What beer are you drinking now? #4889

Big foot - only have 4 more left so will have to seek out more ...



Felt like some surf music tonight ..

 

Upp Pinball Wizard oatmeal stout. Also not too bad!





Egészségedre!

 

Did not buy any this year Larry. It’s on the shelf RN at my local.

 

Ice Box - Green Chile Blonde in Las Cruces

Apparently I forgot to post my first beer, their Frostbite IPA...

More to come soon...

 

Just when I thought I'd cleaned out all the locals, another one goes and stocks another case in the cooler . . .



Unapologetically loving this album . . .

 

Dinner is served over angel hair .

 

Cool - that's BNSF 4822 which is a 4400 HP DC powered engine. Most of the newer engines are powered by AC which has many superior characteristics over DC. THe diesel engines just run a turbine that generates the electric power for the wheels.


1. AC traction motors don’t “give up” when they slip

DC motors:
- When a wheel slips, torque collapses instantly.
- The system cuts power to the whole truck.
- You get surging, barking, and sometimes a stall.

AC motors:
- Can keep producing torque while slipping.
- Computers modulate each axle hundreds of times per second.
- The locomotive stays hooked up and keeps pulling.

This is why AC units walk up icy grades while DC units fight for adhesion.

2. AC locomotives produce way more low‑speed tractive effort, this is the big one.

- An DC Dash‑9 might give you ~140,000 lbs of continuous tractive effort.
- An AC4400 or ES44AC can push 180,000+ lbs and sustain it at crawl speeds.

When you’re starting a heavy train or climbing a grade, that difference is enormous.

3. AC traction = smarter traction, AC units have:

- Individual axle control
- Real‑time slip detection
- Micro‑adjusted torque
- No brushes or commutators to arc or foul

DC units are basically “all or nothing” by comparison.

AC motors are sealed and winter‑proof
DC motors have exposed brushes and commutators. Snow + moisture = arcing, shorts, failures.
AC motors are sealed induction motors.

They don’t care about snow, slush, or freezing rain.
This is why AC units dominate in the Rockies, the Powder River Basin, and anywhere with brutal winters.

Bottom line
DC is fine for light, fast, or flat‑land service.
AC is king for heavy, slow, steep, or slippery.

 

...just finishing this one up, after getting distracted chatting amiably with Greg, who I'm moderately confident is an ICE agent but didn't quite say that. Strange conversation.

Black Ice Lager

 

You should buy at least a sixer, it's excellent this year. Cheers Bob!!

 

Oh yeah, now we're talking!! Old style home cooking with some classic gravy Bob style - looks delicious!

 

Enjoying a 2016 bottle of Barrel Aged Bigfoot. It has aged tremendously well over the course of a decade, and I'm glad I still have another bottle.

 

That's a great song - Larry Carlton did all the signature solo work in that tune. The intro is brilliant! Cheers!

 

LOL - yeah, six years is a while in optical years and your prescription has likely changed. Did you take that picture yourself?

 

I think you’re right . Will do.

 

Enjoying Scrimshaw from North Coast. The wildflowers were just starting to bloom in Sonoma County, always great to see when on the trail.
Cheers!
Tom