Tuesday, February 10, 2015

'kinda like facebook'

I'm home from the gym and I'm a little bit lighter. 202 pounds exactly is my new weight. I can clearly see my goal of 200 pounds from this not quite so lofty point. Maybe by the end of next week...

This is going to be a boring post; similar to the kind of writing skills I use when posting to Facebook. I spent the morning with our art group; 8 painters that gather for 3 or 4 hours once a week to paint and solve world and domestic problems. It's a great way to clear your mind of any cobwebs as we all have differing viewpoints and that leads to lively, but polite, debate. We rent a room at the Chico Art Center and the group has been in existence for about 20 years. I've been with them for about 6 years now and I'm still a junior member.

Okay, here's the reason for today's post; the railroad. The Art Center is located in the former Union Pacific train station and the tracks are about 30 feet away. This track is also a main north/south line for the railroad. It bisects the town and there are no overpasses or tunnels to get traffic through some of the major arteries when the train comes through. Good news and bad news. The traffic doesn't have to wait for a long period of time. Nope, the bad news is that the railroad has squashed all efforts to slow those trains down. They barrel through at 50 mph and higher. They speed by the University, apartment buildings and businesses. And the Art Center. The building shakes when they pass. And today I noted a string of at least 40 brand new tank cars; those black ones that can carry oil. And other dangerous cargo.

The railroads created California in the 1800's and they still have immense power in todays world. They fight all efforts to regulate them any more than they are now. Such as notifying local fire prevention agencies when they are moving dangerous and flammable liquids. Or modifying the speed limits through urban areas to  more sensible 25 mph.

Today was a day where I was particularly nervous as four fast freights thundered through town. Somedays, the good days, we might have one slow freight come by; hauling lumber out of the Northwest. And the only reason for the slow speed is the fact that a major marshaling yard is located in Roseville, a 100 miles away, and they will slow or stop the incoming trains when the yard is becoming congested with east/west traffic.

Scared by trains? Yeah, I'm a wimp.

1 comment:

  1. It's only paranoia when it's not possible in the world in which we live. I don't call that being a wimp but a recognition of what can happen. Hopefully it won't as that sounds like a great spot and group-- other than the trains.

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