Good morning and Happy October. Welcome to the next quarter’s installment of The Trackside Lounge. Here’s a link back to the 3Q Edition:
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/218844/2442193.aspx#2442193
…and off we go!
I’ll start this out by sharing two pictures from Monday We had an ALCo C-420 in the area. Let’s say it was one of the more photographed locos yesterday.
VLIX 7222’s cab at speed:
SD60 and C-420:
Enjoy.
Was it working, Dan, or D.I.T.?
I just saw over on Trainorders.com that there was a VLIX SD18 at Barr Yard, on the move (eventually) to Washington State. The rarest of the rare…Chessie System paint, and riding on Alco trucks! Originally C&O 1811, later 7311…it still carries 7311 as its road number.
Thumbing my nose at convention later today…riding my bike over to Wheaton to renew my driver’s license (a vision test is all they’re asking of me).
I am, apparently, a man of vision. No problem getting a new license.
On the way there, I noticed that the control-point signal bridges for the new crossovers (CP Y024, “Wheaton”) are up. The signal masts (two heads for each track) are still covered and turned away from the tracks.
The underpass for pedestrians at Chase Street is being worked on. It was finished last year, but now they’re digging out the approaches to it (and the bike path has a shoofly until they’re done). I presume that when it’s completed, they’ll be closing the grade crossing at Chase Street…that was the original plan, anyway.
Today’s Dan’s birthday. I pointed out to him that he’s outlived an entire railroad already (Wisconsin Central). But other than that, he’s just a young pup compared to some of us.
Have a great day, Dan!
Hasn’t he also outlived the WICT? Probably lots of others as well.
Good wishes to you, Dan.
Thanks for the well wishes Carl and Jim. Yesterday was a decent day trackside. Started in Neenah catching CN C701, A415, A446 and A449. Then I drove south only to miss the WSOR at Slinger/Ackerville so it was off to the CP starting at Cooney Siding. Caught 298 and 484 there. Then I headed to Reeseville for 801 and a pair of sharp looking CEFX SD9043MACs. Then to Astico for 640 with CP and DME SD40-2s and 289. Finally 800 with CSX GE power back southwest of Reeseville. Wanted to hit up UP for some action, but timing didn’t work out.
Back to work today…but it’s also Friday as I have a short week! WOO HOO!
Kind of quiet in here…that “Chatterbox”, with its charismatic proprietress, is going quite well. Nice to have it in the family.
A storm blew through here Sunday night. A UP Manager of Operating Practices was in the medical center this morning (I took Pat in for one of those examinations…or at the most, two), and he said that the lightning did a lot of damage at Proviso, hitting a locomotive and a light pole, and knocking out the hump for a time.
I hope I remember all of the birthdays coming up in the next couple of weeks. I have to get in here nearly every day for a while to catch 'em all, and at the same time help take care of a new grandson while his mother delivers a paper at DePaul University this weekend (and that will be an experience in itself–getting to DePaul’s campus in the Loop during the Chicago Marathon!). I’m hoping the CTA will be my friend.
There’s one that you shouldn’t forget Carl…hehe…
And I remembered it, too, back on the second!
As for one of the others, I picked up her card today, and we got a new laptop yesterday (awaiting setup at her computer desk in our new room).
I was booted out of the house, sort of, today, so someone could work undisturbed on a project. Since her sewing machine is in the same room as I’m sitting in right now, I suspect it’s a wearable birthday present. I had nothing that had to be done here, so I took off to Elmhurst. Caught a few good trains, and have some equipment to check out yet tonight. Had one adventure that I posted on Facebook, slightly modified here:
Attention, Elmhurst passengers:
It was my old nemesis, Automated Metra Lady. I wasn’t a passenger today, but I was in Elmhurst, so I paid attention.
The six twenty-eight train to Chicago will be boarding off Platform 1–the north platform. Please safely make your way to Platform 1–the north platform–to board this train. Thank you.
Repeated for a total of four times, as usual.
There were a few problems, though.
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This line doesn’t have trains numbered in the 600 series.
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No train is scheduled to leave from Elmhurst at all at 6:28, a.m. or p.m.
That I did note. Always appreciated! I was thinking of the one I’m aware of on the 16th.
Got the rail pursuit vehicle back from the fixer yesterday…there went $1500. I did get new ball joints, alignment, tires and shocks out of the trade though. Almost like having a new car! The downside is I now have to start saving for a new camera/lenses again.
We had 4 ex-Oakway SD60s thru here on CN yesterday, so far today it’s been three container trains (all SB) plus one empty coal train (CC marked hoppers) and another (WPSX) is due out today as well.
We have two birthdays to remember on the 16th (and the guys are only a year apart)! We have two for tomorrow as well (with a much wider spread in age).
And today we extend our best wishes to Pat, A.K.A. Boss Hen, who is celebrating (we hope!) her birthday.
Once again I am swamped with freight-car stuff, and have to fit it in around preparations for our daughter and grandson’s arrival this weekend. Pat is out shopping for more supplies right now, and I have to leave for trackside…I mean, my chore with the Historical Society, which will entail two crossings of the tracks. The past two days have yielded me a new-to-me reporting mark for my records, and three series of nearly-new cars. And I just discovered what I think is the secret of the strange numbering system of the Mosaic Company’s MOCX covered hoppers! Holy coal cars, Mookie (that’s a hint)!
"Holy coal cars, Mookie"
Well, Mookie turned her collar around backward, but didn’t get any revelations from it.
BossHen intends to celebrate “the day that won’t be acknowledged” in NY next week. (Hopefully two birds and a certain tree cross paths in Syracuse)
SJ, remember 'way back at Mookiefest, when we discussed the numbering scheme used on a lot of the utility-owned coal cars, and what you could often tell from the numbers?
MC, [tup]! And, as long as we’re being cryptic, he’s the other guy I was referring to in my post.
Got it. [tup]
Just gotta figure out when and where…
Two more birthdays to celebrate today. I have to put Pat’s first…she’s now older than I am for a little bit. Happy birthday to the love of my life, and my favorite co-conspirator!
(I’m up early because there’s an apple crisp in the oven to be finished in time for breakfast.)
And Willy’s another year older today. Still furloughed, judging from the total lack of clouds and bad weather we’ve been having here. Happy birthday, Willy!
Happy Birthday to Pat and Willy. If this nice, albeit unseasonable weather, is due to Willy being off of work…then I hope he has lots of vacation.
Working on sorting some train lists for a friend…then out to cut the grass and who knows?
Today has been a waiting sort of day. We were first waiting for daughter’s friend to drop off some baby clothes for our California grandson, who is going to encounter brisk fall weather for the first time.
Then wait for the tech guy to plug in and bring up our new PC. I’m back on the Mac right now; it has also survived an upgrade to this week’s standards (it was the first time this computer has been described as being “long in the tooth”!).
And now, we have to wait a few hours for the plane to arrive. Ironic–they’re coming from sunny California on Alaska Airlines. Baby seems to have taken to flying all right. The car seat is ready for the midnight ride from O’Hare.
Tomorrow Linus meets his aunt and cousins; Sunday I get to accompany him on his first train ride!