Where in heck did this whole thread come from? I have participated in this forum for years and do not recall one time where religion was ever mentioned. Let’s drop it now.
PS: I believe the big bang was caused by GE tubrocharger “lag”.
Years ago, before Metra (Chicago) installed city electric for the suburban trains at the overnight layover points, the trains used to be left on “standby” power from the locomotive (F40PH) overnight during cold weather. When we would leave the station for the first time, when we would go to the 8th notch, the flames that would shoot out of the top of the locomotive were quite a sight to behold, especially early in the morning when it was still dark out. You could look in the mirror on the cabcar and see the flames! Occasionally the buildup would be so huge, that when the turbo kicked in, the engine would bog down and sometimes die. We learned to advance the throttle slowly the first time in the morning.
And yes, sometime they did a sort of ‘bang’ when all that fuel ignited.
Big Bang: be it an earthly train, or, from above: will we ever be able to see the “Big Bang” someday? When you look up at a star (as you’re standing next to your train at night) <---- railroad related thread disclaimer…you’re actually looking back into time. If a star is 5 light years away, what you’re now seeing was sent 5 years ago from that star. As the Hubble Space Telescope looks deeper into the universe, it’s showing us sights that had occurred several thousand years ago. So, if an even larger space telescope is sent up that allows us to peer further into space (and time), could we eventually see the creation of the universe as we “catch up” with the light that was transmitted at the time of creation? Of course, if that same type of large space telescope was already in place by another universe and it was aimed in our general direction, they probably would see that “Big Band and Flash” that was produced by those locomotives that were mentioned earlier. <----- 2nd Railroad related thread disclaimer.
I think trainluver1 is talking about some of the signatures, not the posts.
If you don’t like 'em, don’t read 'em. Freedom of speech, etc, works both ways.
I thought the Big Bang is when the NYC and PRR became Penn Central.
Mitch
The term “big bang” was coined by a guy who didn’t believe in it. In fact, IIRC, he was using the term with some derision, referring to those who do. He believed (as I do) that the universe is infinite in space and time. No beginning. No end. Just a continuum.
OFF [soapbox]
In my less than professional opinion as someone that considered an astronomy minor in college: No, we couldn’t. Even if we could construct a telescope with enough resolving power, the universe (which would be quite a strange concept, observing the entire universe as an external viewer while still contained with in the universe) would be too dense an object and its light, while extremely bright at the time, would be far too diffuse for us to get a good long look. It would look like a great ball of stuff that would could not see in to. And even if we could actually observe that, then you’d have trouble seeing what came before that when we didn’t have atoms and such. And before then, we can’t observe anything that happened before Planck time at all because physics as we know it didn’t function the same way. It would be like trying to play a game of baseball using football rules. Since the Big Bang would have happened before Planck time, we couldn’t see it.
Calling it the Big Bang is an awful term. It inspires such great visions of an unimaginably powerful explosion, when it really would have just been space being added between stuff at a fast rate. Nothing really moved, like in an explosion, but the distance between everything got bigger. Its a very hard thing to grasp at first.
As for that superdense ball of matter that popped, I figure God created the mechanism that created it or it was just kinda there and didn’t need to be created, but that’s just me.
Well put!
Why is it that many people cry “freedom of expression” but these same people want to immedietly “fry someone in hot oil” if their signature or comment has bits of religion mixed in?
Guys, please forgive me if I offend some of you but I’ve noticed that most of the
“Political Correctness ***” in this country are extremely hypocritical. [V][X-)]
On a quality forum like this one, it is so easy just to move on.
So far I haven’t seen anyone here trying to impose their religious or non-religious views on anyone.
Now please: Can we jump back onboard our forum “Train”?
10-4 and High Greens!
I thought big bang was what happened to the caboose when the slack ran in!
BTW - In a civil society, it is up to the opinionated to try not and offend with their opinions and up to those who may be offended to tolerate the offense. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and! And neither should have to remind the other of their obligation.
I like that! I am going to print that off and put it right here on my desk!
Mook [tup]
Hey, if I mention that I use a prayerbook for one particular hymn, just because the page number is 484, and so it is easy for me to find it, do I offend you?
“Big steam hog, big four eight four.”
That was the end of a poem by a Southern Pacific engineer who wrote it just after completing a successful run with one of the black SP “War Babies” that were not painted into Daylight colors lile the other 4-8-4’s. I think I was about 16 or 17 (1948 or 1949) when I read it TRAINS. I would sure like to see that poem again, with the excellent photograph. I don’t have the issue. Maybe somebody else does and can post the poem.
The interesting thing is two weeks ago, another student (I’m 73, he is about 21) asked me why I used that praybook. And I told him. And then I went into a long a detailed discussion about what a 4-8-4 is, what railroads used them, when, what the diesels’ arrivals meant, and he listened fascinated. So maybe I have “evangelized” a new railfan. I hope to follow up. Do any of you remember the story “Caboose Chaplain” about the Army railroading in Iraq during WWII in Railroad Magazine? Or the story in TRAINS about chapel coaches? (One of the first was on the Boston Board of Trade’s pioneering transcontinental trip to California shortly after completion of the first transcontinental.) And chapel streetcars and interurbans also!
Can we avoid being pigheaded about this issue?
It is not only Christian Zeolots or Muslim Fanatics or Haradi Jewish extremists who are FUNDAMENTALISTS! Anyone who says all my opinions are right and I won’t listen to yours is the same, regardless of the philosophy espoused!
I presume that asking the administrator to delete this annoying thread might be a violation of someone’s rights and offend some people, but I think it should go, in spite of the many good things that have been said.
A person’s signature is his signature, and whether you respect it, are offended by it, or ignore it is up to you.
Trainluvr, I’m saying a prayer for you.
There are a few members who indicate that they place God as their Master in all things during life. Perhaps a small signature or a quiet “Have a blessed day” or similar in various posts…
No where have I seen pulpit hammering salivia spitting zealots [soapbox] on the subject of Religion on the forums.
This thread is the first I have seen that specifically dealth with Religion, not trains.
I personally feel that with the Laws of the United States that speech is free to all and opinions are subject to review by anyone. There are people who live in Nations that will threaten to put them to death for speaking out on half of the things we Americans do.
God has given us this freedom, let us enjoy it and maybe learn from each other. Usually of late, the flaming and disrespect in some of the older topics which really went very badly due to a few belly-shoving boors who just cannot keep mouths shut. This to me was the worse issue than religion.
[#ditto] – only I thought it was Alco turbocharger lag![:D]
Jim is confused about this thread
What does tick me off that sometimes, a person comes in here, and trys to start stuff, like Missouri did.
I never thought religion was even on this forum until I read this thread.Sure,some signatures reveal a persons faith,but we usually read this forum for the posts,not the signatures.No one here is cramming religion down anyones throat.If you don’t like religion, don’t read the signatures.
Have a nice day[:)].
this is the strangest post there ever was. who died and left him in charge . It is a open forum and if he dont like what he reads then he needs to go some where else. In fact i am a somewhat spiritual man and believe that eveyone should have something to believe in…Right now i believe i need a beer…
Maybe what’s also bothering tranluver is the fact that so many country & western songs freely mix religion and railroading, aka “Long Black Train”, “If You Leave This Way You Can Never Come Back”, etc. Then of course these songs end up as topics on this forum, and it reminds him of something he’s trying to put out of his mind.
I thought the Big Bang was when Penn Central declared bankrupcy[}:)]!
Aw Wabash - I have missed your view from the other side. Keeps life from getting too heavy!
Mook