Electricity, eh? Why, when I was a young whippersnapper, we counted it a good day when the water pump didn't freeze solid. I used to have to walk a mile uphill both ways just to milk the chickens. And that was if the bears and wolves didn't eat me along the way. Why, here's a picture of the old place now.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Morning diners,
That's very funny Steven.
Garry- I hope your Dan will do well.
I been rethinking of a short 1948 train set with a 2-3 steam locomotives. I thought that my branch line from another layout will work just fine. Although it's not built I would use Atlas or Peck track.
I thought of two locomotives, one 0-6-0 and switch the tender since I don't like the slope version and replace it with a small/medium standard tender. The second would be 2-6-0, 4-6-0, 2-8-0, 2-8-2, etc with 3 also.
This this branch line is small being roughly 6 feet long. I'm not pulling a lot of vehicles on it like maybe 4-5 if that works. I haven't decided on width since it will be on a closet door.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Steven Otte
Br. Otte, I feel sorry for you. That is a horrific way to start a young life. I bet you had to cut all that firewood in the rain as well. and the horse you used to pull your two wheeled wagon only had three legs. You sure must have learned some good lessons though, look where you are today. Congratulations.
Johnboy out...............
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
I was thinking that Steven must come from a very wealthy family to have lived in a palace like that. Now my poor family on the other hand...
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Frank. I wanted to reply to your post from nickel silver rail. Out of respect for the Forum rules as I know I'd be way off subject I thought it would be best to post here.
It goes without saying you are proud of your son as you should be.
I have always admired people that find a certain niche on ways to make money without a lot of Labor.
The story you shared about your son reminded me of a guest that used to stay at my parents Resort. He was a railroad worker that also found certain niches to make money. One of them was he got free railroad ties from the railroad when they were replaced and sold them to landscape supply companies.
The one that was similar to what your son does. In the 70s when technology was advancing he acquired outdated computers, stereos, anything with PC boards. He had his wife sit at the kitchen table take them apart and extract all the gold and platinum connections.
This is one of his niches where he made the most money.
Needless to say he retired at an early age with a good railroad pension but more so all the money he made from all his ideas and how he invested his money.
I do remember sitting around having a few beers and enjoying listening to his stories.
My brother and I were dock boys at the resort and he was always the best Tipper
Bear .... The Four Yorkshiremen video is very funny ... Thanks for sharing it.
Angel .... Thanks for your concern regarding my friend, Dan.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Evening All. Flo, could I get a raspberry ice tea, please? Thank you so much.
Apologies for not posting for the last week or so. I have a rule that when I'm on vacation, I don't post in such a way that anyone knows that I'm on vacation. I got back this morning. Unfortunately, I have found over the years, that I can't sleep on a bus so I'm dragon (draggin') just a little. Railroad trip to a convention in Minnesota. Even got to take a tour of a retired ore freighter. Old one but you still get the idea. Noticed that when the ship was built, tall people weren't common.
Hobby Front: Came home with two projects: One that needs some weathering and a few decals to get it into my era. The other one is a kitbash project involving a couple of Athearn cupola caboose and a set of trucks to make a prototype for one of my roadnames. Also got three more projects when I picked up my mail at the post office: (Postal carrier didn't notice that the hold order ended today. Not a big problem as the post office is not that far away from me. They even let me borrow a postal plastic box to carry them.)
Also working to finish the last BN caboose renumber. Should have it finished to go home tonight.
Evenig Diners
Flo, Ed, Bear, Gary, Jan, Brent, Inch and I will have a please.
Garding The Store Front. Got in 2 good naps, read 140 pages of a Clive Cussler book and a whole 2 customers in 9 hours! Man I am beat! By the way, when I nap I am sitting in my chair and not laying on a mattress. 1 customer bought and I did make a extra $12.00. Better than a stick in a eye.
Steven If I was single I could live in that cabin. I have simple needs, and if it was paid for! I be a happy boy. I would just have to go N scale.
Bear That was funny, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I understood everything they said but still enjoyed it!
Ulrich Hope to see you post soon again. Layout looks great I will add.
Galaxy Hope you find time to post again and hope things are going well for you.
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Mornin' Zoe! I appear to be the first in today.....
Ah...., I'll have the #2 special, over easy on the eggs, bacon, home fries, and a double order of the sourdough toast (real butter please) and a pot of Marrakesh Express, organic, fair traded, dark roast coffee to wash it down with please.
Sun is shining outside here in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS this morning. Second day in a row. Need to get myself outside and mow the lawn again. Should have done that last week! Has slowed down a bit this last month. Mowing twice a week gets old quickly. Have to buy some stain for the deck. That should have been done last year, and really has to get done this fall.
I hope to see the Handy Man arrive to get the items I am having him do get done today.
Trains.... Also have to get started cleaning up the train room and getting some trains running as my layout will be open for the Fall Meet of my NMRA Division. I have one other definate in Geneva to be open and a lead on a third to open up nearby. If that turns out good, I am just about set for the Fall meet. Looking at my calendar, I have almost every day booked with something between now and the Meet... Best keep moving to get everything done!
"I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed." - Robert Frost
Catch you all later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Ray ... I see you were here this morning.
Where is everyone else ?
Lurking
I met a leopard who was lurking. Eventually he caught himself some lunch.
BTW: If a POLAR BEAR comes into your kitchen, where will he sit?
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
BroadwayLionBTW: If a POLAR BEAR comes into your kitchen, where will he sit?
Anywhere he wants!!!
BroadwayLion I met a leopard who was lurking. Eventually he caught himself some lunch. BTW: If a POLAR BEAR comes into your kitchen, where will he sit? ROAR
Anywhere he wants to.....
May I have a bear claw with my coffee, please ?
BroadwayLion I met a leopard who was lurking. Eventually he caught himself some lunch. BTW: If a POLAR BEAR comes into your kitchen, where will he sit?
On his bear bottom.
Good Afternoon,
Thought I would drop in for a coffee and biscuit( cookie). I think I deserve it as I just came back from doing a few laps at the gym. I also had a go at a few machines. Tired now.
Bear, loved the skit. Just can't beat the Python gang.
Nothing new on the RR front but I did place an order with Kleins so maybe I will get going on the layout again. I bought a few detail items for the N scale. I also bought a model of a Handley-Paige Halifax they just listed. That was the plane Dad flew and the model is even for a Yorkshire squadron, not Dad's but hey, close enough.
We are getting swarmed with Pine Siskins right now, close to 300 yesterday. They sure can eat a lot of birdseed for such a small bird. Had a yellow rump warbler drop by too, but he will likely be the last we will see.
Yesterday I watched a couple of RR videos too. One was largely shot at the St.James tower which is very close to the spot where I used to railfan when I was a young lad. It was out in country then but is all built up now.
Well hope everyone is well. Has anyone heard from Inch lately?
CN Charlie
I have spent the last four days at the TMC SuperTech competition in Orlando.
.
This has been an interesting event. I am one of the chairs of the Engine Electronics station.
There are plenty of new trucks on hand for the compeitions. Federal Express partnered with us for our station.
Other sponsers were Wal Mart and Ryder.
I cannot wait to get back home again. I have two days of meetings in Tampa now, then I spend Friday in West Palm Beach... Then I am on vacation! I can't wait.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hey all.
You can't go wrong with the Pythons- excellent comedians.
There has easily been some ups and downs lately.
Friday evening had my car getting hit by another driver and the mirror destroyed. Now the agent handling her policy is out of the office until Thursday....
Saturday was me volunteering my time to help clean up an abandoned building-
SO MUCH POISON IVY. Guess I am not affected by it thankfully.
Sunday had me going to three states, and then a NMRA division meeting. Took home third place for my models (out of 7 models), and a piece of equipment from the president of ohi-rail. Railfan quiz prize.
Monday was a rough day of work- full moon must have been out is all I can say.
Today had me getting my car estimate done and I can't move any further until Thursday. Well at least it is something easy to fix.
(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).
Evening diners.
I will have the walleye fillet with a loaded baked potato and some asparagus, as it was very good last time.
I took my Judy on a little five day vacation Labor Day weekend. We did a little loop through Wisconsin. Nothing too fancy. I will only highlight on the best part of the trip.
Judy has been told by friends for years go to The House on the Rock in Wisconsin.
One of my customers, Phil a retired doctor. I guess that makes him Dr Phil, told me listen to Judy go to the House on the Rock.
So we did. It's just outside of Dodgeville Wisconsin.
I wasn't really into it until I started experiencing it. It was an experience of a lifetime, all I've got to say is I'm glad I went.
It took about three and a half hours to walk through the maze looking at everything.
I don't know how I would describe it. It was kind of like taking a little vacation from my life.
I would not like to ruin the experience for anybody that would like to go there by elaborating too much.
This man built a house on top of a tall rock and then spent rest of his life building huge buildings that you walk through and look at his creations.
Some of it was a little spooky, almost a little disturbing.
You walk into one of these huge rooms he created, and the room would say Welcome To My Nightmare.
Not that bad though. And not all like that.
Like I said before an experience of a lifetime.
Add it to your bucket list. Take the wife and have some fun!
Take care
Track fidler
Eveing Diners
Flo, Ed, Gary, Inch, Bear, Jan, and Brent will have a Crown Royal on the Rocks please. Ulrich and I will take 2 and a couple of bald tires to sit on and we will be deep in the dumps.
Later
Good Morning!
Not yet 6am, but I am up for a few hours already. Didn´t catch much sleepo, as it was too dang cold - no heat from the heater again! Mind you, I am much closer to the Polar Circle than any one of you folks! It´s much coldrer than usual for the season! Good news is, that the landlord finally has agreed to having a new heater installed, which is supposed to happen tomorrow.
Flo, I´ll have coffeee in my RhB mug and a breakfast bagel. I´ll be in the backbooth, quietly munching on my breakfast and maybe dozing off for a few moments.
CUL!
Give Ken some of the new stuff---thatll" make him tap dance tell the sun comes up!
Bear, enjoyed the video--sounds like some of the gang from Isle au Hault-(pronunced eel a hoe) There are places here that the dialect is still very simular to coastal England, Ireland, and Scotland in the 1700s. Canada has places like that as well. Scot's Colony, Plaster Rock come to mind.
Good morning Ulrich--again--
Steven-
You were some fortuniate to be brought up in such a fine mansion, looks like the back house was made onto the house too. (rt. side just showing in the back.)
herrinchoker
Sir Madogthe landlord finally has agreed to having a new heater installed, which is supposed to happen tomorrow.
Hey Ulrich!
It just so happens that we are having a new furnace and air conditioner installed tomorrow (today technically) too. Our equipment was 19 years ols and we had never had a problem with either unit. However, last week the air conditioner started to act up and sure enough it had developed a leak. Pouring money into a repair would be nuts so they are toast.
I would like to relate a little story about what the salesman said to me, because I feel he attempted to hoodwink me by not answering my questions fully. He quoted a price for us to buy a new system outright which was about $10,500.00. Then he quoted a monthly amount of $114.00 if we were to rent instead of buying. I asked him what the total cost would be for the rental over 15 years. He told me that the cost was $8600.00 plus tax, which was about $2000 less than the outright purchase amount. That sounded very attractive, that is until I did the math. He had quoted $114.00/month with an expected life of 15 years. When I did the math, the rental cost over 15 years was a whopping $20,520.00!!! The $8600.00 figure was the buy out cost, not the rental cost that I had asked for!!! I was more than a little ticked and I told him so. I wasn't nasty, but I was very clear about my feelings.
Instead of throwing him out (or through) the front door, I signed the rental contract. Why the heck did I do that? The reason is that the buyout option kicks in immediately so as soon as the system is installed I will just buy it out.
Unfortunately I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth, and I will certainly make that known to the company!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dave,
what a coincidence!
The price you mention seems to be quite expensive compared to what the bill my landlord will have to pick up for the replacement. I deliberately use the term heater and not furnace. The thingy is one of those wall-mounted contraptions, using natural gas, which has no provision to "store" heat. Supposedly, they are more economical than "real" furnaces, which I doubt.
Sir MadogThe price you mention seems to be quite expensive compared to what the bill my landlord will have to pick up for the replacement.
Yes, I was a bit taken aback by the price. I will admit that I could have purchased a system for less, but I chose to go with a large operation (Enercare) because I know I can get satisfaction if there is a problem. The fact is that they are not going to sell junk if they are signing agreements with customers that make the company responsible for the system for 15 years.
I have made all of my major purchases over the years with large companies, and I would say that I am ahead of the game in that I have had several situations where I had to invoke the warranties and there were no problems when I did so. Basically the companies took care of the entire process. The only time that I have been let down was by Sears Canada when they shut down their installed home improvements division. I needed a window repaired and they were no longer honouring the warranties.
It's the same reason that I buy Hondas instead of Kias.
Hello, Folks!
I came across a neat photo that should warm the heart, if not the feet, of Ulrich—at least until his heating system is repaired. It is his beloved RhB.
Here is the link for the photographer's information:
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/630907
That catenary must have been a fun job to string— and isn't that the prototype for the Atlas turntable?
I hope you are all well and healthy these days—
Prayers for those not so...
Regards, Ed
Thanks for ahring the photo, Ed!
Try modelling the catenary in HO scale
Good morning .... Coffee and a bear claw please.
Kevin .... That looks like an interesting job.
Ed .... The catenary is very impressive.. I don't think I have seen it over a turntable before.
Ulrich ... Stay warm. We don't need heat here yet. Temperatures will be about 90 F today.
Dave .... I hope your new furnace and a/c works out well for you.
...
I worked on the latest bridge project yesterday. This should be the last brdige I install on this layout.