On this day...
The more
You shave
The brushless way
The more you'll be
Inclined to say--
Burma-Shave
On this day...
The more
You shave
The brushless way
The more you'll be
Inclined to say--
Burma-Shave
A little explanation would be helpful for those not in the
know.
TODAY Version 3.7 06/24/94 Copyright 1986, 1994 By Patrick Kincaid
Today is Monday September 15, 2025.
This is the 258th day of the year, there are 107 days left.
On this day...
He saw
The train
And tried to duck it
Kicked first the gas
And then the bucket
Burma-Shave
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS -- Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33)
On this day...
He saw
The train
And tried to duck it
Kicked first the gas
And then the bucket
Burma-Shave
While reading this poem I thought that it might be a favorite
of Yours and Mike since it topic is about Railroads.
Ed,
It is NO CONTEST betwen ANY vehicle and a train..whether it's
just a locomotive running light (with no other cars), or if it's
a fully loaded freight train.
One locomotive is over 300 tons...and a fully loaded freight
train is over 12,000 tons (likely much higher). If it's doing
over 50 mph, it can take from 1 to 3 miles to bring that train
to a stop, once the engineer "puts it in the big hole" (applies
the emergency brake)...and all the crew can do is "watch you die".
It's the equivalent of you driving your vehicle over a can of
soda pop or beer.
They will NEVER seat me on a jury involving a grade crossing
incident...the laws of physics win every time.
In a poem that The Good Lord gave me, called "No One Asks The
Engineer", it basically highlights the tragedy at a railroad
crossing, when a vehicle tried to beat the train. Normally, they
don't even consider the thoughts or feelings of the crew...but
as the poem notes, many had to quit, and have recurring nightmares
over the incident, which was totally preventable.
The 2 verses I highlight are as follows:
Had I been the engineer on the train that day,
And if you asked me how I felt, here is what I'd say.
"There was no way that I could stop, or out of the way, swerve".
"They ran a red light at a crossing, and got what they deserved!!".
You can read that poem at http://www.wx4qz.net/rxr.htm -- along
with a public service announcement I did for Operation Lifesaver,
the organization that promotes safety at highway grade crossings.
It takes far more inertia to stop something moving, than it does
to get it moving from a dead stop. For that matter, many folks think
that they can stop just as quick on a wet, snowy, or icy pavement,
as they can on a dry street. It easily becomes "demolition derby".
Across the Earth...we rush to beat:
1) The traffic lights at intersections.
2) The trains at railroad crossings.
3) The boats at draw bridges.
But, we'll stand patiently for 3 hours on the golf course.
You figure it out.
Daryl, N5VLZ
... Try to beat a train to a railroad crossing, and you'll be DEAD WRONG!! === MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33)
Daryl, When rereading this today I thought about Tow Boats on
the rivers and Large Vessels on the oceans.
Those can't stop quickly either.
That Captain had the same feelings that Railroad Engineers have
when vehicles are on the Tracks in front of them.
Myself, I cause Road Rage at a nearby Crossing because I slow
way down and look left and right before going through the
crossing. I do that because I am afraid there may be a
Electrical Power Failure that has prevented the Signals or
Guard Gate operating.
Yes, I am a case. They haven't found me yet.
Please don't tell em.
Ed,
<snip!>
Exactly. And, the moving current doesn't help things, either.
Normally, the crossings where electronic signals are, have a
battery backup power supply, which usually will activate the
signals, and lower the gates, when power is lost to the bungalo
signal box. However, those batteries don't last forever (as does
nothing in this life). Apparently, the signals deactivate when
the battery backup is about to run out, then they don't work at
all. At that point, it's the same is a private grade crossing
with only a crossbuck.
After Hurricane Charlie several years ago devastated much of
Florida, damaging much of the railroad and other infrastructure,
most of the signals went dark. As a result, there were "slow orders"
for all the trains (including Amtrak), and the crossings had to be
"flagged", where a member of the crew (likely the Conductor) would
get off, walk to the crossing, with a flag, and possibly the flares,
to stop traffic. When the locomotive eased into the crossing to fully
block it, the Conductor got back on, and the train went on its way.
Or, if some of the railroad management were involved as flaggers,
they had HT's to communicate with the dispatcher and the engineer,
to advise that they could proceed at restricted speed, and that the
crossing was flagged. The flagger would also check once the rear of
the train had passed, to verify that the end of train device/marker
was there, and was activated.
I remember while still living in Florida, there were warning
signs at one crossing noting that "the signals were not working,
and to use caution".
Before I had to quit driving, the grade crossing only 1/4 mile
away from my house was activated (gates down and lights flashing),
but there was no train. I called the number on the Emergency
Notification System (ENS) sign, and was told which options to
choose.
If there was a derailment, a hotbox or railcar fire (especially
if there was hazardous materials involved (with a colored placard
on the side))...you would choose option 1. If there was a vehicle
blocking the crossing, the signals weren't working, or they were
broken, to choose option 2.
On the ENS sign was the location of the crossing, the host
railroad, the milepost, and a department of transportation ID
number. You would give all that to the dispatcher at the other
end of the line. They, in turn, would change the signals, issue
slow orders, and contact the crew...along with other local area
emergency personnel. They will also dispatch maintenance of way
(MOW) personnel, to work on repairing the signals.
If this is done as soon as it occurs (or very shortly thereafter),
there is a higher chance of stopping an approaching train before it
slams into stuff at the crossing, or a derailment and fiery explosion results, which requires evacuations.
I have reported this to Union Pacific Railroad (the main railroad
through Little Rock) more than once...and I gave them my name, and
my amateur radio callsign.
Only in America...we rush to beat:
1) The traffic lights at intersections.
2) The trains at railroad crossings.
3) The boats at draw bridges.
Yet, we'll stand patiently for 3 hours on the golf course.
They probably wouldn't want you...or me, either. <G>
73,
Daryl, N5VLZ
... And there were plagues of locusts, and frogs, and MS-DOS, and MS Windows. === MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33)
Daryl, Your Tagline included DOS amoung the list of plagues
Maybe MS-DOS but not IBM-DOS.
On my 486 desktop with MS-DOS 5.0 I later added IBM-DOS 7 to it
after finding a IBM-DOS 7 CD at a thrift store.
I have always wondered if I got caught and committed if the
place would allow me to have my Kenwood TS-520S in my room.
I have a Husler Mobile antenna bottom section with upper
portions for 75M through 10M.
If the institution didn't want to hear my squeaky voice I would
bring Headsets and a J-38 Key.
At least that's the plan I have in my mind
/Portable# should work O.K. unless I was transmitting on the
15M band.
Ed,
Details, details, details. <G>
I had a fellow ham radio operator on my BBS years ago (when it was
still on dial-up. At a "flea market", he found a most unusual system,
with the following:
1) A 3.5" and a 5.25" floppy drive
2) A monochrome amber monitor (with complimentary burn-in <G>).
3) A keyboard and a mouse
What was missing?? A hard drive, and an operating system!!
So, I created a 3.5" floppy disk with the COMMAND.COM from
Windows 95, and we booted up on A: (3.5") drive. Then, on the
B: (5.25") drive, I had the minimal setup of GTO -- GT Power,
Terminal Only. At the time, it was on dial-up only. But, he was
able to logon to my BBS, and play the games...from a computer
that didn't have a hard drive or an OS!!
Don't give these folks ideas!! <G>
I went to the link on that HOA petition, entered my callsign,
and clicked SEND, once the data was populated.
That'd work...let the computer or keyer do all the work.
It depends on the propagation conditions. I'm hoping they will
get better in the winter.
73,
Daryl, N5VLZ
... I got angry at an Italian chef, gave him a pizza my mind.
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33)
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