Why are there rocks on railroad tracks?

I remember the kids (I say they were kids) used to put tires on the track when I went through Hoboken on freight-only River Line. They would stand them up so that as I ran over them, the tires would bounce around and separate an air hose back in the train. Then it was open season on whatever was in the boxcars or trailers.

Of course, the police were seldom around when this happened, so we would be there for an hour or two trying to get the train going again -- after the cute little fellows would close about 20 angle cocks.

Ah, Hoboken. I miss those days (NOT).

LCJ wrote:I remember the kids (I say they were kids) used to put tires on the track when I went through Hoboken on freight-only River Line. They would stand them up so that as I ran over them, the tires would bounce around and separate an air hose back in the train. Then it was open season on whatever was in the boxcars or trailers.

Of course, the police were seldom around when this happened, so we would be there for an hour or two trying to get the train going again -- after the cute little fellows would close about 20 angle cocks.

Ah, Hoboken. I miss those days (NOT).

Heh, heh. Are you referring to the projects just North of the Paterson Plank road crossing?? Of course you are! That was a legendary location for pilferage of trailers and such. So when NJDOT built the new Marion connection for CR in lieu of the portion of the River line needed for the light rail stuff, it was a win-win for Conrail.

I don't think anyone misses that piece of RR.

I'll bet your mamma's really proud of you, too.

She died about 3 years ago. Thanks for bringing that up though.

-r

I'll bet she's still proud of you. I mean, really, what better for a son (or daughter) to do but put assorted objects on tracks in front of trains. Worthy of extreme pride!

Nah, always in back of the train when I'm doing a shove move. No witnesses that way.

-r

OK, well, whatever.

À l'oeuvre on reconnaît l'artisan. (You can tell an artist by his handiwork.)

and...

Bien faire et laisser dire. (Do you work well, and never mind the critics.)

That place that you guys speak of in hoboken, is that where the infamous "Conrail boyz" did their dirty work? That case was actually on Court TV the other day according to a friend from the railroad?

Actually, I believe that case involved extensive organized looting of grounded trailers at the So. Kearny TrailVan facility. Most of the trains through Hoboken were mixed freight -- where moving boxcars were the target of the project residents.

Some people say "The Sopranos" paints an unfair picture of life in North Jersey. Me, I'm not so sure...

LCJ wrote:
When I was an engineer I never thought of myself as looking like that!

HOG HEAD CHEESE

I was chowing on a bag of pork rines the other day LCJ and thinking about your recipe for hoghead cheese, kinda cannibalistic of us to eat it aint it? How is that hoghead cheese? I know you said "slice and enjoy", but really is it any good?

I wouldn't touch the stuff. How'd you like that part about "remove the brains -- if there are any" ?

rocks on railroad tracks are known as BALLAST.

simple answer, ain't it?

It was pretty funny LCJ, thanks for telling me that you dont eat hoghead cheese. I was picturing you hanging out in the kitchen making it on the weekends, it didnt quite seem right.

Anonymous wrote:

Be careful the rocks sometime become a projectile as fast as a bullet sometimes so please be careful

Yeah, I know. I was thinking about starting a web site:

www.stuffIranoverwithatrain.com

So far I've run over various items from the yard, railroad spikes, steel 5 gallon drums, rocks, car tire, water bottles, coolers, paint cans...

And some stuff I had on my person such as an alarm clock, can of coke, coins and an orange.

-r

That would be the greatest!

I actually clicked on the link to: www.stuffIranoverwithatrain.com
just to see if you had actually got the website up and running.

Thanks for the gerat laugh!