Tom's Jamaican Railroad Adventure

[Tom]

Edit: I will post some photos once I get back home. I had to take down the pics I put up at the bosses request as it shows company operations. The management is considering letting me take the big camera with me next week to get plenty of photos, so I'll post a bunch more pics of the countryside when I get back. I can't do it here as the net conection is VERY slow and spotty at best. I did get some photos of the countryside (the REAL Jamaica, not the one they show on TV). We are completely opposite side of the island from the tourist areas. People here are GREAT. VERY friendly, very laid back. They'll do anything for you.

I'll post a trip report when I get more time.

[LynnB]

Cool pics , get more please.
How are the people there ? Are you near the tourist area of Jamaica?

[cnw1961]

Interesting pictures. If you get the chance, I’d love to see some more of the "backyards" of Jamaica, away from the tourist resorts.

[LynnB]

Interesting pictures. If you get the chance, I’d love to see some more of the "backyards" of Jamaica, away from the tourist resorts.

I'll second that.

[Tom]

We are on day 11 of a 30 day trip and are having a blast. We are recertifying 28 Brakemen and Engineers and training 5 new hire Brakemen and 8 new hire Engineers. The first few days, they had us lodging at the "Versailles Hotel" in MayPen Clarendon. That place sucks. What a dump. It wasn't very nice bat all. In fact, it was a run down filthy mess. That was only for a few days though, then they moved us for the rest of the time into the "Halse Hall Great House", which is a Jamaican National Land Mark built in the 1600's by the British when they conquered Jamaica way back when. Nowadays, it is owned by Jamalco (Alcoa subsidiary) and used to house guests of the company. Man Woody, you wouldn't believe this place. It is an island resort. I keep expecting to hear "Tattoo" yell out "The plane Boss! The plane!!". Man, what a BEAUTIFUL place. The people are the friendliest I have ever seen, the beaches are gorgeous. You can see the bottom of the Carribbean until about 200 feet out! I think that is where the color Teal comes from. Just pretty.

These guys are railroaders though! VERY good at what they do, but not taking it too sseriously right now. We had to chew them out (and so did their boss) for goofing off today after one almost fell off the engine. I was not a happy camper and don't like having to get nasty like that, but it is all good. We have one young guy named Howard that takes REAL good care of us in the rail dept., he reminds me of "Sanka" from the movie "Cool Runnings". He's funny! We tell jokes and have a great time, but he helps us out alot and does a lot of translating of their cultures for us. WHen I get back to the US, I am going to send him a nice big poster of the Union Pacific 3985 Steam Engine and UP Steam crew hat, he's fascinated by US railroading. Especially "the dragons" as he calls our old steam engines. He's certainly earned that!

Here is a link to ALL of the photos I have taken, some even include the equipment, I just can't take too many detailed shots around the plant.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/wprm/Jamaica/">http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/wprm/Jamaica/</a><!-- m -->

Talk with ya guys soon.

[Tom]

Finally after 3 weeks in Jamaica (only 10 more days to go!), Dad and I went to the other side of the island, to Ocho Rios. What a place. Sitting on the beach at Jimmy Buffets "Margaritaville" drinking margaritas as big as my boot (REAL margaritas too, just the way I like them, frozen, light on the salt with a slice of lime), watching the talent slide down the water slide in bikinis that in reality are about a size too small for them. The water slide dumps you out IN THE BAR! One side of the bar is in the pool. WAY too cool.

Life doesn't get any better. The only thing that would have MADE it better is if Alicia was there and the cigar shop would have actually HAD a selection (3 brands, all crap you can get in the States, minimum $25 a cigar (?!). They had 3 cubans left, but they were dark, $55 a piece and looked like they came out of a donkey's bum. No thanks.

Went shopping, picked Alicia & my sisters up some cool swag. All around VERY relaxing (and expensive!) day.

Photos of our adventures here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/wprm/Jamaica/">http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/wprm/Jamaica/</a><!-- m -->
'
There are some photos of the rail operations here, but no photos of the ex SP Baldwin AS-6-16s over at Windalco yet. Just haven't had time during the week to go see them, although they are real close, because I hear them at breakfast. Jamalco uses ex-UP GP38-3's, a GP38L (still in UP paint, shop queen, piece of crap hangs around the shop more than it works the yard, water in the cylinders now), and 2 ex-UP GP40-2's. I just thought it was hillarious that I come all the way to Jamaica to see UP locomotives. They have one F40PH that used to be the Amtrak 373 and I know THAT engine REAL well, as I used to work with it on the San Jaoquins when I was with Amtrak out of Oakland, CA. Smaall world...

Anyway, there are a lot of vacation pics to dig through to get to the RR pics, but if you have the time and the patience to dig through them they are about the middle of the collection there at Photobucket. Neat RR operation, having a blast.

Tom

PS: Sorry guys, no photos of the "talent". There were about 5 or 6 BIG dudes with them and I had already had 3 or 4 margaritas by that time, so I just spectated.