That's good news, Steven!
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."
Glad you're back to hitting on all eight cylinders, Steven
I hope everyone else dealing with health issues or otherwise find some relief soon.
My Amish crew arrived today to reside the old goat barn. I mentioned earlier that when I built it in 2008 I had maybe $1300 in materials. The cost to reside it was $5600 The barn is only 12 x 16 feet! (goats don't take up much room)
The crew was done by noon. So about $1000/hr. sounds about right
What have we here?
221231_1_altoona by lmyers83, on Flickr
Printing press? Lasagna maker? Enigma machine?
What you're looking at hasn't seen the light of day in more than sixty years.
Good Luck, Ed
gmpullmanWhat have we here?
That looks to me like a crane sans its outer skin and boom.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterThat looks to me like a crane sans its outer skin and boom. Dave
Buy the man a drink of his favorite!
221219_1_altoona by lmyers83, on Flickr
Going...
221228_2_altoona by lmyers83, on Flickr
Almost gone...
221231_4_altoona by lmyers83, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good morning Diners. A large coffee please.
Thanks guys for the concern over my fall. Though not serious I have a couple of cuts and bruises from colliding with furniture.
Grandchildren are on school holidays this week, so they are in and out visiting.
Stay Safe Everyone.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning, diners. Happy Mardi Gras! Bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
Busy day scheduled. On top of everything else, I plan to do some ballasting today. I might as well get several unpleasant things out of the way in one day.
When I started my layouts four years ago, my wife let me use a spare bedroom. Eventually, my wife let me move the bed out, and now the room is completely a layout room. Now I want to do more -- change the wall pictures, repaint, etc. I think I'm going to tell her today. If I don't post anything more, check my town's obituaries.
I'm a little worried about the diner. Business seems to have slacked off the past several weeks. I hope things pick up.
Have a great day, everyone.
gmpullmanPrinting press? Lasagna maker? Enigma machine?
Ach de lever augistine slot machine run on schemem,when you put a nickle in nothing come out.
Now here is a machine more simpler...
This is the North Dakota Rapid Transit...
Wait for it...
Ta Da....
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
gmpullmanMy Amish crew arrived today to reside the old goat barn. I mentioned earlier that when I built it in 2008 I had maybe $1300 in materials. The cost to reside it was $5600 The barn is only 12 x 16 feet! (goats don't take up much room) The crew was done by noon. So about $1000/hr. sounds about right
WOW Ed.! That's crazy! Last year,I stick built a 12 x 16 shed, with a metal roof, at our place up north, and, including the paint and LP Smart side, it cost me $3500. The slab cost me $600. in concrete.
What did they use for siding?
Mike.
My You Tube
York1 I'm a little worried about the diner. Business seems to have slacked off the past several weeks. I hope things pick up.
In the years I've here, I noticed a seasonal ebb and flow for the whole forum that happens every year. There's a rush in the last few months as modelers put away their mowers and tractors and settle in to their train rooms once again, then another rush after Christmas as modelers, young and old, discover what Santa has brought them, but face it, we're a better resource than those elves from the north. After that, it's a slow decline as we go to occasional train shows and pick up new supplies for the fall, and the Circle of Layout Life begins anew.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Lumber went up quite a bit during Covid. A friend of a friend build a 4 car garage that looks like a barn. Inside it has a loft for machining tools. At least 1,200 sq ft. No idea what it cost, but the Amish price was 5 figures lower than the local contractors.
And they used pegs.
Steve can edit this if he needs to. I'm not promoting a web site, per se, but Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is posting spectacular pics and videos of their steam engine on their Instagram channel.
Use the snipping tool and you have a great wall paper.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
If a sea gull flies over the ocean
Then what flies over the bay?
Good morning
Been rehabbing a three bedroom condo on the second floor. The tenant was there for 30 years and a heavy smoker, so it all had to be Killz-ed and then painted again.
Been coming home, eating dinner, and passing out in the recliner. This job kinda violates my (something to do) in semi retirement rule, and will be glad when it's done.
Have some new modeling ideas and looking forward to them when there's time.
Thanks for sending down the Arctic Air Blast Charlie, as it was refreshing. Currently we are having all the snow you're sending
Would have loved to camp out in the Caboose you built, while helping you side the goat shed Ed. We could have installed siding by day, and ran Trains at night, while having a few cold ones. Don't have the tricks in my carpenter hat that the Amish do, but between the two of us, we may have gotten by Do we get new baby goats in the spring? Sure do like those guys
Glad you and the wife got through the covid okay, and are feeling better Steve-O. Was lucky enough not to get it too bad myself, but losing the sense of smell and taste sure was weird.
The ballasting sounds like a relaxing past time John. For starting a new layout later than me, you certainly have passed me by in flying colors, getting things done...
Good to hear you didn't hurt yourself too bad with your fall David, you be careful. It looks like I'm 90 years old, walking on the ice these days. Been prone to cracking my ribs, and don't want to play that game anymore Sure is nice you get to see the grandchildren frequently. Looking forward to my grandson Carter's graduation this spring
Those sure look tasty Bear, and one of my favorites from my youth. Every time I'm in a new bakery looking for those cream puffs, they look at me like I'm from the Dark Side of the Moon, when asking about them. They seem to be a pastry of the past around here
BroadwayLion If a sea gull flies over the ocean Then what flies over the bay?
Seem to remember dis one from a few years ago Br Lion. Somehow knew there'ld be a quiz one day, so paid attention back den.
Dats what him wants ewe to tink, but here's da answer.
Woof Woof!
Hope everyone's doing well, and talk to ya later
TF
mbinsewiWOW Ed.! That's crazy! Last year,I stick built a 12 x 16 shed, with a metal roof, at our place up north, and, including the paint and LP Smart side, it cost me $3500.
I hear 'ya, Mike. Like I said in the earlier post I don't think I have but $14-1500 in it when I built it in 2008. Sure wish I would have used Smart Siding then. I used T&G pine and it started to rot after about five years. The goat pee didn't help!
Old Goat Barn by Edmund, on Flickr
Track fiddlerWould have loved to camp out in the Caboose you built, while helping you side the goat shed Ed. We could have installed siding by day, and ran Trains at night, while having a few cold ones. Don't have the tricks in my carpenter hat that the Amish do, but between the two of us, we may have gotten by
Glad to see you back TF! I'm sure we could have done a bang-up job on that old goat barn. It's a tiny thing. I resided the caboose two years ago (same rotted T&G on it) and I was all ready to do the barn this summer but these guys called back and I sad, why not. Easier these days to write a check than swing a hammer.
One of a kind paint (at least these days, anyway):
The Streamiest Streamliner by Don Kalkman, on Flickr
United Pacific by Don Kalkman, on Flickr
Cheers, ed
Good evening Diners. A cup of tea and a piece of cake please, Janie.
The grandchildren have all gone home. Silence.
Off to run some 'serious' trains by myself. The timetable has gone mad. The little people are not amused.
Good late morning. Normally I'm up before 6:00 a.m. This morning -- 8:00 a.m. I have no idea why I slept late.
In spire of that, I'll have bacon, eggs, and black coffee.
Welcome back, TF. I'm sure that paint job was difficult. On our street, an elderly woman owned a house that she lived in since it was new. She smoked heavily, and when she died, the house's walls that started out white were brown. The new young couple that moved in did just about everything, including covering all walls and woodwork with primer that was guaranteed to seal the surface. Nothing worked. They finally took out all the sheetrock and the insulation and replaced it. It was a very expensive restoration to get rid of the smoke smell, but it worked.
We are in a storm today. The wind is blowing, the temps are dropping, and it will be snowing by afternoon. Spring isn't here yet.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Good Morning,
Bear, those cream buns sure look good.
TF, glad you like the cold because more is coming your way! An Extreme Cold Warning was issued here today and that is no fooling. The snow didn't come from me, likely Colorado is the guilty party.
John, you are certainly correct about air fare costs. Looked up Toronto to Johannesburg and it has doubled from what we paid in 2019. The hotel in Istanbul is up over 50%. That with the large increases inthe safari camp rates would make the trip we took far out of reach now. In general travel costs have really increased in just a few years.
Have the S3 on a short freight so will run it this afternoon.
CN Charlie
A Bagle! I never thought of that.
Everybody knows that a Coast Gaurd helicopter flies over the bay!
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
I am back at home.
There is a lot of catching up I need to do in the Diner. I will be back tonight with more.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190I am back at home. There is a lot of catching up I need to do in the Diner. I will be back tonight with more.
Kevin, I thought of you this weekend while I was at a train show. This dealer had this sign on the floor with plastic tubs full under the tables. There were a lot of people on their hands and knees sorting through a large number of undecorated cars.
CNCharlieLooked up Toronto to Johannesburg and it has doubled from what we paid in 2019. The hotel in Istanbul is up over 50%. That with the large increases inthe safari camp rates would make the trip we took far out of reach now.
Charlie, you and your wife certainly took some amazing trips. My recent trip to the MidEast was the first time I'd been out of North America. This summer will be my first trip to Europe. I'm looking forward to it, but I wish I'd done it earlier in my life. As with the MidEast trip, my wife is staying home. She doesn't want to travel.
Last week there was a backflow of sewage through the city's main line that flooded 9 basements in our neighborhood with raw sewage. A co-worker a block an a half down the street has $30K in damages including cleanup and rebuild. Two of our back fence neighbors had some flooding. I don't know if top of the hill means anything in sewer design, but we are located at the top of the hill, and we were spared any damage. Poop does flow down hill, but I don't know how the sewer lines are laid out in our neighborhood.
Needless to say that there has been lots of discussion in our household about possible ramifications of a future event. I could not imagine the mess if my train room was flooded. I have talked to our insurance agent about scheduling my trains; and acquiring additional coverage for a back flow event.
I am tentatively scheduled to have cataract surgery on March 6th; although the surgeon's scheduler and I have been playing phone tag to nail down a time. I can't wait to regain use of my right eye. It has been a 18 month ordeal.
Good evening diners.
Zoe - You think a round of favorite floats will bring people in? Make mine a Coke float please. Thanks.
Trains - Setting in place the next benchwork piece, then on to the next segment! The Hamburg (Buffalo) show was ok, came back with a few neat railcars, and snagged a calendar cheep. Found a intact (though non-operational) PRR 2-10-0 Decapod out behind an old station, that has been converted into a train store, along with the Buffalo Creek HH660 Alco switcher and a few other items. Overall a nice trip. (Although the new NY Thruway Tolling method is dumb as a box of rocks...)
Family - Boy was that funeral something else. The "preacher" man really got on my nerves, and I am pretty sure he was deliberately trying to get a reaction from various members of the family, based on things he said and did. He even stopped his service to reprimand my Mom for coughing (as quietly as possible) from asthma issues! I was extremely close to coughing very loudly on purpose at that point, just so he would yell at me, and give me reason to tell him off. But I didn't think that was the time or place to do so. (Had he tried to remove her, several family members would have not allowed it, myself included. Pretty sure two of my Uncle's would have escorted him out the door if he did try that.)
He said a few things about the reason we were there, talked about a few things from when my Dad's step-dad was younger, but then spoke about nothing but him, his wife, his Dad, and his Grandpa "finding religion" for the next hour... I do not think that was the time or place for that topic either. (We clearly were not there for his family. )
He misquoted (or deliberately altered) one of my favorite scriptures, then asked everyone to sing Amazing Grace with him, and he messed up, then later on in the chorus forgot the lyrics!
What he was paid by my Aunt for his "services" was way too much! (She was unhappy with him also.)
Steve-O - Glad to hear you and your wife are (mostly) recovered. I only had it once, but that was more than enough!
Henry - Thanks, and yes, alzheimers is indeed a terrible disease. My sympathies for your having to deal with it in your family. It's certainly no fun at all.
Hope all are well, best wishes for those not, and all enjoy the evening!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Evenin' folks!
ricktrains4824He misquoted (or deliberately altered) one of my favorite scriptures, then asked everyone to sing Amazing Grace with him, and he messed up, then later on in the chorus forgot the lyrics!
Maybe he was using the "holy" book with the blank pages....? As W. C. Fields once said, "I'm looking for loopholes." (Said when caught reading the Bible.).
I had a BIL way back when who prefered the one where he could Make it up as he went along.... His first name was Reverend according to him. My sister finally divorced the clown and became a Deacon in the Episcopal Church which gave her the title, "Reverend". Now, I'm a deacon in the Presbyterian church which just means I have to do some work helping people whenever I get the chance.... words can mean different things, I guess.
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmusAs W. C. Fields once said, "I'm looking for loopholes." (Said when caught reading the Bible.).
I remember, many years ago, the priest in our church giving a homily on Palm Sunday. Being Catholic, there was a lot of discussion of sin and he got into a groove on just listing kinds of sins. He then drops one on us and says (and this is a direct quote) that "The Vatican has people hard at work discovering new sins." My uncle leans over to me and whispers "how do you get that job?"
My Mother was, nd my brother is a Presbyterian Deacon. Of course I was a presbyterian too, but since presbyterian monasteries seem to be far and few between, so I became a Catholic.
The Presbyterians gave me a good religion foundation in Sunday School, and I was confirmed as a Presbyterian, but this is the point where they fell down. I think we should have received a better education on the workings of the church, from Calvin on down. There is so much more to know than "Jesus Loves me this I know"...
Last weekend I went to the Real Rail club train show in Bradenton, and also had a little mini-vacation.
I was hoping it would be a magical few days, but it was laced with small "bummers" along the way.
-All Photographs by Kevin Parson
I usually only stay at Hilton Hotel Properties, but not in Florida during tourist season. The price of the Hampton Inn in Sarasota was $350.00/night, and the Hilton Garden Inn was $400.00, yikes. We stayed at the Super-8 in Ellenton, which was still over $150.00 per night.
The Super-8 turned out to be a pleasent surprise. The hotel was clean and in good shape. It was better than some Hampton Inns I have stayed at.
We set up our tables at the train show on Friday.
Everything I was selling are items I bought, but have since changed my mind about using. Some of those Campbell kits have been replaced by Fine Scale Miniatures kits.
We were set up next to this impressive display of laser cut bridges.
That was a bit of a curse. Everyone stopped to gawk at the bridges, and foot traffic did not flow well around my tables.
Our tables were right by the front door. That was interesting. The people manning the entry were not very friendly, and a lot of visitors were getting irked as they walked in the door. A couple of times they accused people of "sneaking in" only minutes after they ripped their tickets. Who sneaks into train shows? Is this a real problem?
There were five operating layouts set up. This G Scale train was my favorite. It had a lot of character.
After the first day of the train show we went to the Shake Station for dinner. I had heard about this little local place and wanted to try it out. What a great little diner.
I had their signature "Shake Burger", and it was amazing. What a crazy list of ingredients.
Look at this masterpiece of a crafted burger. All those flavors made a symphony of a meal. My taste buds are rarely this happy.
Just to top it off, I ordered the banana split with everything, and they meant EVERYTHING! This was magnificent!
If you are ever on I-75 in Ellenton, Florida, do yourself a favor and drop into the Shake Station for a burger. It is worth it.
Sunday was a bummer day at the train show. My wife counted barely over 40 people coming in the door. No one was buying. I only sold one thing on Sunday. It was a long five hours.
I think there is no reason for any more two day train shows in Florida.
The poor guys at Zitnik's Trains and Tex-N-Rails did not make a single sale on Sunday.
Yankee Dabbler was not at this train show. I do not remember a Sarasota Train Show where they did not attend. That was a bit of a let-down. I had a shopping list for them.
After we left the train show on Sunday I bee-lined it to Land-O-Lakes for Capital Tacos! This has been my favorite taco stand for a decade.
BUMMER: They no longer have any of my favorite craft tacos on the menu, and nothing on the menu even sounded good. Something bad has happened at Capital Tacos.
I got back into the car and drove to Coney Island in Brooksville, Florida.
This was good, all my favorites were still on the menu. I indulged myself with three foot-longs. I had a Rueben, Slaw Dog, and an Al Capone. This was wonderful, and I was happy again.
On Monday we went to the Swap-O-Rama in Webster, Florida. This is a huge outdoor flea market that is only open on Mondays. The days to visit are Martin Luther King Remembrance Day and Presidents Day.
We had a great time, but spent less than $20.00 on goodies.
Monday night we ate dinner at the Smok'-N-Pig in Valdosta, Georgia.
The last time I ate there it was not very good. It was during Covid-19 protocols, and nothing was right at the restaurant.
This time... WOO HOO! The Saint Louis style spare rib platter was perfect!
I was happy that the Smok'-N-Pig is back. It is not the best Barbeque in Georgia, but it is the best I know of with easy off-and-on from Interstate 75.
We stayed the night at the Best Western Winsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia.
This hotel is a magical place. It was built in the 1890s, and is truly something to experience.
We stayed in the "Jessica Tandy" suite. Nice room.
BUMMER: The balcony bar was closed for restoration. No sipping margaritas on the balcony at night. Oh well.
Americus is an amazing city. I will prepare another seperate post about it.
On Tuesday we headed out for a couple of State Parks in Georgia that I had never visited.
BUMMER: The sky was cloudy and overcast. Picture taking conditions were terrible.
On the way, we drove through Plains, Georgia. This is the hometown of Jimmy Carter. I have visited the Jimmy Carter memorials in Plains and Atlanta before, so this was not on the agenda.
There were dozens of news crews and satellite trucks all over Plains. I was not expecting to see all that. With Jimmy Carter in Hospice right now, I guess this is the area for news. There was a ton of traffic, and people were there from all over the United States.
The stop at Providence Canyon State Park was breathtaking.
The canyon is beautiful, and if the lighting conditions were better the pictures would be even more impressive.
BUMMER: The road to the trail head was closed, so we could not hike the canyon as we planned.
Although the lighting and atmospheric conditions were bad, I think they made this photograph a bit better.
Then we headed for the Kolomoki Mounds State Park.
BUMMER: It started raining, and we cancelled the plans to visit the Mounds.
We drove all the way home. We made it back at 8:30 PM. We were expecting to get home after midnight.
This was my haul from the trains show:
I picked up all four of those undecorated Athearn RDCs for $15.00, that was a bargain. They are all unpowered and will be painted for use as photo-props. I found four more train cars for the Tyco train set for $3.00 each. I spent less than $100.00 on everything.
Hi Kevin,
That sounds like a very interesting trip despite the occassional negative experiences. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers!!
My first car was a 1963 Coupe de Ville that I bought off a RR friend who's daughter had the car at school in Georgia. That red Georgia Clay was packed in every nook and cranny of that car.
Despite your hits-n-misses, Kevin, I'm glad you had an overall OK time and got back safely.
The ol' 999 she ain't what she used to be —
110213_4 by lmyers83, on Flickr
Good morning everyone. Chloe, please just keep this cup filled with strong black coffee for a while.
York1Kevin, I thought of you this weekend while I was at a train show. This dealer had this sign on the floor with plastic tubs full under the tables. There were a lot of people on their hands and knees sorting through a large number of undecorated cars.
$5.00 each ?!?!?!?!?... I would have bought every single one of them without even sorting them out.
Good thing I was not there. The last thing I need are more freight car kits.