Sure am DL. A Swede living in Sotland. My family is like dogfood, spread all over the place, US, Canada and here in the, well, sunny UK....
So, do we have Sunday popquizes?
Posted By: barndad in General Discussion (Classic Trains)Subject: Re: "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!__________________________________Good morning Captain Tom and all, Too early for a Gunniness, maybe a Scotch. Join me. I've included a quote from one of my E-mails that contains nomenclature I don't understand. I've hightlighted the items in BLUE. Can you explain what they mean?Good morning gents ... and a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my favorite bar by the tracks! I'll have a light breakfast please and shake loose some Michigan quarters for Her Wurlitzer for later.Went to a meeting of the 20th Century Railroad club in Chicago last night. I'll tell you about our speaker later. An interesting thing happened on the UP Northwest Metra line trip back to Crystal Lake last night that I'll share now. About the time we approached the Fox River Grove stop, the conductor announced that the police had informed the crew that an individual somewhere between Fox River Grove and Cary, was attempting to commit suicide by using the train. We were directed to pull to the side at Fox River Grove and either wait until this
I've got some woodworking I have to do this morning so I can't linger for long except to say:thanks for all the good will extended to me. Until later. DD1(Ron)
BTW Tom, I have to comment about coming from NYC via San Francisco(30 years)and ending up in Mississippi. I came here in 1992 because of job demands. I liked what I saw and one month later, the rest of my family joined me. It's a move I don't regret. It was culture shock to say the least, but I have more here than I could ever hope to have in SF or NYC. My 8 acre homestead here cost me $129K, 5 years ago. The same thing would be in the millions in the two last places mentioned. I was indeed fortunate. I moved from Ocean Springs which is on the coast inland to Vancleave before Katrina wiped out the coast. I sustained minor damage, but the house where I had previously lived, was swept away. I guess someone up there is looking out for me. Many of the people I know now are either ex Navy or Air Force. There is Northrop Grumman Ship Systems(where I retired from), Keesler Air Force Base and Pascagoula Naval Facility. Additionally, there is a Seabee base, an Army base, Coast Guard, NOAA and not too far away, Stennis aerospace. That just about sums up for now my snail trail from the big apple to my present abode. I watch the "Sopranos" to keep in touch with my roots. Later.
P.S. I hope this narrative fits into the material outline of "Our Place". I'm sure, in the future, I'll have more interesting thoughts about trains to contribute. You know what happens when you're retired and have too much free time. You tend to ramble on line and frequently get off track. If this happens, just give me a whack the side of the head.
Happy 27th Month ANNIVERSARY to "Our" Place!
Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!
Ruth my deAH, keep the tankards full for those who have taken it upon themselves to celebrate this fine day at Cap'n Tom's Tavern by the Tracks! 5- Salute to the guyz who keep this place rollin'!
A hearty aboard to two guyz - DD1 (Ron) down in Mississippi & Jan over in Scotland! I'm the Manager of this bar 'n hope that you'll find the conversations, photos 'n goings on to your liking!
Page one of this thread is very important in order to fully appreciate how Cap'n Tom wants to run this joint. We are NOT a "hit 'n run" establishment and do everything we can to ignore those who practice that kinda thing here. Just a word to the 'wise' as Cap'n Tom has a TWEETER which will sound a most painful shrill sound should he find anyone in violation of the "rules"! <grin> He's "big" on recognition of the barkeep upon entering AND ordering a drink, food, etc. So, now you know.
There's so much more to this bar of ours, but you'll figure it out in no time. again, and Ruth, give them a drink on me! Oh what the heck - Boris - ring that bell twice - and let's have a round for all!
For Ron: Your post looks like something surely got screwed up as it appears you've gottent the text from Doug's post somehow intertwined with yours. Don't have a clue what the stuff in blue is either. May I suggest that you review the way you are setting up your posts?
I use the "reply" button for ANY post on the thread - doesn't really matter. In other words, you can take the last post on the page and use "reply" or any other. Once you get the "box" for typing - then off you go. I'm hardly an expert at this and perhaps our Mentor will have something to add.
Great to see the return of Per, the emergence of Doug 'n the continuing good stuff from our friend in the UK - DL (Dave).
Should also make note of Pete 'n Eric, our two stalwarts, who pretty much anchor the late afternoon 'n early, early morning hours. Thank you for answering the call!
For Pete: Thanks, but I really cannot take credit for getting DD1 over here. Tom invited all of us to do that in his morning summary. He also extended the invitation first. It PAYS to visit that thread from time to time . . .
Thanks to all for helping to make this 27th month Anniversary something really special - it's been a long, long time since we've had this kinda turnout!
Thought I'd depart from whatever the "norm" is for me <grin> and provide a few glimpses into my past here at the bar . . . My first two posts at the bar! Seems just like yesterday . . .
From page 217 on the "old" thread on 11 Jan 2006: Greetings fellow classic train lovers! I bring to you some new blood at this establishment created for all who enjoy the love of Classic Trains and appreciate the interaction amongst those who have similar interests. First, let me give you some brief background: I am not a novice when it comes to the Kalmbach Forums. I have participated in the past and had several of those stars. I gave it all up awhile ago for an assortment of reasons. My return is under a new cyber handle and I am essentially starting over. You may check me out in my profile, but it is rather brief. I am John Larson and preferred to be called, Lars. As you can tell by my handle, I love domes! Just loved those pix provided by siberianmo Tom and the inputs by passengerfan Al. Heaven just cannot be as good as sitting in a dome car! I have checked out this thread from pretty much the onsest of its birth and have followed each of you through the months of its existence. I also visit the thread called, "If you like Classic PASSENGER trains, visit here!" although I have not "surfaced" there, yet. Why am I here and why have I come back to the forums? I miss the interaction and quite simply would like to know that there are some people still around who enjoy mature, adult conversation, without the absolutely nonsense appearing in so many other places. I give you fair warning, Gentlemen, I detest rude people and fall very heavily into the camp of BudKarr & Tom when it comes to tolerance for the ignorant and inconsiderate. Those who exploit the good intentions of others belong at the bottom of the sea. So, Mr. Barkeep - or Captain Tom - or Proprietor, or whatever else you may prefer to be called - hit me with a Jack Daniels, black label, on the rocks and I'll plunk down a twenty for a round on me! Let's roll, Gentlemen! L siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, July 12, 2007 1:02 PM Today is the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place!An adult eating ‘n drinking establishment for the discussion of Classic Trains ‘n stuff! <opened 12 April 2005>"Our" Place interior Mentor Village Chorale 'n Philharmonic background singers! Manager Lars' Bar in the Penthouse Suite G'day Gents! A throwback to days gone by . . . busy enough for another round of acknowledgments and it's only mid-day! Looks like Lars did a commendable job in getting guys to turn out for this Anniversary day! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Jan at 8:39 AM ‘n 9:39 AM today - July 12th: Your OH-FISH-UL Aboard comes with a free drink! Hope that you'll find this place to your liking ‘n join in on the fun. Suggestions abound regarding how to get started with us. However, I'm sure you've spent sufficient time on our Pages to figure it out. Just try to remember that we're a simple lot ‘round here - we greet one another - we are inclusive - we acknowledge the other guy's efforts and we refrain from "hit ‘n miss" Posts. Simple enough, eh Youbetcha! Dan (DL) at 9:35 AM today - July 12th: Great to see your continuing interest in this joint and of course the fine material presented! That EuroStar train must be something else! According to what I read from you . . . on Eurostar trains you can dine at 185 mph if you travel First Class . . . Hmmmmm, so let's say I'm traveling coach, that portion of the train is going at a different speed <grin>Now I KNOW why VIA Rail embraced the "no Chef" concept - they're H-bent on going Euro in Canada with their trains. Makes sense. But alas, the traveling public isn't filling those dining cars aboard Renaissance and there's a reason! That abominable food preparation method isn't worth the prices charged much less consuming. <ugh> <double ugh>VIA Rail's Ocean tried out the buffet approach to dining several years ago. I never experienced it, but it was short lived as it turned "off" MORE than it turned "on." What a difference aboard the Chaleur on our round trip to Gaspe. A real Chef ‘n fine meals. You'd think "they" would figure it out, eh I'm a believer in VIA Rail's ONLY interest is in CUTTING corners which equates to a lessening of what used to be the best of north American passenger rail travel (not speaking of those excursion trains!)Way back in 1947 when my father put me aboard that gleaming Santa Fe streamliner, I do recall being led down a passageway to a ‘secret room' - which is what the attendant called it. It was to be "home" for the trip to Chicago. I doubt that I made "demands" other than perhaps some extra ice cream at dinner time! <grin> But perhaps that was indeed my inculcation of attitudes to follow . . . The Church in North America, yes - a most imposing element that shaped and shapes society to this day. The edifices are impressive ‘n I wonder aloud whether we have the artisans available today to construct such structures. Glad that you were able to make it in for our 27th Month Anniversary! Ron (DD1) at 9:48 AM today - July 12th: It's OH-FISH-UL - you have "qualified" for that free drink! Back! Don't have very much to add to what Manager Lars had to say regarding the problem you're experiencing with your Posts. They do look somewhat adrift from the norm ‘n it appears to me that you may be "cutting ‘n pasting" OR perhaps using a reply feature that isn't quite compatible with what the rest of us use. Honestly don't know. HOWEVER, keep it simple and try the "reply" button method that Lars mentioned. Just select ANY post on the last Page - and once you get the "box" for the reply, go for it! Also - You mentioned that you included a quote from one of your Emails. Did you mean that, or did you mean a quote from a Post on the Thread (site). Not at all sure how you wound up getting Doug's text in an Email???? Very confusing. You may wish to go back to your settings to check out why you're receiving Emails about replies and so forth. Tell me about the "values" of living in places other than the northeast or California. I've reaped more than a few positive benefits being here in mid-continent USA - quality of life being right at the top. Still a far better place to raise a family - which is long, long past for me <thank the Good Lawd!> Thanx for the elaboration Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, July 12, 2007 2:01 PM Happy 27th Month Anniversary to "Our" Place! G'day Gents!Here's an ENCORE! from way back on Page one of the ORIGINAL THREAD, Posted on 13 April 2005 . . . just as things were getting going for "Our" Place. You may check out this Page 'n site by clicking this link:http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1/991587/ShowPost.aspx#991587Good Morning! Things have been rather slow in this new place of ours - well it is new and a bit of time has to pass before it catches on. Appreciate those of you who took the time to drop a word or two ...... we've had quite a few people poke their heads in, look around, and leave ........ maybe when we draw a crowd, some of them will try again. QUOTE: passengerfan Posted: 12 Apr 2005, 18:33:43 I'm not prepared to knock the new Via Renaissance cars until after I give them a chance. I too still like the Budd cars. At least Via fianlly purchased some new equipment even if it had been stored for awhile. If this is to be about Classic trains than I shall mention my two favorites from the past the GN Empire Builder and Santa Fe Super Chief. I rode the new 1947 Empire Builders days after their inaugural the first of many trips on this and the subsequent Empire Builders up to and including Amtrak.Couldn't agree with you more - one should only voice an opinion when one has knowledge of the subject. Makes sense to me ....... I've traveled the "Ocean" aboard the "Euro" Renaissance cars. I'm obviously biased (for those who have read my thoughts on other threads) when it comes to the Budd stainless steal "beauties" still operating on VIA Rai's "Canadian" - a remaining "classic" - and one day per week each way between Montreal and Halifax on the "Ocean." So, since the Renaissance stuff isn't "classic" - yet, no need for me to expound on it other than to say, I really didn't enjoy the trip as much as those taken aboard Budd's fine stuff ....... Feel free to tell us all about your experiences on "classic" trains - your submissions are indeed "classic" and many on this thread will undoubtedly enjoy them ....... Thanx for stopping in and your first "one" is on me! (Oh yeah - you didn't vote .......) QUOTE: bjdukertPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 19:22:23 Hi Siberanmo thought I would come on over and see how things were going and it looks like you have a good start How about a hot tea while sit in the corner for awhile. I'll look in from time to time and I think you will have some other vistors as well. GOOD LUCK Duke Thanx for stopping by, Duke - good to "see" you again. Hot tea -you bet! How hot is hot?! By the way, your vote counts too ....... which will it be? See ya! QUOTE: trolleyboyPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 23:22:09 Hi Tom put me down for place #1 as well. Reminds me of a little restaurant along highway 11near Bracebridge. My favrorite "classics" are the Montreal & Southern Counties the NS&T and the CP electric lines in ontario. Back soon. RobHey Rob! Good seeing you again and thanx for stopping in. What's your pleasure? First "one" is on me ....... Appreciate your vote - by the way, let me tell you guys about this particular model featured in #1. The HO kit is made by American Model Builders (152-145) and is called "Nine Mile House & Tavern." This structure still exists and I have lunch there (and a beer or two ......) from time to time. It's about a 15 minute drive from me and is called "The Trainwreck Saloon." Over the years, several modifications have been made to the appearance - but it still retains enough of it for me to "relate" ....... Kinda nice having a structure on my layout that has a real life counterpart close to home. A "classic" for sure! Feel free to tell us all about your "classic" experiences ..... that's the kinda place this is ...... for those of us who like this stuff, "tell" away. See ya! ==================================================== So, that's the way I'd like to keep the conversations going ...... you "talk" and I'll reply along with providing some "order" to it all. Oh yes - pictures are really welcome and please feel free to post away ........ Belly up, boys ..... light breakfast menu - hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate! The day is just beginning! See ya! Tom in Chesterfield, MO, USA (Siberianmo) A little something from our past . . . and note that none of those guys are customers any longer. Rob 'n Al are UTBs (used-to-be) 'n Duke was really never a regular, but a friend from the "Coffee Shop" early days.Enjoy the day! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Thursday, July 12, 2007 5:05 PM Hi Tom and all.27th Anniversary to Our Place, so A round for all please RUTH, it is good to see you so busy I will make sure the bar is well stocked and hopefully there should be plenty of takers for H&H's Fish ‘N' Chips later.ALLAN Many thanks for the info on the settling on 3' 6" for the railway gauge in NZ. It sounds as though they was a great deal of locomotive variety there. Where were the modern diesels built that are in use today. The main line freight diesel locomotives in the UK are from GM in Canada. The last British built freight locos built new were the class 60s introduced in 1989.Were any of those locomotives that were dumped in the Oreti river stopbanks able to be salvaged as museum pieces.ERIC Is the photo at Chicago Union Station. I see the X2000 is getting some admiring looks from the guys on the left.Make sure you get plenty of rest and take care.JAN Another one from GB. I am from England and now living in the U.S.I hope you will join us at Our Place; the beer is always on top form. Thanks for the round.DOUG That does sound a sympathetic conductor on your train. I'm glad the police was able to stop that guy.Looking forward to ‘Fire in Tunnel' and enjoyed the great Redball Freight poem.PER That is an impressive list of trains that used LAUPT in 1950, thanks for sharing.On BR the old steam locomotives were usually scrapped at the railways own workshops, but such was the haste and the number of steam locos that was cut up in the 1960s the workshops could not cope so many thousand were sold to private scrapyards to be cut up. I will have to try to see if I can find how many there were cut up in the 1960sThanks for the links to the Southern Hogshead cars, they were large. I see they only had the one set of doors per side; it must have taken a while to load and unload the cars.Many thanks for those kind words about British steam locos. I too am gaining a growing knowledge and appreciation of American locomotives and trains. I really would have loved to have traveled those great trains in the 1940s 50s and 60s over here. Reading the great ads Tom puts on at the bar with the different companies in competition with each other to provide the fastest and most comfortable trains.DL Yes the Leader project was an interesting one, probably the last attempt to build some thing other than a convention steam loco on BR. I wonder if it would have been different if the railways had not been nationalized in 1948. You would have thought though they would have built just one of such an experimental design and thoroughly tested it before building any more.Many thanks for the link and the info on the Central Trains offer, I will pass it on to Alan.DDI Good to see you in the bar again. Thanks for the info to get to know you better. I am sure you will fit in with us here very well.LARS. It seems the day is a great success, and it is keeping me very busy stocking the bar, which I know pleases the Manager.Great idea of the first two of your posts from the old Our Place, great book covers as well. TOM It was great to talk to you today and it is great to see the bar busy.I see in today's paper there is to be more discussions on the KC Light Rail scheme. I am sure I read somewhere that the rider ship of a lot of light rail is well up lately. I wonder if any light rail schemes are making a profit.Well Tom I have got to finish up a bit quick as I am due out at 5 PM. I hope I can call back in but as we are meeting at Pat's Place it could be in doubt. Time for a swift pint and a round for all please Ruth.Pete. West Coast S Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: Los Angeles 1,619 posts Posted by West Coast S on Thursday, July 12, 2007 7:25 PM Happy third to the gang and the continued Success of "Our place. Hip-Hip horray for our estemed manager Sir Lars and Sir Tom on this most auspecious occasion.PWolf: Set me up for some fish & chips and course the proper libations.DL: At last, a second Dave at the bar, best of all to you and welcome to the bar...Top of the day Allen to you also, Most interesting post, thanks..Ps Tom: I'm not ignoring you, I do owe you a message, with over 900 unviewd it is proving most laborious!!! I shall attend to at the earliest oppertunityEric..Good to see you about, I see youv'e been tasked with restraining Boris while Doug admisters his rabies injection, best of luck in this endever. Speaking of Doug, good to see you again, been quite a while.I'd be beside myself I didn't pay proper respect to "Our Place" and all who frequent, sad to say i'm under cruch time today time wise and must be other places doing other task. until free time, keep well all and "Our Place"Dave, the Left coaster SP the way it was in S scale Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 12, 2007 9:27 PM Evening Tom and gents! I'll buy the next few rounds so ya'll can wet your whistle. I promised reading material, and I've been given just 9 minutes to post, shower and hit the sack! Some reward for working a long day and then cutting grass and trimming just 'cuz the neighbors decided to do it today! Speaking of which .. ya'll won't recognize the place once you see new pictures. All landscaping is done, we have zuchini the size of my arm, and I even put in a drippy fountain. I'm considering a pond with a waterfall around the patio though. Gotta give Tom a place to hang out since the air in the house is polluted with a cat, and Tom can't come inside. Here's the reading material as promised. Part I style!Fire in Tunnel 9 by Peter Josserland, May 1954 Railroad MagazineHell broke loose on the Western Pacific just after my wife and I returned from a summer vacation in 1952. I was holding down the night chief dispatcher's desk at Sacramento and she served as a stenographer. The usual procedure is to turn a steno into a wife, but I had reversed the tradition some years before by turning Mrs. Josserland into a steno. At the time of our marriage she was just a telegrapher while I dispatched trains. All she had to do to get the job was to take a refresher course in shorthand.This story concerns the area around Tehachapi, California. The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe have a joint track over Tehachapi, the spot being famous for its "loop" which engineers built to control the gradient. Ess Pee men dispatch trains over this district. The Santa Fe dispatcher's circuit also is cut in at Tehachapi, but their DS at Needles cannot direct train movements through Tehachapi, although the phone there serves other useful purpouses.On the day I refer to, an earthquake wrecked the town of Tehachapi and put both the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe temporarily out of business down that way. This is the SP's north-south route through the valley. However, they still had a Coast line running north and south to fall back on, and their trackage to the east from Sacramento and Los Angeles was not affected.Both the SP and the Santa Fe were bottled up north of Tehachapi, being shut off from the south and east. To make matters worse, the quake came in a season when all the roads were normally snowed under with perishable traffic, most of it moving eastward. In a rash moment, the SP agreed to handle the Santa Fe's north-south stuff over their Coast line - which proved to be a sad mistake. The triple load placed on the Coast line brought so much congestion that they had to drop Santa Fe movements.At the same time, the Western Pacific generously offered to handle a couple of Santa Fe trains daily each way between Stockton and Salt Lake City. I dop not know what the SP took off the Santa Fe's hands, but judging from what happened, I'd say it wasn't much. No sooner had we highballed two trains of perishable loads out of Stockton than the Santa Fe had two more waiting for us, and the heat was on. The AT&SF shoved over trains as fast as we could clear the transfer track for them and yelled bloody murder because we didn't "hurry up more faster."We had to dig all our faithful steam engines out of mothballs to wheel freight between Oakland and Oroville, since every available diesel was burnishing the rails between Oroville and Salt Lake. Within forty-eight hours we simply did not have enough power to keep merchandise rolling, so the Santa Fe had to lend us some of their powerful 6000-horsepower diesels.Pretty soon we ran out of crews to handle the extra burden. Officials were frantically shaking the bushes in search of talent to keep the wheels spinning. At this point the SP shut off the Santa Fe's north-south business from their Coast line and thus put the bee on us to move it. Talk about going around the world to get in the back door! The Santa Fe gave us solid trains of freight for California points north of Tehachapi. We took it as far as Salt Lake City and there turned it over to the Union Pacific, which hauled it to Barstow and then handed it back to the Santa Fe for delivery. Next, there came the northbound California traffic via the reverse route.At first our construction engineers were unduly optimistic as to when they would restore service on the line over Tehachapi. The earthquake had curled up track in spots like a pretzel; two small tunnels were wrecked and would have to be "day-lighted" - that is, the entire outcropping blasted from the mountain side. If I remember rightly, they figured on doing the job in ten days.A big tunnel was blocked off at both ends by slides, but they did not regard the damage as serious. Later, when they penetrated the tunnel, they found its walls pushed together and a chasm yawning where the bottom had been. The hole would have to be filled with rock and the tunnel rebored. So plans were made to build a shoo-fly, a temporary track, around the scene.Contractors brought in every piece of machinery they could beg, borrow or steal for what turned out to be one of the biggest dirt-moving jobs since the Panama Canal. Our estimate of the time required for reopening the track was extended to one month. Meanwhile, the Santa Fe boys at Fresno were calling frequently. When would we take the next train? The next half-dozen?Our dispatcher's office at Sacramento was very busy. We were handling the heaviest traffic in Western Pacific history, more tonnage by far than we'd moved during World War II. Of course, the road's capacity had been increased greatly since the war by the installation of centralized traffic control, plus the replacement of time-honored steam power with less glamorous but more efficient diesels.There was little confusion but plenty of work. After a time we almost grew accustomed to the tension; it became more or less routine. Still, we looked forward to the reopening of the Tehachapi line, which, I remember well, was to have been on a Saturday, when the man-killing grind would end. We fondly believed that as soon as the Santa Fe shut off their deliveries of trains, it would be only a few days until the WP got back to normal. But before Saturday came, our problem became worse. Much worse. More to follow ..... and acknowledgments too! Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 5:49 AM Good morning Tom and gents! I'll have a light breakfast please. Many fine posts yesterday, to be sure, with some familiar faces, and some new! Great to see Allan, and I noticed Eric defying doctor orders to take it easy. JanOlov is a new face to me. Welcome! Glad you liked the poem Pers. I don't know if there was a write-up in the local paper on the prior evening's train-related problems. No one here has time to read the paper, so I just get a Sunday edition anymore. I see the captain was at the helm a few times yesterday as well. Yes, yesterday was inoculation and deworming day for all the critters, and Boris too, of course. The latter was also administered his monthly hosing/delousing by the Mentor Fire Department, who really do a great job with the equipment they still have on hand. We still need to return the ladders "borrowed" by the Second Class Saloon guys to play pranks on us. The FD is getting complaints about using the hoses to remove treed cats. The chief says it's nearly impossible to figure out where to place the net when using this method of cat removal, but since the net is missing too, it hasn't been an issue.Whoops! Must be running to work. I will return later. In the meantime, here's my Part II: Fire in Tunnel 9 by Peter Josserland, May 1954 Railroad MagazineTrouble came to a head on a Wednesday morning, August 13th. I looked up to greet dispatcher Bill Clements, who worked the district up through Feather River Canyon, as he entered the chief's office."Second 62 is overdue at Pulga," said he."Agitated spindle, maybe?" I asked, meaning a hotbox."Could be"Of the many possible things that may delay a train, relatively few are hazardous, so we seldom start worrying until we know for sure we've been hurt. Feather River Canyon is tough on a railroad in winter, but this was summertime, the dry season, when Nature usually behaves. So a Santa Fe train had run a few minutes ahead of Second 62! Well, I doubted that either one had met with real trouble. Besides, I was far too occupied with bigger problems - getting tonnage organized into trains and then finding crews and power to wheel them - to think much about one train being delayed for a few minutes. If there was anything in the situation to worry about, the time to wrinkle one's brows would come soon enough - and it did. Fifteen minutes later Dispatcher Clements barged into my office to report":The head end of Second 62 is at Pulga. A car in about the middle of the train jumped the rails just west of Tunnel 9 and the next five cars followed. All of them piled up in the tunnel!"I hurried into the Third Subdivision office to check up. With all the available data at hand, it seemed to me that we would be shut down for at least two days. And the district was fairly bristling with trains!The first move was to order out the derricks - the Portola equipment to work at the east portal of the tunnel and the Oroville big hook to go into action at the west end. Meanwhile, my wife was routing out the officials by phone and telling them the bad news.We ran the head end of Second 62 as far as Portola to get it out of the way. Then we got together a crew at Oroville to go ahead of the derrick and bring the rear of Second 62 back to Oroville Yard. This only left the derailed cars in Tunnel 9.Perishable shipments en route but now blocked by the derailment had to be detoured and livestock gotten to the nearest pens for unloading. Trains were spotted at strategic points, calls cancelled on freight not already out of the yards. Yes, stopping a railroad involves a lot of gray matter and hard work.Phoning the Santa Fe at Fresno, I broke the bad news that they'd have to hold their tonnage, and moaned with the man at the other end of the wire for thirty seconds. Then I hung up and got busy with a thousand and one operating problems. Happily, the Southern Pacific consented to detour our Zephyrs over their line for the next couple days.I endured barely an hour and a half of this mess before turning it over to my relief. When the wife and I came back on duty at eleven P.M. I learned that the estimate of time required to clear the derailment was somewhat less than the two days I had guessed. However, they had gotten only two cars out of the tunnel and I would have bet even money that I had come closer to the time than they did. No one will ever know, for ten days elapsed before we could run another train through the tunnel, because of a second mishap. Mishap? It came near being a catastrophe.The massive big hooks were creaking inside the tunnel, trying to wrestle out the derailed cars, when the Oroville derrick started a fire in the top of the wooden-lined tunnel. The company had launched a program for concreting the tunnels but the slow work had not yet reached Number 9.At this point the track is about three hundred feet above the white=foamed water of the Feather River, lying on a niche carved out of the mountain side. The tunnel had been drilled through an outcropping of rock, this formation extending out beyond the tracks and dropping off sharply to the river.As you probably know, there is always a draft through a tunnel, the air current's direction depending on weather conditions. The wooden linings accumulate a fuzzy substance which is highly inflammable, and such a fire is most difficult to control.A man had been stationed on the Oroville derrick with a fire extinguisher, ready for emergencies, and he quickly put out the blaze - or so it was thought. But the flames had gotten in above the smoke boards, spread, and shortly broke out in a new spot. No sooner was this blaze doused than tongues of flame broke out somewhere else. It didn't take much of this to exhaust the fire extinguishers.In the meantime, the derrick had to be backed out to safety. This left the men with nothing to stand on while getting at the heavy boards in the top of the tunnel to pull them down and reach the fire. Two men would grab a third by the legs and hold him up. The third fellow tried to pull down the planking with such tools as he had.The futility of this soon became apparent, and at this point we at Sacramento first learned of the fire. There came a frantic appeal for water - hose - pumps - fire-fighters!We phoned the Forest Service at Oroville and Quincy, telling them of our plight and asking for help. They, in turn, notified their stations in that vicinity. Pretty soon a parade of equipment started for Pulga, where the highway crosses the Western Pacific tracks. From there it had to be taken to the tunnel be rail. The Forest Servicemen said they'd had no experience in fighting a fire such as this but would gladly do what they could.A work-train crew then on duty at Oroville Yard was given a tank of water and started to Tunnel 9.On the east side of the tunnel, the nearest water was at Pulga, a tank car loaded with commercial spring water destined for Sacramento to be sold in bottles. There was no time to quibble over this water being high-priced. The tank was confiscated and taken down to Tunnel 9 by the work train.The crew of that train was ordered to put their derrick away at Pulga, get the car of water ahead of the engine and bring to the tunnel such other fire-fighting equipment as had arrived. This took precious time. When the work train coupled onto the car of water, the Forest Service arrived with pumps and some hose. The car was shoved into the east end of the tunnel and the hose was strung along-side the wrecked equipment to get at the red demon in the west end.Meanwhile, fire had blocked the only route by which a pump could be gotten to the wate Edit siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 6:40 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/> G'day Gents! The end of the work week <for many> ‘n we call it Friday! Check out The Mentor Village Bakery case - our Menu Board for <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfasts - and of course our freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee <unleaded> ‘n <regular>!! Yesterday was one of those days <daze> we surely won't forget ‘round here for some time. For a simple monthly anniversary day, the turnout was terrific! Appears that we had a convergence of interests - those who checked in BECAUSE of the day along with those who passed through our doors simply to enjoy the place. Either way, many THANX to all for helping to make the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place one for the ages! SPECIAL RECOGNITION to Manager Lars for going that extra mile. My guess is that without his efforts, we wouldn't have had such a grand event! Five Salute to the Larsman! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Pete at 5:05 PM Thursday - July 12th: Nearly a 2-hour phone call from my mid-Missouri Brit friend! Man of a few words, eh <grin> Always good hearing from you ‘n we covered quite a bit of ground . . .Our monthly celebration wouldn't have been complete without a visit from the Wolfman ‘n Bar Chandler - glad you didn't let us down! Must say that mention of ANOTHER bar is a bit on the tacky side, especially when we PAY YOU to work here!! <grimace> Dave (West Coast S) at 7:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Our Resident Left Coast Connection ‘n Super Sleuth Man of Mystery made it in for our special event! You had us wonderin' IF you were readin' what's been Posted along with those Emails that are piling up! Thanx for putting our worst thoughts to rest . . . RIP! <grin>As you go WAY BACK with this place - actually you ‘n CM3 Shane are ‘tied' for "oldest continuing bar fly." However, I must give the "nod" to Shane, as he's piled up far more visits without loooooooooooong breaks in between (not counting Iraq of course!). Anyway, you ‘n our Coalminer friend are the "grey beards" ‘round here . . . Doug at 9:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Been a loooooooong time since we've seen our Barn Weevil ‘round here TWICE on one day! And with a two-part story at that! Great seeing ya, Mate! Glad to know you REMEMBERED about cats - after about 15 minutes or so inside a house with ‘em, I break out in all sorts of "itches." Just the way it is. Happened first time back in the 80s when I "house sat" a friends ranch up in San Pedro mountain for a weekend. He had two horses, two dogs ‘n two cats. After that weekend, I have never been the same insofar as allergies are concerned - especially cats. The Doc's have all said I picked up enough "animal dander" to make a significant change to my immune system. However THAT happens! <ugh> Funny, dogs ‘n horses don't seem to "get me," but cats surely do. Doug at 5:49 AM today - July 13th: Amazin' - simply amazin' - we start the day with Doug! Just like old times . . . gotta "save" the story ending for later on - just a bit too early for heavy readin' Groan-o-Meter is back in fine form! <ugh>Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing. Thursday is Fish ‘ Chips Nite!Friday is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite! - and - Steak ‘n Fries Nite!Saturday is Steak ‘n All The Trimmings Nite!Dinner begins at 5 PM so come early ‘n often! Cindy is now our Saturday bartender! Boris, serve ‘em all of the "spiked" OJ they can handle! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo M636C Member sinceJanuary 2002 4,612 posts Posted by M636C on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:15 AM siberianmo wrote: Can you?Upper left "Toronto" missingLower right duck missingAdditional shoulder strap on Queen VictoriaBottom left "20" invertedRight number 03855 becomes 03585M636C siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:23 AM PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #43Here's something to enjoy regarding the Santa Fe (ATSF) in a 1949 advertisement from my private collection: <A form of this was initially Posted on Page 192 of the Original Thread>always "at Ease" on El Capitan Easy dress * Easy Comfort * Easy cost "Come as you are!" on this famous Santa Fe all-chair streamliner. Just 39 ¾ easy hours between Chicago and California. Restful club lounge car "just for fun!" Fred Harvey meals . . . Coach fare plus a small extra fare . . . Same route as The Chief And Super Chief!Enjoy!Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:54 AM Hello TomI'll have a light breakfast - as I'll be back for Pizza night later with luck.I see Lars has been in from the Keys - all that humidity though has helped him to set hares running on the nomenclature - for ‘Dave' is not on my berth certificate! (sorry to disappoint West Coast Dave - who clearly was on the lookout for a second Dave at the bar - and why not indeed!Tom - "Hmmmmm, so let's say I'm travelling coach, that portion of the train is going at a different speed"Could well be Tom, could well be!! Is that like the ‘how do we really know the light in the refrigerator has gone off when we close the door' type question? - here's a puzzler though - if you are in coach and you have to walk down to the buffet - are you travelling faster than the train if you have to walk forwards to get to the buffet car? How fast are you going if you have to walk backwards?Pete - yes - I wanted to check out the Leader picture but actually found the article - which made rather interesting reading - it seemed a surprise that BR Chief Engineer Riddles was prepared to indulge the project for so long. I wonder if things had been different it would have had a future - the real problem seemed to be the situation the fireman found himself in - which looked pretty unpleasant to me!On a related matter tot the scrapping of steam engines I'm reading the book by Paul Theroux at the moment called Kingdom by the Sea - for those unfamiliar he is an American author who decides to circumnavigate the coast of the UK by a combination of walking coastal paths and hopping on and off trains (apart from one section where he has to go by bus - much to his frustration - during the 1982 railway staff strike). It's a fascinating book and of course includes much reflection on his attitudes towards the Brits he encounters and the British way of life he observes. Many of the rail lines he travels on are lightly used rural branch lines etc - and writing in 1983 he is convinced that they are not long for this world and soon to close - it is nice to report that in every case they are still open in 2007 - not that they have had much investment in that time period though - what struck me though is the extent to which the world of 1983 that he observes now seems like ‘another world' - yet it don't seem that long ago to me. The book is worth a read.Anyway, the point I was going to make is that he obviously walks along the south Wales coast for a section and walks past Barry Scrap yard where there are still rows of rusting steam locos awaiting scrapping or rescue quite some time after the end of steam in 1968. He remarks on this in the book.Doug - I enjoyed that story - and a welcome rtn of the jokes!Regards to allD (I'm not Dave) L siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 10:22 AM G'day Gents!A rare mid-morning narrative Post from me - but two events have prompted my "live" return.DL-UK: My profound apologies - of course you're NOT Dave - you're DAN 'n I shudda known better! Hmmmmm, blame it on Lars - he referred to you as Dave! <grin> More specific comments to you Post later on . . . Mea Culpa!! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Nice work M636C whoever you are! From your profile at least we know you have experience on the Forums. So, if you've been checking us out for awhile, you already know that as an interactive site our guys pretty much shy away from the anonymous ‘n hit ‘n run Post-ers.Glad you found the time to stop by . . . next time why not introduce yourself Always room for one more at our adult cyber bar ‘n grill!Should you wish to join us - recommend you check out Page One of this Thread to get an idea of how we operate. Once we know you, there's a free drink awaiting along with our OH-FISH-UL welcome aboard! See ya!Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:02 AM G'day Gents!The subject of Paul Theroux was brought up by our Resident Brit Connection - Dan (DL). So, here's just a few of this prolific author's works - with railway themes: (stealing a "page" from the Larsman!)The Kingdom of the SeaThe Old Patagonian Express The Great Railway Bazaar Riding The Iron Rooster Enjoy! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo marthastrainyard Member sinceMarch 2006 From: Orange County, CA 98 posts Posted by marthastrainyard on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:05 AM Good Morning everybody present and Happy Friday 13th!Ruth, please let me have a pint of your best bitter and a ham sandwich, that should do for breakfast this morning. The place seems a bit empty today, maybe some hangovers from the celebration last night, eh?I see that M636C posted a brief solution to the 10 errors in the 20 dollar bills. Well, with two of his answers, I have now found all 10! How about that? I won't spoil it for the rest of you yet. Tom, I hadn't seen Manager Lars' fancy bar before. For some reason, it reminds me of a picture I saw of the "Little Nugget" streamliner on the UP. I'm sure it isn't the same bar, but that was my first thought when I saw it.I admire you and Ron (DD1) who took the big step and moved to a less crowded, less stressful area. Change is always difficult, especially if it involves convincing a doubtful spouse, but it seems that both of you made the right decision.It's true that light rail depends on subsidies, but what form of transportation doesn't? I think you need to look at the total picture, and when the light rail becomes popular and removes cars from the already overcrowded roads then maybe you get a profit out of it anyhow. I don't know, but I think it is a good start to a growing urban problem.Yes, the Hogshead car is really, really long. The pictures of it just blow my mind. And to think it is longer than a streamline car, that's incredible. Have you thought about the word and what happens when you put the pause in a different place? Hogs-head versus Hog-shed.The reason it takes so long to catch up after a long absence is that there is so much interesting stuff to read and that takes time. At some place I just have to draw the line and say to myself that I could live without this information/knowledge before so I better stop here. But there is always that little gnawing feeling that I am missing out on something really interesting...The "No Chef" concept has found its way in to the X2000 in Sweden as well. That was the one thing I didn't like about the train. You buy something at the counter and the attendant shows you where the microwave oven is located so you can heat it yourself. Ugh!I was going to ask you if the El Capitan was bi-level cars, but then I saw the year and realized it wasn't, not at that time at least. DL, I guess dining on the Eurostar gives a whole new meaning to Fast Food, right?I think you are right about Amtrak. Even if most of us complain about them more than we praise them, it is the long-distance train carrier we have, and the only one. They are doing a relatively good job with the financial restrictions they have. Not many people use them for transcontinental travel, and I don't think that's just the high cost of tickets, it's more the long time it takes. In today's world, not many business travelers feel they can afford 3 days to go between the coasts. That's also why long-distance train travel is so different in Europe. Over there it is so much easier to reach large population areas within a couple of hours travel so the train makes more sense. And with EU unfortunately adopting more and more of the air travel "security" nonsense from the U.S. I think train travel will increase even more in Europe.I'm sure Black Pudding is the same as Blood Pudding. For some reason that's something I've always liked. It sounds strange, but it tastes great! In southern Sweden we also have Black Soup, which is a blood soup. It is really tasty, but maybe that's more due to everything else that goes in there, alcohol, cognac, spices, etc. It's only served on November 11th, Saint Marten's Day, the "goose eating day" in Scania.I'm glad you posted the link to the Leader class engine. What a strange engine! I agree with you that it was a big gamble to build more than one, especially when you have such a concept with so many unknown components. Jan, another Swede "i förskingringen" (scattered abroad - I had to go to the dictionary for that translation). I have a feeling that most of the pop quizzes we have are supplied by Eric in the form of mystery pictures. Keep an eye open for them. He has a tendency to make them very difficult. Ron, I hope you got my mail about the coding problems in your mails. What you see is the HTML code for the special characters and somehow they get printed as the code and not as the character. Weird! The code starts with the ampersand and ends with the semicolon, what's in between is a hexadecimal number (base 16) describing the character. 39 is the single quote and the pound sign is just to indicate it's a hexadecimal, and not a decimal, number that follows. Lars, it was a nice touch to post some of your first posts here! I also like the book covers you had this time. Both the SP and the SR are quite some engines, aren't they? I've been lucky to see both of them, the SP under steam and the SR in the Smithsonian. Real beauties both of them! The mainline cover from B&O is a nice reminder of railroading's glory days, so is the Santa Fe Warbonnets and the NYC streamlined 20th Century steamer.Have a safe trip home this afternoon! Pete, you have already seen what I answered about the LAUPT and the Hogshead cars. I can add that I found out about the Hogshead cars (and what a Hogshead is - except a Christmas dinner table decoration in Sweden) through my background checking on the Ambroid cars. Here I was faced with a car longer than a passenger car with a name that I associated with Christmas in Sweden; I just had to find out what it was all about. Luckily for me, many other people must have wondered the same thing, for there was ample amounts of information on the Net about it (that's more than I can say for some of the other Ambroid cars).I agree with you that it would have been an experience to have traveled on our trains in the 50's and 60's. I had the chance to ride the City of San Francisco in 1966 but I wasn't sure of my financial status so I took the Greyhound instead. What a bum deal! Doug, I really liked your article about the tunnel fire. The earthquake in the Tehachapi must have been the same I read about in the "Earthquake Country" book. It showed a tunnel wall that was lifted up, moved sideways, and put down over one of the rails (or maybe the track moved as the wall was lifted)! I feel sorry for WP, having such an opportunity for extra traffic and get hit by a fire.The article mentioned what a big task it was to stop all traffic at an emergency like this. I wonder if the modern systems have an "emergency button" that the controller can press and set all signals to red.I liked your joke; I have been missing them for a while here. One of these days I'll tell you about the squirrel hunting championship. Well, that's all for today. Back to work!Per in Plano Home of the Ambroid history page and the up-and-coming City Of Los Angeles from 1950 http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/ My pictures are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8514678@N08/ Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:31 AM Happy 27th Month Anniversary to "Our" Place! Good morning Tom and Ruth. Being it's a Friday, I think I'll start the day off with a pint of Guinness and the drink of choice for everyone at the bar. Please bear with me as I haven't connected the names with the countries of origin yet.DL-UK: My other passion is single malt Scotch, straight up, no ice and just a splash of water. I just wish they would bottle it in larger bottles. I'm glad you brought up the books by Paul Theroux. I read all of them, except for "The Kingdom by the Sea". I guess that's the latest book. I'll have to get that. "Riding the Iron Rooster" was my favorite. It's better to read about it than to actually take the trip.Lars: Thanks for addressing my E-mail problem. I think I have it squared away.Tom: I'm surprised no one picked up on this. I mentioned in an early post, that I watched Great Northern bi-polars in action in Seattle in 1964. That was a big lie. They were actually Milwaukee Road bi-polars and it was in Tacoma. At the time of the post, I was talking off the top of my head, but 43 years of memory can get distorted. Don't forget to give me a dope slap when you read something that may be bum dope. As for Budd RDC's, I used to ride them from Boston to Portsmouth, NH back in the early 60's. I used to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and lived in West Medford, Ma. In fact, the B&M ran through my back yard along with some pretty noisy freights, pulled by diesels. I did some volunteer work restoring a steamer for the Connecticut River Valley Railroad. That was around 1989 when I was working at Electric Boat. The CRVR had just placed an order for a brand spanking new Mikado built in China and I had the opportunity to see it when it arrived, but not under steam, as my job came to an end and I went back to California. As I mentioned before, I tend to ramble on writing whatever comes into my head. Although I try to keep the subject matter trains, I veere of onto OT's quite easily. One memory brings up another and another. I'm in the process of writing my memoirs and maybe I should include the OT's there instead. Well in closing, get some single malt Scotch in stock and keep the Guinness ice cold. DD1(Ron)P.S. I really enjoy this destination. I am meeting new people with similar backgrounds and memories. Edit DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:50 AM Hello again Tom I'll have a single malt with Ron please, perhaps a Glenmorangie. Thanks - hope it is not too early in the day for you Ron. Actually 'the bride' is a keen single malt drinker (I'm more of a beer afficionado - and that's the British Beer I must say - as Pete and I drink at 'Our Place') - and we have visited a few distilleries in the scottish highlands which are near railway stations - taking the train and enjoying a tour - and the free sample that comes with it - certianly been to one near Tain, one near Brora (both north of Inverness) and one near Keith (inc a trip on the Keith and Dufftown preserved line - the so called 'Whisky Line' - through Speyside - to visit the big distillery at Dufftown) - nice to be able to make those trips by train on the very scenic scottish highlands rail system. Like you, she says no ice, just alittle water. Mind you when we were on board The Ocean last year I enjoyed a Canadian rye whisky in the Park Car in the evening - served with ice as our steward recommended since I'm happy to go with the local custom when I can.Per - good explanation for Ron's visual problems withthe symbology -I'd never have guessed it!Thanks for the book covers Tom - nicely done.Well all - have a good weekend. I'm off to the pub, and then, I'm told a restaurant!DL DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:54 AM PS Ron - I recommend 'Kingdom by the Sea' esp if you have read his other stuff and enjoyed it - but it was published as long ago as 1983 - but I expect you can still pick up a copy - if you've ever visited the UK (or known a Brit) I think you'd enjoy it - if not I still think it is a good read (even if he is slightly critical of some of us 'railfans' - he still advocates travel by train - The highest form of civilisation he says in the book - so he can be excused the odd critical comment)DL Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 12:12 PM Good morning again PER. I just stepped out for a moment and didn't want to go back and edit my post. I came from NYC, went to Boston, then Seattle, then San Francisco. By the time I was 55, I made my first rural move to Burney, Ca from San Rafael, Ca, a suburb of SF. Burney is a small town located some 60 miles east of Redding and about 280 miles north of SF. The only notable history about the area, was it was a haven during the 20's for gangsters and bootleggers. Clint Eastwood has a ranch there that used to be owned by Bing Crosby. The movie "Stand by me" was partially shot there. The scene where the kids are crossing the trestle and being chased by a steam locomotive was the trestle crossing Lake Britton. I believe the engine that was used for that scene was one that was in storage in Burney on the McCloud River Railroad. It became a tourist railway a few years ago, but closed down for lack of interest. I think they are looking to open it again. The McRRR connects Burney with Dunsmuir, a small town served by the SP. It existed as a lumber railroad in the late 1880's. There is a book on the history of the road. I believe the name of the railroad has changed. I can't recall the new name.DL-UK: Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll try to find it. I have been to the UK several times, but to visit with relatives in Dublin. I've never been to Scotland or Wales, because I'm not a tourist type. I figure, if I see a picture of it, it doesn't make sense to me to spend the money to see it in person. How much time can one spend looking at a geyser or canyon. I did visit the British museum. That was a genuine experience for me. When I went to Ireland, we went via rail from London to Hollyshead and then by way of Irish Ferries to the emerald land. The rail schedule was so tight, that I didn't enjoy the transfering from one train to another with only moments to spare. Not easy when you have to lug three bags each up stairs, over and down more stairs and run for the train. Missing the connection is not an option to contemplate. We(wife, daughter and myself) rode trains in Ireland and found it a relaxing and enjoyable way of getting around. Train travel in and around London, was OK, but I understand the British system of rail operators and rail owners causes for erratic travel. It's kind of like the trucking system here. The government owns the roads and charges truck companies(and everyone) to use the road. Enough said for now.Have a brew on me, DD1P.S. Today is Friday the 13th and my wife's birthday. Gonna get together with the entire family (9 of us) and celebrate. Edit siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 12:41 PM G'day Gents!A round of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at the noon hour! Ruth, set 'em up 'n Boris, ring the bell! Dan (DL) at 9:54 AM today - July 13th: My paternal grandfather once told me that the most important thing he brought to the new land was his name. He used to go <bonkers> when it was either spelled incorrectly or mispronounced. Sooooo, Dave Dan, sorry 'bout that! <grin> Okay, nice try but NO SEEEEEE-GAR! Since the medium one is "in" determines the speed, the idea is that it's all RELATIVE! Dontchajustluvit!?!?! <grin>Should I ever get through the mounting stack of books that I've purchased with all good intentions - I'll be sure to order a copy of Kingdom by the Sea. Noted it's available at amazon.com - and - barnesandnoble.com. THAT's NOT a PLUG!!! <geesh>Tending to matters 'round here has put quite a dent into what I'd call "my time." Well, as a retired "gentleman," it's ALL my time. Do you hear that, Juneau?!?!?! Yeah, right! <grin>Always enjoy having you aboard! Per at 11:05 AM today - July 13th: We've quickly gotten accustomed to your most interesting, inclusive 'n informative Posts 'round here! Nice work, Mate! There probably are many "suprises" awaiting you in the Ether, both from this 'n the original Thread that have piled up from the time you first checked in, to date. The Manager's Bar story is worth checking out . . . perhaps I'll do an ENCORE! of it one Saturday. My relocation to the mid-continent was pretty much a no brainer. They call 'em ORDERS in what I used to do. It was really tough pulling everyone away from the Tidewater area of southern Virginia for a move out this way. Fortunately, things worked out for all. My final tour in SoCal was unaccompanied as we pretty much figured this area for keeps. Plus the assignment I had put me out of CONUS more than in it. That was THEN, and this is NOW. Lots of CHANGE along the way. But, at less than a year removed from 70, I'm unwilling to pack up 'n move. There just are so MANY places I'd like to experience . . . I had an Executive Officer aboard one of the ships I was assigned to early on, who pretty much put it on the line when it came to the Coast Guard. He said if you can't do your job without being overly concerned about things on the beach, either get a new career or a new wife! I took the THIRD option - readjusted my thinking! Worked well for me . . . From everything I've heard 'n read regarding mass transit, there isn't a system in the U.S. that makes a profit. They all run on subsidies and without 'em they'd fold the tent. I spent a considerable amount of my personal energy 'n resources trying to get light-rail to the area where we reside. A 10-year struggle ending in total frustration with those who pull the strings. It's been chronicled herein several times and it plainly ticks me off even to think about it again! <arrrrgggghhhh> Anyway, I used to think that when gasoline got to five bucks a gallon, perhaps things would turn about for light-rail. Ha! Now the costs per mile are so blasted high, I seriously doubt we'll ever see it. Demograhics says it all. We just don't reside along rail lines. We're everywhere and that's just the reality of modern metropolitan areas. Can't have rights-of-way to each 'n every community; totally unaffordable from the finite tax dollars out there. Park 'n Ride lots work only for those within a reasonable commute from them. For me it's 15 miles or so. <barf> Now WHY didn't I think of that "explanation" you provided to Ron (DD1) Ron (DD1) at 11:31 AM today - July 13th: So good to see ya again 'n we're pleased that you've found this joint to your liking. Not to worry, the grey matter functions pretty much the same for many of us! <grin> It's when you come through those doors 'n forget why, that you should worry! Probably the reason no one picked up on those bi-polars is that we were pretty much in the midst of our Anniversary celebration. I've seen many a comment slip by the boards simply due to the volume of material being Posted. We really urge guys to NOT "data dump," that is - provide such long winded material during a party to deflect 'n detract from the intent of it all. We don't see it nearly as much as in past years. Thank Gawd! <grin>B&M! Now you're talking!! I used to commute in to BahStun (Boston) from Melrose. Lived on the street where the station was (West Wyoming Avenue) and loved watching those RDCs comin' & goin'. That all took place in the late 60s, 'til we relcoated down to Dedham. Spend 5 great years in that area along with 3 in the Nutmeg State (Connecticut) for a total of 8 years in New England. Loved it. Thought the drivers were absolutely out of their feeble minds. <yikes>Used to call "The Iron Horse" bar 'n grill in North Station "home." Some mighty good times were spent in that joint - of course all while waiting for the train. Or for lunch. Or for dinner. Or . . . . a great place! Many thanx for the round! Dan (DL) at 11:50 'n 11:54 AM today - July 13th: Back again, eh Now that's a bit unusual, but most welcome! You nearly brought tears to my eyes with that reference to the Park Car! Oh how many hours have I logged in those cars over the nearly 18 years of traveling aboard VIA Rail??!! Met so many wonderful people in those cars and in fact still communicate regularly with several. Nothing like train travel - Budd stainless steel style! Glad you liked the book covers Dave Dan! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 3:00 PM G'day Gents!Although it hasn't been mentioned, the personal fotos Posted here are for enjoyment of the Customers of "Our" Place - the guys who contribute 'n keep things going on our interactive Thread. Just a token of appreciation for all you guys do! Continuing on with Pix from Day Four: Sunday - May 27th, 2007 - ExpoRail Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada Final swing through the groundsA wooden caboose in Building #5 Canadian National Railway (CNR #5550) 4-6-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1914) Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR #7000) Diesel switcher - Built by National Steel Car (1937) Roberval & Saguenay (R&S #20) RS-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1949) Tender for CNR #6153 "Northern" 4-8-4 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1929) John Molson 2-2-2 - Built by Kawasaki (1970)The "John Molson" is an operating-replica of a late 1840's locomotive. The original was built in 1849 by Kinmonds, Hutton, and Steel of Dundee, Scotland, and ran on the Champlain and St Lawrence Railroad. To be continued . . .Enjoy the weekend! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Friday, July 13, 2007 3:18 PM Hi Tom and all.I have just spent over an hour and a half doing my post and it as been lost in the transfer from Word to the bar. I will see if the bride knows a way of getting it back, as I have got to do something now.I must say at what a great day again at the bar it is today.A very sad Pete but Ruth a round for the great turnout today please. siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 6:55 PM THE CUSTOMERS of "Our" Place after 27 months of business!Dave - West Coast S, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. Los Angeles, California connection! CM3 - coalminer3, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. West Virginia, USA connection! Regular customer ‘n Ace Reporter. Last seen: 26 June (on vacation). Nick - nickinwestwales, first visit: 27 Apr 2005. West Wales connection! Last seen: 04 July. Fergie - Fergmiester, first visit: 05 May 2005 - Maritime Canada connection! Occasional visitor - Last seen: 04 July. Doug - barndad, first visit: 12 Jul 2005. Chicagoland, Illinois, USA connection! Pete - pwolfe, first visit: 8 Aug 2005. Jefferson City, mid-Missouri, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Chandler. Mike - wanswheel, first visit: 13 Nov 2005. Long Island, New York, USA connection! Lars - LoveDomes, first visit: 11 Jan 2006. Staten Island, New York City - and - Marathon, Florida, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Manager. Per - marthastrainyard, first visit 10 Apr 2006. Plano, Texas connection! Eric - EricX2000, first visit: 05 May 2006. Phoenix, Arizona connection! Regular customer. Dan - DL-UK, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Great Britain connection! Regular customer. James - CMSTPP, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Duluth, Minnesota connection! Last seen 02 July. Allan - Gunneral, first visit: 19 Jun 2007. New Zealand connection! Ron - DD1, first visit: 11 Jul 2007. Ocean Springs, Mississippi connection! Tom - siberianmo, established the bar: 12 Apr 2005. Chesterfield, eastern Missouri connection! Proprietor. Happy Railroading! Siberianmo Gunneral Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: NZ 242 posts Posted by Gunneral on Friday, July 13, 2007 10:01 PM Hi Tom and all,A round of nectar all round please Ruth, how about a Steinlager this time!Tom. Santa Fe "All the way" my favourite road, although I am still hooked to the road of my youth the "LNER". Did you get to ride on the Chief or the Super Chief? That was one of my top wishes, now i`m in the 3 score and 10+ range i`m still hoping and wishing!Pete. The early diesels over here were by English Electric, BR style, and GM GP style, they also had a purely Japanese loco, the Dj made by Mitsubishi, that ran mostly on South Island rails, they used to pull the "Southerner" I rode on years ago. They have restored 3 Roger`s 2-4-2`s and they are running in steam in the south island, 2 at Ashburton and 1 at Oamaru, if you click on these sites you will see them, plus some early diesels at the Weka Pass railway, they also have a Vulcan railcar there. http://www.plainsrailway.co.nz/ http://www.wekapassrailway.co.nz/ http://www.oamaru-steam.org.nzDL. You were correct, when the milage restriction was lifted railways took a nose dive, so they went into trucking as well in competition. You have hit a Kiwi connection with the Leader class loco, Bullied, the Southern engineer, was NZ born and bred, he was born in Invercargill, NZ`s southernmost city, his West Country loco`s are one of the best looking Pacifc`s around. Per In Plano. Many thanks for your greetings. Nice to hear you have been over here, you would see a lot of change in Auckland now, the old railway station is now used being as student accomodation and they have opened a new station at Britomart in the CBD, used to be the old Post Office, virtually on the same site as the very 1st Auckland railway station, what do they say about wise "old' heads!Jan. Last time I was in Glasgow was 1969 just before we migrated, at that time you had to be very careful of the bird droppings from the Starlings and Pigeons, I never bothered to look up at all! Hows Sauchiehall St? Lars. Your book posts are great, I am keeping an eye out at main centre bookstores now. You must have great weekends with all that reading to catch up on. See ya all, Allan EricX2000 Member sinceDecember 2002 From: Phoenix, AZ 683 posts Posted by EricX2000 on Saturday, July 14, 2007 3:08 AM Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!Leon, good to see you and that you haven't locked up this place for the night yet! I won't be long so an early breakfast, coffee and a Cheese Danish, would be perfect!Wow, a lot of stuff going on here since my last visit! A real nice way to celebrate the 27th Anniversary! Took quite some time to go through everything! But it certainly was worth it!Tom – Black pudding is not what you were hoping for. I’ll pass, had enough of it as a kid. Like that NYC ad! It's like a poem! “On New York central trains I find, Comfort is matched by peace of mind”! Not bad at all. Nice book covers! I had to check if it was Manager Lars’ post I was reading! More interesting pictures for ExpoRail! A lot of stuff for trolleyman Rob! A very nice and interesting museum! But I don’t think I will have a chance to go there until next year.Sorry to see that those were the last pictures from that museum! I could find the 10 differences, but I am not 100% about one of them, marked with a ? (see below). After inspecting small details for more than 10 years my eyes are kind of “sensing” differences before I even see them. I said it before and I say it again, ExpoRail seems to be a place well worth a trip and visit! Nice pictures of interesting equipment!The picture of the X2000 was taken in Milwaukee! Like the El Capitan drumheads! And I also like that list of the customers at this bar!You are correct about the mass transit! As far as I know there is no system in the world that makes any profit. Pete – I hope the bill in Congress will pass. It will reduce the working hours for locomotive engineers. I think it is about time and I think the railroads should have done that without being forced to do it. No, that picture is not from Chicago, it is from Milwaukee so it was not that far off! Dave – I bet your journey to LAUPT was something special!! Kind of ruined by the mayor’s henchmen, I guess. Oh, no. NO, I don’t think you hold a grudge. No, no. I would! Yes, it was kind of tough to restrain Boris, but he is a good guy (or whatever he is) so it worked out pretty well. Mike – Thanks for the pictures! Is there only one SP Cab forward locomotive preserved? Is it operational? Interesting to see the pictures from Washington DC Union Station with the Federal Express! I spent so much time there (on track 16) and heard a lot about that accident.Most of those Lionel Trains seems to be scal 1:1!Lars – Some real nice book covers! It looks like a Class W (electric) on the first cover!Thanks for posting your first posts again! Straight forward! But it seems like you had not “discovered” Ruth then? Or maybe that’s why you stopped by? Hmm. Ron/DD1 – I finally got time to read your posts! You are obvioulsy (like myself) a little bit more interested in electric locomotives than steam! I love steam locomotives but since I spent most of my time as an engineer on electrics I am a little bit more interested in them. Allan – Thank you for the NZ Railways info!! I guess there is no 40 mile restriction for trucks any more!? Was your part of the country hit by the bad storms and flooding in NZ? I saw it on the news and in the paper. Jan – Another Swede! Welcome to the Bar by the siding! Milwaukee fan? Doug – I like that poem, Redball Freight! A most interesting story, Fire in Tunnel 9! It must have been a living hell from more than one point of view. I am thinking about the guy who told the story. Trying to move the trains to where they were heading is, to say it in a polite way, very stressfull under those circumstances. Per – I don’t think they scrap any locomotives in Vislanda any more. But, you are right, that is where most of the steam locomotives in the old country passed the last switch. I feel well, thank you, but I am going to have a more serious check up on Wednesday (the heart) so I’ll be gone for a few days then. Usually I sleep 5-6 hours/night and that is enough. But I have some symptoms that actually disappear if I get some more sleep, that is why the doc recommended more sleep. I went to OERM last December and it was a day well spent. A lot of stuff going on. I rode one of the interurbans and an old Brill streetcar. The UP MoW Dining Car was from the beginning wanswheel Member sinceNovember 2005 4,190 posts Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, July 14, 2007 7:48 AM Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the houseWelcome Ron and Welcome JanTom, thanks for 27 splendid monthiversaries. About Delson pics, the green diesel could be Central Vermont almost. Their locomotives had the same lines and colors, same maple leaf and parallelogram logo. And the Grand Trunk steam engine, I can easily imagine my grandfather or great-uncle in the cab a hundred years ago. Eric, I don't know if she still runs, all the recent photos are indoors.Pennsy DD1http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/04300/04372v.jpg"Penn-Central" DD1 (currently at Strasburg museum)http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr4780.jpgDD1 locomotives on the Long Island Rail Roadhttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1frt.jpghttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1ebnycrr.jpghttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/1950jam.jpgChange at Jamaicahttp://images.nycsubway.org/i42000/img_42669.jpgPenn Stationhttp://www.shorpy.com/files/images/09670u.jpgNew York skyline http://gateway.ca.k12.pa.us/memorial/weehawk.jpghttp://rlhs.org/images/naripcv.jpgAuckland skylinehttp://www.hahn-online.info/de/Neuseeland/Auckland/Auckland_Skyline/auckland_skyline.htmlMt. Shasta and McCloud River Railroad yardhttp://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P07256.jpgWestern Pacific Railroad http://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallery/phmole.jpghttp://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362d.jpghttp://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362f.jpghttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_805D_Lv_Fremont_March1970RP.jpg.52497.jpgLast westbound California Zephyrhttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_804A_at_Portola_March_22_70RP.jpg.92996.jpgGlasgow trainshttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/r/railpics-201.jpg.11407.jpghttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/p/P10107111.jpg.35999.jpg William H. Rehnquist to fellow Swedes http://www.supremecourtus.gov/publicinfo/speeches/sp_04-09-01.htmlLady Bird and my Commander-In-Chiefhttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c32000/3c32800/3c32845v.jpgBob Hope Christmas Show 1967. Photo by Ken Hopkins http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/3307/1077263388034705795S600x600Q85.jpgMike siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, July 14, 2007 8:41 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/> This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.G'day Gents! A beautiful morning here in mid-continent USA where temps are presently in the hi-60s (F), but expected to hit 90 before day's end. We've had quite a comfortable July thus far, so it's time for summer to return. <grin> Blue sky day ahead, some outside work to take care of before I get chased inside by the heat . . . <groan>I see the coffee's ready, pastry case fully stocked ‘n the breakfasts are ready for ordering! Let's GO, it's Saturday after all!! We had a decent Friday in terms of business <KaChing> <KaChing> and it's really nice to see the new faces at the bar along with the enthusiasm in their Posts! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Pete at 3:18 PM Friday - July 13th: Appears as if the "Friday the 13th jinx" nailed you big time with that lost Post! <uh oh> Sooooooooo, what is it about that 4-letter word you don't understand???? S-A-V-E!!!! Preparing Posts on the WP is the way to go, but ONLY if you S-A-V-E your efforts BEFORE transferring to the Thread. <geesh>Round most appreciated! Have one on me - you surely need it! <grin> Allan at 10:01 PM Friday - July 13th: My one ‘n only experience aboard the Santa Fe occurred when I was 9 years old (I think!) It was a one-way trip from LA to Chicago. My best guess is that the train was the Super Chief because from what I've read, that was the train with the dome cars, lounges, etc. I don't think the Chief had ‘em in 1947. It was a grand experience, fer sure, fer sure. In fact that summer was something else in that my father took me aboard his ship (freighter) from Baltimore to Long Beach (thru the Panama Canal of course) ‘n then I returned to New York City by train - alone. If you want to experience even a "sliver" of what passenger railroading in north America was back in those times, you'd be on board VIA Rail's Canadian for the journey from Toronto to Vancouver. I'd recommend that direction for a one-way 3 day/3 nite trip. Reason? You get into Vancouver in early morning (8 AMish) whereas going eastbound, the arrival into Toronto is at nite - and many times late. The scenery is outstanding and service aboard the train is a notch above what we have come to expect in these times. I should caution you though, it's expensive. But to travel aboard those Budd stainless steel streamliners with the rear observation dome car (Park Car) in a bedroom compartment - ahhhhhh. I could go on ‘n on . . . My bride ‘n I have made that round trip twice ‘n it's just a set of memories that are most favorable in my 3 score ‘n 9 year grey matter! <grin> I should add that we found the winter trip the better in terms of seasons. Just love the snow (although there wasn't very much that trip - 2002/2003). We booked the triple bedroom (drawing room suite) in the Park Car, which took some "doing." Need to line up reservations nearly a year out in order to get that highly demanded accommodation. Worth it, fer sure, fer sure! The train only runs 3 days per week in both directions ‘n is full. Our late spring trip had 22 cars, whereas the winter one was 12 or so. All the consists have two domes - one Skylilne car (forward of the diner) and the Park Car at the rear for the bedroom travelers. Looks like I HAVE gone on ‘n on . . . <grin>Thanx for the URLs - some truly interesting material regarding those NZ locomotives! Eric at 3:08 AM today - July 14th: What in the world?!?!?! Why are you "up" at this hour?!?!? Thought the doc said . . . Hmmmmmmm. Well, it IS great to see ya again ‘n of course we're not the same without our Nocturnal Resident Desert Swede making an early, early AM appearance at the bar! Nice job with the comparisons, ‘n a particularly innovative way to point out the differences. I've checked that "spot" on my fotos to determine whether it's an anomaly or truly from the item photographed. Looks "real" to me . . . But then, you ‘n Pete have the "Eagle Eyes"!! <grin>Milwaukee, eh Many a time I've thought about a full-day round trip from St. Louis to Milwaukee via Chicago. And it would be a full day fer, sure, fer sure. Only "thing" that stops me is the uncertainty of schedule keeping. Amtrak just doesn't give me the "warm fuzzies" when it comes to on-time-performance ‘n I'm not interested in having to RON (remain over night) in Chicago because I missed a connection. Anyway, thanx for the info! Thanx for the comments on my Posts! Nice to know they are being viewed ‘n are appreciated! Not to worry - ONE more set from ExpoRail, then we move on to the VIA Rail trip to Gaspe, Quebec!! Best of times to ya, Mate! Mike at 7:48 AM today - July 14th: Monthiversary - now there's a term to use! Nice one, Mike! It took everyone who's ever been a customer at this joint of ours to make ‘em happen. Those who stuck with it during last summer should indeed take a bit of pride in knowing that without those efforts, we wouldn't have celebrated the 27th, 26th, 25th, etc.Fine potpourri of links, an effort hopefully not lost in the Ether! Certainly worth checking out . . . Thanx for the round! Reminder Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, July 14, 2007 10:16 AM This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.G'day Gents!Saturday, the time for some ENCORE! material . . . so, how about some reminders of WHO's WHO at "Our" Place! Caveat: Unless otherwise noted, these Characters were created ‘n named by the Proprietor.The Cast of Characters from "Our" Placesiberianmo Tom is the Proprietor and head bartender. loveDomes Lars is the Manager. Chief Chef is VACANT.Assistant Chief Chef currently being handled by the H&H "gals" - a creation of trolleyboy Rob (Legion of the Lost) who perhaps is the ONLY one able to describe ‘em. Let's just say they are extremely Teutonic in build, demeanor and so forth. YOU VIL EAT VATS ON DA PLATE, OR ELZZZZZ! <uh oh>Pwolfe Pete is the Bar Chandler. Boris is - well, he's Boris who works in the kitchen and anywhere else needed. He was hired by our former, Chief Chef nickinwestwales Nick and is assistant cook. He's not too hard to spot, as Boris is not of this world. Kinda difficult to maintain eye contact with him. He's playful and unaware of his strength. We do not permit him to tend bar - however, he loves to ring the bell when a round is purchased.Special mention: theodorebear Ted (Permanent member of The Legion of the Lost) created ‘n named Boris - and - barndad Doug came up with the animation for our cloven footed Cyclops! nickinwestwales Nick gets the "credit" for the geneology!Leon the Night Man - Wandered in one day and never left. Leon is a "gentle giant" of a man who enjoys working and has little room in his demeanor for trouble makers. Loves his "combat boots" and "bib overalls" - Don't mess with Leon who works the bar from 5 PM ‘til closing!Inspector Clueless of the Local Constabulary and his earstwhile friend and companion Mr. Doyle, Private Investigator make up the security force ‘round here.Special mention: theodorebear Ted created ‘n named Mr. Doyle, PI. Critters of "Our" Place:Frostbite the Penguin - Named by West Coast S Dave - as a result of a contest!Awk the Parrot Tex the Armadillo Juneau the Wonder Husky - First mascot of "Our" Place!"Things"Herr WurlitzterCoal Scuttle - Created and named by former Bar Chandler trolleyboy Rob (UTB) - as a result of a contest! (This is used as a replacement for our Pickled Pig's Feet Jar to store the quarters for our Herr Wurlitzer!) Cashinator ‘n Tilla - the cash registers behind the barCredit to Pete ‘n Rob for naming these as a result of a Contest!THE GALS of "Our" Place:Every now and then even I need a REMINDER - who's who when it comes to our gals ......Ruth, Ann, Lucy, Jemima - hired by Da Boss as the "Redhead - Blonde - Brunette and Raven haired beauty." They were named by nickinwestwales Nick - so Ruth is the redhead, and so on .........All but Ruth work weekend nights - Friday's and S Happy Railroading! Siberianmo LoveDomes Member sinceJanuary 2006 From: northeast U.S. 1,225 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by LoveDomes on Saturday, July 14, 2007 12:31 PM Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!Cindy my sweet, how nice to see you again - it must be Saturday! <grin> Lunch time for me ‘n I'll take a Larsman hero special of ham, Swiss, mustAHd ‘n buttAH with two extra large ‘n crunchy pickles from the barrel. And of course a round of treats for the crittAHs! Boris, give Awk his tray of seeds, Frostbite his bucket of ice cubes, Tex his saucer of brine, Juneau his chew bone ‘n of course the LARGE jar of pickled pig's feet is YOURS! Keep the change my lady, and put this twenty aside for whoever pops in on this Encore day. What an outpouring we had on the 27th month celebration day! As Da Boss said, it was really a convergence wasn't it? I mean here we had the guyz who gave a rat's patoot about the place along with some newcomers and it all just worked so well. Couldn't have planned it any bettAH - and while "credit" is nice, it wasn't all my doing. Very pleased to see we have so many guyz who are stopping by. Flight back was uneventful - and here we are back home. The Mrs. is over at her mother's "apartment," the house is MINE! Soooooo, the ‘puter beckoned, and here I am! <grin>Have a bunch of things to do, but just don't feel like it right now. What's the rush anyway, sez I??!! I'm retired for crap sake. The Sarge sometimes thinks otherwise, I'll tell ya that! She's had me hoppin' like a rabbit in heat. <aren't they always?!?!>Weather ‘round here is really nice - bettAH than down in the Keys I'll tell ya. Man that humidity will getcha every time. Still in the 70's with mostly sunshine. Supposed to make it into the mid 80's today with some thunder boomers tomorrow - maybe. Gasoline at our "favorite" Gulf station was $3.36 late yesterday afternoon as we drove by. <ugh> Beginning to wonder when we'll reach four bucks . . . why not? We just don't seem to WANT to slow down the demand. Ok, now to the business at hand - the bar!Great to see so many active participants ‘round the place. I mean ACTIVE - not just "cheerleading" and the like. Some fantastic material and of course, our Cap'n continues to lead the place with his material. WHERE do you suppose you could find a site on ANY forum with so much great material? I mean we don't "do" the crap stuff here. Sure, we have FUN, but when one delves into the heart of the matter, the pix ‘n stuff provided is so well thought out . . . just doubt that there's a match. Of course I've ALWAYS maintained that we have in this country many, many people who just don't read. They skim at best and hardly digest a thing. Drop off their thoughts, as if anyone gives a rat's patoot, then off they go. That's not the way it is here in this cyber tavern AND it never will be as long as I'm the manager of the place! Hey Cap'n! A nice compilation of the Customers at "Our" Place! The flags really make that piece "work" well! By my count there's 15 of us. Now that's really something. Of course, we don't expect to have that many on board every day or even every week. With that number, we should be able to sustain the joint through the summer if only 4 or 5 of us make an effort to keep things going. Also, putting out that list of our Characters 'n Stuff really helps the new guyz! Comments regarding my "book covers" and "library." I really don't have the latter, and appreciate the positive feedback regarding the selections I've posted. I'm not a true rail aficionado as such. Just love trains. Sounds like a contradiction, huh? Really not. I grew up with electric trains in the house. My grandfather ‘n father had full careers with the B&O and got to experience passenger train travel up close ‘n personal as a kid. Memories are what keep me at this thing to this day. But my depth of knowledge is no match for youse guyz. Best to warn ya of that upfront. Now if ya wanna talk engine rooms aboard ships . . .I noticed that lately whenever accolades are passed along to someone ‘round here, shortly after the guy disappears! What's with THAT??!! Another "phenom" of "Our" Place! <geesh> Speaking of disappearing, I'm guessing our Canadian Connection, Fergie, must've made it back home by now. I know he "hangs" out over on the MRR forums moreso than here. Just like to have another sailor in the crowd! Hey Eric! Hope you're heeding the advice from the medical world. There are times when I think they are involved in the most hyped "guessing game" known to man kind. BUT, we can't live without ‘em. So, mind your helm, mate! Hey Pete! Did I read THAT correctly?? You LOST something in the transfer from word processing to the bar?? I've lost more than a few because I've prepared ‘em directly in the "box" - but how in the world . . . Best leave that alone! <grin>Hey Dave! Great to see ya show up for the celebration. Apparently my e-mails did get to you. Understand that things are probably still overwhelming for you in that department, so don't expect anything from me on a routine basis. I actually don't check my "in" stuff very often. A major flaw for me. Anyway, good to have our LEFT COAST guy back on board! Hey Dan (DL)! Sorry ‘bout that. Haven't the foggiest where "Dave" came from! What the heck, you COULD change your name! Nice "stuff" as always from the UK ‘n between you ‘n Pete, you'll have us all converted in no time flat! <grin>Hey Allan! Great to see that « First«51525354555657»Last » SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter Submit More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Greetings fellow classic train lovers! I bring to you some new blood at this establishment created for all who enjoy the love of Classic Trains and appreciate the interaction amongst those who have similar interests. First, let me give you some brief background: I am not a novice when it comes to the Kalmbach Forums. I have participated in the past and had several of those stars. I gave it all up awhile ago for an assortment of reasons. My return is under a new cyber handle and I am essentially starting over. You may check me out in my profile, but it is rather brief. I am John Larson and preferred to be called, Lars. As you can tell by my handle, I love domes! Just loved those pix provided by siberianmo Tom and the inputs by passengerfan Al. Heaven just cannot be as good as sitting in a dome car! I have checked out this thread from pretty much the onsest of its birth and have followed each of you through the months of its existence. I also visit the thread called, "If you like Classic PASSENGER trains, visit here!" although I have not "surfaced" there, yet. Why am I here and why have I come back to the forums? I miss the interaction and quite simply would like to know that there are some people still around who enjoy mature, adult conversation, without the absolutely nonsense appearing in so many other places. I give you fair warning, Gentlemen, I detest rude people and fall very heavily into the camp of BudKarr & Tom when it comes to tolerance for the ignorant and inconsiderate. Those who exploit the good intentions of others belong at the bottom of the sea. So, Mr. Barkeep - or Captain Tom - or Proprietor, or whatever else you may prefer to be called - hit me with a Jack Daniels, black label, on the rocks and I'll plunk down a twenty for a round on me! Let's roll, Gentlemen! L siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, July 12, 2007 1:02 PM Today is the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place!An adult eating ‘n drinking establishment for the discussion of Classic Trains ‘n stuff! <opened 12 April 2005>"Our" Place interior Mentor Village Chorale 'n Philharmonic background singers! Manager Lars' Bar in the Penthouse Suite G'day Gents! A throwback to days gone by . . . busy enough for another round of acknowledgments and it's only mid-day! Looks like Lars did a commendable job in getting guys to turn out for this Anniversary day! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Jan at 8:39 AM ‘n 9:39 AM today - July 12th: Your OH-FISH-UL Aboard comes with a free drink! Hope that you'll find this place to your liking ‘n join in on the fun. Suggestions abound regarding how to get started with us. However, I'm sure you've spent sufficient time on our Pages to figure it out. Just try to remember that we're a simple lot ‘round here - we greet one another - we are inclusive - we acknowledge the other guy's efforts and we refrain from "hit ‘n miss" Posts. Simple enough, eh Youbetcha! Dan (DL) at 9:35 AM today - July 12th: Great to see your continuing interest in this joint and of course the fine material presented! That EuroStar train must be something else! According to what I read from you . . . on Eurostar trains you can dine at 185 mph if you travel First Class . . . Hmmmmm, so let's say I'm traveling coach, that portion of the train is going at a different speed <grin>Now I KNOW why VIA Rail embraced the "no Chef" concept - they're H-bent on going Euro in Canada with their trains. Makes sense. But alas, the traveling public isn't filling those dining cars aboard Renaissance and there's a reason! That abominable food preparation method isn't worth the prices charged much less consuming. <ugh> <double ugh>VIA Rail's Ocean tried out the buffet approach to dining several years ago. I never experienced it, but it was short lived as it turned "off" MORE than it turned "on." What a difference aboard the Chaleur on our round trip to Gaspe. A real Chef ‘n fine meals. You'd think "they" would figure it out, eh I'm a believer in VIA Rail's ONLY interest is in CUTTING corners which equates to a lessening of what used to be the best of north American passenger rail travel (not speaking of those excursion trains!)Way back in 1947 when my father put me aboard that gleaming Santa Fe streamliner, I do recall being led down a passageway to a ‘secret room' - which is what the attendant called it. It was to be "home" for the trip to Chicago. I doubt that I made "demands" other than perhaps some extra ice cream at dinner time! <grin> But perhaps that was indeed my inculcation of attitudes to follow . . . The Church in North America, yes - a most imposing element that shaped and shapes society to this day. The edifices are impressive ‘n I wonder aloud whether we have the artisans available today to construct such structures. Glad that you were able to make it in for our 27th Month Anniversary! Ron (DD1) at 9:48 AM today - July 12th: It's OH-FISH-UL - you have "qualified" for that free drink! Back! Don't have very much to add to what Manager Lars had to say regarding the problem you're experiencing with your Posts. They do look somewhat adrift from the norm ‘n it appears to me that you may be "cutting ‘n pasting" OR perhaps using a reply feature that isn't quite compatible with what the rest of us use. Honestly don't know. HOWEVER, keep it simple and try the "reply" button method that Lars mentioned. Just select ANY post on the last Page - and once you get the "box" for the reply, go for it! Also - You mentioned that you included a quote from one of your Emails. Did you mean that, or did you mean a quote from a Post on the Thread (site). Not at all sure how you wound up getting Doug's text in an Email???? Very confusing. You may wish to go back to your settings to check out why you're receiving Emails about replies and so forth. Tell me about the "values" of living in places other than the northeast or California. I've reaped more than a few positive benefits being here in mid-continent USA - quality of life being right at the top. Still a far better place to raise a family - which is long, long past for me <thank the Good Lawd!> Thanx for the elaboration Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, July 12, 2007 2:01 PM Happy 27th Month Anniversary to "Our" Place! G'day Gents!Here's an ENCORE! from way back on Page one of the ORIGINAL THREAD, Posted on 13 April 2005 . . . just as things were getting going for "Our" Place. You may check out this Page 'n site by clicking this link:http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1/991587/ShowPost.aspx#991587Good Morning! Things have been rather slow in this new place of ours - well it is new and a bit of time has to pass before it catches on. Appreciate those of you who took the time to drop a word or two ...... we've had quite a few people poke their heads in, look around, and leave ........ maybe when we draw a crowd, some of them will try again. QUOTE: passengerfan Posted: 12 Apr 2005, 18:33:43 I'm not prepared to knock the new Via Renaissance cars until after I give them a chance. I too still like the Budd cars. At least Via fianlly purchased some new equipment even if it had been stored for awhile. If this is to be about Classic trains than I shall mention my two favorites from the past the GN Empire Builder and Santa Fe Super Chief. I rode the new 1947 Empire Builders days after their inaugural the first of many trips on this and the subsequent Empire Builders up to and including Amtrak.Couldn't agree with you more - one should only voice an opinion when one has knowledge of the subject. Makes sense to me ....... I've traveled the "Ocean" aboard the "Euro" Renaissance cars. I'm obviously biased (for those who have read my thoughts on other threads) when it comes to the Budd stainless steal "beauties" still operating on VIA Rai's "Canadian" - a remaining "classic" - and one day per week each way between Montreal and Halifax on the "Ocean." So, since the Renaissance stuff isn't "classic" - yet, no need for me to expound on it other than to say, I really didn't enjoy the trip as much as those taken aboard Budd's fine stuff ....... Feel free to tell us all about your experiences on "classic" trains - your submissions are indeed "classic" and many on this thread will undoubtedly enjoy them ....... Thanx for stopping in and your first "one" is on me! (Oh yeah - you didn't vote .......) QUOTE: bjdukertPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 19:22:23 Hi Siberanmo thought I would come on over and see how things were going and it looks like you have a good start How about a hot tea while sit in the corner for awhile. I'll look in from time to time and I think you will have some other vistors as well. GOOD LUCK Duke Thanx for stopping by, Duke - good to "see" you again. Hot tea -you bet! How hot is hot?! By the way, your vote counts too ....... which will it be? See ya! QUOTE: trolleyboyPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 23:22:09 Hi Tom put me down for place #1 as well. Reminds me of a little restaurant along highway 11near Bracebridge. My favrorite "classics" are the Montreal & Southern Counties the NS&T and the CP electric lines in ontario. Back soon. RobHey Rob! Good seeing you again and thanx for stopping in. What's your pleasure? First "one" is on me ....... Appreciate your vote - by the way, let me tell you guys about this particular model featured in #1. The HO kit is made by American Model Builders (152-145) and is called "Nine Mile House & Tavern." This structure still exists and I have lunch there (and a beer or two ......) from time to time. It's about a 15 minute drive from me and is called "The Trainwreck Saloon." Over the years, several modifications have been made to the appearance - but it still retains enough of it for me to "relate" ....... Kinda nice having a structure on my layout that has a real life counterpart close to home. A "classic" for sure! Feel free to tell us all about your "classic" experiences ..... that's the kinda place this is ...... for those of us who like this stuff, "tell" away. See ya! ==================================================== So, that's the way I'd like to keep the conversations going ...... you "talk" and I'll reply along with providing some "order" to it all. Oh yes - pictures are really welcome and please feel free to post away ........ Belly up, boys ..... light breakfast menu - hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate! The day is just beginning! See ya! Tom in Chesterfield, MO, USA (Siberianmo) A little something from our past . . . and note that none of those guys are customers any longer. Rob 'n Al are UTBs (used-to-be) 'n Duke was really never a regular, but a friend from the "Coffee Shop" early days.Enjoy the day! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Thursday, July 12, 2007 5:05 PM Hi Tom and all.27th Anniversary to Our Place, so A round for all please RUTH, it is good to see you so busy I will make sure the bar is well stocked and hopefully there should be plenty of takers for H&H's Fish ‘N' Chips later.ALLAN Many thanks for the info on the settling on 3' 6" for the railway gauge in NZ. It sounds as though they was a great deal of locomotive variety there. Where were the modern diesels built that are in use today. The main line freight diesel locomotives in the UK are from GM in Canada. The last British built freight locos built new were the class 60s introduced in 1989.Were any of those locomotives that were dumped in the Oreti river stopbanks able to be salvaged as museum pieces.ERIC Is the photo at Chicago Union Station. I see the X2000 is getting some admiring looks from the guys on the left.Make sure you get plenty of rest and take care.JAN Another one from GB. I am from England and now living in the U.S.I hope you will join us at Our Place; the beer is always on top form. Thanks for the round.DOUG That does sound a sympathetic conductor on your train. I'm glad the police was able to stop that guy.Looking forward to ‘Fire in Tunnel' and enjoyed the great Redball Freight poem.PER That is an impressive list of trains that used LAUPT in 1950, thanks for sharing.On BR the old steam locomotives were usually scrapped at the railways own workshops, but such was the haste and the number of steam locos that was cut up in the 1960s the workshops could not cope so many thousand were sold to private scrapyards to be cut up. I will have to try to see if I can find how many there were cut up in the 1960sThanks for the links to the Southern Hogshead cars, they were large. I see they only had the one set of doors per side; it must have taken a while to load and unload the cars.Many thanks for those kind words about British steam locos. I too am gaining a growing knowledge and appreciation of American locomotives and trains. I really would have loved to have traveled those great trains in the 1940s 50s and 60s over here. Reading the great ads Tom puts on at the bar with the different companies in competition with each other to provide the fastest and most comfortable trains.DL Yes the Leader project was an interesting one, probably the last attempt to build some thing other than a convention steam loco on BR. I wonder if it would have been different if the railways had not been nationalized in 1948. You would have thought though they would have built just one of such an experimental design and thoroughly tested it before building any more.Many thanks for the link and the info on the Central Trains offer, I will pass it on to Alan.DDI Good to see you in the bar again. Thanks for the info to get to know you better. I am sure you will fit in with us here very well.LARS. It seems the day is a great success, and it is keeping me very busy stocking the bar, which I know pleases the Manager.Great idea of the first two of your posts from the old Our Place, great book covers as well. TOM It was great to talk to you today and it is great to see the bar busy.I see in today's paper there is to be more discussions on the KC Light Rail scheme. I am sure I read somewhere that the rider ship of a lot of light rail is well up lately. I wonder if any light rail schemes are making a profit.Well Tom I have got to finish up a bit quick as I am due out at 5 PM. I hope I can call back in but as we are meeting at Pat's Place it could be in doubt. Time for a swift pint and a round for all please Ruth.Pete. West Coast S Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: Los Angeles 1,619 posts Posted by West Coast S on Thursday, July 12, 2007 7:25 PM Happy third to the gang and the continued Success of "Our place. Hip-Hip horray for our estemed manager Sir Lars and Sir Tom on this most auspecious occasion.PWolf: Set me up for some fish & chips and course the proper libations.DL: At last, a second Dave at the bar, best of all to you and welcome to the bar...Top of the day Allen to you also, Most interesting post, thanks..Ps Tom: I'm not ignoring you, I do owe you a message, with over 900 unviewd it is proving most laborious!!! I shall attend to at the earliest oppertunityEric..Good to see you about, I see youv'e been tasked with restraining Boris while Doug admisters his rabies injection, best of luck in this endever. Speaking of Doug, good to see you again, been quite a while.I'd be beside myself I didn't pay proper respect to "Our Place" and all who frequent, sad to say i'm under cruch time today time wise and must be other places doing other task. until free time, keep well all and "Our Place"Dave, the Left coaster SP the way it was in S scale Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 12, 2007 9:27 PM Evening Tom and gents! I'll buy the next few rounds so ya'll can wet your whistle. I promised reading material, and I've been given just 9 minutes to post, shower and hit the sack! Some reward for working a long day and then cutting grass and trimming just 'cuz the neighbors decided to do it today! Speaking of which .. ya'll won't recognize the place once you see new pictures. All landscaping is done, we have zuchini the size of my arm, and I even put in a drippy fountain. I'm considering a pond with a waterfall around the patio though. Gotta give Tom a place to hang out since the air in the house is polluted with a cat, and Tom can't come inside. Here's the reading material as promised. Part I style!Fire in Tunnel 9 by Peter Josserland, May 1954 Railroad MagazineHell broke loose on the Western Pacific just after my wife and I returned from a summer vacation in 1952. I was holding down the night chief dispatcher's desk at Sacramento and she served as a stenographer. The usual procedure is to turn a steno into a wife, but I had reversed the tradition some years before by turning Mrs. Josserland into a steno. At the time of our marriage she was just a telegrapher while I dispatched trains. All she had to do to get the job was to take a refresher course in shorthand.This story concerns the area around Tehachapi, California. The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe have a joint track over Tehachapi, the spot being famous for its "loop" which engineers built to control the gradient. Ess Pee men dispatch trains over this district. The Santa Fe dispatcher's circuit also is cut in at Tehachapi, but their DS at Needles cannot direct train movements through Tehachapi, although the phone there serves other useful purpouses.On the day I refer to, an earthquake wrecked the town of Tehachapi and put both the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe temporarily out of business down that way. This is the SP's north-south route through the valley. However, they still had a Coast line running north and south to fall back on, and their trackage to the east from Sacramento and Los Angeles was not affected.Both the SP and the Santa Fe were bottled up north of Tehachapi, being shut off from the south and east. To make matters worse, the quake came in a season when all the roads were normally snowed under with perishable traffic, most of it moving eastward. In a rash moment, the SP agreed to handle the Santa Fe's north-south stuff over their Coast line - which proved to be a sad mistake. The triple load placed on the Coast line brought so much congestion that they had to drop Santa Fe movements.At the same time, the Western Pacific generously offered to handle a couple of Santa Fe trains daily each way between Stockton and Salt Lake City. I dop not know what the SP took off the Santa Fe's hands, but judging from what happened, I'd say it wasn't much. No sooner had we highballed two trains of perishable loads out of Stockton than the Santa Fe had two more waiting for us, and the heat was on. The AT&SF shoved over trains as fast as we could clear the transfer track for them and yelled bloody murder because we didn't "hurry up more faster."We had to dig all our faithful steam engines out of mothballs to wheel freight between Oakland and Oroville, since every available diesel was burnishing the rails between Oroville and Salt Lake. Within forty-eight hours we simply did not have enough power to keep merchandise rolling, so the Santa Fe had to lend us some of their powerful 6000-horsepower diesels.Pretty soon we ran out of crews to handle the extra burden. Officials were frantically shaking the bushes in search of talent to keep the wheels spinning. At this point the SP shut off the Santa Fe's north-south business from their Coast line and thus put the bee on us to move it. Talk about going around the world to get in the back door! The Santa Fe gave us solid trains of freight for California points north of Tehachapi. We took it as far as Salt Lake City and there turned it over to the Union Pacific, which hauled it to Barstow and then handed it back to the Santa Fe for delivery. Next, there came the northbound California traffic via the reverse route.At first our construction engineers were unduly optimistic as to when they would restore service on the line over Tehachapi. The earthquake had curled up track in spots like a pretzel; two small tunnels were wrecked and would have to be "day-lighted" - that is, the entire outcropping blasted from the mountain side. If I remember rightly, they figured on doing the job in ten days.A big tunnel was blocked off at both ends by slides, but they did not regard the damage as serious. Later, when they penetrated the tunnel, they found its walls pushed together and a chasm yawning where the bottom had been. The hole would have to be filled with rock and the tunnel rebored. So plans were made to build a shoo-fly, a temporary track, around the scene.Contractors brought in every piece of machinery they could beg, borrow or steal for what turned out to be one of the biggest dirt-moving jobs since the Panama Canal. Our estimate of the time required for reopening the track was extended to one month. Meanwhile, the Santa Fe boys at Fresno were calling frequently. When would we take the next train? The next half-dozen?Our dispatcher's office at Sacramento was very busy. We were handling the heaviest traffic in Western Pacific history, more tonnage by far than we'd moved during World War II. Of course, the road's capacity had been increased greatly since the war by the installation of centralized traffic control, plus the replacement of time-honored steam power with less glamorous but more efficient diesels.There was little confusion but plenty of work. After a time we almost grew accustomed to the tension; it became more or less routine. Still, we looked forward to the reopening of the Tehachapi line, which, I remember well, was to have been on a Saturday, when the man-killing grind would end. We fondly believed that as soon as the Santa Fe shut off their deliveries of trains, it would be only a few days until the WP got back to normal. But before Saturday came, our problem became worse. Much worse. More to follow ..... and acknowledgments too! Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 5:49 AM Good morning Tom and gents! I'll have a light breakfast please. Many fine posts yesterday, to be sure, with some familiar faces, and some new! Great to see Allan, and I noticed Eric defying doctor orders to take it easy. JanOlov is a new face to me. Welcome! Glad you liked the poem Pers. I don't know if there was a write-up in the local paper on the prior evening's train-related problems. No one here has time to read the paper, so I just get a Sunday edition anymore. I see the captain was at the helm a few times yesterday as well. Yes, yesterday was inoculation and deworming day for all the critters, and Boris too, of course. The latter was also administered his monthly hosing/delousing by the Mentor Fire Department, who really do a great job with the equipment they still have on hand. We still need to return the ladders "borrowed" by the Second Class Saloon guys to play pranks on us. The FD is getting complaints about using the hoses to remove treed cats. The chief says it's nearly impossible to figure out where to place the net when using this method of cat removal, but since the net is missing too, it hasn't been an issue.Whoops! Must be running to work. I will return later. In the meantime, here's my Part II: Fire in Tunnel 9 by Peter Josserland, May 1954 Railroad MagazineTrouble came to a head on a Wednesday morning, August 13th. I looked up to greet dispatcher Bill Clements, who worked the district up through Feather River Canyon, as he entered the chief's office."Second 62 is overdue at Pulga," said he."Agitated spindle, maybe?" I asked, meaning a hotbox."Could be"Of the many possible things that may delay a train, relatively few are hazardous, so we seldom start worrying until we know for sure we've been hurt. Feather River Canyon is tough on a railroad in winter, but this was summertime, the dry season, when Nature usually behaves. So a Santa Fe train had run a few minutes ahead of Second 62! Well, I doubted that either one had met with real trouble. Besides, I was far too occupied with bigger problems - getting tonnage organized into trains and then finding crews and power to wheel them - to think much about one train being delayed for a few minutes. If there was anything in the situation to worry about, the time to wrinkle one's brows would come soon enough - and it did. Fifteen minutes later Dispatcher Clements barged into my office to report":The head end of Second 62 is at Pulga. A car in about the middle of the train jumped the rails just west of Tunnel 9 and the next five cars followed. All of them piled up in the tunnel!"I hurried into the Third Subdivision office to check up. With all the available data at hand, it seemed to me that we would be shut down for at least two days. And the district was fairly bristling with trains!The first move was to order out the derricks - the Portola equipment to work at the east portal of the tunnel and the Oroville big hook to go into action at the west end. Meanwhile, my wife was routing out the officials by phone and telling them the bad news.We ran the head end of Second 62 as far as Portola to get it out of the way. Then we got together a crew at Oroville to go ahead of the derrick and bring the rear of Second 62 back to Oroville Yard. This only left the derailed cars in Tunnel 9.Perishable shipments en route but now blocked by the derailment had to be detoured and livestock gotten to the nearest pens for unloading. Trains were spotted at strategic points, calls cancelled on freight not already out of the yards. Yes, stopping a railroad involves a lot of gray matter and hard work.Phoning the Santa Fe at Fresno, I broke the bad news that they'd have to hold their tonnage, and moaned with the man at the other end of the wire for thirty seconds. Then I hung up and got busy with a thousand and one operating problems. Happily, the Southern Pacific consented to detour our Zephyrs over their line for the next couple days.I endured barely an hour and a half of this mess before turning it over to my relief. When the wife and I came back on duty at eleven P.M. I learned that the estimate of time required to clear the derailment was somewhat less than the two days I had guessed. However, they had gotten only two cars out of the tunnel and I would have bet even money that I had come closer to the time than they did. No one will ever know, for ten days elapsed before we could run another train through the tunnel, because of a second mishap. Mishap? It came near being a catastrophe.The massive big hooks were creaking inside the tunnel, trying to wrestle out the derailed cars, when the Oroville derrick started a fire in the top of the wooden-lined tunnel. The company had launched a program for concreting the tunnels but the slow work had not yet reached Number 9.At this point the track is about three hundred feet above the white=foamed water of the Feather River, lying on a niche carved out of the mountain side. The tunnel had been drilled through an outcropping of rock, this formation extending out beyond the tracks and dropping off sharply to the river.As you probably know, there is always a draft through a tunnel, the air current's direction depending on weather conditions. The wooden linings accumulate a fuzzy substance which is highly inflammable, and such a fire is most difficult to control.A man had been stationed on the Oroville derrick with a fire extinguisher, ready for emergencies, and he quickly put out the blaze - or so it was thought. But the flames had gotten in above the smoke boards, spread, and shortly broke out in a new spot. No sooner was this blaze doused than tongues of flame broke out somewhere else. It didn't take much of this to exhaust the fire extinguishers.In the meantime, the derrick had to be backed out to safety. This left the men with nothing to stand on while getting at the heavy boards in the top of the tunnel to pull them down and reach the fire. Two men would grab a third by the legs and hold him up. The third fellow tried to pull down the planking with such tools as he had.The futility of this soon became apparent, and at this point we at Sacramento first learned of the fire. There came a frantic appeal for water - hose - pumps - fire-fighters!We phoned the Forest Service at Oroville and Quincy, telling them of our plight and asking for help. They, in turn, notified their stations in that vicinity. Pretty soon a parade of equipment started for Pulga, where the highway crosses the Western Pacific tracks. From there it had to be taken to the tunnel be rail. The Forest Servicemen said they'd had no experience in fighting a fire such as this but would gladly do what they could.A work-train crew then on duty at Oroville Yard was given a tank of water and started to Tunnel 9.On the east side of the tunnel, the nearest water was at Pulga, a tank car loaded with commercial spring water destined for Sacramento to be sold in bottles. There was no time to quibble over this water being high-priced. The tank was confiscated and taken down to Tunnel 9 by the work train.The crew of that train was ordered to put their derrick away at Pulga, get the car of water ahead of the engine and bring to the tunnel such other fire-fighting equipment as had arrived. This took precious time. When the work train coupled onto the car of water, the Forest Service arrived with pumps and some hose. The car was shoved into the east end of the tunnel and the hose was strung along-side the wrecked equipment to get at the red demon in the west end.Meanwhile, fire had blocked the only route by which a pump could be gotten to the wate Edit siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 6:40 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/> G'day Gents! The end of the work week <for many> ‘n we call it Friday! Check out The Mentor Village Bakery case - our Menu Board for <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfasts - and of course our freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee <unleaded> ‘n <regular>!! Yesterday was one of those days <daze> we surely won't forget ‘round here for some time. For a simple monthly anniversary day, the turnout was terrific! Appears that we had a convergence of interests - those who checked in BECAUSE of the day along with those who passed through our doors simply to enjoy the place. Either way, many THANX to all for helping to make the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place one for the ages! SPECIAL RECOGNITION to Manager Lars for going that extra mile. My guess is that without his efforts, we wouldn't have had such a grand event! Five Salute to the Larsman! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Pete at 5:05 PM Thursday - July 12th: Nearly a 2-hour phone call from my mid-Missouri Brit friend! Man of a few words, eh <grin> Always good hearing from you ‘n we covered quite a bit of ground . . .Our monthly celebration wouldn't have been complete without a visit from the Wolfman ‘n Bar Chandler - glad you didn't let us down! Must say that mention of ANOTHER bar is a bit on the tacky side, especially when we PAY YOU to work here!! <grimace> Dave (West Coast S) at 7:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Our Resident Left Coast Connection ‘n Super Sleuth Man of Mystery made it in for our special event! You had us wonderin' IF you were readin' what's been Posted along with those Emails that are piling up! Thanx for putting our worst thoughts to rest . . . RIP! <grin>As you go WAY BACK with this place - actually you ‘n CM3 Shane are ‘tied' for "oldest continuing bar fly." However, I must give the "nod" to Shane, as he's piled up far more visits without loooooooooooong breaks in between (not counting Iraq of course!). Anyway, you ‘n our Coalminer friend are the "grey beards" ‘round here . . . Doug at 9:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Been a loooooooong time since we've seen our Barn Weevil ‘round here TWICE on one day! And with a two-part story at that! Great seeing ya, Mate! Glad to know you REMEMBERED about cats - after about 15 minutes or so inside a house with ‘em, I break out in all sorts of "itches." Just the way it is. Happened first time back in the 80s when I "house sat" a friends ranch up in San Pedro mountain for a weekend. He had two horses, two dogs ‘n two cats. After that weekend, I have never been the same insofar as allergies are concerned - especially cats. The Doc's have all said I picked up enough "animal dander" to make a significant change to my immune system. However THAT happens! <ugh> Funny, dogs ‘n horses don't seem to "get me," but cats surely do. Doug at 5:49 AM today - July 13th: Amazin' - simply amazin' - we start the day with Doug! Just like old times . . . gotta "save" the story ending for later on - just a bit too early for heavy readin' Groan-o-Meter is back in fine form! <ugh>Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing. Thursday is Fish ‘ Chips Nite!Friday is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite! - and - Steak ‘n Fries Nite!Saturday is Steak ‘n All The Trimmings Nite!Dinner begins at 5 PM so come early ‘n often! Cindy is now our Saturday bartender! Boris, serve ‘em all of the "spiked" OJ they can handle! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo M636C Member sinceJanuary 2002 4,612 posts Posted by M636C on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:15 AM siberianmo wrote: Can you?Upper left "Toronto" missingLower right duck missingAdditional shoulder strap on Queen VictoriaBottom left "20" invertedRight number 03855 becomes 03585M636C siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:23 AM PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #43Here's something to enjoy regarding the Santa Fe (ATSF) in a 1949 advertisement from my private collection: <A form of this was initially Posted on Page 192 of the Original Thread>always "at Ease" on El Capitan Easy dress * Easy Comfort * Easy cost "Come as you are!" on this famous Santa Fe all-chair streamliner. Just 39 ¾ easy hours between Chicago and California. Restful club lounge car "just for fun!" Fred Harvey meals . . . Coach fare plus a small extra fare . . . Same route as The Chief And Super Chief!Enjoy!Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 9:54 AM Hello TomI'll have a light breakfast - as I'll be back for Pizza night later with luck.I see Lars has been in from the Keys - all that humidity though has helped him to set hares running on the nomenclature - for ‘Dave' is not on my berth certificate! (sorry to disappoint West Coast Dave - who clearly was on the lookout for a second Dave at the bar - and why not indeed!Tom - "Hmmmmm, so let's say I'm travelling coach, that portion of the train is going at a different speed"Could well be Tom, could well be!! Is that like the ‘how do we really know the light in the refrigerator has gone off when we close the door' type question? - here's a puzzler though - if you are in coach and you have to walk down to the buffet - are you travelling faster than the train if you have to walk forwards to get to the buffet car? How fast are you going if you have to walk backwards?Pete - yes - I wanted to check out the Leader picture but actually found the article - which made rather interesting reading - it seemed a surprise that BR Chief Engineer Riddles was prepared to indulge the project for so long. I wonder if things had been different it would have had a future - the real problem seemed to be the situation the fireman found himself in - which looked pretty unpleasant to me!On a related matter tot the scrapping of steam engines I'm reading the book by Paul Theroux at the moment called Kingdom by the Sea - for those unfamiliar he is an American author who decides to circumnavigate the coast of the UK by a combination of walking coastal paths and hopping on and off trains (apart from one section where he has to go by bus - much to his frustration - during the 1982 railway staff strike). It's a fascinating book and of course includes much reflection on his attitudes towards the Brits he encounters and the British way of life he observes. Many of the rail lines he travels on are lightly used rural branch lines etc - and writing in 1983 he is convinced that they are not long for this world and soon to close - it is nice to report that in every case they are still open in 2007 - not that they have had much investment in that time period though - what struck me though is the extent to which the world of 1983 that he observes now seems like ‘another world' - yet it don't seem that long ago to me. The book is worth a read.Anyway, the point I was going to make is that he obviously walks along the south Wales coast for a section and walks past Barry Scrap yard where there are still rows of rusting steam locos awaiting scrapping or rescue quite some time after the end of steam in 1968. He remarks on this in the book.Doug - I enjoyed that story - and a welcome rtn of the jokes!Regards to allD (I'm not Dave) L siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 10:22 AM G'day Gents!A rare mid-morning narrative Post from me - but two events have prompted my "live" return.DL-UK: My profound apologies - of course you're NOT Dave - you're DAN 'n I shudda known better! Hmmmmm, blame it on Lars - he referred to you as Dave! <grin> More specific comments to you Post later on . . . Mea Culpa!! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Nice work M636C whoever you are! From your profile at least we know you have experience on the Forums. So, if you've been checking us out for awhile, you already know that as an interactive site our guys pretty much shy away from the anonymous ‘n hit ‘n run Post-ers.Glad you found the time to stop by . . . next time why not introduce yourself Always room for one more at our adult cyber bar ‘n grill!Should you wish to join us - recommend you check out Page One of this Thread to get an idea of how we operate. Once we know you, there's a free drink awaiting along with our OH-FISH-UL welcome aboard! See ya!Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:02 AM G'day Gents!The subject of Paul Theroux was brought up by our Resident Brit Connection - Dan (DL). So, here's just a few of this prolific author's works - with railway themes: (stealing a "page" from the Larsman!)The Kingdom of the SeaThe Old Patagonian Express The Great Railway Bazaar Riding The Iron Rooster Enjoy! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo marthastrainyard Member sinceMarch 2006 From: Orange County, CA 98 posts Posted by marthastrainyard on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:05 AM Good Morning everybody present and Happy Friday 13th!Ruth, please let me have a pint of your best bitter and a ham sandwich, that should do for breakfast this morning. The place seems a bit empty today, maybe some hangovers from the celebration last night, eh?I see that M636C posted a brief solution to the 10 errors in the 20 dollar bills. Well, with two of his answers, I have now found all 10! How about that? I won't spoil it for the rest of you yet. Tom, I hadn't seen Manager Lars' fancy bar before. For some reason, it reminds me of a picture I saw of the "Little Nugget" streamliner on the UP. I'm sure it isn't the same bar, but that was my first thought when I saw it.I admire you and Ron (DD1) who took the big step and moved to a less crowded, less stressful area. Change is always difficult, especially if it involves convincing a doubtful spouse, but it seems that both of you made the right decision.It's true that light rail depends on subsidies, but what form of transportation doesn't? I think you need to look at the total picture, and when the light rail becomes popular and removes cars from the already overcrowded roads then maybe you get a profit out of it anyhow. I don't know, but I think it is a good start to a growing urban problem.Yes, the Hogshead car is really, really long. The pictures of it just blow my mind. And to think it is longer than a streamline car, that's incredible. Have you thought about the word and what happens when you put the pause in a different place? Hogs-head versus Hog-shed.The reason it takes so long to catch up after a long absence is that there is so much interesting stuff to read and that takes time. At some place I just have to draw the line and say to myself that I could live without this information/knowledge before so I better stop here. But there is always that little gnawing feeling that I am missing out on something really interesting...The "No Chef" concept has found its way in to the X2000 in Sweden as well. That was the one thing I didn't like about the train. You buy something at the counter and the attendant shows you where the microwave oven is located so you can heat it yourself. Ugh!I was going to ask you if the El Capitan was bi-level cars, but then I saw the year and realized it wasn't, not at that time at least. DL, I guess dining on the Eurostar gives a whole new meaning to Fast Food, right?I think you are right about Amtrak. Even if most of us complain about them more than we praise them, it is the long-distance train carrier we have, and the only one. They are doing a relatively good job with the financial restrictions they have. Not many people use them for transcontinental travel, and I don't think that's just the high cost of tickets, it's more the long time it takes. In today's world, not many business travelers feel they can afford 3 days to go between the coasts. That's also why long-distance train travel is so different in Europe. Over there it is so much easier to reach large population areas within a couple of hours travel so the train makes more sense. And with EU unfortunately adopting more and more of the air travel "security" nonsense from the U.S. I think train travel will increase even more in Europe.I'm sure Black Pudding is the same as Blood Pudding. For some reason that's something I've always liked. It sounds strange, but it tastes great! In southern Sweden we also have Black Soup, which is a blood soup. It is really tasty, but maybe that's more due to everything else that goes in there, alcohol, cognac, spices, etc. It's only served on November 11th, Saint Marten's Day, the "goose eating day" in Scania.I'm glad you posted the link to the Leader class engine. What a strange engine! I agree with you that it was a big gamble to build more than one, especially when you have such a concept with so many unknown components. Jan, another Swede "i förskingringen" (scattered abroad - I had to go to the dictionary for that translation). I have a feeling that most of the pop quizzes we have are supplied by Eric in the form of mystery pictures. Keep an eye open for them. He has a tendency to make them very difficult. Ron, I hope you got my mail about the coding problems in your mails. What you see is the HTML code for the special characters and somehow they get printed as the code and not as the character. Weird! The code starts with the ampersand and ends with the semicolon, what's in between is a hexadecimal number (base 16) describing the character. 39 is the single quote and the pound sign is just to indicate it's a hexadecimal, and not a decimal, number that follows. Lars, it was a nice touch to post some of your first posts here! I also like the book covers you had this time. Both the SP and the SR are quite some engines, aren't they? I've been lucky to see both of them, the SP under steam and the SR in the Smithsonian. Real beauties both of them! The mainline cover from B&O is a nice reminder of railroading's glory days, so is the Santa Fe Warbonnets and the NYC streamlined 20th Century steamer.Have a safe trip home this afternoon! Pete, you have already seen what I answered about the LAUPT and the Hogshead cars. I can add that I found out about the Hogshead cars (and what a Hogshead is - except a Christmas dinner table decoration in Sweden) through my background checking on the Ambroid cars. Here I was faced with a car longer than a passenger car with a name that I associated with Christmas in Sweden; I just had to find out what it was all about. Luckily for me, many other people must have wondered the same thing, for there was ample amounts of information on the Net about it (that's more than I can say for some of the other Ambroid cars).I agree with you that it would have been an experience to have traveled on our trains in the 50's and 60's. I had the chance to ride the City of San Francisco in 1966 but I wasn't sure of my financial status so I took the Greyhound instead. What a bum deal! Doug, I really liked your article about the tunnel fire. The earthquake in the Tehachapi must have been the same I read about in the "Earthquake Country" book. It showed a tunnel wall that was lifted up, moved sideways, and put down over one of the rails (or maybe the track moved as the wall was lifted)! I feel sorry for WP, having such an opportunity for extra traffic and get hit by a fire.The article mentioned what a big task it was to stop all traffic at an emergency like this. I wonder if the modern systems have an "emergency button" that the controller can press and set all signals to red.I liked your joke; I have been missing them for a while here. One of these days I'll tell you about the squirrel hunting championship. Well, that's all for today. Back to work!Per in Plano Home of the Ambroid history page and the up-and-coming City Of Los Angeles from 1950 http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/ My pictures are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8514678@N08/ Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:31 AM Happy 27th Month Anniversary to "Our" Place! Good morning Tom and Ruth. Being it's a Friday, I think I'll start the day off with a pint of Guinness and the drink of choice for everyone at the bar. Please bear with me as I haven't connected the names with the countries of origin yet.DL-UK: My other passion is single malt Scotch, straight up, no ice and just a splash of water. I just wish they would bottle it in larger bottles. I'm glad you brought up the books by Paul Theroux. I read all of them, except for "The Kingdom by the Sea". I guess that's the latest book. I'll have to get that. "Riding the Iron Rooster" was my favorite. It's better to read about it than to actually take the trip.Lars: Thanks for addressing my E-mail problem. I think I have it squared away.Tom: I'm surprised no one picked up on this. I mentioned in an early post, that I watched Great Northern bi-polars in action in Seattle in 1964. That was a big lie. They were actually Milwaukee Road bi-polars and it was in Tacoma. At the time of the post, I was talking off the top of my head, but 43 years of memory can get distorted. Don't forget to give me a dope slap when you read something that may be bum dope. As for Budd RDC's, I used to ride them from Boston to Portsmouth, NH back in the early 60's. I used to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and lived in West Medford, Ma. In fact, the B&M ran through my back yard along with some pretty noisy freights, pulled by diesels. I did some volunteer work restoring a steamer for the Connecticut River Valley Railroad. That was around 1989 when I was working at Electric Boat. The CRVR had just placed an order for a brand spanking new Mikado built in China and I had the opportunity to see it when it arrived, but not under steam, as my job came to an end and I went back to California. As I mentioned before, I tend to ramble on writing whatever comes into my head. Although I try to keep the subject matter trains, I veere of onto OT's quite easily. One memory brings up another and another. I'm in the process of writing my memoirs and maybe I should include the OT's there instead. Well in closing, get some single malt Scotch in stock and keep the Guinness ice cold. DD1(Ron)P.S. I really enjoy this destination. I am meeting new people with similar backgrounds and memories. Edit DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:50 AM Hello again Tom I'll have a single malt with Ron please, perhaps a Glenmorangie. Thanks - hope it is not too early in the day for you Ron. Actually 'the bride' is a keen single malt drinker (I'm more of a beer afficionado - and that's the British Beer I must say - as Pete and I drink at 'Our Place') - and we have visited a few distilleries in the scottish highlands which are near railway stations - taking the train and enjoying a tour - and the free sample that comes with it - certianly been to one near Tain, one near Brora (both north of Inverness) and one near Keith (inc a trip on the Keith and Dufftown preserved line - the so called 'Whisky Line' - through Speyside - to visit the big distillery at Dufftown) - nice to be able to make those trips by train on the very scenic scottish highlands rail system. Like you, she says no ice, just alittle water. Mind you when we were on board The Ocean last year I enjoyed a Canadian rye whisky in the Park Car in the evening - served with ice as our steward recommended since I'm happy to go with the local custom when I can.Per - good explanation for Ron's visual problems withthe symbology -I'd never have guessed it!Thanks for the book covers Tom - nicely done.Well all - have a good weekend. I'm off to the pub, and then, I'm told a restaurant!DL DL - UK Member sinceAugust 2006 280 posts Posted by DL - UK on Friday, July 13, 2007 11:54 AM PS Ron - I recommend 'Kingdom by the Sea' esp if you have read his other stuff and enjoyed it - but it was published as long ago as 1983 - but I expect you can still pick up a copy - if you've ever visited the UK (or known a Brit) I think you'd enjoy it - if not I still think it is a good read (even if he is slightly critical of some of us 'railfans' - he still advocates travel by train - The highest form of civilisation he says in the book - so he can be excused the odd critical comment)DL Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 13, 2007 12:12 PM Good morning again PER. I just stepped out for a moment and didn't want to go back and edit my post. I came from NYC, went to Boston, then Seattle, then San Francisco. By the time I was 55, I made my first rural move to Burney, Ca from San Rafael, Ca, a suburb of SF. Burney is a small town located some 60 miles east of Redding and about 280 miles north of SF. The only notable history about the area, was it was a haven during the 20's for gangsters and bootleggers. Clint Eastwood has a ranch there that used to be owned by Bing Crosby. The movie "Stand by me" was partially shot there. The scene where the kids are crossing the trestle and being chased by a steam locomotive was the trestle crossing Lake Britton. I believe the engine that was used for that scene was one that was in storage in Burney on the McCloud River Railroad. It became a tourist railway a few years ago, but closed down for lack of interest. I think they are looking to open it again. The McRRR connects Burney with Dunsmuir, a small town served by the SP. It existed as a lumber railroad in the late 1880's. There is a book on the history of the road. I believe the name of the railroad has changed. I can't recall the new name.DL-UK: Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll try to find it. I have been to the UK several times, but to visit with relatives in Dublin. I've never been to Scotland or Wales, because I'm not a tourist type. I figure, if I see a picture of it, it doesn't make sense to me to spend the money to see it in person. How much time can one spend looking at a geyser or canyon. I did visit the British museum. That was a genuine experience for me. When I went to Ireland, we went via rail from London to Hollyshead and then by way of Irish Ferries to the emerald land. The rail schedule was so tight, that I didn't enjoy the transfering from one train to another with only moments to spare. Not easy when you have to lug three bags each up stairs, over and down more stairs and run for the train. Missing the connection is not an option to contemplate. We(wife, daughter and myself) rode trains in Ireland and found it a relaxing and enjoyable way of getting around. Train travel in and around London, was OK, but I understand the British system of rail operators and rail owners causes for erratic travel. It's kind of like the trucking system here. The government owns the roads and charges truck companies(and everyone) to use the road. Enough said for now.Have a brew on me, DD1P.S. Today is Friday the 13th and my wife's birthday. Gonna get together with the entire family (9 of us) and celebrate. Edit siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 12:41 PM G'day Gents!A round of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at the noon hour! Ruth, set 'em up 'n Boris, ring the bell! Dan (DL) at 9:54 AM today - July 13th: My paternal grandfather once told me that the most important thing he brought to the new land was his name. He used to go <bonkers> when it was either spelled incorrectly or mispronounced. Sooooo, Dave Dan, sorry 'bout that! <grin> Okay, nice try but NO SEEEEEE-GAR! Since the medium one is "in" determines the speed, the idea is that it's all RELATIVE! Dontchajustluvit!?!?! <grin>Should I ever get through the mounting stack of books that I've purchased with all good intentions - I'll be sure to order a copy of Kingdom by the Sea. Noted it's available at amazon.com - and - barnesandnoble.com. THAT's NOT a PLUG!!! <geesh>Tending to matters 'round here has put quite a dent into what I'd call "my time." Well, as a retired "gentleman," it's ALL my time. Do you hear that, Juneau?!?!?! Yeah, right! <grin>Always enjoy having you aboard! Per at 11:05 AM today - July 13th: We've quickly gotten accustomed to your most interesting, inclusive 'n informative Posts 'round here! Nice work, Mate! There probably are many "suprises" awaiting you in the Ether, both from this 'n the original Thread that have piled up from the time you first checked in, to date. The Manager's Bar story is worth checking out . . . perhaps I'll do an ENCORE! of it one Saturday. My relocation to the mid-continent was pretty much a no brainer. They call 'em ORDERS in what I used to do. It was really tough pulling everyone away from the Tidewater area of southern Virginia for a move out this way. Fortunately, things worked out for all. My final tour in SoCal was unaccompanied as we pretty much figured this area for keeps. Plus the assignment I had put me out of CONUS more than in it. That was THEN, and this is NOW. Lots of CHANGE along the way. But, at less than a year removed from 70, I'm unwilling to pack up 'n move. There just are so MANY places I'd like to experience . . . I had an Executive Officer aboard one of the ships I was assigned to early on, who pretty much put it on the line when it came to the Coast Guard. He said if you can't do your job without being overly concerned about things on the beach, either get a new career or a new wife! I took the THIRD option - readjusted my thinking! Worked well for me . . . From everything I've heard 'n read regarding mass transit, there isn't a system in the U.S. that makes a profit. They all run on subsidies and without 'em they'd fold the tent. I spent a considerable amount of my personal energy 'n resources trying to get light-rail to the area where we reside. A 10-year struggle ending in total frustration with those who pull the strings. It's been chronicled herein several times and it plainly ticks me off even to think about it again! <arrrrgggghhhh> Anyway, I used to think that when gasoline got to five bucks a gallon, perhaps things would turn about for light-rail. Ha! Now the costs per mile are so blasted high, I seriously doubt we'll ever see it. Demograhics says it all. We just don't reside along rail lines. We're everywhere and that's just the reality of modern metropolitan areas. Can't have rights-of-way to each 'n every community; totally unaffordable from the finite tax dollars out there. Park 'n Ride lots work only for those within a reasonable commute from them. For me it's 15 miles or so. <barf> Now WHY didn't I think of that "explanation" you provided to Ron (DD1) Ron (DD1) at 11:31 AM today - July 13th: So good to see ya again 'n we're pleased that you've found this joint to your liking. Not to worry, the grey matter functions pretty much the same for many of us! <grin> It's when you come through those doors 'n forget why, that you should worry! Probably the reason no one picked up on those bi-polars is that we were pretty much in the midst of our Anniversary celebration. I've seen many a comment slip by the boards simply due to the volume of material being Posted. We really urge guys to NOT "data dump," that is - provide such long winded material during a party to deflect 'n detract from the intent of it all. We don't see it nearly as much as in past years. Thank Gawd! <grin>B&M! Now you're talking!! I used to commute in to BahStun (Boston) from Melrose. Lived on the street where the station was (West Wyoming Avenue) and loved watching those RDCs comin' & goin'. That all took place in the late 60s, 'til we relcoated down to Dedham. Spend 5 great years in that area along with 3 in the Nutmeg State (Connecticut) for a total of 8 years in New England. Loved it. Thought the drivers were absolutely out of their feeble minds. <yikes>Used to call "The Iron Horse" bar 'n grill in North Station "home." Some mighty good times were spent in that joint - of course all while waiting for the train. Or for lunch. Or for dinner. Or . . . . a great place! Many thanx for the round! Dan (DL) at 11:50 'n 11:54 AM today - July 13th: Back again, eh Now that's a bit unusual, but most welcome! You nearly brought tears to my eyes with that reference to the Park Car! Oh how many hours have I logged in those cars over the nearly 18 years of traveling aboard VIA Rail??!! Met so many wonderful people in those cars and in fact still communicate regularly with several. Nothing like train travel - Budd stainless steel style! Glad you liked the book covers Dave Dan! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 3:00 PM G'day Gents!Although it hasn't been mentioned, the personal fotos Posted here are for enjoyment of the Customers of "Our" Place - the guys who contribute 'n keep things going on our interactive Thread. Just a token of appreciation for all you guys do! Continuing on with Pix from Day Four: Sunday - May 27th, 2007 - ExpoRail Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada Final swing through the groundsA wooden caboose in Building #5 Canadian National Railway (CNR #5550) 4-6-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1914) Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR #7000) Diesel switcher - Built by National Steel Car (1937) Roberval & Saguenay (R&S #20) RS-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1949) Tender for CNR #6153 "Northern" 4-8-4 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1929) John Molson 2-2-2 - Built by Kawasaki (1970)The "John Molson" is an operating-replica of a late 1840's locomotive. The original was built in 1849 by Kinmonds, Hutton, and Steel of Dundee, Scotland, and ran on the Champlain and St Lawrence Railroad. To be continued . . .Enjoy the weekend! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Friday, July 13, 2007 3:18 PM Hi Tom and all.I have just spent over an hour and a half doing my post and it as been lost in the transfer from Word to the bar. I will see if the bride knows a way of getting it back, as I have got to do something now.I must say at what a great day again at the bar it is today.A very sad Pete but Ruth a round for the great turnout today please. siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, July 13, 2007 6:55 PM THE CUSTOMERS of "Our" Place after 27 months of business!Dave - West Coast S, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. Los Angeles, California connection! CM3 - coalminer3, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. West Virginia, USA connection! Regular customer ‘n Ace Reporter. Last seen: 26 June (on vacation). Nick - nickinwestwales, first visit: 27 Apr 2005. West Wales connection! Last seen: 04 July. Fergie - Fergmiester, first visit: 05 May 2005 - Maritime Canada connection! Occasional visitor - Last seen: 04 July. Doug - barndad, first visit: 12 Jul 2005. Chicagoland, Illinois, USA connection! Pete - pwolfe, first visit: 8 Aug 2005. Jefferson City, mid-Missouri, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Chandler. Mike - wanswheel, first visit: 13 Nov 2005. Long Island, New York, USA connection! Lars - LoveDomes, first visit: 11 Jan 2006. Staten Island, New York City - and - Marathon, Florida, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Manager. Per - marthastrainyard, first visit 10 Apr 2006. Plano, Texas connection! Eric - EricX2000, first visit: 05 May 2006. Phoenix, Arizona connection! Regular customer. Dan - DL-UK, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Great Britain connection! Regular customer. James - CMSTPP, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Duluth, Minnesota connection! Last seen 02 July. Allan - Gunneral, first visit: 19 Jun 2007. New Zealand connection! Ron - DD1, first visit: 11 Jul 2007. Ocean Springs, Mississippi connection! Tom - siberianmo, established the bar: 12 Apr 2005. Chesterfield, eastern Missouri connection! Proprietor. Happy Railroading! Siberianmo Gunneral Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: NZ 242 posts Posted by Gunneral on Friday, July 13, 2007 10:01 PM Hi Tom and all,A round of nectar all round please Ruth, how about a Steinlager this time!Tom. Santa Fe "All the way" my favourite road, although I am still hooked to the road of my youth the "LNER". Did you get to ride on the Chief or the Super Chief? That was one of my top wishes, now i`m in the 3 score and 10+ range i`m still hoping and wishing!Pete. The early diesels over here were by English Electric, BR style, and GM GP style, they also had a purely Japanese loco, the Dj made by Mitsubishi, that ran mostly on South Island rails, they used to pull the "Southerner" I rode on years ago. They have restored 3 Roger`s 2-4-2`s and they are running in steam in the south island, 2 at Ashburton and 1 at Oamaru, if you click on these sites you will see them, plus some early diesels at the Weka Pass railway, they also have a Vulcan railcar there. http://www.plainsrailway.co.nz/ http://www.wekapassrailway.co.nz/ http://www.oamaru-steam.org.nzDL. You were correct, when the milage restriction was lifted railways took a nose dive, so they went into trucking as well in competition. You have hit a Kiwi connection with the Leader class loco, Bullied, the Southern engineer, was NZ born and bred, he was born in Invercargill, NZ`s southernmost city, his West Country loco`s are one of the best looking Pacifc`s around. Per In Plano. Many thanks for your greetings. Nice to hear you have been over here, you would see a lot of change in Auckland now, the old railway station is now used being as student accomodation and they have opened a new station at Britomart in the CBD, used to be the old Post Office, virtually on the same site as the very 1st Auckland railway station, what do they say about wise "old' heads!Jan. Last time I was in Glasgow was 1969 just before we migrated, at that time you had to be very careful of the bird droppings from the Starlings and Pigeons, I never bothered to look up at all! Hows Sauchiehall St? Lars. Your book posts are great, I am keeping an eye out at main centre bookstores now. You must have great weekends with all that reading to catch up on. See ya all, Allan EricX2000 Member sinceDecember 2002 From: Phoenix, AZ 683 posts Posted by EricX2000 on Saturday, July 14, 2007 3:08 AM Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!Leon, good to see you and that you haven't locked up this place for the night yet! I won't be long so an early breakfast, coffee and a Cheese Danish, would be perfect!Wow, a lot of stuff going on here since my last visit! A real nice way to celebrate the 27th Anniversary! Took quite some time to go through everything! But it certainly was worth it!Tom – Black pudding is not what you were hoping for. I’ll pass, had enough of it as a kid. Like that NYC ad! It's like a poem! “On New York central trains I find, Comfort is matched by peace of mind”! Not bad at all. Nice book covers! I had to check if it was Manager Lars’ post I was reading! More interesting pictures for ExpoRail! A lot of stuff for trolleyman Rob! A very nice and interesting museum! But I don’t think I will have a chance to go there until next year.Sorry to see that those were the last pictures from that museum! I could find the 10 differences, but I am not 100% about one of them, marked with a ? (see below). After inspecting small details for more than 10 years my eyes are kind of “sensing” differences before I even see them. I said it before and I say it again, ExpoRail seems to be a place well worth a trip and visit! Nice pictures of interesting equipment!The picture of the X2000 was taken in Milwaukee! Like the El Capitan drumheads! And I also like that list of the customers at this bar!You are correct about the mass transit! As far as I know there is no system in the world that makes any profit. Pete – I hope the bill in Congress will pass. It will reduce the working hours for locomotive engineers. I think it is about time and I think the railroads should have done that without being forced to do it. No, that picture is not from Chicago, it is from Milwaukee so it was not that far off! Dave – I bet your journey to LAUPT was something special!! Kind of ruined by the mayor’s henchmen, I guess. Oh, no. NO, I don’t think you hold a grudge. No, no. I would! Yes, it was kind of tough to restrain Boris, but he is a good guy (or whatever he is) so it worked out pretty well. Mike – Thanks for the pictures! Is there only one SP Cab forward locomotive preserved? Is it operational? Interesting to see the pictures from Washington DC Union Station with the Federal Express! I spent so much time there (on track 16) and heard a lot about that accident.Most of those Lionel Trains seems to be scal 1:1!Lars – Some real nice book covers! It looks like a Class W (electric) on the first cover!Thanks for posting your first posts again! Straight forward! But it seems like you had not “discovered” Ruth then? Or maybe that’s why you stopped by? Hmm. Ron/DD1 – I finally got time to read your posts! You are obvioulsy (like myself) a little bit more interested in electric locomotives than steam! I love steam locomotives but since I spent most of my time as an engineer on electrics I am a little bit more interested in them. Allan – Thank you for the NZ Railways info!! I guess there is no 40 mile restriction for trucks any more!? Was your part of the country hit by the bad storms and flooding in NZ? I saw it on the news and in the paper. Jan – Another Swede! Welcome to the Bar by the siding! Milwaukee fan? Doug – I like that poem, Redball Freight! A most interesting story, Fire in Tunnel 9! It must have been a living hell from more than one point of view. I am thinking about the guy who told the story. Trying to move the trains to where they were heading is, to say it in a polite way, very stressfull under those circumstances. Per – I don’t think they scrap any locomotives in Vislanda any more. But, you are right, that is where most of the steam locomotives in the old country passed the last switch. I feel well, thank you, but I am going to have a more serious check up on Wednesday (the heart) so I’ll be gone for a few days then. Usually I sleep 5-6 hours/night and that is enough. But I have some symptoms that actually disappear if I get some more sleep, that is why the doc recommended more sleep. I went to OERM last December and it was a day well spent. A lot of stuff going on. I rode one of the interurbans and an old Brill streetcar. The UP MoW Dining Car was from the beginning wanswheel Member sinceNovember 2005 4,190 posts Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, July 14, 2007 7:48 AM Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the houseWelcome Ron and Welcome JanTom, thanks for 27 splendid monthiversaries. About Delson pics, the green diesel could be Central Vermont almost. Their locomotives had the same lines and colors, same maple leaf and parallelogram logo. And the Grand Trunk steam engine, I can easily imagine my grandfather or great-uncle in the cab a hundred years ago. Eric, I don't know if she still runs, all the recent photos are indoors.Pennsy DD1http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/04300/04372v.jpg"Penn-Central" DD1 (currently at Strasburg museum)http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr4780.jpgDD1 locomotives on the Long Island Rail Roadhttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1frt.jpghttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1ebnycrr.jpghttp://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/1950jam.jpgChange at Jamaicahttp://images.nycsubway.org/i42000/img_42669.jpgPenn Stationhttp://www.shorpy.com/files/images/09670u.jpgNew York skyline http://gateway.ca.k12.pa.us/memorial/weehawk.jpghttp://rlhs.org/images/naripcv.jpgAuckland skylinehttp://www.hahn-online.info/de/Neuseeland/Auckland/Auckland_Skyline/auckland_skyline.htmlMt. Shasta and McCloud River Railroad yardhttp://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P07256.jpgWestern Pacific Railroad http://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallery/phmole.jpghttp://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362d.jpghttp://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362f.jpghttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_805D_Lv_Fremont_March1970RP.jpg.52497.jpgLast westbound California Zephyrhttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_804A_at_Portola_March_22_70RP.jpg.92996.jpgGlasgow trainshttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/r/railpics-201.jpg.11407.jpghttp://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/p/P10107111.jpg.35999.jpg William H. Rehnquist to fellow Swedes http://www.supremecourtus.gov/publicinfo/speeches/sp_04-09-01.htmlLady Bird and my Commander-In-Chiefhttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c32000/3c32800/3c32845v.jpgBob Hope Christmas Show 1967. Photo by Ken Hopkins http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/3307/1077263388034705795S600x600Q85.jpgMike siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, July 14, 2007 8:41 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/> This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.G'day Gents! A beautiful morning here in mid-continent USA where temps are presently in the hi-60s (F), but expected to hit 90 before day's end. We've had quite a comfortable July thus far, so it's time for summer to return. <grin> Blue sky day ahead, some outside work to take care of before I get chased inside by the heat . . . <groan>I see the coffee's ready, pastry case fully stocked ‘n the breakfasts are ready for ordering! Let's GO, it's Saturday after all!! We had a decent Friday in terms of business <KaChing> <KaChing> and it's really nice to see the new faces at the bar along with the enthusiasm in their Posts! Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):Pete at 3:18 PM Friday - July 13th: Appears as if the "Friday the 13th jinx" nailed you big time with that lost Post! <uh oh> Sooooooooo, what is it about that 4-letter word you don't understand???? S-A-V-E!!!! Preparing Posts on the WP is the way to go, but ONLY if you S-A-V-E your efforts BEFORE transferring to the Thread. <geesh>Round most appreciated! Have one on me - you surely need it! <grin> Allan at 10:01 PM Friday - July 13th: My one ‘n only experience aboard the Santa Fe occurred when I was 9 years old (I think!) It was a one-way trip from LA to Chicago. My best guess is that the train was the Super Chief because from what I've read, that was the train with the dome cars, lounges, etc. I don't think the Chief had ‘em in 1947. It was a grand experience, fer sure, fer sure. In fact that summer was something else in that my father took me aboard his ship (freighter) from Baltimore to Long Beach (thru the Panama Canal of course) ‘n then I returned to New York City by train - alone. If you want to experience even a "sliver" of what passenger railroading in north America was back in those times, you'd be on board VIA Rail's Canadian for the journey from Toronto to Vancouver. I'd recommend that direction for a one-way 3 day/3 nite trip. Reason? You get into Vancouver in early morning (8 AMish) whereas going eastbound, the arrival into Toronto is at nite - and many times late. The scenery is outstanding and service aboard the train is a notch above what we have come to expect in these times. I should caution you though, it's expensive. But to travel aboard those Budd stainless steel streamliners with the rear observation dome car (Park Car) in a bedroom compartment - ahhhhhh. I could go on ‘n on . . . My bride ‘n I have made that round trip twice ‘n it's just a set of memories that are most favorable in my 3 score ‘n 9 year grey matter! <grin> I should add that we found the winter trip the better in terms of seasons. Just love the snow (although there wasn't very much that trip - 2002/2003). We booked the triple bedroom (drawing room suite) in the Park Car, which took some "doing." Need to line up reservations nearly a year out in order to get that highly demanded accommodation. Worth it, fer sure, fer sure! The train only runs 3 days per week in both directions ‘n is full. Our late spring trip had 22 cars, whereas the winter one was 12 or so. All the consists have two domes - one Skylilne car (forward of the diner) and the Park Car at the rear for the bedroom travelers. Looks like I HAVE gone on ‘n on . . . <grin>Thanx for the URLs - some truly interesting material regarding those NZ locomotives! Eric at 3:08 AM today - July 14th: What in the world?!?!?! Why are you "up" at this hour?!?!? Thought the doc said . . . Hmmmmmmm. Well, it IS great to see ya again ‘n of course we're not the same without our Nocturnal Resident Desert Swede making an early, early AM appearance at the bar! Nice job with the comparisons, ‘n a particularly innovative way to point out the differences. I've checked that "spot" on my fotos to determine whether it's an anomaly or truly from the item photographed. Looks "real" to me . . . But then, you ‘n Pete have the "Eagle Eyes"!! <grin>Milwaukee, eh Many a time I've thought about a full-day round trip from St. Louis to Milwaukee via Chicago. And it would be a full day fer, sure, fer sure. Only "thing" that stops me is the uncertainty of schedule keeping. Amtrak just doesn't give me the "warm fuzzies" when it comes to on-time-performance ‘n I'm not interested in having to RON (remain over night) in Chicago because I missed a connection. Anyway, thanx for the info! Thanx for the comments on my Posts! Nice to know they are being viewed ‘n are appreciated! Not to worry - ONE more set from ExpoRail, then we move on to the VIA Rail trip to Gaspe, Quebec!! Best of times to ya, Mate! Mike at 7:48 AM today - July 14th: Monthiversary - now there's a term to use! Nice one, Mike! It took everyone who's ever been a customer at this joint of ours to make ‘em happen. Those who stuck with it during last summer should indeed take a bit of pride in knowing that without those efforts, we wouldn't have celebrated the 27th, 26th, 25th, etc.Fine potpourri of links, an effort hopefully not lost in the Ether! Certainly worth checking out . . . Thanx for the round! Reminder Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, July 14, 2007 10:16 AM This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.G'day Gents!Saturday, the time for some ENCORE! material . . . so, how about some reminders of WHO's WHO at "Our" Place! Caveat: Unless otherwise noted, these Characters were created ‘n named by the Proprietor.The Cast of Characters from "Our" Placesiberianmo Tom is the Proprietor and head bartender. loveDomes Lars is the Manager. Chief Chef is VACANT.Assistant Chief Chef currently being handled by the H&H "gals" - a creation of trolleyboy Rob (Legion of the Lost) who perhaps is the ONLY one able to describe ‘em. Let's just say they are extremely Teutonic in build, demeanor and so forth. YOU VIL EAT VATS ON DA PLATE, OR ELZZZZZ! <uh oh>Pwolfe Pete is the Bar Chandler. Boris is - well, he's Boris who works in the kitchen and anywhere else needed. He was hired by our former, Chief Chef nickinwestwales Nick and is assistant cook. He's not too hard to spot, as Boris is not of this world. Kinda difficult to maintain eye contact with him. He's playful and unaware of his strength. We do not permit him to tend bar - however, he loves to ring the bell when a round is purchased.Special mention: theodorebear Ted (Permanent member of The Legion of the Lost) created ‘n named Boris - and - barndad Doug came up with the animation for our cloven footed Cyclops! nickinwestwales Nick gets the "credit" for the geneology!Leon the Night Man - Wandered in one day and never left. Leon is a "gentle giant" of a man who enjoys working and has little room in his demeanor for trouble makers. Loves his "combat boots" and "bib overalls" - Don't mess with Leon who works the bar from 5 PM ‘til closing!Inspector Clueless of the Local Constabulary and his earstwhile friend and companion Mr. Doyle, Private Investigator make up the security force ‘round here.Special mention: theodorebear Ted created ‘n named Mr. Doyle, PI. Critters of "Our" Place:Frostbite the Penguin - Named by West Coast S Dave - as a result of a contest!Awk the Parrot Tex the Armadillo Juneau the Wonder Husky - First mascot of "Our" Place!"Things"Herr WurlitzterCoal Scuttle - Created and named by former Bar Chandler trolleyboy Rob (UTB) - as a result of a contest! (This is used as a replacement for our Pickled Pig's Feet Jar to store the quarters for our Herr Wurlitzer!) Cashinator ‘n Tilla - the cash registers behind the barCredit to Pete ‘n Rob for naming these as a result of a Contest!THE GALS of "Our" Place:Every now and then even I need a REMINDER - who's who when it comes to our gals ......Ruth, Ann, Lucy, Jemima - hired by Da Boss as the "Redhead - Blonde - Brunette and Raven haired beauty." They were named by nickinwestwales Nick - so Ruth is the redhead, and so on .........All but Ruth work weekend nights - Friday's and S Happy Railroading! Siberianmo LoveDomes Member sinceJanuary 2006 From: northeast U.S. 1,225 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by LoveDomes on Saturday, July 14, 2007 12:31 PM Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!Cindy my sweet, how nice to see you again - it must be Saturday! <grin> Lunch time for me ‘n I'll take a Larsman hero special of ham, Swiss, mustAHd ‘n buttAH with two extra large ‘n crunchy pickles from the barrel. And of course a round of treats for the crittAHs! Boris, give Awk his tray of seeds, Frostbite his bucket of ice cubes, Tex his saucer of brine, Juneau his chew bone ‘n of course the LARGE jar of pickled pig's feet is YOURS! Keep the change my lady, and put this twenty aside for whoever pops in on this Encore day. What an outpouring we had on the 27th month celebration day! As Da Boss said, it was really a convergence wasn't it? I mean here we had the guyz who gave a rat's patoot about the place along with some newcomers and it all just worked so well. Couldn't have planned it any bettAH - and while "credit" is nice, it wasn't all my doing. Very pleased to see we have so many guyz who are stopping by. Flight back was uneventful - and here we are back home. The Mrs. is over at her mother's "apartment," the house is MINE! Soooooo, the ‘puter beckoned, and here I am! <grin>Have a bunch of things to do, but just don't feel like it right now. What's the rush anyway, sez I??!! I'm retired for crap sake. The Sarge sometimes thinks otherwise, I'll tell ya that! She's had me hoppin' like a rabbit in heat. <aren't they always?!?!>Weather ‘round here is really nice - bettAH than down in the Keys I'll tell ya. Man that humidity will getcha every time. Still in the 70's with mostly sunshine. Supposed to make it into the mid 80's today with some thunder boomers tomorrow - maybe. Gasoline at our "favorite" Gulf station was $3.36 late yesterday afternoon as we drove by. <ugh> Beginning to wonder when we'll reach four bucks . . . why not? We just don't seem to WANT to slow down the demand. Ok, now to the business at hand - the bar!Great to see so many active participants ‘round the place. I mean ACTIVE - not just "cheerleading" and the like. Some fantastic material and of course, our Cap'n continues to lead the place with his material. WHERE do you suppose you could find a site on ANY forum with so much great material? I mean we don't "do" the crap stuff here. Sure, we have FUN, but when one delves into the heart of the matter, the pix ‘n stuff provided is so well thought out . . . just doubt that there's a match. Of course I've ALWAYS maintained that we have in this country many, many people who just don't read. They skim at best and hardly digest a thing. Drop off their thoughts, as if anyone gives a rat's patoot, then off they go. That's not the way it is here in this cyber tavern AND it never will be as long as I'm the manager of the place! Hey Cap'n! A nice compilation of the Customers at "Our" Place! The flags really make that piece "work" well! By my count there's 15 of us. Now that's really something. Of course, we don't expect to have that many on board every day or even every week. With that number, we should be able to sustain the joint through the summer if only 4 or 5 of us make an effort to keep things going. Also, putting out that list of our Characters 'n Stuff really helps the new guyz! Comments regarding my "book covers" and "library." I really don't have the latter, and appreciate the positive feedback regarding the selections I've posted. I'm not a true rail aficionado as such. Just love trains. Sounds like a contradiction, huh? Really not. I grew up with electric trains in the house. My grandfather ‘n father had full careers with the B&O and got to experience passenger train travel up close ‘n personal as a kid. Memories are what keep me at this thing to this day. But my depth of knowledge is no match for youse guyz. Best to warn ya of that upfront. Now if ya wanna talk engine rooms aboard ships . . .I noticed that lately whenever accolades are passed along to someone ‘round here, shortly after the guy disappears! What's with THAT??!! Another "phenom" of "Our" Place! <geesh> Speaking of disappearing, I'm guessing our Canadian Connection, Fergie, must've made it back home by now. I know he "hangs" out over on the MRR forums moreso than here. Just like to have another sailor in the crowd! Hey Eric! Hope you're heeding the advice from the medical world. There are times when I think they are involved in the most hyped "guessing game" known to man kind. BUT, we can't live without ‘em. So, mind your helm, mate! Hey Pete! Did I read THAT correctly?? You LOST something in the transfer from word processing to the bar?? I've lost more than a few because I've prepared ‘em directly in the "box" - but how in the world . . . Best leave that alone! <grin>Hey Dave! Great to see ya show up for the celebration. Apparently my e-mails did get to you. Understand that things are probably still overwhelming for you in that department, so don't expect anything from me on a routine basis. I actually don't check my "in" stuff very often. A major flaw for me. Anyway, good to have our LEFT COAST guy back on board! Hey Dan (DL)! Sorry ‘bout that. Haven't the foggiest where "Dave" came from! What the heck, you COULD change your name! Nice "stuff" as always from the UK ‘n between you ‘n Pete, you'll have us all converted in no time flat! <grin>Hey Allan! Great to see that « First«51525354555657»Last » SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter Submit More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Today is the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place!
An adult eating ‘n drinking establishment for the discussion of Classic Trains ‘n stuff!
<opened 12 April 2005>
"Our" Place interior
Mentor Village Chorale 'n Philharmonic background singers!
Manager Lars' Bar in the Penthouse Suite
G'day Gents!
A throwback to days gone by . . . busy enough for another round of acknowledgments and it's only mid-day!
Looks like Lars did a commendable job in getting guys to turn out for this Anniversary day!
Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):
Jan at 8:39 AM ‘n 9:39 AM today - July 12th: Your OH-FISH-UL Aboard comes with a free drink! Hope that you'll find this place to your liking ‘n join in on the fun. Suggestions abound regarding how to get started with us. However, I'm sure you've spent sufficient time on our Pages to figure it out. Just try to remember that we're a simple lot ‘round here - we greet one another - we are inclusive - we acknowledge the other guy's efforts and we refrain from "hit ‘n miss" Posts. Simple enough, eh Youbetcha!
Dan (DL) at 9:35 AM today - July 12th: Great to see your continuing interest in this joint and of course the fine material presented!
That EuroStar train must be something else! According to what I read from you
. . . on Eurostar trains you can dine at 185 mph if you travel First Class . . .
Now I KNOW why VIA Rail embraced the "no Chef" concept - they're H-bent on going Euro in Canada with their trains. Makes sense. But alas, the traveling public isn't filling those dining cars aboard Renaissance and there's a reason! That abominable food preparation method isn't worth the prices charged much less consuming. <ugh> <double ugh>
VIA Rail's Ocean tried out the buffet approach to dining several years ago. I never experienced it, but it was short lived as it turned "off" MORE than it turned "on."
What a difference aboard the Chaleur on our round trip to Gaspe. A real Chef ‘n fine meals. You'd think "they" would figure it out, eh I'm a believer in VIA Rail's ONLY interest is in CUTTING corners which equates to a lessening of what used to be the best of north American passenger rail travel (not speaking of those excursion trains!)
Way back in 1947 when my father put me aboard that gleaming Santa Fe streamliner, I do recall being led down a passageway to a ‘secret room' - which is what the attendant called it. It was to be "home" for the trip to Chicago. I doubt that I made "demands" other than perhaps some extra ice cream at dinner time! <grin> But perhaps that was indeed my inculcation of attitudes to follow . . .
The Church in North America, yes - a most imposing element that shaped and shapes society to this day. The edifices are impressive ‘n I wonder aloud whether we have the artisans available today to construct such structures.
Glad that you were able to make it in for our 27th Month Anniversary!
Ron (DD1) at 9:48 AM today - July 12th: It's OH-FISH-UL - you have "qualified" for that free drink! Back!
Don't have very much to add to what Manager Lars had to say regarding the problem you're experiencing with your Posts. They do look somewhat adrift from the norm ‘n it appears to me that you may be "cutting ‘n pasting" OR perhaps using a reply feature that isn't quite compatible with what the rest of us use. Honestly don't know. HOWEVER, keep it simple and try the "reply" button method that Lars mentioned. Just select ANY post on the last Page - and once you get the "box" for the reply, go for it!
Also - You mentioned that you included a quote from one of your Emails. Did you mean that, or did you mean a quote from a Post on the Thread (site). Not at all sure how you wound up getting Doug's text in an Email???? Very confusing. You may wish to go back to your settings to check out why you're receiving Emails about replies and so forth.
Tell me about the "values" of living in places other than the northeast or California. I've reaped more than a few positive benefits being here in mid-continent USA - quality of life being right at the top. Still a far better place to raise a family - which is long, long past for me <thank the Good Lawd!>
Thanx for the elaboration
Happy 27th Month Anniversary to "Our" Place!
Here's an ENCORE! from way back on Page one of the ORIGINAL THREAD, Posted on 13 April 2005 . . . just as things were getting going for "Our" Place. You may check out this Page 'n site by clicking this link:
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1/991587/ShowPost.aspx#991587
Good Morning! Things have been rather slow in this new place of ours - well it is new and a bit of time has to pass before it catches on. Appreciate those of you who took the time to drop a word or two ...... we've had quite a few people poke their heads in, look around, and leave ........ maybe when we draw a crowd, some of them will try again. QUOTE: passengerfan Posted: 12 Apr 2005, 18:33:43 I'm not prepared to knock the new Via Renaissance cars until after I give them a chance. I too still like the Budd cars. At least Via fianlly purchased some new equipment even if it had been stored for awhile. If this is to be about Classic trains than I shall mention my two favorites from the past the GN Empire Builder and Santa Fe Super Chief. I rode the new 1947 Empire Builders days after their inaugural the first of many trips on this and the subsequent Empire Builders up to and including Amtrak.Couldn't agree with you more - one should only voice an opinion when one has knowledge of the subject. Makes sense to me ....... I've traveled the "Ocean" aboard the "Euro" Renaissance cars. I'm obviously biased (for those who have read my thoughts on other threads) when it comes to the Budd stainless steal "beauties" still operating on VIA Rai's "Canadian" - a remaining "classic" - and one day per week each way between Montreal and Halifax on the "Ocean." So, since the Renaissance stuff isn't "classic" - yet, no need for me to expound on it other than to say, I really didn't enjoy the trip as much as those taken aboard Budd's fine stuff ....... Feel free to tell us all about your experiences on "classic" trains - your submissions are indeed "classic" and many on this thread will undoubtedly enjoy them ....... Thanx for stopping in and your first "one" is on me! (Oh yeah - you didn't vote .......) QUOTE: bjdukertPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 19:22:23 Hi Siberanmo thought I would come on over and see how things were going and it looks like you have a good start How about a hot tea while sit in the corner for awhile. I'll look in from time to time and I think you will have some other vistors as well. GOOD LUCK Duke Thanx for stopping by, Duke - good to "see" you again. Hot tea -you bet! How hot is hot?! By the way, your vote counts too ....... which will it be? See ya! QUOTE: trolleyboyPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 23:22:09 Hi Tom put me down for place #1 as well. Reminds me of a little restaurant along highway 11near Bracebridge. My favrorite "classics" are the Montreal & Southern Counties the NS&T and the CP electric lines in ontario. Back soon. RobHey Rob! Good seeing you again and thanx for stopping in. What's your pleasure? First "one" is on me ....... Appreciate your vote - by the way, let me tell you guys about this particular model featured in #1. The HO kit is made by American Model Builders (152-145) and is called "Nine Mile House & Tavern." This structure still exists and I have lunch there (and a beer or two ......) from time to time. It's about a 15 minute drive from me and is called "The Trainwreck Saloon." Over the years, several modifications have been made to the appearance - but it still retains enough of it for me to "relate" ....... Kinda nice having a structure on my layout that has a real life counterpart close to home. A "classic" for sure! Feel free to tell us all about your "classic" experiences ..... that's the kinda place this is ...... for those of us who like this stuff, "tell" away. See ya! ==================================================== So, that's the way I'd like to keep the conversations going ...... you "talk" and I'll reply along with providing some "order" to it all. Oh yes - pictures are really welcome and please feel free to post away ........ Belly up, boys ..... light breakfast menu - hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate! The day is just beginning! See ya! Tom in Chesterfield, MO, USA (Siberianmo)
QUOTE: passengerfan Posted: 12 Apr 2005, 18:33:43 I'm not prepared to knock the new Via Renaissance cars until after I give them a chance. I too still like the Budd cars. At least Via fianlly purchased some new equipment even if it had been stored for awhile. If this is to be about Classic trains than I shall mention my two favorites from the past the GN Empire Builder and Santa Fe Super Chief. I rode the new 1947 Empire Builders days after their inaugural the first of many trips on this and the subsequent Empire Builders up to and including Amtrak.
QUOTE: bjdukertPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 19:22:23 Hi Siberanmo thought I would come on over and see how things were going and it looks like you have a good start How about a hot tea while sit in the corner for awhile. I'll look in from time to time and I think you will have some other vistors as well. GOOD LUCK Duke
QUOTE: trolleyboyPosted: 12 Apr 2005, 23:22:09 Hi Tom put me down for place #1 as well. Reminds me of a little restaurant along highway 11near Bracebridge. My favrorite "classics" are the Montreal & Southern Counties the NS&T and the CP electric lines in ontario. Back soon. Rob
Hey Rob! Good seeing you again and thanx for stopping in. What's your pleasure? First "one" is on me ....... Appreciate your vote - by the way, let me tell you guys about this particular model featured in #1. The HO kit is made by American Model Builders (152-145) and is called "Nine Mile House & Tavern." This structure still exists and I have lunch there (and a beer or two ......) from time to time. It's about a 15 minute drive from me and is called "The Trainwreck Saloon." Over the years, several modifications have been made to the appearance - but it still retains enough of it for me to "relate" ....... Kinda nice having a structure on my layout that has a real life counterpart close to home. A "classic" for sure! Feel free to tell us all about your "classic" experiences ..... that's the kinda place this is ...... for those of us who like this stuff, "tell" away. See ya! ==================================================== So, that's the way I'd like to keep the conversations going ...... you "talk" and I'll reply along with providing some "order" to it all. Oh yes - pictures are really welcome and please feel free to post away ........ Belly up, boys ..... light breakfast menu - hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate! The day is just beginning! See ya! Tom in Chesterfield, MO, USA (Siberianmo)
A little something from our past . . . and note that none of those guys are customers any longer. Rob 'n Al are UTBs (used-to-be) 'n Duke was really never a regular, but a friend from the "Coffee Shop" early days.
Enjoy the day!
Tom
Hi Tom and all.
27th Anniversary to Our Place, so A round for all please RUTH, it is good to see you so busy I will make sure the bar is well stocked and hopefully there should be plenty of takers for H&H's Fish ‘N' Chips later.
ALLAN Many thanks for the info on the settling on 3' 6" for the railway gauge in NZ. It sounds as though they was a great deal of locomotive variety there. Where were the modern diesels built that are in use today. The main line freight diesel locomotives in the UK are from GM in Canada. The last British built freight locos built new were the class 60s introduced in 1989.
Were any of those locomotives that were dumped in the Oreti river stopbanks able to be salvaged as museum pieces.
ERIC Is the photo at Chicago Union Station. I see the X2000 is getting some admiring looks from the guys on the left.
Make sure you get plenty of rest and take care.
JAN Another one from GB. I am from England and now living in the U.S.
I hope you will join us at Our Place; the beer is always on top form. Thanks for the round.
DOUG That does sound a sympathetic conductor on your train. I'm glad the police was able to stop that guy.
Looking forward to ‘Fire in Tunnel' and enjoyed the great Redball Freight poem.
PER That is an impressive list of trains that used LAUPT in 1950, thanks for sharing.
On BR the old steam locomotives were usually scrapped at the railways own workshops, but such was the haste and the number of steam locos that was cut up in the 1960s the workshops could not cope so many thousand were sold to private scrapyards to be cut up. I will have to try to see if I can find how many there were cut up in the 1960s
Thanks for the links to the Southern Hogshead cars, they were large. I see they only had the one set of doors per side; it must have taken a while to load and unload the cars.
Many thanks for those kind words about British steam locos. I too am gaining a growing knowledge and appreciation of American locomotives and trains. I really would have loved to have traveled those great trains in the 1940s 50s and 60s over here. Reading the great ads Tom puts on at the bar with the different companies in competition with each other to provide the fastest and most comfortable trains.
DL Yes the Leader project was an interesting one, probably the last attempt to build some thing other than a convention steam loco on BR. I wonder if it would have been different if the railways had not been nationalized in 1948. You would have thought though they would have built just one of such an experimental design and thoroughly tested it before building any more.
Many thanks for the link and the info on the Central Trains offer, I will pass it on to Alan.
DDI Good to see you in the bar again. Thanks for the info to get to know you better. I am sure you will fit in with us here very well.
LARS. It seems the day is a great success, and it is keeping me very busy stocking the bar, which I know pleases the Manager.
Great idea of the first two of your posts from the old Our Place, great book covers as well.
TOM It was great to talk to you today and it is great to see the bar busy.
I see in today's paper there is to be more discussions on the KC Light Rail scheme. I am sure I read somewhere that the rider ship of a lot of light rail is well up lately. I wonder if any light rail schemes are making a profit.
Well Tom I have got to finish up a bit quick as I am due out at 5 PM. I hope I can call back in but as we are meeting at Pat's Place it could be in doubt.
Time for a swift pint and a round for all please Ruth.
Pete.
Happy third to the gang and the continued Success of "Our place. Hip-Hip horray for our estemed manager Sir Lars and Sir Tom on this most auspecious occasion.
PWolf: Set me up for some fish & chips and course the proper libations.
DL: At last, a second Dave at the bar, best of all to you and welcome to the bar...
Top of the day Allen to you also, Most interesting post, thanks..
Ps Tom: I'm not ignoring you, I do owe you a message, with over 900 unviewd it is proving most laborious!!! I shall attend to at the earliest oppertunity
Eric..Good to see you about, I see youv'e been tasked with restraining Boris while Doug admisters his rabies injection, best of luck in this endever. Speaking of Doug, good to see you again, been quite a while.
I'd be beside myself I didn't pay proper respect to "Our Place" and all who frequent, sad to say i'm under cruch time today time wise and must be other places doing other task. until free time, keep well all and "Our Place"
Dave, the Left coaster
Evening Tom and gents! I'll buy the next few rounds so ya'll can wet your whistle. I promised reading material, and I've been given just 9 minutes to post, shower and hit the sack! Some reward for working a long day and then cutting grass and trimming just 'cuz the neighbors decided to do it today! Speaking of which .. ya'll won't recognize the place once you see new pictures. All landscaping is done, we have zuchini the size of my arm, and I even put in a drippy fountain. I'm considering a pond with a waterfall around the patio though. Gotta give Tom a place to hang out since the air in the house is polluted with a cat, and Tom can't come inside. Here's the reading material as promised. Part I style!
Fire in Tunnel 9 by Peter Josserland, May 1954 Railroad Magazine
Hell broke loose on the Western Pacific just after my wife and I returned from a summer vacation in 1952. I was holding down the night chief dispatcher's desk at Sacramento and she served as a stenographer. The usual procedure is to turn a steno into a wife, but I had reversed the tradition some years before by turning Mrs. Josserland into a steno. At the time of our marriage she was just a telegrapher while I dispatched trains. All she had to do to get the job was to take a refresher course in shorthand.
This story concerns the area around Tehachapi, California. The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe have a joint track over Tehachapi, the spot being famous for its "loop" which engineers built to control the gradient. Ess Pee men dispatch trains over this district. The Santa Fe dispatcher's circuit also is cut in at Tehachapi, but their DS at Needles cannot direct train movements through Tehachapi, although the phone there serves other useful purpouses.
On the day I refer to, an earthquake wrecked the town of Tehachapi and put both the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe temporarily out of business down that way. This is the SP's north-south route through the valley. However, they still had a Coast line running north and south to fall back on, and their trackage to the east from Sacramento and Los Angeles was not affected.
Both the SP and the Santa Fe were bottled up north of Tehachapi, being shut off from the south and east. To make matters worse, the quake came in a season when all the roads were normally snowed under with perishable traffic, most of it moving eastward. In a rash moment, the SP agreed to handle the Santa Fe's north-south stuff over their Coast line - which proved to be a sad mistake. The triple load placed on the Coast line brought so much congestion that they had to drop Santa Fe movements.
At the same time, the Western Pacific generously offered to handle a couple of Santa Fe trains daily each way between Stockton and Salt Lake City. I dop not know what the SP took off the Santa Fe's hands, but judging from what happened, I'd say it wasn't much. No sooner had we highballed two trains of perishable loads out of Stockton than the Santa Fe had two more waiting for us, and the heat was on. The AT&SF shoved over trains as fast as we could clear the transfer track for them and yelled bloody murder because we didn't "hurry up more faster."
We had to dig all our faithful steam engines out of mothballs to wheel freight between Oakland and Oroville, since every available diesel was burnishing the rails between Oroville and Salt Lake. Within forty-eight hours we simply did not have enough power to keep merchandise rolling, so the Santa Fe had to lend us some of their powerful 6000-horsepower diesels.
Pretty soon we ran out of crews to handle the extra burden. Officials were frantically shaking the bushes in search of talent to keep the wheels spinning. At this point the SP shut off the Santa Fe's north-south business from their Coast line and thus put the bee on us to move it. Talk about going around the world to get in the back door! The Santa Fe gave us solid trains of freight for California points north of Tehachapi. We took it as far as Salt Lake City and there turned it over to the Union Pacific, which hauled it to Barstow and then handed it back to the Santa Fe for delivery. Next, there came the northbound California traffic via the reverse route.
At first our construction engineers were unduly optimistic as to when they would restore service on the line over Tehachapi. The earthquake had curled up track in spots like a pretzel; two small tunnels were wrecked and would have to be "day-lighted" - that is, the entire outcropping blasted from the mountain side. If I remember rightly, they figured on doing the job in ten days.
A big tunnel was blocked off at both ends by slides, but they did not regard the damage as serious. Later, when they penetrated the tunnel, they found its walls pushed together and a chasm yawning where the bottom had been. The hole would have to be filled with rock and the tunnel rebored. So plans were made to build a shoo-fly, a temporary track, around the scene.
Contractors brought in every piece of machinery they could beg, borrow or steal for what turned out to be one of the biggest dirt-moving jobs since the Panama Canal. Our estimate of the time required for reopening the track was extended to one month. Meanwhile, the Santa Fe boys at Fresno were calling frequently. When would we take the next train? The next half-dozen?
Our dispatcher's office at Sacramento was very busy. We were handling the heaviest traffic in Western Pacific history, more tonnage by far than we'd moved during World War II. Of course, the road's capacity had been increased greatly since the war by the installation of centralized traffic control, plus the replacement of time-honored steam power with less glamorous but more efficient diesels.
There was little confusion but plenty of work. After a time we almost grew accustomed to the tension; it became more or less routine. Still, we looked forward to the reopening of the Tehachapi line, which, I remember well, was to have been on a Saturday, when the man-killing grind would end. We fondly believed that as soon as the Santa Fe shut off their deliveries of trains, it would be only a few days until the WP got back to normal. But before Saturday came, our problem became worse. Much worse.
More to follow ..... and acknowledgments too!
Good morning Tom and gents! I'll have a light breakfast please. Many fine posts yesterday, to be sure, with some familiar faces, and some new! Great to see Allan, and I noticed Eric defying doctor orders to take it easy. JanOlov is a new face to me. Welcome! Glad you liked the poem Pers. I don't know if there was a write-up in the local paper on the prior evening's train-related problems. No one here has time to read the paper, so I just get a Sunday edition anymore. I see the captain was at the helm a few times yesterday as well. Yes, yesterday was inoculation and deworming day for all the critters, and Boris too, of course. The latter was also administered his monthly hosing/delousing by the Mentor Fire Department, who really do a great job with the equipment they still have on hand. We still need to return the ladders "borrowed" by the Second Class Saloon guys to play pranks on us. The FD is getting complaints about using the hoses to remove treed cats. The chief says it's nearly impossible to figure out where to place the net when using this method of cat removal, but since the net is missing too, it hasn't been an issue.
Whoops! Must be running to work. I will return later. In the meantime, here's my Part II:
Trouble came to a head on a Wednesday morning, August 13th. I looked up to greet dispatcher Bill Clements, who worked the district up through Feather River Canyon, as he entered the chief's office.
"Second 62 is overdue at Pulga," said he.
"Agitated spindle, maybe?" I asked, meaning a hotbox.
"Could be"
Of the many possible things that may delay a train, relatively few are hazardous, so we seldom start worrying until we know for sure we've been hurt. Feather River Canyon is tough on a railroad in winter, but this was summertime, the dry season, when Nature usually behaves.
So a Santa Fe train had run a few minutes ahead of Second 62! Well, I doubted that either one had met with real trouble. Besides, I was far too occupied with bigger problems - getting tonnage organized into trains and then finding crews and power to wheel them - to think much about one train being delayed for a few minutes. If there was anything in the situation to worry about, the time to wrinkle one's brows would come soon enough - and it did. Fifteen minutes later Dispatcher Clements barged into my office to report"
:The head end of Second 62 is at Pulga. A car in about the middle of the train jumped the rails just west of Tunnel 9 and the next five cars followed. All of them piled up in the tunnel!"
I hurried into the Third Subdivision office to check up. With all the available data at hand, it seemed to me that we would be shut down for at least two days. And the district was fairly bristling with trains!
The first move was to order out the derricks - the Portola equipment to work at the east portal of the tunnel and the Oroville big hook to go into action at the west end. Meanwhile, my wife was routing out the officials by phone and telling them the bad news.
We ran the head end of Second 62 as far as Portola to get it out of the way. Then we got together a crew at Oroville to go ahead of the derrick and bring the rear of Second 62 back to Oroville Yard. This only left the derailed cars in Tunnel 9.
Perishable shipments en route but now blocked by the derailment had to be detoured and livestock gotten to the nearest pens for unloading. Trains were spotted at strategic points, calls cancelled on freight not already out of the yards. Yes, stopping a railroad involves a lot of gray matter and hard work.
Phoning the Santa Fe at Fresno, I broke the bad news that they'd have to hold their tonnage, and moaned with the man at the other end of the wire for thirty seconds. Then I hung up and got busy with a thousand and one operating problems. Happily, the Southern Pacific consented to detour our Zephyrs over their line for the next couple days.
I endured barely an hour and a half of this mess before turning it over to my relief. When the wife and I came back on duty at eleven P.M. I learned that the estimate of time required to clear the derailment was somewhat less than the two days I had guessed. However, they had gotten only two cars out of the tunnel and I would have bet even money that I had come closer to the time than they did. No one will ever know, for ten days elapsed before we could run another train through the tunnel, because of a second mishap. Mishap? It came near being a catastrophe.
The massive big hooks were creaking inside the tunnel, trying to wrestle out the derailed cars, when the Oroville derrick started a fire in the top of the wooden-lined tunnel. The company had launched a program for concreting the tunnels but the slow work had not yet reached Number 9.
At this point the track is about three hundred feet above the white=foamed water of the Feather River, lying on a niche carved out of the mountain side. The tunnel had been drilled through an outcropping of rock, this formation extending out beyond the tracks and dropping off sharply to the river.
As you probably know, there is always a draft through a tunnel, the air current's direction depending on weather conditions. The wooden linings accumulate a fuzzy substance which is highly inflammable, and such a fire is most difficult to control.
A man had been stationed on the Oroville derrick with a fire extinguisher, ready for emergencies, and he quickly put out the blaze - or so it was thought. But the flames had gotten in above the smoke boards, spread, and shortly broke out in a new spot. No sooner was this blaze doused than tongues of flame broke out somewhere else. It didn't take much of this to exhaust the fire extinguishers.
In the meantime, the derrick had to be backed out to safety. This left the men with nothing to stand on while getting at the heavy boards in the top of the tunnel to pull them down and reach the fire. Two men would grab a third by the legs and hold him up. The third fellow tried to pull down the planking with such tools as he had.
The futility of this soon became apparent, and at this point we at Sacramento first learned of the fire. There came a frantic appeal for water - hose - pumps - fire-fighters!
We phoned the Forest Service at Oroville and Quincy, telling them of our plight and asking for help. They, in turn, notified their stations in that vicinity. Pretty soon a parade of equipment started for Pulga, where the highway crosses the Western Pacific tracks. From there it had to be taken to the tunnel be rail. The Forest Servicemen said they'd had no experience in fighting a fire such as this but would gladly do what they could.
A work-train crew then on duty at Oroville Yard was given a tank of water and started to Tunnel 9.
On the east side of the tunnel, the nearest water was at Pulga, a tank car loaded with commercial spring water destined for Sacramento to be sold in bottles. There was no time to quibble over this water being high-priced. The tank was confiscated and taken down to Tunnel 9 by the work train.
The crew of that train was ordered to put their derrick away at Pulga, get the car of water ahead of the engine and bring to the tunnel such other fire-fighting equipment as had arrived. This took precious time. When the work train coupled onto the car of water, the Forest Service arrived with pumps and some hose. The car was shoved into the east end of the tunnel and the hose was strung along-side the wrecked equipment to get at the red demon in the west end.
Meanwhile, fire had blocked the only route by which a pump could be gotten to the wate
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The end of the work week <for many> ‘n we call it Friday! Check out The Mentor Village Bakery case - our Menu Board for <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfasts - and of course our freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee <unleaded> ‘n <regular>!!
Yesterday was one of those days <daze> we surely won't forget ‘round here for some time. For a simple monthly anniversary day, the turnout was terrific! Appears that we had a convergence of interests - those who checked in BECAUSE of the day along with those who passed through our doors simply to enjoy the place. Either way, many THANX to all for helping to make the 27th Month Anniversary of "Our" Place one for the ages!
SPECIAL RECOGNITION to Manager Lars for going that extra mile. My guess is that without his efforts, we wouldn't have had such a grand event! Five Salute to the Larsman!
Pete at 5:05 PM Thursday - July 12th: Nearly a 2-hour phone call from my mid-Missouri Brit friend! Man of a few words, eh <grin> Always good hearing from you ‘n we covered quite a bit of ground . . .
Our monthly celebration wouldn't have been complete without a visit from the Wolfman ‘n Bar Chandler - glad you didn't let us down! Must say that mention of ANOTHER bar is a bit on the tacky side, especially when we PAY YOU to work here!! <grimace>
Dave (West Coast S) at 7:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Our Resident Left Coast Connection ‘n Super Sleuth Man of Mystery made it in for our special event! You had us wonderin' IF you were readin' what's been Posted along with those Emails that are piling up! Thanx for putting our worst thoughts to rest . . . RIP! <grin>
As you go WAY BACK with this place - actually you ‘n CM3 Shane are ‘tied' for "oldest continuing bar fly." However, I must give the "nod" to Shane, as he's piled up far more visits without loooooooooooong breaks in between (not counting Iraq of course!). Anyway, you ‘n our Coalminer friend are the "grey beards" ‘round here . . .
Doug at 9:25 PM Thursday - July 12th: Been a loooooooong time since we've seen our Barn Weevil ‘round here TWICE on one day! And with a two-part story at that! Great seeing ya, Mate!
Glad to know you REMEMBERED about cats - after about 15 minutes or so inside a house with ‘em, I break out in all sorts of "itches." Just the way it is. Happened first time back in the 80s when I "house sat" a friends ranch up in San Pedro mountain for a weekend. He had two horses, two dogs ‘n two cats. After that weekend, I have never been the same insofar as allergies are concerned - especially cats. The Doc's have all said I picked up enough "animal dander" to make a significant change to my immune system. However THAT happens! <ugh> Funny, dogs ‘n horses don't seem to "get me," but cats surely do.
Doug at 5:49 AM today - July 13th: Amazin' - simply amazin' - we start the day with Doug! Just like old times . . . gotta "save" the story ending for later on - just a bit too early for heavy readin'
Groan-o-Meter is back in fine form! <ugh>
Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing.
Thursday is Fish ‘ Chips Nite!
Friday is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite! - and - Steak ‘n Fries Nite!
Saturday is Steak ‘n All The Trimmings Nite!
Dinner begins at 5 PM so come early ‘n often!
Cindy is now our Saturday bartender!
Boris, serve ‘em all of the "spiked" OJ they can handle!
siberianmo wrote: Can you?
Can you?
Upper left "Toronto" missing
Lower right duck missing
Additional shoulder strap on Queen Victoria
Bottom left "20" inverted
Right number 03855 becomes 03585
M636C
PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #43
Here's something to enjoy regarding the Santa Fe (ATSF) in a 1949 advertisement from my private collection:
<A form of this was initially Posted on Page 192 of the Original Thread>
always "at Ease" on El Capitan
Easy dress * Easy Comfort * Easy cost
"Come as you are!" on this famous Santa Fe all-chair streamliner.
Just 39 ¾ easy hours between Chicago and California.
Restful club lounge car "just for fun!"
Fred Harvey meals . . .
Coach fare plus a small extra fare . . .
Same route as The Chief And Super Chief!Enjoy!
Hello Tom
I'll have a light breakfast - as I'll be back for Pizza night later with luck.
I see Lars has been in from the Keys - all that humidity though has helped him to set hares running on the nomenclature - for ‘Dave' is not on my berth certificate! (sorry to disappoint West Coast Dave - who clearly was on the lookout for a second Dave at the bar - and why not indeed!
Tom - "Hmmmmm, so let's say I'm travelling coach, that portion of the train is going at a different speed"
Could well be Tom, could well be!! Is that like the ‘how do we really know the light in the refrigerator has gone off when we close the door' type question? - here's a puzzler though - if you are in coach and you have to walk down to the buffet - are you travelling faster than the train if you have to walk forwards to get to the buffet car? How fast are you going if you have to walk backwards?
Pete - yes - I wanted to check out the Leader picture but actually found the article - which made rather interesting reading - it seemed a surprise that BR Chief Engineer Riddles was prepared to indulge the project for so long. I wonder if things had been different it would have had a future - the real problem seemed to be the situation the fireman found himself in - which looked pretty unpleasant to me!
On a related matter tot the scrapping of steam engines I'm reading the book by Paul Theroux at the moment called Kingdom by the Sea - for those unfamiliar he is an American author who decides to circumnavigate the coast of the UK by a combination of walking coastal paths and hopping on and off trains (apart from one section where he has to go by bus - much to his frustration - during the 1982 railway staff strike). It's a fascinating book and of course includes much reflection on his attitudes towards the Brits he encounters and the British way of life he observes.
Many of the rail lines he travels on are lightly used rural branch lines etc - and writing in 1983 he is convinced that they are not long for this world and soon to close - it is nice to report that in every case they are still open in 2007 - not that they have had much investment in that time period though - what struck me though is the extent to which the world of 1983 that he observes now seems like ‘another world' - yet it don't seem that long ago to me. The book is worth a read.
Anyway, the point I was going to make is that he obviously walks along the south Wales coast for a section and walks past Barry Scrap yard where there are still rows of rusting steam locos awaiting scrapping or rescue quite some time after the end of steam in 1968. He remarks on this in the book.
Doug - I enjoyed that story - and a welcome rtn of the jokes!
Regards to all
D (I'm not Dave) L
A rare mid-morning narrative Post from me - but two events have prompted my "live" return.
DL-UK: My profound apologies - of course you're NOT Dave - you're DAN 'n I shudda known better! Hmmmmm, blame it on Lars - he referred to you as Dave! <grin> More specific comments to you Post later on . . . Mea Culpa!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nice work M636C whoever you are!
From your profile at least we know you have experience on the Forums. So, if you've been checking us out for awhile, you already know that as an interactive site our guys pretty much shy away from the anonymous ‘n hit ‘n run Post-ers.
Glad you found the time to stop by . . . next time why not introduce yourself Always room for one more at our adult cyber bar ‘n grill!
Should you wish to join us - recommend you check out Page One of this Thread to get an idea of how we operate. Once we know you, there's a free drink awaiting along with our OH-FISH-UL welcome aboard!
See ya!
The subject of Paul Theroux was brought up by our Resident Brit Connection - Dan (DL). So, here's just a few of this prolific author's works - with railway themes: (stealing a "page" from the Larsman!)
The Kingdom of the Sea
The Old Patagonian Express
The Great Railway Bazaar
Riding The Iron Rooster
Enjoy!
Good Morning everybody present and Happy Friday 13th!
Ruth, please let me have a pint of your best bitter and a ham sandwich, that should do for breakfast this morning. The place seems a bit empty today, maybe some hangovers from the celebration last night, eh?
I see that M636C posted a brief solution to the 10 errors in the 20 dollar bills. Well, with two of his answers, I have now found all 10! How about that? I won't spoil it for the rest of you yet.
Tom, I hadn't seen Manager Lars' fancy bar before. For some reason, it reminds me of a picture I saw of the "Little Nugget" streamliner on the UP. I'm sure it isn't the same bar, but that was my first thought when I saw it.
I admire you and Ron (DD1) who took the big step and moved to a less crowded, less stressful area. Change is always difficult, especially if it involves convincing a doubtful spouse, but it seems that both of you made the right decision.
It's true that light rail depends on subsidies, but what form of transportation doesn't? I think you need to look at the total picture, and when the light rail becomes popular and removes cars from the already overcrowded roads then maybe you get a profit out of it anyhow. I don't know, but I think it is a good start to a growing urban problem.
Yes, the Hogshead car is really, really long. The pictures of it just blow my mind. And to think it is longer than a streamline car, that's incredible. Have you thought about the word and what happens when you put the pause in a different place? Hogs-head versus Hog-shed.
The reason it takes so long to catch up after a long absence is that there is so much interesting stuff to read and that takes time. At some place I just have to draw the line and say to myself that I could live without this information/knowledge before so I better stop here. But there is always that little gnawing feeling that I am missing out on something really interesting...
The "No Chef" concept has found its way in to the X2000 in Sweden as well. That was the one thing I didn't like about the train. You buy something at the counter and the attendant shows you where the microwave oven is located so you can heat it yourself. Ugh!
I was going to ask you if the El Capitan was bi-level cars, but then I saw the year and realized it wasn't, not at that time at least.
DL, I guess dining on the Eurostar gives a whole new meaning to Fast Food, right?
I think you are right about Amtrak. Even if most of us complain about them more than we praise them, it is the long-distance train carrier we have, and the only one. They are doing a relatively good job with the financial restrictions they have. Not many people use them for transcontinental travel, and I don't think that's just the high cost of tickets, it's more the long time it takes. In today's world, not many business travelers feel they can afford 3 days to go between the coasts.
That's also why long-distance train travel is so different in Europe. Over there it is so much easier to reach large population areas within a couple of hours travel so the train makes more sense. And with EU unfortunately adopting more and more of the air travel "security" nonsense from the U.S. I think train travel will increase even more in Europe.
I'm sure Black Pudding is the same as Blood Pudding. For some reason that's something I've always liked. It sounds strange, but it tastes great! In southern Sweden we also have Black Soup, which is a blood soup. It is really tasty, but maybe that's more due to everything else that goes in there, alcohol, cognac, spices, etc. It's only served on November 11th, Saint Marten's Day, the "goose eating day" in Scania.
I'm glad you posted the link to the Leader class engine. What a strange engine! I agree with you that it was a big gamble to build more than one, especially when you have such a concept with so many unknown components.
Jan, another Swede "i förskingringen" (scattered abroad - I had to go to the dictionary for that translation). I have a feeling that most of the pop quizzes we have are supplied by Eric in the form of mystery pictures. Keep an eye open for them. He has a tendency to make them very difficult.
Ron, I hope you got my mail about the coding problems in your mails. What you see is the HTML code for the special characters and somehow they get printed as the code and not as the character. Weird! The code starts with the ampersand and ends with the semicolon, what's in between is a hexadecimal number (base 16) describing the character. 39 is the single quote and the pound sign is just to indicate it's a hexadecimal, and not a decimal, number that follows.
Lars, it was a nice touch to post some of your first posts here! I also like the book covers you had this time. Both the SP and the SR are quite some engines, aren't they? I've been lucky to see both of them, the SP under steam and the SR in the Smithsonian. Real beauties both of them! The mainline cover from B&O is a nice reminder of railroading's glory days, so is the Santa Fe Warbonnets and the NYC streamlined 20th Century steamer.
Have a safe trip home this afternoon!
Pete, you have already seen what I answered about the LAUPT and the Hogshead cars. I can add that I found out about the Hogshead cars (and what a Hogshead is - except a Christmas dinner table decoration in Sweden) through my background checking on the Ambroid cars. Here I was faced with a car longer than a passenger car with a name that I associated with Christmas in Sweden; I just had to find out what it was all about. Luckily for me, many other people must have wondered the same thing, for there was ample amounts of information on the Net about it (that's more than I can say for some of the other Ambroid cars).
I agree with you that it would have been an experience to have traveled on our trains in the 50's and 60's. I had the chance to ride the City of San Francisco in 1966 but I wasn't sure of my financial status so I took the Greyhound instead. What a bum deal!
Doug, I really liked your article about the tunnel fire. The earthquake in the Tehachapi must have been the same I read about in the "Earthquake Country" book. It showed a tunnel wall that was lifted up, moved sideways, and put down over one of the rails (or maybe the track moved as the wall was lifted)! I feel sorry for WP, having such an opportunity for extra traffic and get hit by a fire.
The article mentioned what a big task it was to stop all traffic at an emergency like this. I wonder if the modern systems have an "emergency button" that the controller can press and set all signals to red.
I liked your joke; I have been missing them for a while here. One of these days I'll tell you about the squirrel hunting championship.
Well, that's all for today. Back to work!
Per in Plano
Good morning Tom and Ruth. Being it's a Friday, I think I'll start the day off with a pint of Guinness and the drink of choice for everyone at the bar. Please bear with me as I haven't connected the names with the countries of origin yet.
DL-UK: My other passion is single malt Scotch, straight up, no ice and just a splash of water. I just wish they would bottle it in larger bottles. I'm glad you brought up the books by Paul Theroux. I read all of them, except for "The Kingdom by the Sea". I guess that's the latest book. I'll have to get that. "Riding the Iron Rooster" was my favorite. It's better to read about it than to actually take the trip.
Lars: Thanks for addressing my E-mail problem. I think I have it squared away.
Tom: I'm surprised no one picked up on this. I mentioned in an early post, that I watched Great Northern bi-polars in action in Seattle in 1964. That was a big lie. They were actually Milwaukee Road bi-polars and it was in Tacoma. At the time of the post, I was talking off the top of my head, but 43 years of memory can get distorted. Don't forget to give me a dope slap when you read something that may be bum dope. As for Budd RDC's, I used to ride them from Boston to Portsmouth, NH back in the early 60's. I used to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and lived in West Medford, Ma. In fact, the B&M ran through my back yard along with some pretty noisy freights, pulled by diesels. I did some volunteer work restoring a steamer for the Connecticut River Valley Railroad. That was around 1989 when I was working at Electric Boat. The CRVR had just placed an order for a brand spanking new Mikado built in China and I had the opportunity to see it when it arrived, but not under steam, as my job came to an end and I went back to California. As I mentioned before, I tend to ramble on writing whatever comes into my head. Although I try to keep the subject matter trains, I veere of onto OT's quite easily. One memory brings up another and another. I'm in the process of writing my memoirs and maybe I should include the OT's there instead. Well in closing, get some single malt Scotch in stock and keep the Guinness ice cold. DD1(Ron)
P.S. I really enjoy this destination. I am meeting new people with similar backgrounds and memories.
Hello again Tom
I'll have a single malt with Ron please, perhaps a Glenmorangie. Thanks - hope it is not too early in the day for you Ron. Actually 'the bride' is a keen single malt drinker (I'm more of a beer afficionado - and that's the British Beer I must say - as Pete and I drink at 'Our Place') - and we have visited a few distilleries in the scottish highlands which are near railway stations - taking the train and enjoying a tour - and the free sample that comes with it - certianly been to one near Tain, one near Brora (both north of Inverness) and one near Keith (inc a trip on the Keith and Dufftown preserved line - the so called 'Whisky Line' - through Speyside - to visit the big distillery at Dufftown) - nice to be able to make those trips by train on the very scenic scottish highlands rail system. Like you, she says no ice, just alittle water. Mind you when we were on board The Ocean last year I enjoyed a Canadian rye whisky in the Park Car in the evening - served with ice as our steward recommended since I'm happy to go with the local custom when I can.
Per - good explanation for Ron's visual problems withthe symbology -I'd never have guessed it!
Thanks for the book covers Tom - nicely done.
Well all - have a good weekend. I'm off to the pub, and then, I'm told a restaurant!
DL
PS Ron - I recommend 'Kingdom by the Sea' esp if you have read his other stuff and enjoyed it - but it was published as long ago as 1983 - but I expect you can still pick up a copy - if you've ever visited the UK (or known a Brit) I think you'd enjoy it - if not I still think it is a good read (even if he is slightly critical of some of us 'railfans' - he still advocates travel by train - The highest form of civilisation he says in the book - so he can be excused the odd critical comment)
Good morning again PER. I just stepped out for a moment and didn't want to go back and edit my post. I came from NYC, went to Boston, then Seattle, then San Francisco. By the time I was 55, I made my first rural move to Burney, Ca from San Rafael, Ca, a suburb of SF. Burney is a small town located some 60 miles east of Redding and about 280 miles north of SF. The only notable history about the area, was it was a haven during the 20's for gangsters and bootleggers. Clint Eastwood has a ranch there that used to be owned by Bing Crosby. The movie "Stand by me" was partially shot there. The scene where the kids are crossing the trestle and being chased by a steam locomotive was the trestle crossing Lake Britton. I believe the engine that was used for that scene was one that was in storage in Burney on the McCloud River Railroad. It became a tourist railway a few years ago, but closed down for lack of interest. I think they are looking to open it again. The McRRR connects Burney with Dunsmuir, a small town served by the SP. It existed as a lumber railroad in the late 1880's. There is a book on the history of the road. I believe the name of the railroad has changed. I can't recall the new name.
DL-UK: Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll try to find it. I have been to the UK several times, but to visit with relatives in Dublin. I've never been to Scotland or Wales, because I'm not a tourist type. I figure, if I see a picture of it, it doesn't make sense to me to spend the money to see it in person. How much time can one spend looking at a geyser or canyon. I did visit the British museum. That was a genuine experience for me. When I went to Ireland, we went via rail from London to Hollyshead and then by way of Irish Ferries to the emerald land. The rail schedule was so tight, that I didn't enjoy the transfering from one train to another with only moments to spare. Not easy when you have to lug three bags each up stairs, over and down more stairs and run for the train. Missing the connection is not an option to contemplate. We(wife, daughter and myself) rode trains in Ireland and found it a relaxing and enjoyable way of getting around. Train travel in and around London, was OK, but I understand the British system of rail operators and rail owners causes for erratic travel. It's kind of like the trucking system here. The government owns the roads and charges truck companies(and everyone) to use the road. Enough said for now.
Have a brew on me, DD1
P.S. Today is Friday the 13th and my wife's birthday. Gonna get together with the entire family (9 of us) and celebrate.
A round of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at the noon hour! Ruth, set 'em up 'n Boris, ring the bell!
Dan (DL) at 9:54 AM today - July 13th: My paternal grandfather once told me that the most important thing he brought to the new land was his name. He used to go <bonkers> when it was either spelled incorrectly or mispronounced. Sooooo, Dave Dan, sorry 'bout that! <grin>
Okay, nice try but NO SEEEEEE-GAR! Since the medium one is "in" determines the speed, the idea is that it's all RELATIVE! Dontchajustluvit!?!?! <grin>
Should I ever get through the mounting stack of books that I've purchased with all good intentions - I'll be sure to order a copy of Kingdom by the Sea. Noted it's available at amazon.com - and - barnesandnoble.com. THAT's NOT a PLUG!!! <geesh>
Tending to matters 'round here has put quite a dent into what I'd call "my time." Well, as a retired "gentleman," it's ALL my time. Do you hear that, Juneau?!?!?! Yeah, right! <grin>
Always enjoy having you aboard!
Per at 11:05 AM today - July 13th: We've quickly gotten accustomed to your most interesting, inclusive 'n informative Posts 'round here! Nice work, Mate!
There probably are many "suprises" awaiting you in the Ether, both from this 'n the original Thread that have piled up from the time you first checked in, to date. The Manager's Bar story is worth checking out . . . perhaps I'll do an ENCORE! of it one Saturday.
My relocation to the mid-continent was pretty much a no brainer. They call 'em ORDERS in what I used to do. It was really tough pulling everyone away from the Tidewater area of southern Virginia for a move out this way. Fortunately, things worked out for all. My final tour in SoCal was unaccompanied as we pretty much figured this area for keeps. Plus the assignment I had put me out of CONUS more than in it.
That was THEN, and this is NOW. Lots of CHANGE along the way. But, at less than a year removed from 70, I'm unwilling to pack up 'n move. There just are so MANY places I'd like to experience . . .
I had an Executive Officer aboard one of the ships I was assigned to early on, who pretty much put it on the line when it came to the Coast Guard. He said if you can't do your job without being overly concerned about things on the beach, either get a new career or a new wife! I took the THIRD option - readjusted my thinking! Worked well for me . . .
From everything I've heard 'n read regarding mass transit, there isn't a system in the U.S. that makes a profit. They all run on subsidies and without 'em they'd fold the tent. I spent a considerable amount of my personal energy 'n resources trying to get light-rail to the area where we reside. A 10-year struggle ending in total frustration with those who pull the strings. It's been chronicled herein several times and it plainly ticks me off even to think about it again! <arrrrgggghhhh> Anyway, I used to think that when gasoline got to five bucks a gallon, perhaps things would turn about for light-rail. Ha! Now the costs per mile are so blasted high, I seriously doubt we'll ever see it.
Demograhics says it all. We just don't reside along rail lines. We're everywhere and that's just the reality of modern metropolitan areas. Can't have rights-of-way to each 'n every community; totally unaffordable from the finite tax dollars out there. Park 'n Ride lots work only for those within a reasonable commute from them. For me it's 15 miles or so. <barf>
Now WHY didn't I think of that "explanation" you provided to Ron (DD1)
Ron (DD1) at 11:31 AM today - July 13th: So good to see ya again 'n we're pleased that you've found this joint to your liking. Not to worry, the grey matter functions pretty much the same for many of us! <grin> It's when you come through those doors 'n forget why, that you should worry!
Probably the reason no one picked up on those bi-polars is that we were pretty much in the midst of our Anniversary celebration. I've seen many a comment slip by the boards simply due to the volume of material being Posted.
We really urge guys to NOT "data dump," that is - provide such long winded material during a party to deflect 'n detract from the intent of it all. We don't see it nearly as much as in past years. Thank Gawd! <grin>
B&M! Now you're talking!! I used to commute in to BahStun (Boston) from Melrose. Lived on the street where the station was (West Wyoming Avenue) and loved watching those RDCs comin' & goin'. That all took place in the late 60s, 'til we relcoated down to Dedham. Spend 5 great years in that area along with 3 in the Nutmeg State (Connecticut) for a total of 8 years in New England. Loved it. Thought the drivers were absolutely out of their feeble minds. <yikes>
Used to call "The Iron Horse" bar 'n grill in North Station "home." Some mighty good times were spent in that joint - of course all while waiting for the train. Or for lunch. Or for dinner. Or . . . . a great place!
Many thanx for the round!
Dan (DL) at 11:50 'n 11:54 AM today - July 13th: Back again, eh Now that's a bit unusual, but most welcome!
You nearly brought tears to my eyes with that reference to the Park Car! Oh how many hours have I logged in those cars over the nearly 18 years of traveling aboard VIA Rail??!! Met so many wonderful people in those cars and in fact still communicate regularly with several. Nothing like train travel - Budd stainless steel style!
Glad you liked the book covers Dave Dan!
Although it hasn't been mentioned, the personal fotos Posted here are for enjoyment of the Customers of "Our" Place - the guys who contribute 'n keep things going on our interactive Thread. Just a token of appreciation for all you guys do!
Continuing on with Pix from Day Four: Sunday - May 27th, 2007 - ExpoRail Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada
Final swing through the grounds
A wooden caboose in Building #5
Canadian National Railway (CNR #5550) 4-6-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1914)
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR #7000) Diesel switcher - Built by National Steel Car (1937)
Roberval & Saguenay (R&S #20) RS-2 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1949)
Tender for CNR #6153 "Northern" 4-8-4 - Built by Montreal Loco Works (1929)
John Molson 2-2-2 - Built by Kawasaki (1970)
The "John Molson" is an operating-replica of a late 1840's locomotive. The original was built in 1849 by Kinmonds, Hutton, and Steel of Dundee, Scotland, and ran on the Champlain and St Lawrence Railroad.
To be continued . . .
Enjoy the weekend!
I have just spent over an hour and a half doing my post and it as been lost in the transfer from Word to the bar. I will see if the bride knows a way of getting it back, as I have got to do something now.
I must say at what a great day again at the bar it is today.
A very sad Pete but Ruth a round for the great turnout today please.
THE CUSTOMERS of "Our" Place after 27 months of business!
Dave - West Coast S, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. Los Angeles, California connection!
CM3 - coalminer3, first visit: 14 Apr 2005. West Virginia, USA connection! Regular customer ‘n Ace Reporter. Last seen: 26 June (on vacation).
Nick - nickinwestwales, first visit: 27 Apr 2005. West Wales connection! Last seen: 04 July.
Fergie - Fergmiester, first visit: 05 May 2005 - Maritime Canada connection! Occasional visitor - Last seen: 04 July.
Doug - barndad, first visit: 12 Jul 2005. Chicagoland, Illinois, USA connection!
Pete - pwolfe, first visit: 8 Aug 2005. Jefferson City, mid-Missouri, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Chandler.
Mike - wanswheel, first visit: 13 Nov 2005. Long Island, New York, USA connection!
Lars - LoveDomes, first visit: 11 Jan 2006. Staten Island, New York City - and - Marathon, Florida, USA connection! Regular customer - and - Bar Manager.
Per - marthastrainyard, first visit 10 Apr 2006. Plano, Texas connection!
Eric - EricX2000, first visit: 05 May 2006. Phoenix, Arizona connection! Regular customer.
Dan - DL-UK, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Great Britain connection! Regular customer.
James - CMSTPP, first visit: 19 Sep 2006. Duluth, Minnesota connection! Last seen 02 July.
Allan - Gunneral, first visit: 19 Jun 2007. New Zealand connection!
Ron - DD1, first visit: 11 Jul 2007. Ocean Springs, Mississippi connection!
Tom - siberianmo, established the bar: 12 Apr 2005. Chesterfield, eastern Missouri connection! Proprietor.
Hi Tom and all,
A round of nectar all round please Ruth, how about a Steinlager this time!
Tom. Santa Fe "All the way" my favourite road, although I am still hooked to the road of my youth the "LNER". Did you get to ride on the Chief or the Super Chief? That was one of my top wishes, now i`m in the 3 score and 10+ range i`m still hoping and wishing!
Pete. The early diesels over here were by English Electric, BR style, and GM GP style, they also had a purely Japanese loco, the Dj made by Mitsubishi, that ran mostly on South Island rails, they used to pull the "Southerner" I rode on years ago. They have restored 3 Roger`s 2-4-2`s and they are running in steam in the south island, 2 at Ashburton and 1 at Oamaru, if you click on these sites you will see them, plus some early diesels at the Weka Pass railway, they also have a Vulcan railcar there.
http://www.plainsrailway.co.nz/
http://www.wekapassrailway.co.nz/
http://www.oamaru-steam.org.nz
DL. You were correct, when the milage restriction was lifted railways took a nose dive, so they went into trucking as well in competition. You have hit a Kiwi connection with the Leader class loco, Bullied, the Southern engineer, was NZ born and bred, he was born in Invercargill, NZ`s southernmost city, his West Country loco`s are one of the best looking Pacifc`s around.
Per In Plano. Many thanks for your greetings. Nice to hear you have been over here, you would see a lot of change in Auckland now, the old railway station is now used being as student accomodation and they have opened a new station at Britomart in the CBD, used to be the old Post Office, virtually on the same site as the very 1st Auckland railway station, what do they say about wise "old' heads!
Jan. Last time I was in Glasgow was 1969 just before we migrated, at that time you had to be very careful of the bird droppings from the Starlings and Pigeons, I never bothered to look up at all! Hows Sauchiehall St?
Lars. Your book posts are great, I am keeping an eye out at main centre bookstores now. You must have great weekends with all that reading to catch up on.
See ya all, Allan
Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
Leon, good to see you and that you haven't locked up this place for the night yet! I won't be long so an early breakfast, coffee and a Cheese Danish, would be perfect!
Wow, a lot of stuff going on here since my last visit! A real nice way to celebrate the 27th Anniversary! Took quite some time to go through everything! But it certainly was worth it!
Tom – Black pudding is not what you were hoping for. I’ll pass, had enough of it as a kid. Like that NYC ad! It's like a poem! “On New York central trains I find, Comfort is matched by peace of mind”! Not bad at all. Nice book covers! I had to check if it was Manager Lars’ post I was reading! More interesting pictures for ExpoRail! A lot of stuff for trolleyman Rob! A very nice and interesting museum! But I don’t think I will have a chance to go there until next year.Sorry to see that those were the last pictures from that museum! I could find the 10 differences, but I am not 100% about one of them, marked with a ? (see below). After inspecting small details for more than 10 years my eyes are kind of “sensing” differences before I even see them.
I said it before and I say it again, ExpoRail seems to be a place well worth a trip and visit! Nice pictures of interesting equipment!The picture of the X2000 was taken in Milwaukee! Like the El Capitan drumheads! And I also like that list of the customers at this bar!
You are correct about the mass transit! As far as I know there is no system in the world that makes any profit.
Pete – I hope the bill in Congress will pass. It will reduce the working hours for locomotive engineers. I think it is about time and I think the railroads should have done that without being forced to do it. No, that picture is not from Chicago, it is from Milwaukee so it was not that far off! Dave – I bet your journey to LAUPT was something special!! Kind of ruined by the mayor’s henchmen, I guess. Oh, no. NO, I don’t think you hold a grudge. No, no. I would! Yes, it was kind of tough to restrain Boris, but he is a good guy (or whatever he is) so it worked out pretty well. Mike – Thanks for the pictures! Is there only one SP Cab forward locomotive preserved? Is it operational? Interesting to see the pictures from Washington DC Union Station with the Federal Express! I spent so much time there (on track 16) and heard a lot about that accident.Most of those Lionel Trains seems to be scal 1:1!Lars – Some real nice book covers! It looks like a Class W (electric) on the first cover!Thanks for posting your first posts again! Straight forward! But it seems like you had not “discovered” Ruth then? Or maybe that’s why you stopped by? Hmm. Ron/DD1 – I finally got time to read your posts! You are obvioulsy (like myself) a little bit more interested in electric locomotives than steam! I love steam locomotives but since I spent most of my time as an engineer on electrics I am a little bit more interested in them. Allan – Thank you for the NZ Railways info!! I guess there is no 40 mile restriction for trucks any more!? Was your part of the country hit by the bad storms and flooding in NZ? I saw it on the news and in the paper. Jan – Another Swede! Welcome to the Bar by the siding! Milwaukee fan? Doug – I like that poem, Redball Freight! A most interesting story, Fire in Tunnel 9! It must have been a living hell from more than one point of view. I am thinking about the guy who told the story. Trying to move the trains to where they were heading is, to say it in a polite way, very stressfull under those circumstances. Per – I don’t think they scrap any locomotives in Vislanda any more. But, you are right, that is where most of the steam locomotives in the old country passed the last switch. I feel well, thank you, but I am going to have a more serious check up on Wednesday (the heart) so I’ll be gone for a few days then. Usually I sleep 5-6 hours/night and that is enough. But I have some symptoms that actually disappear if I get some more sleep, that is why the doc recommended more sleep. I went to OERM last December and it was a day well spent. A lot of stuff going on. I rode one of the interurbans and an old Brill streetcar. The UP MoW Dining Car was from the beginning
Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house
Welcome Ron and Welcome Jan
Tom, thanks for 27 splendid monthiversaries. About Delson pics, the green diesel could be Central Vermont almost. Their locomotives had the same lines and colors, same maple leaf and parallelogram logo. And the Grand Trunk steam engine, I can easily imagine my grandfather or great-uncle in the cab a hundred years ago.
Eric, I don't know if she still runs, all the recent photos are indoors.
Pennsy DD1
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/04300/04372v.jpg
"Penn-Central" DD1 (currently at Strasburg museum)
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr4780.jpg
DD1 locomotives on the Long Island Rail Road
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1frt.jpg
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/dd1ebnycrr.jpg
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images3/1950jam.jpg
Change at Jamaica
http://images.nycsubway.org/i42000/img_42669.jpg
Penn Station
http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/09670u.jpg
New York skyline
http://gateway.ca.k12.pa.us/memorial/weehawk.jpg
http://rlhs.org/images/naripcv.jpg
Auckland skyline
http://www.hahn-online.info/de/Neuseeland/Auckland/Auckland_Skyline/auckland_skyline.html
Mt. Shasta and McCloud River Railroad yard
http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P07256.jpg
Western Pacific Railroad
http://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallery/phmole.jpg
http://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362d.jpg
http://calzephyr.railfan.net/gallerywaller/phbw8362f.jpg
http://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_805D_Lv_Fremont_March1970RP.jpg.52497.jpg
Last westbound California Zephyr
http://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/w/WP_804A_at_Portola_March_22_70RP.jpg.92996.jpg
Glasgow trains
http://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/r/railpics-201.jpg.11407.jpg
http://www.railpictures.net/images/images2/p/P10107111.jpg.35999.jpg
William H. Rehnquist to fellow Swedes
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/publicinfo/speeches/sp_04-09-01.html
Lady Bird and my Commander-In-Chief
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c32000/3c32800/3c32845v.jpg
Bob Hope Christmas Show 1967. Photo by Ken Hopkins
http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/3307/1077263388034705795S600x600Q85.jpg
Mike
This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!
Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.
A beautiful morning here in mid-continent USA where temps are presently in the hi-60s (F), but expected to hit 90 before day's end. We've had quite a comfortable July thus far, so it's time for summer to return. <grin> Blue sky day ahead, some outside work to take care of before I get chased inside by the heat . . . <groan>
I see the coffee's ready, pastry case fully stocked ‘n the breakfasts are ready for ordering! Let's GO, it's Saturday after all!!
We had a decent Friday in terms of business <KaChing> <KaChing> and it's really nice to see the new faces at the bar along with the enthusiasm in their Posts!
Pete at 3:18 PM Friday - July 13th: Appears as if the "Friday the 13th jinx" nailed you big time with that lost Post! <uh oh> Sooooooooo, what is it about that 4-letter word you don't understand???? S-A-V-E!!!! Preparing Posts on the WP is the way to go, but ONLY if you S-A-V-E your efforts BEFORE transferring to the Thread. <geesh>
Round most appreciated! Have one on me - you surely need it! <grin>
Allan at 10:01 PM Friday - July 13th: My one ‘n only experience aboard the Santa Fe occurred when I was 9 years old (I think!) It was a one-way trip from LA to Chicago. My best guess is that the train was the Super Chief because from what I've read, that was the train with the dome cars, lounges, etc. I don't think the Chief had ‘em in 1947. It was a grand experience, fer sure, fer sure. In fact that summer was something else in that my father took me aboard his ship (freighter) from Baltimore to Long Beach (thru the Panama Canal of course) ‘n then I returned to New York City by train - alone.
If you want to experience even a "sliver" of what passenger railroading in north America was back in those times, you'd be on board VIA Rail's Canadian for the journey from Toronto to Vancouver. I'd recommend that direction for a one-way 3 day/3 nite trip. Reason? You get into Vancouver in early morning (8 AMish) whereas going eastbound, the arrival into Toronto is at nite - and many times late. The scenery is outstanding and service aboard the train is a notch above what we have come to expect in these times. I should caution you though, it's expensive. But to travel aboard those Budd stainless steel streamliners with the rear observation dome car (Park Car) in a bedroom compartment - ahhhhhh. I could go on ‘n on . . .
My bride ‘n I have made that round trip twice ‘n it's just a set of memories that are most favorable in my 3 score ‘n 9 year grey matter! <grin> I should add that we found the winter trip the better in terms of seasons. Just love the snow (although there wasn't very much that trip - 2002/2003). We booked the triple bedroom (drawing room suite) in the Park Car, which took some "doing." Need to line up reservations nearly a year out in order to get that highly demanded accommodation. Worth it, fer sure, fer sure!
The train only runs 3 days per week in both directions ‘n is full. Our late spring trip had 22 cars, whereas the winter one was 12 or so. All the consists have two domes - one Skylilne car (forward of the diner) and the Park Car at the rear for the bedroom travelers.
Looks like I HAVE gone on ‘n on . . . <grin>
Thanx for the URLs - some truly interesting material regarding those NZ locomotives!
Eric at 3:08 AM today - July 14th: What in the world?!?!?! Why are you "up" at this hour?!?!? Thought the doc said . . . Hmmmmmmm. Well, it IS great to see ya again ‘n of course we're not the same without our Nocturnal Resident Desert Swede making an early, early AM appearance at the bar!
Nice job with the comparisons, ‘n a particularly innovative way to point out the differences. I've checked that "spot" on my fotos to determine whether it's an anomaly or truly from the item photographed. Looks "real" to me . . . But then, you ‘n Pete have the "Eagle Eyes"!! <grin>
Milwaukee, eh Many a time I've thought about a full-day round trip from St. Louis to Milwaukee via Chicago. And it would be a full day fer, sure, fer sure. Only "thing" that stops me is the uncertainty of schedule keeping. Amtrak just doesn't give me the "warm fuzzies" when it comes to on-time-performance ‘n I'm not interested in having to RON (remain over night) in Chicago because I missed a connection. Anyway, thanx for the info!
Thanx for the comments on my Posts! Nice to know they are being viewed ‘n are appreciated!
Not to worry - ONE more set from ExpoRail, then we move on to the VIA Rail trip to Gaspe, Quebec!!
Best of times to ya, Mate!
Mike at 7:48 AM today - July 14th: Monthiversary - now there's a term to use! Nice one, Mike! It took everyone who's ever been a customer at this joint of ours to make ‘em happen. Those who stuck with it during last summer should indeed take a bit of pride in knowing that without those efforts, we wouldn't have celebrated the 27th, 26th, 25th, etc.
Fine potpourri of links, an effort hopefully not lost in the Ether! Certainly worth checking out . . .
Thanx for the round!
Reminder
Saturday, the time for some ENCORE! material . . . so, how about some reminders of WHO's WHO at "Our" Place!
Caveat: Unless otherwise noted, these Characters were created ‘n named by the Proprietor.
The Cast of Characters from "Our" Place
siberianmo Tom is the Proprietor and head bartender.
loveDomes Lars is the Manager.
Chief Chef is VACANT.
Assistant Chief Chef currently being handled by the H&H "gals" - a creation of trolleyboy Rob (Legion of the Lost) who perhaps is the ONLY one able to describe ‘em. Let's just say they are extremely Teutonic in build, demeanor and so forth. YOU VIL EAT VATS ON DA PLATE, OR ELZZZZZ! <uh oh>
Pwolfe Pete is the Bar Chandler.
Boris is - well, he's Boris who works in the kitchen and anywhere else needed.
He was hired by our former, Chief Chef nickinwestwales Nick and is assistant cook. He's not too hard to spot, as Boris is not of this world. Kinda difficult to maintain eye contact with him. He's playful and unaware of his strength. We do not permit him to tend bar - however, he loves to ring the bell when a round is purchased.
Special mention: theodorebear Ted (Permanent member of The Legion of the Lost) created ‘n named Boris - and - barndad Doug came up with the animation for our cloven footed Cyclops! nickinwestwales Nick gets the "credit" for the geneology!
Leon the Night Man - Wandered in one day and never left. Leon is a "gentle giant" of a man who enjoys working and has little room in his demeanor for trouble makers. Loves his "combat boots" and "bib overalls" - Don't mess with Leon who works the bar from 5 PM ‘til closing!
Inspector Clueless of the Local Constabulary and his earstwhile friend and companion Mr. Doyle, Private Investigator make up the security force ‘round here.
Special mention: theodorebear Ted created ‘n named Mr. Doyle, PI.
Critters of "Our" Place:
Frostbite the Penguin - Named by West Coast S Dave - as a result of a contest!
Awk the Parrot
Tex the Armadillo
Juneau the Wonder Husky - First mascot of "Our" Place!
"Things"
Herr Wurlitzter
Coal Scuttle - Created and named by former Bar Chandler trolleyboy Rob (UTB) - as a result of a contest! (This is used as a replacement for our Pickled Pig's Feet Jar to store the quarters for our Herr Wurlitzer!)
Cashinator ‘n Tilla - the cash registers behind the bar
Credit to Pete ‘n Rob for naming these as a result of a Contest!
THE GALS of "Our" Place:Every now and then even I need a REMINDER - who's who when it comes to our gals ......Ruth, Ann, Lucy, Jemima - hired by Da Boss as the "Redhead - Blonde - Brunette and Raven haired beauty." They were named by nickinwestwales Nick - so Ruth is the redhead, and so on .........All but Ruth work weekend nights - Friday's and S
Cindy my sweet, how nice to see you again - it must be Saturday! <grin> Lunch time for me ‘n I'll take a Larsman hero special of ham, Swiss, mustAHd ‘n buttAH with two extra large ‘n crunchy pickles from the barrel. And of course a round of treats for the crittAHs! Boris, give Awk his tray of seeds, Frostbite his bucket of ice cubes, Tex his saucer of brine, Juneau his chew bone ‘n of course the LARGE jar of pickled pig's feet is YOURS! Keep the change my lady, and put this twenty aside for whoever pops in on this Encore day.
What an outpouring we had on the 27th month celebration day! As Da Boss said, it was really a convergence wasn't it? I mean here we had the guyz who gave a rat's patoot about the place along with some newcomers and it all just worked so well. Couldn't have planned it any bettAH - and while "credit" is nice, it wasn't all my doing. Very pleased to see we have so many guyz who are stopping by.
Flight back was uneventful - and here we are back home. The Mrs. is over at her mother's "apartment," the house is MINE! Soooooo, the ‘puter beckoned, and here I am! <grin>
Have a bunch of things to do, but just don't feel like it right now. What's the rush anyway, sez I??!! I'm retired for crap sake. The Sarge sometimes thinks otherwise, I'll tell ya that! She's had me hoppin' like a rabbit in heat. <aren't they always?!?!>
Weather ‘round here is really nice - bettAH than down in the Keys I'll tell ya. Man that humidity will getcha every time. Still in the 70's with mostly sunshine. Supposed to make it into the mid 80's today with some thunder boomers tomorrow - maybe.
Gasoline at our "favorite" Gulf station was $3.36 late yesterday afternoon as we drove by. <ugh> Beginning to wonder when we'll reach four bucks . . . why not? We just don't seem to WANT to slow down the demand.
Ok, now to the business at hand - the bar!
Great to see so many active participants ‘round the place. I mean ACTIVE - not just "cheerleading" and the like. Some fantastic material and of course, our Cap'n continues to lead the place with his material. WHERE do you suppose you could find a site on ANY forum with so much great material? I mean we don't "do" the crap stuff here. Sure, we have FUN, but when one delves into the heart of the matter, the pix ‘n stuff provided is so well thought out . . . just doubt that there's a match.
Of course I've ALWAYS maintained that we have in this country many, many people who just don't read. They skim at best and hardly digest a thing. Drop off their thoughts, as if anyone gives a rat's patoot, then off they go. That's not the way it is here in this cyber tavern AND it never will be as long as I'm the manager of the place!
Hey Cap'n! A nice compilation of the Customers at "Our" Place! The flags really make that piece "work" well! By my count there's 15 of us. Now that's really something. Of course, we don't expect to have that many on board every day or even every week. With that number, we should be able to sustain the joint through the summer if only 4 or 5 of us make an effort to keep things going.
Also, putting out that list of our Characters 'n Stuff really helps the new guyz!
Comments regarding my "book covers" and "library." I really don't have the latter, and appreciate the positive feedback regarding the selections I've posted. I'm not a true rail aficionado as such. Just love trains. Sounds like a contradiction, huh? Really not. I grew up with electric trains in the house. My grandfather ‘n father had full careers with the B&O and got to experience passenger train travel up close ‘n personal as a kid. Memories are what keep me at this thing to this day. But my depth of knowledge is no match for youse guyz. Best to warn ya of that upfront. Now if ya wanna talk engine rooms aboard ships . . .
I noticed that lately whenever accolades are passed along to someone ‘round here, shortly after the guy disappears! What's with THAT??!! Another "phenom" of "Our" Place! <geesh> Speaking of disappearing, I'm guessing our Canadian Connection, Fergie, must've made it back home by now. I know he "hangs" out over on the MRR forums moreso than here. Just like to have another sailor in the crowd!
Hey Eric! Hope you're heeding the advice from the medical world. There are times when I think they are involved in the most hyped "guessing game" known to man kind. BUT, we can't live without ‘em. So, mind your helm, mate!
Hey Pete! Did I read THAT correctly?? You LOST something in the transfer from word processing to the bar?? I've lost more than a few because I've prepared ‘em directly in the "box" - but how in the world . . . Best leave that alone! <grin>
Hey Dave! Great to see ya show up for the celebration. Apparently my e-mails did get to you. Understand that things are probably still overwhelming for you in that department, so don't expect anything from me on a routine basis. I actually don't check my "in" stuff very often. A major flaw for me. Anyway, good to have our LEFT COAST guy back on board!
Hey Dan (DL)! Sorry ‘bout that. Haven't the foggiest where "Dave" came from! What the heck, you COULD change your name! Nice "stuff" as always from the UK ‘n between you ‘n Pete, you'll have us all converted in no time flat! <grin>
Hey Allan! Great to see that
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