Western Railroad Discussion > Some days it just don't pay (sad finale)

My disclaimer from part 1 still applies: The following testimonial is for your entertainment.
(I fear I’ll be trying to forget this day for a very long time... ;^)

Picking up from the bad fortune I had at Home City in part #1: Once the train cleared the US-36 crossing I drove on into Marysville and took stock of possible trains heading west from the yard office on the west side of town. There was a coal empty in position to depart with a fresh crew. So I skittered on over to Herkimer and settled in at a favorite spot. This would be a private crossing which had a very friendly couple living up the hill at the end of it. I met & talked with them a few years back and they seemed joyously amused that someone was using their little road to record RR history.

11. I was cloud-bombed at this very same location 3 days earlier. Check it out: ( when the light craps out (trainorders.com) ). I thought I would get another chance at a perfectly sunlit shot. BUT...

12. ...eleven minutes later this is what I got during another perfectly timed strafing run by Mr Cloud Bomber. Worse, my CP-led prey got out of Marysville instead of the expected coal empty. And of course...

13. ...three minutes later the bombing magically ceased and the middle of the train was lit up. I was starting to see a pattern... Photos 11-13 taken near Herkimer, KS.

I was also beginning to think about cashing the day in and running for home. Then I thought no... dammit, I’m already here, and I had enough gas in Willie V’s tank to chase the CP unit all the way up to Fairbury, NE. I dropped the 3 miles south to US-36 so I could haul-the-mail west to Hanover. (“Haul-the-mail” is another term for bending the speed limit just a wee bit... ;^) I didn’t really think I could catch the CP unit but I gave it the KS Gang try. Sure enough, about half way up KS-148 I could see the CP train rolling over the highway crossing up at Hanover. No point in hauling any mail now... 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 00:22 by santafe199.

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I was pretty sure I could run straight north into Nebraska, turn west on NE hwy 8 and get ahead of the 70 MPH(?) qualified CP train at Steele City. I’d done it before. That’s when my day really started going south. I was just approaching the now-vacant UPRR crossing when an agricultural semi pulled out right in front of my nose. I didn’t quite have to ‘dump the air’, but I did have to make a full-service brake application!!! And then the guy slowed way down and nosed onto the crossing. For no apparent reason he stopped, then started a 1-2 MPH creep over both main tracks. The crossing wasn’t that rough, so I had no clue what he was doing. As soon as we got over the crossing I blew his doors off getting around him. Evidently that pissed him off because he caught up with me after about 2 miles. He started some serious tail-gaiting so I sped up. He caught up and stayed right on my ass. I sped up again. He caught up again. I had enough of that horseshit so I tromped on it. That was working until just south of the KS-NE state line. I hit a “1-lane traffic, flagman ahead” sign. Uh oh... I checked my mirror and noticed that truck drivin’ jerk-wad was turning onto some country road. But now I was in an unknown delay. Good news though, the “follow me” flag truck was just reaching the south end of the highway zone he was protecting. Bad news though, he took us all north at a blazing 20 MPH. The 3 miles up to Nebraska 8 seemed like an hour. Once I could run west I pulled over at Endicott and waited in perfect sunshine for a westbound CP unit that was already west of Fairbury. I got the news from my source. I had missed the train by about 3 minutes. So my day was officially over...

14. ...but I still had that coal empty coming up from Marysville. Sometime. WRONG AGAIN!

15. An eastbound double coal train arrived right along with another cloud bomb strafing. I had to use some serious Photoshop ‘Shadows/Highlights’ magic to lighten up the nose in this image. UP 6881 is rolling east at the ‘Endicott Brick Rd’ crossing. Photos 14-15 taken at Endicott, NE.

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I drove on into Fairbury to do a reset of sorts. I checked the signals and saw no evidence of imminent trains. I thought I’d better gas Willie V up and maybe grab a snack with some liquid hydration for 199’s internal combustion. I found a Casey’s and pulled up to an open gas pump. I got out to do business and got as far as putting the nozzle into Willie’s tank. But the low western (FULL) sun was burning right onto the instruction window on the gas pump. I even put on my reading glasses, but couldn’t read the words. So lemme just whip a U-turn to the other sid........ oops. Young mister brand-new pickemup truck owner glided right into that slot, parked and went inside. Probably had to git himself sum chaw! And young mister hayseed was so proud & so protective of his brand-new pickemup truck he had to park a full 5 feet away from the pump. Ok I’ll just go around him and sidle up to the open pump right ahead of him. Oops, Mr huge doublecab-duelie truck driver was parked against the building... about 4 feet away from the curb. I just barely squeezed through and I... oops. Now Mrs Jane Q Citizen was backing her car up to my intended pump. All righty then, bleep Casey’s. I’ll go find gas somewhere else. Casey’s gas was 3.89/gallon anyhow. Up the street I found a Sinclair station advertising gas @ 3.69/gallon. Ok... something is going right for a change. I entered my debit card data and got the nozzle into Willie’s thirsty tank and tapped the 3.69 button. Nothing happened. I tapped it again. Nothing. That’s when I noticed the only button in operation (lit up) was the 4.09/gallon button. Bleeping clever! I ran 10 bucks into the tank and went inside for a Diet Coke and a small bag of highly nutritious Cheetos (non-flaming). I informed the clerk that I was onto their little scheme out at pump #2. I saw a perplexed look on the old gal’s face that I’m not entirely sure was honest...

16. By the time I got back to the tracks I saw a westbound green signal. Lo & behold, here comes the weird grain empty from way back in the morning at St Marys! UP 7113 slid by in probably my best overall shot of the day.

17. The westbound signal went right into yellow/flashing yellow/green aspects, letting me know another westbound was close behind. I wanted to change locations, but I was surprised by an eastbound double coal train which I had to shoot in a spot with horrid overhead utility wires. UP 7080 is on the point. Of course...

18. ...in the 5 full minutes it took the double coal to go by, that westbound coal empty slide by in “perfect shadow” of the double. There’s UP 5284, the DP unit on the double coal graciously getting out of the way about 30 seconds too late. That’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m going home... Photos 16-18 taken at Fairbury, NE.

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Nebraska highway 8, here I come. I’ll just retrace my journey in reverse and beat it on home... wait a sec, what’s that light up ahead??? Whoa, it’s that same 5284DP unit I just shot back at Fairbury, now stopped. I got another shot in low light....

19. UP 5284DP again, at Endicott, NE.

...then I tried to haul-the-mail down to Steele City for a possible evening sky silhouette. But this gazillion mile-long train started moving again and I missed the head end by about 15 cars. No problem! At his slow speed I’ll take the well-maintained (read: good for 60 MPH!) back road down to Hollenberg, KS and a catch a silhouette sequence there, right? WRONG!!! I was destined to suffer the Final Insult of the day. That super-heavy, double coal train sped up and blew my own doors off, beating me to Hollenberg by about 20 seconds.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 00:29 by santafe199.

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20. Desperation makes a railfan photographer do weird things. I was left with zig-zagging country roads back to Hanover. I did manage to see the tail end of that double coal train just west of the Gerry, KS crossovers. I whipped sideways in the road and went for blur-action shots of the 5284 in my last sequence of the day. Then I tucked my tail into my sweat pants and made whimpering sounds all the way back home to Manhattan... ;^)
Photos 11-20 taken September 13, 2023.

Thanks for listening!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Despite any troubles or hitches you had, you presented us with some interesting and fun shots to look at.  You get a Southern "atta boy" for that !

memorable day to forget indeed...ain't dealing with the public fun!   But, you got out and about anyway and that's a good thing.   Good story and shots.

Still some good shots, Lance.  Interesting day to say the least.

texchief1

All I see is an average day on Earth, living with other human beings who don't act and think the way you want them to. I believe most call this..."life."

Mike Derrick
 

I expect nothing less from a troll like you...

Yep, that's right-- anyone who doesn't share your opinion and think your way is a TROLL. On this site, and in life. You've made that abundantly clear. I hope you have a great weekend and maybe can find some solace, whether trackside or elsewhere.

 

C'mon mikey, you can spew better than that, up there on your soapbox.

I had a unbelievably crappy day just like every single shooter on this website has had at one time or another. So I decided to write it up, into story form for everyone to have a chuckle at. I poked some good-natured fun at how a day of shooting can go so far south. I am laughing, snickering, snorting (pick one) at the sometimes goofy foibles of human nature, INCLUDING MY OWN. But you conveniently ignored that part. No, the great & perfect mike derrick will have none of that. He has a soapbox & and a mouth that need regular workouts. That must be YOUR solace, mikey...

countdown to AH

I don't know what your problem is, Lance. You love it when people throw praise your way for photos you post, many of which you had nothing to do with other than scanning and posting. If somebody disagrees with your opinion or with something you write you attack them calling them a "troll" or how the person doesn't understand what you were saying and that it was just in fun. Quit being so full of yourself.

As a side note your antics have spread to another railfan website also and you are mentioned there. In fact one poster there referred to you as an "angry little princess" because of how you act towards others.

Railbaron Wrote: > ... I don't know what your problem is ...

The "problem" is YOU were pushed back against back on Sept 5; ( Kodak’s big fib! (trainorders.com) ) and this is your attempt at retribution. You didn't like that I called you right out for not having any sense of humor when everyone else making replies understood my intent. I posted a light-hearted thread and got light-heated discussion from everyone except you. Go figure. And worse, you're launching this chicken-$#!+ attach while hiding behind the anonymity of a generic screen name. Furthermore, if you don't like the "Well Duh" I dropped on you I suggest you click on YOUR OWN SCREEN NAME and see what YOUR OWN WORDS have to say. If you don't have enough brass in your shorts to provide your real name, then you will be treated exactly as what you are...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 19:07 by santafe199.

Lance, these McCarthy files of previous spats you've had with other members on this list are comedy gold!

Mikey

Posted from Android

Sir Lancelot single handily keeping this TO sinking ship afloat.

ShortlinesUSA Wrote: > ... McCarthy files ... comedy gold!

Now let me get this straight... A troll like you can level an attack at me completely out of the blue, but by your reasoning I'm not supposed to be able to defend myself. Which includes posting links. 4 years ago I posted a series of images of a business car train running over my hometown KP. I was only passing down information I received from my UP contact about a possible sale of the KP. And I posted a melancholy comment on the possibility that this may one of the last chances I would get to shoot such a psgr movement on my hometown RR. And right out of the blue YOU leveled a vicious attack on me for "trying to get KP employees all upset and scared for their jobs". Again, I was only passing down information about the train from my UP contact. But by your troll reasoning I'm not supposed to be able to defend myself. Webmaster Todd was evidently so impressed with your troll attack that he deleted all traces of it. That sure doesn't speak well for your argument. And make no mistake, I have trusted contacts who vividly remember your troll attack. Since that time you have dropped snarky comments on my threads AT YOUR INITIATION. If my posts are so upsetting to you, and my presence here on TO is so offensive to your delicate sensibilities, WHY DO YOU KEEP OPENING MY THREADS??? It's pretty simple. Take your "contributions" to this great hobby elsewhere. And if you don't like having your snark pushed right back in your face, then don't start it...

Lance Garrels



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/23 06:49 by santafe199.

You know Lance, I almost even added "Feel free to replay the whole KP thing because I know you still have it saved." Guess I should have.  And these posts (just like this one) inevitably get deleted because of your personal vitriol, not what other people have said.  Go ahead and save this one for your files, because it'll be gone soon thanks to the personal insults you have levied against Railbaron and myself, not because you're beyond having your posts deleted (and you have a LOT more on that scorecard than I do at this site).

Mikey
 

Railbaron Wrote:
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> many of which you had nothing to do with
> other than scanning and posting.

That is an absolutely unwarranted cheap shot!  We should all be thankful Lance has been able to acquire several collections and make sure those photos didn't end up in a dumpster.  Other than just scanning and posting, Lance takes the time to make many of those images presentable so that we could enjoy them.
I have only been on TO for about a year, but always enjoy Lance's posts.  I really appreciate him injecting humor at times, especially since he is willing to pick on himself!
There are a couple of "problems" here, but Lance is NOT one of them!
Some people just never grow up, keep up the good work Lance!

Bryan Moseley 
Albuquerque, NM