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So, how has this virus affected you. Locked

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Posted by Steven Otte on Friday, May 15, 2020 9:25 AM

Looking at the topics on the posts in this thread from the last few days, I've decided that this thread has served its purpose and outlived its usefulness. From now on, please confine non-model railroading discussion to the designated off-topic thread, Jeffrey's Trackside Diner. Thank you.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 8:57 PM

The virus has realeaded its grasp on the local newscast!

We have four wildfires burning, two tropical systems developing, and a major police sting operation.

Covid coverage was pushed back 20 minutes into the 6:00 news today!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, May 14, 2020 8:33 PM

We had lobster dinners.  They were delicious and perfectly cooked.  The restaurant announced that their winter specials were ending, so we got lobster.  Last time?  I doubt it.  That message may have been scheduled last fall.

We will keep looking for good deals.  We expect to keep finding them.  Yummy.

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

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, May 14, 2020 4:02 PM

I went to the dermatologist today for a skin check.  The have 2 offices across the hall from one another.  I went to the first one, there was only one patient in the waiting room, normally full.  They asked me all the usual insurance questions and Covid questions, and sent me to the other office. 

I sat there 2 minutes, the took me to an exam room, told me to strip to my tighty whities.  She examined me, I asked her to take off a mole that was rubbing on my clothes, she did and I was out of there 5 minutes before my appointment was scheduled to start.   That has never ever happened before in any doctors office.

Henry

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, May 14, 2020 1:18 PM

On to train stuff, got my package yesterday of train cars, got 6 for $20. The one I wanted of the batch was perfect needing only a brake wheel and staff (which was in a parts box). Two other were great also but one was missing a fewv side boards, no biggie. The other 3 will go on ebay. The Kadee parts on these cars were worth the $20. Went though some building kits today for those to go to e-bay, hard to do but needs change.

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, May 14, 2020 1:11 PM

hon30critter

I have seen a lot of disturbing stories about people's refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 even if and when the vaccine is available. I will be at the front of the vaccination line! The vaccination may cause complications but not taking the vaccine could result in my death. I think it is a no-brainer! Either die from the disease or live with a sore arm for a while. I'll take the sore arm! Hopefully any actual side effects will be minimal, but even if they are not, I'll still be alive to complain about them!

Dave

 

I don't get the flu shot, I had every respatory problem from the time I wass 16 till mid 50's ( mean like pass out for a week or more, doc once said any normal person would be in a hospial when he gave me antibiotics so I would not get a seconday infection because my cough lingered after an eposde), twice a year so beleive in my imunity now because that no longer happens (my sister saw an artical about people like me needing an inhailer when I get a simple cold but you have to start using at the first feeling like byou need to cough).

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, May 14, 2020 10:54 AM

hon30critter
maxman
Point man for the visually impaired mine sweeping squad?

I've had pneumonia and severe bronchitis so I wouldn't likely do too well with Covid-19.

Dave

Oh, I agree completely.

My point was that I’d at least want to see the label first.  If it happens to say ”manufactured by Clorox” I might want to reconsider.  So, yes, I’ll be in line.  But being the gentleman I am I’ll be happy to let you take cuts and go firstBig Smile

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 10:40 AM

The virus shut down something I have enjoyed for decades.

North Fort Myers High School has an annual musical production at the end of the school year that is constantly amazing.

I am being 100% honest here... Their 2014 presentation of Crazy For You was the best production I have ever seen of this musical on stage. It was a polished and professional performance that was nearly perfect.

Young Ricky Manning was in the lead role. He went on to finish in the top eight of both The Voice and American Idol. He was simply amazing.

This year, no stage production. The drama students from North Fort Myers High School had a streaming broadcast.

I look forward to this every year, and I am saddened that there will be no 2020 live performance.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Thursday, May 14, 2020 9:21 AM

hon30critter

 

 
maxman
Point man for the visually impaired mine sweeping squad?

 

I've had pneumonia and severe bronchitis so I wouldn't likely do too well with Covid-19.

Dave

 

So have I, but by the time there is a vaccine on the market, we will most likely have COVID-20 or 21 around.

Instead of waiting for a miracle vaccine, it´s better to keep going on with our MRRing projects. My DiY store will open up soon, so I can finally by that bottle of glue I need to put my laser-cut lighthouse kit together!

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, May 14, 2020 9:10 AM

maxman
Point man for the visually impaired mine sweeping squad?

I've had pneumonia and severe bronchitis so I wouldn't likely do too well with Covid-19.

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 maxman on Thursday, May 14, 2020 8:14 AM

hon30critter

I have seen a lot of disturbing stories about people's refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 even if and when the vaccine is available. I will be at the front of the vaccination line!

Dave

Point man for the visually impaired mine sweeping squad?

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, May 14, 2020 8:08 AM

BigDaddy

In the meantime 2 of my neighbors have daughters in their 20's and despite social distancing, they work out everyday in the garage.  Their music is unrecognizable to me, but I admire the sight of their physical fitness.

So, you like trains, you’re not sure if you like sound, and you’re collecting data to scratch build a couple cabooses?

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, May 14, 2020 7:21 AM

The governor decided to change to safer at home, from stay at home, but he left it up to the counties, and they haven't decided anything.

In the meantime 2 of my neighbors have daughters in their 20's and despite social distancing, they work out everyday in the garage.  Their music is unrecognizable to me, but I admire the sight of their physical fitness.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, May 14, 2020 3:26 AM

I have seen a lot of disturbing stories about people's refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 even if and when the vaccine is available. I will be at the front of the vaccination line! The vaccination may cause complications but not taking the vaccine could result in my death. I think it is a no-brainer! Either die from the disease or live with a sore arm for a while. I'll take the sore arm! Hopefully any actual side effects will be minimal, but even if they are not, I'll still be alive to complain about them!

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 rrebell on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 3:23 PM

Well another day. getting some design work done on layout today, a small space is a challange.

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Posted by Doughless on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 1:27 PM

Kid has braces.  Haven't had a Orthodontist appoitment for 2 months, making it about 4 months since the last adjustment.  Consequently, his teeth are shifting.

Orthodontist would like to open, but he says his techs don't want to come back to work for a while because they are making more money under the government Unemployment program than if they went to work.  So I guess we'll have to wait for the public feeding trough to run dry before his teeth can get adjusted.

I paid for the braces via automatic debit to my Card.  Of course, they didn't like the idea of me cutting off the automatic billing since no work is being performed.  We'll see where this goes.

- Douglas

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 12:23 PM

Hooray!  The cleaning lady left a text to say she is starting to clean again!  With two cats and a dog, plus the spring pollen, this place needs it after 2 months of shutdown.

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

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 6:06 PM

Rio I'm sorry for the loss of your dad, you will remember him always.

Part of my philosophy about this thread is that people need to smile or hear some good news in this time of bad news.

Management didn't appreciate my attempt at humor with a meme that predicted the demise of blonde hair, so I don't know that this post will survive scrutiny.

There is a guy on Twitter who rates the background rooms of all the new people videoing from home.  He calls himself @ratemyskyperoom on Twitter.   I think most of them have an app to connect to their TV link.

Queen Elizabeth Fauci and historically FDR score 10/10  Those are people you would know, most people none of us ever heard of but he capture screen shots and he comments on camera postion, plants, books and furnture in the background. You cannot disagree with his assessments, he is right on target.

People with blank backgrounds and labeled hostage videos.

Examples:

Whole lotta white. Assume no dog. Way to rep the nouveau rich. 6/10
Put a little light on Buddha. Sorry, hubs pic is way too big. Balance left. 7/10
 
 
I guess Hugh Heffner didn’t need the outfit. The dogs don’t like you either. 1/10
 

At times he is not apolitical, but but take deep breath and relax. it's not a serious site, get sense of humor, instead of be offended by everything.

Henry

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Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 1:09 AM

Rio Grande,

Sorry for the loss of your father. If there is such a thing as a good funeral service, it sounds like your dad had one.

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 rrebell on Monday, May 11, 2020 7:38 PM

Sad day for you. Never been to a funeral, we have Irish wakes. Went to dentist and got worste case news (that I had thought of), a tooth pulling. Just think I got in, diagnosed and treated and out the door in a covid world.  Told it could be 6 weeks before healed. Hope it fixed the problem, you never know but when taped I jumped. I will be skinny when this is all over, lost 10lb already in a week from not being able to eat properly. Stocked up today on tamales, that and mashed patateos is what I live on last time I had one pulled. Wanted to do touch up painting to the train room today but that aint happening. See how I feel tomorrow.

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, May 11, 2020 11:53 AM

No progress on the layout for the past two weeks.  Weekend of May 2/3 was spent working on the deck rehab since it was mostly sunny and we've had a lot of rainy weather this spring.  This last weekend including May 7/8/9/10 was travel to Iowa to my fathers funeral by car as we didn't want to fly Corona Airlines and the expense as well.  We left northern Virginia Thursday morning and drove to Champagn IL where we stayed for the night and then on to Osceola Iowa the next day which was a short distance to the funeral location, a tiny town of 300 named Lorimor (my dads childhood home.)

Since we arrived around 3pm to Osceola, we had some time to drive to my dads home town, where time seems to have stopped as it has changed very little since I visited it as a small child.  My dads child-hood home remained in the family until his youngest brother sold it a couple years ago; it was kept as an annual meeting place for reunions.  With most of the siblings gone, it didn't make sense to maintain the old small 2 story house.  New owners are rehabbing it which is nice.  After visiting the town, we then drove to the cemetary a couple miles away to look at family tomb stones; I was struck by how many relatives were now buried there that were alive the last time I saw them together in 2007.  We also drove up to Winterset Iowa to see John Waynes birthplace and around 4 of the covered bridges of Madison County, of novel and movie fame.

As some may know, the Amtrak California Zephyr has a stop in Osceola Iowa on it's journey from Chicago IA to Oakland CA.  I made a drive out a bit west of town to catch it coming through at about 8:12 pm in the evening.  I did a short video of it blasting by but need to figure out how to upload it.  It was probably shorter than usual due to the pandemic.  Here is a westward and eastward view of the tracks where I stopped to wait for the Zephyr.

The funeral was at 1pm the next day in the small Methodist church.  It was sad service but lots of good memories were shared.  There was a military honor guard at the cemetary with two officers from the US Air Force to present honors and the flag, which my older sister accepted because my mother couldn't bear to be there; too difficult.  There was also around 10 veterans of foreign wars in uniform there to present arms and do a 3 volley rifle solute followed by a slow beautiful and expertly played rendition of taps.  It was striking and moving experience. 

The entire funeral and cemetary proceedings were broadcast to family and friends via Zoom by my daughter because few could attend due to the pandemic.  It was truly a hi-tech funeral in that regard - even out in the remote small town of Lorimor Iowa there was sufficient internet service to get a decent broadcast.  Most attendees has masks on as well including the honor guard and veterans who presented arms.  The whole event was memorable, and decidely different due to the pandemic.

We left mid-afternoon for the return trip east back to Virginia and drove 6 hours to Bloomington IL to the stop for the night.  The final leg home was about 11 1/2 hours into to northern VA.  My wife did most of the driving.  She is from England and now officially a "road warrior".  We experienced a fair amount of traffic on the drive west to Iowa but the drive back on Sunday was much quieter.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by rrebell on Monday, May 11, 2020 9:15 AM

Good morning, we shall see what I get done today. If you are into building loco's in HO there are some real bargins starting to appear on e'bay, seems a few collections are going. At this time they are cheap but who knows how it ends.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, May 10, 2020 10:58 PM

rrebell
Neighbors are taking it to the extreme of putting mail and everything that comes into their house outside for 3 days.

I do not bring mail inside for three days.

I play it as safe as possible.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by rrebell on Sunday, May 10, 2020 10:05 PM

Got stuff done today, but no train stuff. Really weird out there, this is like a zombie movie in many ways. Neighbors are taking it to the extreme of putting mail and everything that comes into their house outside for 3 days. Rarely see them.

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Posted by davidmurray on Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:44 PM

SeeYou190
With sufficent thought, one should be able to set up many table top minatures games to play on line. For me, Boardgaming and Wargaming are social events. I do not think I could get satisfaction playing online.

Most of my son's group started playing together in High School.  It is a social occasion for them.  Just families and moving for jobs caused things to become complicated.  Having taken IT at college, I doubt if he is using comercial systems.

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:09 PM

We got normal sized potatoes from the farm stand.  Fresh and delicious, better than anything from the supermarket.

The GF found toilet paper at the supermarket yesterday, too.

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

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Posted by The Milwaukee Road Warrior on Sunday, May 10, 2020 5:00 PM

I have been blessed to continue working, by virtue of the fact that my work is considered "essential".  So I have nothing to complain about, all things considered.  The fact that it has been more difficult for me to get spackle, paint and other items I need as I finish my backdrop is small potatoes compared to what many are going thru.  Not everything has been shut down where I'm located; the Governor seems to have done a good job of walking the line between complete economic disaster and careless cast-all-caution-to-the-wind.

Andy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/

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Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, May 9, 2020 7:36 PM

Ulrich said the other day that he bought off Ebay, so I guess we will found out how Amazon works in Germany.

Henry

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Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by John-NYBW on Saturday, May 9, 2020 7:30 PM

BigDaddy

 

 
John-NYBW
That's why I'm an Amazon Prime member

 

Don't know for sure, but I'll bet free shipping won't help Ulrich or anyone else in the EU.

 

Amazon has set up shop in Europe and I'd bet on other continents too.

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