TTC Toronto Rocket Subway Train

Canadian Northern Turbo Train

Canadian Northern Turbo Train.  Fascinating videos of this late-1960s/early-1970s service can be seen on Youtube.

Chicago and Northwestern Commuter Train 'Gallery Car'

Circa late 1950s through the 1970s.

Baltimore Metro SubwayLink

NYC MTA Subway Car: R62?

The logo certainly helped with the identification of this one.   See wikipedia for help classifying this subway car.

Bombardier Superliner II: Copyright Issues?

Ramen Review: Nissin Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce - Chicken Flavor

Make:

Nissin

Model:

Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce

Color:

Chicken Flavor

Review

The special sauce packet was velvety, just the unopened packet.  I wanted to pet the packet.  I did pet the packet.   The special sauce packet moved and reacted like the slow-moving fake blue water in one of those plastic encased, two-toned liquid-filled aquarium or water wheel toy games. I ripped the packet open.  There were two sauces in there: a clear oil, and a motor-oil black, thick paste that must have been what gave the sauce packet those impossible physical properties. Minimal flavor aggressiveness. This is a lots of sweet, lots of smooth, not much to argue with here.

Freight v. Passenger Train Nerds

Knowing a little less than your average train nerd, but still being a train nerd can be a struggle.  I struggle with the taxonomy of some of my train tie clips.  Recognizing trains is a little bit like how Michael Polin once described mushroom hunting - your eyes have to tune into interpreting the landscape to see the mushrooms.  You have to be 'on'.  Same with recognizing train types.  One's ability to identify train types depends on the type of train in which one is most interested. I cannot tell the difference between most modern freight locomotives in the united states because they all have that weird angle-y beveled hood thing going on.  Sure, the two locomotives below have many different details, but I still can't tell an EMD from a GE.

EMD SD75M

GE AC4400CW

Of course, I can see some differences: the one on top's nose angles in, while the one on the bottom has a weird twonkey vent sticking out of the back.  But I've already forgotten which one was the GE and which one was the EMD by this point, and now I have to start all over again looking at banister heights and door placement.  The real point here is that I just don't care enough about freight locomotives.  Now, when I look at what the locomotive in the bottom picture is towing, that's when I get excited.  

I can tell you that the locomotive is towing a Metrolink train with the following consist:

1. Hyundai Rotem cab car, purchased by the agency after a couple-three accidents occured in the mid to late aughts where the older model Bombardier-made cab cars derailed or were otherwise compromised.  
2. Three Bombardier trailer cars -- I can see a faint hint of rivets in vertical lines on the sides of the the first and second of these cars, so I am guessing these are the first wave of Bombardier trailer cars, not the second wave purchased by Metrolink, which are more smooth. 
3. A Hyundai Rotem trailer car, purchased along with Metrolink's order of the cab cars mentioned in #1.  
4. Some form of locomotive.  Too tiny.  Can't see it well enough

That's just the point.  I just wrote a whole paragraph about a Metrolink train and I couldn't care less about the freight locomotives.  Show me the person who can write as much about those freight locomotives as I just wrote about the Metrolink consist, and I will show you their blog -- it's a blog that would be boring for me to read.  

And btw, why is that BNSF locomotive towing a Metrolink train?  Oh my god, what a story!  Starting with this:

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-metrolink-crash-ntsb-crossing-20150225-story.html

 But you can go read someone else's blog about that one.   

Ramen Review: Nissin Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce - Teriyaki Beef Flavor

Make:

Nissin

Model:

Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce

Color:

Teriyaki Beef Flavor

Review

Did not disappoint. The premium Savory sauce again was mystifying in its siren-like texture while it was still in the package. SO VELVETY, the package. The tar-like savory sauce substance oozed out onto the cooked noodles, and reminded me of the episode of Star Trek the Next Generation where Lt. Tasha Yar was killed by a black slime ooze puddle with some person-like qualities. 

Picture taken from "MadMikesAmerica" blog.  A fun entry summarizing the Star Trek TNG episode "Skin of Evil" and comparing Armus (pictured at right) to BP's actions in the Gulf of Mexico.  https://madmikesamerica.com/2010/06/lieutenant-tasha-yar-takes-on-evil-bp-monster/

That's what it looked like sitting on my noodles, before I mixed it in! And then the oil blob-like puddle was mixed in to the noodles, and I had that premium experience once again. 

GOLF VOICE: (This was Alex's second Nissin brand Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce noodle bowl).