Saturday, August 15, 2015

Saturday Night Doo-Wop

The Fleetwoods!

Then:

Now:

Read more about them here: http://www.thefleetwoods.us/

Friday, August 14, 2015

Friday Night Steam

Shays!!!

Just sit back and enjoy a wee bit of heaven!

Source: http://www.cassrailroad.com/shay5.html
Shay #5

Legendary #5 was built by Lima for Greenbrier and Elk River in November 1905. This turn-of-the-century class C-80 Shay has been toiling up Cheat Mountain for nearly 100 years, making it one of the oldest engines in continuous service on its original line, and the second oldest Shay in existance.

Past to Present...

Until 1980, #5 was accompanied by another turn-of-the-century machine -- Shay #1. #1, also built in 1905, came to Cass in 1915 where it was continuously used until the end of the logging era. Cass Scenic Railroad ran the engine till 1963, when a major overhaul was required. In 1980 #1 was re-lettered "Greenbrier Cheat & Elk", loaded on a flatcar and shipped to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD. as part of the trade for Western Maryland Shay #6.

Technically Speaking:

Builder No.: 1503	Date in Service: November 1, 1905
Class: C-80	Trucks: 3
Bore: 13 1/2 inches	Stroke: 15 inches
Drivers: 36 inches	Weight: 90 Tons

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Source: http://www.cassrailroad.com/shay6.html

Shay #6

In The Old Days...

Built for Western Maryland coal service Shay #6 was shipped to Elkins, West Virginia May 14, 1945 for use on the 9% grade on the Chaffe branch. Shay #6 was the last Shay ever built. The locomotive's commercial life was short, lasting only four years. #6 was then stored and finally donated to the Baltimore & Ohio Museum in Baltimore, MD, where it remained for 26 years.

Past to Present...

In 1981, an exchange was arranged for Shay #1 and a Porter 0-4-0 owned by Cass Scenic Railroad. Shay #6 was carefully removed from the old museum. It actually was driven onto the Turntable and out of the B&O Museum using air generated by a compressor. Today, #6 is still like new and a spectacular example of the fine technology of geared locomotives. It combines the grace and refinement of the Pacific Coast Shay with sheer mass (162 tons). The locomotive is about twice as large as any other locomotive at Cass. The Big 6 is assigned to the Bald Knob, Spruce, and Elkins excursions.

Technically Speaking:

Builder No.: 3354	Date in Service: 1945
Class: C-150	Trucks: 3
Bore: 17 inches	Stroke: 18 inches
Drivers: 48 inches	Weight: 162 Tons

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Source: http://www.cassrailroad.com/shay3.html

Shay #11 - Feather River #3

In The Old Days...

Shay #3, built in 1923, went originally to Hutchinson Lumber Company, Feather Falls, Calif., this Shay is best known as the Feather River #3.

Past to Present...

In 1967 #3 went to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum San Diego, Calif. In March of 1997, Cass Scenic Railroad sent a team to Campo, California, to inspect #3. The purpose of this trip was to determine the means by which the big Shay could be transported back to Cass, and to get an idea of the type of repairs that would be necessary to bring the engine back to life.

Feather River Shay becomes the Cass #11.......

Another Shay has been added to the Cass collection. What was once the Feather River #3 is now the Cass #11.
The Cass #11 was built in 1923. It operated both as a logger and a common carrier. Until 1965 it served the Hutchinson Lumber Company, and then the common carrier Feather River Railway as #3. Weighing 103 tons (204,704 pounds), the wheels are 36" and the cylinders measure 14 1/2 X 15. With a boiler pressure of 200 pounds. Big 6 is the only larger Shay at Cass.
Four men from Cass and six from MSR&LHA went to Campo, California, to bring the Shay to Cass. Herbert Jones, INC. of Dunbar, West Virginia, was contracted to pick the Cass #11 up in Campo and see to its arrival in Cass. It took three days to load the massive Shay and have it sent on its way.

Cass #11 repaired at Cass shop

Shay #11 is assigned to the Whittaker Station Train.

Technically Speaking:

Builder No.: 3221	Date in Service: July 14, 1923
Class: C-90	Trucks: 3
Bore: 14 1/2 inches	Stroke: 15 inches
Drivers: 36 inches	Weight: 103 Tons

Today's funny :o)

Thursday's pics

Charlie calling for breakfast:

They're back!

(In a neighbor's yard, for a change!)

Laverne and Charlie looking for some treats:

(They found some)

Yup - it did bloom!

The sun getting ready to set:

:o)

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Flying squids

Scuba divers off the coast of Turkey recently encountered a 13-foot-wide (4 meter) mass of clear goo containing millions of eggs, most likely laid by a red flying squid. These egg masses are rarely seen, as they're deep underwater and last for only a few days before the squid babies hatch and the mass disintegrates. Scientists aren't entirely sure how the masses get so big, but they think the giant size allows the eggs to spread out and receive oxygen, while the jellylike substance helps protect the eggs from infection, bacteria, and predators.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: http://biologypop.com/neon-flying-squid/

Ommastrephes bartramii (commonly known as the neon flying squid, red flying squid, akaika, and red squid, among other names) is a species of large flying squid in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in subtropical and temperate oceanic waters globally.

Taxonomy

Ommastrephes bartramii belongs to the family Ommastrephidae, subfamily Ommastrephinae. It is the only species belonging to the monospecific genusOmmastrephes. It was first described by the French naturalist, explorer, and artist Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1821. Russian taxonomists consider the separate spawning populations of Ommastrephes bartramii as subspecies.

Description

Ommastrephes bartramii are easily distinguishable by the presence of an elongated silver-colored band in the middle of the ventral side of the mantle. Adult males usually have a mantle length of 29 to 32 cm (0.95 to 1.05 ft), but can reach the maximum length of 45 cm (1.48 ft). Adult females are much larger, usually having a mantle length of around 50 cm (1.6 ft), with the maximum known length being 60 cm (2.0 ft).
Their arms do not possess lateral membranes and have 9 to 27 suckers on the ventral sucker series and 10 to 25 suckers on the dorsal sucker series. The left and right third arms have protective membranes greater in width than the arm width. The hectocotylus develops from the left or right fourth arm. Another distinguishing characteristic of O. bartramii is the presence of 4 to 7 toothed suckers on the tentacular club, near the nearest carpal suckers of the carpal locking apparatus. This is especially useful in differentiating it from the orangeback flying squid(Sthenoteuthis pteropus).
Photophores are present but are small, irregular, and restricted to the ventral side of the mantle, head, and tentacles. Visceral photophores are absent.
Like other ommastrephids and onychoteuthids known as ‘flying squid’, neon flying squid are so named for their ability to shoot out of the water, much like flying fishes. They sometimes unintentionally land on thedecks of ships. This happens more frequently during rough weather or in the presence of predators in the vicinity, and it is presumed that this behavior is an instinctive response to threat. Flying squid have been observed to engage in behaviors that prolong the time it remains in the air, making it more akin to actual flight than just gliding. Biologists, however, still do not fully understand the exact mechanisms by which the squid become airborne. Nevertheless, the phenomenon is known to happen quite frequently and at least one photographic evidence of Ommastrephes bartramii in flight exists.

Ecology and biology

Life cycle

Neon flying squid are highly migratory. They have a lifespan of about one year, during which they complete a cyclical migration between their feeding and spawning grounds. Mating occurs when males (who usually achieve sexual maturity earlier in the season) pass spermatophores to the females. The female squid store them in the oral surface of their buccal membrane until they too become sexually mature later in the season and begin to spawn. Spawning is continuous and not seasonal, occurring virtually throughout the year in intermittent spawning events. Each female spawns approximately 350,000 to 3.6 million eggs, depending on their size. Males and females are both presumed to die soon after.
Hatchlings are around 1 mm (0.039 in) long and grow rapidly, reaching a length of 7 mm (0.28 in) after a month. The paralarvae migrate northwards toward the waters bordering subarctic regions duringsummer and autumn. They are usually found feeding at a depth of 25 m (82 ft) from the surface. Maturing squid return to the spawning grounds to mate.

Diet and predators

Neon flying squid eat small oceanic fishes (like lanternfishes and saury) and other squids. They are known to engage in cannibalism to smaller members of their own species as well. They serve as prey to large fishes (like swordfish, marlin, and tuna), sharks, and marine mammals. They are also fished commercially for human consumption.