York1One railroad now has some pretty neat railroads in its history:
https://www.bnsf.com/bnsf-resources/pdf/about-bnsf/History_and_Legacy.pdf
Whoa! Top of the page! I'll offer John's favorite breakfast for everyone. Might need a tad more bacon though.
Mike
Good morning ....
Kevin ...... I was saddened as I read your update about your Sister In Law. Prayers continue. ... Sorry, I'm not interested in moving to Florida although you would most likely be a very good neighbor.
John York 1 ..... I agree BNSF has some interesting predecesser railroads. Most of my HO models are those railroads. I model before the BN merger, and so I have nothing lettered Burlington Northern and nothing lettered BNSF. ...... Nice picture of grandkids.
Mike .... That is a lot of bacon.
Bear ..... I like the pictures of NZ trains.
Brent.... Did I see snow in one of your photos? Cool. .... Nice picture of the train on a trestle.
Ed ..... Your photos have trains in beautiful locations.
Mike .... Too bad about the noise your parents had at their house near Kalamazoo. It would be annoying.
Everybody .... Have a nice day.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good morning, IT"S RAINING! YEAAAA! Welcomed wetness.
Visiting the Dentist is the order of the day, just for a cleaning. The hygenist is from China, beautiful and an absolute delight. She was an actual Dentist in China but has not qualified to practice here yet so she is a hygenist in the meantime. She will absolutely be my Dentist when she does.
SeeYou190BATMAN I wonder what I could rent them all out for Just short of $2,000.00 per month. The high rents are what is driving up the prices right now. The 3BR house across the street from me has three couples sharing the rent.
$2000.00 a month? Off the top of my head, the monthly mortgage payment would be around $1300.00. If I was a young man I would be buying them up like hotcakes. That's what I did right out of high school here and was off to the races.
Bear, keep those photos coming, it helps to see them when we can't hop on a plane and go somewhere.
Heartland Division CB&QBrent.... Did I see snow in one of your photos? Cool. .... Nice picture of the train on a trestle.
It's an old photo Garry, we don't have snow here at this point in time, the temps are still in the high 70s(f). It is a fair trek to the mailbox and one I thoroughly enjoy. I usually only take one dog with me and when I decide to go I ask "who wants to go get the mail"? Then it is a herd of Golden Retrievers going pick me, pick me. Often I will take the scenic route and end up finally passing the mail panel a couple of hours later on the way home. At the start of the mail run, the dog runs up ahead, stops at the fork in the trail, then slowly moves towards the trail that is the long way. They are not dumb.
That photo of the BNSF train on the trestle is a coal train heading back to the Powder River Basin from Roberts Bank coal terminal. The photo is at Ocean Park B.C.
Here it is again a few seconds later. I was trying to take a photo of my truck and this train photobombed it.
Time to get productive, 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."
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
When it opened I was starting 8th grade in Gainesville, just a couple hours away. It was an awesome attraction, and it has sure stood up well over time. The first year it was open I think we visited Walt Disney World at least four or five times.
The scenery was designed by a prominent model railroader, off the top of my head I think his name was Olson. It feels like a big model railroad. Zipping through the dinosaur ribcage at the end of the ride was a perfect touch.
All my girls have ridden Big Thunder with me, and this attraction, like all of Walt Disney World has been the anchor of so many great memories.
DoughlessI couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Gotta be within 10 minutes of two full service grocery stores; fifteen minutes within 3 big box hardware stores, preferably. Not to mention 5 minutes from any EMT unit.... Flat yard. Flat streets. Easy to walk and ride. I like habitable terrain. Dramatic scenery is pretty in pictures, but its suitable really only for trains and not really humans.
I am 100% in agreement Doug.
I can go visit the scenic vistas of North America any time I desire.
Knowing where to get my own food and water NEVER crosses my mind. I can pay other people to do that for me.
Within 15 minutes of my house I have four Publix grocery stores, four other supermarkets, two Walmart Super-Centers, a Super Target, two Home Depots, Lowes, and an Ace Hardware. Lee Memorial Hospital and Cape Coral Memorial Hospital are each less than ten minutes away. A fire station is about a mile away and there is an EMT ambulance literally stationed at the entrance to my neighborhood.
Not to mention, in three hours I can be at nearly any of the world famous tourist destinations, enjoying the Miami nightlife, snorkeling on a reef, eating at some of the best steakhouses in the USA, on a ferry to Key West, or riding dirt bikes in Crooms.
The only thing I need to concern myself with is which Publix to go to.
No one loves to see dramatic terrain more than I do, but none of it makes me want to live there. 90% of it makes me glad I do not live there. I cannot imagine waking up and needing to do the same thing every single day just to live in the wild. I have entertainment choices from professional stage productions to world famous touring bands anytime I want within an easy drive.
Conventions, concert tours, travelling stage productions... they ALL come to several venues in Florida. I can do anything I want.
I also have infinite choices. I can find a favorite restaurant, favorite Publix, favorite anything. I don't need to go anywhere because it is the only choice in town.
Pretty in pictures, but it is brutal and unbearable for any length of time.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Mike, thanks for the bacon and for the neat BNSF history. I hadn't seen that before. We sit on one of the BNSF double mainlines for coal from Powder River. Lots of coal trains, but not a lot of other types of cars.
Kevin, I agree about Thunder Mountain. It is a neat setup. Here's one of the few photos that doesn't have kids or grandkids:
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."
BATMAN$2000.00 a month? Off the top of my head, the monthly mortgage payment would be around $1300.00. If I was a young man I would be buying them up like hotcakes. That's what I did right out of high school here and was off to the races.
I realize the Diner isn't a place to get to serious, but before any young man gets any ideas.....
Unless that young man, or woman, has $60,000 of cash or equity in other properties, a properly run US commercial bank would not give him financing.
If you assume 100% financing of a $300,000 purchase price under rental property lending terms, that mortgage is about $1,500. Add in RE taxes of probably $300 per month, insurance in hurricane country of $50 per month, and the mortgage insurance a responsible lender would require for the lack of downpayment, and a reasonable amount set aside as a maintenance reserve, that pretty much adds up to the $2,000 per month rent an investor would be receiving.
In order to make a clear margin between rent vs mortgage payment, the buyer would have to get the mortgage down from full $300,000 to about $240,000..
So that high school kid, if USA commercial bank financed, would have to follow safe and sound lending practices and bring $60,000 of his own cash to the transaction. (Unless its the years 2003 to 2007 when banks might make a 110% loan and lend him $320,000, LOL). In 2021, maybe a bank would do a 90% investor loan and he only needs to bring 10% down, or 30 grand. But that would raise his mortgage payment, incurr mortgage insurance expense, and cut his monthly cash flow margin pretty thin.
- Douglas
York1 I agree about Thunder Mountain. It is a neat setup. Here's one of the few photos that doesn't have kids or grandkids:
John, that is a great picture of Thunder Mountain.
I have all kinds of great pictures I would love to share, but my girls seem to be in every single one of them! I am sure people would get tired of pictures of them.
DoughlessBut that would raise his mortgage payment, incurr mortgage insurance expense, and cut his monthly cash flow margin pretty thin.
Thanks Douglas. I was going to try to make all those points, but I never could have worded the explanation as well as you did.
House prices run right in parallel with what expected rental income can be. There is not a gold mine, but for large well-footed investors, there is opportunity.
SeeYou190Thanks Douglas. I was going to try to make all those points, but I never could have worded the explanation as well as you did. House prices run right in parallel with what expected rental income can be. There is not a gold mine, but for large well-footed investors, there is opportunity.
Yep, unless there are temporary...temporary...supply and demand sorts of things going on. Which could be the case where you're at.
But typically the rents will tend to equal mortgage payments plus expenses unless you have capital invested to bring the mortgage debt level down. It nets out to where the investor makes a return on his $60,000 down payment over the long term, by the value of the house appreciating and by the renters making your mortgage payment for you. And by having a good/honest maintenance man that doesn't bleed you dry. Best to have some handyman skills as to not have to hire out every blasted problem the renter finds...or causes.
I like SW Florida because it actually reminds me of central Nebraska where I grew up. Not the water of course, but central Nebraska has very sandy soil and is very flat.
The flatness, sand, and somewhat low growing foliage takes me back 40 years ago, driving my 1974 Dodge Charger with blazing hot vinyl seats on a 93 degree summer's day in Nebraska. To me Florida = Nebraska = the freedom of being a 17 year old kid on summer vacation. Not kidding.
DoughlessUnless that young man, or woman, has $60,000 of cash or equity in other properties, a properly run US commercial bank would not give him financing.
I bought my first property right out of high school and had the money for the down payment. That was a big mistake as I was to find out later when I bought the rest of them with no money down. When I went to buy my second property, the banks would not help me out with a mortgage. I was somewhat frustrated by this and as with all things in life started reading and educating myself on creative financing. I went to a mortgage broker that said no problem and I got mortgages through private lenders. All legal, all above board, and cheaper than any bank. I remember the broker setting me up with a deal with a little old lady that had won a lottery. She was sharp as a tack and was delighted to help a nineteen-year-old out. She died a few years later and the estate got the balance of the mortgage back, but not before I sold the building. Low-interest rates mean the world is awash in money. But you need to be prudent.
The only time I ever had a vacancy was when I planned to renovate a suite. Don't tell Lastspikemike, but I did all my own work. Who needs sleep anyway.
You need to study things like vacancy rates or you can get into trouble. Vancouver (back then) was the perfect storm for a young real estate entre-manuer as my friends would call me. Small growing towns are the best place to look, and it is important to study what the economic base is of the area. Anywhere old people flock to is usually sound as they do not like to move until age requires it.
Went to the Dentist which is a ways away because she is a good friend and it is worth the drive. The office is in a small very nice mall. It is an area where lots of seniors live and the mall was just full of them just sitting there, some were sitting in front of the lottery booth playing keno. I sure hope that is never me. Fortunately, I have a hobby that can take me into old (er) age. If I can't have a layout I will try to keep building models, it beats sitting like a zombie in the mall.
Done my third cup of coffee, time to go put the top back on the truck to get ready to move the Daughter back to University next week.
Bringing up the rear.
I think I got a job.
I applied at Home Depot a few weeks ago. Today I got an email from Home Depot that asked me a few questions.
Then I got another email 10 minutes later that said I have been selected to be hired, and I should be there tomorrow at 2:00 in the afternoon for new employee orientation.
OK... I will see what happens.
13 dollars an hour, 24 hours a week. It will get me out of the house a little bit.
I'll see what they say.
Congratulations Kevin, I often think I wouldn't mind a part-time job at Home Depot just to get me out of the house. Unfortunately, I never know how my arthritis will be day to day. For this reason, I consider myself unreliable as an employee.
I have gotten to know the gang at home depot quite well with all the Renos we have been doing and the workplace seems to be a good one.
BATMANI bought my first property right out of high school and had the money for the down payment. That was a big mistake as I was to find out later when I bought the rest of them with no money down. When I went to buy my second property, the banks would not help me out with a mortgage. I was somewhat frustrated by this and as with all things in life started reading and educating myself on creative financing. I went to a mortgage broker that said no problem and I got mortgages through private lenders. All legal, all above board, and cheaper than any bank. I remember the broker setting me up with a deal with a little old lady that had won a lottery. She was sharp as a tack and was delighted to help a nineteen-year-old out. She died a few years later and the estate got the balance of the mortgage back, but not before I sold the building. Low-interest rates mean the world is awash in money. But you need to be prudent.
Back then it was easier to work and save for bigger ticket items as a kid. I worked jobs throughtout the summer and school year to pay for each next college year. Tuition and room and board was much more reasonable then than it is now.
Jobs don't pay as well for a high school student to save the $60,000 to buy Kevins neighbors house.
Maybe at $14.00 hour, there will be a short window where high school kids can earn and save enough to afford the down stroke on a reasonable property, before the prices rise too much or the wages come back down. Starting to look like 2007 again in some places.
Once you have the first property, its easier to get the second. You've got some equity, capital, built up and that helps even if you don't have to pledge it.
But to every transaction, there is a debt component and a capital component. Neither can be ignored or fabricated. If you don't have enough of either, you have to convince someone else to give it or lend it to you. There are probably individuals around who will invest in that kind of venture for whatever reason they have, but that is pretty uncommon these days.
I don't disagree with anything you say, Douglas, in my case I made sure I was well covered. My Dad worked at the Post Office and my Mom was the local piano teacher, we had everything we needed. The bills got paid and I only remember them having to get bank loans a couple of times when something came out of the blue at them. There were no credit cards or lines of credit for the average joe back then.
At a young age I remember thinking I wanted what they had but without the money worries. Just an average house but no mortgage and never having a car loan. That was my goal. I wanted every penny I made working to be spending money, so I set out to have investments pay for the cost of living. House and car.
At age 14 I had a plan and began to carry it out. I hated school with a passion as I thought it was a completely unproductive waste of time only because they took forever to teach something that could be learned in a fraction of the time in reality. Most of the time I felt like I was sitting in class waiting for the other kids to finish up. I was a B+ student with little effort.
In grade ten I got a job with the city at full city union wages full time. I still maintained my "B" average. My Dad insisted on still giving me my allowance even though I told him he didn't need to. My allowance was 1 hour's pay of what I made at work which was about what my Dad made at the Post Office, but he insisted. I was going to quit the city job as soon as I had graduated and go work in the resource sector or on an oil rig which a good friend of mine did. Several of my friends got set for life by working in the resource sector. I stumbled into a job with the Federal Government that had a lot of upside and stayed and worked as much as I wanted to because they could not keep enough people in the positions available. The rest is history.
The bookshelves in our office are full of my wife's Veterinarian medical textbooks but one bookcase is full of all the textbooks on finance. The worst reading in the world if you want to stay awake. I got through them all and refer back to them just as my wife refers back to her medical books.
My plan was to get rid of all my real estate holdings by 40 and enjoy life which I did. I got married at forty but I was set for life, the first thing I did was pay off my wife's student loan and car loan when we got married. I had my house before the wife but she loved it.
I think what I am trying to say is, getting what you want is not hard it is just a matter of doing it by learning how.
My son just called telling me of his stellar day of stock trading. He made $20.00 flipping CN stock today. We had a good laugh. He often comes in and pulls one of my books off the shelf.
SeeYou190I think I got a job.
Congratulations Kevin!
I worked at Home Depot for a couple of years after I retired from Sears Canada. For the most part they were really good people, including the managers. I had to quit because my back couldn't tolerate standing for long hours.
They have good training systems and you can work at your own pace. Most of the customers were pretty good too, but there was the odd exception.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I believe I may have been a TV star on a Home Depot video system. I was looking for a certain thing and I couldn't find it. I began walking every aisle, looking sideways at every section.
I walked right into a support beam. I hit it so hard I nearly fell over.
I could just imagine that in an office somewhere, someone monitoring the video system was laughing his head off. I tried to act like it was no big deal.
Congratulations Kevin. Your handy experience will be beneficial to you and customers. When my little town got a Home Depot, I was really excited as we were buying our first house. The service when they opened was abysmal. I wrote it off at first as the growing pains of a freshly opened business. It didn't get any better. One night I was trying to fabricate something to fix my house's cobbled together plumbing. Back and forth I went up and down the PVC parts aisle with no fewer than three HD employees watching me search. None offered to help me or even ask what it was I needed. That type of experience wasn't uncommon for me or others. For years. Then it was announced that we were getting a Lowe's. The HD employees would practically trip over each other fighting to offer to help you as you tried to navigate past them in the store after that. I quickly became a pretty loyal Lowes customer, only going to HD when I needed to. That's starting to soften now though. Only took 15 or 20 years.
Water Level RouteYour handy experience will be beneficial to you and customers.
I hope so. I honestly do not even remember which jobs I applied for. I applied for a lot of them.
Not sure I am understanding this process. They made me an offer, but have not interviewed me. They told me to show up for orientation tomorrow, but did not tell me to bring necessary documents for a DHS I-9.
I will see what happens.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi Bear,
I'm enjoying the pictures from your vacation. Beautiful scenery!
However, I have to confess to being really dumb. It only recently occurred to me that you were taking a winter vacation! None the less, you seem to have had a really great time! Just don't wait for another 20 years before your next one!
Cheers!!
Post Hog!!
Okay, I will admit to not having done anything substantial model railroading wise for quite some time. Guilty!
However, I have been having a lot of fun over the past few days working on a couple of designs for our son's new kitchen. I have a bit of experience with kitchen design but it is probably just enough to seriously bother the real kitchen designers. I'll have fun watching them try to be patient when I present my concepts to them!
I have to put in a plug here for the 3rd PlanIt software. It is easily adapted to designing other things, like kitchens. I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it.
BATMANI think what I am trying to say is, getting what you want is not hard it is just a matter of doing it by learning how.
Keeping your eye on your goal relentlessly, essentially, showing tremendous interest in that goal every day of your life, is really what anybody needs. If you keep thinking, eventually you will acquire the knowledge needed.
Most young men think about being a husband and father in their early 20s. I didn't, but most do (maybe some shouldn't). When that happens, real life obligations take up the time and energy that would have otherwise been put into the other goals. It can be a trade off with the result being whatever makes you the happiest.
I chose the corporate ladder route. In high school, I knew that companies required that piece of paper called a college degree, and also knew that I would have to spend 4 years of time and money getting "educated" in order to accumulate the 18 months of useful knowledge I was looking for.
Which reminds me of one of life's realities.
Acquiring useless knowledge is about as useful as acquiring none at all.
SeeYou190Not sure I am understanding this process. They made me an offer, but have not interviewed me. They told me to show up for orientation tomorrow, but did not tell me to bring necessary documents for a DHS I-9
Just speculating, but it sounds like how my son got his job at Walmart. No interview, because they are looking for help, they'll take just about anybody. (no offense. LOL).
These are huge monolithic corporations that treat everybody the same. They likely have an orientation process that bombards you with every type of document you'll need to be a HD "team member", no matter where they will eventually put you. Fill out the docs for a DHS, all the way to filling out your 401k documents like you're 25 years old and plan to be there for 30 years.
Then they'll tell you when your first day of work is.
SeeYou190I think I got a job. I applied at Home Depot a few weeks ago. Today I got an email from Home Depot that asked me a few questions. Then I got another email 10 minutes later that said I have been selected to be hired, and I should be there tomorrow at 2:00 in the afternoon for new employee orientation.
If you get the job, and if you get an employee discount on tools and lumber, I may be taking a vacation with a utility trailer to visit you, my good friend, who wouldn't mind doing a favor for me, your good friend.
Doughless Which reminds me of one of life's realities. Acquiring useless knowledge is about as useful as acquiring none at all.
Ah the memories. Only a year to go before I retired at 65 years of age I got a job working in the office of a roofing company. The job was to answer the telephone for appointments. A contract for nine months.
In that nine months I knew how to roof a building and all the jargon required. Never went on a roof. I cannot stand heights!!!
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
A few times, I've been in the local hardware store and people have come up to me with rather detailed plumbing or electrical questions. I did my best to help them with my limited knowledge, and then I tried to find someone else to help. You see, I don't work in a hardware store. I'm a radar systems guy. I guess people thought I knew what I was doing.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
DoughlessNo interview, because they are looking for help, they'll take just about anybody. (no offense. LOL).
In 90 minutes I will know. I am more curious about the process than the actual part time job.
After weeks of applying for dippy part time gigs, I had given up. I figured people looked at my resume and thought that at my last job I reported directly to the regional executive vice president of operations for a Fortune 500 company, and now I want to stack cat food?... Nope. There must be something wrong with this guy.
MisterBeasley I've been in the local hardware store and people have come up to me with rather detailed plumbing or electrical questions. I did my best to help them with my limited knowledge, and then I tried to find someone else to help.
With the way that I look, how I dress, the size I am, and how I carry myself, people always assume I must know everything about how to repair a house. The fact is, that up until two years ago, I knew almost nothing.
It always amazed my when I would be in Home Depot buying spray paint for a Cosplay prop, and someone would just walk up to me and ask "Will this circuit breaker be suitable for 8 gauge alluminum wiring?"
I always wondered what part of my appearance made them think I would know.
Congradulations Kevin, one of my fellow club members has the same position, the only bad thing he works in the nursery area and usually has to work on Saturdays when we have our club meetings.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
dti406Congradulations Kevin, one of my fellow club members has the same position, the only bad thing he works in the nursery area and usually has to work on Saturdays when we have our club meetings.
Thanks Rick. I really do not want to work Thursdays or Fridays. Thursday is lawn maintenance day and Friday is Wargaming night. I am going to see what they say.
SeeYou190With the way that I look, how I dress, the size I am, and how I carry myself, people always assume I must know everything about how to repair a house. The fact is, that up until two years ago, I knew almost nothing. It always amazed my when I would be in Home Depot buying spray paint for a Cosplay prop, and someone would just walk up to me and ask "Will this circuit breaker be suitable for 8 gauge alluminum wiring?" I always wondered what part of my appearance made them think I would know.
During my standing summer job between college seasons, by boss told us a story about how he achieved rank during Vietnam. I guess he was in a pretty dicey area at a bad time, and the Officer promoted him over the others because he was 6'5", the tallest one, and figured the rest would be more likely to follow his lead over anybody.
DoughlessI guess he was in a pretty dicey area at a bad time, and the Officer promoted him over the others because he was 6'5", the tallest one, and figured the rest would be more likely to follow his lead over anybody.
I am 6' 7", and many veterans have told me I would have been an officer if I had enlisted just because of my height. I hoped that would not be true. I am not a combatant, hero, or even remotely brave.
My only command would be, OK soldiers, lets go find a safe place to hide until combat is over.
Tall people make good targets for bad shots.
I had the (very quick) interview at Home Depot. I am hired pending background check. That should be easy.
I am to show up on Tuesday for my first day of work. Apparently getting hired for part time entry level gigs is just a lottery system. The interviewer had not seen my resume or work history. She pretty much just wanted to know if I had a pulse.