Good Morning Diners. Chloe, cinnamon toast and a large coffee please.
Back from the work trip I was on last week and thankful to be home! I have much catching up to do in the diner I see.
Spent part of the day yesterday planning my next home project. Plans are coming together to put a paver patio in with a nice fire pit in the center. A lot of work, but should be worth it in the end. We have quite a few campfires in the backyard so an upgrade to the area will be nice. Our current campfire area is in an out of the way spot in the yard and it's kind of a pain to mow & trim around and even after you do, it still doesn't look good. It's just kind of a mess. I hope to address most all of that with the new patio and plans for a firewood storage structure.
Gotta run. Have a good day everyone.
Edit: Top of the page! Take your pick. It's on me.
Mike
Good morning, diners.
Mike, thanks for the breakfast! That patio sounds like a nice idea. Several years ago, I put in some paver sidewalks around the house. They still look nice and are used a lot. It was a lot of work. I went to the local concrete mix place and they allowed me to shovel sand into my truck. I made trip after trip, and it only cost a few dollars. It was a lot cheaper than buying the sand by the bag.
I have a nice day ahead -- no plans! I'm sure that when my wife wakes up, that will change.
The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railroad in Montana has a roundhouse and turntable that was still in use several years ago. I'm not sure about now.
Have a great day, everyone.
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."
Mornin'!
Working Turntable at Steamtown USA!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
Good morning everyone. I will join Mike with some of that awesome looking breakfast.
When I opened the door to check the mail this morning a whole flock of flies came into the house. I have been chasing them down for the last fifteen minutes. They are crafty little buggers. I think I got them all finally.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
.
SeeYou190When I opened the door to check the mail this morning a whole flock of flies came into the house. I have been chasing them down for the last fifteen minutes. They are crafty little buggers. I think I got them all finally.
You have flies. We have moths. People around here call them millers. I don't think we had them in New Orleans. We have tons of them, and everytime we open the door, some get in. I don't think they're nearly as bothersome as flies.
York1You have flies. We have moths.
When I was in College in Tennessee I was disgusted by the number of moths that found their way indoors.
I had never seen that before.
York1 SeeYou190 When I opened the door to check the mail this morning a whole flock of flies came into the house. I have been chasing them down for the last fifteen minutes. They are crafty little buggers. I think I got them all finally. You have flies. We have moths. People around here call them millers. I don't think we had them in New Orleans. We have tons of them, and everytime we open the door, some get in. I don't think they're nearly as bothersome as flies.
SeeYou190 When I opened the door to check the mail this morning a whole flock of flies came into the house. I have been chasing them down for the last fifteen minutes. They are crafty little buggers. I think I got them all finally.
LINK to SNSR Blog
Good Afternoon,
A very pleasant day here, about 75F. We are sitting on the patio backyard birding. We had 28 species yesterday with the highlight being a Wilson's warbler.
Dave, congrats on the new vehicle. Very exciting. Are you still building your garage layout?
Nothing new here. Have the Doors Riders on the Storm on my brain. One of my favourite rock songs. Was on the radio when I moved to Barrie to start my first job, summer of '71. I was a financial management trainee for GE at the housewares plant there. I only lasted a year with them before moving on to Sunoco as a sales rep that far better suited my very restless nature at that time.
Well time for more iced coffee and pick up the bins. Had a Bay Breasted warbler a while ago.
CN Charlie
I used to have an outdoor bug zapper when I lived in Massachusetts. I hung it in a tree away from the house and ran an extension cord. I found the blue jays liked to hang out on the ground below the zapper, eating the French fried bugs that fell from the sky.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The sound of bug zappers at night is right up there with the smell of naplam in the morning. Especially for those of us living in the South.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyThe sound of bug zappers at night is right up there with the smell of naplam in the morning.
Dianne and I had a neighbour a few years ago who insisted on leaving his bug zapper on all night. It drove us nuts. We love fresh air but we couldn't sleep with the window open because of the noise. Finally one night at about 2:00 am we called the cops and an officer dutifully came around to investigate. He stood in our backyard for a few minutes and then promptly went around to the neighbour's front door and told them to shut it off or they would be charged with making unneccesary noise. Problem solved!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterTold them to shut it off or they would be charged with making unneccesary noise. Problem solved!
What I would give to have such a law enforced down here.
SeeYou190What I would give to have such a law enforced down here.
Hi Kevin,
We live in a relatively small town and the police work very hard to keep things calm. The bug zapper is only one example. Unfortunately we are not free of serious crime. A few weeks ago two of our police officers were ambushed and killed when responding to a domestic dispute. Fortunately, that was a rare exception to our normal state of affairs, but it is tragic none the less.
I won't say 'Cheers!!' given the nature of the discussion.
Good morning, diners. Chloe, I'll have bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
Dave, that's horrible news about the policemen. A tragedy for their families and fellow officers.
On the train front: Our small town has five crossings in about a two-mile stretch. We sit on a BNSF double mainline coal route, taking coal from Wyoming to eastern power plants. At its height, we had over 120 trains daily roaring through without slowing down, and their horns hitting the crossings so fast that it seemed like we had constant train horns day and night.
Several years ago we finally completed the project to make the crossings into quiet ones. Within weeks, it was unusual to hear any train horns at all. That's why it sounds so strange to hear one now like I did last night. The rumor is that an engineer has a girlfriend in our town and that's his 'hello' to her.
This is the Midland Terminal Railroad roundhouse near Colorado Springs. It's been redone into a strip mall. I guess that's better than tearing it down.
Right now we have midges (or Mayflies) here along Lake Erie, there are millions of them, so many that they show up on the weather radar. You have to shake the door before opening it or hundreds of them will get into the house. Luckily they don't live long (usually a day) so they are gone soon. But it does show that Lake Erie is healthy and that is a good thing.
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!
Good morning, diners (If anyone is reading the diner!) I'll have just coffee, today.
We're again headed out of town to a granddaughter's graduation from preschool. The schools will do anything to get grandparents there. Preschool graduation! I never graduated from preschool. Of course, preschools were different back then. Our preschool was a barn and fields.
I check in later when I get some time. (If the graduation is boring.)
Good morning. Zoe, could I get an unsweetened iced tea?
I read the posts here, but I don't have much to say.
We have been inundated with moths as well. For some reason, the College's library has thousands and thousands of them. Every morning maintenance has to go through with shop vacs to pick up the dead ones. We have no idea how they are getting in the building.
Got more rain last night; we needed it. This year's wheat harvest is in doubt, hopefully, more rain will help.
Very disappointed in the Dallas Stars right now. I thought they were better that what they have showed. I was in a board meeting last night so I missed the first two periods; turns out I didn't miss anything good. I took the dog for a walk during the third period.
The PRR's Juniata Back Shop turntable back in the later diesel days:
JBS Turntable; Altoona, PA; June 1966 by Adam Klimchock, on Flickr
Years later from another perspective:
070421_25 by lmyers83, on Flickr
Hey! Something's missing!
181103_5_juniata by lmyers83, on Flickr
181026_7_juniata by lmyers83, on Flickr
181026_12_juniata by lmyers83, on Flickr
A bridge too far, well, too long, anyway.
181113_5_juniata by lmyers83, on Flickr
181202_8_juniata by lmyers83, on Flickr
Starting to look like a turntable again. They did away with the old PRR custom of having the operator's cab in the center of the span.
Cheers, Ed
Lost in A2 What does that mean?
Ed or anyone else: A turntable motor must break, need service or need to be replaced. Is it located under the bridge?
Graduation week at my former hometown. The Blue Angels are practicing. The dome is the USNA Chapel. I think John Paul Jones is buried there.
BigDaddy Lost in A2 What does that mean?
Hmm? I usually don't have anything to add to the conversation, but I'm listening. John (york1) wondered if anyone was listening, since the diner has been so quiet.
BigDaddy A turntable motor must break, need service or need to be replaced.
CR1098 by Chris Bradley, on Flickr
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Bear Thanks, exactly what I was asking.
Lost in A2 You've heard that you get what you put in. Sometimes you post and try to help someone giving them what you think is the best advice. Your fellow forum members will tell you, "you are dead wrong." Now you know more than you did before, and you are better prepared to help the next guy.
And if you don't know; ask. Unless it's really esoteric, we all know a little bit about something.
Hi Everyone,
Tomorrow is eldest granddaughter's graduation from Kindergarten. I didn't know that they did such things. Maybe it isn't graduation at all, but say it is. I don't know.
Last weekend my wife and I went to the symphony to see/hear Violins of Hope. It is a collection of violins that were owned or played in the concentration camps during the holocaust. We saw a few at the library the day before and were told that the symphony would play 4 instruments, a cello, a viola, and two violins. During the performance, the conductor asked the strings to hold up their instrument if it was of the collection. There was one cello which the principle cellist played , one viola, half of the second violin section, and the entire first violin section. The concertmaster played the Schindler's List theme on a violin that was actually played at Auschwitz. The stories behind all of these instruments was very fascinating. The funny thing was at this performance there were no brass, winds, or percussion, all strings.
I'm slowly working on a couple of previously unbuilt freight car kits I've had laying around. They aren't difficult, but I'm in no hurry because I don't have rails to run them on.
Been really enjoying all the roundhouse pics. I'd previously heard of the Juliana shops but had no idea they were so large.
(edit) stupid auto correct. It's supposed to be Juniata.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good Morning Diners. Chloe, an english muffin and a coffee please.
Stressful week at work this week. There is some stuff going on with my job and the bosses have me filling out a job survey. It's basically 9 pages of justifying my job. The survey will basically determine if I get a much deserved promotion. I've poured hours into the thing, followed the instructions and examples to a T, had the HR manager review it only to tell me it needs more work. Thinks I'm selling myself short. Not feeling good about it.
up831Last weekend my wife and I went to the symphony to see/hear Violins of Hope
Ed, neat pics of the turntable rebuild! I'm glad to see that was done as opposed to just ripping it out.
Lost in A2, I assume you are currently in A2. Are you there for work or school? I see you are new to the forums. Welcome! Feel free to drop a line in the diner whenever the mood strikes you. Even if it's a simple "hello". Always looking for new patrons.
Henry, neat photo of the Blue Angels. I got to see them perform years ago and it was great. Also got to see the Snowbirds perform. Never have seen the Thunderbirds, but hope to some day.
Bug zappers. I bought one a few years ago and it came with a little pad of mosquito attractant. Followed the instructions on placement and put it on a timer so it would come on about sunset and stay on until about 11:30. Not sure it helped with the mosquitos, but it sure did a number on everything else! My wife didn't seem too keen on it, so I haven't put it out again. She noticed it in the shed the other night and said we need to get it out. Go figure.
Got to looking at that patio project last night. It's going to be a challenge. The space that it is going into had several large pine trees that were cut down a few years ago. I had the stumps ground, but not pulled. Since excavating the area is not going to happen with massive stumps buried in the ground, I'm going to end up raising the patio with some timber framing. It might mean more sand will be needed to raise the base up to where it needs to be, but overall will mean FAR less work for me. I'm good with that! Going to be a long weekend of work for me though. Buying the lumber for framing it out tonight. Pavers get delivered tomorrow afternoon. Haven't figured out where I'm getting the leveling sand yet. I'm hoping the local concrete products place has the right grade in bulk that I can pick up with my truck as opposed to buying a ton of bags. We shall see.
Happy Thursday everyone!
Good morning, diners. Please get me some black coffee.
The granddaughter's preschool graduation was OK. Their new puppy is big and rambunctious. The training will take time.
The same old driving complaints hit me again yesterday. People on the Interstate driving slower in front of me, passing them, seeing them looking at their phone. Then a minute later, they pass me, then they slow down again looking at their phone. Over and over. Normally, I'm a pretty nice guy, but murder did occur to me several times over the course of the trip.
Tuscumbia, Alabama, has a nice depot and roundhouse preserved as a railroad museum. Tuscumbia is in northern Alabama, west of Huntsville. It's a beautiful area of country.
Have a great Thursday, everyone.
The World Is A Beautiful Place
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Good morning everyone. Chloe, please bring me a whole pile of sausage patties and a glass of milk.
I need to work on the gable above the garage today. Boo.
York1 People on the Interstate driving slower in front of me, passing them, seeing them looking at their phone. Then a minute later, they pass me, then they slow down again looking at their phone. Over and over.
I had this happen to me a few days ago on 441 North of Okeechobee. Two lane road. Guy in a black BMW. Would pass me going 90, then slow down to 55 on his cell phone. Speed limit was 60. I would pass him and he would give me the finger. Hang up his phone and pass me doing 90 again, another finger.
I didn't murder him.
Hi Bear,
I loved the turntable video! Thanks.
SeeYou190I didn't murder him.
Ah, the classic definition of Stress.
"The inability to murder someone whe desperately needs it."