RR content? - just a reminder

I have been on vacation this first part of 2011. I have not missed working in the bad weather. Railroading in this stuff is miserable. As this is my last full year of Railroading I will try to update the blog more. I cannot take on the fly photos from the train anymore unless I am deadheading on the train and not a crew member. (I happens now and then) but there are many opportunities for photos within the guidelines of Emergency Order #26

The Smugmug link to photos is here

I also reset the SPOT for 2011. It doesn't transmit well from inside the locomotive and inside my grip. I use it primarily for the motorcycle trips but I have had requests to turn it on in the locomotive. We railroaders have groupies that tend to be techie guys.

I have an idea for mounting the goPro in unique locations on the locomotive. Look for those later.
GO to my BearSTOC.blogspot.com site for examples of the GoPro camera... say Happy Christmas present.

Happy New Year - new location link

Happy New Year everybody.

I am on vacation and just hanging out by the fire. It's been nice not having to Railroad in the bitter cold. Sometimes vacations are more work than working but this one was the exception.

I have created a new SPOTWALLA page for Where's MD (that's me)

I have PMS really bad... (that's parked motorcycle syndrome)

Do we really want to go there?

I miss the old super. I was forced to work one of my vacation days last monday. Do we really want to go there? As short handed as the RR can get they have never made anyone that I knew of work their vacation unwillingly. I was told I had to work. Maybe my new boss knew I needed to pay for the new snowblower!

On the Soap Box, off the fuel?

how about joining my family and driving a fuel efficent car? I started driving them in 1984.

OK, never mind that I ride a motorcycle (that gets 50 mph) to no where in particular for recreation and that I burn about 8000 gal. of fuel everytime I go to work.

Still, well... OK, nevermind.

Wait, I'm not done. Someone explain to me why they need a Hummer? Or a huge diesel pickup that doesn't have one single scratch in the bed.

My pickup gets 27mpg, the new car gets 38+mpg, the motorcycle gets 48+mpg

but.... The train gets 362 feet per gal, or so I was told way back when.
Per ton of freight up to 14 times more efficent than a semi-truck

As an Engineer, I can pay my own wages by caring enough to eliminate power braking. Burn dem brakes shoes I say, Burn.

RR content - kinda 10/10/10 10:10

The RR will not allow me to work because I had a sycopatic episode... again

The story is over on my other blog at:
http://michaelsbicycle.blogspot.com/

It's a lot like listening to an old guy complain about his health... OK, it exactly like

RR content - huh?

I'm in Helena standing for

Train Call Time Assign Stand Rested Available Last OS Time
CNAMRBE0DC 13:00-04 E LA14 Rested 11:15-04 huh?
Helper ? Arrive Depart 13:15-04 E
01 JACK 04 MIKE

I think its a Roundup coal empty but the C is usually a load, so... huh?

I'll go ride my bike, and wait for the call

RR content more Indian Summer

I froze yesterday. We had more Indian Summer and we also had the best A/C I've ever felt on a locomotive. The BNSFxx90 froze me out. Just like a railroader to complain about something!

Stats
Grain Train
9.5 mph up Winston
1300 - 2345 = 10"45", it was a get on and go train. We got stopped 4 times including Elton. I hate to stop there with a underpowered train.

M/C ride - Indian summer

I was just a little late and the video is a bit dark. It wasn't as dark as it looks... I'll redo it. I could not resist... we had some Indian Summer, I thought I should do Dead Indian Pass instead of repairing my roof!
Videos moved to BearSTOC.blogspot.com

New toy - GoPro

This is the first video with the new GoPro video camera

Old Hardin Road starts at just south of Billings and runs over to Hardin, MT
This will be the first road to BearSTOC.

This is the first 15 minutes give or take.
Also available here

Part 2


Gotta try it on the mountain bike next!

WeSTOC / ToadSTOC 2010

A travelogue of my motorcycle trip to Idaho, BC, AB and back to Montana will go here.

A link to the pictures is HERE



Garmin player telemetry
Part 1 - Billings to Moscow, ID
Part 2 - part 2 of Day 1 and all of Day 2 -
WeSTOC The Mother road and Rattlesnake shake backroad recon
Day 3 - WeSTOC - Rattlesnake shake run revisited, a great day with Goldie
Day 4 - WeSTOC - Rattlesnake shake with Steve and Tim
Day 5 - Headquarters / Orofino Mex / Rattlenake shake with Goldie
Day 6 - Toadrock to Calgary
Day 7 - Calgary, AB to Shelby, MT, it's winter in Canada
Day 8 - Shelby to Billings - better weather in the good 'ol USA
Much of the telemetry data was lost... just too much rain I guess.

RR content - It's a box of chocolates

Called for the unit train at 1115. I never know what that's going to be. I'll have to let you know. I like a midday call. It means I'll sleep at night. Slept at night last night and will again tonight. I could get well for a bit.

SPOT LOCATOR LINK

RR content - We been getting killed

I have been waiting for it to even out. It... is the luck that has eluded us lately. We died on the ML and 2 trips in a row. The ML (or LM) is our local traffic train that we all dodge like it's the queen of spades. RR lineup are so bad that I've always joked that the best way to dodge it is to get the crew office or lineup to say we stand for the ML. We seldom catch the train we stand for. They had us picking up 135 empty coke cars at Livingston. So stupid I asked the dispatcher twice if it that was really what they wanted us to do. Finally, I called the trainmaster. He agreed with me to pickup 41 merchandise cars and 40 empties. Still a stupid number of total cars at 165 but... we died and another crew finished the work. Turn14 has been run around 9 times in the last 3 round trips. My luck has gotta change.

RR content - In the past

Notice the time of this post. As I have mentioned here before, there is a tendency to bitch at the RR. And here and other blogs I have noticed.

BUT... wasted a day yesterday. Layed around napping now and then know I was on the lineup to go to work at 2300 hrs. Awake now and then until called for the "V" train for 6am. Daylight trip on the stack train. Great call. Piss poor lineup... no one to tell so there it is. It's often said we get paid for our inconvenience... this is one of those times.

Watch SPOT

RR content - See SPOT run

I have had a request to carry the SPOT locator while on the train. It doesn't work well in the Locomotive and inside my grip as well but it sends my location now and again.

HERE IS THE LINK