from time to time.Wandered over to Indiana.The Ns yard was busy.Boss got her shopping done.Went up to Garrett and Csx was just as busy.Waiting for college boy to get home.We got supper on our way.
adkrr64Barely a day into spring and the CSX bridge in Syracuse has gotten its second overheight vehicle.
"This year...."
BaltACDWill say that 10'9" is mighty low clearance - with normal box trailers going at 13'6".
There are plenty of warning signs. If a driver is paying attention and knows his/her vehicle, they'll never come close to the bridge.
Of course, all too often, they're watching their GPS...
It's probably been said here before - the road can't be lowered (it's built on an old canal bed as it is) and raising the bridge would be cost prohibitive.
10'9" is a tight clearance on any number of subway lines. Are there any alternative routes available that would allow the underpass to be closed?
CSSHEGEWISCH 10'9" is a tight clearance on any number of subway lines. Are there any alternative routes available that would allow the underpass to be closed?
There are alternate routes - it would take a good traffic analysis to determine if the existing thoroughfares would be able to handle the traffic. Seventh North Street would likely take the brunt of the load.
Trucks have ample warning in both directions, before they actually enter the parkway. Any driver who misses the signage isn't paying attention - as has been seen numerous times. The driver of the "super bus" that struck the bridge several years ago had missed his turn (the transportation center is at 43.07687 -76.16952) and was trying to figure out how to get to said transportation center.
The bridge is located here: 43.09059 -76.19367
The Parkway is a popular route for commuters to and from the northwest suburbs of Syracuse, on the north side of Onondaga Lake. I would opine that substantial opposition would emerge were it to be suggested by officials to close the route.
I've driven it a number of times.
The rail line is the CSX St. Lawrence Sub (CR Massena Secondary). Among other things, it provides a rail connection for the Fort Drum army base and handles traffic out of Canada, including some intermodal.
Have appropriate height warning 'tell tales' been tried in advance of the bridge - such that a overheight vehicle will hit the 'tell tale' in such a manner that he WILL KNOW it before getting to the actual point of restriction and catastrophic damage.
BaltACDHave appropriate height warning 'tell tales' been tried in advance of the bridge - such that a overheight vehicle will hit the 'tell tale' in such a manner that he WILL KNOW it before getting to the actual point of restriction and catastrophic damage.
I don't know that there have ever been telltales tried - it's something I think might work, too.
If there's an issue with telltales, it's that in most cases, the height of the truck is behind the driver. Most of the cases of late have been straight axle box trucks, though, so they might be a little more effective.
I thought there were height monitors there that would set off alarms, but I may be wrong. Tied together with very bright lights, they might help.
Rumble strips might help, too, just to remind the drivers of the upcoming obstacle. Not sure the daily drivers would appreciate them...
As MC has pointed out, GPS gets some of the blame, especially if the driver is using an automotive version, instead of one tailored for trucks.
Went to Deshler today.Had some new friends come and visit.Did a few things here and there.Making a list of what needs to be done.Csx was working in West Deshler.They have ties to replace on track 2 all the way to Fostoria.Mow also shorted a signal for I 135.Little rain for tomorrow.More rain for Thursday.Time for supper.
Cal SR-70 through the Feather River canyon has been closed due to multiple mudslides with no estimate of reopening. Surprisingly, the adjacent UP Canyon sub remains open.
Reservoir inflow levels have levelled off and are being prepped for the next big storm. Lake Shasta inflow is still increasing but at a lower rate.
The latest AR passed through to the south and is hitting SoCal and Arizona pretty hard, see the Flagstaff cam for a lot of new snow fallen in the last nine hours. Even Cajon Pass is getting a little ....
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
Glenwood Canyon here in Colorado is working the slide fences in the canyon pretty hard of late. Uncle Pete has gotten his armour yellow shorts and boots dirty lately moving the rockfalls between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs. His rubber tired nemisis at CDOT is not doing much better on I-70 on the other side of the canyon. (but then stoopid trucker stunts keep shutting that down regularly)
Now if the rain & snow could just skip the mountains and get to SE Colorado a little more often.....
Morning
Ran errands here in town.The Ndw yard is a bit empty.They have more ties stacked up at Fc.The siding for the fertilizer track is mostly done.Csx MOW is working between West Standley and East Defiance.Csx sent a coke train(B 157) west and an empty coal hopper train east.Chores to do inside.Mother nature sending rain.
Took a road trip.Mother nature provided off and on rain.Went to Sandusky to check out a carousel museum.Ns also had a few car loads off coal to load on the dock there.Bellevue wasn't too much.We went down to an operation at Maple Grove along the old NKP line.They had some old switchers running and Ns sent a westbound.Came home along the B&O and followed a bulk sand hopper train west.Swamp is full.Need to do some chores.
Stayed closer to home today.The wind out of the east was pretty chilly.Stopped in Deshler.Csx ran a B 820 around the sw wye to go west.Had a Csx/cp and ns combo.Then they ran an M 560 around the Se wye to go east.He had over 200 cars.Guessers say rain for tomorrow.Chores to do.
Syruping weather - warm during the day, cold at night. Several friends are hard at it, boiling sap.
Missed the aurora last night - just never got out the back door to look. And it'll be cloudy tonight, for sure.
There was a motorcar excursion on the Adirondack last fall. Here's a link to the video, thanks to a NARCOA member I met at the Springfield show this past winter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCwDnirGz3Q
tree68Syruping weather - warm during the day, cold at night.
When I was a kid, nothing said March here on the Western Reserve more than the sight of large maple syrup buckets hanging by twos and threes on trees almost everywhere one looked in the countryside. Little villages laid out by New Englanders to look like New England often had the main roads into town lined with mature maple trees, all with hanging buckets and covers. In the summer, those trees gave a shady& cool tunnel-like entrance to the village; in the autumn, the leaves turned gold.
Maple trees, maple syrup, pancakes and pork link sausages...March in northeastern Ohio.
NKP guy...sight of large maple syrup buckets hanging by twos and threes on trees almost everywhere one looked...
While there's still plenty of folks hanging buckets (and apparently there are now bags for that purpose, too), most of the large producers have run networks of tubing to gather the sap into a central collection point.
afternoon
After last nights and todays rain, Mother Nature wants to dry us up with the wind.Checked on Brother in Edgerton.Ns sent some trains.College boy went to check on his railroad club.Chores to do here.
Checked the NDW yard today.All 5 engines were home.Patriot rail has a new sign up in the yard.Csx wasn't that busy.Saw L 376 and a couple other trains.More rain for tonight according to the guessers.Back to work tomorrow.We'll see if Ns changed out the cars.
Almost 2/3 inch of rain yesterday and today. The folks to the north of us are getting snow, though. They can have it.
Had a fellow yesterday who hit a patch of slush (we got a little snow before the changeover to all rain) and ended up in the ditch. He wasn't hurt, but his car is probably totalled.
Birds have been hitting the feeders exceptionally hard for some reason. Headed to the farm store this afternoon for a reload on sunflower seed. And suet.
West coast weather update:
Little rain for a few days but another AR is due tomorrow.
Shasta Lake capacity used has almost caught up to Lake Oroville - 80% vs 82%. Outflow of the latter is set close to inflow whereas Shasta is mostly inflow.
Tulare Lake is normally dry but the high rainfall has restored the once largest freshwater lake in CA to wetness. For some history see Wikipedia and these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w50DM5Dl89c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vno7tDj_RMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaV-vjvqHb0
Minor derailment in La Junta yard yesterday morning brought the typical over-reaction hysteria by the newsworkers (at least most, one had a chill pill after he messed-up on some facts and was trying to be real).
Fortunately this happened off the main track and did not effect Amthrax #3 or anybody passing through.
Two covered hoppers and two tank cars with fuel additive (newsworker was calling the lading crude-oil) derailed....When you pull through halfway across a variable switch and then back-up, bad things happen. Suspect one train crew is looking at a "vacation" after a dumb move (depending on the outcome of the derailment cause investigation*).
(*) wind-blown dirt and snow ("snirt") may have played into this.
A smilar thing happened here. CP put two covered hoppers carrying wheat on the gorund in Franklin Park near the east end of Bensenville yard. Senator Duckworth got all worked up saying that it showed that the Ohio incident could happen here.
Back to work Monday.Someone said it's national Joe Day.Got a brief look at the dock and the rail cars were gone.Looked like Ns was pulling a powder river coal train east after work.Chores to do here.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.