iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Most of them, at least. I saw one in PHX this week with a crane there to put its pylons and engines back on. Pretty sure once that’s done, it’ll be sent to heavy check to get back in service.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

When that guy is finally gone, there’s going to be a serious howl of joy.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Still playing with trains! No pretty pictures of the South Park (even though the Aspens will peak in about a week). But I did crawl through a teeny tiny hole into the firebox to weld together a new oil pan on the locomotive. Of note: The tube sheet is still dry! No leaks! #southparkrail

A smiling DSilbizzy inside a steam locomotive firebox wearing a flipped up welding helmet, a hi-vis yellow shirt and grey overalls, along with safety glasses and a confusingly tall Mohawk.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Oralé! I get it. Enchiladas are serious business. But I’ve never gotten in a fight over them.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Bonus pics. The night before after the rain I got a cool picture of 608 in front of the roundhouse lit only by the (replica) locomotive headlights that the South Park mounted on it to illuminate the turntable at night. And, the steam locomotive moving on the turntable to go back in the roundhouse.

DSP&P 608, an 1879 wooden boxcar sitting in front of stall 2 of the 6 stall stone roundhouse in Como, CO. It’s nighttime, and there are two lights mounted to the sides of the roundhouse, that are both pre-turn of the century steam locomotive box headlights that illuminate the radial tracks and the 1881 vintage girder turntable.

Klondike Mines 4, a 3’ gauge 2-6-2 that is undergoing restoration is pulled onto the turntable after heavy rail by Plymouth #4 “the Game Changer” at the end of Boreas Pass Railroad Day.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Who still plays with trains? I do, of course! Saturday was Boreas Pass Railroad Day in Como. I spent my normal day talking to people about the restoration of KMR 4, but before the public showed up boxcar 608 was looking amazing (and the lettering dates back to 1879 at least). Also: Rainbow!

Smiling middle aged DSilbizzy standing in front of a stone railroad roundhouse with an old boxcar sitting outside in the morning sun.

A smiling DSilbizzy with a Mohawk and Denver Summit FC sunglasses smiling with a brilliant double rainbow in the background above an old boxcar and the stone roundhouse.

DSP&P 608. An 1879 (or earlier) boxcar that somehow had its original paint survive, sitting outside the roundhouse in Como, CO.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

While I wholeheartedly believe that we need to add more class 1 navigation exercises to pilot training, Colleen is spot on here. A loss of GPS doesn’t cause you to crash any more than not purchasing services by that Israeli company is going to cause Ireland’s jets any problems.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Sure did. It was a pretty neat little encounter. Revna made it easy.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Absolutely. I once was walking the coastal trail, and spotted a dog with a serious jaunt to her step. And that’s the time I met @arcticvelocipedist.bsky.social out and about in Anchorage. I wish I would have had more time, because now that he’s gone, I’ll bet a coffee with him would be grand.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Well I went up to a lake near Rollins pass and thought about how much AV would have enjoyed a place like this.

Forest lake, a high altitude lake near the continental divide in Gilpin county, CO. The water is insanely clear, and there are some coniferous trees on the surrounding hillsides. With one small patch of snow in the distance.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I sure hope so. Dude is one of a kind.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We’ve still got two Carnegie libraries in our little county. In fact we got married at one of them.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Daaaaaaaang. That’s a good sunset. I appreciate a good sunset.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

One of the things I love about working on steam locomotives is how honestly cantankerous they are. You have to know so much about so many topics eventually, and they still have moody days. The machines are rebellious, as is everyone I know that works in preservation. What a great quote!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

And I know someone will say “but who cares? It’s just a banner for a tourist railroad?” But here’s the thing: Companies want to use AI to replace engineers, craftsmen and draftsmen. So to ask it to route the piping from an injector to a boiler check is precisely what we should expect.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

#stoptheslop indeed! There’s a little tourist railroad that used some AI crap to make July 4th banners. Let’s just say that AI is SO BAD at doing locomotive details it’s scary. Coupler? Nah—that’s a third class lamp. Boiler check? Nah—that comes from the sand dome. Smoke? From whistle.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I mean, they could have released that last week. Because did it really matter who the GOPs nominee was? They’re all bizarre, and fringe. 🤣🤣

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

THAT is the one to watch. Can’t wait!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Still playing with trains! At my age! The boiler is holding water even better than it was, and by the end of the day it was up to 82°F. Which is good because as we put heat on it, the little weeps and leaks tend to take up and seal themselves. Also machining a steam manifold out of SA105.

A smiling DSilbizzy wearing safety goggles a little Mohawk, and a t-shirt standing in front of the left side of a steam locomotive with the boiler bare for inspection.

DSilbizzy taking a selfie while the lathe makes a facing cut on a 4.5” (11.43cm) SA105 high carbon steel forging that will one day become a steam manifold plumbed to the boiler of Klondike Mines No. 4, a 3’ gauge steam locomotive.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

FLSA history followed by RLA history? That’s two packed days right there!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Goodnight K. Awoooo! Tonight for sure.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Here’s every issue: “I flew the new XXXXXX and it flew great!” And “buy a new radio. You can’t enjoy flying without buying new stuff!”

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Yet more Trains! Another successful work week in Como, ending in the open house today. Notably we filled the boiler with water to check for leaks (we didn’t have any to speak of) and then at the end of the day we drained some of the water out, just proof of a full boiler really. Tubes are good!

A smiling DSilbizzy wearing blue overalls, safety glasses and a huge smile kneeling next to Klondike Mines 4, a narrow gauge 2-6-2 on a turntable being moved by a 25 ton Plymouth diesel locomotive which is painted green. KMR 4 (a steam locomotive) has a steady stream of water coming out of the left side blowdown valve, which just proves that the boiler is full of water.

A smiling DSilbizzy standing in front of the left side of a narrow gauge steam locomotive (Klondike Mines 4) pulled just outside of the Como, CO roundhouse on a sunny day.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Trains! Tube end beading is complete! Out of 136, I think I did 132. My arms sure felt it! Bonus pic of an ancient powered hacksaw we macgrubered together to make a cut in a 4.5” diameter piece of SA105 steel. Only took 1.5 hours to cut through there, which is faster than by hand!

A smiling DSilbizzy in the smokebox of a locomotive giving a thumbs up, showing the tube ends beaded over behind him.

An OLD (originally leather belt driven) powered hacksaw cutting through a 4.5” solid round bar of steel.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

You. You are my people. “Sissyneck” is hands down my favorite on the album.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Indeed it does! Three weeping rivets and a seam that’s weeping just a little, but nothing unexpected. So far, the tubes aren’t leaking at all, so that’s pretty exciting. Of course we haven’t filled it all the way, nor have we put pressure to it, but that’s coming soon…

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

More trains! I’ll definitely finish rolling the beads on the smokebox end tomorrow morning, and if you get the third picture you know how big of a deal that is!

A smiling guy with safety glasses and a little Mohawk inside the smokebox of a steam locomotive. With 100+ tubes beaded over.

A smiling DSilbizzy with safety glasses, a little Mohawk, and a Bravermountain Mushing shirt on stands in front of a steam locomotive undergoing a full rebuild.

Dirty water flowing out of the blowdown valve of a steam locomotive. This means that there is water inside the boiler.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Saturday June 20 is an open house, where we will have docents out and about to give tours, and I promise I won’t be doing deafeningly loud things in n Saturday. 🤣. Como, CO will be busy on Saturday! (Bonus pic of track crew laying a sixteenth radial from the turntable)

6 volunteers using rail tongs to move a rail into position on freshly placed railroad ties in Como, CO. The sky is deep blue with just a few clouds. On the other side of the turntable is a boxcar awaiting restoration, and the locomotive’s tender.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Who still plays with trains? This guy! It’s the summer work week in Como, so Saturday-Saturday. I’m spending a lot of quality time beading the tubes in the smokebox end. I’m going to do what I can to finish them up tomorrow. We might even put some water in this week!

Sunday shot of the front tube sheet about 1/2 full of tubes.

Monday evening shot showing all the tubes installed.

Tuesday afternoon. About half of the tubes have been beaded over with the big rivet gun, AND BOY ARE MY ARMS TIRED!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

With the outside of his foot, no less!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

It’s true. I’m also loving the anchorwoman standing in front of the camera talking to “Kim” about doing a mic check for what seems like hours.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Possible. Plus I’m sure the scaffolding crew is paid by the hour, and the administration is probably urging them to be as slow as possible. I hope they remove the “T” and call it a night. Just so we can have “Donald J Rump” pictures for the laughs.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

This was an absolutely delightful episode. I learned that Eric is the human behind the fame of Dirt, and that’s super cool.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Tuesday. It will steam on a Tuesday.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Now this is some salty ACARS Drama! I smell a go home leg getting delayed here…

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

You got the green chiles right. Everything after that is just details. Hatch green chile, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado OR a fried egg.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

I mean trolling the press would be kind of funny. But “resilience?” Has this guy never written “penis” on a piece of paper and slipped it to someone on a conference call to see if they can keep it together? I mean THAT would be trolling and genuinely funny.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

This is so incredibly funny. Especialkybthevrealization that he might just pop up all over the country doing community access stuff.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

I really never considered the complexities of long haul sleep and meal schedules, or the importance of cruise jammies until I started doing it. It’s serious business figuring out sleep!

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

That sounds entirely predictable.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

You guys don’t build in a gap or overlap between rest periods? We typically do a 5-10 minute gap between each rest period, so the times end as true rest periods. At my shop PF also typically gets to select their first choice, unless you’ve got a dud of a captain.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

This is a great explanation of the logistics of #Landback and what it means for us settlers. Very well put.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I look that up all the time if there’s that much crosswind, and rely on our performance software that will also tell me how much is too much for this airplane. Because I know it, but I also am never sure that I KNOW it amongst all those numbers rattling around my head.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

After working at 6 different air carriers, and as many type ratings, it’s the “do I actually know that?” things I have to look up all the time. Because there is a LOT of overlap. Like crosswind landing limitations. I’ve flown airplanes that are limited to 28, some to 32.

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Dan Silbaugh @dsilbizzy.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

And that agenda is just being used pleasant. Just insidiously having pleasant weather and relaxing and enjoying a few moments of life. It’s such an aggressive agenda, obviously. /s

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