robert.admin – Page 239 – Robert Raymond’s Blogtorium

February 24, 2011

OpsLog – LM&O – 2/23/2011

I’m edging out of the haller at the Carbon Hill spur with a rusty cut of boxcars. Behind me, the setting sun glitters of the tin roof of the Champion Mine processing plant. Atop the embankment I’m climbing along, freight 247 squeals to a stop on the main, hissing like a leaky ball. I ease up to the turnout to enter the main just past him. While the brakeman scrambles down to lean against the switch stand, I ring the dispatcher. My orders are to hang out for train 68, varnish eastbound. Already I can hear his bell ringing up […]

February 21, 2011

OpsLog – Chicago Union Pacific – 2/21/2011

Tonight’s session found me running Chicago’s primary yard, a busy place that forwards loads to Proviso, North Platte, the coal fields and, eventually, Cheyenne. Yard working isn’t my big cup of tea. I can do it, I’m okay at it, but there is always that busy-and-now-interrupted feeling as trains barge in while I’m in the middle of shuffling a cut. Worse, I wasn’t on my game tonight. Twice I broke trains down and sorted cars onto receiving tracks, popping their identifying paperwork into the matching slots, only to find out I’d screwed up along the way. There is no gut-clench […]

February 20, 2011

Crash!

Sunday afternoon, driving home after some unauthorized workplace-printing. Stopped at a light, six or so cars back, a little to the left so I can see forward. Just as the light is changing to green our way, a young kid on a tricked-out bike flies into the intersection, running in on a stale yellow. Now, I don't know what he did, but suddenly I see his back wheel going into the air – a horrific spill. I couldn't see what might have caused it but he had the entire 4×4 lane intersection to himself between the lights. Could have been […]

February 19, 2011

New York, NY, 10011

In movies, writers always cruise trendy clubs on a Saturday night, dispensing witty conversation and sizzling truth, a girl on each arm. Me? This Saturday night I’m working out submissions. It’s the routine, the group of three. Go through the guide, read the agency bios, perhaps poke them out online. Date the submission effort (directly in the book – why not?) and paperclip the page to mark it. Now it’s time to start the printing press. Three agency letters (careful, don’t mix the names). Set them on the floor next to the desk. After each letter, kick out a SASE […]

February 19, 2011

Live or Memorex

How serious should modelers get with following their prototype? My first layout, Donner Pass, was correct in that it had pines and a mountain, and the names of the towns matched. I ran SP equipment (from all eras) and really didn’t worry about it. But it started bugging me. The more I learned the railroad’s history in that area, the more it chafed. I considered a change. Then, on a stop during a cross-nation train trip at the small Californian town of San Luis Obispo, I got out to walk the platform. And here I was hit with a sense […]

February 18, 2011

Early Retyrement done (almost)

Got through the last page of Early Retyrement (my exercise in republishing) last night at 12:30am, meaning I’m going to feel it today (yes, I rode in). Its done and ready to go to the Kindle. Well,except for the editing passes. And the conversion to their file type. And the copyright. And the ISBN. And the cover art. And getting it out posted up. And blogging the heck out of it. But still, its in better shape then a week ago. I’ll be pushing the first chapter when my unpaid editing staff approves of it and tossing up the cover […]

February 15, 2011

OpsLog – Pricthard & Charlotte – 2/15/2011

Nice to see the Pritchard & Charlotte up and running. Our club mentored this club in the basic of ops, a very easy-going format. No waybills, just a list of trains and an agreed-upon route (their twice around becomes a double-loop mainline). Ran them under warrants for a few months. Now they took over and are setting up their own sessions. A relief, just come in and run. Got to take 111 west out of Charlotte, way underpowered with a single GP38 on the front. It didn’t help matters that I pulled into Division Yard and sucked up another dozen. […]

February 15, 2011

Terminus

Interesting thing – I crossed into the 300-page range on Early Retyrement the other night. Oh, there was still typos and boner phrases (“…a handful of feet away…”). But at this point of the novel, with the story elements coming together for the conclusion, I finally settled down. Not many that’s. Very few seems. And the likes were rather clever. I’m wondering what happened way back in 1999 while I was writing those pages, what outlook shift took place. Before the 300 mark I was still a wannabe, just out of The Writer’s Room, still learning. Yet suddenly, over a […]

February 14, 2011

OpsLog – Saluda Grade – 2/14/2011

Today I had to fix everyone’s little work problems, putting out fires, taking three hours of process training, and researching another ill-conceived tool. But tonight I worked the Marion local, pushing the cars into Dunn’s and Tricky Dick’s paints. The cars bang and clatter as they go together – just fine – because when I pull them out, they uncouple right at their docks, a satisfying trick. And now I’m done. I swing across the main, pick up my outbounds off the CSX interchange and roll out of town. I’ve even got two cars for Florida Chair at Old Fort […]

February 13, 2011

That seems like

That seems like. This is an old word-trick of mine I use while editing (and I’m certainly finding it useful while reworking Early ReTyrement). I came up with it a few years back and it’s helping me to pull all sorts of chestnuts out of my old, old novel. Keep these three words in mind while you punch up your work… THAT – I use “that” too often as a filler word and end up tripping over it. “He knew that the only thing that he had to fear was that fear, itself.” SEEMS – It’s a weak word, once […]