Hi folks!
Here we are in August already. The summer goes by far too fast for me.
Once again it is time to move the Diner. We have chosen the theme of smoking locomotives for the month. That will put virtual tears in your eyes!
I encourage the bystanders to post something interesting about smoking locomotives and about themselves. Say your piece (but please keep it peaceful).
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 are a few iron horses in action:
More later,
Thanks for opening the doors, Dave.
Nothin like a smokin Royal!
H1c 2822 with Sunday afternoon train for Ottawa. Montreal West. June 21,1959 Bob Krone
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
VERY Impressive pictures!!!
I do feel for the homemakers hanging up wash near trackside though.
BTW, I read somewhere that Alco's are often thought of as honorary steam locos.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Good morning
Thanks for starting us out in the August Diner Dave, glad your doing better.
Well, we had a nice get-a-way in Wisconsin, along with almost too much fun, if there is such a thing
One of our family members didn't want the photo of us in the musky's mouth posted, so I'll have to respect that.
The Giant Musky in Hayward.Roadside America
Looks like something Ansel Adams would do.Patricia Mock on Pinterest
Make it a great Thursday gentlemen
TF
Good evening dinners. Flo, a Baileys with ice please.
So I've been a bit removed from the forum over the two weeks. Presently in Lake Placid with guys on a golf outing. Even here weather has been very hot. But golf has been very good, though not necessarily MY golf!
So two weeks ago my wife and I along with my wife's brother and his wife took the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Bamff. A fabulous trip. Not inexpensive, kind of a once in a life time deal. Spent a whole day exploring Vancouver then next day onto the train. 10 hours later we arrived in Kamloops, where it was 100 degrees at the time. The Train was great, scones and coffee once you board, then a great breakfast. Then at 10:00 the "jolly trolley" started. Bloody Mary's (or what Canadians call bloody Caesar's) or whatever livation you please. Mind you all food and cocktails are included in the price of the trip. Lunch, which was more like dinner, was served around 1:00-ish. Again, great food and unlimited cocktails or wine. Nobody on our car took advantage nor became a problem. Second day, rinse and repeat. Arrived in Banff, a little less hot but still toasty for me. Spent 1 1/2 days touring Banff then they took us to Calgary, where we flew home to Boston the next day. The whole trip was Sunday to Saturday. I would do it again, but maybe the trip to Jasper. But yet, I read Jasper has been decimated by wildfires. No issue for us on our trip except vistas we're hazy from smoke. All in all a great trip, and if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford the trip very well worth it. Lots of details I could add but I can't go on and on forever with this. And yes, when my summer schedule slows down I will learn how to post pics and will do so.
Regards, Chris
Oh, one thing to mention. Delta/Westjet lost one of our suitcases on the return trip. After 4 days with no communication I went back to Boston Logan and searched an acre of luggage in the terminal all around the carousels and found it on my own! What a clustermuck!! I only knew it was somewhere in Terminal A because of my Apple Air Tags. Sad really, in this day and age of technology that the consumer has to do his own investigation and tell the airlines the lost luggage is under their nose! Oh well, just glad to have it. But never again a Westjet flight!
Good Grief Chris, that was a lot of yardage. Best be driving that beautiful Corvette by Fall, when we're all cooled off outside...
You're Good People Chris.
Ain't ever been ashamed of the junk in my trunk
Gladly shown, whatever it'll be.
Nor sitting at my favorite bridge when it's a little Vinder!
Her in doors of the Mach 1, learned from The Bear. That's my Judy for 34+ years.
There She Blows
SUP?
Double Stackers For All!!!
Didn't think I'd forget ya? Did you?
mobilman44I do feel for the homemakers hanging up wash near trackside though.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi TF,
you really know how to torture a guy don't you! I just had a tooth pulled and I am restricted in terms of what I can put in my mouth. That burger is a work of art but I can't have it!!
Thirty-four years is an accomplishment in this day and age. Congratulations!
I love the louvers on the back window of the Mustang.
Hi Bear,
Thanks for the Shorpy photo. No wonder life expectancies were lower back then!
Today we get to go for a little drive. We have rented a cottage in Northern Ontario. It is on a beautiful lake with very few other cottages, and the fishing is great. Our son Cole and his wife Kaitlin along with baby Callum will be joining us. We have vacationed with them before and we always had a great time. Having 13 month old Callum along will add a new dimension.
Oh, that little drive - it's only about five hours.
Good morning, diners. Bacon, eggs, and coffee please, Brunhilda.
We haven't had Canadian smoke for the past several days. I guess the upper winds are giving us a break.
Today is county fair day for me. Since my kids are all grown and I no longer have contact with school kids, the county fair isn't as interesting to me. However, I will do my yearly walk-through today. The local kids all do lots of work with animals and 4-H projects, and it's always good for me to see the things, but once through is enough for me now.
The rest of the day I will stay inside, so hopefully I will get in more work on the layout. The major project continues to be a new building, which has taken me weeks. The good news is that the end is in sight.
Chris, that sounds like a great trip on the train. I wish my wife would want to go, as I don't really want to go myself. Maybe sometime a friend or family member would want to go with me. I'm looking forward to your photos.
TF, nice photos of the Mustang.
Bear, those Shorpy photos have so many things to see in them. It's amazing the details those early photographers got into their photos.
Dave, I hope you enjoy your time at the lake house. It sounds great. Enjoy your time with the grandchild.
For all the diners mentioned and the ones I haven't mentioned, I hope you have a good day. David, we are continuing to think of you as you go through your treatment.
Train in the forest fire smoke!
In the smoke by wacamerabuff, on Flickr
York1 John
What a sweetheart, my daughter understands my troubles sleeping well in the last year or so. Something to do with age I'm thinking. Ulrich used to talk about this sort of thing, and didn't know what the heck he was talking about, until lately.
Back to my lovely daughter, she texted me a link to ten hours of brown noise Slept like a rock. Friday is Judy's day off, so us sleeping in, (which never happens), happened today. Finally a healthy sleep aid. When the brown noise quits working, I'll have her send me some Green! All I'm remembering is waking up to the sound like a torpedo heater blowing in the garage, when your trying to keep warm working on something in the Winter
Being a bit more serious then "Night Guy", well rested in the morning, that sounded like a fun trip Chris. Except for the part about losing your luggage. I'm glad you were lucky enough to find it. Your experience, and one of my own way back when, is why we only travel with carry on duffle bags now. Haven't been out to play golf yet this year. Going to have to plan that for Fall, as it's too hot to really enjoy anything out there right now. Maybe early in the morning, but good luck getting on the coarse, with everybody and his brother with the same idea
Thanks John. What Mustang? They were suppose to be pictures of the Train No really, they're probably my two favorite things. Three, if you count a good burger
Thanks Dave. Sorry for the teaser. Don't feel too bad, I've not been able to have one either, with my DT condition I'll still role the dice with one over the Kingsford, once in a blue moon, on one of Judy's picnics. Red meat is risky though. That big slab of Prime Rib at the Texas Roadhouse sure put me back on anti-biotics in a hurry. It's called giving into temptation...
Have a great start of your weekend gentlemen
Definition of Gorge-ous?...Pinterest
Afternoon Diners! Janie, a large chocolate malt and an order of onion rings please!
Busy week. Took my daughter on another school/soccer visit Wednesday. How did it go? We left early. Good talk about her options on the 3 hour ride home. That evening she called the coach of the school that seemed so perfect for her and committed. I think the coach was more excited than she was. So very proud of her!
Wife's grandmother's funeral went well yesterday. Small affair and we met at my in-laws for a nice lunch together afterwards.
Spent the last several hours on my roof. Not fun, especially in the heat. I have to hold on to a rope anchored on the other side of the house to keep from sliding off. I was looking for where bats made it into the house. Pretty sure I found the spot where one of the dormer walls meets the main part of the roof. Now to hope my exclusion works. Fingers crossed.
Dave, excellent job moving the diner and great pictures to kick things off too!
Chris, my wife and I put the Rocky Mountaineer on our bucket list, but it will have to be a retirement trip I think. We want to go in either fall or winter, and with her teaching, we're kind of stuck. Glad you found your luggage.
TF, that is a beautiful Mustang!
John, I enjoy walking around our county fair, but I think I'm the only one in the family that likes to go, so I haven't been in years. I kind of miss seeing the animals and eating the carnival food. I can do without the demolition derby and the rides.
Anybody heard from Ed lately? Diner isn't the same without our gmpullman.
Have a good afternoon everyone.
Mike
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for expertly moving the diner Dave.
TF: that burger looks exceptional. Is this Pavlovian, because I'm practically salivating.
The locomotive with smoke pictures are all wonderful. Truly great stuff.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Water Level RouteAnybody heard from Ed lately? Diner isn't the same without our gmpullman.
Thanks for askin' Mike! I'm here — TF's burger brought me up to the counter, though I admit I'd rather have two singles than a double. Just too much to try to tackle without the bun falling apart and the tomato squeezing out the sides!
There were a couple of greasy-spoon diners I used to hang out at in my youth in downtown Cleveland. When I worked at a 16mm film processing service there was a place on E. 40th called George's Corner Lunch. Everything they offered was EXCELLENT! George was Greek and a great cook. I'd give anything to sit down in that diner once more and order the daily special or one of their fantastic burgers.
This is all steam but it sorta looks like smoke:
EBT_12 by Edmund, on Flickr
My dad brought me with him to the East Broad Top on several occasions in the '60s and '70s. Always great fun!
Summer chores has me doing plenty of yard work and firewood cutting so when I get in I'm plenty whooped! Today there are some much needed storms passing through so I can get caught up with internet stuff.
Cheers, Ed
Cherish those days at the town fairs with your little ones, gentlemen. Our local town fairs and the bigger ones where they're supported are magical to our sons and daughters. Some have animals, but ours was confined to face painting and dunk tanks, with much enjoyment anyway for everyone. We had fire engines and DPW trucks, chicken, burger and hot dog stands.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
We made it to the cottage. Once we got past Gravenhurst the traffic was good. Getting through Barrie, not so much.
The cottage is very nice. There is no AC but there are lots of fans. The view of the lake is very relaxing. There are no other cottages in view. The weather is hot but that's only supposed to last for a couple of days.
Evening
Thanks Jim. And Thanks Mike
gmpullman
Hate it when that happens Ed.
Ya try to eat the thing, and it starts blowing out the side walls, with the fixings and condiments becoming quite unmanageable
We slowed the Train down for ya, and diverted to a siding, to have UP remove the top stacks...
to make for two singles to make things a bit more manageable for you...
I'll be joining you in the Diner around 8:15 to have those two singles with you, as those doubles are a bit too thick anyway in my opinion as well
Glad you took those double stacks off one container at a time, TF. BNSF has a quicker method that may have mixed results:
(Looks like I can't embed the video so you'll have to click here)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=754c3PCM4R4
A group of guys arrived in the hi-railer to scratch their heads and flip a coin to see who gets to make the first move to clean this mess up.
Hope there's no Rapido train deliveries in any of those cans!
What a train wreck!
I'll be hanging out in the Diner with a Grain Belt, until Flo gives me my walking papers
I'm going to put that 10 hours of brown noise back on the JBL Blue Tooth my daughter taught me.
You Kids take it easy and rest well. Wishing the best to all of you
[quote user="gmpullman"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=754c3PCM4R4[/quote]
Brooms by Bear, on Flickr
Sure glad that's not my father's railroad.
One of the members of my old train club worked for Canadian National. He spent much of his career recovering wrecked trains. He had some amazing stories to tell like the number of times that he had sat atop a recently drained tank car with a cutting torch. He had photographed every wreck that he worked on except the ones where fatalities were involved. The pictures were very interesting. They gave a better understanding of the huge forces at work when a large train leaves the tracks. He even had pictures of one freight car sitting atop another in a yard that was caused by the shunting engineer using too much power.
Testing 1....2....3......
I'm not wasting any more ink until I know it works.
Good Afternoon,
Wow, the forum has been down for over 4 days. Not doing much for the profile of Model Railroader.
Got our large elm tree injected for Dutch Elm disease. We have been doing it for 30 years and have one of the few very large trees left in the neighbourhood , well it was as is the largest, about 140 years old.
Not much new, have been watching a little of the Olympics. Prefer the winter one.
Hope to hear from the other Diners soon.
CN Charlie
As far as I can tell, the forum went down late afternoon on Friday and somehow just returned late afternoon on Wednesday.
Ridiculous!
Disgraceful!
Not a good omen.
Rich
Alton Junction
Welcome back everyone!
I agree that four days down is a bit much, but let's not dwell on it. Onward and upward.
We have had good weather thus far at our rental cottage. Tomorrow and Friday may be a bit damp.
Not much in the way of birds. We have had a pair of loons cruising close to the dock, and we saw some warblers for about 10 seconds this morning. Kind of disappointing.
I'm eager to get home because there are a couple of eBay purchases waiting for me.
The waitresses are still working!
I need to get a life. When the forum is down, I check the other forum, but for some reason I'm just not ready to change. I'm a little upset that an online forum means so much to me. Like I said, I need to get a life.
Charlie, with so few Elm trees around anymore, is the disease still out there? I know our nursery has some disease resistant Elm trees, but I don't know how good they are. Right now, we are in the beginnings of the Ash borer invasion. We are not happy about that -- in my town's parks, about ¼ of all the trees are Ash trees. They are perfect for our climate -- they withstand hot weather, cold weather, and drought. The university says within ten years, most of the Ash trees will be dead.
Looking through the entries, it seems like the diner is about the last gasp of the forum. I don't know if it will recover if and when the software is fixed. Not a good outlook.
I've missed everyone. Hope you all have a good day. David, I don't know how you're feeling, but if you're reading this, we are thinking of you.
While this photo has no smoke, maybe they're able to keep the smoke away with this: