The Atlantic & Southern Saturday Report

Started by Judge, January 05, 2019, 03:59:09 PM

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Judge

November 16, 2019 Saturday Report

  There is no formal Saturday Report today because it is the Babe's monthly appointment day to travel to Mount Dora.

  HOWEVER, there is a story.  It is one of courage and daring by an unlikely hero whom we have all gotten to know over the last few months.

                                                                                                       RUNAWAY ON THE OVALIX
                                                                                                                           OR
                                                                                                   HOW SHORTSTACK GOT PROMOTED

  Sometimes railroad tracks get slick with ice.  The humidity and temperature have to be just right.  When they align just so, ice forms on the rails.  This is rare in Central Florida, but it is not unheard of. 
  Ice poses a danger to heavy trains, especially on a downgrade.  Unless the sander is operating and Mr. Westinghouse's invention is providing plenty of air, the drivers on steam locomotives tend to slide out of control.
  One chilly November morning, Shortstack arrived at the yard at Summit to begin his chores, sweeping up the floor of the yard office. 
  Meanwhile, engineer "Patti" Miller was at the ready track raising steam in ACL's Russian decapod, number 8000, for a run down to the Midlands with a load of 21 hoppers, all of which were full of coal.  The steamer would never have been loaded with so many hoppers if the trip was upgrade on the Ovalix, but 8000 was rated to make the downgrade without difficulty so long as a capable crew was handling the engine.

                                                                                                   


  Once the dispatcher gave the go-ahead, 8000 took up slack and started the trip to the Ovalix.
  Shortstack finished his chores in the yard office prior to 8000's departure and decided to hitch a ride to the Midlands in the caboose, along with the conductor and the hind shack.
  As the little decapod started downgrade, Miller noticed ice on the rails and a look of concern crossed his face.  Standard procedure handling an icy downgrade involved sanding the rails and cautiously applying the air to maintain a slow descent of 5 to 10 miles per hour.
  MIller turned on the sander as the engine began to increase speed and then applied the air, seeking about a 10% reduction.  NO RESPONSE!  MIller moved the airbrake handle back and forth, but no luck.  Now 8000 was sliding down the track on the slick rails and picking up speed.  Train would soon exceed the 25 mph speed limit on the Ovalix and be running out of control.
  Miller called for more steam and his fireman responded with several shovels full of coal into the firebox.  Miller tried to set the reverse lever into the back corner, hoping between the sand and the rotating drivers, the train would get under control.  That might have worked on an 1870 ten-wheeler, but not on a Russian decapod.  Since all else seemed to have failed, Miller decided to make some noise to warn of the impending danger of a runaway train.  So, Miller filled the Ovalix with short whistle blasts from 800's three chime whistle, signaling an emergency.
  Shortstack, who never missed an opportunity for a little shut-eye on company time, was napping in the caboose when Miller began to whistle.  He decided it would be better to face the danger head-on instead of waiting for it in the caboose, so he climbed over the coal hoppers heading for the engine.  The train picked up speed and was approaching "Greg Speed" as Shortstack made his way towards the engine. 
  When he reached the car coupled behind the tender, Shortstack, who had some limited experience railroading, noticed the angle cock connecting the air hose between the tender and the first hopper had been disconnected.  He climbed down the ladder from the top of the hopper to the coupler, which was no mean feat, because the cars were now lurching to and fro and threatening to derail.
  Shortstack reached down and recoupled the hoses.  Then he climbed over the coal pile in the tender and told Miller to try the air.  Miller waited a few seconds to give the air time to build up and then applied a standard reduction.  To the crew's delight, the air began to hold and the train slowed.  By the time it reached the Midlands, it was under control. 
  The Superintendent boarded the train at Sanlando and demanded an explanation of the incident.  He also wanted to know why the likes of Shortstack was in the cab.  Miller explained the situation and suggested the train had been sabotaged by angle cocking hobos who were refused a ride down the Ovalix. 
  "Well, Shortstack," said the Superintendent, "you've earned a heap of thanks from the Atlantic & Southern Railroad and in appreciation, I am promoting you to brakeman.  Report to the roundhouse and get your name on the extra board.
  Needless to say, Shortstack was thrilled with his newfound status.  Imagine, a shiftless skonk like Shortstack getting promoted from sweeper to brakeman.  He began making plans to move out of the Bottoms and maybe even getting a girlfriend.  Anticipating Travis Tritt by forty years, Shortstack composed a poem that later became the basis for a country and western hit, the first line of which went, "A woman warm and willin', that's what I'm lookin' for, cause the whiskey I've been drankin' ain't workin' anymore."
  But the story of Shortstack's girlfriend will have to wait for another day.

jimmillho

Now that is a real funny story.

Jim (no relation to "Patti") Miller

BandOGuy

Hope Shortstack didn't take on any airs with his promotion.
Working on my second million. I gave up on the first.

PRR Modeler

Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
Freelanced PRR Bellevue Subdivision

jrmueller

Another terrific story and glad to hear Shortstack was promoted.
Jim Mueller
Superintendent(Retired)
Westchester and Boston Railroad

GPdemayo

Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

Judge

#441
Atlantic & Southern Railroad Saturday Report - November 23, 2019  Temperature in Central Florida - Sunny and mid-80's.  Sorry about that.

The Directors of the A&S met promptly at 0830 hours.  Items of discussion included the purchase and installation of the CEO's new computer and disposition of Pennsy equipment that has been deposited on A&S property for sale or other disposition.  Surplus Pennsy coal hoppers were the focus of the discussion.  A number of them will be made available for other roads in the near future.

The Pennsy Sharks powered a coal train from the Bottoms up the Ovalix to the Midlands and then to Summit.  The A-B-A lash-up had no trouble traveling from the Bottoms to the Midlands and then to Summit with 29 coal hoppers and a caboose.  The Baldwin prime movers really sound realistic with WOW sound, although the "B" unit is an unpowered non-functional, but pleasing, consist enhancer.

Greg Demayo arrived around 10:30 and he ran his Pennsy H10 Consolidation until we departed for Smokey Bones for lunch. The H10 was coupled to the 29 car coal train and it pulled it with ease on the Summit level track.  Many have objections to the "rubber tire" on these engines but we are here as witnesses to say they really do the job. 

After lunch, your reporter ran a Pennsy passenger train, powered by three F2's and Greg ran his H10 as fast as it would run.  True GREG SPEED.  He claimed he was breaking the engine in.  We will see if he runs the engine at a slower speed next time.  The H10's were luggers and not speedsters but that did not matter to Greg.

This week's story is of a discontented Pullman passenger who was probably a regular on the City of Miami.  No one can blame him for being upset.  But to whom do you complain?  Pullman?  Illinois Central?  ACL? Florida East Coast?  NC&StL? C&EI?  All of them have a piece of "The City."



                                                                                                        PUT ME OFF AT SANLANDO

The City of Maimi is the Chicago to Miami streamliner that comes through Tahope County three days a week. 

One day in November, the northbound City departed Miami on time, fully loaded with passengers.  One of the passengers decided to take a nap in his comfortable coach and asked the porter to awaken him when the train reached Sanlando.  The porter agreed and assured him he would be awakened in time to get off the train.

h next thing the passenger knew, the train was backing into the station in Jacksonville.  The passenger became visibly upset and began cursing and hollering, demanding he get his hands on the porter, who had gotten wind of the ruckus and had wisely hidden behind a post in the train station. 

While the passenger was demanding to see a railroad representative so he could file a formal complaint, a brakeman walked over to the porter and asked, "What's the matter with that passenger?  He's running around and hollering to beat all!"  The Porter peered around the post and replied, "Yeh, but that ain't nuthin' compared to the man I put off in Sanlando."


GPdemayo

The H-10 does need breaking in.....that's  my story and I'm sticking to it! Fun story Bill.  8)
Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

PRR Modeler

😂 That's great Bill. Sorry to have missed the Pennsy fest today.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
Freelanced PRR Bellevue Subdivision

ACL1504

My Atlantic and Southern RR is going to get a bad reputation if all these unsavory peeps keep showing up. Meaning the story peeps Greg, not you!

Just saying.


Tom  ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

GPdemayo

Quote from: ACL1504 on November 23, 2019, 04:32:04 PM
My Atlantic and Southern RR is going to get a bad reputation if all these unsavory peeps keep showing up. Meaning the story peeps Greg, not you!

Just saying.


Tom  ;D
It never crossed my mind that you were referring to me..... :o ??? ::) :) ;D
Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

BandOGuy

Both of those passengers better grab a wishbone on Thursday and hope for a positive outcome.
The porter? As we used to say in the brokerage business "$*it happens".
Working on my second million. I gave up on the first.

ReadingBob

Another fine story Bill!   ;D   Sorry I couldn't make it down yesterday.  For some reason my Saturday's have been getting spoken for recently.   :'(
Bob Butts
robertbutts1@att.net

There's a fine line between Hobby and Mental Illness.

MAP

Mark

Judge

#449
Saturday Report - November 30, 2019.  Sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, temperature was 69 early this morning and now it is 83.  Sorry about that.

    The Board of Directors met on time this morning at 0830 hours.  The main topic was a discussion about thinning out or locomotive roster and rolling stock roster - both of which are way out of date - Surly none of my readers would have out of date rosters. . . We are going to spend a Saturday or two (after the first of the year) updating the rosters and, meanwhile, the CEO is going to focus on moving some equipment on Ebay. 
    We decided to run some Southern equipment this morning and pulled two green, white and gold E7's out of the storage drawer.  These beauties were assigned to a 25 car plus caboose mixed freight leaving Sanlando for Summit.  The E7's pulled the train without difficulty and after a thorough tour of the Midlands, we proceeded up the Ovalix to Summit.  No problem there and your reporter got an opportunity to use the manual setting to notch up the prime movers during the climb.  Loads of fun.
    About 10:00 a.m. we adjourned for a trip to the hospital to see our friend Jim Miller, who is recovering from open heart by-pass surgery.  He is recovering as expected and should be shipped to a rehab facility next Tuesday.  Better him than me so they say.
    After our visit, we headed for Smokey Bones for lunch.  The place was deserted except for us but others arrived after 12:00.
    Upon return from lunch, we broke the 25 car freight in two and ran two trains around Summit.  The 4-8-2, ACL 1401, was fired up and proptly blew a decoder.  These things happen with the older run of TCS WOW Sound decoders.  TCS replaces blown decoders with new, updated versions at no charge so 1401 will be in the ruondhouse for repairs for awhile.


                                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQhNAv2NxAs

                                                                             Southern RR E7's entering Piney Woods with a short freight train


    This week's story is one involving the A&S track gang.  Working on the railroad in the '50's was back breaking work and, like today, it seemed to attract immigrants who were willing to do it.  A lot of these men were Irish and came to Central Florida from places like Boston, New York, and Chicago.  A number of these men found their way to the A&S railroad.
                                                                                       

                                                                                                          THE SECTION FOREMAN

    The Atlantic & Southern has a section foreman named O'Clannahan.  He is one of those old-time section foremen who knew how to get a day's work out of his men  without being a bully or a loundmouth.  Everybody on the road knew and respected him. 
    On day in late November, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, O'Clannahan was walking along a section where track was being replaced and noticed a member of his gang relaxing under an oak tree fast asleep.  Eyeing the man with a smile, he said, " Slape on, ye idle wage skimmer, slape on.  So long as ye slape ye've got a job, but when ye wake up, ye're out of wurrk."
    Later that day, the roadmaster ordered O'Clannahan to build a tool house exactly halfway between the two mileposts located just past the Sanlando passenger dept. 
    To locate the desired spot, O'Clannahan said to one of his gandy dancers, "I'll walk south from the north milepost and you walk north from the south milepost and we'll meet in the middle.
    This plan was carried out and the tool-house was built at the point where the two men met.  The job had hardly been finished when the surveyor, Princeton Penman, said, "O'Clannahan, I've heard how you located the midway point and i want to tell you you're off on your reckoning.  You are a tall man with a long stride and that gandy dancer is a little squirt who barely steps two feet if that.  Now I've measured the distance and find your tool house to be 90 feet nearer the south post than the north post.  You better fix the problem before the roadmaster catches the blunder and calls you down."
    A week later the roadmaster turned up and said, "Well, O'Clannahan, is that tool house exactly halfway between the mileposts?"
    "Yes, sir. precisely," said O'Clannahan. 
    "Buy I hear you first built the tool-house in the wrong spot.  Did you have any bother moving it to the right place?"
     "No bother sir," said O'Clannahan, "I didn't move the house.  I moved the post."

                                                                   

                                                                                                               O"Clannahan's Track gang - He's on the left in the vest.



                                                                                                                           

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