Sunday, August 20, 2006

Graffiti near Pinnacle Pellet

I now have a huge backlog of great graffiti and I am going to post it all on here. I also have some really nice photos from some trips I've taken recently and I'll post some of that.

This set of graffiti was taken in Williams Lake near the Pinnacle Pellet plant. I've included a photo of it at the bottom of the post. While I was away at school recently, a guy I used to work with was actually killed there. He was hit by a train car they were loading (near the hopper above the track on the right.) Apparently the car wasn't secured properly and he tried to jump up and get the brake. I am not sure on the precise details, and I'm not sure I want to know.

I worked for CN back in my college days and got all the horror stories from the guys there. I took their advice, true stories or not.


This is one of my recent favourites. I love the colour.


Railyard danger

One of the stories (don't know if it's true or not) I was told was about a guy who had been crushed between the couplers that join the cars. I don't know how he managed it. Perhaps he was crossing between two uncoupled cars close together when an engine pushed them together? Anyway, he was still alive and his family was called. His wife rushed down to see her dying husband. When the cars were uncoupled, he died.

Another story I remember was a funny one. One of the guys told me when I was going to sit down on the job, to clean off my shovel, place it on the track and sit on the flat part of the shovel. There were two reasons for this: first, you didn't want to get your ass dirty so when your supervisor showed up, he'd see dirt on your ass and know you were sitting down on the job. The second reason prompted a story about a guy who just sat on the track, but sat on one of the slightly open joints between two rails. A train came along and the gap closed. (Apparently the weight of the engines pushes the track slightly.) Well, this guy was in a bit of trouble with the train coming at him and his pants caught in the gap between the rails. He was in a panic to get his pants off before he got hit by the train.

I don't know if it's a true story or if that actually happens, but it's a good story and that's all that matters.

I was warned about sitting on the track in the railyard. The cars often move silently and you might not notice the random car rolling towards you until it hit you or cut you in half. At least on the track away from the yard you're less likely to get the random car, but you never know.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fellow you refer to that was killed at Pinnacle Pellwts. Yes it is true.
Gerald Wasstrom

OBITUARY: Gerald Wasstrom
Many interests enjoyed

Gerald Gunner Wasstrom was born on September 21, 1959 in Kamloops to Gloria and Gunnar Wasstrom.
His dad died in a car accident in October 1962 when Gerald was just three years old. At the age of four Gerald came to live with his aunt and uncle Ture and Shirley Wasstrom, where he became one more of their children and joined up with his new three brothers and four sisters. He went to school in Lac la Hache and then 100 Mile House.
From an early age we knew Gerald was going to be an avid collector when he started collecting rocks and Dodge model cars. Then it went out of control to more than 6,000 hats, many old toys and fish.
Gerald’s favourite winter activity was his GT runner that he had made for the brave of heart or the weak of mind. Actually it worked best if you had both. Sand skiing was just one more of Gerald’s adventures and this one made the big times when Gerald ended up on TV demonstrating his abilities.
Gerald joined the army in November of 1976 on a 60-day trial but found it was not to his liking. After the Army, he went to Edmonton to work in a glass factory.
From there he was off to Kelowna where he returned to his love of cooking with a job at Big White.
Gerald started cooking at a very young age. At one time or another all of his brothers and sisters got to try his early experiments in the kitchen. We all survived and that’s when we knew he was destined to become a chef. Gerald was always called upon at all family gatherings to prepare the food.
Barb and Gerald met in February of 1984 at the Keg in the Fraser Inn when Gerald came in singing the wrong song for the music that was playing.
That’s when Barb decided that she needed to get to know him. A year later they were married and then the fun began and lasted over 19 years. Everything that Gerald was involved in, Barb was at his side. Although maybe for some of their adventures, she was just a little bit behind him.
Over the years Barb and Gerald had many exotic dinners in their home for family and friends. Gerald has also done many private dinners and weddings.
Gerald’s hobbies were numerous and from a wide range including raising fish to woodworking, and rock wall building to mechanics. One of his latest ventures was trying to get the 2010 logo to put on some of his woodwork. Gerald was never afraid to venture out of his comfort zone to try new things. If you want to see some of his craftmanship, drive by the Drummond Lodge.
Gerald’s life ended suddenly while doing a job he really enjoyed and was very proud of at Pinnacle Pellet.
Gerald leaves to mourn his wife Barb, mother and father Shirley and Ture, birth mother Gloria Campbell, brothers Iver, David and Dean, sisters Verna (Wade, Lana (Lorne), Diane (Shane) and Shannon (Mark)
He also leaves, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as other family and friends and Nugi.
Gerald was pre-deceased by his birth father Gunnar, his sister Janice and uncles Erik and Sune.

Anonymous said...

Nice Graffiti Flix. A lot of those recent pictures are done by artists from Kamloops.

Anonymous said...

nice stuff keep it coming

Anonymous said...

OBITUARY: Gerald Wasstrom
Many interests enjoyed

Gerald Gunner Wasstrom was born on September 21, 1959 in Kamloops to Gloria and Gunnar Wasstrom.
His dad died in a car accident in October 1962 when Gerald was just three years old. At the age of four Gerald came to live with his aunt and uncle Ture and Shirley Wasstrom, where he became one more of their children and joined up with his new three brothers and four sisters. He went to school in Lac la Hache and then 100 Mile House.
From an early age we knew Gerald was going to be an avid collector when he started collecting rocks and Dodge model cars. Then it went out of control to more than 6,000 hats, many old toys and fish.
Gerald’s favourite winter activity was his GT runner that he had made for the brave of heart or the weak of mind. Actually it worked best if you had both. Sand skiing was just one more of Gerald’s adventures and this one made the big times when Gerald ended up on TV demonstrating his abilities.
Gerald joined the army in November of 1976 on a 60-day trial but found it was not to his liking. After the Army, he went to Edmonton to work in a glass factory.
From there he was off to Kelowna where he returned to his love of cooking with a job at Big White.
Gerald started cooking at a very young age. At one time or another all of his brothers and sisters got to try his early experiments in the kitchen. We all survived and that’s when we knew he was destined to become a chef. Gerald was always called upon at all family gatherings to prepare the food.
Barb and Gerald met in February of 1984 at the Keg in the Fraser Inn when Gerald came in singing the wrong song for the music that was playing.
That’s when Barb decided that she needed to get to know him. A year later they were married and then the fun began and lasted over 19 years. Everything that Gerald was involved in, Barb was at his side. Although maybe for some of their adventures, she was just a little bit behind him.
Over the years Barb and Gerald had many exotic dinners in their home for family and friends. Gerald has also done many private dinners and weddings.
Gerald’s hobbies were numerous and from a wide range including raising fish to woodworking, and rock wall building to mechanics. One of his latest ventures was trying to get the 2010 logo to put on some of his woodwork. Gerald was never afraid to venture out of his comfort zone to try new things. If you want to see some of his craftmanship, drive by the Drummond Lodge.
Gerald’s life ended suddenly while doing a job he really enjoyed and was very proud of at Pinnacle Pellet.
Gerald leaves to mourn his wife Barb, mother and father Shirley and Ture, birth mother Gloria Campbell, brothers Iver, David and Dean, sisters Verna (Wade, Lana (Lorne), Diane (Shane) and Shannon (Mark)
He also leaves, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as other family and friends and Nugi.
Gerald was pre-deceased by his birth father Gunnar, his sister Janice and uncles Erik and Sune.

Martin Olson said...

Those trains can sneek up on you. It's freaky when one goes by and you don't notice for a while. Great photos. Maxwell Arouse

Mr.M said...

False!
you can ear them, it moves the ground, you can easily ear a clangclang on each section of rails it passes over!