Friday, February 05, 2010

Moor trane pix!

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:

FishEagle said...

Dirty old man! Jez' kidding

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Fisheagle: No you're not!

FishEagle said...

Am too! You're an innocent old man! Hahaha

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Fisheagle: I'm as pure as the New York City slush!

your psycho ex-girlfriend said...

well now you know locally grown is better.

FishEagle said...

You never fail to make me laugh!

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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?

FishEagle said...

A sexy, foreign one, that is!

Let me become another one of the many flirtateous female fans that you have on this blog :)

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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...

FishEagle said...

But you forget, I've only ever been in the US once. To me it's foreign!

I've always been a fan.

Just telling it like it is said...

Omgosh that is where my sweet potato went...you likey

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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!

Anonymous said...

FANTASTIC SUNRISE

FishEagle said...

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.

Just telling it like it is said...

"True so True" I shaved just for you

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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!

Just telling it like it is said...

You know I always stick to regulations

JLee said...

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...

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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 telling it like it is said...

just a slight hitler stash

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Just Telling It: Perfect!

Liane said...

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

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

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! ;)

FishEagle said...

Lol :)

your psycho ex-girlfriend said...

where the hell are you? seems you have forgotten all about your fans.


so sad.

UBERMOUTH said...

Hey! That's MY potato!

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Psycho: No, I haven't forgotten about you all, just been feeling under the weather...

Uber: And a tasty tater it was!

Liane said...

LOL.. oh noooooo... i do apologize for my ignorance!!! "She" ;-) LOL