I had an apple for breakfast, so I'll just have a cup of coffee before heading outside.
Bear, that puzzle reminds me of rainy days in New Orleans. Their St. Charles streetcars are that color. I think the Desire streetcars were the same color, but that was before my time.
Henry, it seems some of us are at the age when funerals are becoming a way of life.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Southwest Washington, Ilwaco Railroad & Navigation Company
The Clamshell Ralroad by A.Davey, on Flickr
Top of the page!
I'll offer everyone some Bacon & Eggs, even though I can't have any.
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."
Good morning
Hi John, nice picture a few frames back. Those orange faced Burlington Northerns are a tough act to follow in N scale. There was a bidding war on eBay a while back that got a little rich for my blood, ... didn't get it They must be rare ones.
And speaking of dogs going up ladders. It was the darndest thing I've ever seen. There was a roofer doing my neighbor's roof, kitty corner from my back porch.
Smartest dog I've ever seen in my life. It was a Blue Heeler. The roofer yelled down to the dog, "Bring up my big hammer, I'm going to need it".
The dog went and opened the toolbox, grabbed a hammer in his mouth, and went up the ladder. The roofer said "NO, NO, I need the big one". The dog back down the ladder, put that hammer back in the toolbox, grabbed the bigger hammer, and brought it up to him.
He said good boy, patted him on the back, and gave him a treat. I've had dogs all my life, and some pretty smart ones, but none with that kind of intelligence.
We're going to Wheels & Wings today. One of the largest car shows is in Osceola Wisconsin, along with an air show all in one event. By the looks of the pictures in the advertising, there's gonna be some really neat looking Classic Planes. And they feed you a pancake breakfast
Sure wish the Bear could come with, I'm sure he'd behave himself, and it looks like something that would be right up his alley
Found this one traveling the opposite direction on a hazy day Ed.
Image courtesy of Bill Edgar on RailPictures.net
Have a good Saturday gentleman
TF
howmus ... This week I am now back up to running 6 laps and then a short break and getting in 18 laps total (3 sets and about 3.2 miles total). Little by little! A bit sore this evening but it is a "good" soreness...
... This week I am now back up to running 6 laps and then a short break and getting in 18 laps total (3 sets and about 3.2 miles total). Little by little! A bit sore this evening but it is a "good" soreness...
That's awesome!
Richard
Cloe, could I get a glass of unsweetened iced tea, please?
It's been a slow weekend in the diner. Not that I have anything to add.
Lost in A2Cloe, could I get a glass of unsweetened iced tea, please?
I am also enjoying a mason jar full of unsweetened iced tea at the moment.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Saturday was Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, with the Wheels & Wings show. After we left, the detour dumped us right out in front of the Oseola Railway. As traffic leaving the event was nothing we wanted to be a part of, at 8,000 plus, my women decided to buy us tickets for a Train Ride
Here's some of the planes I'd like to share. I'm not too fluent with planes like knowing cars, but I'm sure someone here certainly is
This Plane did barrel rolls, loop-de-loops, went straight up into stalls, and then acrobatics on the way down. Quite entertaining.
This one looks somewhat similar to a Wildcat. I'd be familiar with a Corsair, had they had one of those
The military planes were really cool to look at. I'd like to thank our People of Service
This plane must have been light and lofty. The commentator said he was drunk, as he threw beer cans out of the plane during his performance The pilot would dive strait down and swoop up at the last millisecond, coming within a foot or two, if not inches from the ground sometimes. This third generation pilot was quite crazy.
Something tells me this last plane may of had the word goose in it's name, ...maybe.
Make it a good Monday y'all
Good Morning Diners. Flo, coffee please.
Bit of a rough go this morning. I bruised a couple ribs Friday. Hurt a little on Friday. Hurt a lot on Saturday. Still hurting just as much today. Probably going to be a painful week. I'm certain they're not cracked/broken as I've cracked ribs once before, but still really unpleasant.
My oldest came home from school for the weekend. That was nice. Doubly nice was that she is able to have her car on campus this year so I didn't have to drive back and forth to make it happen. I'll take that!
I had some more issues with my NCE wireless throttle again a couple weeks ago. Took it apart and cleaned the button pads and pc board with isopropyl alcohol. It behaved perfectly after that. Still not trusting it until it behaves like it should a few more times. Really hoping there isn't a lingering issue.
The Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad looks like fun.
Mike
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
Good morning everyone. Chloe, I am not feeling hungry this morning, so please just keep refilling my unsweetened iced tea and I will leave a large tip.
Oh the madness of Halloween at The Home Depot! We are sold out of almost all the huge stuff, and already people are screaming that they "needed" that 10 foot tall Grim Reaper. What are they going to do without it?
I have more than six weeks of this insanity left.
No one is buying the outdoor furniture we have on clearance, so the Christmas stuff is still not fully on display
Water Level RouteBit of a rough go this morning. I bruised a couple ribs Friday. Hurt a little on Friday. Hurt a lot on Saturday. Still hurting just as much today. Probably going to be a painful week. I'm certain they're not cracked/broken as I've cracked ribs once before, but still really unpleasant.
I broke a few ribs on a trampoline when I was ten years old or so.
It has been a constant irritation ever since. I feel for you, and I hope it gets better.
Water Level RouteThe Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad looks like fun.
Something else I did not know existed.
Next time I am in Washington, that will be on my must-do-list.
Good morning, diners. Bacon, eggs, and black coffee are on the schedule today. I suffered withdrawal since I haven't had bacon in over a week.
Mike, the ribs sound painful. I've never had that, but I've heard there's not much you can do but suffer through it.
Kevin, our little town has had a huge growth in Halloween displays over the past years. It seems like there are almost as many houses with Halloween displays as there are with Christmas decorations.
TF, that looks like you got to see a great display of planes. I would have loved it.
Bear, those three 'industrial arts' planes looked great. I could not tell how large they were. I was guessing the size based on what I thought was a towel the three were sitting on? Great work! How long did it take to build those?
Ray, good for you in working your endurance back up after the past years. I have not tried running, although I walk quite a bit.
Ed, that photo of the train along the river with the spikey-looking rock seemed like the rock's surface was unusual. Is that some kind of volcanic rock? Pretty neat modeling idea.
After my bacon and eggs, I'm headed out to paint some more. It rained last night, and I was kind of hoping it would still be raining this morning so I could stay inside and watch Perry Mason instead of painting. No luck. It's a beautiful clear morning. I should be able to finish the front of the house today. Then ... only three more sides!
This bridge in Washington has an unusual shape. I'm not sure I've seen a bridge like this:
Washington Train Bridge by Brook Ward, on Flickr
Somebody REALLY wanted this kit.
SeeYou190Somebody REALLY wanted this kit.
Well, two people in reality. I've seen this kind of thing before, of course. I was kind of fortunate that I sold a Walthers Blast Furnace kit that went for something like $500 some years ago and shortly afterward Walthers announced a second Oor maybe third?) run of the kit which pretty much eliminated the 'scarcity'. Timing is everything!
Such are the vagaries of the free market
Cheers, Ed
Yep, some of those auctions get a little Rich to continue my participation Kevin. At that point, I'd rather scratch build the model, and then spend the left over 900+ on some other goodies.
Saturday's train ride
It's always nice to pull up and see other cars in the parking lot. It's good to see others keeping one of the few active Depots afloat. I'd miss this place if it didn't generate enough business.
The Osceola Depot.
The train arrived ahead of schedule. It was the same Soo Line we took last year.
Me.
Good Ol' Green Machine is still there, it seems She's acquired a little rust since it was painted in 2018. You'll have that.
And the new recruit. They restored an SDP40 back to its original state. You could still smell the fresh paint.
The maintenance guy was talked into giving me a tour. This was my first time in the cab of a diesel locomotive. That thing was Mint inside and out.
Some tight quarters for pictures, but here's the throttle.
He opened the side compartments to show me the huge Detroit,...Edit (Cleveland) Diesel.
And flipped its lid. He said this machine was completely overhauled in 93.
The turbo compartment.
And the cooler.
The Train Ride.
We picked the REA baggage car to ride in, so we could hang out the window above the bars like Circus Animals, for a better view. It was too nice out to be inside.
See, A much better view!
Hanging out the window hoping you don't drop your phone
Lots-a-rock bluffs. Judy liked the bluffs.
They had a 10 mile an hour speed limit where the rocks are known to cave in and fall. Hitting a big falling rock in a fast-moving train, probably wouldn't be such a very good idea
The whole ride was s-curves, a much more enjoyable ride than the other direction that's mostly straight track.
A lone fisherman at the St Croix River.
And a bridge of course
The SDP40 out the window upon returning. All in all, a great train ride.
Have a great Taco Tuesday gentlemen
Track fiddler He opened the side compartments to show me the huge Detroit Diesel.
He opened the side compartments to show me the huge Detroit Diesel.
Nope, that's pure EMD. The locomotive engines were Winton -> Cleveland Diesel -> EMD. The original 567 was the last Cleveland engine prior to EMD becoming repsonsible.
Thanks for the correction. He probably did say Cleveland, and the screw up is on my end. Being quite enthralled on the tour, perhaps my listening ears weren't on so good
My Bad. I'll go make the correction.
Good morning everyone. Chloe, How about one of those blueberry turnovers you have in the case on the counter. Those look delicious.
gmpullmanWell, two people in reality. I've seen this kind of thing before, of course. I was kind of fortunate that I sold a Walthers Blast Furnace kit that went for something like $500 some years ago and shortly afterward Walthers announced a second Oor maybe third?) run of the kit which pretty much eliminated the 'scarcity'. Timing is everything!
A while back Track Fiddler mentioned the Kato N scale Burlington Northern locomotives that draw huge prices.
I remember when Kato released the "white face" and "orange face" BN locomotives in the mid 1990s. I could have bought them from Clear Track Limited here in town brand new, but I was only buying undecorated models.
When I joined eBay in 1999, those were the first items I noticed going for insane prices, well into the multiple hundreds of dollars.
Good morning, diners. Chloe, I'll have black coffee.
Someone has a much more understanding wife than I have.
TF, it looks like you had a great time. Thanks for the pictures.
It's time for me to head out and paint some more. Have a good day, everyone.
Pioneer Square Station, Seattle:
Pioneer Square Station, Seattle. by Kev Cook, on Flickr
York1 This bridge in Washington has an unusual shape. I'm not sure I've seen a bridge like this: Washington Train Bridge by Brook Ward, on Flickr
Hi john, These bridges are built when an overpass crosses the underpass at a steep angle. It's usually when there's no room to square up the abutment, as the encroachment would interfere with the line below. Also when excavation to form a square end bridge, would be much less cost effective.
So they add an extra girder section on either end, kitty corner from each other to create a parallelogram bridge. Ultimately, these bridges are just as structurally fit to support their loads.
Often times these types of bridges are more common than one would imagine so
Track fiddler The maintenance guy was talked into giving me a tour. This was my first time in the cab of a diesel locomotive. That thing was Mint inside and out.
Did you mention to them that they spelled "mint" incorrectly?
maxman Track fiddler The maintenance guy was talked into giving me a tour. This was my first time in the cab of a diesel locomotive. That thing was Mint inside and out. Did you mention to them that they spelled "mint" incorrectly?
You happened to catch that one Dick Yep, they forgot the eye
SeeYou190 Somebody REALLY wanted this kit. -Kevin
I ran into that situation when I was looking to put in a carfloat terminal with a carfloat. Walthers had stopped production long enough ago that neither the carfloat apron nor the carfloat were available anywhere except for absurd prices. But then, by some miracle, Walthers started making them again. I found them at Trainworld for significantly less than MSRP.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyNeither the carfloat apron nor the carfloat were available anywhere except for absurd prices. But then, by some miracle, Walthers started making them again.
Same sort of situation for me.
I bought a carfloat and apron for my layout, but later decided to build my own apron to a design I liked better.
I also decided I needed a second carfloat kit to make a modified version to meet my desired arrangement.
My apron sold on eBay for a very high price, more than three times what I paid for it. It looked like I would have tp pay a similar high price for the second carfloat. Then amazingly, the carfloat went back into production, and I bought the second one from M. B. Klein for a reasonable price.
The extra money I got from the sale of the apron at the right time was more than the cost of the two carfloats, so the whole thing was effectively free!
Good morning, diners. Bacon and eggs, again.
My life has been pretty boring lately. Get up, eat, paint, go to bed, get up, eat, paint, ...
Since I painted the house over ten years ago, I found that the price of paint has doubled since then. Not upsetting, just surprising.
Mount Ranier in Washington is one of my favorite places. If you visit, be sure to see Paradise Inn on the mountain slopes. It is one of the great old national park lodges.
The offer still stands. If any of you are traveling near central Nebraska, stop by and grab a paint brush. I'll furnish the beer.
It is the IDES of SEPTEMBER... and ewe thought that only March had ides.
The IDES was on the 15th of March and then on alternate months until October, but then you must remember that Augustus had not been emperor yet and so August was stuck in after July which broke the alternate month sequence.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Good morning everyone. Chloe, I will take a turkey club sandwich and a side of freshly made potato chips.
John: I will not be taking you up on the offer to come help paint your house. The paint for the exterior of my houise was over $1,000.00 from Sherwin Williams. It had better last!
Lion: I remember when I was young, occassionally Friday the 13th would fall on the ides of certain months, and that was supposed to be a worse omen.
Good Morning Diners. Chloe, black coffee and a slice of coffee cake please. I see the diner has been slow. I'll tip well. I'd hate to see any of the staff have to panhandle at the station stops.
My ribs are still sore, but feeling slightly better this morning. Hope this heals soon. It's not fun and I have work to do around the house.
Got a great surprise this week. My older brother scored free tickets to the University of Michigan football game this weekend and gave them to my oldest brother and I. There are four tickets total, so we each get to take someone. I'm bringing one of my nephews and he is beyond excited. My brother is taking a friend who has never been, which is always fun seeing someone experience it for the first time. Only bummer is it is a night game so once it gets over and we make the long drive home, it will be about 3:30 in the morning before I'm crawling into bed. Sunday is going to suck.
Have a great day everyone!
Meanwhile, a few States over.
Old King Coal had a Merry Ol' Sole, and carry all the coal did he
Humpty Dumpty sat on the rails, Humpty Dumpty dumped all the pails. (Bathtub Gons.)
All the Kings Iron Horses with all the King's Men, disconnected more brake lines, to dump them again
Do you suppose they have MTL decouplers too?
Have a great day gentleman
PS Those wrenched ribs can be a tough act to follow Mike. I've been there a few times too many.
Maybe prepare some slow smoked ribs this weekend Those might take your mind off your other ones, and make ya feel somewhat better
Have a good time at the game.
Good morning, everyone. I'll just have coffee this morning so I can quickly get out to my favorite activity. My extension ladder and I are now good close friends.
Looking at my calendar, I was happy that next week there was not a single thing scheduled. Then I found out we are hosting out-of-town company for several days. I will enjoy the company, and maybe I will find another free week sometime soon.
Water Level RouteMy older brother scored free tickets to the University of Michigan football game this weekend and gave them to my oldest brother and I.
Mike, that should be a great time. When Nebraska joined the Big 10, my goal was to attend a game at each university. I didn't make it. Now it will be even harder when the west coast teams join. It's still a goal, but at my age, probably not realistic.
When traveling in Colorado, the 14,000 foot high mountains are viewed from an altitude of five or six thousand feet. Since 14,000 foot Mount Rainier in Washington is so close to the coast, it is amazingly impressive because you're viewing it from sea level.
Amtrak Cascades and Mt Rainier by Mike Armstrong, on Flickr
Have a great day, everyone.
York1When Nebraska joined the Big 10, my goal was to attend a game at each university. I didn't make it.
Good morning, all. Just thought I'd drop in and say "hi" by way of checking that the Forum is working all right. They upgraded the server last night and wanted me to check it. Though I don't expect that fixed any of the broken functions everyone's always clamoring for, it will probably prevent the unable-to-reply bug that came up a couple weeks ago from recurring. Here's hoping. Have a great day, and happy railroading!
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Steven OtteThough I don't expect that fixed any of the broken functions everyone's always clamoring for.
Steve, is there anything that can be done to remove the last two additional pop-up ad placements? The one at the bottom, and the non-scrolling ad on the right side.
These make the forum almost unusable. Several long time contributors have taken converstions into email exchanges to avoid these, and they are running off potential new users. This hurts forum activity, and reduces traffic to the Kalmbach websites.
I need to write posts, like this one, in a seperate document and paste them into the forum.