tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post7213728795117598077..comments2024-01-15T10:12:27.170-05:00Comments on Navigating The Finite: Does The Roundhouse Have Engines?Sextanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-29378253132690735502012-02-06T09:31:04.031-05:002012-02-06T09:31:04.031-05:00Wow! What a treat, your own tour. Don't let m...Wow! What a treat, your own tour. Don't let my buddy Busman know, see comments above. He is not going to be happy until I end up in a Federal Prison for terroristic photography of American transportation facilities. Here is an absolutely fabulous picture taken from the end of the repair shop.<br /><br />http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=181867&nseq=3<br /><br />I am bonkers about that photo. <br /><br /><br />A cacher! So are my wife and I but we have sort got away from it, bodies falling apart and she doesn't have the time. One of the first caches we did was at the old bridge on Thompson Run on the other side of the round house down in the woods. The cache was plundered and No Trespassing signs were posted (which is BS and can easily be bypassed) It was for the old original Northern Pike. When the railroad was built Northern Pike was severed. There is a photo of the bridge at my blog post here, last photo:<br /><br />http://navfin.blogspot.com/2011/05/high-water-at-hulton-bridge.html<br /><br />My guess is that the bridge was probably built some time around the end of the Civil War. <br /><br />Here is the cache. We are Red Shoe & The Navigator and there are better photos of the bridge in our writeup. I launched our travel bug Blue Duster from this cache (right before it was plundered). Our bug went all the way to George Air Force Base near Victorville California and back following my trip out in 1971 and back in 1974. We got the bug back in 2008. The trip took 5 years. <br /><br />http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=36462<br /><br />I snooped a bit over at your blog, great write up on chasing the train. You might like my buddy from Manitoba, V W Busman's blog:<br /><br />http://lasalleriverramblings.blogspot.com/<br /><br />If he can get the hell out of his greenhouse, and his home for wayward vehicles, he takes some lovely pictures of railroad tracks up in the flattest place on Earth. Some of his photos have spoke to my Soul.<br /><br />http://lasalleriverramblings.blogspot.com/2011/05/ramblings-of-one-sort-or-another.html<br /><br />Last photo in this group, just rips my heart out. I can feel the sun on my back and hear the bees buzzing in the rushes on the side of the tracks. <br /><br />Well i have to quit writing and check out your blog. I think you may be just one of those weirdos that I admire.Sextanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-22420987112321568782012-02-06T06:14:30.708-05:002012-02-06T06:14:30.708-05:00I was just at this location on Saturday (2/4/12)to...I was just at this location on Saturday (2/4/12)to get a couple near-by geocaches. I was researching the Hall Roundhouse for a write up of the day on my blog and came across this posting. Nice write up!<br /> My buddy and I were on a "photo expedition" in 1988 and were taking shots of the roundhouse, from up above by the watertank and later down at the gate. While we were at the gate, a man came out of the building and told us we could get arrested for taking picture. We ended up BS'ing with him and before long, he invited us in and took us on a tour of the facility! He even put a locamotive on the turntable and rotated it for us. It turned into a great day! From threat of arrest to a personal tour. Not bad if I say so myself!<br /> I'll be updating my blog in a day or two, if your interested, here is a link to a post about following an Allegheny Valley RR train up towards Mars.<br /><br /> http://booksadventuresandlife.blogspot.com/2012/01/rainy-day-train-chase.html<br /><br />Once again, cool site, I enjoyed reading your posts!<br />Happy Caching!<br />Phil B (Bookman56)Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15197628212598573295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-59873568452294649462011-05-27T21:43:08.855-04:002011-05-27T21:43:08.855-04:00I don't know if you saw the mess I had this mo...I don't know if you saw the mess I had this morning. On my Google Catches a Train post, I hit the Publish button when I wanted preview. I don't know what happened to the formating on that post but it went nuts. I finally deleted the damn post. Wrote it completely in Word and then copied and pasted it into Blogger and then added the photos. I have never had so much trouble with a post.Sextanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-61860320107258472092011-05-27T07:41:53.932-04:002011-05-27T07:41:53.932-04:00I checked out the GPS coordinates ..and I can see ...I checked out the GPS coordinates ..and I can see where you are at....that's cool being able to place GPS in there and it takes you right there..neat.<br />Yes..I can see the logistical nightmare of trying to capture any decent photos of the roundhouse....considering the obstacles, you did very well indeed....hats off to you. See this retirement thing is going to work out well for you ...and we both get history and geography lessons to boot...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00163705918646580867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-60632364885218255092011-05-26T09:08:17.624-04:002011-05-26T09:08:17.624-04:00Simultaneous comments! Must be some of that synch...Simultaneous comments! Must be some of that synchronicity we spoke of. On the side I have been taking photos, the cliff comes right down to the tracks. No bushes at track level. On the other side is Thompson Run (creek) and a hillside made of slag going up to the track level. The whole damn place is sitting on a mountain of slag. No bushes there either. The hillside across the creek is wooded and damn near a cliff. Hung out there quite a bit as a kid, but the old man knees and back are not going to tolerate any cliff work, already had the experience of falling off that cliff once below Mount Olympus which would be on the north end of the repair shops across the creek. God does hang out at Mount Olympus, falling 20 feet and missing the rocks all about, I should have been died. You know, the more I think about it, every time I turn around God is saving my ass, and I don't know why. <br /><br />To get a flavor for the place, copy and paste my GPS coordinates into Google maps satellite view. The green arrow and A bubble mark where I take the photos from. There is another vantage point I am hoping to be able access. The last time I was there I was in my early 30s and it was treacherous but that was going from our woods. I may be able to access it through the parking lots on the west side of the Hall Station Bridge.Sextanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-86294525341343041082011-05-26T08:41:10.477-04:002011-05-26T08:41:10.477-04:00This is still a work in progress. I can't sim...This is still a work in progress. I can't simply write a post, I have to keep messing with it. Go up and read the link at the bottom of the post, placed there in your honor! <br /><br />Interesting theory though. I actually thought about hanging around the gate then paying the guy off to take me for ride and clicking photos all the while. Would a box of donuts work? But who in the hell in their right mind is going to do that? The boss Googles Union RR and there is Navigating The Finite, loaded with great inside photos. That is a trip to unemployment land. That's the trouble with younger folks, they think jobs are important. I don't know why. <br /><br />Did you check the Railpictures site? Extremely cool. The photos are all copywrited so I only include links, rather than lifting the photos.<br /><br />I am still adding links so it will continue to grow. I have to get Carston Lundsten's B&LE and Union RR sites in their as well.Sextanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-61063812704318836962011-05-26T08:27:23.240-04:002011-05-26T08:27:23.240-04:00BTW..I like your links about the other pics...engi...BTW..I like your links about the other pics...engines etc at URR.....good stuff.<br /><br />With regard to the photos of the roundhouse etc....can you get to ground level thru the bushes, and how about around the whole periphery of the building, from other vantage points ??<br /><br />Just curious.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00163705918646580867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7833454649093878095.post-62380119486564102022011-05-26T08:21:12.467-04:002011-05-26T08:21:12.467-04:00Excellent work Sextant....excellent indeed.
For yo...Excellent work Sextant....excellent indeed.<br />For your first assignment, I'm going to grade you..9/10....2 gold stars. lol<br /><br />But in all seriousness....yes...very good article. So the roundtable does still work and is indeed used, for moving the locomotives in and out of various stalls for reno and repair work.<br />Now we couldn't see behind all the closed doors, so in theory there could have been more engines in there....yes ???<br /><br />Great pics. I knew it could be done.<br />Now...does this little exercise not embody retirement to the nth degree ?? I'm pretty sure you had a good time doing it,,,no??<br /><br />As for the bulls.....things went smoothly.....you're in like flint.<br />Yes they have your plate #,,..so what !! And yes they know who you are, name address etc....all the better for you actually. Why you say??<br /><br />Remember what I did for 27 yrs.....same job..different uniform..yada yada.....Better to be known as the railroad photographer guy, than some unknown lurking in the bushes, with a camera...trust me.<br /><br />I would actually have to disagree with your last sentence of your post.<br />" I'll have to let this cool off for a bit and try again in the fall "...<br />if anything I would make myself more 'known'... become a 'regular' if you will.<br />Check this out...........<br /><br />http://trn.trains.com/Interactive/TrainsTube/2008/09/TrainsTube%20Interview%20with%20Trains%20Columnist%20Don%20Phillips.aspx<br /><br />I'm not sure if I got that copied right...let me know if you can open that link...basically it was an interview with Don Phillips about just what you were doing. If I were you I would carry on with your probing and photographing....get to know the bulls, maybe on a first name basis, once their on your side, or in your pocket if you will....your gold.. and if you are around enough and spot some other suspicious or unusual stuff and inform them about it.....well....then you are the "man"...you can do no wrong.....you see where I am coming from here......<br /><br />I don't think I can emphasize that point enough.....be there,,,be visible...be known....trust me on this one...<br />now if it's a time or personal thing that you don't or can't be there ( around URR property )..then fine...but I may have more assignments for you....<br />Let me know your thoughts.about the above....<br /><br />Once again..excellent piece.<br />Don't stop now............Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00163705918646580867noreply@blogger.com