The "Engineer" was probably just looking for people to honk at.

Have to admit I have not idea of the proper train horn usage protocol. Maybe they toot every time they approach a RR crossing so any cars on the track will know what they were hit by.

morning all. been a ruff few days. the long drive down in the car followed by a bumpy ride on a plane home did the neck no good at all.

Yea, they blast away on the horn as they approach any intersection. When the wind is just right we can hear it at outside at out house from that intersection at Memorial road way off in the distance. The RR tracks were there before there was a city. That is why Broadway has the strange angles and curves, it parallels the RR tracks.

That intersection at Memorial where the bank is now was a major loading station for crude oil from the Edmond oil field. That is the primary source for the oil that was made into fuel that powered WW2.

The trains just moved past slowly as the oil was pumped into the tankers. The ground was saturated with crude back then. They did not stop if there was some spillage. The war production was too important.

EPA? we don't need no rules.

They sure didn't have the rules back then. Every 660 feet for 15 miles north and 3 miles wide had an oil well. There are still many that are still pumping after all thees years. Now it is mostly expensive houses build were the oil wells were. Of course when a well is capped and shut down properly it is no big deal. Many of the less scrupulous would dig down 5 feet, throw a gunny sack down and pour in a few yards of concrete and cover it all up with dirt. That is when hydrocarbons seep up and cause problems. One lady in the mid 1980s turned on her kitchen sink disposal and had a small explosion from the leaking methane. The center of the well was right under her house.

It was one thing I loved about looking up my house. It was just a farmers wheat field before development.

We have tracks that run through our town, 3 intersections to be exact. The policy is 2 long, 1 short, and 1 long when approaching crossings. We hear them 3 times when they rumble through.

Wife's uncle retired from CSX so he's my guy for all things train related. He used to be an accident investigator and traveled all over to assist with derailments.


EDIT: If I was a train engineer I would have fun with the horn if possible. It's got to be sort of boring sometimes.

No train horns but plenty of thunder and lightning here earlier. We actually had a good rain. No deluge, just a steady soaking into the ground type of rain. :)

When I was a commercial photographer working in Alabama one of the fun jobs to shoot (for me) was a intersection where a train had hit a 18 wheeler hauling a load of raw cotton right from the pickers. It was several months after the crash and the cotton balls were still everywhere.

The train met me at the intersection. I got on the engine and stood next to the engineer. We backed up one mile and I shot photos of the view from the train. He uncoupled from the freight cars and we moved forward to 3/4 then 1/2 the 1/4 mile. He pulled to the intersection and I shot pictures of the train itself and then we were done. He backed up, hooked up and went on the route.

I was amazed how fast the train engine could get moving with no load to pull. It was cool to get to go up on the train were no one but train employees normally go. Since the attorney for the RR hired us I got to go.

You sure do have a thing for hard luck cases.

Why did he have to assist? I thought trains derailed on their own well enough. :D

I've got chili in the slowcooker for supper tonight. No worries as it's not very spicy. It's basically tomato soup with burger in it. I used a packaged chili mix and V8 for the base.

Cornbread will of course be the side. SmileWavy

Like my user name----OH, HAHA! Good one Brent!

That would be too spicy for the guy that works for me. I can tell because you said not very spicy which means it has some spice to it. Since it has some spice to it he would not be able to eat it. Ketchup is hot and spicy to him.

By the way, he wants to get a car like his wife has, but he doesn't remember what she drives. I can see why his engine blew up.

Eh, I factored in a lot of wiggle room on my offer, I'm still at a happy place price wise.

I made my offer, didn't hear anything for two weeks then got a text that he'd take it if I could be there with cash in the next few hours.

Instead of V8 usually go with Rotel. Use William's Original Chili Seasoning. Throw in some chopped onion, and maybe some mild chopped green chilis. Like to add water to make Chili Soup. Take my chili with saltines and a glass of milk.

Know where a deal is on a Cayenne S. But have to warn you. There isn't anything to fix.

My mom made chili so hot.....

How hot was it?

Just stirring the pot would make you sweat. I kid you not. Yes, really! I am not exaggerating! It was swimming in red peppers. And no beans in there to weaken it! It would grow hair on your chest then burn it right back off from the inside. It did not burn your mouth at all. From the tonsils on through were burning baby burning.

When I was a kid and in my 20s I ate it like tomato soup. By my 30s I had to have some Maalox. By my 40s I swigged Maalox after every few bites. She had quit making it by my 50s.

It did win the blue ribbon and gold medal at the Oklahoma State Fair as best Chili. The judges said they wanted a chili with some bite. Hers had the bite of an alligator.

I've been cooking with Carolina reapers a bit lately. Those things will make your butthole burn just looking at them.

I don't care for burn your mouth hot anyway and right now I don't want to take any chances with the colon/bowel thing.

My Dad made great chili but he always added Tabasco to his bowl. Washed it down with an Altes beer and an Old Gold 100 and he was happy.

I worked with a guy at the vending company that literally carried his own hot sauce, just in case. :eek:

Come on ice cream!

Watching the first Jack Reacher film now. I started last Wed. before I got kicked free from the hospital but with an hour or so left. Pretty cool movie even though I haven't been a big Tom Cruise fan since Risky Business.

Wifey is picking up the daughter from craptastics tonight.


Probably shouldn't have had the chili......