via E-Mail
For suggestion or comments contact Cy Martin via E-Mail
Ann Landers has always been a supporter of Operation Lifesaver, She recently printed the following BurmaShave poem sent in by a reader:
He tried to cross.
A fast train appeared.
Death didn't draft him.
He volunteered.
She added, "Sadly, a lot of people who die in auto-train accidents volunteered."
In the early 1970, I worked for a while as fireman on the Browder Switcher for the late Elbert McGuire. He once mused that if the United States ever got into another war, we should draft only Locomotive Engineers and Switchmen. When I asked why, he laughed and said, "Because switchmen won't run, and engineers won't look back."
"If pro is the opposite of con, what is the opposite of progress -- Congress?"
-- Charles Neyman.
Fort Worth's "T" Rapid Transit Authority received delivery on its four locomotives, Numbers 565, 566, 567 and 568 a few days ago, and also two of its bi-level passenger cars. They are stored at the Trinity Railway Express's Irving Yard at County Line Road and Rock Island Road.
This equipment, along with 12 other cars which are being refurbished on the interior, will be used to provide Rapid Transit service to D/FW Airport, Dallas and cities in-between. Service is supposed to begin in 1998, after construction of stations and other facilities.
Some CSX locomotives are equipped with wash basins. Canadian National is equipping their locomotives with microwave ovens and coffee makers.
"...Business school case studies are replete with examples of failures of seemingly healthy companies that didn't take care of their smallest customers. In a rapidly changing world these small customers often become giants whereas the large guys do not change and wither away."
-- Clark Johnson
Former Dallas Trainmaster Tom Greco is a musician and songwriter. He tells us his first album is now released. It is called Colorado Midland Drean. It has 13 song about the Colorado Midland Railroad, the first standard gauge railroad to cross the Colorado Rockies, and ran from 1887 till 1918.
Tom tells us the cassetter are available at 1555 Cedar Hill Place, Duncanville, TX 75137-3826. Phone 972-298-6168, or e-mail colomid@flash.net. The price is $10 plus $1.50 for postage.
"If law school is so hard to get through, how come there are so many lawyers?"
--Calvin Trillin
"If some fail History everyone repeats the course."
-- William D. Martin..
"Dirt is actually powdered mud."
--Pasquale (child cartoon character in "Rose is a Rose"
A man told me he just completed a 12-hour trip with the heat index above 110. He says, I wonder why anybody would think that a dog, cat or even a bird is more important than one of us. He says, "If one of us left our dog in the car, even with the window rolled down, and a policeman or dogcatcher saw him panting, we'd go to jail for cruelty to animals, but our industry can work us under those conditions for 12-hours and then make us wait another two to four hours for a ride and nobody cares."
In 1829, Martin Van Buren, Govenor of New York, wrote the following letter to President Andrew Jackson:
"The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of trannsportation known as railroads. The federal goverment must preserve the canals for the following reasons:
One: If the canal boats are supplanted by the railroads serious unemployement will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen, and lock tenders will be left withhout a means of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers employed at growing hay for horses.
Two: Boat builders would suffer and tow-line, whip and harness makers would be left destitute.
Three: Canal boats are essential to the defense of the U.S. In the event of the expected trouble with England, the Erie Canal would be the only means by which we could ever move the supplies so vital to waging war.
For the above - mention reasons the goverment should creat an Interstate Commerance Commission to protect the American people from the evils of railroads and preserve the canals for posterity.
As you may well know, Mr. President, railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour byengines which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the country-side, setting fires to crops ans scaring women and children.
The Almighhty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed."
"You could hire half of the working class to kill the other half."
-- J. Pierpont Morgan.
A good teacher can't do well without parental and administrative backing and discipline in the classroom.
My son-in-law told me one of his work mates put his problem child in Catholic school. The old nun, who was the administrator told the father, "Sir, I want you to know ahead of time that in this school, we believe in corporal punish."
The boy ears perked up and he ask his dad, "What's that?"
The dad replied, "That means they tan your hide if you get into trouble."
The Nun added further that, "Our goal is to make good citizens of them and make sure they know to abide by society's rules. If there is enough time left, we educated them."
I wonder, with both parents working in most homes, if maybe this should be the goal of all elementary schools.
Cy is a Locomotive Engineer in Fort Worth.
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