This month we are going to spend our time explring the beautiful Washington State, USA.
Washington is the most Northwestern of the contiguous 48 states. It borders two other states, Idaho and Oregon.
The washington state flag is a solid field of green with the officle seal of the State Of Washington in the center.
At the beginning of every month we like to remember all of those who were once here, but have now departed. These are dear friends in our hearts forever.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Washington became part of the United States when it was ceded by the British Empire under the terms of the Oregon Treaty in 1846. In 1889 it became the 42nd state.
The largest city in Washington is Seattle, but the capital is Olympia.
The population of Washington is 7,780,000... including my baby/baby!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for moving the Diner! You did a great job.
I had no idea that Washington's population was that large. My cousin Wini (not Vinnie) lives on Bainbridge Island and has for years. She loves it. I'm sure your daughter will love Washington too.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Here is the lowdown on railroading in Washington thanks to American Rails.com.
https://www.american-rails.com/wa.html
Here is a video showing the diversity of terrain along the rails:
hon30critterI'm sure your daughter will love Washington too.
So far she is thrilled to be living there.
She can see Mount Ranier from her bedroom window, and she has found out she loves the outdoors.
She has stayed inside 99.9% of her life, and now she has suddenly become an outdoorsman!
SeeYou190 she has suddenly become an outdoorsman!
she has suddenly become an outdoorsman!
How did it get to be September already!
Thanks for the move, Kevin
Seattle at night:
Michael Sawyer by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
gmpullmanHow did it get to be September already!
I have no idea!
Time flew by in 2023, that is for sure.
My wife's grandparents lived in Seattle. One of the highlights of a visit with them was a trip to the Space Needle, during which time the Blue Angels were performing at a nearby airshow. Watching them perform under and around us was fascinating.
Good morning, diners. I'll have some Seattle coffee, please.
I was 11-years-old when my family went to the Seattle World's Fair. What a great time! Everything at the fair was aimed at a vision of the future, and it all looked so bright and neat. I even got to see Roy Rogers there!
Have a great Friday, 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."
SeeYou190The population of Washington is 7,780,000... including my baby/baby!
This was many years ago. I've greyed since, and my daughter is now working on a medical assistant certification. But she still likes to go on goofy adventures with me. Lucky dad.
This was down at the hump yard at Interbay. I have read that BNSF is going to divest completely from this location, which makes me really sad.
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
Speaking of vacations...
It looks like my package from Maryland has decided to visit Denver for the weekend.
Priority Vacation by Edmund, on Flickr
I wish I would have at least visited the box on Thursday when it was only 35 miles away in downtown Cleveland. At least it hasn't gone to Sydney, Australia (yet) which happened to one of the packages I sent to the Toronto area a while back!
It was called the rainbow era:
BN, Seattle, Washington, 1971 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
One for the bridge guy:
BN, Washtucna, Washington, 1978 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Flashback Friday: Fill up for the Holiday weekend, folks!
Sunoco Custom Blend by Edmund, on Flickr
1957 Bonneville? Star Chief, Super Chief?
Went to Seattle for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago as me and the Mrs' partook in our great cross country drive from GA to WA. Drove through most of the state of Washington on I-90. Very remote and wide open in some places.
As it turned out, nearly the entire trip from Grand Island Nebraska to Seattle followed one of several BNSF mainlines. Only really saw moving trains while in Nebraska, predictable unit coal trains from Wyoming moving east, and empties moving west.
- Douglas
DoughlessOnly really saw moving trains while in Nebraska, predictable unit coal trains from Wyoming moving east, and empties moving west.
Isn't that amazing how in Nebraska we can see entire trains from miles away.
In Floroida, Georgia, and the Carolinas we can't see trains until we are within 300' of them in most times. And we can never see a complete train like that.
gmpullmanIt was called the rainbow era:
crossthedogHi Kevin. That population also includes me and my family. I'll see you and raise you; here's a photo of both my own (oldest) baby AND some trains, right here in Seattle.
I do not have any pictures of my kids with me and trains. I have a couple of them on trains that I took, but nothing like yours.
Great memory!
-Keviu
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
BroadwayLion
I'll see your Kitty...
And raise you his brother sticking out his tongue at you!
Good to see you Brother Lion!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmusAnd raise you his brother sticking out his tongue at you!
SeeYou190I do not have any pictures of my kids with me and trains. I have a couple of them on trains that I took, but nothing like yours. Great memory!
Some of you guys who worked on railroads might find the piece amusing, having a perspective from the other side of the roundhouse door, as it were. But be warned about wandering to other posts -- that was a very personal blog. Please don't take me to task for any ideas expressed there about politics or religion, or even parenting for that matter. I won't respond.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
you can thank the avalanch of adds for my last post. They pop up just when you try to post pictures.
Covering the screen...
Why bother?
one more time....
I'll see your cats, and raise you a lapfull of tuckered out kittys.
Little TimmyYou can thank the avalanch of adds for my last post. They pop up just when you try to post pictures.
The bottom pop-ups, and the new side-scrolling pop-up are both obnoxious.
crossthedogIndeed it is, and I cherish all such memories.
This 30+ year old picture of my middle daughter is one of my favorites. It is cropped out of a much larger picture, so sorry for the poor image quality.
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
She is a software engineer now.
Little TimmyI'll see your cats, and raise you a lapfull of tuckered out kittys.
My cats are all working cats:
Sixteen Paws by Edmund, on Flickr
Here they are working their way up to dinner time.
There was a discussion in a NCE forum about battery power for a portable outside layout. In the midst of posts about amps, inverters and voltage, someone threw out the comment that he knows an Amish model railroader who use solar charged battery power for their model railroad.
That's the most amazing thing I learned this week. Personally I don't know any Amish, but I see their horse drawn carriages, plows and riding bicycles uphill from town to home. Imagining an op session with horses and carriages outside, their straw hats and kerosene lights running a consist of SD60's seems like the Twilight Zone to me.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyThat's the most amazing thing I learned this week. Personally I don't know any Amish, but I see their horse drawn carriages, plows and riding bicycles uphill from town to home.
I used to read the corporate newsletter when I worked for my previous employer.
One of the articles that stood out was about an electrical application sales team making a multi-million sale to the Amish community of back-up generators, transfer switches, and paralleling/load-sharing devices.
My first thought was that was like selling snow shoes in Columbia. What did the Amish community need back-up electrical power for? I honestly assumed they had no primary power.
I have since learned a lot about how wrong I can be when I make assumptions.
Looks like our younger cat, Whiskey. He's affectionate and usually either asleep or hungry.
Neither he nor our lady-cat Snowflake ever tries to go outside, which we're happy about. There are foxes in the neighborhood, and some are probably rabid.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good afternoon, everyone. It's getting closer to happy hour, so I'll just sit in a diner booth and wait.
Our lives have taken another drastic turn. My wife got a new dog yesterday. After our other dog, Daisy the Dachshund, died several months ago, my wife has been thinking "dog, dog, dog". Our town's dog shelter found a deaf miniature Australian Shepherd that had been abandoned. My wife scooped it up.
If I felt like I didn't get enough exercise, that is now taken care off. This dog is active!
Have a great day, everyone. I'm heading outside to walk the animal again.
SeeYou190 BigDaddy That's the most amazing thing I learned this week. Personally I don't know any Amish, but I see their horse drawn carriages, plows and riding bicycles uphill from town to home. I used to read the corporate newsletter when I worked for my previous employer. One of the articles that stood out was about an electrical application sales team making a multi-million sale to the Amish community of back-up generators, transfer switches, and paralleling/load-sharing devices. My first thought was that was like selling snow shoes in Columbia. What did the Amish community need back-up electrical power for? I honestly assumed they had no primary power. I have since learned a lot about how wrong I can be when I make assumptions. -Kevin
BigDaddy That's the most amazing thing I learned this week. Personally I don't know any Amish, but I see their horse drawn carriages, plows and riding bicycles uphill from town to home.
Back when I was more involved with banking and lending, it was my understanding that the various parish's? of the Amish Church have slightly different rules about things.
One of the more common unknowns is that a lot of the no-electricity stuff doesn't apply to their businesses. Some Amish are known as high quality cabinet makers that make it difficult for some high volume manufacturers to compete with.
And no, the Amish aren't out-competing other busineses by using hand saws, hand screwdrivers, and mule-powered sawmills.
Your order may have been for an Amish owned businesses. Some are known for being pretty shrewed and ruthless competitors.
They also have access to telephones, but the phones can't be inside the building, or something like that.
The rules have something to do with their personal houses, farms, transportation, being connected to the outside world via electricity and electrical wires. But many have normal jobs and go to work in normal factories...so the rules are a bit different when they are "on the clock" so to speak.