#railway track jam

[mariacallous]

With the Olympic torch extinguished in Paris, all eyes are turning to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.

The host city has promised that the next Summer Games will be “car-free.”

For people who know Los Angeles, this seems overly optimistic. The car remains king in LA, despite growing public transit options.

When LA hosted the Games in 1932, it had an extensive public transportation system, with buses and an extensive network of electric streetcars. Today, the trolleys are long gone; riders say city buses don’t come on schedule, and bus stops are dirty. What happened?

This question fascinates me because I am a business professor who studies why society abandons and then sometimes returns to certain technologies, such as vinyl records, landline phones, and metal coins. The demise of electric streetcars in Los Angeles and attempts to bring them back today vividly demonstrate the costs and challenges of such revivals.

Riding the Red and Yellow Cars

Transportation is a critical priority in any city, but especially so in Los Angeles, which has been a sprawling metropolis from the start.

In the early 1900s, railroad magnate Henry Huntington, who owned vast tracts of land around LA, started subdividing his holdings into small plots and building homes. In order to attract buyers, he also built a trolley system that whisked residents from outlying areas to jobs and shopping downtown.

By the 1930s, Los Angeles had a vibrant public transportation network, with over 1,000 miles of electric streetcar routes, operated by two companies: Pacific Electric Railway, with its “Red Cars,” and Los Angeles Railway, with its “Yellow Cars.”

The system wasn’t perfect by any means. Many people felt that streetcars were inconvenient and also unhealthy when they were jammed with riders. Moreover, streetcars were slow because they had to share the road with automobiles. As auto usage climbed and roads became congested, travel times increased.

Nonetheless, many Angelenos rode the streetcars—especially during World War II, when gasoline was rationed and automobile plants shifted to producing military vehicles.

Demise of Public Transit

The end of the war marked the end of the line for streetcars. The war effort had transformed oil, tire, and car companies into behemoths, and these industries needed new buyers for goods from the massive factories they had built for military production. Civilians and returning soldiers were tired of rationing and war privations, and they wanted to spend money on goods such as cars.

After years of heavy usage during the war, Los Angeles’ streetcar system needed an expensive capital upgrade. But in the mid-1940s, most of the system was sold to a company called National City Lines, which was partly owned by the carmaker General Motors, the oil companies Standard Oil of California and Phillips Petroleum, and the Firestone tire company.

These powerful forces had no incentive to maintain or improve the old electric streetcar system. National City ripped up tracks and replaced the streetcars with buses that were built by General Motors, used Firestone tires, and ran on gasoline.

There is a long-running academic debate over whether self-serving corporate interests purposely killed LA’s streetcar system. Some researchers argue that the system would have died on its own, like many other streetcar networks around the world.

The controversy even spilled over into pop culture in the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which came down firmly on the conspiracy side.

What’s undisputed is that, starting in the mid-1940s, powerful social forces transformed Los Angeles so that commuters had only two choices: drive or take a public bus. As a result, LA became so choked with traffic that it often took hours to cross the city.

In 1990, the Los Angeles Times reported that people were putting refrigerators, desks, and televisions in their cars to cope with getting stuck in horrendous traffic. A swath of movies, from Falling Down to Clueless to La La Land, have featured the next-level challenge of driving in LA.

Traffic was also a concern when LA hosted the 1984 Summer Games, but the Games went off smoothly. Organizers convinced over 1 million people to ride buses, and they got many trucks to drive during off-peak hours. The 2028 games, however, will have roughly 50 percent more athletes competing, which means thousands more coaches, family, friends, and spectators. So simply dusting off plans from 40 years ago won’t work.

Olympic Transportation Plans

Today, Los Angeles is slowly rebuilding a more robust public transportation system. In addition to buses, it now has four light-rail lines—the new name for electric streetcars—and two subways. Many follow the same routes that electric trolleys once traveled. Rebuilding this network is costing the public billions, since the old system was completely dismantled.

Three key improvements are planned for the Olympics. First, LA’s airport terminals will be connected to the rail system. Second, the Los Angeles organizing committee is planning heavily on using buses to move people. It will do this by reassigning some lanes away from cars and making them available for 3,000 more buses, which will be borrowed from other locales.

Finally, there are plans to permanently increase bicycle lanes around the city. However, one major initiative, a bike path along the Los Angeles River, is still under an environmental review that may not be completed by 2028.

Car-Free for 17 Days

I expect that organizers will pull off a car-free Olympics, simply by making driving and parking conditions so awful during the Games that people are forced to take public transportation to sports venues around the city. After the Games end, however, most of LA is likely to quickly revert to its car-centric ways.

As Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA 2028 organizing committee, recently put it: “The unique thing about Olympic Games is for 17 days you can fix a lot of problems when you can set the rules—for traffic, for fans, for commerce—than you do on a normal day in Los Angeles.”

[heavenlybackside]

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel as it approaches East Chattanooga, Tennessee with a trainload of passengers, on April 28th, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

According to the Tennessee River Valley Tourism site: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's passenger trains run on an historic route which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through, the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an other wise double-track railroad. Southern Railway abandoned the three-mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether. TVRM restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel daily.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #PassengerTrain #TennesseeValleyRailroadMuseum #TennesseeTrains #steamtrain #tvrm

[ravenpawraas]

I sincerely hate Moscow traffic jams and public transport from the suburbs. We have repairs on the railway tracks today, but I didn't know about it. I'm late for the match and will miss the entire 1st period.

I wanna cry

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Big Harry Is Ailing by Jack Evans

The Argus, Saturday July 21, 1951

I took the text because the article shape is so awkward.

*cues in Sad Henry music*

BIG HARRY IS AILING By JACK EVANS

HEAVY HARRY, the bad boy who later become the pride of the Victorian railways, is ill. Seriously ill. All 260 tons of him. Slumped in hospital - the repair sheds at Newport workshops, Victoria's only H220 engine could hardly raise steam above a whisper yesterday.

Heavy Harry, built at Newport - the heaviest locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere, is the only one of its type in Australia. His massive size and varied adventures made him pride of the rail engine fleet during World War II.

"Overwork, that's what caused it," he gasped yesterday. "I've got something wrong with my boiler." He said sadly: "You know, you're the first visitor I've had since I came to hospital. No one cares."

Work Of Two

"Why, Mr. Hyland, Transport Minister, was proud to drive me when I was launched in '41. Kiddies flocked to see me when I went on exhibition. "But as soon as you get sick you're forgotten. "In 10 years I've travelled more than half a million miles for the Railways. And I've pulled millions of tons of freight between Albury and Melbourne, doing the work of two engines."

He added, indignantly: "These new R Class engines are getting all the limelight now. Running around painted red and black, with all the glamor of Essendon footballers "

"And letting girls ride on their footplates. I was brought up better than that, and I've never worn anything but decent black all my life!

"Going to haul passenger trams from Bendigo, are they? Bah! When the Railways got into a jam with the Spirit, who did none Help they yell for? Heavy Harry! "They tell me those R Class engines stole the show in the Engineering section at the Festival of Britain. They sound more like mannequins instead of machines. "And boasting about their mechanical stokers! Let me tell you, I had the first mechanical stoker in the whole of Victoria. And the best! "I heard my boss, Commissioner Wishart, say that 70 of them -were coming from England. And half-a-dozen streamlined diesels from U.S.A.

"What about accommodation problems? He wants to remember there is a shortage of engine round-houses here." Harry brightened up towards the end of the interview.

"I'll be back on the track soon," he prophesied. "All 92ft. 6in. of me, and fighting fit. "Those glamor jobs had better hunt a quiet siding. If I meet them on a foggy night I'll show them that Old Harry hasn't lost his punch."

A couple of notes:

Jack Evans seems to be using the character of Heavy Harry to critique the VR, which is entirely valid since the railways were about to get absolutely slaughtered by our own native version of Beeching and didn't recover for another 60 years.

The North British Works-built Hudson R-class "glamor jobs" they talk about weren't bad engines, just wholly unsuited to the jobs VR assigned to them, which were goods trains rather than express passenger trains like they were built for.

(And they're Scottish, Harry! They were built at Glasgow! You know this!)

They did bear a scarlet and black color scheme... possibly to connote in a new era their passenger engine status (red, used on express passenger locos in the pre-Clapp era on A2s and other passenger locomotives), wedded to standard VR black.

(Hudson R 707 "City Of Melbourne")

The Lancastrian built J-Classes, the last steam engines built for VR, also bore this scarlet and black scheme.

Essendon Football Club were the glamor team of the Victorian Football League (Australian Rules football) at the time, having appeared in almost every single Grand Final since 1941, which is kinda funny that he gives the Rs a serve for their color scheme... as I have Harry as an Essendon supporter in my OC headcanon, lol. (strong IRL historical associations between Essendon and Heavy Harry).

(Outside of Essendon Railway Station, bearing a photo of ‘Harry on the Express to Albury at Essendon, 1949’… old timers living here would recall Harry shaking the earth as he passed).

Him threatening to bash the "glamor jobs" though... is dead on like my OC Harry! Cranky, prone to melancholia, painfully aware of how alone he is. That is Heavy Harry.

Also:

"Overwork, that's what caused it," he gasped yesterday. "I've got something wrong with my boiler." He said sadly: "You know, you're the first visitor I've had since I came to hospital. No one cares."

"I SUFFER DREADFULLY AND NO ONE CARES"

Both rebellious, troublesome engines with issues.

Canonically both melancholy and lonely engines with wide angry streaks.

Both are fairly unique engines. Harry is the sole Pocono with a third cylinder that exists, sole member of his class. Henry was a failed hybrid turned Black Five, the sheer fact of this makes him fairly unique.

Both seem fond of flowers (see the illustration in my earlier Heavy Harry post).

Both he and Henry were originally meant to be express passenger locomotives but turned to the purpose of night/early-morning fast goods.

Both are fond of their "special coal" (Harry worked best on the Oz version of Welsh coal, Maitland coal).

"Harry" is a variant of the name Henry.

This particular article was put out less than two weeks after the publication of the book "Henry the Green Engine", on the 10th of July 1951.

Neither seem interested in ladies, canonically.

The little drawing they put in it is basically Henry…

Just sayin'! If Twin Flames existed... It’d be these two. Har’ is basically an Oz version of Henry…

So fucking weird when you find such off-kilter content about something you are interested in. Also, H220 and its the 22nd of the month so...

[ndostairlyrium]

🌌 MILKY WAY, 🍰 CAKE SLICE, 🚆 TRAIN for all of them? c:

eeep ** thanks dear!!

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

Elanor

So, there's a running joke I have with a few friends that the first female character of each game I play - with customizable options - has to be a badass redhead called iterations of the name Lenore, which is the name of my Mass Effect protagonist. I find it hilarious that my Shepard is traveling through realms bringing chaos and a very bad personality. Luckily Ela turned out similar to Lenore only in the physical aspects, mentally they're polar opposites - well, except when it comes to falling for dorks with sarcastic approaches on life << I don't remember the first thing I decided about her, actually, it's been a while. Probably something related to her strength.

Hawke

Just like Ela, he happened very randomly. I remember approaching the game superficially in the first run, like, picking just the diplomatic options and having a mediocre time throughout the story by deciding for the "best" decisions and romancing the "wrong" character. But then I remember @underneathestars mentioned that the humorous personality was super fun and I was like "oh, so I can play as the town's fool! amazing!". Plus, another friend told me that Fenris was the best romance so I was like "yeah, why not, better than [other character]" All the right calls were made and Kerry was such a fun character to play and mentally accessorize! The first thing I decided about him was that he's just Some Dude. No particular skillset, just a big heart and a tendency to put himself in danger because of it.

Ankh

Another child of a second or third or fourth (can't remember) playthrough. I remember wanting a really fun character to engage the environment with but this time with actual competences and that is really doing her best, and more. With her, I fell in love with the game and the franchise in general. The first thing I decided about her was that everything she accomplished, she had to work for it. She isn't afraid of failure, because failure is the first thing she experiences in life and she knows how to take the best tools from it to succeed another day.

🍰 CAKE SLICE - favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?

Elanor

Coming from nobility, she has tasted many varieties of cake so she could develop preferences - and be picky about it << I would say something creamy and voluptuous, like those cakes with flavored custard and layers of puff pastry sheets, with fancy fruit on top. She's a fan of delicate scents and flavors when it comes to pastry, but it has to be decadent or else she prefers not to engage.

Hawke

He could eat any cake, really. However, his favorite is a classic: jam tart (onion and fig being his preferred choices for filling).

Ankh

She's lactose and gluten intolerant, plus she can't digest fermented aliments, so her options are very limited when it comes to eating - whenever she doesn't cut them herself because of her eating disorder. Rather than cake she's fond of small pastry. One of the best things she has ever eaten was the thedosian cousin of a cannolo, with fresh ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, and orange slices - she fell super sick after that but, eh, can't really blame her for making such a bad decision.

��TRAIN - what is their answer to the trolley problem?

Since the implications of the whole thing are quite complex, I'm going with the regular version (source wikipedia):

"There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two (and only two) options:

Do nothing, in which case the trolley will kill the five people on the main track.

Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.

Which is the more ethical option? Or, more simply: What is the right thing to do?"

Elanor

The right thing to do, for her, would be diverting the trolley to kill one person. Hopefully it's Darkspawn

Hawke

Same as Elanor, but he'd make sure to identify the person and take care of their family afterwards

Ankh

Among the three, she's the one that thinks about it for a while before providing an answer. Would make the trolley explode, if the distance is enough to support the idea. Hypotetically, all of the people will be harmed by the explosion but nobody - except her maybe - would die. If the distance isn't enough to plan a thing, she'd do the same as the others. Her first instinct would be looking for a third option tho.

(These are not really "it's none of my business" characters lmao)

-

Emoji Asks meme

[v0idspeak]

RQ stream notes

So today Rusty Quill streamed! Woo! Alex J. Newall did a creative jam to create an audio drama in... 2 hours? I think? Anyway! I took notes!

The end result was an elevator pitch, synopsis for 6 episodes, and a somewhat fully-produced pilot episode.

It features three main characters (two protagonists and an antagonist) and two entire dogs, in a Noir Western setting.

Enjoy the notes! (Warning: they are long.)

Alex' ground rules -No swearing/anything that'll get him kicked off Twitch -Only original stories -No TMP spoilers or he gets bapped -6-part series with 10min of fully produced audio drama

-Genre - usually do a genre blend (between two different genres) (ex.: romoantic-horror) to allow for more elaborate concepts Genre choice: Noir | Western -Did some brainstorming for keywords in Aesthetics -Quickly going through Wikipedia to research the genres and find points to fill the project guide. Determine how long we have VS what kinds of stories we have time to do -Get a couple characters (3 to be exact) -Elevator pitch -Character bio detail brainstorming -Quick summary of each episode, per season -Cannibalism gave title idea: Eat the Rich (lmao actual cannibal Shia LaBoeuf) -Text between brackets is to the creators' benefit rather than in the actual episode -Pilot needs a Final Complication/hook/cliffhanger in order to get the listener's attention -Alex abuses of speech-to-text (it fights back sometimes) -Writes pilot script -Writes tagline mid-pilot scripting -Once script is over, highlighted parts that are being voice-acted -Started actually voice acting the scene -Silent sound markers (snap fingers - wait a few seconds - snap fingers again. I think this is for denoising purposes) -Occasionally makes voiceacting notes/redoes lines -Moving screams in separate layers. A lot of things he's doing can be done automatically but he's doing it in Audacity manually so we see what's going on. He'll also be taking shortcuts and such that he shouldn't -Silence marker - effect - noise reduction (after getting sound profile for the silence) -(reduce memory load by doing Stereo To Mono while working; do NOT do this for a real podcast ahaha) -Normalize audio -Audacity is a destructive audio program which makes things Difficult (I think Reaper isn't which is neat) -Use fades to hide a cut -One track per scene? -Use scene cuts where a lot is left unsaid -Once dialogue is cut, finds SFX (he has soundbanks - soundbanks good) -Oh No Soundscaping (TM) -And then Music (ft. Upbeat Sax- I mean what?) -Exporting stuff is very frustrating (ft. Alex flappy hands, but angy) -Does artwork during exporting (ft. Alex goat noises) (graphic design is his passion) (he's using Paint) -EQ work! -Exporting -Alex is very good at doing the post-episode monologue

Brainstorm Template: -Key Info *Title (Eat the rich) *Logline (It's dog eat dog in the belly of the new world beast) *Elevator pitch (Grim the gritty outsider with nothing to lose stumbles upon the railway being built none other than Princeton with dangerous labour practices and there's a secret conspiracy that can only be unearther with the help of Elisa Thorne. Mining equipment, illegal land grab at the outskirts of OldNew Manchester *Genre (Western | Noir) *Series format (6x10 episodes)

-Aesthetics *Tone (introspective | outside the law | Death of the wilderness | Gritty | Vigilante | Brooding | Corruption) *FX (Wind, tumbleweed, Narrator/VO, guns, whip snap, gravel, vultures, door hinges, whistling, campfire, horses, wood, saxophone, sound of smoke, train heist) *Music (Slow n low, sax, jazz, saloon piano, blues/harmonica, banjo, cello) *Visuals (dust bowl, urban, smokey, wilderness, night, American, chiaroscuro, trenchcoats, hats)

Project guide -World guide *Noir (No happy endings promised) *Sandbox (calamity james retelling,

-Characters CHARACTER | ROLE | AGE | PRONOUNS performance guide Bio

Elisa Thorne | LAW LADY | 37 | She/her No nonsense brusqye, played by April Bio: Has wife, has cool dog, loves flowers, run away from money,

Grim | GRITTY OUTSIDER | 55 | They/them Mr badger from Wind in the Willows meets An no country for old men Bio: Never sleeps, sharpshooter, Also Has A Bigger Dog, caffeine addiction

Elon Princeton | CAPITALIST | AGE | HE/HIM Just everything that's wrong with the world right now condensed into a person Bio: Menacing knitting, Illegally obtained Emerald mine, father of Elisa's wife, allergic to dogs

Season synposes

S1 - 1 (pilot) (Grim rolls into town as Elon is announcing that they can finally finish the final phase of the railway connecting city with a remote outpost, Eliza attempts arrest due to dog attacking Elon, Grim driven out of town as he is too dangerous to be captured, Grim sneaks back into city because they cannot leave without their coffee. Discover Elon's conspiracy - they are hgiding bodies beneath railway [Elon is a cannibal] [Elon is an actual accountable cannibal accountant lmao] [Picked up in the Emerald Mine Disaster, continued bc he likes it & hates the poor]. Grim gets a pardon if they help take Elon down. Eliza discovers her wife has disappeared) 2 - (Eliza investigates missing wife with poor results, Grim gets involved despite themself and starts using off the book methods to squeeze info from contacts including some ranches from outside of town & implied secrets about Elon, Grim gets results - gunfight - Elisa forced to rescue Grim - forced to get along - respect each other) 3 - (staged train robbery to cover up final shipment of bodies, Grim injured) 4 - reversal (Eliza's wife revealed to have been covering for Elon, Elon takes control of town and Eliza is framed for robbery. Eliza forced out of town.) 5 - knot (Elon covers up recent scandal (illicit affair with newly arrived rancher) w disappearance of [???] Discover bodies) 6 - conclusion/finale (Discover Elon cannibal, Elon eaten by dogs, Eliza's wife Irene chooses Dad over Eliza bc NOIR, Grim leaves, there is no justice)

Pilot script *Scene 1 Grim rolls into town as Elon is announcing that they can finally finish the final phase of the railway connecting city with a remote outpost, -Grim is unimpressed and picks a fight -Eliza attempts to descalate situation despite hating Elon and fails bc Grim is unhelpful & dog is worrying Elon -Grim hears automobile backfiring, assumes they are under fire, gunfighting ensues (gunfighting shoes???) -Grim flees town (Grim driven out of town as he is too dangerous to be captured)

*Scene 2 Grim sneaks back into city because they cannot leave without their coffee. -Via railway into city -Witnesses bodies being laid amongst the sleepers (Discover Elon's conspiracy - they are hgiding bodies beneath railway)

*Scene 3 -Despite Grim's instincts, they decide to warn sheriff Eliza about bodies (Twist because Noir -Alex) -Eliza arrests Grimm (assuming they are lying) until hearing name Elon -Dogs like each other :D -Irene enters with late night surprise dinner for Eliza - immediately hides suspicions and lies to wife about Grim. Grim is shocked but plays along. (This thing writes ITSELF!! -Alex)

[Elon is a cannibal] [Elon is an actual accountable cannibal accountant lmao] [Picked up in the Emerald Mine Disaster, continued bc he likes it & hates the poor].

*Scene 4 (written after scene 5 - lull in action -Grim sitting on Eliza's porch and mulling things over - plays harmonica

Scene 5 -Eliza discovers wife has disappeared and demands Grim's help bc they are an oustsider & closest thing to friend that Eliza has in this messed up city Grim gets a pardon if they help take Elon down. Eliza discovers her wife has disappeared

[HERE, Alex takes more detailed notes and doesn't really pause so I didn't note the dialogue and such. Also Alex's accent is glorious.] [He talked about digging a pit and now everyone in chat is spamming DIG] [The speech to text keeps writing Gunfight Ensues as Gunfighting Shoes.] ["I like Grim. Grim's a fun character." Same, Alex, same.] [Shoutout to Alex doing beatboxing with a weird dog noise while trimming sounds] [plays thunder sound "Ohohoho! I don't care if it's Gothic! My wife has dissapeared KPHHHHHW"] [Alex' frustrated sounds are something to behold. Gremlin noises fr.] [Chat has started singing Hellfire by the Mechanisms] ["I warn everyone, this isn't going to be a thing that is pleasant to listen to"] ["NARRATION!"] [File is huge. There is now a vote in chat, called Chonk? with three options, Chonk, Chonk, and Chonk. The first Chonk won!] [Notetaker's note: I still miss Winston Princeton]

TMP news: "Jonny has pitched to me the most horrific thing ever" [about s3 of TMP?] etc etc (can't share it. WHAT A TEASE >:| /lh)

[anosci]

(61-75 albums etc that I’ve listened to this year, copied from twitter) (now with art. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6])

names and thoughts below cut

61/ PROGedia - Diõscuri (2023) holy shit what is this. prog hip hop? 6???? insane bangers out the gate why is this from R&S? feels like brainfeeder 💯 massive.

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62/ Sampling Masters - Never Float (2001) this sounds a bit ahead of its time. its not just me right? does this sound like 2001 to you? 2005 maybe… this is a good thing btw

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63/ VA - D3: Diverse Style from "B" 3rd style Normal (2001) this feels a little dated and amateurish (affectionate) it's a complete mixed bag in style and quality but an all around lovely time. "R4" maybe fav song? there's a lot of good here…

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64/ VA - D3: Diverse Style from "B" 3rd style Versus (2001) kinda the same story as the "normal" version. maybe a bit weaker overall. the last two tracks are a really strong closer

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65/ Autechre - AE_LIVE (2016) weird case im not rly including this thoroughly but i found fanmade CUEs and titles for the AE_LIVE releases. so obv i gotta split and organize them. relisten a bit… not to all of it. its cool to have "names" to my favs! (drunk), ceramic, c7b2 slip…

also my least favorite: (rave) get EQ'd gdi

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66/ Autechre - AE_LIVE 2016/2018 (2020) weird case #2. turns out the newer sets are dif material. fewer beats. it is. RLY GOOD. again with the CUEs and fan IDs, some fav tracks: (flash) holty shit reflected ;_; (cyclone) (2016 ver)!!!!!! "(cosmos) - flute" i could swim in this

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67/ Herbie Hancock - Future 2 Future (2001) i still have Herbie Hancock associated with like. the old jazz greats. a constellation fixed in the sky. so its wild to me to hear his explorations afterward. smokey jazzy sound sprinkled over breaks and even some bleepy styles. chill.

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68/ VA - D4: Diverse Style from "B" 4th style (2001) wild variation. putting the diverse in Diverse Style i suppose. im just gonna list some standouts: "Funky Modelling [ATM Remix]" hypnotic! "WOW WOW 220" jf adventure! "manmachine plays jazz [ex.MIX]" classic beat!

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69/ Initial Y - Dance X 2002 (2001) oh, cheese. i probably shouldve seen that coming based on the artist name. overall not a fan, but also… lol track 6. "Last Regrets -Winter Night Mix-" and (especially) the hidden track are the only ones that truly vibe with me

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70/ VA - side-c (2001) yeah its another wild ride of genres. im having a good time! standouts: "Believe～Flirtation" sexy garage! "RG14" fun!!! "terrolist_egoist" hits a nostalgic spot "ヒッポカンパス" l u s h, ahead of its time even "雲海に棲む鳥" grasslands rpg vibes!

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71/ Casiopea - Main Gate (2001) no words just jams

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72/ Holly Waxwing - The New Pastoral (2023) beautiful and elegant. i feel like i need to study this to learn restraint and intent in design.

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73/ 4 Hero - Creating Patterns (2001) (i have decided to be extra harsh on dnb albums.) …oh the dnb is stripped back. a sexy jazz fills the space. im still picky about vocals but some of them feel right to me. not quite Groove Aramda but ya. "Eight" is my fav here i think lol

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74/ VA - Metalheadz Platinum Breakz 03 (2001) (i have decided to be extra harsh on dnb albums.) VA here means Various Alignments with my taste. im far more into the jungle jazzish portions than the darkstep(?). overall: ok. (this is me being harsh)

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75/ The Railway Raver - You'll Never Get Anywhere By Spending All Day Playing Around With That Bloody Drum Machine (2001) i love railay raver's ear for sound design. id say "gentle synth feel" but this deviates from that a bit. acid tho.

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[collinthenychudson]

Day 25: The Polar Express

Merry Christmas!

Info from The Polar Express Wiki, I've already gone over the story from last year. This one is mainly covering the info of the locomotive

The Polar Express is the titular magical 2-8-4 wheel configured American Berkshire type steam locomotive that transports children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. The locomotive pulls five passenger cars (however, some scenes show the train with more or less), including an abandoned toy car at the front and an observation car at the back.

The train makes two stops in Grand Rapids, Michigan to pick up Hero Boy and Billy the Lonely Boy respectively. Later in the film, Smokey and Steamer, the locomotive's fireman and engineer, have to fix the light, so Hero Girl is put in charge of driving. Suddenly, Smokey and Steamer see something ahead on the track and call out to Hero Girl to stop the train, but she and Hero Boy have trouble figuring out which lever applies the brakes. Eventually, Hero Boy applies the brakes and the train stops just before it crashes into a huge herd of Caribou.

After the caribou get out of the way, Smokey and Steamer get back to the cab of the locomotive and get the train on its way again. However, Steamer finds the throttle is jammed due to a loose pin, causing the train to accelerate uncontrollably. Because of this, the Conductor ties Hero Boy and Hero Girl to the safety bar at the front of the locomotive to prevent them from falling off as they go down Glacier Gulch. The pin falls out and into an air vent, but comes out when the train goes down the gulch. Steamer manages to catch it with his mouth, only to swallow it by accident. When the train ends up on the Ice Lake, Smokey manages to get the pin out of Steamer's stomach by hitting his back with a shovel, but it works too well as the pin flies out of the locomotive and lands on the ice, causing it to crack. The train crashes through an iceberg and leans sideways. Smokey eventually decides to use the pin from his hair to fix the throttle and Steamer is able to control the speed again. Everyone soon notices the cracking ice, so Smokey and Steamer try to get the train back on the tracks with the Conductor navigating and succeed.

The Conductor, Hero Boy, and Hero Girl later climb along the locomotive to get back to the passenger cars.

The Polar Express in the film is based on the Pere Marquette 1225, a 1941 Berkshire N-1 class 2-8-4 locomotive built at the Lima Locomotive Works. The locomotive's design was used in the film, as well as its sounds, with the exception of its whistle, which came from Sierra Railway No. 3. Drawings of the locomotive were used to create the 3D model. Chris Van Allsburg chose this design because he used to play on the locomotive while attending games at the Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, where it was placed on static display at the time.

Today, the 1225 is housed in Owosso, Michigan and is operated and maintained by the Steam Railroading Institute. The 1225 frequently hauls passenger excursions in Michigan throughout the year, including the world-famous North Pole Express trips throughout the months of November and December.

In both the original book and the film adaptation, the Polar Express is painted black along with its tender. Its tender in the film also has the words "Polar Express" in white on both sides, something which is not in the book.

In some merchandise, the words on the tender are yellow instead of white. The locomotive is also often depicted with the number 1225, always in the same color as the words on the tender, under its side cab windows, like Pere Marquette 1225, but no number appears in neither the book nor the film.

Models and Route by: K&L Trainz, Auran, and Download Station

[man-and-atom]

A “traditional” central-station electric power system works very much like a railroad. There is a dispatcher’s office, where people keep track of the power that’s being generated, the available generating capacity, the loads, and the paths that power flows along. They have the assistance of tabulated data showing load patterns for past weeks, months, and years, with variations for everything from weather conditions to sporting events. The dispatcher can do things like telephone the operator at a hydro plant and say “we are going to need full output from you in ten minutes”.

Wind and solar, however, are non-dispatchable : they become available or unavailable without any reference to when and where power is needed. The result is more like a freeway, where traffic jams are inevitable, than like a railway, where delays only occur when something goes wrong.

To balance generation against load, with a lot of non-dispatchable generation, the best you can do is to build (at corresponding expense) way more than a simple computation would say you need, so that something will be available most of the time, and then disconnect whatever’s in excess at a given moment. Of course, you can’t just go around disconnecting people’s homes from the grid! Promoters of wind and solar say that these problems will be solved by “smart grids”, time-of-use pricing, and similar fixes. This is bound to work just as well as computer-driven cars and congestion tolls work to straighten out city traffic.

All in all, it is a very good thing that we have a proven technology which gives us power in large, dispatchable, highly reliable blocks, with zero emissions and an unlimited fuel supply. It’s just too bad that people regard it with unwarranted suspicion, while wind and solar are glamorous (at least to people who don’t have to live with them).

[samacharapp]

Railway track jammed: Farmers in Punjab have announced the train stop movement, the railway track will be jammed on this date

Trains will be stopped at about 30 places in 18 districts of Punjab. Among them, the district.

Railway track jammed Farmers in Punjab are once again going to protest on the railway track. This time there will be a large-scale protest. The farmers have announced a strike on October 3. Farmers in many districts of Punjab will sit on the railway tracks and affect the movement of trains.

The farmers' organizations held a meeting under the chairmanship of farmer leader Satnam Singh Sahni on Monday and took stock of the preparations for the train stop movement to be held on October 3. Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, said that the BJP has staged a dharna for 3 hours on October 3 against the non-punishment of former Union Home Minister and his son Ashish Monu Mishra, the main accused. A nationwide train stop movement has been announced for the rest of the 12 demands, including the Lakhimpur Khiri incident.

Pandher said that trains will be stopped at about 30 places in 18 districts of Punjab. These include Batala, Tarn Taran town and Patti in district Gurdaspur, Tanda and Hoshiarpur Khas in Hoshiarpur, Fort Raipur and Sahnewal in Ludhiana, Phillaur and Lohia in Jalandhar, Talwandi Bhai, Mallanwal, Makhu, Guruharshay, Moga stations in Ferozepur district. 

Apart from Patiala station in Moga district, Malot in Muktsar, Hamira and Sultanpur in Kapurthala, Ahmedgarh Mandi in Sunam, Faridkot city in Faridkot, Rampura Phul in Bathinda district and Parmanand in Pathankot district, there are three places in Haryana, two places in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. And there will be protests in Madhya Pradesh too. While trains will be stopped at three places in UP.

News is originally taken from: https://bit.ly/4ds1zPV

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[yutzen]

The Events of Windchime Hill

(Another non-main crew one, this one recycled from FAR older writings than usual in fact and used for the prompt, which was provided by Making Up Monsters on Cohost)

Monster who notices people on a railway track, and has a decision to make

"Let me just paint you the picture, mm? Something of an outside picture, it seems proper, it does. Once upon a time, in a land of many Scarlet Chimneys, a train came bounding off its rails..."

"It was quite a lot of coincidences, it was. No train should've been there at that hour, for one, let alone one roaring in at such breakneck speeds. No mining charge should've been on the rails, either, rigged to go off soon as anything touched it. And most of all, the two that saw everything that followed, they should've never been there; why, they should've been locked in an old, old city over a thousand miles away, unable to even decide to get there and intervene."

"Yet there they all were, in the wrong place at the wrong time, for all the involved. And in the end, when you think about it, those who should've been there the least were the only ones to walk away."

"It all began, of course, with a distant blast. Sharp and echoing. And that was already cause for concern all by itself, definitely turned their heads. Yet the screeching, clanking cacophony of twisting metal that followed it, oh that was far, far worse, a sign of sure catastrophe..."

"And, to a couple of unliving beings, constructs that had long resorted to rebuilding themselves and each other with whatever they could find, why, it was also a grim opportunity. Anything aboard, even the very parts of the train itself, could be key to prolonging themselves just a little longer. Even the ravaged scrap metal of a hull could help, once taken apart and smelted... You have to get creative, and fairly callous too, when all you truly have is yourself. Well, yourselves, as the case would be, wouldn't it?"

"But for that, oh, they'd need to hurry. After all, it wasn't them that laid that charge on the rails. They hadn't fallen that low yet - much as scavenging the work of someone that had wasn't so much better. But it had happened nonetheless, and they were close enough to hear it, and be there, if they made things quick."

"And it was thus that two constructs, the ones you know well, marched on, thinking themselves ready to sort through a tragedy... oh, they couldn't have imagined."

"Sorry sight THAT was. Bloody armored trains like those, soon as they start derailing all that extra metal just becomes a part of the clusterf- the mess, another reason why it got so huge, and so damned bloody. But I'm getting ahead of myself there, because we're still talking about a DELIBERATE derailment and those are ALWAYS worse. The bomb on those rails was no firecracker, damn thing could've sent half a HILL tumbling down all by itself! Says something about the locomotive that there was anything LEFT from it. That was ANOTHER thing that shouldn't have been, you don't have armored wagons like that just roaming around like nothing, this was SPECIAL."

"But that's the thing with special. Someone ALWAYS takes a shot at it. And take it they did. Explosion, derailment, mess of crumbled metal, MORE explosions, and by the time all that was done not a lot was left alive. And still they got a train so loaded, JAM-PACKED with goods, that even with THAT much of a disaster they still had one hell of a payday with them. Lucky them! Except for the part they weren't alone. The part where someone else HEARD them, was coming to check, and had even MORE to gain. If you could call that a gain back then."

"...you have to wonder how it LOOKED to them. The fires going out, the outside sorted, everything's going smoother than they could've ever IMAGINED. Got the fanciest train they've seen in their lives, their biggest bomb well spent. And they're ready to go in, right until... guess one of them got a sick feeling or something, because that one turned around right before it started."

"And you have to wonder what he THOUGHT as soon as he saw... not just ANY two constructs. Not just the dull sweepers and haulers everyone knows from the Vaults. I know you wouldn't see it THAT way, but keep in mind these were raiders that never saw ANYTHING like this... You know one thing that amuses me? You and I know the truth, but I am VERY sure they found the big, hulking, BURNING mass of walking obsidian closing in to be the most TERRIFYING thing they ever saw! Kheheh~"

"Oh, I'm sure the whirring, blinding tangle of copper and silver terrified them just as much, no one is ever ready for such sparks, and the thrumming sound, and the wirework shooting towards them like snakes. But let us not get into such comparisons, shall we? That isn't the important part of the story, clearly. And, admittedly, neither are the bandits, past a certain point. Which would be the point we're in..."

"These were two battered, DESPERATE constructs that had nothing but each other right then, and had just found SOMETHING that could last them more than a week. With the only thing standing between that and them being BANDITS. The callous thought was no one would miss them. And the desperate thought was that if even ONE walked away and said even ONE thing about these two rogues? If that thing slipped to even ONE city? All those years HIDING in the wild would have been for NOTHING. Back then rogues had it even WORSE."

"Mm, yes, thank you for putting it that way, Kig, dear. And for playing along on this, I ought to say, but moving on. Moving on, because lingering upon the brief minute or so that followed isn't right for you or anyone, but especially you. What matters is, the ones that set that charge didn't get to enjoy the spoils, or anything else."

"Nevertheless, once they could get to the train itself, that's where it truly dawned on them how unusual it all was. Oh, the armor on the thing was only the start, there were strange and mangled mechanisms all over its interior; why, some of them were so unusual, so complex, even the two could hardly understand what they were looking at. They knew now this was clearly a train of terrible importance to someone, someone would very much care that it would never arrive. And this gave the constructs trouble, it did, putting a timer on all they needed to do. And that was before they even got to the passengers' luggage!"

"...ah, and the passengers themselves, of course. The outside had looked disastrous already, but the inside, why, it became clear none of the fancy things inside had been there for their safety. The more these two... fortunate constructs prowled, the more they found none of them had made it. And the more questions they had on who they all were. Most of them were Bannerbound, they were, but there was a little of every species. Every species, they even had a few from the most remote hives... Yet none of them had made it, none. And many of them had these odd bandages on them, like a Bannerbound Clan, like... one of the Clans in particular, I hardly remember which-"

"I'd say Clan Vesnor, Tee. Not that it HELPED them any when it came to ble- No, we're not going there. Not at this hour."

"Thank you, Kig, dear, though we might still need to touch lightly on that... Nonetheless, wagon by wagon they went, and they found more than enough parts to last them, to keep them ticking for much longer still. And many more that they didn't quite understand, at the time. They'd take those too, just in case; after all, when you are a construct, weight is hardly a limiting factor, isn't it? Much less than it would be for most. But they also found more... passengers. More and more, with little to be done. They tried to keep it off their minds, and they managed to, all this was necessity, and the fallen hardly needed it all anymore..."

"But then, at the back, there was... they found..."

"The thing about big tragedies is that they have layers. Sub-tragedies within them. And what they found THERE was one hell of a sub-tragedy. One that was NOT over yet. Among the casualties, there were two Q- two Troxi, both of them with the bandages. Inscribed, and dyed blue, they could see it even with the... mess inside. They had it BAD. Still had their luggage with them too. Scattered everywhere. Most of it for metalworking! Lucky them, they thought, and they almost jumped in to see what they could carry off, trying not to think about what this same heavy luggage had done to THEM."

"...then the two heard a whimper."

"There was a third Troxi in there. Hardly five years old, at a guess. And she was alive. Saved by her own size, is my guess, seeing she was the ONE kid and the ONE survivor to the whole thing... and even then, only barely. She was- her injuries... she was on the verge. Wouldn't last, if no one helped, you could SEE the life fading in her eye. And the little one was just clinging to the other two, staring straight ahead, with ragged breathing and with her tail around what back then LOOKED like just a fancy forge hammer. Slowly shutting down..."

"And the two that came upon THAT looked at each other. Suddenly it wasn't so simple. Suddenly there wasn't a lot they could tell themselves about this all. And suddenly, they were in an even BIGGER hurry than they could've imagined. And they knew it without trading even ONE word."

"They... knew each other well enough, they did. Even the most talkative of the lot couldn't find anything to say. Or that needed to be said, when faced with..."

"When faced with someone that had the WORST of luck, standing OR laying there that day. Like Tee said, of all that shouldn't have been there, this little girl should've been there the LEAST. OUTSIDE of whatever machinations were being set up in that train. AWAY from this deathtrap of a rail. AWAY from this TRAGEDY! But there she was. With NOTHING left... except for herself. And even that was sheared, and fading quickly."

"...when you are built, you worry more than anyone that breathes about how much of you is you. And how much is just WRITTEN in you. And so much of what those two did had them wondering, sometimes. Surviving is hard-coded. Violence, only SLIGHTLY less so, with the way the Vaults are. And even those two aiding one another? There is STILL the argument that this is just some linking protocol. Some drive to cover each other, TECHNICALLY on the same side that made them. And you worry with THAT, whether anything you do is actually a choice. But..."

"But, what those two thought, and decided that moment, well... they would never have to worry about it in such terms. They would never question it. And they never have."

"It would be arduous, and painful for all involved, unfortunately. Those two saved what they could; one arm, one leg, one eye, all outside their grasp, but they could save what mattered at least. They'd need to make space, leave some things behind to carry her out... with her little hammer, too, which she refused to leave behind, just kept tugging it along with her tail. So on it went, with spoils that suddenly didn't seem so important. They took what luggage of theirs they could, before making their exit someplace else. Anywhere else... because even their life on the run, away from much of the world and with no one but themselves, would be better than this. But, much as they didn't realize it fully then, now there were three."

"The rest was difficult, at first. They had much to learn that first day, and the first week, and the year that followed... and every year since. It's been quite a few since that day, hasn't it...? And still they haven't entirely figured it all out. But such is parenthood, it is, or so they say when one asks. All they could do was keep learning, keep figuring things out, and of course the occasional apology for those abundant mistakes..."

"Right now the apology we owe you is how much we blew THIS storytelling! Three sparks, I am GLAD this isn't your bedtime right now, Vi. Sorry about the nightmares, I TRIED to rein things in but the sheer MESS that was... everything, needed to be told. And maybe we should just DROP the third-person earlier."

"Kig, dear, I felt it was... necessary, at least at first, an objective look, objective as we could manage, mm?"

"Maybe, but being objective about THIS feels like we shouldn't even bother. The fact it WASN'T just the cold math we were running back then is the POINT!"

"...heh. It is, isn't it? It took me some time to figure that out, it did. But we did. Be proud of that, Virry dear, you went and melted hearts that weren't even there, mm?"

"Tee, it was- ...it's a crude way to put THAT one. But all the better that you did, Vi. Tee KEEPS joking about how hard it was, but this... it's better. It's just... better. And looking back at that day, and looking at you now... I'm glad we were there. I'm glad, and... I'm proud of you for making it, Vi. Then, and this far... with these two that can't even tell a STORY right, kheheh~"

"Kiggie, dear, don't push it so far, mm? Let's not ruin the moment... much as we'll need to split this hug soon, because I'm quite sure I heard a little growl down here."

"KHAH! Right, it IS dinner time! You're better than any clock, Vi! Let THAT be our apology then, let's make something GOOD!"

"Funny how cooking was one of the lessons we did learn quickly, mm~?"

[head-post]

Stagnant front, vehicle losses, request to NATO: AFU continues incursion into Kursk region

As the offensive on the Kursk region continues, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to lose positions and scarce equipment. While Moscow is demonstrating new drones resistant to jammers, Kyiv is urgently requesting construction and engineering vehicles from NATO.

The AFU’s tactics have not changed significantly. It is trying to conduct raids in small groups along the roads, and to carry out quick assaults on Korenevo and Malaya Loknya. When an operation fails, the Ukrainian soldiers withdraw and then try again.

However, Ukrainian troops have begun to save vehicles, preferring to deploy Kozak and Roshel Senator armoured vehicles instead of Strykers. The main action is centred around the Rylsk-Korenevo-Sudzha Road.

According to Forbes, Russian troops have for the first time used UAVs resistant to electronic warfare on the frontline. It is reported that the FPV drone Vandal hit civilian vehicles used by AFU soldiers in the Kursk region.

The advantage of such drones is presence of a fiber-optic link. It protects Russian drones from jamming, allowing them to actively burn Ukrainian vehicles. The first video shows the destruction of the T-64BV of the AFU.

Kursk causes problems for AFU

Kyiv has reportedly made an urgent request for heavy civilian construction and engineering equipment, including tractors and excavators, dozens of firefighters and armoured ambulances. According to NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), Ukraine requested a total of 17 tracked and 10 wheeled heavy excavators, 30 tractor-trailers for transporting loads weighing up to 100 tonnes, 25 armoured ambulances, and 27 fire-fighting vehicles.

Media reports limited information on the fighting in the Kursk region. Fierce combat is taking place in the south-western sector, where the Ukrainian side is claiming minor gains.

According to Ukrainian media, the AFU again attempted to take Korenevo, but retreated. To the east, Ukrainian soldiers are making their way through the woodlands to bypass Martynivka, but so far have also been unsuccessful. Each day of the protracted offensive brings the moment for a possible counterattack closer, military experts argue.

Donbas front

In the Donbas (common name for Luhansk and Donetsk regions), Russian troops are advancing towards Hryhorivka. Ukrainian media also report heavy losses for the AFU in the battles for Ptyche.

The Russians have taken the entire railway line from Mykolaivka to Novohrodivka, with locals writing about the start of the assault. Russian soldiers are also reportedly advancing in the Hrodivka area.

In the Toretsk area, the AFU has lost Kirove and almost the entire village of Druzhba, according to reports. This jeopardises the defence of Toretsk, making it possible for Russian forces to take the city. The Russian army also entered the Shakhtar gardening centre north of Kostiantynivka, Ukrainian media reported.

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov told the coordination council about the formation of the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk groups. It is assumed that the formation of new units will help Russia to completely stop the AFU offensive in the Kursk region and switch to retaliatory measures.

More footage HERE

[travelnew]

Matheran - then & now.

The lament of the forest.

28-07-2024, 1-day Sunday stroll at Matheran.

Earlier there never used to be a line to reach Matheran. Now there is a traffic jam on the road connnecting Neral & Matheran and there is a board at Dasturi Naka requesting tourists to maintain calm and expect a delay due to traffic!

Earlier nobody shouted their wares. Now there are so many boards asking tourists to maintain discipline, telling rules and regulations, informing entry fees and tickets. There was a person manning traffic around the Neral taxi stand with a loudspeaker informing the taxi drivers, to not park their vehicles on the road to prevent a traffic jam.

Earlier only the horses were the modes of transport in Matheran, apart from walking. Now there are hand-pulled rickshaws, electric rickshaws and horses.

Earlier there was no road, only the beautiful muddy path through the trees. One could not see the sky. The canopy provided shade everywhere. Now there are huge gaps in the canopy. There are paver blocks everywhere, except the farthest reaches. And even those will be laid with paver blocks, because on the sides of the roads, you will see stones of different sizes, empty cement bags and such materials ready for urbanisation of the forest.

Earlier when you walked on these muddy paths the slopes were not felt, but now the gentle uphills and downhills of the paverblocked roads are appreciated while walking.

Earlier you walked the unknown muddy paths to the points (of sightseeing). Now you walk the roads which are named on the boards to these points.

Earlier there were a few stalls on the sides of the railway track and shops in the market place. Now there are gaming parlours and wares of different kind are sold everywhere. Filmsy plastic raincoats that may be used a single time are sold to protect the tourists who have come to enjoy the rains. Of course, there were dustbins, but they remained empty of the worn out raincoats. I hope the well mannered tourists takes them away and disposes them in their dustbins.

There is a ST bus service between Karjat & Matheran, whose timings are usually unknown to the tourists. The timings of this ST bus, whose ticket fare is INR 40/- for gents and INR 20/- for ladies, starting from Dasturi car park of Matheran are at 7 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 3 pm & 6 pm approximately. I am not sure of the timings. The traffic jams may delay the bus.

Earlier Sundays were peacfeful, when nobody knew what hill stations were and what trekking was. Now, they are full of noisy influencers of social media. Noisy even in real time, with bluetooth enabled speakers blasting their "favorite music" to all those who gracefully give them their way to disturb the calm of the forest, where once the birds used to chirp and sing. Malabar whistling thrush is still heard in Matheran, thankfully.

Earlier the socks got red with dirt, irrespective of their color and that is how everyone understood that the person had returned from Matheran. Now the red color is gone. The mud is no longer red. More brown and less dusty. Soil erosion, presumably.

Earlier everyone including the animal teasers watched the antics of the monkeys. Now many visitors feed the monkeys with their favorite snacks and energy drinks. The monkeys may have become aggressive by eating junk food that is unfit for human consumption, offered or snatched!

Earlier one could follow the time table they had in their mind. Now everything depends on the traffic.

Earlier Sundays could be well spent at Matheran. Now do not consider visiting it on weekends!

Earlier nobody shouted at you as you meandered on the muddy paths. Now the horse care takers and the hand pulled rickshawallahs shout and alert people to walk on the sides of the paverblocked roads. Of course it is for our own good and they want to pick up the next tourist in line. The electric rickshawallahs use the horn liberally to those who come here searching for silence. Its important to remain safe than meet with accidents.

It was painful to note down these differences and just watch as you embrace the new. Matheran is developing and may emerge out as an urban place, with amenities, luxuries and comforts offered artificially.

Earlier Matheran was the home of the forest, of the trees, of the birds, insects, reptiles and unknown habitants of the nature. Now Matheran is also becoming the weekend house of the comfort seeking tourists.

Earlier there was peace. Now the peace is in pieces. And it is being built piece by piece slowly. One day the development will be complete and then we will again search for peace.

[hollosene]

Yesterday Eugene Whang played Saint Etienne's "Railway Jam" (track 2 on So Tough, 1993) while operating Devon Turnbull's audio installation @ SFMoMa, HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 2.

The extended vocal version is especially dreamy... "Orpington Blues" So Tough (DE), 2009, CD2 -- Bonus Material.

[bookclub4m]

Episode 188 - Transportation and Transit Non-Fiction

All aboard! This episode we’re discussing the non-fiction genre of Transportation and Transit! We talk trains, buses, bicycles, spaceships, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

The Art of the Locomotive by Ken Boyd

Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America by Michael Hiltzik

Ghost Train (four part podcast by Denver Public Radio)

Transit Maps of the World: The World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth by Mark Ovenden

Transit Maps of the World: Expanded and Updated Edition of the World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth by Mark Ovenden

Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town by Charles L. Marohn Jr.

Canadarm and Collaboration: How Canada’s Astronauts and Space Robots Explore New Worlds by Elizabeth Howell

Links between two cities: historic bridges between Ottawa and Hull by Lucien Brault. 

Other Media We Mentioned

The Platform Edge: Uncanny Tales of the Railways by Mike Ashley

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Orient Express by Graham Greene

Maiden Railways by Asumiko Nakamura

Heaven's Design Team, Vol. 1 by Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki, and Tarako

For 2 Weeks, Switzerland Has A Rail Replacement Helicopter

Vancouver's Expo Line 1990 vs 2020

Mini Metro

Soviet Bus Stops by Christopher Herwig

There’s a documentary movie!

Soviet Metro Stations by Christopher Herwig

How To F#€k Up An Airport (five part podcast by Radio Spaetkauf)

Some YouTube channels and videos about trains and transport things:

CityNerd

Not Just Bikes

Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere)

Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (but it is) (See the building Anna and Matthew used to live in!)

RMTransit

The Tim Traveller

This New LA Metro Station Should be PACKED - Here’s Why It’s Not

Denver’s Transit System is Problematic

Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments by David Foster Wallace

Links, Articles, and Things

Note to self: Make “derail” joke about conversation going off topic.

Train_Station-Katowice_Poland.wav by jgrzinich

Rail replacement bus service (Wikipedia)

Slow television (Wikipedia)

“It was popularised in the 2000s by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), beginning with the broadcast of a 7-hour train journey in 2009.”

Fort Collins Trolley

‘I am done’: Amid rider woes, is Ottawa’s transit system a victim of its own success?

Heritage Minutes: Avro Arrow

12 Transit/Automotive/Planes/Trains/Boats books by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance by Mia Bay

Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance by Alvin Hall

Empire's Tracks: Indigenous Nations, Chinese Workers, and the Transcontinental Railroad by Manu Karuka

Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Adonia E. Lugo

Making a Chaputs: The Teachings and Responsibilities of a Canoe Maker by Joe Martin with Alan Hoover

Taxi!: Cabs and Capitalism in New York City by Biju Mathew

Crash Course: If You Want To Get Away With Murder Buy a Car by Woodrow Phoenix

Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship Before the Civil War by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor

Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It by Ganesh Sitaraman

Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights by Gretchen Sorin

Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy A. Taylor 

The Diary of Dukesang Wong: A Voice from Gold Mountain by Dukesang Wong, translated by Wanda Joy Hoe

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Join us again on Tuesday, February 6th just in time for Valentine's day we’ll be discussing the genre of Humorous/Funny Romance!

Then on Tuesday, February 20th we’ll be talking about our reading resolutions for 2024! (2024? That can’t be right. That’s definitely the future.)