Mostly about my backyard chickens. (Boring, I know), but there are a lot of us out here. Mine are only kept as pampered pets. I could eat a neighbor's chicken, but not MINE. There may be a comment on current events only if I get riled up enough. And there will always be a cartoon or a joke to cheer us. I promise to try my very best to respond to comments. Now I have to figure out how this blogger thingy works....
Friday, October 9, 2015
Friday Night Steam
Ever wonder how railroad junctions were made?
Hard to imagine how much manual labor was needed to build these at the factory, taken apart and then moved on site!
Heck, no! It would cost 10 times as much and take 10 times as long! Did you notice the young lad apprentice? Sadly, they don't have them anymore either.
Interesting video. They used some terms I was unfamiliar with - like "chair". So I did some searching and found this website. http://www.railway-technical.com/lex15.shtml Everything I ever wanted to know.
My dad built 'frogs' for the MK&T (Katy) railroad. We would ask him how he did that. He always answered with the same story. Everybody would stop and listen carefully to see if he changed his story, he never did. He would tell us that he hunted around in the grass until he found a toad. Then he would weld it to the tracks.
I didn't find out exactly what he was doing until I was 35 or so; the local newspaper had a photo of a guy welding on a 'frog' in a train yard. In the second photo the pointed gizmo between the two sets of tracks is a 'frog'. I cut out the photo, framed it and gave it to Dad for father's day just so he would know the-gig-was-up.
I wonder if that whole process would be OSHA approved?
ReplyDeleteHeck, no! It would cost 10 times as much and take 10 times as long! Did you notice the young lad apprentice? Sadly, they don't have them anymore either.
DeleteInteresting video. They used some terms I was unfamiliar with - like "chair". So I did some searching and found this website. http://www.railway-technical.com/lex15.shtml
ReplyDeleteEverything I ever wanted to know.
Great website - I bookmarked it! Great find and thanks for sharing it with us!
DeleteMy dad built 'frogs' for the MK&T (Katy) railroad. We would ask him how he did that. He always answered with the same story. Everybody would stop and listen carefully to see if he changed his story, he never did. He would tell us that he hunted around in the grass until he found a toad. Then he would weld it to the tracks.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find out exactly what he was doing until I was 35 or so; the local newspaper had a photo of a guy welding on a 'frog' in a train yard. In the second photo the pointed gizmo between the two sets of tracks is a 'frog'. I cut out the photo, framed it and gave it to Dad for father's day just so he would know the-gig-was-up.
What a wonderful story, Judy! I bet your Dad laughed harder than anyone! :o)
Delete