Thursday July 31, 2025

[Jim Donovan]

A late start to the day over here I see. Well the coffee is still on the stove but temps are already in the 90's so not sure that is the best choice. I found the reading on possible railway merger yesterday interesting. Typically mergers mean higher cost to customers but railroads are interesting in that it is highly unlikely you will ever see another major railroad start from scratch. Their competition is really trucks and barrages and frankly they do a worse job then either of their competitors. AI may very well change that. I expect all locomotives to be remote controlled or AI controlled within 10 years.  I think Warren Buffet will have Burlington buy CSX, it is the kind of business he likes. If he can get coast to coast Union Pacific will really have a problem as Buffet companies succeed. The best reason to ship by rail is the cost per mile per pound. If heavy industry such as mining and vehicle manufacturing does come back to America then trains may make a comeback.

Anyhow, yesterday I took the piups to the groomers, as you can see they were traumatized and trying to recover today. I am doing some bench work stuff as it is just too hot outside right now. Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim

[ReadingBob]

Afternoon all,

The pups look cute, Jim. Living their best life.

Waiting on the A/C guy to get here to do the routine maintenance.  Their window was between 10 and 12 so they missed that. Grocery store run after they're done. Messing up my schedule.

Have a great one!

[deemery]

My little guys go to the groomers in a couple weeks.  They're not happy about it, but they don't come back traumatized.

The interesting thing about the likely 3 (the third is CN) transcontinental rail systems, is whether there's work to spin off or establish lines between them, that allow shippers to send freight along their system-of-choice.  That's kinda the opposite of a 'bridge line', isn't it?    (If you think of those transcontinental lines as east-west, imagine a network of north-south lines that feed multiple transcontinental lines....)

dave

[GPdemayo]

Afternoon all.....

[jbvb]

Good evening, Jim, Bob, Dave and Greg. It's rained off and on most of the day on the lower Merrimack Valley; the forecast is for more overnight, then clearing. Aside from getting my oil burner serviced while I cleaned out ashes from the wood side, I also cleaned some of the cellar and then went after some of the gutters.  Didn't get to the point of putting the 32 foot ladder up, it started raining again.  Probably modeling after dinner.