How old am I? Well, I bought my first car, a brand new Triumph Spitfire, in 1968 for $2145.
My most recent car is a VW Jetta for about $18000, brand new. No, it's not a babe magnet, but it gets me where I am going, and it has enough power to accelerate up to highway speed from an on ramp.
A couple of years ago, VW got caught cheating on emissions measurements on some of its diesels. This created a buying opportunity in the US for a lot of small VWs, including gasoline cars like mine. Finding one of those could be a real bargain.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Track fiddler. . .Kind of ironic. Judy and I have been looking for more creative things to do when we go to Laughlin Nevada on our free trips. After three times there we're looking for more things to do. How can you refuse a free trip? The places you speak of are about four hours away from there. Nothing a rental car and an extra Hotel hotel can't handle. Judy also has more places she wishes to visit in Arizona. Although I will never go there again in the summer time. I do not like a 115 to 120 degrees We went to go across the street in July like we usually do when were down there in the Winter to the dollar store for two gallons of water for drinking while we're there. After about twenty paces we looked at each other. It felt like our heads were baking and our eyes were Popping out of our heads. We turned around and went back to the casino That was some heat. . .
How can you refuse a free trip? The places you speak of are about four hours away from there. Nothing a rental car and an extra Hotel hotel can't handle. Judy also has more places she wishes to visit in Arizona.
Although I will never go there again in the summer time. I do not like a 115 to 120 degrees
We went to go across the street in July like we usually do when were down there in the Winter to the dollar store for two gallons of water for drinking while we're there.
After about twenty paces we looked at each other. It felt like our heads were baking and our eyes were Popping out of our heads. We turned around and went back to the casino
That was some heat. . .
Welcome to the desert southwest. After nearly 30 years, I have learned to avoid being outside when the sun has been up for more than two hours.
If airplanes are your thing, and you don't mind driving a little further down the road, (alright, another two hours down the road), there is nothing quite like the Pima Air and Space Museum. They have 350+ aircraft on location, and if you plan ahead, you care take the tour of the aircraft boneyard at the Davis-Monthan airbase.
One more place to visit if you only make as far as Phoenix woud be the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. There are some club layouts there that are pretty impresssive.
Richard
It was supposed to be dry today, but there is thunder now and there are storms moving our way on the radar. I'm inside with a cold beer. It's in a glass with the logo of the Cape Cod Central Railroad, a defunct line whose name is now used by a tourist line from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay. We took a lunch train ride a couple of years ago, riding in a lounge car that was once in the consist of the City of New Orleans.
Steven Otte Steven NWP SWP, allow me to offer you some advice... If you don't want advice from a bunch of busybodies who think they know everything better than you, don't talk about your life in the Diner.
Steven NWP SWP, allow me to offer you some advice...
If you don't want advice from a bunch of busybodies who think they know everything better than you, don't talk about your life in the Diner.
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Hey all.
Its been 9 years since I saw a musical- In the heights, on Broadway. Not a bad show. I just wish I could have seen "Springsteen On Broadway", I've seen the netflix special, and man that was good.
Tomorrow I go get per-employment testing for substances. After that I'm in the clear For employment. I'm counting the days down. Full time work, and paid time off!
Today started the difficult task of taking down my late dad's layout. Well, the unfinished portions. I'm taking it down to the benchwork, and using that for my layout.
the part I started with today, is big enough for a 7-8 track yard and full facilities and background City scenery- if anyone has been to Greentree PA, they are familiar with Rook yard. It's in a valley between PA 376 (Parkway), and the neighborhood residential area of Green Tree. It's the only major yard on the Wheeling and Lake Erie in PA, and was originally the Pittsburgh and West Virginia railway main offices and Yard.
Today, the yard has a yard office, light repair, but no dispatcher. I'm twisting reality, and making rook their major yard in my world. 25' x 30' room. I'm doing 20 miles modeled with serious selective compression, backdating industries to have rail service, so proto-lancing.
I also tried to install a decoder into a walthers Sperry rail car. It runs okay, but it's going in opposite direction randomly. no idea there.
I'm still unpacking stuff from my move, and discovered I own over 200 books- more than the whole "a person should own 30 books" nonsense. Oh, my WE theater car, that has been in a few weekend photo fun threads on here, won first place in a regional bring and brag. With that, I've basically locked up the modeler of the year award for the NMRA division 2 mcr.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang a please and young Steven a roll cage and helment!
NWP SWPAnd no I don't drive like a jerk, I am a driving enthusiast.
Steven Most of us thought of are self as driving enthusiast when we where 18. In my case from 16 to age 45. Now that I am in my 60's I was a jerk driver when I was that age. Well from this age point of view that is. If I had it all over to do again, I would not change a thing!
Far as the Marauder is concern, cool car. Would not mind one my self. Checked to see if it has the 3 valve 4.6 liter. If it does and the heads have been replaced or repaired great. If not walk away. Has the intake manafold been replaced? They are plastic and aluminum and are prone to cracking. My wifes 2004 intaked cracked after only having it for 1000 miles and cost $900.00 to replaces.
Later none smoking Ken still missing Sparkie again.
I hate Rust
NWP SWPThe marauder is valued at 9k by KBB, this guy is the second owner, bought it directly from the original owner, hes worked for the local dealership for 26 years, all the wear items have been replaced, timing chain, tensioners, suspension bushings, Transmission is freshly rebuilt.
Hi Steven,
That certainly puts the car in a positve light, however I would caution you about assuming that "all the wear parts have been replaced". It's safer to be a bit pessimistic and have the car examined closely as I and others have said. Ken's warning about the manifolds is a prime example of the sort of nasty surprises that can crop up.
As far as "driving like an enthusiast", as long as you don't push it you should probably be okay. I will admit to having driven rather aggressively on more than a few occasions when I had my MGB (which was mostly tuned to factory racing specs) and my BMW 2002 tii (which didn't need any special tuning - it came with it from the factory). I am somewhat more restrained these days, but I still like to put my foot in it every so often.
I can hear the comments now about me giving you encouragement where I should not. I think that you are smart enough to deal with the truth. Just do all us old farts a favour and avoid making your car excessively loud. That's coming from a guy who thought it was cool to have a straight pipe on his MGB. That was then, this is now!
Good luck with the Merc!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Railroadfan1Hi all, Speaking of cogs, did anyone catch the N.W.S.L. update on the N.W.S.L. closing thread? No replies or comments to an important cog in the great circle of model railroading life. Thought you might want to know what Davd replied.
Hi Railroadfan1
This is a belated thank you for telling us about the developments at NWSL. We were remiss to not have paid more attention to your post. My apologies.
Good Morning!
I still remember my first car, but these are no fond memories. It was really a cheap old junker which caused a lot of headaches and ended up costing a lot of money. It soon went to the scrapper and was replaced by a blue Volkswagen "Superbug" with a 1300cc, 44hp engine. In later years, I graduated to a series of Mercedes sedans, up to the big ones as company cars. I also had my midlife-crisis toy, a Porsche 911 Turbo, which I didn´t dare to drive beyond 175mph. Long gone are those days! Now I drive a sub-subcompact Volkswagen and never go faster than, say, 80mph. Fast enough for me.
Today´s iconic British steam engine is the Great Western Railway´s class 3700 "City of Truro" which was built in 1903 at Swindon Works to a design by George Jackson Churchward. It was partially rebuilt in 1911 and 1915, and renumbered 3717 in 1912. Although it is a point of contention, some believe the locomotive to be the first to attain a speed of 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) during a run from Plymouth to London Paddington in 1904.
GWR´s class 3700 4-4-0s were among the last steam locomotives to be constructed with a double frame, a remnant of GWRs broad gauge years.
"City of Truro" is now in the hands of the National Railway Museum and display at various locations. She is not in an operational condition and it is most unlikely for her to return to service at any time soon.
A OO scale model is available from Bachmann Branchlines.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
NWP SWPSo big news I'm currently in the process of purchasing a 2004 Mercury Marauder for $5,500 I have a few financial details to work out but I have a really good feeling about this.
.
Steven, I found the Marauder you are thinking of purchasing on an on-line used car site.
It has been listed for sale at around $6,000.00 asking price for a long time. It has almost 200,000 miles on it, and that is probably the reason no one will buy it. In order to be worth $9,000 it would need to have much less mileage. The price you stated for this car seems about fair, but it is absolutely not a great bargain.
This car is almost done. It WILL be a continuous maintenance expense. If you are not paying full cash for it, you will have payments and repairs.
I cannot believe a Camry will cost you $500.00 per month in insurance. That statement can only be completely false. My youngest daughter pays $4,000.00 per year on a 2011 Mustang, and she has had two at-fault accidents and lives in L.A.
This car will probably get you into a lot of trouble. You have posted previously about your love for burnouts and street drags. Even calling street racing how mature men settle disputes. This behavior is not being an "enthusiast", it is being a jerk driver and it is dangerous. You will eventually pay the price if you keep it up.
NWP SWPNate the club <edit> was hating on my truck today, so I did what every responsible, mature, adult man would do... challenge him to a drag race! It's scheduled for after I get the 351w into it, I'll beat him with cubic inches, he's got a modular 5.4L (so like 327 ci) and the 351 is 5.8L. He drives a stock Mercury Grand Marquis.
It is your life and these are your personal decisions to make. If you did not want commentary from those of us who have been there, as was said, you should not have posted your life in the diner.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good Morning All,
A regular to go please Zoe and hold the lecture. People in glass houses......
Not much done on the layout last night but tidy up. Not really enthused about the Noch static grass applicator I got. Either I'm not using it correctly or it just doesn't work as it should.
Bigger news is our first grandchild arrived last night. Samuel and mother are doing well after an arduous day (all day long at the hospital). More news as it arrives.
Time to pick up tools until we get the ok to go visit. Ciao, J.R.
GMTRacingBigger news is our first grandchild arrived last night.
CONGRATULATIONS!
None of my daughters have given me a grandchild yet. But... the first child of the next generation was born this week. On Monday my niece had a baby boy, so I am now a Great-Uncle. Not the same as being a grandfather, but I will take what I can get.
SeeYou190I cannot believe a Camry will cost you $500.00 per month in insurance. That statement can only be completely false. My youngest daughter pays $4,000.00 per year on a 2011 Mustang, and she has had two at-fault accidents and lives in L.A.
Jeepers - that is expensive! My little Volkwagen costs about $170 to insure - a year! And that includes unlimited liability, theft, vandalism and animal damage.
Something very British again. Rail transport means not only railways but also trams. Like in all major cities in the western world, tram system blossomed in the 1890 and onward. In Britain, the strated to disappear as early as the 1930s, being replace either by trolley buses or Diesel buses. The big purge happened in trhe early 1950s, when nearly systems closed down, only Blackpool and the Isle of Man keeping their tram systems. Since the 1980s, trams celebrate a resurrection in Britain and even London is investing into trams again.
Here is the story behind:
J.R. -
9k is the CARFAX retail value at that mileage.
VIN: 2MHHM79V94X684876
Street racing to settle disputes?
"Responsible, mature man"
Yeah Kevin that's a little thing called sarcasm!
And the fact you even bothered to dig that up to quote it is slightly disturbing.
Yeah insurance is 5 a month in the land of lawsuits and uninsured drivers.
Louisiana has an EXTREMELY litigious population (take a drive down I-110 and count how many injury attorney billboards you pass) and a lot of drivers are uninsured or don't even have a license.
But I'm sure you'll probably go get a quote for insurance here in Louisiana just to prove me wrong.
And perhaps your daughter needs to consider driving something cheaper to insure, and maybe pay attention more when driving, two at fault crashes and she drives a mustang, not hard to deduce the cause there.
California has some nice racing schools at the local tracks, she should check them out especially if she intends to keep driving a mustang.
Just driving fast is stupid but if you are driving fast carefully then you're fine, use your brain (no traffic drive fast, traffic slow down, in the city slow down, out in the boonies lett'er rip!) And driving for me is like chess I'm always four five steps ahead.
And far as financing of you are going to give me a job that will pay more that 11k a year or give me the money to buy a car then have at telling me what to do but since its definitely a no on both I'll say this, we are currently sharing ONE FREAKING CAR, yeah my truck is not driveable so how the hell are two adults supposed to share one car for an extended period of time?
Why don't my parents help me? They are helping me, but theres only so much they can do. Also those people that just buy their kids new cars nauseate me, I need a car so I have to make that happen.
I don't have a problem with advice but Kevin I don't appreciate your tone, Dave, Ulrich, JR, and Ray all offered advice which I listen to because its offered as that ADVICE.
If you know so d*** much what the hell are you doing here? You should be solving world hunger? Or negotiating world peace!
That's because at the end of the day everyone's knowledge is limited by their experiences, sure you have more experience than I do but you haven't EVER walked in my shoes, so I'll say it again I'll take your advice as just that ADVICE it's not gospel it's just the thoughts of a man and his experiences.
I'm bringing out the shouty caps lock next.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
NWP SWPI'm bringing out the shouty caps lock next.
Steven - just remember to:
Some got a second helping of mad though...
I have been watching a short video showing a tram travel in Victorian Britain. I am amazed at how dirty the streets were in those days - horse manure all over the place! I hate to imagine the smell on a summer day, shortly after a down pour of rain! Now I understand why fenders are called fenders because the fend that stuff of from flying right in your face! The German word for that is much more descriptive - "Kotfluegel"!
500 a month for insurance? No offense, but you might want to check arpund for a better policy. I pay 120 a month for insurance on a Ford F-150, and that's Allstates medium higher level policy. (500 deductable) I am only saying ig like this, because, you might be getting taken for an insurance ride. This is with a speeding ticket on my driver record(Hidden reduce speed construction sign), and two accidents(both not at fault-Deer, and had a mirror taken off).
Yeah its because I'm 18 despite my clean driving record.
Steven - in my country, it is also common, that novices pay a much higher premium, which can go as far as double the base premium. I get a 70% discount for over 40 years of driving without a claim. For a novice, this would translate into $480 a year - still quite a lot, but $500 a month is - well, way beyond anything I´d be willing to pay. I´d certainly would look for a more economical alternative for my mobility!
On another note, seeing all the "horse droppings" in the 1900s streets made me investigate into the carbon footprint of those 4-leggers. My unscientific findings are, that if we were to ban all ICE vehicles and replace them by horses and carriages, the CO2 emission would by far exceed today´s! Add to that the fact, that we would not be able to grow the amount of feed necessary unless we want to let half of the planet´s population die of starvation, and we see, that we cannot bring back those good old days.
Good morning. I'll have the usual -- lots of black coffee.
Thunder and rain this morning means no trail walking. I really miss it on days like this.
Tinplate Toddler I am amazed at how dirty the streets were in those days - horse manure all over the place! I hate to imagine the smell on a summer day,
I agree, Ulrich. My wife often says she wished she had lived in the Victorian times -- around 1890. I think this comes from watching romantic period-piece movies.
A movie showing a rich Victorian family is not how it was. People bathed once a week at the most, suffered without antibiotics, and cooled off on summer days by ... oh, that's right, they didn't cool off. Don't even think about how pleasant the outhouse was on hot summer days.
Not much going on today. Still working on the layout's Psycho motel. Yesterday, I redid the wiring on the UP station.
Lion, I'm thinking of changing some of my wiring to your system of having all the wires come to connections behind the fascia. When something needs to be changed, you just unscrew the fascia and work right there. My knees and back are not doing well climbing underneath the layout to make connections, test circuits, etc. This might be a major project, but something I think needs to be done.
More thunder as I type. This has been the rainiest summer we've had in quite a few years.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
York1A movie showing a rich Victorian family is not how was. People bathed once a week at the most, suffered without antibiotics, and cooled off on summer days by ... oh, that's right, they didn't cool off. Don't even think about how pleasant the outhouse was on hot summer days.
The following film gives you a pretty good picture of the reality in Britain in 1900.
A trip down San Francisco´s Market Street in 1900 shows also quite a bit of horse travel!
All right, everybody, go to your corners. I don't want anybody talking about cars, driving habits, or insurance costs for at least 24 hours. That includes the Forum patron whose life we're discussing. No "last words."
I realize that most of us here have lived two or three times as long as young Steven, but we need to resist the idea that this makes any of us two or three times as wise. When Steven announces he's buying a car, he does so because he expects to hear "Wow, cool car, good for you," not a bunch of curmudgeons who think they have license to act like they were his dad.
People come here for fellowship and model trains. Remember why we're here and show the same respect to our younger members as you would to those closer to your age. Thank you.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Jimmy_Braumif anyone has been to Greentree PA, they are familiar with Rook yard. It's in a valley between PA 376 (Parkway), and the neighborhood residential area of Green Tree. It's the only major yard on the Wheeling and Lake Erie in PA, and was originally the Pittsburgh and West Virginia railway main offices and Yard.
Congratulations on the job and in using parts of your dad's layout incorporated in yours.
I've been to Rook Yard during a W&LE Passenger excursion some years back, in 2008:
IMG_2637 by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_2663 by Edmund, on Flickr
There was a big, old sanding tower still there:
IMG_2641 by Edmund, on Flickr
I hope everyone is doing well —
Cheers, Ed
Steven OtteAll right, everybody, go to your corners.
Steven OtteAll right, everybody, go to your corners. . .
As long as I don't have to put my nose in the corner and wear a tall, pointy hat.
RideOnRoad ...and wear a tall, pointy hat.
You just leave my hat alone, please!!!
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks Richard.
I'm going to take your advisement to the Pima Air and Space Museum and the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park under serious consideration.
It will have to be one of those free Winter Laughlin trips though. I can seriously consider a road hazard in 115 -120° on some forgotten desert highway much worse than stranded in 20 below zero on a Minnesota Northern Highway.
When it's really cold you can get your care package out of the truck and snuggle up in your blanket inside your car. When it's 120 degrees and hot you have nowhere to go
Winter it is then
As far as the other topic. I have had no input on cars, insurance and a bag of chips....... nor will I.
I live by the "To each their own clause". We all learn our own lessons from our own mistakes. Sometimes the hard way but then we learn
This doesn't excuse the fact that I'm thinking of taking this up to Northern Wisconsin this weekend.
It's in prime running condition.
That doesn't excuse the fact of the possibility of a road hazard .......Up in the middle of nowhere and any poor excuse of any Tom, Dick and Harry to come help me out with whatever poor garage they have.
I need to re-evaluate my travel plans before I blast off this Saturday Morning...... I love to drive the Red Machine but maybe I should just take my truck.
What would you do? Take the safe bet or Grab Life By The Reins?
TF
Hi Dave hon30critter,
You are welcome.
Track fiddlerWhat would you do? Take the safe bet or Grab Life By The Reins?
At my age, I always take, or think I'm taking, the safe bet. That hot lil'Twang looks like it's up for a road trip.
I take my 2002 Ford Ranger, with 224,000 miles on it, back and forth to our place in Northern WI. , from our home in SE. WI., (286 miles) on a regular basis.
Where ya'goin in northern WI. ? I'll be at our place, 20 miles East of Fifield, on HWY 70, from this Friday, to Sept 1st., finishing rough-in. Getting ready for drywall, which I'll start in Sept., hopefully get it taped and finished, and maybe even painted, before nights get too cold.
Mike.
My You Tube