Like I had said before, I've been busy lately... About two weeks ago another engineer asked me if I wouldn't mind swapping jobs. He'd take the yard engineer's position and I'd take over the road job's engine. As I had been the conductor on the road job since I started here in 2006 I felt comfortable handling the engine on the road, and I know the territory and cane loading elevators on the line. I won't go into the reasons... Needless to say, I'm no longer running the small 800 HP switching engine, I'm behind the controls of a 2,000 HP EMD GP-38-2.And I get to see a lot better scenery out on the road. Pictured above is the view out my side of the locomotive this morning around 6:45 AM as we departed a cane loading elevator 11 miles from the mill.
It took some getting used to... I really do miss working with my other conductor, Jay, and my new conductor I'm now convinced is afflicted with narcolepsy... Nah, he wasn't really asleep. We were waiting for a few more loads to be kicked out at a cane loading elevator, and to be honest, there really isn't much else to do except kick back and relax while the harvesters load our rail cars.
But I get to run a big, powerful locomotive that will easily handle 60 to 70 loaded cane cars (1,800 to 2,100 tons) and won't rattle my fillings out of my teeth and heaters actually work on cold nights...
Here's a small look at my new "office"...
And as an aside, you guys now know how warped my mind is sometimes... Someone brought it a case of locally grown sweet potatoes last night for everyone to share and some sick fuck found this one...It does look vaguely familiar...
Photos and rambling Copyright 2010 Thomas J Wolfenden
28 comments:
Dirty old man! Jez' kidding
Fisheagle: No you're not!
Am too! You're an innocent old man! Hahaha
Fisheagle: I'm as pure as the New York City slush!
well now you know locally grown is better.
You never fail to make me laugh!
Psycho: That's what they keep telling me... Myself I haven't found any locally~grown stuff that was any good at all...
FishEagle: I'm showing my ass again, aren't I?
A sexy, foreign one, that is!
Let me become another one of the many flirtateous female fans that you have on this blog :)
FishEagle: I'm not foreign... I've been in the US all my life... Well most of it anyway, save for the little forays Uncle Sam sent me on in the 1980's... And I thought you were already one of my many flirtatious female fans...
But you forget, I've only ever been in the US once. To me it's foreign!
I've always been a fan.
Omgosh that is where my sweet potato went...you likey
FishEagle: You're counting a few hours in the Miami International Airport being in the US? ;)~ If that's the case I've be to Gibraltar and the Azores even though I never got off the plane...
Just Telling It: Of course I likey... Nothing better than a really tasty sweet tater!
FANTASTIC SUNRISE
You're proving my point for me RT! :) Just remember, I got to see the street outside the airport with yellow taxi cabs, just like in the movies.
"True so True" I shaved just for you
Leazwell: The sunrises here in Florida are magnificent!
FishEagle: It was just a big movie set... ;)
Just Telling It: Keep it close... Your stubble tickles!
You know I always stick to regulations
hehe..I must have a dirty mind because I thought the same thing when I saw that sweet potato!
Thanksgiving will never be the same...
Just Telling It: High & Tight... Nothing on the sides, a little on the top... ;)
JLee: Nope, it won't be after seeing this sweet tater! And welcome aboard!
just a slight hitler stash
Just Telling It: Perfect!
took me a while to catch up on your blogs... question.. how was your date???
and for this current blog here, i am joining FishEagle (if he doesn't mind) in saying : " Dirty ole man!!!!" LOL
Liane: Welcome back! Weeelll... The date went OK. We had a lot of fun, but I found out later she was also seeing another guy too, so to avoid all the drama (I've had WAY to much of that in my past) I politely but firmly told her no thanks. It was a fun and refreshing day. Hadn't had fun in a while and I deserved it. It's just wouldn't have worked out and I took my cue... And FishEagle will not have a problem in joining in calling me a Dirty Old Man, as long as you call her a she! ;)
Lol :)
where the hell are you? seems you have forgotten all about your fans.
so sad.
Hey! That's MY potato!
Psycho: No, I haven't forgotten about you all, just been feeling under the weather...
Uber: And a tasty tater it was!
LOL.. oh noooooo... i do apologize for my ignorance!!! "She" ;-) LOL
Post a Comment