WELCOME 2021! Jeffrey's Trackside Diner In North America!

[Track fiddler]

If I were a Swan, I'd be gone

If I were a Train, I'd be late again

If I were a Good Man, I would talk to you more often than I do

 

 

 

PF not TF

[SeeYou190]

Track fiddler

I think the mosquito is the Minnesota state bird.

The state bird of Florida is the mockingbird, supposedly because they eat mosquitoes. They also are terribly territorial and fearless.

Heartland Division CB&Q

Steve O is always welcome in the Diner . 

I have tried to bring him out of lurking, but I guess he has other things to do. I miss his commentary, goodies, and participation.

up831

I'd still like to share a couple of photos I took at the Tehachai Loop last October.

Thank you for sharing the pictures. I was not able to go train-watching on the Tehachapi Loop when I was in California. Maybe on another trip I will get the chance.

Track fiddler

Very understandable after Kevin's Mason Jar Drinks floating all around the Train last night during the Captain's Cocktail Hour.  But I seen He got up just  before the "Crack of Noon" today

I barely made it up before noon! I enjoyed the Vodka last night... and I think I will do it again...

TOP OF THE PAGE

Miller High Life in a Mason Jar! We might be headed to Minnesota, but I am living big Florida style!

Everyone please join me.

-Kevin

[Track fiddler]

NorthBrit

It appears TF may be tracklaying tomorrow.

 

Not so quick after 3 1/2 years.  I got the rest of the goods and rightfully so David

I got to wind up the other bridge I'm on right now.  I think I want to get this one done so the tracks can run over it

I got the rest of the goods and the time is nearing

 

One more Bridge

 

 

 

TF

[Track fiddler]

SeeYou190

 

 

Track fiddler

Very understandable after Kevin's Mason Jar Drinks floating all around the Train last night during the Captain's Cocktail Hour.  But I seen He got up just  before the "Crack of Noon" today

 

 

I barely made it up before noon! I enjoyed the Vodka last night... and I think I will do it again...

 

Dat-a-Boy Kevin, .....And I will join you for a Jar or four again tonight

 

Cheers

 

 

 

TF

 

[Track fiddler]

Post Hog!  Post Hog!

 

Welcome to Minnesota

Ready to have some fun in the Fiddler's state here?

You all have ID Don't-cha?

 

Drink up and later we'll have some Walleye and maybe a dish of Sheila's Ruffled Grouse if you're lucky

And later we'll go Ice fishing on Ten Mile Lake a bit north of the town of Hackensack, Minnesota

 

 

 

Welcome TF

 

[SeeYou190]

I have only been to Minnesota on the virtual diner tour. I think there are only 18 states I have not visited, and Minnesota is one of them.

This is the diner journey so far I believe.

I masked off the entire kitchen today. Tomorrow the popcorn ceiling comes down from there. Texture goes up Friday, then prime, and two coats of paint. We will be without a kitchen for a few days.

Take-out dining for a while. This is strange territory for me. I used to dine out several times a week. Now it is less than once per month.

The World Is A Beautiful Place.

-Kevin

[Track fiddler]

Well you missed out Kevin

I can't speak out for the city limits here and I won't.  Nevermind the city.  But Northern Minnesota is the friendliest people you would ever want to meet in your life

They're a lot like the Canadians eh

The only reason I know why is when it's cold, the people here are warm and they like their Hockey

 

But they're just as nice in the summer time as well.  You may need to get up here once.  After that visit will be twice

 

 

 

TF

[Track fiddler]

Extreme amounts of fun on Hump Day Night

So Fiddler,  You're sure you saw a camel on Wednesday, the day of Hump Night.  Because you would have to see a camel if you would want to make your case concrete

 

I think I'll munch on some leftover tacos from Tuesday and hit the rack

 

Taco Tuesday on a Wednesday Night

 

 

 

PH

[Track fiddler]

There it is

Happy Hump Day Kids!

 

Nighty night

I'll see you in the morning

 

 

 

TF

["JaBear"]

Another old friend turned up today.

 

old friend by Bear, on Flickr

 

Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them. Kia Kaha.

Cheers, the Bear.

[NorthBrit]

Good morning, Diners.    Snow, sleet and rain throughout the day.     I shall not be venturing out.  Not that we could go far because of the 'lockdown'.

 

Stay safe everyone.

 

David

 

[gmpullman]

Hello, All!

Well, we sneaked (snuck?) into Saint Paul in the wee hours of the morning 

Have a look around the town that James G. Hill, the Empire Builder, built:

From Minneapolis, later this evening, we'll be heading to Oklahoma City on the Kansas City Rocket, carried by the Rock Island Lines.

CRIP_E6_631 by Edmund, on Flickr

Enjoy our day in the Twin Cities and keep an eye out for TF who will gladly show you the sights!

 

Cheers, Ed

[NorthBrit]

Ed mentions the 'Rocket'

I'd like to see the Diner at the back of this one.

 

 

David

 

[gmpullman]

NorthBrit

Ed mentions the 'Rocket'

Aah, but the Rock Island Line is a moderne and progressive railroad. Their ROCKET looks like this!

CRIP_Aerotrain-3 by Edmund, on Flickr

Your Rocket has a lot more class, though, David. AND it's STEAM!

The BNSF has a large presence in the area today:

 

Meanwhile —  In Bandanna Square

Cheers, Ed

[Water Level Route]

Good morning all.  No news from west Michigan lately.  That's not necessarily a bad thing!  I'm trying my hand at making a curved viaduct bridge by carving foam with an ink pen, Track Fiddler style.  Never done this before, so this could get interesting.  It will decidedly not look prototypical as the arches will have wide flat tops, but I don't care.  Haven't figured out how I'll fill in the middle of the arches either, but hopefully I come up with something that doesn't look too horrible.  Since Steve O. is apparently giving us the cold shoulder, I'll provide the doughnuts today, like he would.  As you can see, I've already claimed one! 

Take care guys.

[NorthBrit]

Thanks for the doughnuts,  Mike.   Somebody has already had a nibble at the bottom left one. 

With the doughnuts I had better put the  on.

Coffee time.  

 

David

[Track fiddler]

Good morning

Looks like your having the same weather across the pond David.  Freezing rain turning to snow and sleet forecasted for today.  Yesterday was 40°.

Thanks for getting us safely to St Paul in the wee hours of the morning Ed.  I'll have to dig up the few local pics I have.  To bad the weather's bad today or I'd happily go get some more.

Thanks for the donuts Mike

 

 

TF

[Track fiddler]

Good morning and Welcome to Minnesota

 

Thanks for bringing all the guys into Bandana Square this morning Ed.

Not too heavy on my history here but from what I understand, back in the Steamer days Bandana Square was called the Como Shops owned by Northern Pacific Railway.

Also from what I understand the Servicing Faculty was mainly used for maintenance on passenger cars.

Here's a few images of what's left of the transfer table.

I think this was the Ash Incinerator after they burnt coal for heat?  There used to be a really cool F7 parked where the BN boxcar is now.  That was many years ago and I don't know when they switched them.  It would have been really interesting to see the equipment used to do that because the tracks where the box car rests doesn't go anywhere.

I got a kick out of the Burlington Northern boxcar that kind of sums things up in a few words

 

Years ago Bandana Square used to be a shopping mall with shops and really good food.  Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum which is quite spectacular was there from 1984 to 2016

Shortly before 2016 Fairview medical started taking over.  The Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum was forced to move as the medical conglomerate raised the rent too high to force them out.

It must have been quite the job to move that huge layout.  I have been to their new location which is on Prior Street I do believe, down by University Avenue in Saint Paul.

 

Thanks for stopping by guys

 

 

 

TF

[Water Level Route]

NorthBrit

Somebody has already had a nibble at the bottom left one. 

Yep.  That's the one I claimed.

Thanks for the coffee!

TF, neat pictures.

[York1]

TF, thanks for the tour of Bandana Square.

David, I don't normally like steam engines, but that rocket is pretty neat!

Thanks for the donuts, Mike.  I normally have donuts only once a week (at church after the service).  With not going to church for a long time, your donuts are a welcome sight!

 

Ed, thanks for the picture of the way real trains are supposed to look:

 

I got my two mile walk in this morning, but part of the way I was aided by a 35 mph backwind.  That helped balance out the headwind I faced for half the walk.

More work on the layout hotel today.  I also have a couple of movies on the DVR that I have put off watching.  Today's mess outside means this would be a good day to stay in and watch the movies.

I hope every diner has a good healthy day today.

[SeeYou190]

Thank you for the donuts Mike.

Ed and TF: Thank you for showing us around Minnesota.

I am awake at 10:00 AM, something must be wrong.

-Kevin

[Track fiddler]

SeeYou190

I am awake at 10:00 AM, something must be wrong.

-Kevin

 

Look out and hold onto your hats!  Sleeps till noon is on the move early! 

 

 

TF

[York1]

SeeYou190

I am awake at 10:00 AM, something must be wrong.

You and I are on opposite sides of the sleep cycle.  I still get up at 5:45 a.m. with no alarm clock, even in the four years since retirement.  My wife sleeps until noon.  We don't see each other a lot.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning, everybody . Let's see who is here.... 

Hello to Bear, Ed, David NorthBrit, Mike, TF, John York1, Kevin. 

Mike ..... Thanks for the donuts. 

TF ....... Thanks for the great photos. 

David ..... Nice of you to bring the original Rocket to the Diner. 

Ed ..... Thanks for the trip to St Paul, and the pictures and videos.  .... There is much to say about trains in MN. Railroads serving the Iron Range were very interesting. CN's DW&P connected western Canada with the US with its line from the border to Duluth. Several railroads served the Twin Cities. Transcontinental trains such as the EMpire Builder passed theough the TC. GN had several regional passenger trains operating out of St. Paul. There were several trains between the TC and Chicago including my favorite, The Twin Cities Zephyr. The Zephyr Rocket was a jointly operated train on Rock Island and Burlington to St.Louis. 

I see our next trip is on the Kansas City Rocket. KC was also a railroad hub with many fine passeger trains operated by several railroads. ... I recall seeing the Aerotrain running on RI in Chicago. In later years I saw one loco and two coaches of it at the St. Louis Museum. 

Everybody .......... Have a great day ! 

[MisterBeasley]

Steven Otte sighting!  He was asking a new poster to continue threads rather than starting a new one.  After reading that short thread, I couldn't go back.  Then I got a 403 Forbidden message trying to reply on the Diner.

I hope the rest of the day doesn't go like this.

[SeeYou190]

MisterBeasley

Steven Otte sighting!  He was asking a new poster to continue threads rather than starting a new one.  After reading that short thread, I couldn't go back. 

I know... I saw it too... (funniest line in a TV show ever for sci-fi nerds).

Steve must have deleted the thread. Now his response does not show up in his activity archive.

At least we know he is about and keeping an eye in things.

-Kevin

 

[BigDaddy]

Kevin if you change your signature to Ulrich, I'll bet we can flush him out.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Mr. B and Henry ..... I see you are here also. Good to see you. Lunch time now. Maybe, Ed's Rock Island train is serving sandwiches. .... Cheers. 

[CNCharlie]

Good Morning,

A dull but warm day here with light snow expected.

John, I chocked on my coffee when l read that you don't like steam. How is that even possible? 

Nice to visit St.Paul. I see lutefisk is on th Diner menu today. Yum,yum.

I'm up at 8 a.m. but my wife never before noon, more likely 2, but she is up until 3 or 4 a.m. 

Time for more coffee.

CN Charlie

 

[Track fiddler]

Well it's getting close to lunchtime.  Since we're in Saint Paul, let's stroll back a couple summers ago and go behind the Union Depot to check out the big boy.

That ought to build up your appetite.  Just two blocks up the street is a great pub for lunch I think everyone will enjoy.

Have the cheeseburger and a bloody or a beer on me!

I already worked on my bloody a little bit, Enjoy

For dessert I have some Minnesota wild raspberries my buddy Erv picked fresh out of his garden.

 

Maybe after lunch we could go check out Stillwater Minnesota.

 

 

TF