Try This on for Cy's

By Cy Martin

For suggestion or comments contact Cy Martin via E-Mail

Grading Work has begun on the two new storage tracks at Chico, however, no completion date has been set at this time. The new tracks will be on the west side of the Main Line, across from the Long and Short Storage Tracks.
-----------------

The extension of Hicks Siding should be completed at the end of October. Grading is now completed and awaiting installation of track panels and ballast. When completed, Hicks will have 8000 feet between Hicks Road Crossing and the North Switch.
-----------------

According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following is the cost for an hour of work per worker to run a factory in 1995:
Germany 31.88
Norway 24.38
Netherlands 24.18
Japan 23.66
Sweden 21.36
France 19.34
United States 17.20
Italy 16.48
Canada 16.03
Australia 14.40
Ireland 13.83
United Kingdom 13.77
Spain 12.70
Taiwan 5.82
Hong Kong 4.82
Mexico $1.51

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to tell us that these figures are directly proportional to the standard of living in the respective countries. So, why do we have people in our country who want to drag our country down to the livel of Hong Kong and Mexico instead of up to the level of Germany and Norway?

-----------------

According to the Kansas City Star, 7000 credit card lenders made about 30 card offers to everyone between the ages of 18 and 64. This irresponsible activity on their part cost all of us, because we have to make up for their loses incurred when deadbeats don't pay.
-----------------

A lot of people point to the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) as saving the people money. They could save us money now, but meanwhile, they limit our choice of doctors. They sometimes even put "gag clauses" in their contract with "your" doctor so he can't tell you about better (but possibly more expensive) treatment for your condition.

Have you noticed that your doctor increasingly tells you to buy certain over the counter drugs instead of giving you a prescription? If you buy it over the counter, your insurance (the HMO) doesn't pay for it - you do.

Look for more drugs to be available over the counter in the future, as the HMOs and the drug companies lobby the FDA to downgrade drugs to where they do not require a prescription to obtain them.


-----------------

A bumper sticker said "Willie wants your wallet." Under it someone had written "Too bad -- Ronnie took it."
-----------------

Efforts to limit lawsuits are attempts to undo our Constitution and Bill of Rights requiring equal access to courts for all people.
-----------------

Take a look at the new switches the Maintenance of Way Folks are building at the Bowl Yard. The switch points and frogs are welded to the stock rails, and there are at least four fabricated steel crossties in each switch.
-----------------

They finally took the Longhorn Steer out of the City of Fort Worth's logo. The next thing they will want to do is change the name of our city to deny its western heritage. It appears there are people in this town who are ashamed of the contribution working class people made to the city's greatness. They seem to want to hide the fact that after the military, it was cattle, the railroads, aviation, petroleum and manufacturing that built Fort Worth and still keep its engine turning. John Peter Smith, K.M. VanZandt, Jesse Zane-Cetti and others enticed the railroads here and in the case of the Texas and Pacific, helped build it the last 30 miles to get here. They were followed by another wave of people like Amon G. Carter, Marvin and O.B. Leonard, to name a few. These were real down to earth people. Nowadays, Fort Worth calls a horse show arena an Equestrian Center. You can't even say the word "equestrian" without wrinkling your nose and pursing your lips. Humm .... I sure hope our old hometown isn't being run by a bunch of snobs?
-----------------

At the recent dedication of Tarantula's excursion train service between Stockyards Station and Grapevine, everyone was asked to wear period or western or railroad clothes. Grapevine's mayor wore western clothes and presented Fort Worth's mayor with a basket of wines from Grapevine's wineries. Fort Worth's mayor wore a suit and didn't have a thing for the Grapevine mayor. He didn't even ride the train! Somehow or other, many people expected more of the city's chief. I still have sour grapes (excuse the pun) over Fort Worth's shoddy treatment of the T&P 610 Steam Locomotive and railroad things in general. I have been hoping this would change.
-----------------

For a long time I thought Scott Adams, the cartoonist who draws "Dilbert," worked for our company, because he used all the same buzz words, such as: "World Class" and "Employee Empowerment." My bubble was bursted when a magazine article said he worked for Pacific Bell. Now, I find that he has been "downsized," and is self-employed.
-----------------

John Smith of the T55TS&BS Society noticed the article about J. Paul Carpenter's winning acceptance into the Texas Boys' Choir. He tells us that Danny Humphries has two daughters in the Texas State Girls' Choir. According to John's daughter who is also a choir member, One of Danny's daughters has been promoted to the Thompson Main Choir.

Cy is a locomotive engineer in the Bowl Yard in Fort Worth