[Fictionary] lurdane reference

[lindafowens at netzero.com]

I can't completely visualize how this works, but often freight trains are derailed because they go too fast around curves and thru villages. There is some device for lifting them back onto the track, but I never really saw this, even though we were detained in Toledo for 8 hours once (more than ten years ago) until the machine showed up--Amtrak fed us what they had (half a bologna sandwich with lettuce each and glad to get it), then they called in a KFC truck to serve dinner to 300 travelers.  Down south, trains must travel more slowly on hot days on non-Amtrak lines, so the journey takes longer but is safer.  We were only delayed on our last trip to SC a few months ago when the train hit a local guy, who may have been drunk or dead already, so we had to wait for two hours for the locals to clear up the mystery, but someone grabbed water and passed it out to the passengers.  Since the cash register closed down when the train stopped, I fed half of my sandwich to an elderly lady with diabetes who almost fainted a few miles from her relatives' house. I think she was trying to save money, so she hadn't eaten much all day. Linda Owens

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Pierre Abbat <phma at phma.optus.nu>
To: fictionary at swarpa.net
Subject: Re: [Fictionary] lurdane reference
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:58:48 -0400

On Friday 25 June 2010 10:00:53 Ranjit Bhatnagar wrote:
> After a brief delay -- caused, I'm sure, by sunspot activity -- the
> lurdane results are in!  The winner, with 8 points, is Pierre's
> eponymous train wheel aligner.  Congratulations Pierre:

I have several words and pairs of words to pick from. I'll let you know soon.

> PIERRE: 8 points
> lurdane, n. (From Henry Lurdane, railroad engineer) A device for
> aligning train wheels.
>
> David: 2 points
> Fran: 2 points
> Nicolas: 1 point for being about engineering.
> Jim: 1 points
> Linda: 1 point for the train-wheel aligning device because I love train
> travel Hutch: Not completely unbelievable: 1 point
> Elliott: I think that's called a ``track'', or maybe an ``axle''.

Actually I was thinking of a thing with four train-wheel-shaped holes in it. 
You put the set of four wheels on the lurdane and adjust the wheels until 
they are properly positioned within the holes.

Pierre

-- 
li fi'u vu'u fi'u fi'u du li pa


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