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Have any of you guys heard of the Tumbler Ridge Subdivision of BC rail
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It was Canada's only high voltage AC electrified railroad but it was sadly de-electrified in 2000 by Canadian National and it's sadly I similar story for many other electrified railroads in north America including Mexican National Railways and the Trenton Cutoff and the Milwaukee Road's Pacific extension
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Metlac railway bridge near Córdoba, Mexico
Mexican vintage postcard
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thehopefuljournalist · 9 months
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Am I a little bit late for some of you? I might be. But anyways. Here's what went right around the world this past week :)
Youth climate activists won a huge climate lawsuit
Sixteens youths (aged five to 22) from Montana, US, have emerged victorious after suing state officials for violating their right to a clean environment.
In their lawsuit, they argued that Montana's fossil fuel policies contributed to climate change, which harms their physical and mental health. Montana is a major coal producer, with large oil and gas reserves. The state has rebuffed these claims, saying that their emissions were insignificant on a global scale.
Judge Kathy Seely, in a 103-page ruling, set a legal precedent for young people’s rights to a safe climate by finding in their favour. “Every additional tonne of GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions exacerbates plaintiffs’ injuries and risks locking in irreversible climate injuries".
This win marks the very first time a US court has ruled against a government for a violation of constitutional rights based on climate change. It will now be up to Montana lawmakers to bring state policies in line.
“As fires rage in the west, fueled by fossil fuel pollution, today’s ruling in Montana is a gamechanger that marks a turning point in this generation’s efforts to save the planet from the devastating effects of human-caused climate chaos.” - Julia Olson, executive director of nonprofit law firm, Our Children’s Trust, which represented the youths in this case.
Number of Mexicans living in poverty fell by millions
Thanks to a new minimum wage boost and increases to pensions, the number of Mexicans living in poverty fell by 8.9 million between 2020-2022, according to new data published by the country’s social development agency, Coneval.
Coneval’s statistics suggest that the number of people living in extreme poverty also fell – from 10.8 million in 2020 to 9.1 million last year – although that figure is still up from a pre-Covid 8.7 million recorded in 2018.
There is still a long way to go, and some critics do claim that during the current president, López Obrador's presidency has been characterized by austerity.
An organised crime group trafficking endangered species has been jailed
The Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), a small European wildlife charity, is apparently busting kingpins behind as much as half of the world's illegal trade in pangolin scales. The traffickers began six-year jail sentences a few weeks ago.
The wildlife charity went undercover to expose three Vietnamese and one Guinean national, members of an organised crime group trafficking body parts of endangered species including rhinos. 
They were arrested in May 2022, following a four-year investigation by the WJC, and were accused of trafficking 7.1 tonnes of pangolin scales, as well as 850kg of ivory. Last month they pleaded guilty to smuggling and were jailed for six years.
All eight species of pangolin are listed as threatened animals, four critically endangered - they are protected by international law.
“There has not been a reported seizure of pangolin scales in Asia originating from Africa in more than 550 days,” said Steve Carmody, WJC’s director of programmes. “There is no clearer example of the importance of disrupting organised crime networks.”
AI gave conservationists a breakthrough
The use of AI-controlled microphones and cameras seems set to revolutionise
biodiversity monitoring in the UK following groundbreaking work by researchers at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). They used the tech to record and analyse 3,000 hours of wildlife audio captured by monitors located near London railway lines.
The computers detected dozens of bird species, foxes, deer, bats and hedgehogs, and mapped their locations.
It’s hoped the innovation will help improve conservation and habitat management on Network Rail land.
This year is best ever for UK renewable energy installations
This years looks to be the best year so far for UK renewable energy installations, with record numbers of households fitting solar panels and heat pumps.
2023 marks the first time solar panel installations have topped an average of 20,000 a month, as homeowners look to harvest energy from the sun amid rising utility bills. 
Read the full story here.
The UK’s Tree of the Year shortlist was revealed
The Woodland Trust has announced the shortlist for its annual celebration of some of the UK’s most treasured ancient trees, and for 2023 the spotlight is on the urban landscape.
“Ancient trees in towns and cities are vital for the health of nature, people and planet,” said the charity’s lead campaigner Naomi Tilley. “They give thousands of urban wildlife species essential life support, boost the UK’s biodiversity and bring countless health and wellbeing benefits to communities.”
Article published August 17, 2023
Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what interested you, and if there's any specific topic you'd like me to dig into, my DM's are always open :)
Much love!
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blueiskewl · 9 months
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Maya Sacrificial Victim Discovered with Jade Ring
In a significant find, experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have revealed an ancient Maya burial site. This discovery sheds light on a human sacrifice accompanied by the presence of a precious jade ring.
The unearthing of this find occurred while archaeologists were diligently excavating within the ancient Maya city known as El Tigre, or Itzamkanac.
This city, with its intriguing moniker translating to “the place of the lizard serpent,” rests in the Mexican state of Cameche, adjacent to the Rio Candelaria.
The INAH reported in its official newsletter that the antiquity of these findings is estimated at around 1,200 years.
Reporting at Mexico’s morning conference led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Diego Prieto Hernández, the head of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), shared details about this significant find.
He also talked about the use of something called “Promeza” at these historical places. This technology helps shape today’s understanding by learning from and sharing insights about the past.
The skeleton of Maya’s sacrificial victim
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The found skeleton, as Diego Prieto Hernández clarified, was actually part of a burial offering. Moreover, this discovery was found on platform 1E, which is situated to the west of the big complex known as Structure 1 in the El Tigre Archaeological Zone.
The ceremonial arrangement included two big vessels. These containers were topped with ceramic bowls used as covers. Among them, one vessel caught the archaeologists’ focus. Inside, they found the skeleton of a young person.
Moreover, this individual was placed in a bent position, and there was also a striking and well-preserved jade ring accompanying the remains. This ring was quite unique and stood out.
Considering the features of the containers, experts believe that this burial can be linked to the Late Classic period, which falls between AD 600 and 800. Additionally, this era matches the peak of population and political influence at El Tigre, reported INAH.
Prieto Hernández mentioned that the investigation will progress in the laboratory. There, a micro-excavation will take place. However, the aim is to gather precise details about the physical characteristics of the remains.
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Moreover, they’re also hoping to uncover any other related items, like seeds or smaller ornaments, that might be connected to this discovery.
177 pre-Hispanic human burials located in Mayan train
As highlighted by the INAH’s director, this skeleton adds to a total of 177 ancient human burials found in Section 1 of the Mayan Train project.
These discoveries come from two sources: first, during the monitoring of archaeological rescues while laying the railway tracks, and second, through the utilization of the Promeza technology in the three specific regions.
Up until August 14, 2023, a total of 2,698 structures had been safeguarded, according to INAH’s director.
These include 248 pieces of furniture, 281,353 fragments of ceramics, and 55 natural elements linked to the existence of past human communities along this segment of the train route.
By Abdul Moeed.
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beardedmrbean · 5 months
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A House Democrat in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is breaking from the group to call for "tougher" border security measures after the ongoing migrant crisis forced U.S. officials to suspend railway operations between Texas and Mexico in two cities.
The statement by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, whose district is anchored in Laredo, stands in stark contrast with the CHC’s position on the current border negotiations between Republicans and the White House. 
Cuellar said rail operations were being stopped in Eagle Pass and El Paso on Monday morning so Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) could "redirect personnel to process migrants."
"The crisis at our border is seriously affecting legitimate trade," Cuellar wrote the evening prior. "This year alone, vehicle and rail operations have been suspended at multiple ports of entry due to an overwhelming number of migrants, worsening delays for truck drivers transporting goods and costing our economy millions."
He finished, "Our border communities desperately need more federal resources, and we need tougher measures at the border. We must secure the border now."
CBP accused smugglers of using freight trains to bring people into the U.S. illegally in a statement on Sunday night announcing the planned closures for Monday at 8 a.m. local time.
"CBP is continuing to surge all available resources to safely process migrants in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals," the statement said.
"After observing a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains, CBP is taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities."
It comes amid intense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in both the White House and Senate over President Biden’s $110 billion supplemental aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other causes. 
Republicans have made clear they would not consider Biden’s request unless it was tied to stricter border security and asylum measures.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is all-Democrat, released a statement last week urging Biden to show restraint in what he is willing to commit to in managing the border crisis.
"We are deeply concerned that the President would consider advancing Trump-era immigration policies that Democrats fought so hard against – and that he himself campaigned against – in exchange for aid to our allies that Republicans already support," they said. "Caving to demands for these permanent damaging policy changes as a ‘price to be paid’ for an unrelated one-time spending package would send a dangerous precedent."
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indynerdgirl · 1 year
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Topgun AU Ideas
As I was scrolling through the Topgun tag on AO3 the other night, I realized that I was starting to see the same tropes and AUs over & over again. And while not a bad thing at all, personally, I'm just starting to get a little bored of reading the same story over & over.
So I started thinking about what kind of AUs I would love to see in the Topgun fandom and then I started making a list and it kind of spiraled out of control. Oops. 😆
I now present to you all my somewhat organized list of AU ideas! And feel free to use them for any fandom, I was just thinking about Topgun as I came up with them all. It's also by no means an exhaustive list so I probably missed some obvious ones.
Military AU ideas: Pentagon/Joint Chiefs/White House Advisor (think The West Wing but for the military - this is the one I've been dying to see someone tackle!) Navy JAG NCIS Blue Angels Air Force Instead of Navy Astronauts/NASA Test Pilots Naval Academy Instructors Adversary/Aggressor Squadron Office of Naval Intelligence Sailors Instead of Pilots Submariners Instead of Pilots Naval Flight School Instructors (Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, Primary Flight Training, Intermediate Flight Training, and/ or Advanced Flight Training)
Character AU ideas: Natasha is Maverick's daughter/niece  Bob is Maverick's son/nephew  Natasha is Ice's daughter/niece Bob is Ice's son/nephew Maverick is Amelia's father Penny Is Also a Pilot Penny’s Father Is An Air Force General Obligatory Goose/Carole/Ice Lives AUs Maverick’s Dad/Mom Lives Any of the younger pilots is the kid of one of the other 86 boys
And a whole lot more under the cut!
American Historical AU ideas: Colonial/Revolutionary War Post-Revolutionary War Lewis & Clark War of 1812 Mexican-American War/The Alamo Wild West (good guys or bad guys) Organ Trail The Gold Rush (California or Alaska) Pony Express Civil War/Reconstruction Transcontinental Railway Cattle Drives Industrial Revolution/The Gilded Age WWI Bootleggers/Rum Runners/1920s Jazz Age Great Depression/Dust Bowl WWII Korean War Vietnam War 1950s/Greasers Moon Race/1960s NASA 1980s/The Cold War
Other Historical AU Ideas: Ancient Greece/Rome Middle Ages Renaissance Tudor Elizabethan Georgian Regency Napoleonic Victorian Edwardian
Fandom AUs: The West Wing Firefly The Avengers Agents of Shield Star Wars Star Trek Harry Potter Percy Jackson Ocean's 11 Mission Impossible Bourne Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan Jack Reacher John Wick Friends New Girl Supernatural How I Met Your Mother Chuck Downton Abbey CSI Jurassic Park Indiana Jones The Office Parks and Rec Pacific Rim
Other Profession AU ideas: Coffee Shop Book Shop Bakery/Candy Maker Winery/Distillery Restaurant/Chef Bartender/Bar Mechanic/Car Repair Shop Doctor/Medical/Hospital Firefighter/Police Officer/Detective Wildfire Firefighter Florist Tattooist Gardener/Gardening Horse Racing Motorsports (NASCAR/F1/Motocross, ect) Professional Sports (baseball, football, hockey, soccer, basketball) Rodeo/Bull Riding Olympians Air Racing (it’s a real thing!) Actors (movie or stage)/Celebrity Ballet Dancers Teachers College Professors Lawyers/Judges National Park Ranger Cruise Ship Pet Groomer/Veterinarian Farmer/Rancher Banker/Financial Bodyguards Zoo Museum/Living Museum Musician/Band Mall (everyone works at different stores at the same mall) Marketing Archeologist Spies Reporters/Journalist News Anchors Lifeguards Assassins Criminals/Thieves/Heist Bounty Hunter
Misc AU Ideas: Royalty/Lost Royalty Time Travel Fae/Fairy Mermaids/Selkies Witch/Wizard Werewolves/Vampires Fantasy/Magic (including modern/urban settings) High Fantasy Dragons Soulmates (color blindness, first words, timestamps, matching marks, can share emotions, Red String of Fate, can share dreams, can see/talk to each other in dreams, can write on each other's skin, telepathic, Soulmate Goose of Enforcement) Omegaverse/ABO (not everyone’s cup of tea, just putting it out there!) Roommates Pirates High School College Mob/Mafia Fairytale Arranged Marriage Accidental Marriage Fake Dating/Engagement/Marriage Superhero/Villain Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse Forbidden Love Boarding School Space/Sci-Fi Road Trip Summer Camp Immortal/Reincarnation Hallmark Movie Amnesia Pen Pals Resurrection Animal Shapeshifter May this list inspire all of you amazing fanfic writers out there! 💜
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hoppipolla · 9 months
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Get to know me tag game
Thank you for tagging me @feralmuskyscentedhoepran @thefearhas <3
RULES: bold the ones that are true and tag 15 people to do it.
APPEARANCE
Blonde hair // I prefer loose(ish) clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily (I don't really know tbh since I don't like to sunbathe so I rarely expose myself) // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards
HOBBIES AND TALENTS
I play a sport // I can play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows (never really thought about comparing the two but I think I could live without watching series whereas not watching any movies... That might be really hard. I also love going to the cinema) // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year (I'm kinda anticipating here but I'm about to start reading the Green Bone saga by Fonda Lee. No promises tho I might not like it haha) // I enjoy spending time with (a) friends // I travel during work or school breaks (I do but I never take the plane (for environmental reasons). My country's railway network is pretty good so that helps.) // I can do a handstand
RELATIONSHIP
I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years // My parents are together // I have dated my best friend // I am adopted // My crush has confessed to me // I have a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends (if asked to) // I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online
AESTHETICS
I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep (only when I'm having trouble falling asleep or when I'm sleeping in an unfamiliar place) // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // autumn is my favorite season
MISCELLANEOUS
I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle (it lulls me haha) // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food (I don't know enough to really have a opinion on that matter but I think I would) // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs
Tagging @thewayofsubtext and @athousandbyeol if you feel like doing it (and haven't already) ^^
@ueasking I was convinced you had already done it but I don’t think you have so I’m adding you to the tagged list if you don’t mind ☺️
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theivorlegov1 · 5 months
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Salió de Bucaramanga en busca del sueño americano y perdió una pierna en...
Mexican immigrant Lebardo had a railway accident confrontation which resulted in his leg amputation - Video
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very-grownup · 1 year
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'So that means that six months like the one you have just had would send a third-class firm to its deathbed,' Monte Cristo said imperturbably.
'Huh!' Danglars said, with a very pale smile. 'That's a nice way of putting it.'
'Say seven months,' Monte Cristo continued, in the same tone. 'Tell me, have you ever considered that seven times one million seven hundred thousand francs makes about twelve million? No? Well, you are right, because if one were to reflect on such things, one would never venture one's capital, which is to the financier what his skin is to a civilized man. We have our more or less sumptuous clothes, which are our credit, but when a man dies he has only his skin. Just as, when you leave business, you will have your real wealth -- five or six million at most ... because a third-class fortune barely represents a third or a quarter of what it appears, much as the locomotive of a railway train, amid the steam and smoke that enwraps it and enlarges it, is only at base a more or less powerful machine. Well, of the five million that represent your real capital, you have just lost around two million, which reduces your notional fortune or your credit by the same amount. All this means, my dear Monsieur Danglars, that your skin has just been opened by a wound which, repeated four times, would mean death. Well, well! You must be careful, my dear Monsieur Danglars. Do you need money? Can I lend you some?'
'Your sums are quite wrong!' Danglars exclaimed, summoning up all the philosophy and dissimulation he could muster. 'The way things stand, money has been coming into my account from successful speculation. The blood that flowed out of the wound has been replaced by nourishment. I may have lost a battle in Spain, and I was defeated at Trieste, but my Indian navy should have captured some galleons and my Mexican prospector have found a mine.'
'Excellent, excellent; but the scar remains. At the first loss it will re-open.'
'No, because my business is founded on certainties,' said Danglars with the glibness of a charlatan whose profession is to extol his own credit. 'For me to be overthrown, three governments would have to fall.'
'Well, it has happened.'
'And for the harvest to fail.'
'Remember the seven fat cows and the seven lean cows.'
'Or for the sea to part, as at the time of the Pharaohs; and even then, there are several seas, and the ships would get by through turning into caravans.'
'So much the better, a thousand times, my dear Monsieur Danglars,' said Monte Cristo. 'I see I was wrong and that your comes into the category of a second-class fortune.'
- The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
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cerenemuxse · 7 months
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I like to think that there is an ofrenda at Tidmouth Shed every November for the lost siblings of the engines, and everyone is allowed to leave something.
This whole thing started with James' second crew. I haven't decided yet who, but one of them is either Mexican or Spaniard. One of them introduces the concept of Dia de Los Muertos to James when James brings up his sister, Jasmine. He goes, "Hey! What if we do one for Jasmine?" and James takes the offer, partially of curiosity, partially out of wanting a way to respect (and properly mourn) the one sibling that stuck by his side. And it turns out to be a great idea as Gordon finds out about it. From there, it starts to spread around and its been a part of the railway ever since. Though I would like to point that some of them preferred to stay private about it, which is understandable. Others leave gifts for other engine's siblings, like Donald and Douglas!
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guerrerense · 10 months
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DL 190 - ALCO PA-1 at Kansas City, KS por Zach Pumphery Por Flickr: On its way to new owner Genesee Valley Transportation Company is the famous ALCO PA-1 restored by preservationist Doyle McCormack over the past 2 decades in Portland, Oregon. The locomotive began moving east in late April from the PNW on BNSF Railway, arriving at Kansas City early this morning on BNSF Train H PASKCK9 25A, appropriately behind a warbonnet painted Dash-9. In this view, the locomotive is at the "Tall Tower" at BNSF Argentine Yard. The unit is on home rails at this former Santa Fe facility. This engine was built for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway by the American Locomotive Company in 12-1948 as ATSF 62-L, builder number 76541 wearing the famous red and silver Warbonnet paint scheme leading famous trains such as the "El Capitan" between Chicago and California. On 4-5-67, the Santa Fe retired the unit and sold it to Morrison–Knudsen in Boise, ID. 4 Ex-ATSF units including this one were rebuilt by MK with the "PA-4" classification, for the Delaware and Hudson on 8-11-75, with this one becoming D&H 18. Under D&H ownership, they were used by Amtrak for the "Adirondack", and later by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority hauling commuter trains around Boston. The last PA's to operate in the United States, they were sold in 1978 to the NdeM, where this one ran as DH-18 until 1981. All 4 of those PA's remain, 2 at the National Museum of Mexican Railways, and 2 in the US. In 2000, McCormack of American Freedom Train and SP 4449 fame worked with the Smithsonian Institution to bring two of these engines back to the United States. What was left of the 16 and 18 came home on flat cars to Oregon. Doyle bought a set of trucks in Canada to replace the ones that were missing when it arrived from Mexico, and the hulk of a BC Rail M420B for its 251 prime mover, electrical cabinet, and traction motors. 16 later wound up at the Museum of the American Railroad in Texas where it is steadily being restored to its Santa Fe appearance. McCormack's father worked for the NYC&STL, better known as the Nickel Plate Road, and his first cab ride when he was 12 was aboard the real NKP 190. Doyle later worked for the N&W in Ohio and an operator, eventually becoming a fireman before moving to the Pacific Northwest in the 1970's. He hired out on the SP, worked freight an passenger service for Amtrak, and has retired from the UP, all the while being heavily involved with the 4449 organization. When he restored the PA it was only natural for him to restore it to an NKP appearance, which took the better part of 2 decades to complete. The engine traveled to Spencer, NC in 2014 for the "Streamliners at Spencer" event featuring a plethora of locomotives from that era. Now in his 80's, it was announced in March 2023 that he had sold the engine to GVT after years of talks. The engine will be put into excursion service by GVT and will pull excursions in Northeastern Pennsylvanian, including former D&H track the engine ran in revenue service. Assigned "DL 190" for movement to GVT's Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in Pennsylvania, it retains its Nickel Plate Road paint scheme. The real 190 was built in March 1948 and carried builder number 75457. For what was regarded as one of the most beautiful locomotive designs ever built, not many of these were preserved, and half of those units suffered what had been a grim fate for decades. It's nice to have a few left to enjoy. Locomotive: DL 190 5-3-23 Kansas City, KS
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Metlac railway bridge in Mexico
Mexican vintage postcard
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ophelia-jones · 1 year
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May
8, 1880
Isadora was dirty and exhausted from her travels and her heart was laden with a steely grief which people told her time would ease. She knew, though, that these were empty words meant to ease the pain of the early days of loss.  The grief would not go away, rather it would become a burden she was accustomed to carrying. 
Eight months earlier she had returned to El Paso with her beloved Madre' who wanted to die in the town where she was born and be buried beside her parents.  Her father was a surgeon barber and though he wanted to accompany Maria, he had not dared lose his livelihood to make the journey.
Though the idea of Isadora traveling alone terrified him, he had put his faith in God and allowed her to undertake the task of seeing her mother home.
At least she did not need to cross the border, Hank had said, much to Maria's chagrin. El Paso had been a Mexican city when she was a girl, though it had eventually seceded to Texas but Maria's heart had always been with Mexico.
Isadora had been born in Texas after her parents were wed, and they had moved around the southwestern territories most of her youth.  They had finally found a home in New Hope Wyoming when she was a girl of 11. It was the first place she had felt accepted as she was, and not shunned by the Hispanic people for being half-white or called cruel names by whites for the same. She understood how Madre' felt about El Paso because it was the way she felt about New Hope. It was her home . 
At least the majority of the travel had been able to be accomplished by train, the Union Pacific railway had made possible the sort of journey that had once been in a lifetime for many people more accessible. 
Now, however, the train had taken her as far as it could and she would need a stagecoach to complete her trek. She sighed with relief as she settled into the covered carriage, despite knowing it would be a far from comfortable ride home. The carriage shook as the driver loaded her luggage into the boot and strapped it down. 
An immaculately dressed, well-groomed young man with ash brown hair and soulful grey eyes boarded first, offering Isadora a polite but proper nod and smile of greeting. Outside the carriage, there was a commotion between the coach driver and a woman, presumably another passenger for the trip to New Hope.
Soon a woman with flaming red curls climbed into the coach with a dramatic sigh. She wore a suede riding skirt with no bustle and an almost scandalously high hemline that fell just below the knees, and a white linen blouse long duster made of the same buckskin suede as the skirt. She also had a prominent holster on each hip containing a Lemat revolver in each. As soon as the doors were closed the woman began loosening the buttons on the neck of her blouse and fanning herself. 
Isadora averted her eyes at the woman's lack of modesty and tried to focus on the landscape passing outside her window.
"Mary Kate, your immodesty is disconcerting to proper ladies, we've discussed this a great many times," the young man scolded his companion.
"Oh for feck's sake, Aaron just because yer an old niminy-piminy doesn't mean everyone else is. I've got nothing she hasn't seen afore!" the woman declared with a thick Irish accent.
"Allow me to apologize, madam. My cousin has never been one for proper etiquette I'm afraid. I hope it doesn't trouble you too greatly," the young man said. He was soft-spoken and seemed sincerely kind to Isadora and she smiled at him in response.
"It doesn't trouble me, it's one of the better things about being home. Expectations are relaxed when it comes to manners," she said, stealing a glance at the fiery-haired woman. The gentleman's accent said east coast - Philidelphia, perhaps. The pair could not have been more unlike. 
"Aaron Murphy, Ma'am. This is my unruly cousin, Mary Kathleen Byrne," he introduced himself politely and Isadora turned to stare at the woman, her jaw dropping at the name as she put two and two together. 
"Wildfire Kate, the gambler?" She asked, and Kate's blue eyes lit up.
"See, Aaron, she's not such an old sage hen. She reads the papers." Kate nudged her cousin.  Aaron pressed his lips together in distaste; he was not a fan of pulp fiction. 
"Did you really beat Doc Holiday in a shootout?" Isadora asked, the corner of her mouth twitching up in excitement.
"Ach, no. I could, t'be sure, but I've yet to meet the man. He's avoiding me, I say," she said playfully, her steel blue eyes dancing.  Isadora could not help but return her smile, the woman's effervescent personality hard to resist.
"What brings you up to New Hope?" Isadora asked the pair, genuinely curious. New Hope wasn't a particularly large place and not a tourist destination by any means.
"I hear there's a man up that way making a name for himself, has done so well at the tables he went and started buying property up this way, I wanted to test his mettle, if ye will," She replied.
"Are you talking about Negan Smith?" Isadora groaned. The man was a menace. 
"That's the man himself! D'ya know him, then?" Kate asked.
"I do. He was a cowhand that drifted from ranch to ranch when he was younger, did an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, then he tried his hand at mining for gold up in the mountains. He did well with that, and that's when he started gambling. He did even better at that, I suppose. Now he owns a ranch not far from New Hope with more cattle than anyone in the county but Herschel Green. He also owns the dance hall in town, and a lot of folks think he's aiming to run for Mayor next." Isadora informed her.
"A real Jack-of-all-trades, eh? How is he with a pistol?" Kate wanted to know.  Isadora scoffed.
"He considers himself the best there is, from what I understand. He has a Colt Peacemaker he calls 'Lucille' that he terrorizes people with." 
"Sounds like just the sorta fella what needs to be brought down a peg or two. Sounds like fun, time!" Kate winked at Isadora. 
Suddenly, the stagecoach lurched forward, they could hear the reinsman cracking his whip and trying to drive the horses harder. The shotgun guard was calling out, but they could not understand his words amidst the clatter and bang of the carriage as it bounced dangerously fast over rocks and holes. The wheels were term long on their axles and it seemed a sure thing that at least one would soon break or come off.  Then they heard the boom of the guard's shotgun.
"Is it Indians, do you think?" Aaron asked, his eyes nervous. 
"More likely road agents. Relations with the tribes that once resided here are mostly peaceful these days. The Indian wars were awful but things have been quiet since," Isadora said, shocking even herself with her ability to remain collected.
"Highwaymen?" Kate said, arching a ginger eyebrow. "Well they're in for a surprise," she drew both pistols and checked that they were fully loaded. There was another shot, and another, followed by a horrible thump as the shotgun guard fell from his post. 
The driver reined the horses in and they came to an abrupt stop, Isadora thrown forward on top of Kate. She had no time to right herself before the doors were yanked open on each side and two men with bandanas tied around their lower faces pointed pistols at them.
"Hands up! I don't wanna see none o' you reaching for NOTHING, ya hear me? You breathe the wrong way and it'll be the last breath you ever take!" the taller of the two men yelled at them. He was thin and had the darkest, most dangerous blue eyes Isadora had ever seen. She believed the man would follow through with his threats. 
As Isadora managed to sit upright in her seat once more, she caught a glimpse of Kate looking very frustrated with the fact that she had accidentally prevented her from drawing her weapons. Isadora couldn't think about it at the moment, her mind was on trying not to panic.
"Well, what have we here?" The highwayman announced, sounding more than a little pleased at the sight of the pistols. Kate cursed at the man but cooperated as he removed the pistols from their holsters and handed over a was of bills she'd had secured in her boot. While he busied himself with taking everything of value Kate had in her, the other man focused on Aaron and Isadora.
"Hand over your money and your jewelry, any weapons, too," he demanded, his voice a low growl. This man, still taller than average despite being slightly shorter than the other, had the broadest shoulders Isadora had ever seen.  He wore a brown leather hat with a broad brim and shaggy brown hair that covered nearly every bit of his face which wasn't hidden by the bandana. As she slipped the rings off her fingers and untied the purse from her wrist, she caught sight of his silver blue eyes and hesitated. She was struck with the thought that this man was just as frightened as she was. Just as trapped. 
"And the necklace," he said, gesturing to the gold chain around her neck with his gun.
"Oh, no, please sir, this is all I have left of mi madre, my mother. Anything else, but this is a reliquia de familia!" she was ashamed at how quickly the tears sprang to her eyes. She knew it was foolish to beg a robber, it was only delaying the inevitable and might well agitate him enough to get her killed. But there was something about this man, a kindness in his eyes…
"Don't fall for that boohooing bullshit!" the first man yelled across the coach as the long-haired man hesitated. 
"We got what we need, let's go!" the kind-eyed man retorted.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" the other robber demanded. He looked Isadora up and down for a moment, then reached out and rubbed a lock of her long black hair between his fingers.  "Although, she is a prize in and of herself, ain't she? Maybe you should come along with us, sugar. Then you don't need to part with your 'reliquia'." 
Isadora's chest tightened, her heart beating so quickly that she began to tremble. She couldn't even find the strength to speak.  Suddenly, a strong hand reached out and grabbed the locket firmly, and with a sharp tug the chain broke and the hesitant man snatched it away from her.
"You happy? Let's GO!" he yelled at the other man before turning to mount his horse. The leader of the highwaymen, she could see now that there were at least two other riders on horseback keeping watch over their brethren as they robbed the passengers, kept his eyes on Isadora for a long silent moment. When he finally turned and mounted his horse she finally breathed out - and began to sob.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I coulda stopped 'em if I'd had half a chance to get me guns!" Kate exclaimed angrily. "I fecking hate being outdrawn!"
Aaron opened the door and stepped out quietly.
"And where are you off to?" Kate asked him, sounding annoyed.
"I'm going to see if there is anything I can do for the guard or the driver," he explained calmly.  He was the only one of the three who had kept his head during it all. His concern for the others brought both women out of their selfish reveries.
Isadora hurried from the coach to discover that the driver was uninjured but had been robbed, bound, and gagged in case he had any thoughts of giving chase. The shotgun guard, however, was on the ground with a broken arm and a shotgun wound to his chest. 
"He's still breathing, help me get him into the carriage!" Isadora said, the years of helping her father take over her thoughts. She moved with purpose as the four of them lifted the injured man into the coach. Kate sat up with the driver, taking the shotgun position even though the bandits had taken the shotgun. Aaron sat beside Isadora and they tried to keep the man as comfortable as possible for the rest of the bumpy journey.
"Thank the Lord they didn't steal the horses," Aaron murmured at one point.
"They knew what they could get away with," Isadora replied, "they'd be shot or hanged for stealing horses."
"Right. Of course," Aaron replied. He had only been west of Pennsylvania for a few months and still wasn't entirely familiar with the ways of the wild west.
When they arrived in the town the stagecoach pulled up to the station and Kate disembarked hurriedly, opening the door for the others.
"Aaron, would you go down the street and find my father? He's the barber-surgeon, his shop is just down there on the left!" Isadora asked her new acquaintance, then turned to Kate "And Kate, go to the jail and get the Sheriff." She herself was still applying pressure to the worst of the man's wounds to stem the bleeding.
********************************* 
Sheriff Rick Grimes was reading over a telegraph for the third time, trying to make sense of the why and how of the message. He had been doing everything within reason to catch the highwaymen who had been robbing the good people of this county for the past few months, and he was confident that he would catch the men in time. So why had Mayor Gregory sent for help from the Pinkerton Agency in Chicago? 
He was more than irritated at the man overstepping his place.  Rick was the Sheriff of the county, and Gregory was responsible only for what happened within the town limits. He was about to call into the man's home to demand some answers when a woman with wild red curly hair burst in.
"What the hell?" Shane cried out, standing up quickly from behind the desk where he had been nearly dozing. Shane was Rick's Deputy, and though other men were also deputies, Shane was the only one who was paid for his work. The others all made their living in other ways but could be called on when there was a need. 
"The stagecoach has been robbed, and a man has been shot, in case you were interested," she announced, her Irish lilt sassy and judgemental to Rick's ears.
He and Shane both hurried to follow the woman, arriving at the stagecoach at the same time as Beau Landry, the local barber-surgeon. Before long, they had the man carried into the jail and placed him on the cot so he could be treated for his injuries. 
Once they had done all there was to do, and Kate, Aaron, and the driver had filled the officers in on everything they could recall about the robbery, Rick watched through the doorway as the woman with the black hair and dark eyes washed the blood from the injured man's face and reassured him.  Her father had gone to the chemist for some laudanum to ease the man's pain and help him to rest.
"Miss Landry?" Rick said from the doorway. "How are you? Were you injured?" 
Isadora sighed and stood to face the sheriff. Her hair had come down from where it had been pinned up neatly on the back of her head when the day had begun. Her black mourning dress was dirty from kneeling on the ground to aid the man and stained with his blood. Her deep brown eyes were weary and filled with sorrow, and Rick's heart ached for her. He felt as if he had failed her by not stopping these robberies sooner. 
She was a striking beauty, even disheveled as she was, and there was a strength in her dark eyes he had rarely seen in most men, let alone a young woman. He found himself staring and yet despite knowing it was bad manners, couldn't quite tear his eyes away.
"I'm uninjured, Sheriff Grimes, gracias. Only tired." she smiled weakly.
"Do you think you can tell me about the men? Anything you noticed, anything at all no matter how small." 
"There were four of them. They were covered from head to toe, except for their eyes. I'm not sure I saw anything that would help," she replied, thinking of those blue eyes. She didn't know why, but she couldn't bring herself to mention them.
"I'll find them, they will pay for doing this to you," he told her earnestly. 
"Where are you from, Sheriff Grimes?" Isadora asked, noting his accent.  There was something about his presence, the way he stood, perhaps, that she found reassuring. A quiet strength in his eyes.
"Georgia, originally," he replied with a slight smile. "Before the war."
"You were a soldier," she said, as if this answered some question she had been asking herself.
"A sergeant with the 1st Battalion of Georgia Infantry," he replied, looking shyly at the floor. 
"You fought for the union?" she remarked, clearly surprised. "No wonder you left Georgia."Rick chuckled slightly, nodding slightly and looking up at her with his head still slightly bowed.
"That, and there was nothing left there for me. While I was fighting, my wife died in childbirth," he informed her.
"I'm sorry," Isadora told Rick sincerely.
"I'm sorry to leave you waiting so long, Izzy, but I'm back with the laudanum. Why don't you go home now and freshen yourself up? You must be exhausted," Beau told his daughter as he returned to the jail.
"Si, Papi. Thank you," she kissed the man on his cheek and moved for the door. 
"I'll walk you home," Rick offered, and Isadora was too weary to refuse.
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wcgutman · 1 year
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Building a little boxcar for the SM32 garden railway layout. This boxcar was inspired by a grainy photo of a little boxcar in use on one of the Mexican narrow gauge. The boxcar is mostly laser cut Basswood with dollhouse hinges, and link ‘n pin couplers from Ozark Miniatures.
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etherealfaeri · 2 years
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Hii! I saw you had some Amsterdam posts so i'm not sure if you're there but I'm going there this sunday and was wondering if you had any tips and suggestions on what to do? :)
hellooo yes I used to live there!! off the top of my head:
food: men impossible for vegan noodles if you’re into that (you need to make a reservation though but it’s the best food in town), foodhallen (food court + bar venue in a railway building), señor mostachio (mexican food with a cool canalside vibe, try the cactus burrito!!)
cafes: yuzu (nice cakes), de koffieschenkerij (picturesque cafe neighboring a church), bar botanique (tropical plant themed cafe by day bar by night kinda vibe)
art & culture: van gogh museum, stedelijk (for modern art), if you’re into history (and even if not) there’s a super cool lil place called the museum of our lord in the attic which is like a tiny church & museum in a canalside house
general: walk around the 9 straatjes area and check out the lil boutiques!! also albert cuypmarkt has a bunch of cool food stalls and vintage shops scattered around — i really like the area of de pijp in general!
summer specific: monte pelmo has gelato comparable to italy, waterkant is a big canalside bar that’s quite nice, sarphatipark is a good albeit small alternative to vondelpark which gets quite touristy!
wow this was long but lmk if you want more specific recs!!
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beardedmrbean · 8 months
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HUEHUETOCA, Mexico (AP) — A Mexican railway operator announced Tuesday it is temporarily suspending train runs in the northern part of the country because so many migrants are climbing aboard freight cars and getting hurt in the process.
Ferromex said it has temporarily ordered a halt to 60 trains carrying cargo that would fill 1,800 tractor trailers. It said some international trade would be affected by the stoppage.
In recent days, there have been about a "half-dozen regrettable cases of injuries or deaths” among migrants hopping freight cars, the company said in a statement.
The company, owned by conglomerate Grupo Mexico, said some migrants even hopped on moving freight cars “despite the grave danger that represents.”
“There has been a significant increase in the number of migrants in recent days,” Ferromex said in the statement, adding that it was stopping the trains “to protect the physical safety of the migrants,” while it awaited action by authorities to solve the problem.
But the word had yet to trickle down to the migrants themselves, hundreds of whom waited on the tracks and alongside them at a railway yard in Huehuetoca, on the northern outskirts of Mexico City.
Pavel Aguilar Flores, a migrant from Venezuela, was hoping to hop a freight train to Matamoros, a dangerous Mexican border city across from Brownsville, Texas.
“We haven't heard any news,” Aguilar Flores said. “We are going to continue on our journey, and in fact we're waiting for a train.”
“I have heard there have been accidents, but not so many as people say,” he said. “You have to be careful and get on the train when it's stopped, not when it's moving.”
In fact, trains were still running through the railyard at Huehuetoca Tuesday evening, but they weren't heading where the migrants wanted to go.
According to Ferromex, the worst problems appeared to be further north.
The company said there were about 1,500 people gathered at a rail yard in the city of Torreon, in the northern border state of Coahuila. The company also reported about 800 migrants waiting at the freight yards in Irapuato, in the north-central state of Guanajuato.
About 1,000 people were reported to be riding freight cars on the train line that connects the city of Chihuahua and the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.
Ferromex is Mexico's largest concessionary rail operator and the impact of the train stoppage will be “very important,” said Ana Bertha Gutiérrez, the international trade coordinator for the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness. She noted the measure could hit industrial states like Nuevo Leon, Baja California and Chihuahua hard, given their links to the U.S. market.
Migrants have long used the trains, known collectively as “The Beast," to hitch rides from as far south as Oaxaca state to the U.S. border. About a decade ago, the Mexican government briefly staged raids on the trains to discourage the practice, but later largely abandoned the effort.
The announcement comes as migrants are increasingly desperate to reach the U.S. border.
On Monday, migrants mostly from Haiti burst into an asylum office in southern Mexico city of Tapachula.
Throngs of migrants knocked over metal barricades and pushed past National Guard officers and police stationed at the office. Some of the migrants were trampled by their colleagues in the rush.
Authorities later convinced many to leave, and no injuries were reported.
Crowds of frustrated migrants, including many from Cuba and Honduras, say they have had to wait for weeks in some cases for an appointment at the office in Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala.
At the office, run by the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid, migrants can file claims for asylum in Mexico. Most, however, intend to use the papers to travel more safely and easily to the U.S. border.
Mexico is on track to receive more asylum applications this year than ever before as the flow of migrants threatens to overwhelm governments of several Latin American countries along the migratory route.
Andrés Ramírez Silva, the director of Mexico’s refugee agency, said last week that the number of asylum applications his agency receives this year could reach 150,000, well above the 129,000 record set in 2021.
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