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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
1993 Posts |
 Posted - 12/08/2011 : 12:30:28 PM
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Thank you for your comments. Ron, there is only 18". They eye and camera are tricked into perceiving more depth than there is.
Good catch on the smokejack. I don't recall how that smokejack got there in the first place, and as the Head Honcho, I can assign blame to Manuel, my shop foreman. He exhibits great zeal in consumption of tequila and picking winners in cockfights, but is occasionally a bit lacking in work ethic. He shrugged and told me 'that's the smokejack that came with the kit', whatever that means. I shared my concerns with him in a pointed conversation that ended with an appraisal of his future employment options. He said he would 'fix the problem'...I can only hope. It's not easy getting good help in San Lorenzo these days! |
Edited by - MinerFortyNiner on 12/08/2011 11:26:17 PM |
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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
1993 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 1:29:58 PM
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EDIT: catch the whole story of the missing cupola caper on my website here: http://sonoragrandeenterprises.com/esgrr/Tales/page28/page28.html
UPDATE: Manuel asked me to come out to the shop to show his 'bueno' smokejack. I found the caboose had been rolled out on the turntable, and Manuel was on the roof making final adjustments to an extended smokejack.
"Senor, I have made the changes you asked for!" he said proudly. See, the smokejack is taller."
"That was fast! But what happened to the cupola?" I asked in disbelief.
"Senor, you said it was too close to the smokejack, so Jorge and I removed it. Now it is how you wanted it, no?"
"No, Manuel, I told you to move the smokejack to the other side of the car, away from the cupola!"
Manuel scratched his head. "It is now very far from the cupola, senor. I only did what you said."
The rest of the conversation I will leave to your imagination. Manuel will move the smokejack to the other end of the car and replace the cupola with Jorge's help. Ay, caramba! This is a large-scale screwup indeed! |
Edited by - MinerFortyNiner on 12/15/2012 12:22:01 AM |
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Tommatthews
Fireman
7271 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 1:43:34 PM
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Verne,
It sure is hard to get good help these days. |
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milocomarty
Fireman
Netherlands
4927 Posts |
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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
1993 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 3:06:23 PM
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Very true, Tom!
Marty, thanks! I thought the story was over, but it had only begun...
A few hours later, Manuel was back in my office with a long face. "Senor, there is a small problem."
"What's wrong now, Manuel?"
"When I return to the yard to get the cupola, it was gone. Jorge and I looked everywhere but it could not be found."
I shook my head. "Who would steal a cupola, Manuel? He just shrugged.
"Is the smokejack finished?" I asked. I was growing impatient with Manuel.
"Si, senor, it is done. Come and see."
We walked over to the shop, and he climbed up on the caboose roof to show off his latest accomplishment. "Very good, Manuel!" I told him, relieved that at least something had gone right.
Suddenly, Manuel cried out "Ay! Ay!" while pointing to the yard.
I turned to see the cupola loaded on a flatcar heading out of town!
The train leaving town was the Sonora Grande local, returning to the smelter near Sonora Grande. Coupled just ahead of Estrella Copper Co. caboose #2 was a flat car with our cupola on it! |
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railman28
Fireman
USA
1720 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 4:23:45 PM
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| Let Manuel know that if he ever wants to move to "sunny" Oregon there's a job waiting for him here. |
It's Only Make Believe
Bob Harris |
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BBLmber
Fireman
USA
4214 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 4:48:53 PM
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Thanks for the laugh Verne. [:-drunk][:-eyebrows]
Mark |
W,L,&E |
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Hopeless
Fireman
USA
1250 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 6:48:18 PM
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Enjoyed the story and the photos.
Roland |
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dallas_m
Fireman
USA
2991 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 7:11:23 PM
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You've been drinking the green water from the work train again, haven't you? [:-crazy] |
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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
1993 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 7:31:40 PM
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And now...the exciting conclusion of the Great Cupola Caper!
A few days later I was down by the station and I saw the Sonora Grande local sitting in the yard. There was Estrella Copper caboose #2 with a new look:
After talking with the smelter foreman in Sonora Grande, I learned the rest of the story. Seems the crew of the local saw the cupola in the parts yard by the shop, and decided it would look good on their little caboose. So they hoisted it onto an empty flatcar on their way out of town. At least it stayed in the family, as the ECC is the parent company of the E&SG.
So if anybody is checking into the loss of a cupola, or the misplacement of a smokejack, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! |
Edited by - MinerFortyNiner on 12/09/2011 12:49:32 AM |
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n6nvr
Engine Wiper
303 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 9:04:27 PM
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Did they remember to move the stove to line it up with the moved smoke jack? They did a good job of patching the roof.
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Don't push me bureaucrat, I've got a bit of hangover |
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elwoodblues
Fireman
Canada
4863 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 9:34:15 PM
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Great story Verne and thanks for the laffs. The cabooses (or is that cabeeses) look great too.
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Ron Newby
General Manager
Clearwater Valley Railway Co.
http://www.cvry.ca |
Edited by - elwoodblues on 12/15/2011 08:45:12 AM |
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CieloVistaRy
Fireman
USA
4443 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2011 : 9:35:41 PM
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Verne,
I enjoyed the story tremendously. I hope there will be more stories in the future!
Arthur |
Arthur
Cielo Vista Railway (on30) |
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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
1993 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2011 : 12:19:54 AM
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Thanks for your constructive criticism about the original smokejack, I built the roof several years ago and never stopped to think about its location. The comments got me thinking, I had to two 'twin' cabeese with removable roofs and a spare smokejack, a day off from work while under the weather, and the story sort of wrote itself.
Bob, Manuel is grateful for your offer, but respectfully declines...his heart is in the Sonoran, where his favorite drink and senoritas are! However, he is definitely on notice for this latest snafu!
Dallas, I can neither confirm nor deny what I was drinking when I wrote this...
n6nvr, don't worry - when it comes to actually getting the work done, Manuel and Jorge did a good job. Manuel just has difficulty getting the requirements right before starting work. Anybody who works in technology development can probably relate!
Arthur, thanks...the idea came to me after realizing it was kind of dumb having the smokejack right by the cupola...and I was looking for a good excuse! Manuel served well as the necessary scapegoat! Back 7 or 8 years ago, when modeling in N scale, I published several humorous stories on the Atlas N Scale forum. They featured N Scale Norm, 'a 1:160 guy trying to make his way in a 1:1 world', and the troubles he faced. It was a lot of fun, perhaps there will be more On30 stories as inspiration strikes! |
Edited by - MinerFortyNiner on 12/09/2011 12:56:58 AM |
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Geezer
Fireman
USA
8169 Posts |
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Building the Estrella & Sonora Grande RR
Topic Locked
