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The MAY, 2021 Diner: Touring the US Anthracite Region

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  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, May 31, 2021 6:04 AM

SeeYou190
So, what do you think? Is this idea worth risking the June diner?

I'm all for it! We can entertain ourselves while you're "on the road" in between stops!

Doesn't alway's have to be trains, ya' know. We like to hear of your Dinner restaurant Dinner encounters, too!

Bon Voyage!

Fun idea! Cheers, Ed

[Top-of-the-Page! Everyone's breakfast is on me Dinner]

 Lyme_Regis by Edmund, on Flickr

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Posted by York1 on Monday, May 31, 2021 7:41 AM

Good morning, diners.  Bacon, eggs, and coffee, Brunhilda.

Happy Memorial Day for the U.S. citizens in the diner today.  I grew up when it was still called Decoration Day.  There are quite a few parades and events in my part of the country.

 

SeeYou190
I have an idea for the June diner. I am willing to host as  travels go across the USA. I can post daily pictures of trains seen along the way.

This sounds good to me.  We can have a travelogue of your trip.  If this is OK with everyone, we can have David save Wales for July.

DerJohn, that layout looks neat.  You've done a lot of work.

Ed, at first, I thought that photo was a barbell on a model car.

David, glad you got to see your grandchildren.

Garry, your work on the coal and coke handling is really neat.  I didn't realize that the two were actually different colors.  I know close to nothing about coal, coke, and the steel industry.

Charlie, I'm glad you're close to getting fully immunized.  Maybe things will be calmer after that.

Brent, you're waiting for your hockey team to win it all reminds me of my life in New Orleans waiting year after year for the Saints to win.  It happened, but only after I moved away from there.

TF, I thought the same thing.  At first glance, I thought that sandwich shop was a model train store.

Dave, you mentioned Grape Oil.  I don't think I've ever used that (or tasted something cooked with it).  I may have to try it.

Bear, Douglas, Lion, Ken, and any others I've missed, I hope everything is going well for you.

My own trip keeps getting delayed.  It looks like it now is two weeks away.  I was anxious to hit the highway, but family obligations changed things.  If this gets delayed any longer, we're going to end up with two major trips running back-to-back.

Our area is basically completely back to normal.  The restaurants are all open, events are being held, church is full, and the only place that still requires masks is the doctors' office.  Freedom feels wonderful.

Like many places, our biggest issue now is employment.  We have a huge labor shortage that is hurting business.  Our unemployment rate is near zero, and the restaurants, hotels, and businesses are unable to hire enough people.

I believe the diner has customers from several countries -- Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and the U.S.  Are there any others?  Anyway, whatever country you're from, we all can be thankful for the sacrifices made by the soldiers and sailors before us that secured the freedoms we enjoy.

Have a good day.

 

York1 John       

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Posted by NorthBrit on Monday, May 31, 2021 8:53 AM

gmpullman

 

 
SeeYou190
So, what do you think? Is this idea worth risking the June diner?

 

I'm all for it! We can entertain ourselves while you're "on the road" in between stops!

Doesn't alway's have to be trains, ya' know. We like to hear of your Dinner restaurant Dinner encounters, too!

Bon Voyage!

Fun idea! Cheers, Ed

 

 
 
I like the idea as well.   Show some scenery as well. Whistling
 
 
David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by CNCharlie on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:09 AM

Good Morning,

Kevin that is a great idea!  By the way, what kind of car did you rent? I want to vizualize you driving along so I can imagine I'm riding along. I will be quiet in the back seat unless Bear starts up, poking and making bad jokes.

CN Charlie

 

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:20 AM

Good morning ! 

CN Charlie ... Uh what ?! Bear making bad jokes ???? ! Imagine that . LOL

 John York 1 ... Thanks for comments about my coal and coke in my thread .

Kevin ... Thanks for willing to host June with pictures of your travels. 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by PM Railfan on Monday, May 31, 2021 12:11 PM

Hello Railfans!

Top of the morning to yas! - While it still is anyways. A large, retina singeing day it appears to be. Just ripe for grass cutting. Temp aint too bad, i could tolerate another 10 degrees for a nice round 80F.

Hard to believe... here it is almost middle of the year (summer time) and my furnace is STILL running. Growing up in the flatlands sure gives this mountain living a pause for thought. Tis very mild, and the humidity (which we all love) isnt that much. Sure beats the scorched earth summers of Va. This place is 90 years old, i can see why in all that time no A/C was ever installed.

If i get industrious enough, theres a good chance i might be found rolling around underneath my truck. Been sometime since i checked the lube in the gearbox. Tis a good day for it. Im pretty sure the trans is still there, just need to make sure the lube is too.

About a week or so ago i yanked out the old distribu-tater (yep, she has one of those. Remember them?) and replaced the oil ring. Much like my backside - it was stiff, worn out, and irritable. Shes all good now, my truck that is.

Looks like i have a few bushes out back that have gone woolly on me. Spose i could add bushwackin to the list of "things that keep me away from MRing". The dishes are done and so's the laundry.... i aint been a total Van Winkle.

Getting to the all important part - MRing. Been slogging out that tender project. Along with fighting that dang commy printer. You know i couldnt leave well enough alone so i had to take it a bit furtha. Enhance my pisstivity level since things were going too well.

For all the printing ive done, i havent made a one piece shell, until now. Figuring an MDC tender shell wouldnt be too burdonsome. Im still trying to master the art of 'printing to thin air'. Ill try it i thought. Turned out well - but WOAH! Those things are like a 6 hour print! S-I-X hours - whoooo-weee!

So just for giggles, I loaded up a 55' Pullman Diner i been working on into the software. Without printing the interior (just the shell walls) it was gonna be a 10.5 hour print. Im not even gonna venture to speculate about what an 80' car would do to my day. Though, its for the hobby.... there are other worse ways to blow 10 hours. It would take me way longer to cut all those windows and the rest by hand. Spose its a good thing my print bed can only print up to 50', huh?

 I was thinking the trip to Wales was a great idea. Never been there ofcourse, and we know Dave would do it justice. (Plus wed get a whole months worth of town names I will never be able to pronounce or understand. Laugh ).

Then again, the virutal tag along idea with Kevin isnt bad either. And Im sure considering the last year..... wed rather be in Kevins shoes getting out n about.

Either way, im still here and looking forward to it. Have a great day everyone!

 

Clear Ahead!

Douglas

 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, May 31, 2021 6:14 PM

Evening

We left Mandan North Dakota at 8:30 this morning after saying goodbye.

I did it againIndifferent

I thought traveling the back country roads would be much more better scenery.  And it was!

Normal people would never take a 260,000 mile mechanically weathered truck through the back skirts of cattle country.  My mechanic Damian just serviced my truck and said it's all good.  And I never said that myself or Judy was normalLaughPirate

350 miles of cattle country.  The scenery was beautiful.  I wish you could have seen some of it with meYes

 

We are in Rapid City South Dakota now and arrived at about 2:30 which was their 1:30 because of the time zone. 

I just tuned in Toronto and Montreal and comfortably watching the hockey game in my hotel room eh!

Judy's on Facebook talking to friends doing all that and a bag of chips.  I guess we're both just resting up to see Mount Rushmore tomorrowStick out tongue

 

P.S.  I'm all for Kevin taking the reins of the diner and running with it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the other road trip.  I think another one would be a good idea!

 

Have a good evening my friendsWink

 

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, May 31, 2021 7:17 PM

Evening again

It would have been nice to watch Vancover tonight if that was at all possible but it wasn't.

I know that many of you do not know their Ice Age History here.

 

Shortly after the Crow Magna Man survived the first ice age, Neanderthal Man evolved and the two did not get along very good.  They fiercely started fighting on the ice with sticks and one grabbed a puck flipping it in the opponents face as a defensive edge.

Hockey became a sport shortly after that and is now the great game that it is. 

For those that don't know, it was developed in Canada in those prehistoric times.  That's why it's such a rough sport and they still let them fight on the ice to this day.

 

Football is a rough sport too but became a sport way after hockey.  Both the Romans and the Greeks of Pompeii let Lions out onto a round Coliseum field to eat the prisoners and football was developed shortly after that.

It is no mystery in modern-day history that everyone that knows sports, knows hockey came first and is the meanest of the sportsLaugh

 

Just think and chew on that the next time you play a peaceful game of golfSmile, Wink & Grin

 

 

Track Fiddler

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Posted by York1 on Monday, May 31, 2021 7:26 PM

Track fiddler
We are in Rapid City South Dakota now and arrived at about 2:30 which was their 1:30 because of the time zone. ...  I guess we're both just resting up to see Mount Rushmore tomorrow

 

I love the Black Hills.  I wish I was there with you.  Enjoy the vacation!

York1 John       

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 31, 2021 7:55 PM

CNCharlie
Kevin that is a great idea! By the way, what kind of car did you rent?

I have a gray 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. When I went to get the car, Enterprise/National had 60 cars on the lot, 45 of them were Malibus. I went through each of them looking at the oil change monitor. I found one with 80% oil life remaining, and took that one.

It has a turbocharged 1.5 liter engine (less than 100 cubic inches), and this thing can merge into traffic with no problem, and got 37 MPG on its first tank of gas.

Big Smile

It has a bare bones interior and few if any options, but it is good enough. I think I am going to put about 10,000 miles on it. Still a bargain at the extreme price I paid to rent it.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 31, 2021 8:36 PM

Ed:

Do you mind opening the June diner, and I will take over from there?

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, May 31, 2021 8:57 PM

York1
Dave, you mentioned Grape Oil.  I don't think I've ever used that (or tasted something cooked with it).  I may have to try it.

Hi John,

It's actually Grapeseed oil. It barely smokes and doesn't burn even at very high temperatures. It has very little flavour.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, May 31, 2021 9:46 PM

SeeYou190
Ed: Do you mind opening the June diner, and I will take over from there?

OK, Kevin. No Worries Big Smile

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:00 PM

Dave .... We use grapeseed oil in our popcorn machine. Popcorn tastes better without burned oil. 

Kevin ..... I'm glad you have a fuel efficient vehicle. Even so, the amount of miles will affect you bank acoount considering gasoline prices are very high now. 

Ed .... Thanks for agreeing to open the June diner. 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:11 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
Kevin ..... I'm glad you have a fuel efficient vehicle. Even so, the amount of miles will affect you bank acoount considering gasoline prices are very high now.

It looks like gasoline will be 850-1,000 dollars for the trip.

That is quite a chunk. I am also glad for the smaller car this time.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:30 PM

SeeYou190

 

 
Heartland Division CB&Q
Kevin ..... I'm glad you have a fuel efficient vehicle. Even so, the amount of miles will affect you bank acoount considering gasoline prices are very high now.

 

It looks like gasoline will be 850-1,000 dollars for the trip.

That is quite a chunk. I am also glad for the smaller car this time.

-Kevin

 

I'm still fascinated by this idea of renting a car to go on a trip?

Not sure I could do it. Not sure I could spend that much time in something as small as a new Malibu?

I'm really spoiled with the 5 second 0-60 time of turbocharged FLEX.....

But is does only get about 23 mph on the highway......

I remember you once said something about using travel points to rent cars?

We never fly anywhere (my wife won't get ona plane), we don't have credit cards with travel points.

Guess it is just a different lifestyle?

Sheldon

    

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 31, 2021 10:45 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
I'm still fascinated by this idea of renting a car to go on a trip?

I would rather put 10,000 miles on someone else's car, and if it breaks down, they just bring me another one.

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
Not sure I could do it. Not sure I could spend that much time in something as small as a new Malibu?

The Malibu is very comfortable for me. There are about a dozen cars I find very comfortable.

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
I remember you once said something about using travel points to rent cars?

All my car rental credits are long gone. I burned up the last of them in June, 2020.

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
We never fly anywhere (my wife won't get on a plane)

I won't get on a plane again unless I absolutely have to.

-Kevin

 

Living the dream.

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  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Monday, May 31, 2021 11:14 PM

I'm grateful to all of you who have contributed to this month's diner, our tribute to our friend Randy.  It's kind of fitting that it ends on Memorial Day.

May we meet again in the roundhouse in the sky.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 3:23 AM

THANK YOU to all the Diner patrons who have made the May Tribute to Randy tour of the Reading Company and associated railroads of the Anthracite region a bittersweet, yet enjoyable gathering of his friends.

        

     Regards, Ed

 

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Posted by der5997 on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 10:59 AM

AngryForgot to save my reply before going off to look for a photo! So, I'll get back to that later. For now, happy to report at long last success in getting a Digitrax DN163A4 to talk nicely to me. Should soon be able to restore CBNS 1563 a GP-15 to service.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

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