The Lynchburg Crossings

The past few weeks have been a bit boring, we have been doing little tasks getting ready to cut in our two crossings and retrieving our finally fixed truck.  This week we finally got everything lined up and got both crossings cut in, but of course there has to be a little bit of drama.

7th St. Crossing

The first thing you have to do when cutting in a new crossing, is disable the old crossing.  While we get all of the new things in place all trains that come to the crossing must stop and flag the crossing.  This makes everything safe for the public and the trains.  Lynchburg is double track, but we rarely see two trains at the same time at the same crossing.  That is of course, unless I am cutting in a crossing.

Engineer Allen Dial on engine 603 and Engineer Mark Bishop on engine 5304 meet at 7th St. in Lynchburg.  Conductor Jeremy Mooney flags the north side of the crossing.

These two trains met at our crossing just as we were getting started, and there were a few more in line behind them.  The train behind engine 5304 was around 12 thousand feet long (that's over 2 miles long!) so he took a few minutes to get out of the way.  We had trucks backed up for a half a mile trying to get into and out of the steel plant.

It is very hard to work on the tracks with engines in the way, but we successfully got this one done by about 1500.  Of course after we get it turned on, we need to see trains go across it, but as luck would have it, all the trains were in the way when we didn't need them, and none when we needed them. We had to send another crew down to the crossing the next day to watch trains.

Concord Turnpike

Concord turnpike bears no resemblance to an actual turnpike, it is just a little two lane road, right in front of the yard office in Lynchburg.  This little crossing has some traffic, but it wasn't the traffic that made this crossing exciting  In addition to cutting in the crossing and all of the hoopla that goes with that, the power company also decided that they would be turning the power off and replacing the lines that run across the track.  So it was my job to protect train crews, signalmen, the power company and the public.  Honestly I love to be busy, but things like this make me feel like I am running in 4 different directions.  

Appalachian power workers move power lines from the old pole to the new pole

When the power company cut the power off, it also disrupted the dispatchers radio, so we could hear him calling us, but he couldn't hear us answering.  That means phone only communication, which takes much longer than the radio.  Just another little detail to be managed.  So now we have the Q303 and the Q302 trying to switch at the same time, power outages causing problems for the dispatcher's radio and the printers inside the building, everyone has to stop and flag the crossing, we are trying to cut in the crossing and the power company is begging for time to get the new lines up across the tracks.  It was a bit of a crazy day.  

Just to add to the chaos, the city decided it was an excellent day to practice water rescues in the James River, so there was a low flying helicopter dropping and picking things up in the river. It was truly a day of planes, trains and automobiles.  

I am happy to report that all the work was completed correctly and safely, and we all went home with all of our fingers and toes.  Next half we have a few odds and ends to finish up, and then we will be heading to Newport News for our next job.  I wonder what interesting things will happen down there.

For those of you that were interested in the history post, I am working on another history post and hope to have it up next week.  

A helicopter hovers over the river as the power company works on the new lines and we work on the new crossing

For the History Buffs

Like many things in Virginia, the railroad is steeped in history and on a recent hi rail trip I got to see some of those things first hand.  I have been over this territory hundreds of times but usually I don't get to stop, take pictures and really take a good look at what is still left from times past.  This time we were doing a signal survey and we had to stop at each signal location. While the big dogs were doing their part in figuring out how we will bring positive train control to the Rivanna subdivision, I was looking around and taking pictures.

The James River Canal

The James River Canal was an effort by George Washington to better connect the mountains of Virginia to Richmond.  In 1765 George Washington surveyed the area along the James to plan the route the canal would take.  In 1785 the James River Canal company was founded and good old George was named honorary president.  The building of the canal was plagued by tough terrain and even once it was built, flooding was an ongoing problem.  By 1880 railroads were proving themselves as a more reliable form of moving freight and the canal was sold to the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad company.

Today the canal is still there along much of the James and Rivanna subdivisions most of the walls have fallen in but I did find a few spots where the old blocks still stood.  Here are a few pictures from my trip.  

Rock wall along what is left of the canal

You can see that nature has overtaken much of the wall

Thorncliff

When we pulled up to this location we were all in awe of the giant 3 story barn and the old railroad stop that was still standing.  It still had much of the Vermont slate on its roof and there was still the remnants of a fireplace inside.  We had so much fun checking out the history we almost forgot to look at the signal we were supposed to be looking at.  

This one took a little bit more research, as I searched around to get some more history on the place I found a real estate ad from 1914.  It claimed the property had 3, three story barns, room for 50 hands and its own private rail station with 4 trains a day.  This really made me wonder, who in the world was special enough to have their own private rail station?  

After reading through someones typed (like on a typewriter!) dissertation on the history of dairy farming in Virginia I finally found a name.  Joseph Reid Anderson. Mr. Anderson joined the Tredegar Iron works company in 1841 and owned the place by 1848.  He served as Brigadier General in the civil war,  and after he suffered an injury in 1862 he resigned his commission and returned to Tredegar.  He was also very involved in local politics until his death in 1892.  

Okay, so he was a big industrialist and he held minor political positions and served on the losing side of a war as a Brigadier General, how does that qualify him to get his own private rail station?  Easy, Tredegar was the biggest producer of rail and steam locomotives in the south, making Mr. Anderson a pretty popular guy with the railroads. One of the biggest reasons Mr. Anderson was able to produce steel at a lower cost than many others at the time was he was the first person to use slave labor in skilled positions. He did not believe slaves were not smart enough or could not be trusted enough to work in a skilled position.  Below are some of the pictures that I took, if you are interested in seeing a picture of what the Thorncliff rail station looked like in 1900 click here.  

Thorncliff rail station

Fireplace inside the rail station

Three story bank barn Thorncliff Farm

My Kingdom For a Truck

A truck, a truck my kingdom for a truck! Okay maybe I am being a little bit dramatic but really a working crane truck would be really helpful around these parts.

Peggy

This is Peggy, she is our hi rail crane truck.  As you can see by the picture, she comes in handy when we need to move platforms, cable, gate mechs so on and so forth.  The problem is that Peggy has hydraulic pump issues.  At the end of the last half we took her in because she was making awful grinding noises when you move the out riggers or crane, and you had to really rev up the rpm's to even get anything to move.  So she went in to the mechanic while we were off.

Sadly, we picked her up and tried to use her with zero success. I couldn't even winch down, literally nothing moved.  So back she went, first to one shop, and then another.  If we don't have her back at the beginning of this half we are going to be up the proverbial creek.

Graffiti

One of the crossings we are working on is right in front of the yard office, so I see the (world famous) Y120 switching and I have noticed that there is a lot of graffiti on the cars that looks pretty new.  So I think we have a graffiti artist in our midst. When I see all of this painting on the sides of cars I always have two thoughts.

First, I always think about how much talent the people that do some of this artwork have.  Most of my artwork consists of stick figure drawings, so anyone that can do any kind of art amazes me, but the intricacies in some of the artwork is really awesome.   The second thing I think is, how long do these cars sit here?  I know there are metrics on car dwell but how long does it take someone to do one of these paintings?  My stick figures don't take me to long, but I can only imagine how long it must take some of these

Off Time

While I was off we headed down to Smith Mountain Lake for a little camping and some fishing, fishing not catching.  The weather was slightly better than forecast but it was still pretty windy and not exactly toasty.  This was my first trip to this lake and we should have probably hired a local guide to steer us to the fish, because we came home empty handed. Still nice to get away for a few days and spend time with hubby.  

When we got back I did manage to get a little bit more work on my table done.  I finished rough sanding all the boards and got the edges ripped so they would sit together.  My 1960's radial arm saw does not have any type of vacuum system so it basically showers you with shavings as you run the boards through.  

My saw, my helmet and the mess it makes

Tonight I will head back to work for another fun filled week on the railroad.  Hopefully we will have a truck and be ready to cut in both of our crossings in Lynchburg by the end of the half.

My Barn Wood Table: Step 1

When we moved into our house 3 years ago, I really wanted to get a big dining room table made from recycled barn wood.  So I started shopping and quickly found a problem, I couldn't afford the table that I wanted.  Think upwards of 2 grand.  Maybe I am cheap but I couldn't see spending that kind of cash for a dining room table.  So when a friend of mine asked me if I knew anyone interested in some old barn wood I was really excited.  "Yea ME!" I told him.

This half off I finally got down there and start tearing some wood down.  My Dad came down to join in the fun so my friend, my Dad and I started to take apart some of the barn.  It is a big barn (see picture below), so I was trying to be picky when we were taking it apart.  I took a small roof section that had fallen in, and the front pieces off of one side. I also grabbed some awesome 2 x 6 support pieces for the legs of my table.

As with everything that I jump into head first, there is a learning curve. One day I might learn to do some research before I go tearing things down, but today was not that day, tomorrow probably won't be either.  So below is a list of things that I learned in my first week of working with old barn wood.

Wear a Hard Hat

You would think this one might be obvious, but those guys on TV never do it, so why should I?  Well I have a lovely knot on my forehead to prove that you should.  I was cutting some rotted wood out from around the big 2 x 6 supports and even though it was rotted, it still left a dent when it fell and smacked me in the head.  

Wear a Hat While Sanding and Ripping

My dad got me a new orbital sander and a biscuit joiner for my new project (Yea, he is a pretty fantastic Dad) and I had to play with them as soon as we got home.  So I put some safety glasses on and proceeded to sand away.  After I was done with that, my Dad suggested we use the radial arm saw to rip the uneven sides down so we could play with the biscuit joiner.  Well YEA!  I love new toys, so I grabbed a piece that I had sanded and went to work.  That saw flings little chunks of wood everywhere and by the end of the night I was covered in sawdust and wood shavings.

My Outdoor Work Shop

Don't Wet Your Hair if it is Covered in Wood Shavings

If you decide not to wear a hat while sanding and ripping and you have long hair like I do, don't wet your hair and think it will shampoo out.  Nope, the stuff just sticks to your hair and gets nice and clean.  I probably got some sawdust out, but there were still plenty of shavings left in my hair after I got out of the shower.  My husband wouldn't let me come to bed until my hair dried and I brushed most of the shavings out.  

Take More Than You Think You Need

Poplar Boards

After rough sanding all of the boards that I pulled down I found I had an issue, they are not all made of the same wood.  I decided my table would be made out of the long front boards, I had 7 good ones and 1 that was split. From them, I figured I would need 5, and if I needed to I could use the split board for the trim.  After I rough sanded the boards I discovered that I had 4 poplar boards and 3 oak boards, plus the split poplar.  Not quite enough. So on my way home this half I will be back at the barn tearing down some more boards.  

Oak Boards

All in all I am really excited about this project, I finally get my table and I get to make it.  Stay tuned for the next episode of "As the Table Turns"

Some Assembly Required

"You know like an erector set or a box of Legos"

"So you are telling me you get paid to play with Legos?"

"Yea basically"



Two flood platform pieces and the stairs

This was a portion of a conversation I had with my teenaged son this week trying to explain to him the flood platforms we were putting together.  Now I will try and explain it to you.  A flood platform is just what it sounds like, a platform to keep our crossing house up off the ground in case of flooding.  It sits about 9' in the air and it does not come all in one piece.  You get a kit that pretty much resembles the adult version of an erector set, a box of bolts and washers and a bunch of different pieces for you to fit together.  It also comes with a vague set of directions that if followed will not get you quite where you need to go. 

The discussion

The platform itself comes in 2 pieces, there are uprights, cross supports, foundation screws and so on and it will go together as described in the directions, the rub comes when you try to set the house on the platform and run cable into it.  If you put the house on the platform as intended, you can not open the front door all the way, nor can you run the cable straight up into the house because there are I-beams and cross members in the way. So we had to get a little creative, slide the house back, cut the grating and rig up 4 aluminum pipes so the cables are not swaying in the breeze. 

So yea I pretty much get paid to play with the big kid version of Legos. 

You can't have a week on the railroad without seeing something strange and this week was no exception.  It was goat week this week here at CSX, it's kind of like shark week, only less teeth.  While setting some 707 boards in Lynchburg yard we ran across a family of goats just wandering down the tracks, Mama, Pappa and a few kids takin a stroll through the yard.  Papa was pretty friendly so we fed him some crackers and then shooed them off the tracks.  That same evening we pulled the boom truck into the hotel parking lot just as a girl came out of a room to get into a Jeep Rubicon.  She was carrying a red bundle all swaddled up like a furry baby.  I looked closer trying to figure out what kind of critter it was and of course, it was a goat.   I know goats are cool and all, but swaddling one up and traveling with it seemed a bit odd to me. 

 

What is it Like Working with a Bunch of Guys?

When I tell people that I work for a class one railroad, and that I do it in a construction capacity, I get a lot of different reactions.  Many people want to know “do you work with a bunch of guys?”  Yes I do, as a matter of fact, women represent only about 1% of the signalman for CSX, and that number probably isn’t much different for other class 1’s.  “What is it like to be the only girl?”  This is what everyone wants to know, be it from concern, disdain or just plain curiosity, they want to know what it is really like to hang out with a bunch of guys all day.  So below I have listed some differences and commonalities of being around guys all day.  

The Differences

Get used to poop - For some reason guys are fascinated with feces.  They describe it, discuss how they feel before and after, and sometimes even plan their next one! A strong stomach is sometimes required.

They talk about Girls, a lot - This isn’t like when I was 14, at a slumber party talking about that one particular guy I liked, and we all giggled and gossiped.  Men love women, all of them, all shapes, all sizes and all parts.  Every women we pass gets a once over, and we will probably drive around the block again just to check out the girl jogging without a bra on.  The first time one of the guys said “wow she has a sexy back” I said “Crap! Now I have to worry about what my back looks like?” He said “Nah, we like all parts”

They Spit! - Oh how I wish I could change this one, guys must have extra salivary glands or something because most of them spit, and many of them do it every 5 minutes. If they also chew tobacco then you can add bottles of chew spit left everywhere to the mix.  If you can’t tell this is the one I have the hardest time with.  Look at women, talk about poo but for the love of all things holy, please stop spitting everywhere!  

They tell Dirty Jokes - I don’t think this one is any big surprise, guys tell jokes about sex, it goes with the loving women thing.  If you don’t have a sense of humor, and a pretty dirty one at that, you probably should steer clear of working with a bunch of guys.  

The Commonalities

Guys Gossip - That’s right guys gossip, and many of them are worse then a bunch of old women in hair salon. I guess that’s why they have barbershops, so they can talk about us just like we talk about them.  Some of them are down right drama queens, worried about who is doing what, who is working where, what Jim said to Bob and so on.  

Guys have Feelings - I have no idea who started this myth, but guys do have feelings, and some days I think they are more sensitive than most women.  If you cheat on your guy, he is going to be hurt, if his Mama dies, he is going to be sad.  They may not react like most women, but they feel just as deeply as women.  If he finds out you cheated he may go get drunk or beat the guy up instead of keying your car, but he is still hurt.  You may not see him cry about his Mama, but he will.  

Guys are Afraid of the Dark - Ok not all guys, but some are and some are afraid of snakes, some are afraid of spiders, some are afraid of bugs, I think you get the picture.  Guys love to act all tough and make fun of a girl for squealing at a bug, but I have seen grown men that have served in the military do the same thing.  Don’t let them fool you, guys have phobias to.  

    Really guys are just people, I like some and I don’t like some.  Some of them are good to work with, some of them hide when the shovels come out.  Some of them are smart, some of them not so much.  Everyone has good traits and bad traits, we are all human.

My conductor class from 2008

Back to My Tools

 

     Last month the decision was made that I should go back to my tools, and I am not upset about it at all.  I missed getting dirty, I missed the camaraderie of being on a gang and most of all I missed building things.  I will not get into all the political BS that I know some of you reading this are hoping for. Sorry sunshine but the absolute biggest take away I have from my time in management is to focus on the positive, because the negative can easily consume your life.

     I really feel like I have been given a second chance.  When I was in management it was all life consuming, I worked ALL the time.  I went an entire month without even laying eyes on my horses or cooking my husband a meal.  That is not the life I want to live and I am so happy to have been given the chance to find a better balance.



First fish of the season!

     So the positive, I am back on an 8 on and 6 off schedule, so I have a little more time on my hands.  Of course me being me, I have quickly filled that time.  I have started taking a writing class, I found an old barn that needs to be taken down and I am waiting on permission to start recovering the wood.  I plan on riding more, writing more, cooking more, building more and enjoying the hell out of life more.  There are a lot of fish out there to catch and mountains to climb.

     My first week back was interesting, I had to drive the boom truck for the first time in 2 years and I was definitely a little rusty.  There was a little gear grinding going on and I did have to stop on a hill when I missed my downshift. It is coming back, but I could still use a little practice.

     I am on a crossing gang now and we have plenty of crossings on our schedule and each one requires a specific design so I shouldn't have much of a chance to get bored on this gang.  I am already pinking up the place with my pink tools, pink nails and pink phone charger but I made cupcakes so the guys can't get to upset with me.  In the future look for more posts with me in awkward and interesting positions.  If anyone has any questions they would like to ask, post them in the comments and I will try and answer them in future posts.


My pink phone charger in the work truck