Sounds like something we should do with the U.S. Congress and Senate.
Term limits are for lazy non-voters.
I agree. But we have a certain senator that makes a mockery of our legislature, when he could do a lot of good instead. Term limits gave us a few years of relief - until he was voted back in by the non-voters in his district.
Tree: Elephant’s Head New York? Really? [8)]
morning
water is going down. good day to dry out.More rain expected tomorrow.
stay safe
Joe
Well, after a damp Saturday and a very wet Sunday, Thomas has left the building. Plenty of excited kids (and not a few excited parents) paid us a visit.
The photo operation was a bit painful. Not because the photographers were bad - they were excellent. but some kids get very shy and simply don’t want to pose. A “blooper reel” of people’s attempts to get Junior to look at the camera and smile would be most entertaining.
Now it’s recovery time. It was three very long days (after a similar three days last weekend). And then on to “normal” tourist railroading.
If I get any of the video, I’ll share. And there may be some stuff shared on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad FB page.
evening
work trying to fit 5 days into 4.Ns very busy.People cleaning up in some areas,sandbagging in others.Had sprinkles so far today.time for chores.
stay safe
Joe
It’s hot and dry here–100 or so in the afternoon, and down to the mid seventies by sunrise. St. George is even hotter–getting up to at least 105 in the afternoon; another reason to not live there (no trains, either).
Yesterday evening, many of Katies’ bees came out and rested on the front and sides of the hive; apparently their airconditioners were unable to fully handle the load. Katie put an umbrella by the hive today to reduce the sunlight falling on it.
Carl - saw a CNW covered hopper on a CSX eastbound this past weekend. The paint and markings were intact, if faded, although it had been patched for a private car owner. Didn’t have a chance to note the reporting marks.
With a half hour of “down time” between arrivals and departures of Thomas, and a 20 MPH slow order on CSX in both directions through Utica, it was easy to spot cars. CSX ordered 20 MPH and lots of noise through as a result of our crowds (we estimate we had 10,000 for the event, over all).
Lots of ex-CNW covered hopper cars around these days, including a few that probably would be unrecognizable any more, due to extensive rebuilding. About the only series that is relatively unscathed are the 490000-series (built originally for malt) and most of the small-cube cars (in demand for frac sand now).
I trust you were “A most useful engineer”!
There was a lot of horn-blowing at our local station today, but I think it was due to platform construction. Tomorrow is supposed to be the first day that our station is accessible to handicapped passengers once again since construction began about a year ago. New portions of the platform are to be opened, and portions of the still-existing platform closed off for rebuilding. Pat and I will be taking a guest down to the city tomorrow, so we’ll all get the chance to check it out.
Various CSX engineers had various takes to making noise. With some, it was just a quick toot-toot repeated as they travelled through the station area. Another blew the full crossing warning almost continously from well before to well after the station. I think he did an out-and-back trip from Selkirk to Dewitt and return, as later that same day, an eastbound engineer did exactly the same thing.
If I was in Thomas’ cab, I’d usually give a couple of quick toots which were often returned by the passing CSX trains.
afternoon
well no rain yet(don’t need to add to the total).Ns local was uptown.Also saw a very faded pair of BNSF engines go west with a stack train.UP sent a buisness train to North Baltimore yesterday.Heard it would go back west today but I was at work.Work still busy.Chores to do.
stay safe
Joe
The other day, Sunday I think, the eastbound Salad Shooter (Railex Z train) went around us at Denison, IA. I only recognized it from the lists I ran of on-duty crews and expected trains. Inaddition to the normel complement of reefers, it had a fairly good block of box car traffic. Once I got in, I checked it’s consist. The box cars weren’t going to the Railex facility although all the loads were foodstuffs or beverages of some kind and were going to or via CSX. I don’t know if this was an emergency move or if they are going to start doing this regular.
One other think I noted, was that there were a few reefers going to Railex in Florida. I remember hearing they were going to open up a facility down there, but didn’t know it was up and running.
Jeff
We got about an inch of rain overnight, but nothing debilitating. Syracuse, on the other hand, got an inch and a half of rain in an hour (and two and a half inches overall) which overwhelmed the drainage system causing a great deal of flooding.
There was so much water in the system that manhole covers were forced off (by design). Numerous vehicles got stuck in high water, and the effort to push one out resulted in a man falling into an open manhole. They haven’t found him yet.
It’s not raining here now, but the radar leaves the impression we’ll see more later.
Off to other chores…
Yet, another rainy day here in Missouri’s Park Land. Co-workers that live in Park Hills have told me that Union Pacific is detouring trains down the line listed as “Out of Service” from Derby Junction in Park Hills (nee Evlins) to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. This makes me believe that Ste. Genevieve has closed their Mississippi River flood gate over Union Pacific’s track. Unfortunately for me, this happens when I am at work. There are a few scenic places I would like to photograph these moves. In the nine years I have lived here, I have wished to see a train in those places. Maybe, this weekend I will have a chance.
I looked at those flood gates on Google Earth. They appear to mean business.
afternoon
work is done for the week.Will be busy next week for sure.Ns had a westbound in the siding and a westbound coming when I left work.Tomorrow it’s off to G+G house.Chores to do.
stay safe
Joe
Here are the flood gates:
I guess, the rails get pulled to close the gates?
A close look on Google Earth street view shows concrete beneath the gates and between the rails so no need to pull them. There may be some leakage but the gates will hold most of it back. Perhaps they stuff something in the flangeway.
It looks similar to the arrangement in New Orleans along the riverfront. There is a concrete sill across the tracks that the gate seals against. As far as I know, the grooves in the sill for the flanges are not sealed, but the water leaking through can easily be handled by the drainage pumps. You can see the sill in this view from Google Earth street view:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulofcov/19182837079/in/dateposted-public/