Comments on: Things I Bring

By: Geoff Glave

Geoff Glave — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 22:00:13 +0000

I chuckled at your comments around RE the 767’s calculations being automated, or performed by others. As I’m sure you know, Air Canada Flight 143 – aka the “Gimli Glider” was a 767 that ran out of fuel midflight between YUL and YEG in 1983, due to a miscalculation by the ground crew (approved by the flight crew) that confused pounds for kilograms. Perhaps your calculator would have helped.

By: Dick W Waitt

Dick W Waitt — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:17:59 +0000

In reply to Peter. Aah, someone else who uses RPN...

By: Dick W Waitt

Dick W Waitt — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:16:23 +0000

As of today my calculator is an HP-32S which I bought in the late 1980s as a backup. Most people today wouldn’t know how use it since it uses RPN (Reverse Polish Notation), shall we say a “different” method of data entry, which (to me) is more intuitive.

I bought it when computers were really coming on, and it didn’t get much use then, or now. But I can’t throw it out…

Do you ever use a slide rule??

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 18:46:49 +0000

Condolences on the loss of your calculator.

In my second semester of college, I bought a black Sears 4-banger (a rebranded Bowmar, I think), which served me well until Grad school, when I splurged on an HP-25. Yes, Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) entry. Which is quite logical when you get used to it. After I left school, I bought a nifty HP-41, but I was always afraid of losing it, so it stayed at home.

Now that we have cell phones and computers, I find myself using one of several virtual calculators (V41 on the PC, i41cx on the iPhone). They have the look and behavior of my old 41 (I still have both the 25 and the 41) but they don’t take up space, or need new batteries!

Check Goodwill…there’s always a chance you’ll find the lost twin of your favorite calculator!

By: Lee Taplinger

Lee Taplinger — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 01:39:08 +0000

About that Tumi briefcase and anything that has lots of pockets – if those exterior pockets were large enough to use you could label what’s in them with your sharpie. What’s worse is those “wonderful” jackets and pants with 12 pockets because guess what, whatever you’re looking for is going to be in the twelfth pocket you look in.

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 23:31:54 +0000

I feel for you losing the calculator!

The best one I ever bought – in Glasgow of all places, for UK pounds 5 – in about 1976, was simple, big keys, a memory (!!) and best of all calculated time differences etc.

I’ve been retired from flying now for 20-odd years and no calculator has been as useful, and used, as that one. I only got rid of it a couple of years ago and only because it was so filthy you couldn’t see the keys!

By: UncleStu

UncleStu — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 21:43:18 +0000

In reply to Daniel G.

A grip! I haven’t heard that term in years.

A commenter on another article mentioned the DC-3.

The nostalgia is with us today.

By: Daniel G

Daniel G — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:21:30 +0000

And one more thing…by federal fiat we cannot have electronic non railroad ANYTHING in the cab anymore. No working cell phones, no digital cameras…perhaps we can use an abacus to calculate train length and tonnage…
And we called our lil suitcase with goodies in it a GRIP. “Grab my grip and toss it down would ya son?” Some were elaborate affairs made with angle aluminum and a formica like hardboard riveted together and me? I carried something like your flight bag with all the ‘stuff’ we needed. Always a hoot when climbing on and off a locomotive out in the snow. I equate it to climbing into a B17.
So it went…

By: Daniel G

Daniel G — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:12:11 +0000

As a retired railroad conductor I CAN RELATE! We have to carry all rule books and timetables of every railroad we operate on…not too bad if you always stay on home rails but rather ridiculous when you go into a terminal city like Chicago. I WISH the rails would go to an IPAD system for updates that are non ending…and that does not even count the daily bulletins you must have in your possession and have intimate knowledge of…as in who is that with the machinery in our way..oh yeah we must stop here.
Just going to an IPAD system for orders and bulletins would involve different railroads actually AGREEING on a single system…you can forget about that.
Then shall we toss in such fun as going into Clearing Yard in Chicago (as an example) That’s the one just outside Midway Airport. You have to talk to 6 different yardmasters, yard crews and engine house employees just to move into or out of that place.And yes, they were all on different radio freqs. Bensenville, outside O’Hare, wasn’t bad at all though…they had a ground man that lined you into the yard and into your track for your train…a revolutionary idea that went bye bye some time ago.
And we did stay at the HoJo in Schiller Park and I would get the highest floor room facing O’Hare and listen to the ATC…interesting to a railroad guy to say the least. I tip my hat to you all!
And the Sharpie makes a great weather map changer too…if its bad…just change it with your SHARPIE!
Glad I am retired.

By: Chris Anschuetz

Chris Anschuetz — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 14:13:01 +0000

SOB = “Souls on Board?”