Jeffrey´s Track Side Diner - December, 2019 - Christmas in Vermont/Maine

[BATMAN]

Thought of Ken when I saw this.

[ROBERT PETRICK]

hon30critter

I did have an issue with the air stream messing up my hair when the top was down . . . 

Dave

 

Those were the days . . . I not only had hair, I had long hair. And the air stream literally tied it into knots. 

Robert

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening.  

Dave and Charlie.... Thank you for adding your expressions of sympathy.

Everybody else.  Thank you again.

 

Kevin... You don't seem like a grouchy old man to me. Nor are you a grouchy young man. 

Ken ... sounds like you have a long process ahead of you to get rid of junk.

 

Richard ... Enjoy the Harley.

 

For sanity breaks, I have been in the train room working on my Walthers Super Chief. I have had the train in original boxes since Walthers released the train about 15 years ago. I finally decided to use it. I  also have three extra Santa Fe sleepers to add to the train later. I am using my FM Erie Built ABA (Proto 1000) set to pull the train. Those engines are also about 15 years old. A second Santa Fe locomotive set for the train is a Stewart F3 ABBA which has been in original boxes also for that length of time. 

So far, I changed couplers on the passenger cars from original plastic ones to Kadee couplers. The plastic ones uncoupled a few times during the first trip around the layout. Next, I will add details and grab irons which Walthers provided with the cars. 

Habe a good night. 

 

[SeeYou190]

Good evening everyone.

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It has been a wonderful weekend, but I need some sleep before I need to get up for work in the morning.

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-Kevin

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[CNCharlie]

Good Evening

Ken, I'll bet you'll run out of energy for walking before Dirk. Our little 10yr old Westie can easily do a half mile at a brisk pace. His legs aren't very long as he is only 12 " at the shoulder. Years ago I had an Afghan Hound and I had to walk him a mile morning and night and I mean a fast walk. At that it was the bare minimum.  I tried running with him but his idea of running and mine were a little different. He'd break out into a full gallop which meant 30mph. I couldn't run quite that fast but he sure tried to get me up to that speed. Must have been a hilarious sight.

Well time for bed and dreams of my K5a( CN Hudson). 

CN Charlie

[saronaterry]

RideOnRoad

I am now a Harley rider.

 

 

Terry

[York1]

Good morning.  It's snowing, blowing, and cold.  It's a good day to stay inside and work on the layout.

My wife cleaned out a closet so I can use it to store train stuff that was under the layout table.  But ... she moved stuff from another room to under the layout.  She says it's only temporary.  By that, I'm not sure if she means the train is only temporary or what.

[hon30critter]

CNCharlie

a little while ago I saw a car show on TV and a Daimler SP250 was featured.  It is for sale in Ontario for only 56k.  I have seen those cars on rare occasions so I decided to do a little research. They were built in the early '60s and had a 2.5 litre hemi V8. As the body was fiberglass they only weighed about 2k lbs. so were quite fast for the day, certainly a lot quicker than a MGB.

They were indeed much faster than a stock MGB despite only having 600cc's more cylinder volume. They were also much, much uglier!! They looked like a stuffed carp! My brother and I had a lead on one. When we went to see it, it was in sad shape. It was in a partially collapsed shed covered in dirt and debris. Stupidly, we didn't buy it on the spot, and once we did decide that we were interested in it a few weeks later, it was gone. Today they are sometimes found at the classic sports car races. GMTracing has probably seen a few.

Dave

[gmpullman]

cudaken

 Ed two things.  1 I was enjoying are talk, sorry I had to hang up early. My wife freind just kept calling over and over.  2 When Sharon came over to give me the new TV I was running the layout. She came into the garage to let me know she was here. She Loved the sound of the Bessimer SD with Rolling Thunder! First good thing she has ever said about my trains! 

Ken,

Yes, I enjoyed our brief talk, too. Maybe later this week we can finish our conversation? Glad the Rolling Thunder is still going strong 

If you want you can send the Mighty CB&Q F units back to me and I'll see if I can figure out what problem they're having.

CBQ-167-C by Edmund, on Flickr

For a while Broadway was making a trade-in offer where you could "upgrade" your Paragon 2 to Paragon 3. I doubt they're still doing that, though.

I hope everyone is doing well 

Cheers, Ed

[SeeYou190]

Good morning everyone. I woke up very early this morning, went to the office early, and I am feeling great. I slept wonderfully last night and this is one of the few times this past year I have gotten out of bed and felt this good.

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Hope everyone else is having a good morning also.

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-Kevin

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[York1]

Good morning.  Another cold morning, although it is supposed to warm a little in the next couple of days.

Not much layout work will get done for a while; we are having out-of-town company coming and going over the next weeks.

My wife and I took the plunge and bought our cemetery stone.  It is now out at the cemetery with our names and birthdates listed.  It's waiting for another set of dates to be complete.  I hope it's a long wait.

Now on that cheerful thought, it's time to get started on some chores.

I hope everyone has a good day, and I hope Kevin's day continues how it started.

[SeeYou190]

York1

I hope everyone has a good day, and I hope Kevin's day continues how it started.

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It sure did. This has been one of those rare days where everything just seems to keep lining up for me and falling into place.

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I am heading out for a barbecue dinner, then probably a movie on Netflix with my wife.

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-Kevin

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[Steven Otte]

I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier, because I've been out sick with a cold.

Garry, you and Shelley have all my sympathies.

[SeeYou190]

This picture just looks like Christmas to me.

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-Kevin

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[York1]

SeeYou190

It sure did. This has been one of those rare days where everything just seems to keep lining up for me and falling into place. . I am heading out for a barbecue dinner, then probably a movie on Netflix with my wife.

 

Maybe you should stop at a convenience store and buy a lottery ticket.

[CNCharlie]

Good Evening,

Going down to a frosty -20F tonight so with the windchill likely about -25 and not about 0 tomorrow. 

I had a low beam headlight burn out last night. I bought a new bulb today but will wait until it warms up a bit to replace it. Low beams burn out fairly often here as headlights are on all the time. You can't turn them off. It was a safety reg passed some years ago and I think it was a good one. Not that tough to take out the headlight unit but getting that plug in the back of it out is a struggle some times. At least I have driving lights I can put on in the meantime. 

Tomorrow I have to see my opthamoligist and I will have to take a taxi as they will be dilating my eyes. 

Sure hopes it warms up a little soon. 

CN Charlie

 

[gmpullman]

Hello, everyone

Seems a bit slow in the diner lately? 

CNCharlie

Low beams burn out fairly often here as headlights are on all the time. You can't turn them off. It was a safety reg passed some years ago and I think it was a good one.

I thought Daytime Running Lights was something that was going to be adopted in the US, too. Apparently not, although most states require lights to be on when the wipers are in operation? I thought DRL was a good idea, too.

I think it is a crazy fad but it seems like every car now has to have some goofy string of bright LEDs wrapping around the grille. Looks like a bent-up, illuminated paper clip lit up like a circus wagon, screaming "Hey, LOOK at ME"!

One of the easiest vehicles I had tr replace headlight and turn signal lamps was a GMC Sonoma I had. You could pull two tabs up and this would release tyhe whole headlight/turn signal housing, then twist the sockets out to replace the lamp.

One of the worst, a 2005 Ford 500! What a pain! Take out the battery to get to the left lamp!

How about a selection from the Grill Diner?

century3 by Edmund, on Flickr

There's that Mince Meat Tart, 2o^th Century 

I remember when Peach Melba was the "go-to" dessert on many dining cars.

Good to chat with you last night, Ken 

Regards, Ed

[BigDaddy]

CNCharlie

Tomorrow I have to see my opthamoligist and I will have to take a taxi as they will be dilating my eyes.

I never did that.   They do check your vision after they dilate them and then tell you, hopefully, you are 20/20.  You just can't read for about 4 hours and you better have some sun glasses.

[cudaken]

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, give the gang and I a please and Dirk his treat.

 Work Front, more like Library Front. Two customers in two day's, well that is normal in this business this time of the year. Mattress as a whole are not stocking stuffers.

 Ed I all so enjoyed talking with you, to bad I can not ship you a bottle of Crown Royal.

 Have to get up early to take my wife to a eye Doctor. Well 8:00 AM seems early to me now? I use to get up at 6:00 AM and be down town St Louis around 7:15 AM.

 Steven are you still a live? Did you get the Mustang?

 Later, Ken and Dirk say's Woof, Woof.

[gmpullman]

cudaken

 Ed I all so enjoyed talking with you, to bad I can not ship you a bottle of Crown Royal.

Ken, your friendship is worth a million. I'll just take a day's worth of interest off that and pick up a bottle of Extra Reserve Crown and raise a glass to you 

Cheers, Ed

[hon30critter]

gmpullman

One of the worst, a 2005 Ford 500! Waht a pain! Take out the battery to get to the left lamp!

My 2008 Honda Civic required that you had to turn the wheels hard to one side and then pull the fender liner out of the way to get at the back of the headlights. The fender liners were very stiff and it was really hard getting them far enough out of the way. Then you had to hold them out of the way or they would snap back and trap your arm. Then you had to get an impossibly tight boot off of the back of the headlight and then fight with a lightbulb retaining spring that was very difficult to remove and even harder to put back in position. Oh, and remember not to touch the bulb with your fingers or let it contact anything else! Stupid, stupid, stupid design!!! That was one of my few disappointments with Honda.

Dave

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

   Garry, I'm sorry to hear your MIL passed even though she wasn't doing well for a while it is still sad.

   Ken, sorry mattress sales are laying down on you. Glad you and Dirk are getting on together.

   Kevin, Happy you had a good day. Enjoy them when they come.

   SteveO, sorry to hear you had a cold but it's good you're getting better.

Back from Sebring. We had finished 1st overall with the Pug and 3rd with the R-8 in prototypes. The car that came second was one we sorted out a few years ago and is now based in Europe with a really good driver. We earned everything in Prototypes. Same with the Lotus 23 - we came third over all and first in class behind a Lola T165 and a Porsche 911. We should have gotten the Porsche but we had a misfire in two segments and it dropped us back to fifth before I found the problem and got the engine fixed.

   If your headlights are on all the time as they are in Canada (and I do the same here for safety) consider replacing them with LED bulbs. I did a year ago and they work better illuminate road signs better (good for us old codgers who don't see as well at night) and I never get flashed for too bright lights like the folks with HID lighting.

   Yes I know what a Daimler Dart (SP250 here) is. Worked on a couple in race trim including one done by Huffaker Engineering that was way trick. 

   Time to get out in the shop. The trailers are back, they have finished plowing the yard and we need to unload.     Ciao, J.R.

[York1]

Good morning.  Not much to report from the plains.  Company comes starting Friday, so cleaning starts today.

We're going to get above freezing today!  33°F today!  Maybe even hit 40° tomorrow.  Summer is back.

 

CNCharlie

Going down to a frosty -20F tonight so with the windchill likely about -25 and not about 0 tomorrow. 

We will sometimes have something like that in January or February, but not often this far south.  You can keep that weather up there.

 

cudaken

Work Front, more like Library Front. Two customers in two day's, well that is normal in this business this time of the year.

Ken, how do your owners pay the bills with so few customers coming in?  They must do quite a bit of business some other time of year?

 

gmpullman

One of the worst, a 2005 Ford 500! Waht a pain! Take out the battery to get to the left lamp!

I used to have a Dodge pickup with a slant six engine.  There was so much room under the hood you could almost climb in and work.  The lights (and everything else) were easy to get to.  When I got married, my wife was driving an Oldsmobile Starfire.  You had to have miniature hands and fingers to get to anything under the hood.

 

Have a good day, everyone.

[cudaken]

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, give the gang and I a please and Dirk a half of a dog treat!

 Yep Dirk Pip is getting fat! Sue and I took Dirk with us today to get his heart gaurd. On 10-10-19 his weight was 27.90 pounds. Today his weight was 29.40 pounds? Really? He gained 1.5 pounds in just 2 months, not good.

 Good thing I am now walking him farer. Today I walked close to a half mile. Next day off we will go a half mile. I just hope I do not get any more diabetic ulcer's on my feet.

 J.R. Hum, like I never heard that before!

 York 1 THis time of the year just suckes rail spikes. Far as how they are paying the bill's?

 I am beat, so later Ken and Dirk is saying Feed Me Woof

[BNSF UP and others modeler]

GMTRacing

Ken, sorry mattress sales are laying down on you. Glad you and Dirk are getting on together.

   

Maybe he should lie low for awhile...

[Track fiddler]

Evening Diners.

How ya all doing?  Good I hope  

Late night dinner at Fiddler's house tonight,  hope you can all make it

It's mid week,  Hump Day Ya!  Now that's original.... Not,   I still like it though.

Cooking night but nothing to eat.  Kind of like laundry day and nothing to wear.  Judy and I need to make time to go grocery shopping. 

We found some chicken in the freezer and put it in the slow cooker this morning,  the stuff was falling apart when we got home at 6 from wxxk.

We got creative,  we found onion, fresh garlic and chicken stock.  Chopped up the onion, garlic and simmered it in the chicken stock until it was so soft you would'nt even know it was in there.  A pile of corn tortillas was found.  A can of Amy's tomato soup I've been saving for my grilled cheese to dip in was sacrificed.  I just added a little water, some chili powder and I had enchilada sauce....  I'm glad I found some shredded cheese too.

Yep... make shift enchiladas tonight.  No salt.  I'm still trying very hard to work back towards delicious with no salt.

I'll let you know how that turns out

 

 

TF

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Our sincere sympathies to Garry & Shelly on their loss of their dear Family Matriarc.    Thankfully she did enjoy a lenghty life, but always a sad time especially at this time of year.

Our thoughts and prayers for your Family.

John & Sandy

[Track fiddler]

Well,  the enchiladas were not too bad.  This minus salt and better than bouillon subtraction in my diet is a tough act to follow.

They were not too bad though.  I'm trying to add more spices like turmeric and others to make things taste better.  Nothing like my old recipe I'd like to follow but it was okay.

I'm fed and I'm hitting the rack.  You Kids have a good night

 

 

TF

[Water Level Route]

Good morning diners!  

Chloe, how about a doughnut and a LARGE coffee please.  Been a long week at w*rk.

Hope everyone is well this morning.

Cheers,

[SeeYou190]

Good morning everyone.

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Last month we talked about Shrimp & Grits in the diner, and I have not stopped thinking about this wonderful combination since then.

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Yesterday I found a restaurant nearby with Shrimp & Grits (and sausage) on the menu, and went and enjoyed a plate.

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So yummy! Thank you for the suggestion.

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-Kevin

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