G’day Gents!
November 1st and can you believe it, the “countdown” begins – only xxx days ‘til Santa arrives! Good grief! <arggggggggghhhhhh> Yeah, I know – Grinch time!
So, what in the world happened last night in the Pool Room And WHO were those characters in the band Didjagetagander at the babe in red For a minute there I thought we had been taken over by the guys from The Second Class Saloon – Mountain Man Mike and company! Must have been a great ending to a fantastic night, for Boris is no where to be found, nor are the critters, nor are the Bikini Team gals, nor any of the guys from Vito’s Protection Squad. So, a good time was had by all as Boris crossed yet another threshold in his life.
On to the acknowledgments for the day:
Nick at 6:59 PM and 8:28 PM yesterday: What would this place be without our Chief Chef and Chairman of the Entertainment Committee Booooooooooooring, comes to mind! <grin> Always a pleasure to be in your company and I noted that you “dressed up” for Boris’ party! Sorry ‘bout the nonsense with the Forums – happens, eh Problem is, it happens more frequently than ever before and nothing seems to change for the better (except US, of course!).
Pete at 8:44 PM yesterday: A return visit, and this time with no mention of warm brew <ugh>. I’ll NEVER get used to that – NEVER! <grin> I can see where I’ll be “forced” to imbibe in my alternative – Black label Jack! <ooooooooh!>
Mike at 8:46 PM yesterday: What’s to say other than when it comes to timely and appropriate URLs – YOUDAMAN! Simply loved that Santa Fe “F” consist – what a great livery and the war bonnet “does it” every time! The map of the MONON is a “keeper” and I found “Romney” – no problem! Glad you made it in before things got too terribly out of control.
Rob at 9:35 PM yesterday: Nice going – another creative ‘comeback’ by our Bar Chandler – so we’re financially solvent again, eh Hmmmmmmm – that upstairs bathtub was ¾ full o’ cash before all of this began – I can tell by the green ring ‘round the inner portion! Anyway, good job. See comments above regarding “warm beer”! Cold beer, warm gals – now THAT’s something to ponder!
Eric at 12:25 AM today: Not to worry about the time of your visit – the important thing is that you’ve found your way back to the Tavern by the Tracks! Regarding the RDCs, there’s a book available on them (amazon.com and other internet sources) – check this out:
It’s a “keeper” in my modest library of hard covered RR books! Somewhat dated, but really tells it all . . . . If I ever return to Europe, there’s a “must do” rail trip on my agenda and that involves Sweden – would love to experience the X2000 from Stockholm to Gothenburg (Göteborg) and return. Something to dream about . . .
DL - just caught your AM Post and will get back with some comments in my next! Good to see ya, as always. Did catch the comment about RPOs - and here's the way it works: If you're willing - so be it:
NEXT Tuesday's "Theme for the Day" will be RPOs from 'round the world! Done this day by my hand . . .
Okay Gents – enjoy your day! Hope to be back now ‘n then . . .
Remember: Ruth comes in at 9 AM and remains behind the bar ‘til Leon takes over at 5 PM
G'day Gents!
Back again with a continuation of this morning's acknowledgments, but first a comment . . .
Mention was made yesterday of the reinstitution of the Birthday Watch List, something we used to have a bit of fun with in months past. As many of you surviving regulars recall, it was put on the shelf shortly after a most disasterous experience where the honoree had us on pins 'n needles - for hours - with the "will he show, or won't he" . . . Anyway, we also began losing some of our more supportive crew around the same time and things seemed to be more of a chore than not. So I decided to put it in drydock.
As with any of the "features" we've had here at the bar, they take effort. Someone has to monitor them and someone has to ensure that they go off as scheduled. The more of the "features" we have, the more effort and so forth. Upon my return to the bar in August after my month-long hiatus, I decided "never again" to get so mired down in this stuff to the degree where monitoring this Thread could become an obsession. Nope -don't need that.
What I'd like to see are some commitments from those of you who clammored to have this bar return to full form. CM3 taking on the "Reporter" role in our Darts Challenge comes to mind as a fine example of pitching in. If anything, we've had an awful lot of inconsistency these past months - hardly anyone has been on board on a regular basis, with the exception of our new guys lately! Can't have it both ways and surely cannot expect one person to take it all on by his lonesome. Nope - don't need that.
So, the Birthday Watch List surely can be revived - but someone other than I needs to oversee it and oversee it properly. It's as simple as that, otherwise, it remains dormant. I do, from time to time take a peek at it, just to ensure that our remaining regulars aren't missed with at least recognition - and even that hasn't worked to full advantage (cite: BKs B'day).
DL - a fine Post from you Sir and lots to digest. Much appreciation for the links to those outstanding Blue Pullman pages - I can see where I'll be engaged in some worthwhile reading. Is there going to be an exam on any of this (My university teacher bride always comes up with that line . . . her students constantly wanna know . . . )
Regarding the warm beer - I recall a time in Southampton (1971) when served a beer that was warm, as in W-A-R-M. When I asked the barman if he could come up with a cold one for me, he provided a miniature ice bucket and tongs for me to drop ice cubes into my brew. <ugggghhhhh> That's when I decided to imbibe with the spirits - so to speak. Glad to know that things have changed - I can handle chilled - but NOT warm! So you don't care for Budweiser, eh Well, should you come to St. Louis (home of the brewery) I'd refrain from mentioning that aloud - could get you into serious difficulty! <grin>
The mention of a possible trip by you to Chicago and perhaps St. Louis conjures up all sorts of thoughts. We have our 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous scheduled for this coming spring and it will be in St. Louis. I expect that dates will be announced at the end of this year so that anyone wishing to make airline reservations will get a decent "heads up" on it. We've decided to communicate the details by Email, so if you are interested, I'll put you on the 'distribution' for those updates. Of course I'll need your Email address - so drop me a note using the Forums capability and we'll set it all in motion.
I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I cannot speak highly enough about the exchange of information going on 'round here. Always learning something new - for instance, I had no clue about the headlights on the locos over in the UK . . . just didn't know. Then there was that quick and informative response to my inquiry of yesterday where Eric came up with the GP9 info on those HERZOG locos. Really impressive!
I too perused those Performance Tables and must say that a great deal of effort went into putting them together. Thanx for steering us to them!
The 11th month, 11th day, 11 hour - yes, brings back all sorts of recollections. As mentioned, Canada still does this sort of thing - well at least parts of Canada do. As our populations change and those with memories of past events fade away, change is as inevitable as the changing of the tides - happens. I'm really a tradionalist at heart - no doubt about it (no doot aboot it - for Rob!) and appreciate the upholding of them no matter what country I'm visiting. Just as long as those traditions don't include such things as beheadings and the like . . . I'm "right with it!" Always enjoyed visiting Parliament in Ottawa or a ceremony where the RCMP and their equestrians are involved - just something special to view. Same for the Tomb of the Unknowns (aka: Uknown Solider) in Arlington National Cemetary and the changing of the guard. Just "gets me".
Okay - 'nuf of my ramblings. For those who give a Rat's Patoot - today is OPTIONAL Toy 'n Model Trains Day! So if you'd like to provide some "stuff" about your hobby - this is the time to do it - just be a bit judicious with the Pix Posting - try not to overload the Page - Thanx!
And finally, I see where I made the 8,400th Post on this Thread. So, the question lingers - what DATE will the 8,500th be made C'mon, take a stab at it - just select a DATE - I'll make it easier on you with NO requirement to state WHO. So, it's our NOVEMBER CONTEST. Prize(s) and further details to be announced! <grin>
Later!
Tom
Good morning Ruth , just the usual large thermos of coffee and a number three , oh and don't scramble the eggs to loudly Well quite a night last night on Boris's natal day, judging by the sounds comming from underneath the barn he's sleeping off the party. He still hasen't set foot inside of his newly scrubbed abode.
Eric-Glad to see that you made it back in last evening.Thanks for the additional info towards the BL2's for sir James, between the two of us he has at least half the story. Now as to the girls... I had Vito and his boyz personally escort them to the Zepplin sheds , roll calls were done and all werer presant and accounted for at the time of lift off. H&H were flying with Copperkettle acting as in flight steward and all around good host.So hopefully by this evening they will be snug in someone's I mean their beds
DL-I'll have to puruse the blue pullman bits a bit more closely,and as far as the beer goes, I myself enjoy a good Guiness or Harps, but I need to be in the mood , otherwise Canadian Domestic for me. We inveritably have the same moron's phone in or try to talk to the staff at the store at the inappropriate times on the 11th. To that end I try to book the day off ( only a government holiday )so I can go down to the memorial service at The Canadian Warplane Herritage Museum. Unless the weather is off the Lancaster flies out at 11:30 does a fly over off the Cenotaph's in Hamilton , Brantford and Toronto, unless it's requested to overfly Ottawa in which case it returns to Hamilton in the afternoon. Last year at the opening off the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa it and the Mitchell provided fly by's at the Musuem there and Parliament Hill .
Tom-You will find that the "float" will be returned shortly, I've heard from the publisher that the first royalty cheques for the darts pay per view will be delivered by Vito in small non sequential bills latter this aftrenoon. ( Minus his handling fee of coarse ) Note to us we need to use the first national bank from now on
I'll take the first kick at the can for november's contest: 6500 will occur on ..... ( as he looks into the crystal,ball Madame Louise from the mentor sideshow sold me ) Nov 20th .
Back latter this evening , this week we are expecting the anual Presidents tour at the store , so all the fixtures product , staff , floor tiles , and bathroom stalls need to be spit shined <barf>
Rob
Good Afternoon Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox. Santa? I haven't even taken down last year's decorations, and here it comes again!
All sorts of interesting material posted today, and thanks to all.
The passenger cars shown on the magazine cover and the book covers were r/b by the Monon. They were formerly U.S. Army hospital cars which the Monon acquired for a more than reasonable price and r/b in their own shops. Amtrak had some of these as well which they r/b into the “Le Pub” cars which, IIRC, ran on the Montrealer as well as several other trains in the early Amtrak era.
In reply to Eric’s question – the schedules I listed were for freight. Monon went out of the passenger business around 1967 and the freight schedules I listed were from late 1969..
James provided some interesting Monon shots. Monon never owned any C424s, however; the beast in the picture is a C420 (long nose is a dead giveaway). Monon had two series of C420s; 500-501 were high hood units, and 502-518 had the low nose. All of them showed up on the roster between 1966 and 1967. The C628s soldiered on after the Monon was swallowed up. They did, indeed, have a distinctive sound.
Rob – thanks for the material on the FMs on the Monon.
Last, some folks had questions about the BL2s. These were, indeed, produced for only a short time. BL supposedly stood for “branch line,” sort of like GP which stood for “general purpose.” The curved shape they had was due to the nature of their construction as the sides were constructed off of trusses.
The C&O had some (ran on the old PM), the Monon did, and so did the Western Maryland. The biggest outpost for BL2s was probably in New England where the Boston and Maine and the Bangor and Aroostook used them. The BARs BLs probably lasted the longest in revenue service of any of them. I remember being on the BAR back approx. 30+ yrs ago and photographing them in service, frequently mued with F3s. The Western Maryland’s units operated in and around Hagerstown and I was fortunate enough to see (and photograph) them there. I believe that the Kentucky RR Museum has a Monon-painted BL2 which is in operating condition.
Well, enough musings about days gone by.
Work safe
P.S. Thanks to BK for pictures. The GG1 works for me............
Hi Tom and all.
A pint of mild after last nights great party, please RUTH.I look like the 2nd Jack'o' Lantern on Tom's post yesterday
I have never seen Boris look so happy.
TOM TOM I win the prize(0r a thick ear) the 6,500 post WAS on 06-08 2006 you are selling yourself short sir we are on 8,400 posts a magnificent achievement I will go for NOV 15th for the new milestone.The 6500 date may be wrong it the only time I have had any sort of success with the search feature.
JAMES Great Monon pics #32 looks an interesting loco,do you know if any of the type are preserved and are still running .
Thanks for the links MIKE and the map, athough I could not see Bedford that was mentioned in the Magazine. The pics at Chicago on just one day in 1967 and the box cars in the sidings it appears that each one is owned by a different railroad, marvellous photos.
ROB Glad it as all ended well with the bikini team and the bar's cash reserve is back up again tup].
Thanks to you and CM3 for the info on the Monon diesels.I hope the President's tour goes well tonight.
ERIC That is one of the great things about Our Place it awakens half forgotton memories, Hopefully one day I will get to California and see the Big Boys there. I believe 6 of these great locos are preserved.
BK Thanks for the model pics Love the pic of the Chicago Streetcar.
DL Wonderful link to the DMUs. It is a shame none of the class 120 power cars were saved, I well remember travelling in them mainly around the East Midland area but also on the Inverness to Aberdeen runs. I think the seats in the1st class area was the most comfortable on any DMU, admittedly I mainly travelled in the 1st class after they were down graded to 2nd.
As too the water troughs, as you say I think the preserved Great Central is probably the only preserved line they could be used on and then if only there is a long enough level stretch of line, as I think that a speed of over 45 mph is required to make a good pickup of water possible. I remember at Newbold the Coventry line flyover was being built and there was a speed restriction on the main line, the sight and sound of the steam locos trying to reach enough speed to pick up water was spectacular..
I think there were Water troughs on some of the North American Railroads, perhaps the regulars have some info on them .
Really enjoyed those performance logs. The Railway Magazine still has a column on locomotive performance, it is billed as the "Longest continous railway article in the world" I believe that it has been going for over 100 years now.
TOM I was away when the abuse about the other theme was sent but it does seem strange they have a 'report abuse" on every post yet do nothing about it when it is reported.
A bit more info on the British headlights. There were 4 brackets on which the oil lamps were hung from, one below the stack and three on the buffer beam, two above the buffers and one in the center. The number and position of the lamps was used to tell the signalman the type of train the loco was on. For example two lamps above the buffers was an Express Passenger , one lamp below the stack was a stopping passenger, a lamp on the center and over the right hand buffer on the bufferbeam was an Express Parcles or empty coaching stock train, and so on.
If the lamps were on all 4 brackets that was only used for the Royal Train when royalty were on board.
The Southern had a dirfferent method using white discs in daylight which also shown the route the train was to take.
Well Ruth I had better have something a bit stronger if the Hit Squad is coming. Let me get them and everyone a round in.
Pete
I have NO IDEA what I was looking at when I announced "6,400" but that's what I SAW!!! Anyway, Wolfman Pete has righted the ship and we are in quest of 8,500 - so let the guesswork begin!
Entries thus far in the NOVEMBER CONTEST
Rob . . . Nov 20th
BK . . . Nov 17th
Pete . . . Nov 15th
to name the DATE when we reach 8,500 Posts:
SPECIAL for DL - Nick 'n Pete: We are SERIOUSLY looking into a trip to Merry Olde in the spirng . . . right now it's late May into early June. More later . . .
Ruth - a round on me and a double for Pete!
G-day Captian Tom and all present!
Leon- Set me up with a sandwich! and a french Vanilla cappaccino please.
Tom- Well I would have to say myself it went well! I loved that map. Very interesting. Something to refer to if we come back to the Monon. Glad everyone liked the photos and umm. a mistake also. An oops. BTW: I choose Nov. 19th since the 20th was taken.
Oh! and BK, . I missed you there, but I came back.
And Boris, . Hopefully he notices his shed. I may have done a better job than I thought
CM3- OOPS! Wow, how did I not catch that. But yes, you're right, The long nose gives it away. So, I will be more careful next time.
Erie and Rob- Well, I got the Double info. Very Nice. Thank you for that. Now I can add it to my pile of info. Some interesting Info. I didn't know that they were F3 at one time. Something new.
Nick- Very interesting Photos! Sorry If I'm a bit confused there. I know it has something to do with Halloween since everyone is all dressed up.
Mike- The photos were great, The Semaphores especially. Do you know when these pics were taken with the Semaphores? Otherwise pics were very cool.
Pete- Glad you liked the videoclips. The best is yet to come.
We had a superlative night lastnight. 71 people came trick or treating to the house last night!!! It was nuts! Plus I've got some pumpkin photos. So If I can I would like to post those here soon. Just to show off!
I've also got a few railroad shots of my own That I will be posting here on the upcoming Sunday. They should be good.
I'm afraid I don't have any new layout pics tonight. I feel bad. My little digital at the moment doesn't have batteries.
I have this one though. My three road units are ready to go on there next frieght. Note: This is portion of the layout might look more familiar if it had the scenery. This would be the engine facility before scenery!
Happy railroading!
James
Well good evening to one and all,Leon-a bottle of Starop and a large rum for me please and a round of `liver liveners` for the rest of the crew..........Another fine night just gone-yet again I made it home with both Telecasters intact and the rest of the band enjoyed themselves enormously-ROB`s impromptu sabre dance during "I`m so glad" was a thing of beauty and the mass Jagger impersonations throughout "Brown Sugar" brought a tear to my eye--incidentally TOM-Chrissie was most taken by " The urbane gentleman with the U.S.C. cap" who offered to take her upstairs to meet the parrot,she apologises for having to cut and run but assures me that next time..................
So-where were we,ah yes:-
JAMES-was the middle one of those `Northern Plains` units ex Soo Line-looked like their livery....classy Monon pix B.T.W
PETE-Even in these times of ridiculous political correctness " A quick one " is always a favourite-the version on the Stones `Rock & Roll Circus` is especially fine .......I have (I think) about ten years worth of old Railway Magazine back issues from the `60`s ( also 30 years worth of Railway Modeller,and about 5 years each of Continental modeller ,British Railway Modelling & Model Railroader )
TOM-Whilst I am unable to offer bed space to a man of your years and dignity (small cottage-no guest room) it would be my pleasure to squire yourself and any others of the company around `Merrie Olde` as and when suits your convenience-just keep me posted -btw, Chrissie looks much sweeter without the outrageous `drag queen` makeover-but you knew that.................
MIKE-Glad to see someone else remembers the Crypt Kickers -I think I may even have a copy of the record somewhere,as ever,fine URL`ing
ROB-Curse those gremlins !!!!!--strange as it seems,many of the venues at which we play make the 2nd class look like a day care centre ( the only one we have so far refused is the local Hells Angels clubhouse-I`m daft NOT stupid...) thanks for the BL1 stuff
ERIC-Boris`s life history will emerge-most likely in several chapters.....
DL-Hope you managed to find the article-if not,e-mail me your address & I will post the magazine to you (Iwon`t be beaten here.....)
BK & LYDIA-nice big scale pix,theres a real `feel` to those models-mass,inertia when running-you just don`t get it with `table-top` models
CM3-As ever the definative take-nice notes on the BL`s and the centurys
Right then-Leon,same again please old son -I`m starting to feel vaguely human again----and so on to toys & models day,well for once,I`m able to make a relevant contribution.....................................................................
DL`s description of his recent trip made mention of B.R Mk 1coaches-to PETE & myself this conjures up an immediate image,however to the rest of you it may as well be Greek,so I`ve spent the day digging out my old Brit trains and taking pix:-
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well,here are the Mk 1`s:- from top left...Corridor composite (1st/2nd class),brake 2nd,Rest,open 2nd,Sleeper,Brake /Luggage
Here are some other pre-nationalisation coaches:-again from top left..Gresley Bk/1st/3rd composite (LNER),Stanier Bk 2nd (LMS),Maunsell 1st/3rd comp (Southern), Collett Bk 3rd (GWR) and in the foreground ,some Victoriana-a Dean all 3rd & Bk/luggage/3rd (GWR)
A mixed bag here:-Collett Bk 3rd.1st/3rd compo,1st/3rd rest,milk van (GWR),bogie (SR) & 4-whl (LMS) general utility vans plus LMS 6-whl milk van
Now here`s where the difference starts to show-you guys are used to big bogie freight cars-we have (had) wee 4 whl wagons :- top row,assd 5 & 7 plank private owner wagons,middle row,assd 9 plank private owner coke wagons,btm row,assd 5 & 7 plank company wagons
top row-assd tank cars,middle row,assd steel bodied opens,btm row,assd ventilated and insulated vans
Misc:-top row,horse box plus long & short wheelbase cattle trucks,mid. row,cement silo,1 plank (I.E flat),grain hopper,salt wagon,lime wagon,front row ,various brake vans
Right-off to see if I can remember Boris` life story,back in a bit
nick
Right then gents ,gather round the fire,for I have a tale to tell... (Leon-send over a couple of bottles of the special rum,one of the reserve cognac and a decent single malt plus a J.D black for the guvnor-top man..)
Now as you all know,it was Boris` natal day yesterday,what you may not of known is that he is 108 years old-and finally an adult by the rules of his clan............shall we step back in time......
Twas a dark and stormy night that Halloween of 1898,deep in the Carpathian mountains all god fearing souls were long abed -even the troll bridge over the great gorge bore a hastily painted sign reading " gon bak 2 kave-pleez pay twise on nekt jurney"
Through the relentless rain and lit only by the actinic flashes of sheet lightning comes the sound of a wooden wheeled cart being pulled over rough ground-much swearing accompanies this with a counterpoint of a female in the final stages of labour-finally the cart comes into view as it slides down into a narrow defile in the rocks-between the traces are an identical pair of..well,you`ve seen the pictures havn`t you ???
Hastily the pair gather and light a brushwood fire ,since the howling of the wind is not sufficient to cover the howling of the mountain wolves--They realise that the will not reach the clan gathering tonight and prepare to spend another night under the stars.
Once the fire is well alight they roast and eat the remains of the donkey that was the carts original motive power,whilst taking it in turns to tend to the female within the cart-they are Boris` mother and both of his fathers ( their reproductive cycle involves:-1 female,2 males,a flowering gorse bush, a fresh duck egg & a prevailing southerly wind--I don`t know why,I don`t want to-lets just leave it there shall we ?? )
Sometime before dawn,when the storm has played itself out amongst the mountains,that most everyday of miracles takes place,a new voice greets the world and Boris is born
His early years are spent ,like generations before him,learning the secrets and trades of the clan-travelling from village to village stealing cattle,worrying sheep,mending pots and generally leading a delighfully bohemian lifestyle
As the new century progresses the clouds of war gather over Europe-the young Boris,eager for adventure, enlists in the Rumanian army-thus becoming the first non-conscripted soldier in that august military body.
His eager and willing persona ,coupled with an almost pathalogical inability to get anything right ,lead to his being transferred through more regiments than any other serving soldier.
Finally he finds a place for himself as a member of the 3rd Transylvanian Horse Artillery-they paint him with whitewash and use him for target practice
He receives a mention in dispatches and a small medal for his part in the little known battle of Splodnitz (he was trying to run away but lost his sense of direction)
The treaty of Versailles finds our hero living in a cave in the Basque country of Northern Spain with elaborately forged documentation and no good explanation as to how he got there..........
With the opening of global trade routes once more,he immediately took ship for the new world ,leaving only a forwarding address and a strange but lingering smell of anchovies.....
Here ends chapter 1
right-some more train pix-just to prove I do get it together
These are the FP7a`s that showed up in last weeks pix-plus some freight cars that I have invented liveries for The flash distorts the colours somewhat ,especially the blue--sorry,can`t do much about it
Take care chaps,moonlight mile for me,nick
Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house.
What almost needs to be said is this:
Limestone clads the Empire State Building and it's somehow a residue of marine invertebrates in Bedford, Indiana, of all places to put an ocean. For a while the Monon got rich shipping limestone (and coal) to Chicago. Their headquarters was at 320 Dearborn St., a state of the art skyscraper for its time, 160 feet high, with 3 electric elevators. Designed by John Mills Van Osdel, the architect of the old City Hall, and built by Anders Lanquist. The Monon Building was demolished in 1947 to make way for the Congress Parkway.
Pete, on the map Bedford is 2 stations north of Orleans, where the French Lick branch begins.
The French Lick Springs Hotel has an ersatz riverboat casino on an artificial lake, as the law requires this floatation device. In its heyday guests included Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joe Louis, the Marx Brothers, Diamond Jim Brady and John Dillinger.
Incidentally the word monon comes from Potawatomi Indian words that sounded like metamonong or monong, meaning carry or tote or run swiftly or swift running. Reasonable, since it was first applied to Monon Creek near Bradford, Indiana, which renamed itself Monon in 1879, about 25 years after the railroad came through town.
James, the semaphores were photographed in June, they continue to function as signals for CSX and Amtrak trains.
For All Saints Day and All Souls Day a steam engine from Saint Albans.
(photo courtesy Division Point)
(photo courtesy Canada Science & Technology Museum)
Mike
G-day Captain Tom and all present!
Nick- That GP9 is indeed an ex. Soo line unit. BTW: Your story was funny. I liked it.
Mike- The Semaphores are still in service! Thats great! I can't believe they have survived as long as they have. Great pics!
I finally got some batteries for the Camera!
Train MF132 makes it's way around a curve about to cross Devol diamond.
This is about 3 seconds later as it comes over the diamond and rounds the corner.
MF132 makes it's way under the overpass near Elevator crossover.
http://www.trillium-video.com/mpg/church.mpg
Also, listen to these SD45s roaring. The EMD 645 turbocharged diesel engine is working its hardest!
http://www.trillium-video.com/mpg/fondlac.mpg
These EMD SW1500s are working hard, pushing there train back into Steven points yard. Located at Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Good morning Tom and all in.
Pancake Breakfast please, warm up a Bud for me for later on please!
Tom, a UK trip on the cards eh – well – I’ll encourage you (even if that pub in Southampton has to be off the agenda – unless you have a score to settle of course!). I guess you will know the sort of things you want to do – maybe you can think up a ‘wish list’ and those of us with local knowledge can steer you to possibilities that can be achieved within the limitations of geography (and the rail network). Late May / June is a good time because the weather is often pleasant and the longer days mean plenty of time for sightseeing. Meanwhile, my friend, the beer’s on ice!!
Just regarding your tip on St Louis and Budweiser – I have to say the one place I’d be happy to drink the product is in its birthplace! I just have a suspicion of any product that gets made in such quantities you can get it anywhere on the planet – but I suspect the stuff sold here is an inferior version of the real thing. I learned this lesson as an 8 year old on my first visit to the USA – got a liking for those traditional American beef burgers – but came back home to find the stuff sold here under the banner of the same big corps (who shall remain nameless) was an inferior version of the product.
If there was any St Louis visit possibilities I’d be sure to e-mail – but my e-mail is gone down and I need to get it fixed – that’s another story. I’ll get round to it.
Rob – interesting low down on your 11/11 commemorations – but I guess Canada does keep the traditions alive – I was surprised to learn about Victoria Day a few years back on a visit – mind you I guess that warrants a place in the calendar just to annoy the Quebecois eh?
Pete – glad you liked the DMU site – I’ve just read the class 120 pages. Not great machine to look at, they obviously had a good ride from what you say. By the time I first went Aberdeen – Inverness (1986) it was back to loco hauled, and having grown up in the south I was only really familiar with the Diesel Electric MUs (DEMU – ‘Thumpers’ – not featured on that site I note) – a favourite of mine. The Diesel Mechanicals always seemed a poor quality product in comparison – ride wise. However, the 120 was obviously designed originally as a quality machine – what with 1st class and even a buffet counter provided. By the time I moved to the midlands the 1st generation units were seriously in decline – although I confess to having become more fond of their 1950s retro interiors etc in recent years. As you say, a shame that a full unit was not preserved. I think it is regrettable that this can happen when some types have multiple examples in preservation. Looks like a lot of the dreaded Asbestos was used in their construction.
I was interested in your comment on water troughs and speed requirements.
Nick – thanks for the Mark 1 coach info - a classic British steam era design – (of course there has been a Mk 2, Mk3 and Mk4 as well but we’ll leave that for another time). Good to read about Boris’ early years.
More interesting stuff on the Monon – appreciated!
Meanwhile I'm preparing my RPO contribution.
DL
PS Tom – oil prices dropping? Haven’t you guys got an election coming soon? Any co-incidence? Surely not….
Another delightful start to the day here in mid-continent USA with blue skies and temps a tad below freezing (32 F), hardly any breeze at all and just an all ‘round good way to begin things! Juneau the Wonder Husky simply delights in days like these . . . .
Been kinda nice NOT glued to the tube lately, now that baseball has been put to rest. Still haven’t gotten fired up for hockey, but have noted that our NHL entry – the Blues – are doing terribly. Somewhat of a continuation from last season . . . And our NFL football team – the Lambs, errrrrrr make that Rams – are stumbling along and surely will wind up somewhere near the bottom of the heap once they square off against the elites of the league. Yeah, nice to be away from it all . . .
I see Boris has returned to the fold after his brief respite from his B'day Bash! Noticed that he even wound up back in his shed with his inflatibles - so all's right with his world!
So, let’s see what we have since my last Post:
James at 6:04 PM and 10:16 PM yesterday: Hope you enjoyed that cuppa Joe (sailor’s coffee) and found that with a “splash” of vanilla extract, one can make almost anything taste “different.” No cappuccino in this joint – as I’ve mentioned previously, we’re a tavern – a bar - a saloon, not a coffee shop, ice cream parlour or Seattle based trendy meeting place.
Thanx for participating in our November Contest!
Some fine shots of your layout and for those who appreciate our OPTIONAL Toy ‘n Model Trains Day! – good show! Also enjoyed the ‘sounds’ – you are so correct, really something special – nicely done.
Nick at 7:29 PM and 8:47 PM yesterday: Wonder WHO the guy with the hat was USC you say C’mon my dear and let me show you my parrot – hmmmmm, now THAT’s a new line, eh Will have to keep an eye out for him . . . don’t want THAT kinda reputation in our fine establishment!
Regarding my thinking for our trip to the UK: Seriously thinking means early planning – got a few things to iron out, most important of which is how to care for Juneau in our absence. As this trip will involve much more time than our normal getaways, putting him in the kennel doesn’t really appeal to either of us. Right now our options are very limited, but there’s time . . . . Thanx for the offer, and yes – I’ll keep you apprised of the planning progress as it occurs. It will just be the two of us (couldn’t talk her into letting me “do” a solo! – something about trust and all of that!! <grin>) And about the only MANDATORY item on my very rough itinerary is an overnighter aboard the train from London to Scotland and return. Also want to swing down to Penzance – if for no other reason than to say we’ve been there – big G&S fans here and love the Pirates! If all of this falls into place, undoubtedly we’ll hook up for a night somewhere close to where you are.
Excellent work with those passenger car and others from your model railroad inventory! As with me, I have more inventory than space available to run ‘em – that’s why the display cases in the Can-Am Trainroom have been added. Hate to have ‘em boxed away – just enjoy looking at the displays . . . .
The Boris Chronicles – we shall have to bookmark these submissions and run ‘em annually. Well done, Mate – well done! If the SEARCH feature on these Forums hadn’t been screwed with, we’d be able to easily retrieve your past accounts of our cloven-footed-Cyclops – but alas, Kalmbach has made that such an unfriendly experience – and time consuming – that I’m simply not up for it. Again – well done and am looking forward to part deux!
Mike at 9:36 PM yesterday: Is that elephant in a mating ritual with the steam loco Hmmmmm – well, whatever “works”! <grin> Nice narratives, tid bits of facts and Pix. And that 2-10-4 is magnificent!
Eric at 12:41 AM today: Don’t ask, don’t tell – or something like that! Been THAT kinda day, eh Well, we’ll be here when you’re ready
Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.
Our warm weather disappeared for awhile – going to be in the 20’s for a couple of days and then it is scheduled to bounce back up again. Anyway, the K9 Korps was out early checking the perimeter for invaders – all was secure as the ‘possums were frightened away.
Pete – I checked; the Monon BL2 is at the Kentucky RR Museum and is operable.
James – Thanks for the layout pictures.
Nick – Thanks for sharing equipment pictures and providing the “uptown lowdown” (a musical reference for you), re Boris. The Transylvanian Horse Artillery – excellent!
Mike Thank you for the CV material. All kidding aside, the picture with the elephant will give folks an idea as to how big the CV 600s were. They were the biggest steam engines to operate in New England. Both the New Haven and the B&M had 2-10-2s, but they were not as big as the CV power pictured. I know, Boris, the D&H had 4-6-6-4s, but they ran on the west side of Lake Champlain. Little known fact for the day is that the B&M named their 2-10-2s “mudsuckers.” Ralph Fisher’s book, Headlights and Markers has some good stories about them and their peculiarities.
B4 I forget, you can see much of the remains of the Monon by riding Amtrak 51. Even in the dead of winter, 51 traverses the MON in daylight. 50 travels that section at night - no matter the time of year.
Tom - Buffalo has started off well in the NHL and Boston is staggering. West Virginia plays Louisville night; a big game for both sides. I will say November 24 for the contest.
RPOs next – sound good.
I will try and visit tomorrow, but it may be late (or not at all) as we get to play in the dirt (for a change).
Good afternoon Tom
I'll have a beer whilst I mull over the options.
Yes, can well appreciate the needs of the canine friend are of significant importance. Airline travel is no laughing matter – I’m with you on that. Last time I went to Chicago we flew American Airlines and I must say the seating was not as cramped as some are. In fact we chose them because they flew into our Regional Airport in Birmingham – and flying to a UK regional airport like Birmingham, Manchester or even Glasgow can be better than London as the London airports are always overcrowded and thus not a very clam environment. However, obviously you get a lot more flights and it can be cheaper into and out of London.
Agree with you about keeping the finer points of ones planning off the ether – but I’ll get my e-mail fixed some time soon – just need to hassle my ISP and you have to ring them on a high cost charge tel number which sticks in my throat – they know how to rip you off here!
I’m a big fan of the now little known UK sleeper service so just to give you a bit of food for thought there are 3 main trains serving 6 ultimate destinations (and drop off points en route to those destinations of course), they leave London Stations 6 nights per week (not Saturday Nights). All services run in both directions.
There is the Night Riviera which runs London Paddington station – Penzance (so you could overnight it there and back, or travel in the day time one way for great views of Devon and Cornwall.)
Then there are 2 trains to Scotland – Branded up as the ‘Caledonian Sleepers’, both of which divide en route to serve different destinations. One train leaves later evening with portions for Edinburgh and Glasgow (the Lowland Sleeper).
The other Scottish Service, The Highland Sleeper divides into three portions with some cars going to Aberdeen on the North East Coast, some cars to Inverness (capital of the Highlands) and some cars to Fort William in the West Highlands. The Fort William run is the most scenic, Inverness slightly less so.
All these run to / from Euston Station in London.
Again you can take the day time train one way if desired – either the East Coast route to/from Edinburgh, the West Coast route to/from Glasgow, or with a change of train or two, the highly scenic Settle – Carlisle route down the middle.
I’ve stayed in some reasonable price small scale accommodation not too far from Penzance station when I’ve used the Night Riviera, and there are some good pubs with a few pirate links down there. There’s a good quality old railway hotel that is part of the Inverness Station complex (Royal Station Hotel), and traditional Railway Hotels at Glasgow and Edinburgh of course. The main problem in Britain is that I think you will find accommodation costs steep by US standards – but a web search will no doubt let you know what you are letting yourself in for.
I suppose you need to think about whether you want to go for a 1st or 2nd class Brit Rail pass, or to buy individual tickets for the journeys you wish to do. We can’t buy Brit Rail passes here but when I look at the costs of them they always seem great value to me – esp if you want to make a home on the steel wheel!
No, you’re right – I doubt Dubya can have much influence with the OPEC boys – but always interesting to note that govt speeding seems to kind of get freed up in advance of voting day for some project or another!
Loved that Quebec Calendar quote!
Good morning Ruth , my usual thermos of coffee and the number three , today the eggs can be well and loudly scrambled. Quite a nice outpouring of info yesterday folks which is in the 5x catagory for me.
Tom-I've decided that it's best to ignore the JO's and other such ignoramusaurus rex's out there, after all what can we expect from a free forum.At least we do have this plce the rest out there is unfortunatly alot of fluff and white noise , and ego's. Well that's my supportive rant for what it's worth.Interesting tidbit on the holiday preferances with my provincial neighbours to the right of me,petty stuff but nothing supprises me. At least i can take solice in that some of my direct decendants were part of the Lincoln and York militia that set those would be revolutionaries in thier place
Isn't that NO streetcar model wonderfull. I've seen one operate up close and personal. It litterally has all the bells and whistles, motor noises and the models motors are under the floor so it has a full interior down to the advertisement signs along the interior ceiling. $795.95 CDN on sale was deffinaytly too rich for my blood though
So now that you are armed with a new line.....
BK-As mnetioned above loved the LGB shots from yesterday,the streetcar series are a sight to behold and hear in real life.
DL-We do try to keep the old traditions alive over here. for me it's of great importance. both my wife and myself have had many generations of Military men and women including some currently serving.To me it's just proper etiquette to keep the torch burning as it were. Looks like that between Nick and yourself Tom's itinerary in Merry old should be busy and interesting.Word to the wise don't heat up the Budd it could cause a cataclysmic blast of unknow proportions
James-Fine spate of layout pictures, good show. Onepoint of clarity though the BL2's weren't built from F3's they had the same frame and motors, they were a completly separate built new locomotive. Much like GP9's and 7's the two lines shared some components.
Nick-Wow quite the part one epistal on how Boris well became Boris. One question though, now that he's an "adult " should I worry when I see him meandering through town pushing a wheelbarrow full of his dolls and saying "Here Ducky Ducky " great looking collection of tthe more traditional Brit rail equipment as well sir
Pete-The tours tomorrow, though judging from the work that's been done at the store we should pass with more than flying colours,then we can get back to what we are supposed to be doing , selling things.
CM3-Great news that one of the Monon's Bl2's is still capable of doing it's thing.I hasd thought that the one BAR unit was still around, the Spirit of The Railfan I believe they had called it, if not it's good that one was saved for posterity.
Mike-Great steam shots sir, the elephant worries me somewhat. Is that a shot of Jumbo
RUTH a pint of the usual and can you put me down for some of NICK's Fish 'N' Chips for a bit later..
Just heard on the English radio, via the computer, the temp back in my hometown is going to be the same as here in Mid-Mo tonight at 24F BRRRR.
Great evening of the model day. JAMES those diesels look great even without the scenery by the loco depot . Thanks to the video links, the locos are working hard, in the second link the back SW 1500 looks in a bit of trouble with the black smoke. The Wisconsin Central colors were adopted by the British EWS in the 90s when Ed Burkhart formed the company after privatization of the British railways.At that time EWS and Frieghtliner were the two main frieght companies on British rails .
NICK What a great collection of British rolling stock models, many thanks for sharing them with us and adding the details.Looking forward to Chapter 2 of the BORIS story from the Carpathian Mountains to the Mentor Inn.
DL Glad you like the bit on the water troughs. I did not get to ride behind that many Thumpers, I think I only managed to travel the Hastings line in one once, but before the East Grinstead line was electrified a trip to the Bluebell involved the bonus of a ride with one. I must admit it I did regret it when the loco hauled trains gave way to Multiple units in the Highlands of Scotland, although it is still possible on the sleeper to have loco haulage on the West Highland line, I have heard though that the Class 37s are to be replaced on this service after many years.
MIKE thanks for the MONON info and I have found Bedford on the map. The more I see of the Central Vermont 600 and 700 locos the more I am impressed by them .
CM3 Thanks for the info on the BL2 it is good to know one is still in working order. I had a look at the Kentucky Railroad Museum web-site, it was very interesting. There is some video clips of L&N # 152 in action.
ROB I must agree with you it seems as though Our Place is more and more an oasis on the forums. They were some great trolley models BK posted.
ERIC Hope to see you in the bar soon.
TOM I see DL has posted some great ideas for a trip on the British rails. I will have to find out when the steam special on the Fort William to Mallaig starts up. I have read that is has been a good year for the service, with an extra day a week layed on. I am told some of this is due to the Harry Potter films using this stretch of line for scenes in the films. It is a very scenic line and with some steep grades a perfect place to run steam.
I recieved the Email and have replied hope it arrives.
Well it was RUTH when I started but now it is LEON so another pint please and I am about ready for .
It is Fish ‘n Chips Nite at the Bar by the Ballast and Chief Chief Nick may – just may – treat us to one of his special bill o’ fare – watch for it!
Spent the majority of this afternoon at the Doc’s office then had to navigate through the evening rush hour to get home before sunset, which is earlier now that daylight savings has ended. Finally got ‘round to checking my Email and of course the bar. Some comments and acknowledgments:
Received a couple of Emails from the Forum Manager (Bergie) regarding the “rating system.” Seems that he has no problem with rating a Thread “zero” and sees it as a “right” extended to all who frequent these Forums. Mine was and remains opposition to the “rating system.” Why let people trash a Thread, especially if they’ve never participated in it The Kalmbach folks did away with the ‘stars’ for individuals, so why have ‘em for Threads (said I) Well, at least I received a response and we’ve agreed to disagree.
CM3 at 8:51 AM today: I knew of Buffalo getting off to a fine start in the NHL; also am aware of the “big game” in collegiate football(although I’m not a follower). Used to LOVE college round ball when I lived in Virginia – followed the ACC back in those days (1973-77) and North Carolina was (and is) my favorite. Alas, now only when it comes to the NCAA tournament.
Good input regarding the Cvs - BLs and Amtrak route!
Thanx for participating in the November Contest!
Hope we get to see ya before the weekend arrives, but if not – enjoy!
DL at 11:32 AM today: Many thanx for the input regarding Brit Rail and attendant issues. I’ll surely put it all to good use should I get to that point where the trip is a “go”! One thing about the overnight rail trip is missing out on the scenery. Given that this will be one of those trips not to be repeated, I’ve really got to think this through – of course we want to take in as much of the UK as possible through the windows of the train. I’m now putting together a fold of pertinent “stuff’ and yours has been copied!
And we’d be traveling 1st class – no point in scrimping when this is “it” for us.
Rob at 11:54 AM today: Believe me, the JOs don’t get to me nearly as much as they used to. It’s that blasted “ratings system” that bugs me. Oh well – ‘nuf said on it above. Ignoramusaurus rex's!! Now that’s one I’ll have to steal.
Good continuing dialogue regarding the BLs . . .
Drafterdude at 6:09 PM today: Nice of you to drop off your thoughts and I’m sure they will be appreciated by the guys following this discussion. If you are interested in participating with us further, recommend you check out the first couple of pages and the last few. Read ‘em through – that should give you an idea of the way things “work” on this Thread. I’ll let you in on a “secret” – we are an interactive site – we greet and acknowledge the other guy and we have some protocol here at the bar. As I said – check out the pages and you’re most welcome to join in. Should you return – there’s a drink on the house awaiting along with your "official welcome"! And oh yes – we are an adult eating ‘n drinking establishment where the discussion focuses on Classic Trains with some fun stuff thrown in. One MUST be of legal drinking age to be served at this bar!
Pete at 6:18 PM today: Nope – Email hasn’t arrived (yet) and it’s now a bit after 7 PM. I’ll check before – thanx!
As mentioned above, I’m putting all of the pertinent “stuff” into a folder for our UK trip and anything you can add will be most appreciated!
Entries thus far in the NOVEMBER CONTEST to name the DATE when we reach 8,500 Posts:
BK . . . . Nov 17th
James . .Nov 19th
CM3 . . . Nov 24th
Leon – set ‘em up on me and Boris ring the bell!
Well good evening gentlemen and a happy thursday to one and all
Leon,a round for the house,one for yourself,one for Boris (as he is now `of age` ) and stick a few bottles in the ice-box for me please--looks like it could be a busy night in the galley.............
Glad you all enjoyed the fireside tale (chapter 1 ) -further instalments will follow as soon as I have translated the original calfskin clan diaries.
MIKE-Interesting general info and neat pix -those things must be a good 12 feet tall,absolute monsters --bet that Division Point model wouldn`t leave much change out of a weeks housekeeping--nice one !
JAMES-Nice layout pix there-are you using cork for the roadbed ? if so,how does it work out ?... Nice sounds as well,tempted to copy them across onto my recording desk and do a bit of cutting and pasting see if I can get a loop or two I can use on the layout
ERIC-Will your troubles never end ?-lost the link for about 6 weeks last year -climbing the wall (which is odd considering I had survived perfectly happily without a computer for 44 years and only agreed to have one to keep Missisnick happy-I now use it 10 times more than she does...........) Any man who will take a turn at the sink is welcome in this company btw
DL-Glad the mk1`s were of use-I have some pix of last generation mail trains around Swansea somewhere-not sure of the quality,but will look them out-also the old Tri-Ang tpo van,will take some pix
TOM-After careful consideration of the form,I will plump for 22nd Nov as the big day,not least `cos it`s Hannah`s b/day Quite agree that Juneau`s interests should be at the top of the list that notwithstanding,might I suggest the Portmadoc area for the itinery -You can ride in and back by train,across the whole breadth of Wales,you have the Festiniog and Welsh Highland lines on the doorstep,a load more within a half days trip plus Portmeirion,which I imagine Carol and yourself would both enjoy also on the doorstep. I could easily trip up to join you there since my neck of the woods has little railway interest
R.E display cases,sadly my train shed is not secure enough to allow me to store my models there long-term and a suggestion that I might display them in the house was firmly rebuffed ( and I mean Firmly...) As to politics,I can do no better than to quote the late Peter Cook,who described U.S politics thus :- It is a two party system,there are the Republicans,who are the equivalent of the British Conservative party And there are the Democrats,who are also the equivalent of the British Conservative party...............vive la difference says I
CM3-The Transylvanian Horse Artillery is a proud and noble regiment,who list many glorious defeats on their role of honour .......................
ROB-A worrying thought,which dolls are they-the ones he scrounged from the orphanage or the ones he got from the mail-order catalogue which should be locked in the shed....................................
Right:- to the galley with me,
Tonight we have:-
Starters, Smoked Mackerel pate
Deep-fried Whitebait
Grilled Atlantic Sardines all served with wholemeal roll, lemon wedges and salad garnish
Vegetable spring rolls with sweet chilli dip
Cumberland sausage half-ring with reform sauce
Vegetable Samosa`s with mint raita all served with salad garnish
French onion soup served with garlic bread
Mains, Pan-fried butterfly Chicken *** in lime & chilli butter sauce
Pan fried noisettes of Lamb in cranberry & redcurrent jus
Filet Mignon,cooked to taste with blue cheese sauce
Steak & Oyster pie with puff pastry crust
Kidneys & Bacon braised in sherry
Grilled Red Snapper
Cleddau Bass baked with rum,lime & ginger
Moules mariniere
Brocolli , Celeriac & Red Onion gratinee
Mixed Vegetable canneloni with 4-cheese sauce
5 Bean tacos with Texas Ranger special sauce
All the above served with Fries,Baked potato or Pommes de Jour ,basket of mixed breads
Vegetable platter or salad bowl
O.K-that should do you,I`m outta here-onions to chop and staff to shout at,bon appetite
P.S-this censor function is just a little bit silly......................................................... &nb
Whoops-looks like a few snuck in behind me :-
DRAFTERDUDE-Hi there,nice to meet you -grab a beer,hope you can stick around--this place is a wee bit different to most of the other forum threads-you`ll either love it or hate it ...............
PETE-hows tricks mate !-yes it is a bit chilly in Merrie Olde this night-gone from mild autumn to proper pre-winter in about 3 days--out with the long-johns for me Got some more model pix for next week-the loco`s this time
take care now,back to the stove,nick
I don't think people are supposed to sleep on trains. I think people are supposed to keep their eyes glued to the window all night long. There's always something to see out there, even in the dark. Unless you travel by train routinely and have already seen everything twice. No way would I sleep through a train ride from London to Scotland.
Flying Scotsman in New Jersey in 1971
http://saulnadler.railfan.net/LNERFlyingScotsmanHarrisonNJ.jpg
Thanks for the interest and compliments on the CV locomotive and model. My grandfather drove those big old machines so I kind of feel a connection to them. Wish they had spared one for a museum or something.
Rob, the good news is that Jumbo was not in St. Albans in 1930.
The bad news is that Jumbo was in St. Thomas, Ontario in 1885.
Jumbo stuffed went to Tufts, via the Boston & Lowell Railroad.
http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/spring2002/jumbo.html
Good morning Tom and friends! Please put me down for a light breakfast, which I’ll just stuff in my pockets for later. Looks like the bar has been doing just fine without me. Truly incredible stuff gentlemen! It’s going to take hours to give these postings the time that will be required to absorb the material of just the last few days. By the way ... this most excellent thread is GARANTEED to hit 8,500 posts by the 12th, if not sooner.
Here’s my situation. We’re into full-time move mode, but a muscle strain has set me back a bit. I went to the immediate care about noon on Wednesday, and was given a brace, drugs and an admonition to take it easy and not operate machinery. Terrific. So it looks like job#2 is over, and I’ll be taking the day off from job#1 today. Yesterday we had our walk-through at the new house, which took 3 ½ hours. I spent the rest of the day making phone calls to all the various utility companies and setting-up a mover. We’re all set for our closing next Thursday, and hopefully we can be pretty much be moved by the end of next Saturday. Got the satellite, telephone and DSL installation scheduled during the 10th, so the kids won’t have anything to do but help with the move! Do you know that when you move into a fiber optic area, that you chose from 3 different baud rates? As you can imagine, the faster it is, the more it costs. I’m opting for the slow speed until I see exactly how slow it is. You get penalties for downgrading, but not for upgrading. As for this farm house, showings start today for a new tenant. If you want to see some of our recent pictures, follow this photobucket link: http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/Barndad/stuff/
The red dots you see in the pictures are areas that we marked as problems for the builders to fix. We used about 150 of the suckers, but most things were minor. There should be a lot of activity at the place today!
Well, I can’t very well leave without making a contribution, so here it is:
The Louisville, New Albany & Chicago was the predecessor road of the Monon. The locomotive “Admiral: (above) was probably a Norris locomotive of 1851-53 vintage, originally built for the New Albany & Salem Railroad as the “Ranger.” When it came to the LNA&C in 1859, it was given No. 9 and its new name, “Admiral.” The locomotive was rebuilt in the New Albany (Ind) Shops in 1868 with new 13X24” cylinders, 56” drivers, and a weight of 63,000 pounds, and shows the ornate appliances and trim characteristic of the period. The rebuilding may be the occasion for this photograph.
Two patrons of the Second Class Saloon went deer hunting. After a few hours out, they finally bag a deer. They went to drag it back to the truck, but pulling it by the hind legs, the antlers kept getting stuck in the brush. The first one looked at the other and said, "Well, maybe if we pull it by the antlers this won't be so hard."Thinking about it for a second, the other complies and the two carry on with their new plan. About ten minutes later the first one says to the other "now isn't this much easier?" The other one says "Yeah, but aren't we getting further and further from the truck?"
Hi Tom
I'll munch on alight brekfast whilst I give you my thoughts on UK travel - all for the folder of course.
So few thoughts
The go-as you please nature of the Brit Rail pass is very appealing.
1) Class of Travel
1st or 2nd class. Like you I’d go for first but some extra info which might help on this
1st class IS better than standard / 2nd, but not massively so. Many local trains (eg commuter runs and smaller trains serving rural back water lines and some regional cross country routes (but not all) do not actually have first class accommodation. So don’t feel cheated if you have a 1st class ticket and get on a train without 1st class seats! They say this is factored intot he price of a 1st class pass.
However ALL 'intercity' (long distance fast trains, mostly but not all, on the to / from London routes will have 1st class seats). The advantages with these are 33% better space (you usually get 3 seats across the width of the car, whereas you get 4 in 2nd . 1st class seating is also better in its alignment with windows etc, and there are more table seats so the whole thing feels more spacious, seats will have some modest reclining function. In fact the layout is much like the open dining car layout on the Renaissance cars on The Ocean.
PLUS - It would be very unusual to find a first class seating area full (peak time trains on a Friday rush hour or Monday morning would probably be the only time this would happen) – so essentially you can turn up on spec for a train with no real need to reserve, Of course you can reserve seats on Inter City trains and longer distance journeys (not on local trains), but with a first class ticket there is no real need, which helps if you make a last minute change of plan. Seat reservations are free in the UK.
1st class also tends to come with the ‘nice touches’ of things like at seat service of complimentary drinks, and it guarantees access to dining cars where they are available (standard class passengers either have no access or are only allowed space permitting depending on the operating compnay policy). Some of these facilities are not provided on Saturdays and Sundays however.
An important thing about 1st class on the sleeper is that you get the same type of room as 2nd class – just the upper bunk is folded up, and if there are 2 of you they can open the interconnecting door to the nextdoor room – so you get a whole lot more space, but the sleeper supplement for 1st class (£39 per berth) (which you pay on top of your Brit Rail pass which counts as your journey ticket) is a bit higher than the 2nd class supplement ( at £34 per berth). If you want upper and lower bunks in the same room you just book a 2nd class compartment and pay two times the £34 supplement. I'll direct you to pics of interior UK sleeper compartments if you need them.
Maps of the network
It might be helpful for you to peruse a map of the UK network – you can down load one here
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/maps/network_rail_maps.htm
The Passenger operator map by Barry Doe on this page is the most useful as it shows a true geographical map. You need the schematic maps lower down to see all stations
In the urban areas. There are some decent ‘railfan’ published map books (some showing abandoned lines too) and if you are doing a lot of travel I’d recommend one
I use one called ‘Sectional Maps of Britain’s Railways 2002’ Published by Ian Allan –Costs £14.99 – but if you do a lot of window gazing you may consider it worthwhile see:
http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/catalog/
I can photocopy an official UK rail map and mark on it the scenic highlights and post it over if your plans get more serious – that’s easy enough to do.
Scenery vs Sleeper
I too wrestle with this every time – even though I’ve done the routes many times. However, that is why I recommend the sleeper one way option (after all it saves on a hotel bill too!). In fact that time of year extended daylight helps too. I’d strongly recommend sleeper every time because you just get a more classy service (and Mike – who says you are sleeping – just because you have a bed you are still pressed to that window!!)
Picking up on Pete’s point about steam on the Fort William to Mallaig section for example, you can leave London 20.30 hours and spend some time in the sleeper bar car until darkness falls heading north from London, then turn in as you see fit. That time of year it would be daylight by the time you reach Helensburgh Upper just north of Glasgow at 06.27 next morning where it starts to get really scenic again for the whole run though to Fort William arrive 09.43 – you can take some breakfast in the bar car admiring that west highland scenery.
The sleeper arrival is supposed to connect in fairly conveniently with the steam service departure from Fort William to Mallaig which departs at 10.20 (and I think sleeper passengers may get a discount on the steam fare).
Pete - This year steam service started late may bank holiday 28th may: See
http://www.steamtrain.info/index.htm
And also this site giving all UK steam mainline tours is worth a look – 2007 pages pretty free at the moment but you can look at 2006 to see what gets listed.
http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs07.htm
Then you can, if you so wish return in the day time and head for Glasgow (on one of the rather cramped DMU – RDC type trains). Then go south on a tilting Pendolino train from Glasgow through the scenic Scottish lowlands to Carlisle – change there for the very scenic run through the northern English Pennines and Yorkshire Dales National Park to Leeds via Settle (the Settle – Carlisle Line) – see http://www.settle-carlisle.org/
Then at Leeds change into one of the smart GNER dining car express services to London – or head across the short distance to York, break the journey there and take in the National Railway Museum – then head south on a similar GNER express from York.
Alternatively from Mallaig one could do the ‘Highland Circle’ to Kyle of Lochlash via the Isle of Skye then across to Inverness – break journey in the Highland Capital – then head south on a day or night train from Inverness (probably a day train – maybe GNER’s Highland Chieftain (Inverness, Perth, Edinburgh, York, London) which would allow a break at York as above.
You’d be into London in plenty of time to get the Nigh Riviera sleeper to Penzance – a few days there (with a trip on the magical St Ives Branch line) and then back from there on a day time Virgin Cross country service towards Birmingham taking in the scenic delights of the Cornish and Devon mainline. From Birmingham you can head into mid Wales on the Excellent suggestion Nick makes – head out past Portmerion and across to the north coast using narrow gauge steam then back into England via Crewe. Am I getting carried away here?
Anyway – whack this info in your folder and even if you don’t make the journey it may be of use to someone else. Any other questions about UK services (however obvious they may seem), post ‘em up and I’ll do my best to answer – after all that is fair exchange for the generous and helpful advice you gave me for my VIA run!
Back to other matters in due course
It is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite along with Steak ‘n Fries Nite at the Saloon by the Siding! at 5 PM!
Let’s get right to the acknowledgments, shall we
Nick at 8:15 PM and 8:27 PM yesterday: Always “up” for a quote from a guy I never heard of - But then again, Peter Cook never heard of me either! Anyway, it is amusing and also intriguing just how many opinions there are outside of the U.S. about the U.S. If the Democrats are conservative, then I’m Little Red Riding Hood! <grin> ‘Nuf of this – as we all have agreed to at one point or another, politics, religion and other “hot button” issues are best left checked at the door, eh You betchaboots!
When the time comes to put our UK itinerary into a workable format, I’ll surely put that idea of yours up front. Sounds good to me – thanx!
I suppose if your train shed is inappropriate for display cases AND the house is off-limits, then consider an ADDITION! That’ll surely “do it”!!
Now THAT was quite a menu – Nicks Picks from days gone by. Well done!
Thanx for participating in our NOVEMBER CONTEST!
Mike at 11:46 PM yesterday: Appears as if we are thinking quite similarly regarding train trips – what’s the point of sleeping during a trip that may never be repeated I’m leaning more ‘n more to the idea of all daylight rail and sleeping arrangements “ashore.” Ain’t no way I’d sit up all night on anything moving – those days (daze) are long gone.
Nice shot of the Scottsman – and RIP Jumbo!
Eric at 11:55 PM yesterday: Back in the “swing” of things again, eh Good deal – always appreciate your contributions and regular attendance at the bar.
Given the constraints of time, I doubt that Sweden will be on this itinerary. However, if and when that should occur, I’ll be sure to seek your advice regarding rail sojourns. Thanx! If we were to “luck out” and find someone to watch Juneau here at home – then we could plan on a longer getaway. We are most definitely “hooked” on our love for our four-legged buddy. Just one of those things . . . can’t imagine a life without having a Siberian Husky in the house.
Doug at 5:34 AM today: When it rains it pours, eh Sorry to learn of this set back and hope you experience a speedy and full recovery. Couldn’t have happened at a more inappropriate time - - not that anytime is appropriate! Anyway, back injuries can be lingering – so of course, do as the doctor instructs! I spent nearly a month (July) in varying degrees of discomfort with a lower back muscle spasm problem that was compounded by advanced arthritis in the spine. Anyway, a couple of “nerve blocker” shots into the spine did the trick for me. Sounds worse than it was - but at least now I can move and breathe without doubling over in pain.
So the good news is we may see MORE of you these days (daze), eh Hope so – but then again, with that ultra-leading-edge technology you have in your house, who knows how long it will take your kids to teach you how to use it!
That’s quite a photo spread you have for the new digs. Have you considered having PhotoBucket send you a CD of them I surely would – be a shame to lose ‘em.
DL at
Good afternoon Tom, I’ll put an order for Pizza in when they are ready, meanwhile I’ll have a bitter.
Anyway, yes that is enough to be going on with basic advice wise – as and when the questions arise opinion and answers can be forthcoming as needed.
Turning to other matters –
Pete – I’ve just spent a bit of time looking at that loco performance site I listed before. It is more impressive than I thought – nice clear design, well put together, large quantity of interesting data. What I also like though is the link to his page of recollections – did you see that – it is at
http://www.trainspottingtales.org.uk/
Some darn good yarns for the bar here – I only read a couple but enjoyed them – esp the one about the Tamworth Field – I was hoping you might know about that field Pete? A good friend of mine who lived in the midlands in the 50s and 60s told me about it a while ago. For those of you not familiar – Tamworth is not a major junction, but 2 very busy main lines cross here (at two levels) – apparently during these years the station got so busy with people coming to watch trains that British Rail actually leased a nearby field off a farmer so people could go and watch the trains from there – well so my pal reckoned anyway – maybe the field use was just trespassing?
Yep, Class 37s should have switched to the Spanish built class 67 on Fort William sleeper – bought for the post office contract but now plenty of spare work – the story on that can wait till RPO day.
Hastings line thumpers were the best of the bunch comfort wise (despite the narrower body) – essentially because they were built using the long distance body design, whereas the other ones all had the suburban body design without the large picture windows. Luckily there is a Hastings Thumper unit restored and passed for main line running, although I’ve not been on it.
Rob – heating up the Budd – my attempt to goad Tom – he just does not rise to it – like any really good tavern boss I guess – knows how to keep the premises fully under control.
Mike – I’m clear on my view – at least one night on the sleeper is a treat not to be missed – other nights can be ashore as required. I’m clear in my opinion and on this and I’ll stick to it – but each to his own!!!
Eric – I did the Uppsala – Narvik via Kiruna run back in about 1993, but keen to do the indlandsbahn and an X2000 ride sometime. In fact I often think about buying a EuroDomino ticket for the Scandinavian countries (bank manager permitting).
You asked about traditional UK Guard’s vans. As well into the 1960s much UK freight was without continuous braking the van would be at the end to keep the loose coupled wagons taught and stop the couplings from snatching and thus breaking. As continuous braking got introduced Guards vans could end up marshalled behind the loco sometimes (or maybe even mid train but I’d suggest that was unusual). Later on they were abandoned altogether and freight guards took to riding in Loco cabs.
Yep, we had -2 degrees C here in the English midlands last night – cold clear and fresh – makes s real nice change to the autumn damp – and I can start to test out some of the cool weather gear I picked up in Canada recently
Nick – hope you can find those Swansea TPO pics for the RPO day.
Tom, my call is Nov 16th for that posting date
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