No more vacation / less than 90 days

I am marked up... LA25-01... turn is out of town I should work THURS... with a little luck.. steal the Stack Train from Jack!

We don't often get to do this in JAN in Montana. Nice to get out and ride... no traffic at all.

I'm on vacation but there still be some railroading going on

We are in Memphis for the Holidays.

This little guy is too cute for words... bought this for my Harry Potter addicted daughter but guess who likes it? We are not allowed to turn it off while he is awake.

ML home LM up, Dodging Winter - 135 to go

Caught the ML ribbon rail home and turned right around to catch the LM back out on our rest... at least that is what the current lineup shows... never mind we are not rested yet so it won't really happen... this is bogus information.. I sure get tired of that.
Train Call Time Assign Rested Available
MLAUMIS118 09:30-17 R LA26 LA26 07:55-17 09:55-17
Helper Arrive Depart 11:30-17 E

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job. Last trip before vacation for 6 weeks. I'm dodging winter.

EDIT UPDATE 0930: we ended up getting a Grain Train at 1130... rather have the LM!
GTHPKAL915 11:30-17 R LA26 LA26 Rested 09:55-17 EBLGS A 09:30-17
Helper Arrive Depart 13:00-17 E

2045 Update 2 from Helena... tied up at 2045... that's 8'45" on duty on a "heavy"... very rare, very rare

Didn't work much last half - put in a bunch of vacation days -

START DATE/TIME END DATE/TIME DESCRIPTION CREW

2011/12/04 2130 2011/12/05 1015 LA24 LA24
Job: LA24 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: HKCKPAS902
2011/12/05 2320 2011/12/06 0745 LA24 LA24
Job: LA24 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: ECECSCM139
2011/12/09 2230 2011/12/10 0845 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GSSDTAC909
2011/12/11 0230 2011/12/11 1030 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: ECECCAM001
2011/12/14 2145 2011/12/15 0945 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GHGMINB913

You would think they would learn - 136 days left

I hate to complain... it's so common.

Dispatchers have got to where they are hard pressed for some reason to give us information.

We caught the U-MISLAU... it was an empty ribbon rail train.

Years ago they tacked one of these trains on the rear of my 196 train. I warned the Helena trainmaster it wasn't a good idea. The equipment is old and the cars are light. It's a recipe for sliding wheels. My complaint was ignored. We went through Lombard and the crew there told us we had wheels sliding. It was so cold that it was impossible to get a good release. I had stopped the train, made a full service and continued but because the ribbon rail train was so far back there we could not see it. 5-7" flat spots on 9 cars were the result. We set 7 of them out at Stanley and 2 more at Clarkston.

I caught this one today at 0035. Dark but only 35 cars... We had the MRL 256... the bell quit, the radio didn't have a screen, it had flat spots and we had to inspect the power. We also had the MRL 290... both with red ball paint. I intended to get pics after I was off duty but it didn't happen. Photo above is my file photo in the old paint. Is this the last blue power I will ever run?... kinda fun, I do like the old stuff.

I thought maybe they had learned a lesson with these trains. Nope... doomed to make the same mistake they wanted to have us pickup the east ML traffic at Livingston. Too bad they didn't ask us until we were nearly to Big Timber. We did pick up the Mean Green Machines (The shuttle power) It would have worked as it has been unseasonably warm so far this year.

163 left - Deadhead...NOT!

Pretty good snowstorm overnight.

RR: Looked at the lineup and stood for a deadhead at 10am but it was already past 8. Called the crew caller and let him know I was willing to deadhead BY TRAIN ONLY. The roads are way too slick to deadhead by crew van. Now I'm on the lineup for 1600 Coal load. They do listen? Who knew.

Tried to fire up the new snow blower... it would not start. Diagnosed it as old gas. Draining it now while I post this. Piss poor design... impossible to get to the air inlet... there is no air cleaner! There was one bolt behind a welded bracket. The engine would have to be removed to get to it. Bent the bracket - hey it isn't an airplane so what.

Update: As I left to go to work I noticed the snowplow had buried the sidewalk again.... grrrr

RR update: under 10 hours on a Coal load in 3F weather... pretty much unheard of and surprising cause the power looked like junk. Heat did not keep up... we were wearing 2 coats and 2 sweatshirts and the winter gloves that my coneheaded boss gave me. Also the fridge didn't work... had to ask for ice and it was 3F outside.

182 - New car smell

0610 Caught the Pasco-Kansas City... very long at 8147 feet. 3 big units and uner 6000 tons. Solo Bozeman pass. I jumped onto a temp so that I could watch the World Series. First time I saw every game.

Had the Roadmaster with us and then was banner tested by the Roadforeman. Last test ever for me he says!.

We set about 50 (of the 122) cars out at *****. Made for a long day but at least it was a long DAY not night.

Drove around the Convoy new car depot in Laurel to see if my new car was in. I must have missed it because when I drove by the dealer it had just unloaded off the truck. I remembered I bought my first Honda (used) on Halloween. It was a 1984 Civic S. Not an Si... the Si didn't come out 'til '86. Last car I'll ever buy... right Kelly!?

191 - Reflections and Baseball

191 days 'til retirement.

A few posts ago I promised more about the RR and less about me. Forget that for a bit.

After a very busy period at the RR I qualified for Federal Rest. It was good fortune for it to occur during the World Series. I'm not a rabid fan but I do still enjoy baseball. I was too small to be effective but I did have good fundamentals and was quick enough to steal bases. I hate what has happened to the proffesional game with the money and steroids.

There was a time when the game had more honor. Mickey Mantle would have played for free. He often said so. Each year during the playoffs and the Series I get reflective at what a perfect time that I was a kid. Baseball was good, but the world was not always.

Mickeys career was over in 1969, the year I was a Senior. Martin Luther King was shot on my birthday in 1968. We were embittered as a country by the Viet Nam war. We did learn that peaceful demonstration could change the world.

I was nine years old when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris had their run at Babe Ruth's homerun record in 1961.

Bob Turley was a pitcher for the Yankees and won the Cy Young in 1958. He was a great friend of Yogi Berra. We have no Idea how he is related to us, but it was alot of fun that he was on the same team anyway. Greed ruined my affinity for the Yankees.


My Stepmother was big on nicknames and called my Mickey one time in 1961. I liked it so much I quit answering to anything else. My family still calls me Mick or Mickey on occasion. Even a couple of co-workers do too. They know I am a fan. I still prefer Michael or Mick to Mike.

Side note: As I wrote this post. I was watching a movie "Something God Made" about Vivien Thomas... I thought to include this link as it made another impact on me. I remember White Only Signs even though I was unaware of the treatment of folks in the south. The photo at the top was taken in New Orleans about 1963.

193 - Federal rest

It is no easy feat to achive federal rest but I've just done it. So a few days off. Here is some of the stupid parts of the Federal Rest regulations. Excuse the RR jargon. Just a few points:

1. Our clock can be reset at the AWAY from home terminal.
2. Longer trip duration makes it harder to work 2 days in a row because there are only so many hours in a day. Example a couple of months ago I worked 16 hours and could not possibly get rested in time to work the next day, so it was a "day off" This actually happens without the 16 hour tour... that is just an extreme example.
3. Justice Scalia.. who coined the term Limbo Time... I dare him to follow me for 3 months... it would kill the old geezer. Finally they have started counting the Limbo time like it was intended.

On a lighter note...
















Photo above from a railfan from Ohio that I met as we were changing crews at Reedpoint

196 - Now and then

CEBMSPB114 22:45-17 R LA21 - that's 5 days in a row, tomorrow will be 6
they will freak, We will have required federal rest upon returning to Laurel


Railroaders have a tradition of bitching. Now and then I fall into the trap.

I have edited / deleted this paragraph!

I don't do blame or grudges and I'm hard to hurt with 196 days left, 6 weeks of vacation looming and a new car on order.

We had such a bad meet at Lombard, (and no, that wasn't the issue I had)
I had time to take some legal photos.. I stole the idea from an actual photographer / author Martin Burwash

201 - last RR rules exam... or is it?

Today I'll ride the ST over to Laurel for the last RR rules exam ever. Maybe I'll be the giver instead of the givee huh John?

204 Stack train

Stack Train... remains to be see if this thing has any priority.

Update: It didn't... 9 hour trip on a 6 hour train... 4 sidings.

213 - unit train

I've got a picture somewhere of the blade train

It'll be another all nighter but a 55 mph train helps if traffic is light

214 - never fails again

Got a call from Underiner Honda... they found me a 2011 Si... that'll work
Waiting for a new car makes it easier somehow


RR content - never fails again... take some time off.. deadhead and catch the ML... little sleep, 13 hour trip all night, non promoted asst., they are killing me. I love my job, I love my job, I love my job.
Deadheaded up to Helena yesterday arriving 1140.
ML for 0245, should be the end of the half

START DATE/TIME END DATE/TIME DESCRIPTION CREW
2011/09/18 1000 2011/09/18 1345 DEADHEAD LAUREL POOL LA12
Job: DHLA 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: DHLAV
2011/09/19 0115 2011/09/19 0935 LA12 LA12
Job: LA12 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: MSPOLAU118
2011/09/20 2215 2011/09/21 0810 LA12 LA12
Job: LA12 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GBYLRGT919
2011/09/21 2245 2011/09/22 0735 LA12 LA12
Job: LA12 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: XKALMNS921
2011/09/23 1500 2011/09/24 0005 LA12 LA12
Job: LA12 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: MLAUMIS124
2011/09/24 1745 2011/09/25 0100 LA12 LA12
Job: LA12 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: ERBESXM156
2011/09/28 0800 2011/09/28 1140 DEADHEAD LAUREL POOL LA21
Job: DHLA 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: DHLAV
2011/09/29 0245 2011/09/29 1530 LA21
Job: LA21 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: MMISLAU128

220 - faster, faster, faster.

220 - quick turn around but more daylight... it's a good trade.

They cut the board/turns so we will work faster, faster, faster.

And I have a different asst. The King is back.

more to follow... right now chores, I'll actually get something done a home
(I don't usually do these posts at home)

START DATE/TIME END DATE/TIME DESCRIPTION CREW
2011/09/16 0001 2011/09/16 0001 LAYOFF for CoSTOC
2011/09/16 2400 2011/09/16 2400 TRAVEL BACK
2011/09/17 0001 2011/09/17 0001 MARK UP
2011/09/17 2400 2011/09/17 2400 TRAVEL BACK
2011/09/18 1000 2011/09/18 1345 DEADHEAD LAUREL POOL LA12
Job: DHLA 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: DHLAV
2011/09/19 0115 2011/09/19 0935 = 8'20"
Job: LA12 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: MSPOLAU118
2011/09/20 2215 2011/09/21 0810 = 9'55"
Job: LA12 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GBYLRGT919
2011/09/21 2245 2011/09/22 0735 = 8'50"
Job: LA12 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: XKALMNS921