I hope you weren’t standing on the tracks

My 2017 Christmas card. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

“I hope you weren’t standing on the tracks,” cried one of my aquacise coaches at the Canandaigua YMCA.
I had given them all one of my Christmas cards. I used a train-picture I took down near Altoona, PA.
“No-way, José,” I said. “Look at that picture and the train is on the outside track. My rule is no closer than 10 feet to the nearest rail. That train will pass about 20+ feet from me.
I’m inside a tiny open bus-shelter Amtrak station in Tyrone, PA. Eastbounds are generally on the faraway track. And at 90 mph, 10 feet is too close. That train is doin’ about 40.”
I do aquatic therapy in my YMCA’s swimming-pool to improve my balance. It’s gone from “dreadful” to “questionable.”
You all know my brother and I take train-photos near Altoona, PA. It’s where the Pennsylvania Railroad crossed Allegheny Mountain. That railroad is still there, but now it’s Norfolk Southern. The train pictured is Norfolk Southern. It looks like loaded unit coal eastbound on Track One. A unit-train is all coal cars, probably well over 100 cars.
The Pennsylvania Railroad was once the largest railroad in the world. It merged in 1968 with arch-rival New York Central to become Penn-Central. That went bankrupt two years later, and was succeeded by gumint-funded Conrail, all the northeast bankrupt railroads — there were many.
Conrail eventually privatized. It didn’t have the impediments Penn-Central faced, mostly that by being east-coast megalopolis based it was tasked with costly commuter operations, plus freight-traffic that migrated to trucking.
Conrail, now private, attracted CSX Transportation (railroad) and Norfolk Southern, a 1982 merger of coal-heavy Norfolk & Western, and Southern Railway. CSX was gonna get everything, but Norfolk Southern bid the old Pennsy main across PA. That line was still extremely viable.
The old New York Central main across NY was also very busy, but so was the old Pennsy; and that was despite having a mountain to cross, which NYC didn’t have. Pennsy was extremely well-managed, so very successful.
Norfolk Southern would still have that mountain challenge, but a lotta freight was going over that mountain. CSX ended up with the old NYC main, and Norfolk Southern bought the old Pennsy.
Blog-readers also know I do an annual calendar of train-pictures my brother and I took in Altoona. This Christmas card picture is one of those pictures, although never used in a calendar.
The creator of that calendar is me; although -a) if my brother got the better picture, I use his, and -b) if I got the better picture, I use mine.
I been takin’ train-pictures all my life, but only recently have they got any good. My brother and I learned off each other. My brother is partial to in yer face, and I try to be more scenic.
I’ve learned the importance of lighting from him, and he’s probably gleaned a few things from me. I hear about it. He’s a manager, so likes to manage me.
Sorry dude, doesn’t work. I’m as Irish as him. I also am the artist. The one cranking that calendar is me.
It sounds like all we ever do is argue. Not so. We have a jolly good time.
“Hey Jack, where we goin’?” I let him drive. “Main Street bridge in Gallitzin.” “We are not! We’re headed for Jackson Street.” “Negatory, dude. Main Street bridge next to Tunnel Inn.” “Uhm, 720 Jackson Street; WRONGO manager-boy! What you been smokin’?”
That Christmas card has to be my picture, since it’s my Christmas card. Those cards are made by Shutterfly, the same people that produce my calendar.
Upload an Altoony image-file to Shutterfly to apply to one of their many Christmas card selections. 75 cards = $121.52. 75 Calendars = $3,194.11. Cost me a fortune; but I love doin’ ’em. I send ‘em all over the planet as Christmas presents, although those calendars cost more this year due to delay compliments of Shutterfly. (No pre-Christmas discount = thank you Shutterfly.)
I forked over a calendar to another aquacise coach. So far no worried hand-wringing. (I think they know I ain’t stupid, and I’ve seen stupid railfans.)