The ALLY suspends operations.

Rain has not let up.
In excess of 20 inches in last 24 hours
Got heavier after the center passed, is now drawing moisture from the gulf, an moving' slow

Lots and lots of limbs down on the yard.

A Bachmann caboose took a good hit. the roof and cupola are gone. Can' find them.

Other than two box cars tipped over and one baggage blown off the tracks, and the unfortunate caboose, no serious damages so far. ( Same caboose as the owl carried off years ago.)

There are some automobiles on the ALLY that are submerged up to the roofs.

Power is still on, lights in the buildings and rolling stock are still on and signals still work. Have not tried the turnouts as I assume they are fouled. Still unable to run trains due to debris. I tried to take some cell phone Pict's, but you can't see much in them.

I had expected a little break in the rain last night. The break never came.

It STOPPED raining.

Well for a while at least.

The water level is going down, not much, but some. I have to wade through four inches between the ALLY and the garden shed. Will have to work on a raised path and better drainage this winter.


I walked the mainline and cleared hundreds of limbs and pine cones from it and the three passing sidings. I ran my modified "pine needle chewing" track cleaning loco around twice, one for the main and again for the passing sidings.
Two passenger trains are back in service.

Now I can continue with adding some features to my animation software. I moved my laptop from the shed to the patio so I don't have to wade through the "lake" every time I need another cup of coffee. It is raining again a little, but at least there is not much wind to bring down more junk. (I'm not sure how much more junk here could be in those trees :^) ) As long as the trains don't hit a pine cone or limb, they will keep the pine needles off the tracks, so I should be good to go again.

Next time it stops raining I have to pick up and bag all the stuff I tossed off the tracks. Plus all the stuff that is in the yard. UGH!

Posted By Les on 08/24/2008 3:50 PM
...
I have a question about FL: isn't there a huge swamp that was all over the news last year, to the effect it's going dry? Pretty sure there was, or I'm confused. (Not at all improbable).
So, wouldn't Fay fill the swamp back up? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/unsure.gif" border=0>
Just wondering.
Les W.




I have moved "back" to Florida a dozen times in my lifetime. Since 1954 I have seen lakes turn to swamps, then to pastures, and then to housing developments and back to lakes again.

All the "Fisheads" (people born here) know what now looks like a barrier Island, used to be a sand bar, and before that, the Gulf. The older ones remember back even further to when there was another barrier Island and how their grandpa got rich selling lots on it to "Snow Birds".

Yep, Not far from my house is a place that was a swamp in the 60's. Called Moccasin Swamp then. Some smart developer renamed it to Pine Meadows. Big new development. Was on the national news the other day about using air boats to "rescue" the idiot Yankees who bought homes there.