I had a high school football player from my school (he was in school when I still worked) came by to sell a discount card, raising money for the football team.
I took him to the layout room to show him what I've been working on.
He started naming the locomotives! He knew every single loco I've got. I found out he is a huge train fan, and has started buying some HO equipment. He is not building a layout yet for some good reasons, but I encouraged him that someday he will be able to.
Made my week!
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Just to be clear--perhaps I wasn't before--I listen to a shamisen-a 3-stringed Japanese stringed instrument, an accordian, and bagpipes playing in a trio specializing in marching polka music. I don't understand why the kids want nothing of it.
It's alright. I can ignore them if I'm wearing headphones.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Hi gang,
We are sitting on the bank of the Mattawa river at a beautiful classic northern Ontario cottage. This is by far the nicest cottage that we have ever rented. It is very well equipped and everything is in excellent condition. The BBQ looks to be brand new. The supplied linens are hotel quality. Our hosts even left a bottle of shiraz and a s'mores kit for us! The first bird we saw was a mature bald eagle, followed shortly after my an immature one.
We are looking forward to the next eight days.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good afternoon all, it is yet another beautiful day on the West Coast.
Made an appointment to get my eyes tested, it has been ten years and I definitely need new glasses, not that I ever wear them. It has been twenty years at least since I got new glasses. I have always been so active and they would constantly get knocked off my face so I couldn't be bothered.
Back is still killing me but with some improvement but here I sit. Still getting bike time in, I don't make excuses for not staying in shape. I was getting out of the pool the other day and the kid said to me, "Dad, you still "sort of" have a six-pack going, that is pretty amazing for a 63 year old". I was not sure how to take that, but he meant it as a compliment.
I don't watch much TV at all other than movies and for that, I have a pretty good sound system. My 18" subwoofers each have a 350-watt amp built into them and will go subsonic, meaning lower than you can hear, but you can certainly feel a Klingon battle cruiser before you see or hear it. Subsonic will not be heard through cable subscribed outlets, only Blu-ray has that information on it. Subsonic is usually below 16HZ.
The subwoofer market is generally a scam in my eyes as any subwoofer sold in the big box stores will not go as low as a quality speaker to begin with, so you don't need one if you have good speakers. I just had my four bose 601s completely rebuilt as the diaphragms had aged out. When I picked them up the tech took me into the lab to listen and they measured down to 26HZ on the low end, my subs were in the low teens last time they were measured. I use the Bose for the surround in the BAT movie palace. The Bose are great for symphony and any acoustic music not so much for rock and roll so I have two big Paisley monitors for the rock shows. I do have picky taste when it comes to sound to the point where people ask me how I can tune my guitar while I am playing a song. If quality of sound doesn't matter to you don't worry about it, buying expensive audio equipment is a waste to those that can't hear the difference, our ears are all different.
When I worked for the Feds they spent thousands on driving courses for me as I did drive some very sensitive things at times so I guess they thought it was important I was well trained. I lost count of the new learning and refreshers I had. Before I retired they had asked me to go on as an instructor, however I had enough of work. I had no real interest in driving other than it was an important part of the duties I was required to carry out. The courses were a lot of fun though, getting some pretty big trucks out on the skid courses. I probably logged more time in smaller vehicles than anything with airbrakes, that being said when I retired after 36 years and more than two million miles, I had never had an accident.
When it came time to teach the kid to drive I know I was more qualified than a driving school to do so and proceeded to teach the kid to drive. The day of his test I was sitting on a cement wall between Tim Hortons and the Motor Vehicle Branch when they rolled in from the test. They got out and instead of walking into the far end of the building the examiner and the kid walked the length of it towards me and I am thinking OH OH! this can't be good. The examiner said, "did you teach him to drive"? Now I'm really waiting for it. She said you did a really good job with him, he is without a doubt the best-prepared new driver I have ever taken out. She showed me the exam sheet and said "look, not a mark on it. I was relieved, to say the least.
Well, I think I will hobble out and finish up the pressure washer work and get a giant Rum and Pepsi in hand and watch the Vancouver Canucks destroy St. Louis.
Stay safe and well, all the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
LastspikemikeAnd there's me thinking bagpipes used the catatonic scale....
Good one! Best laugh I've had in some time.
Well tempered, sir!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
One of my favorite McCartney tunes — the pipes are haunting.
This was played at my dad's memorial service and, I'll tell you, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Was Paul McCartney really THAT young? I saw him twice in concert, once in '66 and again in '87.
Cheers, Ed
Howdy all! My daughter passed her driving test. I wasn't so sure there for a while. I took her out this last weekend and made her practice a variety of things, parallel parking being one of them. Not sure what happened between Sunday and Tuesday. I swear she thought she could levitate the car into the parallel parking spot. It was embarrasing. If she hadn't done perfectly on the rest of it she would have failed the test. When I asked her what happened between the weekend and the test, she said she didn't know. Nerves I guess.
Good luck with the chemo, Rob. Pulling for you.
TV watching for me is pretty limited. Football, some hockey, and one or two shows that I may or may not catch. The only one I was religious about is the old Top Gear (British version), now Grand Tour. I'm going to miss that one when it's done. That would be plenty of TV for me. However, my daughters love TV (big surprise there) so I watch more than I want to as part of simply spending time with them. Not many more years before they've flown the coop. Gotta take the time while I can. The trains will always be there.
A little mid-day dessert on me guys.
Mike
maxmanIs there a difference between the sound of bagpipes and a bunch of cats fighting?
Yes... The cats are closer to being in tune! LOL Well actually a properly tuned bagpipe is just not tuned to the same "modern" aka, well tempered scale system that we are used to from "elite" European Culture... It uses a much older tuning system. Many people don't realize that the only "Universal" scale is actually pentatonic which has been used by many cultures and for well over 500,000 years.
Track fiddler I'm sure the Non Irish Neighbors didn't care for that too much. I know some other ones did though.
Is there a difference between the sound of bagpipes and a bunch of cats fighting?
I used to like movies, but lately it's all cartoons and superheroes. I guess I have aged out of the film market.
One local theater is showing Galaxy Quest, but no, I'm not going to a theater quite yet. A restaurant, yes, but not a theater.
Since this is a train forum, how many of us smile when we think of Emporer of the North with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
SpaceMouseMy surround sound system and hifi were replaced by a bar in front of the TV.
I still have one of the first high-end Sony amps with Dolby 7.1 that I bought about 25 years ago for way high money. It was so modern all that time ago that it still has an input that works with my new Sony Blue-Ray player.
I also still have the same main loudpseakers that I built back then, but the other five speakers are just off-the-shelf items now, and mounted in the walls.
Movies are amazing at my house. Sound is such a big part of modern movies.
I love watching my movies.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I like quite a wide range of music Chip. I guess it depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Polka is a happy sounding music. Most of the times I hear it there is some kind of event or celebration going on where everyone is having fun. What's not to like?
The Bagpipes!, that's in my blood. This Ol' Scotch-Irish boy may occasionally get a tear in his eye from some of that delightful sounding music.
It's funny. Well over 15 years ago for Saint Patrick's Day, myself, family and friends pre-arranged one of the bagpipe bands that go through the local pubs in West Saint Paul to make their last stop at Uncle Butchie's.
Just after 2:00 in the morning they circled the house playing their music. We all walked out to the front grinning. I'm sure the Non Irish Neighbors didn't care for that too much. I know some other ones did though. Some Thank You's were received the next day around noon
Well, I got out of the storage shuffle as it started raining and Judy had a change of agenda.......Happy
Now I can work on mybench work until dinner tonight.
TF
Track fiddler I'll have to swallow hard as some of that stuff is my Denon monster system with all my Klipsch high-end speakers. Oh well, my ears don't like loud anymore anyway.
My surround sound system and hifi were replaced by a bar in front of the TV. Music is all headphones because no one likes my music. How bad can Kabuki Polka Accordian and Bagpipes music be anyway.
My system got donated to a local 2nd hand store. Sigh.
Good morning ...
TV ? .... Waste of time.
Movies? .... Bigger waste of time.
Rob .... Best wishes to you regarding chemo.
Chip .... Good to see you.
Model railroading .... The trains operated well when I showed the layout for weekend company. .... Last night, I was running an ore train (NP F-units ABA), a general freight train with CB&Q F3 ABBA, and a genral freight train with 2 CB&Q SD24's. Passenger trains running were my "Heartland Zephyr" with a pair of BLI CB&Q E7's, a CB&Q heavyweight train with a 4-8-2 steam loco, and the Empire Builder with two P2K CB&Q E7's.
Everybody .... Have a good day.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good Morning All,
I'll have a regular to go please Zoe. 72F and rain forecast so as I try to juggle shop and trailer jobs I will get after the trailer first until the rains come. I have been lurking back and forth but haven't had much to say. Haven't been near the layout for a while and am starting to do the touch up and prep work so we can show the house later this year. Not too much but lots of little things, some new storm doors and some paint and such. The biggest job I see is stripping and refinishing the exposed part of the foundation where the paint is in poor shape. Thinking it would be an ideal cleanup job for a pressure washer with the wet media applicator.
Good to see Chip back. I hope Robs' chemo goes well. I have had a couple of friends get it with good result. Off to the trailer. Ciao, J.R.
Good morning
Hump Day Yeah! Another cool one. The cars have been pounding the pavement on the highway since 5:30. The early bird gets the worm but I wondered where all these people were going with the pandemic and all.
SeeYou190 Track fiddler But the TV is on all night long No one is watching it, My wife is exactly the same. TV on all night for no reason at all. It has been that way for 30+ years now. She says if the TV is off any little noise will wake her up and she cannot sleep. -Kevin
Track fiddler But the TV is on all night long No one is watching it,
My wife is exactly the same. TV on all night for no reason at all.
It has been that way for 30+ years now.
She says if the TV is off any little noise will wake her up and she cannot sleep.
Judy has the same reason. But the problem for me is, any little noise is when they turn up the volume for the commercials or they have some paid program for some miracle vitamin that will make you new again. They always use a bright white screen in the background to wake you up so you can join in the fun and buy some. The things we tolerate to keep our women happy I tell ya.
Today is Judy's birthday. I didn't forget that one! I can't, I don't have a dog house anymore She can be a bit peculiar. She wants to continue sorting through storage today so we can get rid of it soon. It's a great idea but what woman would want to do that on her birthday.
We've had that Darn storage since we downsized from our house I lived in for 33 years. Seven years and $7,000 spent to keep a bunch of stuff. With that money I could have bought everything three times over again.
We are taking all our belongings that we no longer have room for to an auction house in St Louis Park so we can finally get rid of this storage facility. I'll have to swallow hard as some of that stuff is my Denon monster system with all my Klipsch high-end speakers. Oh well, my ears don't like loud anymore anyway.
There are boxes of sentimental stuff she needs to go through but we should be rid of this money pit by fall. Something we should have taken care of years ago.
I'm hoping things don't take too long so I can take her to El Loro for a nice Mexican dinner.
You're included in our prayers Rob. Welcome back Spacemouse
Make it a great day all
Good morning. I'm headed out for a walk, and then I'll have bacon, eggs, and coffee.
Rob, I hope your reaction to the chemo is not severe. I hope and pray it will be effective.
Nothing going on today, so the Altair National Bank on the layout will probably get some work finished.
Track fiddlerBut the TV is on all night long No one is watching it,
Not real crazy
Sometimes it's what you're used to John. When Judy and I were first together, she had to have the TV on to go to sleep and on all night. I wasn't used to that at all, it took some time....
26 years later, I go to sleep watching TV and the TV is on all night. It has a super dim mode, the volume is very low,
But the TV is on all night long
No one is watching it, it's kind of like you said, a friend in the background
I'm a TV-aholic.
In my first apartment, I was in a distant city, unmarried, and I knew no one there. I came home from work and turned on the TV. The TV was like a friend that kept me company.
I still do that. When I walk into the layout room, the TV goes on.
Crazy, huh?
JaBear Track fiddler So my Clear Select Pine comes from Chile Bear. No, you do have New Zealand grown Clear Pine.
Track fiddler So my Clear Select Pine comes from Chile Bear.
Gotcha...
Got all my face frames together today Bear. That clear select Pine sure is beautiful. It's been awhile since I worked with some nice stuff like that.
I do like knotty pine, especially after the Danish Oil goes on and the knots pop. I just don't like wrestling with it making face frames for cabinetry though. The clear stuff goes together so much better.
Have a good morning
howmus Last time I turned on the TV here was about a year ago
Last time I turned on the TV here was about a year ago
My wife joined Netflix when it was still mailing DVD's--2004 I think. She gave up commercial TV for us at that point. I admit I miss sports--golf and baseball mostly--but now, between Netflix and Amazon Prime. I see plenty to watch.
Track fiddlerI know the exact one you are talking about. Luminess, where the women air brush their face. It gets funny. I get so sick of that commercial too.
That's it. 5 Minutes of the same women fake-laughing about how all their face problems just vanish.
So terrible.
howmusThe only time I ever watch TV is when I am at my Lady friend's house and watch a couple of game shows before we find a movie on one of the No Commercial type channels to watch.
The only shows I watch on "real TV" are reality competition shows. America's Got Talent, Survivor, Big Brother, and a few others. They have a beginning, middle, and an end. They do not require a long commitment.
All scripted dramas and sit-coms I wait for to come available on DVD through Netflix. No commercials. An episode of Seal Team is only about 35 minutes long on DVD. I cannot imagine watching it on regular TV.
Track fiddler I hate that too. In the seventies there was only about two commercials for a half hour program, now a half hour episode is only 20 minutes because there's 10 minutes of commercials. And how about those new commercials that are darn near like a small movie during your program. Like Emeril with his air fryer or those two lawyers sitting in the chairs talking about lawsuits. I have to have two programs going on at one time and juggle back and forth but they're starting to time the commercials in sync with one another so it's getting harder to do that anymore. TF
I hate that too. In the seventies there was only about two commercials for a half hour program, now a half hour episode is only 20 minutes because there's 10 minutes of commercials.
And how about those new commercials that are darn near like a small movie during your program. Like Emeril with his air fryer or those two lawyers sitting in the chairs talking about lawsuits.
I have to have two programs going on at one time and juggle back and forth but they're starting to time the commercials in sync with one another so it's getting harder to do that anymore.
When Mash and some other shows that were originally half hour shows were on for an hour but cut several scenes out of the original show to be able to get all the commercial time in is when I turned off the stupid TV and found some more interesting things to do. I hate commercials (yes I know they pay the bills but.......) The only time I ever watch TV is when I am at my Lady friend's house and watch a couple of game shows before we find a movie on one of the No Commercial type channels to watch... Here at home I have probably a few month's worth of DVD with movies and such that I can put on if I feel that bored. Last time I turned on the TV here was about a year ago when I hooked my laptop to it so the Troop Committee I work with could do their "Youth Protection Training" as a group with a presenter.
SeeYou190 That is aggravating.
That is aggravating.
I know the exact one you are talking about. Luminess, where the women air brush their face.
It gets funny. I get so sick of that commercial too. I usually change the channel for a while. But one night I looked at it and started wondering if I could paint my bridges with it The airbrush I have right now is cheap and I don't have a compressor for it yet.
So I call my brother who is heavily into model railroading to ask him what he thinks. He busted a gut and said bro, I was thinking the same thing, I wonder if you can put paint in it.
So we got to talking about it and I made a point that these women are airbrushing their face at 6 in the morning, that compressor has to be quiet, I bet it purs like a cat.
So to make a long story short my brother checked into it. What we thought would be a cheap airbrush fix was ungodly expensive
I still hate that long commercial.
BigDaddy John Wayne was in westerns, long before Stagecoach
In my list of 100 best movies, Stagecoach is my #1. Truly a work of art. It is like Godfather (#2), or Citizen Kane (#3)... Every time you watch it you can pick up on some detail you missed before.
BigDaddyThat said, I don't have much interest in watching any old movies I've seen before.
I have a collection of about 300 movies on DVD/Blue-Ray that I can watch over and over. There are some movies, not necessarily the best movies, that are re-watchable.
Some great movies like Little Big Man I only want to see once, but some others that are not so great, like Thor, I can watch over and over.
I know I have seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show over 100 times. Not a great movie.
When I was a kid I used to watch all the old movies. John Wayne was in westerns, long before Stagecoach, and so was Superman, Clayton Moore, the Lone Ranger, was also in the early westerns.
I had an aunt that was in several of the 1950's shows, Dragnet, Wagon Train, Gun Smoke, the Millionaire. She and my uncle were divorced and I never got to know her, but in her 80's she is still active in acting.
That said, I don't have much interest in watching any old movies I've seen before. I used to watch the oldies multiple times, Abbott and Costello, the Bowery Boys, the Marx brothers, WW2 movies, the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti westerns, anything with Humphrey Bogart. I watched most of the original Outer Limits and Twilight Zone, but I have no interest in rewatching them today. Don't know why?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Track fiddlerHey Kevin, Did you crawl up in the scissor trusses above the ceiling and get that insulation re-situated before it got too hot today?
No, I opted to delay that work.
I looked around up there and realized that when the ceiling is down in the bedroom I will have a larger access hole and an easier crawl-path.
It will get done next month.
York1I get aggravated sometimes watching the Twilight Zone on the SciFi Channel. I know each of the episodes pretty well.
I could not watch the original Star Trek on Sci-Fi Channel because they cut so much out of the episodes. Now that it is on H&I it seems less edited, but I have them all on DVD now... no commercials ever.
Track fiddlerAnd how about those new commercials that are darn near like a small movie during your program
I watch a classic TV show every night at 2:00 AM on one of our cable channels. They edit a 5 minute commercial break into the middle of it and it is all one commercial for a skin care product. The same long commercial every night at the same time.