Lost and found

What once was lost is now found!
It has been years since I've thought about this the blog. It is exciting to start again. With new pictures new stories and years of experience on the railroad as Engineer.  I'm ready to start writing again.

Are YOU ready?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wow, time has gone by so quickly. It seems only yesterday i started a new "New Year's resolution". Well, here i am again and I'm starting the same resolution. Only because I'm another year older and feeling it. i must get thinner,.... stronger,.... faster,.... wait! I'm never gonna look like Steve Austin but i can at least be healthier. Good luck to you all in your quest for resolution-izing your year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Shleprocked again!

Well, I'm doing alright. I really don't like to complain about life, it has a way of biting you if you say anything negative. So, happy go lucky i say.

OK... I am a liar... I just can't seem to cut a break. Wouldn't you know it i have two cars one i own the other i pay on. A couple of days ago the one i pay on overheated and i had to have it fixed. Now imagine a slot machine ringing, with lights flashing and people surrounding the winner. That is what it was like for the mechanic. I was the slot machine paying out the big WIN. OK fine so i had car trouble. Then I'm driving the other car when a grinding began like i have never heard or experienced before. Well, now I'm out of coin and my car only moves in reverse. I have to say it was fun for the first 20 minutes or so, you know, driving backwards but after that.....

Trains and Cell phones bad combo?

Trains…. What makes them so interesting? I’m not sure but we have people in the dead of winter following the trains around, taking pictures. Now I was an art major in college. I can see the draw to a good picture of scenery and train. Personally I’m a little more interested in the crash. I’m not sure if that is part of my generation or not but seeing a locomotive all busted up like the one in this blog is cool to me. Although, as long as no one is too injured.
In the fall of last year, two trains collided in California a passenger train and a commodity train. The death of the passenger train operator was due to him texting some train enthusiasts, young kids I think. This was a huge tragedy. I am sorry for those affected one way or another from that incident. I have wanted to write something about that on this blog since that happened.
Cell phones can be very dangerous even while driving. I know we all feel like we can handle driving and texting or talking on the phone. Even though, the attention to detail is vital while operating a train or driving a car. I think it is important to put things in order of importance, the phone call, driving a car or operating a locomotive. What should it be? Think about it.

MANAGERS

The good the bad and the ugly, (if you were standing next to me you would have heard me whistle the infamous tune from the movie.) is a perfect description of a history of managers through out time. The worst would have been those who we saw in the movie "The Ten Commandments" you know, the task masters. I'm not sure but I think some managers take examples from the task masters of Moses time and use them today.

I laugh every time I think of the movie 'Office Space" or the TV show "the office". They crack me up! I have some relatives who manage, but I'm lucky enough not to know whether they are good, bad or ugly.

Any way, the other day I had the opportunity to meet a couple of my managers. They are so.... What's the word...... Oh ya UGLY. What a bunch of mindless drones. All we talked about was safety. Now, let me clarify, I believe safety is very important and most of the time Vital to good working conditions. Although, I find all they want out of safety is an award or to free the company of liability.

Now I understand liability. When one of my sons were 11 he borrowed his older brothers BB gun and he wanted to see how far the gun would shoot and instead of going into the field be hind our house, he aimed and shot down the middle of the street. Not knowing the gun fires to the left. He shot out a parked vans back window. He ran!!! We couldn't find him for 30 minutes. Guess who is liable the 11 year old or the old man. Yes I know liability.

This does not however, create a good working environment for me at work. Especially when some managers pick and choose the safety issues relating to productivity over employee safety. Our motto is supposed to be "SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY" wait... what?
You might say. Well, that's what I said so.. In conclusion ...Remember one thing " Don't let the door hit you on the way out" or your fired.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

Well, if it wasn't for you PROVOPAIR. I would have forgotten all about this sad little blog. There is so much to blog about but I have been so busy with a stupid computer virus, no one seems to know how to handle very well. I had to recover my computer and lose a lot of files. BUMMER!
Anyway, I did manage to save Devan and Ethan's sci-fair project papers. That was a blast to work on with them. This the site that explains what we did.
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/coilgen.html
Way Cool! we had fun.... Well gotta go I'm tired, but I'll be back.

BNSF Train Crash

Well, until i can figure out how to create a link from my site to Youtube.com you will have to copy and paste, but this is worth it!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mus8xOs2rWk