Path of Toatlity Edition!
Welcome to the April 2024 Jeffrey's Trackside Diner! The theme this month is CABOOSES or waycars, guard's vans, cabins, crummies, hacks or whatever term you're familiar with for that car occupied by the train crew.
Wayne Stevenson addition by JaBearz, on Flickr
Welcome
Cabooses can be found in all sorts of designs and configurations. I wonder if the designers knew that this old wood, truss rod example would foretell a modern trend, the extended-vision cupola!
CGW_No10 by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
I had high hopes that the software would make it through the weekend but, alas, I was mistaken.
Rich
Alton Junction
Hello by Bear, on Flickr
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good Morning,
Wednesday and first time in 3 days forum has worked, very frustrating.
Taking wife to a doctor app. shortly, will check back later.
CN Charlie
Apollo 13, Houston.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
testing...
Mike
richhotrain I had high hopes that the software would make it through the weekend but, alas, I was mistaken. Rich
Up until this outage, the previous ones typically occurred on weekends, usually holiday weekends. But, the goofy system would always come back up on the first workday of the week. Not this time. The outage first occurred on Sunday afternoon and now it is nearly Noon on Wednesday. Dunno, it is no wonder that so many have fled for greener pastures.
Hi Everyone,
Wow, the first time I've been able access the diner, or any other thread for that matter, in a week. This is unfortunate.
Where did Ed want to take the diner this month? Cabooses and/or yards was discussed. Don't know what the topic is to be. I hope it's cabooses, and I suggested it a couple of months ago. No matter. Ed, I hope you can get back on and post successfully.
Gotta run for now.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
richhotrain Up until this outage, the previous ones typically occurred on weekends, usually holiday weekends. But, the goofy system would always come back up on the first workday of the week. Not this time. The outage first occurred on Sunday afternoon and now it is nearly Noon on Wednesday. Dunno, it is no wonder that so many have fled for greener pastures. Rich
Let's see, it fails after it's been running for a week, and the software guy fixes it on Monday mornings. Was there anything unusual about this weekend? Oh yes, that's right, it was a holiday weekend. Maybe the software guy took a few days off to travel for Easter?
I don't see weekend outages because I have a real life that doesn't depend on social media.
[insulting language removed by moderator]
Since it's afternoon, Chloe, bring me an ice-cold beer, please.
We're headed to Texas to see the eclipse (and to see the grandchildren). The weather report sounds like we will see only the grandchildren and a cloudy, rainy sky.
I believe the diner is parked with the cabooses this month. I like to look at Ozark Mountain Railcar every-so-often to see what's available. They have about ten cabooses in various states of repair that can be purchased.
Here's one:
https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipmentGrid.php?category=Cabooses
If you haven't been to their site, it is one that requires a log-in, but it's free. It's pretty neat to see what's available.
Back to packing for the trip. Have a great weekend and good eclipse-viewing.
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."
AEP528 I don't see weekend outages because I have a real life that doesn't depend on social media.
Thanks for getting us going Ed, I hope you didn't spend too much time trying to work around the forum issues.
Nice to be back in business. I usually read the forum while I am on the phone with Lawyers and Accountants, I have a life and that includes chatting on here. I am 67, however my fitness age is 43. Does that make me a grumpy old man or a grumpy middle-aged man? My BP this morning was 105/63 so I guess being grumpy doesn't affect my blood pressure.
All the blossoms on the trees are out and so are the flowers. The city paved our road and put in curbs last summer and many of my daffodils were casualties when they cut out my lawn for the curb, I have taken photos and will refill the empty spaces in the fall.
We are having an invasion of people next month, normally we can sleep six guests in our spare rooms, however, there could be as many as fourteen so the wife picked up two queen-size Coleman self-inflating air mattresses at the auction for $10.00ea. She also snagged two Ninja 10-quart air fryers for $18.00ea. She will give one to my son and the other to her Dad. All the stuff is new in the box.
Our electric fence around part of the property has been compromised so I best get to the repairs. Hopefully, I remember to turn it off first this time.
Cabeese it is this month.
Dominion-Atlantic-caboose-no-91-Yarmouth-N-S-c1955
All the best to all.
Hi Brent!
Invasion??? We are getting one here in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State as well! Ours is because where I live is right in the path of totality for the Eclipse next Monday! I already picked up the Eclipse glasses that we could get free living in Geneva at the Welcome Center down by Seneca Lake a few days ago. Not sure exactly what my Family has planned, but I imagine something out at their house in the country.
A gentleman who I know that runs over at the Fieldhouse when I do who is 90 years old is planning on doing a 5k down by the lake this Saturday that is being held in Honor of the eclipse. His wife has been working hard to increase her walking distance (she is also 90) and she plans to walk with him the first leg of the race. She will then occupy a park bench until he comes back for the end of the 5k and then they will walk to the finish line together. I think that is very sweet! They are a wonderful loving couple that had 6 kids and still walk holding hands!
Found out the gent next door to me, a retired nurse, has just recovered from having a difficult case of RSV. I was wondering what was going on as he is often out daily walking their dog and I hadn't seen him in a couple weeks. So! I finally got over to the local Pharmosy today and got the RSV vaccine! (Duh! Should have gotten it last fall.)
Also am in the midst of getting flights for my Granddaughters and I to go over to the UK to visit my son over there. In addition to his position at the Faraday Inst. he was just voted in as a Trustee of the British Science Association Council! I have no idea how the kid got born into my family!!! I guess he takes after my late wife in the gray matter department!
Have a great day out there folks!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Ray, that sounds like a great trip to see your son, you must be proud of what he has accomplished. Some family members have traced our roots back to when the migration from England occurred. Members left in the mid-1700s and went to what is now Canada, Virginia (before it was a State), and Australia. The ones that landed in what was to be Virginia moved on up and joined the others in Manitoba eventually settling in the 1790s in The Swan River Valley.
Since as far back as we have been able to trace every generation has done better than the one before. Since the 1700s my sister was the first to go to University and now both my kids are highly educated and off to the races.
The wife was feeling pretty good today so we headed East to do an easy 8km hike. Just as we were getting back to the car we ran into an elderly couple, he was in good shape, she looked like she did not have much time left. It was heart-wrenching to see them making their way into the forest holding hands and doing what they have been doing together the entire time they have been together. They were moving quite slowly, not sure how far they got.
We have been talking about getting away over the summer, we usually head out to the boonies to get away from the masses. We are thinking of driving to Alaska and taking the boat back down the coast to the Northern tip of Vancouver Island where we have the use of a beautiful home right on the ocean. Retirement is the best, just come home whenever you feel like it.
A couple of Royal Hudsons and a Mikado await the cutter's torch.
BATMANMembers left in the mid-1700s and went to what is now Canada
BATMANSince as far back as we have been able to trace every generation has done better than the one before. Since the 1700s my sister was the first to go to University and now both my kids are highly educated and off to the races.
Hi Brent,
Our families have a great deal in common. My ancestors moved from Denmark in the late 1700s and eventually arrived in what is now Barrie, Ontario. They were the second pioneer family to settle in the area. Our home was partially paid for with money that came from the land that they settled on in 1823. Coincidently, I was the first to get a university degree in the family's history.
My family's pioneering history was recorded by a member of the family in the 1850s. We have a ton of interesting anecdotes from the period. I could go on for hours.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
GOM by Bear, on Flickr
Good morning all. After a few days off I think we should keep the goirls busy. A full English brunch please and a large coffee.
Over the weekend we had a visit of one of Dawn's college friends, Hazel. It was good to see her as we see her only once, maybe twice a year.
This weekend coming we have a visit of an old friend of mine (and now Dawn's).
Today I am taking Dawn to hospital for a regular check-up.
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. I'm not old, so just a grumpy man happy to be in the diner again. Wait, I mean grumpy to be in the diner again. Chloe, coffee and wheat toast please.
Hoping to be able to see the eclipse here, but I don't think the weather forecast is looking to align with that desire. Shucks.
Some sweet stories about older couples still very much in love. My wife is not one for any type of public display of affection, so that won't be us. Bumms me out, but I don't doubt her affection for me.
We got a subscription to a prominent ancestry website some years ago and spent a substantial portion of time on there filling out our family trees, pretty much focusing on direct ancestors and ignoring people like 2nd uncles, etc. What's nice is that it allows you to piggyback on the work of others if you want, so if their work is accurate you can really make progress. What I was finding aligned with stories that were handed down through each of my mom and dad's families for years. That was pretty neat! One side arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts (no not on the Mayflower, but relatively soon after), the other side arrived near Baltimore and established a substantial amount of wealth. Too bad none of that money made it very far down the line!
Have a good grumpy day everyone!
Good morning, everyone. I need some coffee, Chloe.
Since we are in Dallas (Southlake) for the eclipse, the weather reports seem to be a little better, but not much. There are storms predicted for later in the afternoon, but the time of the eclipse is supposed to be cloudy. Oh well, we had a good one several years ago.
David, while it's none of our business, I hope the doctor's exam last week went OK.
For all the grumpy old men in the diner who I count as friends, I hope you have a great weekend. And that includes everyone!
Caboose by Terry Shuck, on Flickr
Good afternoon! We had a plumber over this morning to finish up installation of the new sinks in the bathroom. One of the sinks first cracked and then developed a big hole.
This is one of the places I come to to avoid being grumpy. It's a place with a positive outlook.
For example, a pair of egrets has shown up. They are migratory birds, so seeing them arrive is always a good and welcome sign. We live on a tidal marsh, so they will be our companions until the fall, when their southbound phase of the Circle of Life begins again.
Mike, my ex-wife's family also came through Plymouth, MA back in the 1630s.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good evening all. The rain that was forecast has not materisalised (yet).
What with one thing and another going on I need a drink. Dawn wants a port & lemon. Flo. Two port and lemons please.
York1John. I had a chest x-ray last week. The doctor will tell me the results of it. Trouble with the doctors is they are too busy. To know any results we shall have to contact them at the end of the month. Crazy!!!
Dawn went to the hospital today for a routine examination. Once again the doctor will tell us the results???
Apart from that we feel fine. This week is a good week for Dawn. Which makes life easier for us both.
I hope all the bugs got de-bugged... for now. Somehow I managed to get the April Diner's thread posted on time but I couldn't edit or reply to any thread until sometime Wednesday morning. Thanks to Bear for updating the Wall of Honor! So it goes
up831Where did Ed want to take the diner this month? Cabooses and/or yards was discussed. Don't know what the topic is to be.
Not so much where I wanted to take the diner but I did agree to a suggestion about cabooses.
Yours truly at the age of three on a shiny Nickel Plate High Speed Service caboose. I wore matching britches!
NKP_414_ET58 by Edmund, on Flickr
Glad to have an example to show on the layout:
NKP_445_caboose by Edmund, on Flickr
I hope everyone is holding up well.
Good Morning Diners! Zoe, an english muffin with blackberry jelly and a coffee please.
David, I hope you and Dawn hear good news back from the doctors whenever the news does come. The wait does seem excessive.
Bear, what a view indeed! Nice spot to be doing some outdoor work for sure.
My daughter had a soccer game out of town last night and the drive there was basically through 90 miles of woods. On the way back, a big black bear crossed the road ahead of us. My wife was like a kid at Christmas. She's always wanted to see a bear in the wild, but never has. Unfortunately, by the time we got up to where it crossed it was well off into the woods on the other side of the road so she couldn't get a picture. Still, she talked about it almost non-stop from then until we shut the lights off to go to sleep.
The first cabooses (cabeese?) that I can remember seeing weren't the iconic red, but looked like this:
Good morning all. Chloe, A large coffee and blueberry muffin please.
A cloudy day with rain later. A 'lambing storm' is forecast this weekend.
Taking Dawn to the dentist for check-up.
The rest of the day is ours. --- Train room
Edit: Mike. For some unknown reason doctors here are reluctant to pass on results of exminations etc.. They say 'If you hear nothing all is well. If there is a challenge they will send a letter?' It is a fact that letters from our local NHS 'are lost in the post'. Far too many it is said.
A sunny day here and heading for a balmy 50F. Supposed to hit 60 on Sunday. The snow and ice is melting fast and likely will be gone in a few days.
We got the covid booster this week. It was recommended for seniors. The gov is cutting back on availability as the booster must be done in April . Our doc won't call us for routine results if all is ok but we can see blood work results on line. He will review a non routine test results via phone.
Mike, nice you saw a black bear. I have seen many as they hung around the garbage dump when I lived in a small town in NW Ont. My wife has never seen one. On a drive to Thief River Falls a couple of years ago I saw one but by the time I alerted my wife it was already in the bush.
Hope I can start the yard cleanup next week. It may be dry enough by the end of the week and the ice in the pond should be melted.
We have a small racoon in the ceiling of the garage. It is a flat roof so it is in a small space. I will have to knock down the gyproc we put up many years ago when it was still a carport. I suppose it still is a sort of carport as it is open on the side facing the back yard except for a fence. It comes to the back door looking for handouts and sometimes brings a friend. We don't feed it.
Time to do something.
.CN Charlie
Well, I hope you are proud of yourself.
Well, guess we all should be proud of ourselves.
I'm proud of my little Ce-Ce and took her picture on the rusty horse.
PS You weren't messing with my friend Charlie, were you? I'd hope not!
Dick, you've been my friend here. I'd appreciate you standing forward from here on out, if you would please. Thanks
TF