This is a few years old, but it's sort of an interesting read.
PDF File - GE Evolution Locomotives

Derailing the Critter Cafe with cute baby animals.

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PRR #5550 4-4-4-4

Derailing the Critter Cafe with cute baby animals.

Jeeeze, don't let Steve's snakes see that!

Nice But as Locos go a 2-6-6-6 Allegheny beats all(7500hp, #1601 and #1604 are all that's left of that type, sad to say), Except Electrics, But then Electrics get Squirrelly power I hear. ;)

And that's the last comment on this subject I hope. :o

Steam locomotives had much more trouble getting started than with top end. Therefore, the Rr companies cared more about draw bar force (tons of draw) at start than they did about horse power. Horse power is more about high speed, and draw bar force is more about getting started. Steam engine horse power ratings can be made by any of several different methods, none of which will give the same answer, and most places do not record which method was used. Horsepower ratings on steam locomotives need to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

On the other hand, Diesel Electrics have no problem with getting started as electric motors produce maximum power when stalled (getting started). They do however have more of a problem with high speed, therefore horse power ratings are much more important. A little diesel electric yard goat will be able to get a hundred cars rolling, but it won't be able to move them very fast.

RRs are looking at Hybrid Yard Goats now, As they use less Diesel and have lower emissions. In any case Steam locos were maintenance intensive I've read, Diesel Electrics less so and Pure Electrics even less, But then Diesel Electrics have reached their limit I think as to tractive effort and Passenger Rail is more and more being moved to Electrification like Caltrain and yes HSR, Instead of making as much heat and being noisy and dirty Diesel Electrics, But then It also makes no smog and less noise than previous technology and that's a good thing, But then so is investing in the future just as previous generations did and like this generation should do.

Steam locomotives were indeed labor intensive. 90 miles was considered a full days work as it took several hours to work up the engine to get it ready. Diesel electrics are like diesel trucks - hit the ignition switch and away you go. Pure electrics are so much more energy efficient. The RRs are indeed working on hybrid diesel battery electrics for both yard goats and main line engines. The problem with electrification of the Rail Roads in the US is the length that would have to be done. (However, it should be done eventually).

On diesel electrics, diesel engines are usually 16 to 20 cylinders, sometimes as low as 12 I think(with a turbo charger), they make electricity from that diesel generator, AC or DC, then that juice is fed to electric traction motors in the Trucks under the loco(wheels & axles to those who drive autos).

The yard goat is likely to be as small as 4 cylinders. Main line engines can run all the way up to 24 cylinders for some of the specialized mountain engines. Unlike different automobiles, the cylinders and strokes are all the same from manufacturer to manufacturer from the smallest engine to the largest engine.

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BOINC WIKI

The trick is to subtly combine the two......

Me likey!



And I have no problem with people posting choo choo trains. First of all, they are rather interesting. Second, there is no such thing as "off topic" in the Critter Cafe. And third, I feel right at home with the trains as many of the children I serve are very big fans of your little F.O.T.'s (Friends of Thomas). So you boys just carry on bravely!

Kisses!!!

very big fans of your little F.O.T.'s (Friends of Thomas). So you boys just carry on bravely!

And there are some of us who are big fans of Denise, my favorite Amtrak engineer, for reasons we'll not discuss.

Denise, my favorite Amtrak engineer, for reasons we'll not discuss

Just whisper quietly and I promise not to tell!

Let me first verify that in the UK, "blowing the hooter" is synonymous with "sounding the horn" in the US.
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*** BNSF Detector.... milepost 8.3.... No defects.... Repeat, no defects.... Out

T-1 moving into potential raccoon country :)

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Carola
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I'm multilingual - I can misunderstand people in several languages!

Grace was better today I put Her water up on the countertop next to Her dry food and She's starting to do better, I need to get a Petmate LeBistro Portion Control Automatic Pet Feeder from Amazon one day(see below), But that's $48.56 that will wait for a while, As Her current feeder may not be to Her liking, But It is where I can monitor It at least and It does fit inside the cabinet as She liked to dig food out and play with Her dry food, She tried that once today, Maybe It's ending, maybe. I got a shallow Noritake porcelain cereal bowl out that is part of a set My brother brought home from Japan back in the 70's(It has a damaged metal rim from Mom wanting to use them in the microwave, She insisted) for Graces Wet(canned) Cat food, She liked that better than the plastic one Angel had used for Years, But then Angel was blind for who knows how long, So She didn't care, Grace isn't, She'd scoop canned cat food out of the bowl, This one Noritake bowl will do until I get an elevated & shallow cat bowl for Grace on the 1st(below right). I'm slowly solving problems here, I had to move a leaded glass picture of a blue bird of happiness up about 6" to get It out of range of Grace, So I moved a screw, problems problems. sigh. Night all.

I'd better not let my new kitty see this post, she would get very jealous of Grace.

We are on a bit of a tight budget so the automatic feeder is me picking up the cat food bag and pouring it into her bowl.

The cat tray was a hefty $5. I could have got one for $2 in Walmart, but I thought I'd splash out. The liners are from the Dollarama, but are far to big, but I can make them go further by cutting them in half.
Her pet blanket and mat to put her dishes on are also from Dollarama.
Her dishes are ceramic from Walmart. $3.99 each seemed a bit expensive, but they didn't have any with kitties on in Dollarama, and the BF insisted that we didn't get dishes with dogs on in case we traumatised the cat (If it had been up to me she would have got the $1 ones with doggies on them, but I was out voted)

The kitty litter isn't the paper one I wanted, but the cheaper brand. Will have to do for now...she doesn't seem to mind.

Her bed is a cardboard box that my computer speakers came in. Although she doesn't sleep at night and woke me up at 4.30am so I have spent most of the day thinking she'd make a rather nice pair of gloves.

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Reality Internet Personality

This is a picture of a snapping turtle that was in my yard today.



You can see my beer belly :D

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

This is a turkey family from this weekend.



Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Here is a close up of the snapping turtle.



Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

This is a picture of a snapping turtle that was in my yard today.

You're the one with the beard, right?

{Bracing for the slap I totally deserve}

Awesome pics, Steve!

This is a picture of a snapping turtle that was in my yard today.

You're the one with the beard, right?

{Bracing for the slap I totally deserve}

Awesome pics, Steve!

You deserve nothing but the beer of your choice!

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Here is one more close up of a turkey.



Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

This is a picture of a snapping turtle that was in my yard today.

You're the one with the beard, right?

{Bracing for the slap I totally deserve}

Awesome pics, Steve!

You deserve nothing but the beer of your choice!

Steve

I see You came out of Your shell for the pic, Nice pics, If the weather holds, lightning, thunder and rain, lovely weather, DSL slowed to a crawl, that sort of stuff. :D

Hello Vic,
I have been doing a lot of things since my father went back home. It will take a week or so to get back to normal. I am also trying not to post so much from work.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

It's started a little earlier than the last few years, but "mountain lion fever" seems to have set in. In the last 3 days there have been 2 reports of mountain lions in the general vicinity. The reports came about 120 miles apart, so the skepticism level is still at the high end of the scale. However the reports aren't completely written off. In 2003 there were dozens of reported mountain lion sightings in and around Omaha proper. Law enforcement and Animal Control responded to all reports in populated areas, but never were able to find any evidence. That is until early October of 2003. Answering yet another report in a very busy part of west Omaha, police verified a full grown mountain lion was running in the area.
The director of the Omaha zoo was called and eventually the mountain lion was cornered in a commercial business complex at the busiest intersection in Omaha. The zoo director was able to fire a tranquilizer dart hitting the mountain lion. But instead of surrendering, he made a charge at one of the police officers on the scene. The officer got a round off from his 12 gauge shotgun striking the cat in the left leg, and stopping it's advance. Zoo and Humane Society officials were able to then take the big cat into custody and rushed it to the zoo where veterinarians were able to remove the shotgun pellets and tend to other medical issues. The mountain lion is still alive and well and on exhibit at the zoo.

Two years later, in 2005, there was another rash of big cat reports. Again, despite rapid response from all manner officials, no cat nor evidence was found. But once again all those who had made reports were vindicated. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the body a fully grown female mountain lion was found along Interstate 80 just west of Omaha. It apparently had been struck by a car.

It's been a yearly happening, starting in the fall and continuing into the winter, people start seeing mountain lions. Being 700 to 800 miles away from their 'normal' range, and having a population of 400,000, Omaha just isn't a place you expect to find these critters. Whether this is the start of another series of false alarms, or the real thing remains to be seen. Here kitty kitty kitty.

That's cool. I have never seen a mountain lion, but when I was in high school, I snuck out one night, and went wandering in the woods. I had a flash light with me, and that was about it. I heard what I thought was a bobcat several hundred yards off, and I set out to find it. Eventually I could see some ruffled leaves on the ground where I thought it might have passed, and then I saw a clear foot print. I looked around a bit and didn't see anything. Then I heard a low growl, and I turned my flash light into a tree about 20 feet from me. There was a bobcat about half way up the tree, staring down at me. I watched him for about 30 minutes, and then quietly left. I remember that very clearly all these years later.

I stalked a porqupine around the same time frame, but it was during the day. He was also half way up a tree. I just watched him for a while and left him alone.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

This is a picture of a snapping turtle that was in my yard today.

You're the one with the beard, right?

{Bracing for the slap I totally deserve}

Awesome pics, Steve!

You deserve nothing but the beer of your choice!

Steve

I see You came out of Your shell for the pic, Nice pics, If the weather holds, lightning, thunder and rain, lovely weather, DSL slowed to a crawl, that sort of stuff. :D

My internet was up and down like a yo-yo for a while there, start surfing and then nothing but a loading screen.

Cooled us off nicely though.

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