Here’s the obligatory link (http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/159482/1825209.aspx#1825209) to the last version. Welcome 2010 (in a couple of hours anyway lol) and I hope it’s a good one for everyone.
Anyone care to list any ‘resolutions’ they might have?
I have a ton of “decluttering” to do.
I have a few…
Restore (with help) my health. Outpatient heart surgery in two weeks will be a start.
Lose the fear of retirement.
I’m a poor de-clutterer, so I’ll try and restore the clutter into a usable, organized, entity in the dungeon.
Get back to freight-car research (and dissemination) that keeps pace with the sightings.
Keep in touch with the friends I’ve made on this Forum–and hopefully meet a few more!
I have one:
To not make any New Year’s resolutions.
To not break my New Year’s resolution.
Wait a minute…
[oops]
Don’t see why you fear retirement Carl…You live right in the heart of railroad land and and other aspects of it surely are secure…I will admit it really took me most of one year to really finally “do it”…But haven’t looked back.
Organized confusion?
Happy (and better) New Year to all!
Johnny
LOL Jim! I was going to say 1024x768 and/or 8.1 MP…but…[swg]
Mine:
1-Get a better job.
2-Be a better Husband/Father
3-Try to ask one good question per day (if possible)
Sure. Burn through the last of my 35mm Kodachrome before I can’t get it developed anymore! Other than that, be a little safer in my everyday activities than I was last year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!
Interesting story:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1966874,ferruginous-hawk-nursed-back-to-health-123109.article
I guess the incident happened last summer. The CP train terminated at Bensenville.
Happy New Year everyone!
I will keep this brief since my right hand is still messed up from the fall I took on Dec. 10.
I will have to unpack my clutter that was packed hurriedly after the flood in Nov. so I can de-clutter my clutter and then repack said clutter in a more orderly manner.
Curling is now a bust for the rest of the season. I will have to leave the realm of participant and join the ranks of couch potatoes and watch it wherever it occurs. TV, streaming video or whatever.
Bruce
To My Friends…
After serious and cautious consideration, your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2010!
My Wish for You in 2010
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be those of joy.
May the problems you’ve been having forget your home address!
[i]In simple words…
May 2010 be the best year of your life![/i]
Carl:-
Whadda great list of sentiments. I’m severely, sorely, and terribly impressed - my highest accolade!
Cheers to you too!
/s/ Bob
Thanks, Bob! I wish I could say that it was original (it was forwarded to me by my sister).
Very rough day at work yesterday–I’m almost scared to go back there! We’re starting out with a temperature of zero here, which won’t make things easier. I’m so glad it’s “Friday”–would have been worse if I’d had a full week!
So…
UP can’t hump well when it’s cold? [swg] Sorry, couldn’t resist! LOL!
I wonder if the lumber business may be picking up. The last couple of days on CN I’ve seen lots of empty centerbeam cars headed north. We’ll see if they start coming south again. I’ll send 'em to Murphy.
So…
UP can’t hump well when it’s cold? [swg] Sorry, couldn’t resist! LOL!
I wonder if the lumber business may be picking up. The last couple of days on CN I’ve seen lots of empty centerbeam cars headed north. We’ll see if they start coming south again. I’ll send 'em to Murphy.
So…
UP can’t hump well when it’s cold? [swg] Sorry, couldn’t resist! LOL!
I wonder if the lumber business may be picking up. The last couple of days on CN I’ve seen lots of empty centerbeam cars headed north. We’ll see if they start coming south again. I’ll send 'em to Murphy.
Brian, I mean, Dan!, whatever you’re incineratin’ there, keep in mind that I personally stay toasty warm and have no problems! [;)]
My theory is that the worst problems may be caused by the switch lubricants, that seem to impede the movement of the points to a degree (sorry!) during cold weather. (Understand that no snow has fallen for several days now.) If it gets really bad, the points remain open, and we don’t get the indication we require. One good reason why we are watching both the switches and our control panels very closely. We had several failures today, but no further incidents.
So far, I haven’t seen any stark evidence of a business upturn, such as blocks of once-stored empties on the move to appropriate locations. But rumors persist that some of our yard jobs will be coming back soon.
Carl, you hinted at an answer to my question for you. How do the sub-freezing temps. make your job harder? The switch lubricants thicken (right?). What else? Do cars roll faster or slower? How about slowing the cars?
Just curious!
Cold weather (exclusive of any additional problems caused by snow and ice) definitely makes the cars roll more slowly. Things that normally slow cars down (such as track curvature and brakes not fully released) can conspire to stop a car, sometimes even on the leads. Everything seems stiffer, so we try and compensate to a degree by less retarding of the cars. Nonetheless, we still have to kick a few of them down into the track.
Retarder function isn’t impaired by the cold so much, because a retarder in regular use gets warm in a hurry. As mentioned in previous posts, though, mechanical and hydraulic functions of the retarders can be affected. And, of course, ice on the retarders or the cars going through them can affect their ability to hold the cars.
Carl:
IF your yard is like most yards, that switch lubricant is an organic red or white grease instead of the black/grey graphite & petroleum based stuff? The organic stuff is lousy near zero (hardly viscous) and turns to an ucky gel that mixes with engine sand and dirt to become reddish asphalt. The manufacturers claim you can put the stuff on with a paint brush, but a stick or spatula is a more appropriate tool even in warm weather.
Used to be I would see ground monkeys sneaking around this time of year with carman’s long-neck journal oil cans in the yard because the track department refused to oil switch plates acct. threats from the environmental engineers and upper level supervisors on inspection trips.