I remember seeing a study done in the US concerning automobile inspections and accident rates. In the US, it varies widely, with some states having rigid inspections by state facilities, complete with appointments, and other states having no inspections at all.
The found no difference in accident rates. My guess is that they are looking for things like burned out license plate lights instead of looking for failing ball joints or leaking brake lines.
I still remember one inspection where I drove in, some teenage kid said, "Does your horn work and stuff?" I said yes and he put on a new sticker. Sometimes, that was the quality of inspections.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good Evening!
I have bad news concerning the purchase of the house. Our friend has got cold feet, and I am not sure whether it is really a good thing to buy that house together. We cannot afford all by ourselves. We had a rather lengthy telephone conversation over the matter, from which I got the notion that she won´t be happy in that house. There are a number of reasons, one - and I think it is a very important one - she never had the chance to develop a taste for characterful homes with lots of period features. She is used to a concrete slab type of apartment in a building block (condominium). Live would be h*ll for all of us if she is not happy.
I have come to the conclusion that we should drop the idea of buying a house together.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Garry, would that be Kirchoff's? or some other?
Howdy.
moelarrycurly4 Garry, would that be Kirchoff's? or some other?
MLC ... Yes. That is the bakery I was thinking of.
John York 1 ... I remember stopping at Wall Drugs on a long trip to Yellowstone Park.
Ulrich ... I still hope all works well for you.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Afternoon Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a Ulrich a stein of what ever he wants and Dirk a dog treat.
Ulrich I was wondering if it would be a good idea to buy a house with a friend. I have had a room mate twice (same person both times) and it was his house. Both times started out fine. First time I needed some places to live and had low income. He started throwing his weight around toward the end so Muff (first American Eskimo) and me moved. Second time he need a room mate and this time I was making more than him. That not work out well for him the second time around.
Work Front Sort of looking forward to work again. Sure I will get over that quickly. Looking forward to earing a check and not living off the Fed's $.
Time to sit out with the wife and Dirk Pip, the UPS Demo Dog.
Ken and Dirk say's I hate UPS Trucks Woof, Woof!
I hate Rust
Tinplate ToddlerI have bad news concerning the purchase of the house. Our friend has got cold feet, and I am not sure whether it is really a good thing to buy that house together.
That's too bad Ulrich. Personally I would love to live in a place with such character but your friend obviously doesn't share our tastes in architecture. Hopefully her reluctance is fleeting.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks, guys, for your concern! I am somehow torn between just giving up on the idea and vigorously pursuing it. While the house will eventually have two separate apartments in it, our friend needs to really love it. If we buy the house together, we will be in for richer or poorer, for better or worse - there is no room for any error. No doubt - if we had that kind of money, we would rather buy it just for ourselves and live happily ever after. But we don´t. I guess I take the risk of having a look at it, dream a while what living in it would be like - and then move on two a more humble abode.
Good Evening,
A nice day here but a little cool at about 65F.
Picked up a grocery order today. Sure is a slick system. I just hope that the stores don't discontinue it now that the covid situation is calming down here. There was another new case today but there are only 5 people in the hospital here with it.
Ulrich, personally I wouldn't want to enter into a joint deal on real estate where 2 parties would be living in the same house. What happens if things don't work out? Could one then buy the other out? If not it would mean another move. Also if you or your wife have a medical problem, could one manage on their own there without the other? Last year our good friends who live near Thief River Falls, Minnesota thought they would have to sell. The fellow nearly died from a heart attack and his wife isn't in good enough shape to manage a rural property on her own. Luckily he recovered quite well but they have just punted the problem. I would think the problems would be manifold living in a foreign country especially if you don't speak the language. My wife and I live in a city and we realize we likely can only live in the house for another 10 years or so. We will have to move to an apartment type of accomodation before there is some major problem as we will have to move ourselves. We don't have children and there is only one sister to help. Getting old sucks.
Think I'll go downstairs and just stare at my K5a Hudson or perhaps run it around a little. I sure am glad I jumped on getting that loco when I saw it for sale in November. There was only one painted one and now the unpainted ones are gone too. I was advised the paint job would cost about $300 as it is multi-coloured and complicated. I had always wanted a K5a. It is a fairly modern looking loco, built in 1930 and while not streamlined it has a very clean look. It also has a Vandy tender which I like.
Ken, glad to hear you are on the mend. I can understand why Dirk doesn't like UPS trucks. After all they are brown and ugly. Perhaps it offends his sensibilities. Much like cats offend our Robbie.
Time for something. Maybe a glass of red wine.
CN Charlie
Most dogs hate UPS trucks, Ours when i was a kid hated ups trucks, We think it is a sound that come off the engine that bothers their ears.
Good evening
Took Judy out again today for a little scenery to get her mind off things for a while. While we were out we stopped and got the fixings, Fritos, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese and sour cream.
I am now a member of the Frito Pie Club MLC Thanks for setting me straight and now I know how to make it. She put it all in her big pasta salad bowl with ground beef and mixed it all up. We put a portion of that in our smaller bowls and added the shredded cheese and sour cream on top doused with Ortega medium. It was grubbin She had one bowl, I had three but then again I've never had moderation for anything I don't know how I missed this dish all my life and who ever came up with it originally must have been a rocket scientist It's like tacos without the mess when the shell breaks in half and all the ingredients ending up in your plate anyway. Nice and neat and ate with a fork. Perfect! I am a Frito pie fan
Ulrich, Sorry things did not pan out again. Don't you ever give up. Good things come to good people in due time and your turn is just around the corner You and Petra will find what you're looking for pretty soon and I just know that
Kevin, Thanks for the vote of confidence I needed. Showing me that an N scale trough truss bridge can be painted with a rattle can. That Silver Bridge of yours looked amazing with the rust!
I think I'm going to hand paint blacken and rust brush paint the crevices inside the bridge before I start the patients of light coats held farther away at different angles like you suggested.
Garry, Don't think for a minute I might have missed that black high bridge of yours on Weekend Photo Fun. I noticed the two retaining walls with blocks of different sizes I thought was really neat. The red and gray Burlington I have always admired and the silver F7 set. The tunnel in the background. Your layout is really photographical and your craftsmanship is very admirable. Nice!
TF
Post-hog
Sorry, that's just what I do
Judy and I are sitting out on the stoop on one of the most beautiful weatherd Friday evenings I've seen this year.
For all you birdwatchers as I am one too. I just saw a belted Kingfisher come land on a branch of that healthy Norway Pine spitting distance from where I sit outside. This is my favorite bird. There's a big lily pad pond on the back side of our building as I can only understand why he is here.
I have not seen one of these birds since I lived in northern Minnesota on Lake Kabetogama. Of course he brought a big smile to my face.
Bless his heart as he made the clicking sound I always remembered as he flew away.
I told you Frito pies were good.
Yes they are!
I'm still licking my chops MLC
This one is for you MLC as I know you can appreciate it as much as I do.
This poster is in my buddy Erv's garage and he is a retired mechanic
Oops, ... I'm sorry I forgot to say post-hog
Track fiddlerKevin, Thanks for the vote of confidence I needed. Showing me that an N scale trough truss bridge can be painted with a rattle can. That Silver Bridge of yours looked amazing with the rust!
Thanks. Back when I built that layout, I think it was in 1992, the Kato bridges were just about the only decent looking bridge available in N scale. They were a little small being Japanese prototype, and you could not run some piggybacks or double stacks through them.
That was an OK trade-off to get a decent N scale bridge.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good morning! It's a great feeling today -- garage project finished, repairs to fireplace finished, wife's kitchen cabinets finished -- what am I going to do today with no projects looming?
More South Dakota: The State Game Lodge. My daughters' families and we spent a week here. The location is in the middle of the Black Hills, so it was a perfect location to return to each night. We actually stayed in the Game Keeper's Cabin across the lawn from here.
If you ever get to the Black Hills, this is a neat place to see and stay.
York1 John
Good morning, everybody .......
Track fiddler Garry, Don't think for a minute I might have missed that black high bridge of yours on Weekend Photo Fun. I noticed the two retaining walls with blocks of different sizes I thought was really neat. The red and gray Burlington I have always admired and the silver F7 set. The tunnel in the background. Your layout is really photographical and your craftsmanship is very admirable. Nice! TF
TF ... Thank you for the kind remarks. BTW, since you call yourself Post Hog, will you be changing to PH instead of TF ?
Everybody .... Not much new model railroad news. I am running trains on the layout, and I enjoy that.
I am grateful for the peace and tranquility in this forum. Elsewhere, I hear if I don't speak up, I am part of the problem. If I do speak up I am part of the problem. Stressful. ....
Everybody ..... Thanks to all who abide by forum rules.
Steve O .... Thanks to MR for hosting the forum, and thanks to you for keeping it under control.
Heartland Division CB&QI am grateful for the peace and tranquility in this forum. Elsewhere, I hear if I don't speak up, I am part of the problem. If I do speak up I am part of the problem. Stressful. .... Everybody ..... Thanks to all who abide by forum rules. Steve O .... Thanks to MR for hosting the forum, and thanks to you for keeping it under control.
+1 from me. Thank you to all at Kalmbach Media, especially Steve Otte.
Look at these monsters that each weighed almost 150 pounds that have been pulled out of the Everglades:
And then this one was caught two days ago:
We have a problem in Florida. Please never release an exotic pet into the wild.
Mornin' floks!
Heartland Division CB&QI am grateful for the peace and tranquility in this forum. Elsewhere, I hear if I don't speak up, I am part of the problem. If I do speak up I am part of the problem. Stressful. .... Everybody ..... Thanks to all who abide by forum rules.
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good morning
Hear here! I couldn't agree with you more Garry. We have a great, peaceful Chat Club here and I am appreciative for that. I would have to believe Steve-O can take credit for doing such a great job all these years keeping it that way.
Snakes! I don't know what happened through the years but those things give me the willies. The sight of them made my Grandmother sick. God Rest her soul as I love her dearly. All she did all day was plant flowers in her garden all Summer Long. She always took care of me when I was a little boy. I lived with her for two years going through carpentry school that she paid for. She always fed me lunch and dinner out on the screen porch and I will never forget the fragrant smell of the backyard of all the flowers she planted. I actually saw her throw up when a garter snake slithered through the garden while I was mowing the lawn one day. Of course I shut off the loan mower and rushed to her side to see what was going on. I couldn't help but laugh and I don't think she appreciated that.
We used to catch snakes by the bucket load down by the railroad tracks back in the day when we were kids. We thought they were really neat. Not so much no more I guess.
A slow relaxed start today as something was in the air last night. After I dropped Judy off at work this morning I drove by Cowboys and there was 30 cars parked in the lot. They all must have had a great time last night and stayed safe when they left after not being so safe while they were there I do miss my friends but after what I have seen with the covid thing, I want no part of close socialization.
Some jobs I really like. I like the one I have to do today. I get to dig in the dirt and play in the sand. I have to float some pavers at the bottom of the handicap ramp I built going up to the deck by the lily pad pond. I wish I had some toy trucks and trains while I'm working out there Well I do have some trains but not the right ones. I don't think my N Scale Models would appreciate the dirt as much as I do
Have a great day everyone
PH
It´s been a humid day, not really pleasant.
Snakes - they give me the willies! The only venomous snake we have around here is the Common European Adder, a rather shy beast and not really aggressive. Her venom is deadly only for people with health issues, or small children. I have only once come close to one, but not close enough, fortunately.
No news on the house front.
Good Afternoon All,
I've been lurking back and forth but I have enough time for a quick to go coffee.
I agree with those of you appreciating the calmer space here in the diner. We must be doing better since Steve O hasn't had to call Vinnie in of late. I see we did have to edit disc faces onto the stock snake capture photos though. Would it be ok to use smiley faces instead? Just a thought.
Ulrich, I hope you keep looking. It is probably better that your friend pulled out now rather than later. It has to be awkward dealing with an agreement where the three of you would have been in close proximity from here on out. Hang in there.
So Ray, do I win the rooftop solar panel contest?
roof panels by J.R. Mitchell, on Flickr
Ciao, J.R.
Good Morning,
TF, I built an N scale Central Valley Truss bridge kit. It is a model of a 150' bridge. Being a kit I was able to paint the pieces first. It was a very fiddly build but turned out great. It is used as the over bit of my over and under layout. It was the only one I could find that was long enough as the track crosses the lower one at an angle.
I too like Kingfishers! Sad we only have the Belted one here. On a few of the Africa trips we saw several types with the most spectacular being the tiny Malacite Kingfisher. They cling to papyrus reeds waiting for tiny fish. A flock of Pied Kingfishers is quite a sight too.
More yard work today. We managed to find a replacement for a hosta that died over winter. It was a large one so we needed a fairly large replacement. It is going in the ground today.
Time to do something.
GMTRacingSo Ray, do I win the rooftop solar panel contest?
Absolutely!!! Didn't know it was a contest though... LOL Are those yours? Looks like a very nice array.
Best wishes, stay safe, and Be Blessed!
Yep Ray they are on the shop roof. I was up there earlier because we lost one of the HVAC units and I wanted to knock the switch off on the roof as well as in the building. When we redid the roof we signed up for the panels as well. If nothing else they should stabilize our utility bills which are obscene in this state.
Once we get the roof done on storage it will get the same treatment if the program is still available. J.R.
GMTRacing Yep Ray they are on the shop roof. I was up there earlier because we lost one of the HVAC units and I wanted to knock the switch off on the roof as well as in the building. When we redid the roof we signed up for the panels as well. If nothing else they should stabilize our utility bills which are obscene in this state. Once we get the roof done on storage it will get the same treatment if the program is still available. J.R.
Absolutely COOL!!!
I read an article that Formula 1 (?) cars have the ability to use electric and complete a race these days. Only problem is that they think fans would rebel because they don't go
VVVVVVRRRRROOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!
When they go by...
howmusGMTRacing So Ray, do I win the rooftop solar panel contest? Absolutely!!! Didn't know it was a contest though...
Some folks around here have their panels arrayed in the yard. The house was either surrounded by trees or the roof wasn't up to the task:
Solar Panels by Edmund, on Flickr
I went on a renewable energy tour a few years ago. Very informative
IMG_6529 by Edmund, on Flickr
A fellow converted an MG to electric. I guess it is now a DCMG?
IMG_6518 by Edmund, on Flickr
Neat stuff.
Mrs. Pullman has announced that her next vehicle will be electric
Cheers, Ed
I bought my previous house in 1980. It was brand new and heated with solar power. The whole southern roof was covered with panels. This was a drain-dow hot water system. Today's electric panels weren't ready for prime time yet.
Unfortunately, between the heat of summer days when the system was off and the cold of winter nights when it was just heating he house but not collecting energy, the thermal stress on all those plumbing joints was too much, and the system was not designed for easy maintenance. I eventually removed the panels, replaced the roof and bought an oil burner..
My house was an experiment. To an experimentalist like myself, an experiment doesn't have to give the hoped-for results. What you learn from any result is valuable in the long run.
Ed, we did have to sacrifice all the sumac growing on the hill behind the shop to keep the panels in sunlight and the leaves off the roof.
All you need is a stiff breeze and a long extension lead and your missus is all set for electric motoring.
They are using Tesla drivetrains and batteries in a variety of performance kit cars with surprisingly good results. We shall see. J.R.
gmpullmanNeat stuff. Mrs. Pullman has announced that her next vehicle will be electric Geeked
So far I LOVE the Tesla!!!