Good Afternoon all (In absentia) - Have returned from the frozen north (with the shiny side up!) - will try to resume posting on Tuesday as they already have me covered up for tomorrow.
work safe
Hi Tom and all.
A pint of Holden's Golden Glow please LEON.
DOUG Many thanks for the Fire in Tunnel #9 It seems these things happen when the railroad was at its busiest time, with trains being diverted due to problems on other lines.
Even nature was against the firefighters with the wind unfavorably changing direction.
The joke made me Do I need help, do you think.
DL I seem to remember reading a long time ago that the unions only allowed the fireman to work on the Leader as it was on trials, and if it was put into normal service the conditions for the fireman would have had to be greatly improved. I think I read somewhere that the temperature where the fireman was 120F.
Paul Theroux Kingdom by the Sea book looks like one to look out for, and thanks Tom for the covers of his books. I think the campaign to save the Settle and Carlisle line was a watershed in the British railway line closures.
Congratulations PER for finding the ten differences on the Twenty Dollar notes, I had the 5 M636C had and 4 others so 1 to go.
In England the Hogshead was mainly known as a measure of ale, from the size of the barrel. A hogshead held 54 gallons (almost enough for a Friday night at Our Place). I believe the Railwayman's Arms on the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth had the Bathams in hogsheads.
You are right about the finances, in the British Railway magazines this month there is a big commemoration of the last main line steam engines into London 40 years ago, still being at school I had not the money to go down to see them.
Many thanks for that very interesting and enjoyable post tonight. I will take Tom and your advice and save before coping my post.
The coal bunker on the Irish tank engine looks to have been extended at some time, I wonder if this was done during its working days or after the loco was preserved. I will try to find some photos of the locos in their working days, but sometimes it is hard to find photos of tank engines taken from the back.
RON The Connecticut River Valley Railway is the only line I have had a ride behind steam yet in the States, when we visited a couple of years a go (in fact it was a CRVR cap I wore during the Our Place rendezvous). It was a very enjoyable day. This is a photo of the engine that hauled our train.
I am glad you are enjoying Our Place and I'm sure Tom will be able to stock a good single malt Scotch at the bar.
I hope you liked the photos of the Irish engines and I hope your bride had an enjoyable birthday.
That is very interesting about the Fireless locomotives, it will be interesting to find out they are being used in NZ today
ALLAN Thanks for the links to the NZ railways. They were very interesting English Electric diesels Nos GG 770 and 791 at the Weka Pass Railway. This year is the 50th anniversary of EE's first main line diesels for British Railways, I see the diesels in the link were introduced a year earlier in 1956. Although the cab windows are of a different arrangement there a familiarity in the front end with the EE class 37s and 40s.
The good thing about Our Place is the learning of new stuff. I did not know the O.V.S. Bullied was born in New Zealand. He was probably the last engineer in England to try to develop a radical change to the steam locomotive. I heard it said that the boilers on his pacifics were some of the best steamers in Britain, and I believe he worked under Sir Nigel Gresley at Doncaster Works on the LNER before joining the Southern railway. With this being the 40th anniversary of the end of Southern steam his pacifics are getting a lot of attention at the minute.
ERIC The one you marked on the 20 Dollar puzzle is the one I did not get.
There is a Swedish 2-6-4 tank engine No 1928 for sale in England, unfortunately it is in a dismantled state.
Thanks for those interesting and varied photos. Yes the gauge in Ireland is 5' 3" .
I hope you are getting some good rest in.
MIKE Thanks for the great links, those DD1s have an interesting look about them, great WP diesels in color.
The Glasgow trains the first one showing a Virgin Pendelino is good but it is the second one I find intriguing as I did not know that the class 322 units were being used on the Glasgow services, perhaps DL can shed some light on this. It is a great photo it looks like the dri
Good Evening everybody present and Happy Bastille Day!
Cindy, please a round for everybody and a GlenDronach for me. No, no ice, I help myself to a little bit of water over here. Tonight is steak dinner night, right? I’ll find myself a table after I finished the malt and enjoy the good steak!
As usual it has been a busy week around here. I’m trying to keep up during the week, but I hope my boss doesn’t find out about what I’m typing.
Tom, thank you for the customer list in chronological order. I especially liked the flags! That’s a nice touch!
Orders, eh! Yes those are to be followed. Even though I am a civilian, I was hit be something similar which caused me to move to Dallas. If I wanted to continue to work for the company, I better show up for work in Dallas on the 1st! The family wasn’t too happy about Texas, my wife is after all, a California girl, so they stayed behind and I did a monthly commute. This December will be my last commute and I will finally be moving back!
Demography says it all for our rail traffic! Except for the east coast, there aren’t many places where the population density can support rail traffic, unfortunately. It’s good to have in an emergency. The big quake we had north of LA in the late 90’s or early 2000’s (I forget what) caused a major freeway to be shut down. Metrolink stepped up to the plate and started to run trains even though one of the lines wasn’t really opened yet!
Is that “Iron Horse” Bar and Grill still in the North Station, do you know? I may have to pay it a visit next time I’m in Boston.
Your pictures from ExpoRail continue to amaze me. That must be some place to visit! The wooden caboose looked very neat and clean, but looking at the ceiling of the cupola, there isn’t much structure to protect the crew if the helper engine hooks up a little too hard, is there? I guess that’s why the wooden cabeese were phased out. They have a lot of romance connected to them, though. My wife has always wanted one but we have no place to park it.
The John Molson 2-2-2 is just about as small as they get, isn’t it? A 0-2-2 or a 2-2-0 may work, but hardly a 0-2-0. There was an 0-4-0, Y class, and a 2-2-0, Yb class, in Sweden but none of those are preserved. I looked for a picture of any of them but I can’t find one.
Have you heard any rumors in either direction about the future of the VIA Rail’s Canadian? It’s one of those trains I have heard about since the 60’s and I would really like to ride it, but it is not possible right now.
It was some very nice pictures of some really classic looking trolleys you dug up from Rob’s collection. They remind me a bit of the Melbourne and Ballarat trolleys “down under”. I wonder if Allan has some pictures of those to share. Have you been over there lately, Allan, and can tell us something about what it looks like nowadays?
The last car brings back memories from when I was visiting my Aunt in Helsingborg (opposite Helsingor = Elsinore, Hamlet’s place). They had 4-wheel, Berlin-built trams in those days. Wooden benches, of course, why couldn’t I get away from them? Back in those days I had no camera, and I would probably not have taken any pictures of them even if I had had a camera.
These all-black switchers (SW-something, right?) in the pictures of your Red P encore post stand for a very black time in American railroad history in my mind. I guess PC was the best they could do under the circumstances, but…)
I think I will try to see both movies this week at the theater. Both of them sounds interesting and I haven’t seen any of them.
Ron, I saw that Chinese steamer when I visited the CRVR back in the 80’s. An interesting engine in that it did not have a flange on one of the drivers. I haven’t seen that so often, although I realize it is not uncommon. The whole family was on vacation in the great state of Connecticut and we did some train fanning, both the CRVR and the trolley museum were on the agenda. I had seen the Gillette Castle at an earlier visit and since the time was running out we skipped that this time.
You know, that town of Burney sounds just like a place for me. A little bit off the beaten path, and I presume, lots of hills, trees and pastures. That’s something that is very difficult to find in Southern California. The fact that there is a railroad close by doesn’t make thing worse, quite contrary! Dunsmuir has quite a railroad history in itself if I remember correctly. I saw Dave wrote about it in a post today. I think one of the PBS train programs had a bit on Dunsmuir in it, I can’t recall which program it was, though.
You and I must have been hit by the same storms. I would say it’s been raining lions and Saint Bernards here this week.
I have seen pictures of those fireless steam engines. Did you know about the electric engines with batteries so they could travel on lines without overhead wires! There were a few of those also.
DL, that coding problem is something I read about in another forum. It shows up every now and then. I just noticed if I make a copy of a posting using Internet Explorer I don’t get any of the smiley figures, but if I take a copy using FireFox, I get the text and code for every little smiley there is.
Pete, please follow the Captain’s recommendation (order) and always save you work when you leave one program! I have been fiddling with these computers since the first PC came out in 1981 and it was really necessary back then, but it is still needed now.
I liked the picture of the 2-6-4 WT class tank engine. It is, may I say, very British looking. The rear-end shot shows a very unusual tender configuration, doesn’t it? The diesels are also very interesting looking and very unique.
Allan<
Good evening Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
Hello Leon, now it is time for my favorite, Rumpsteak Café de Paris! Medium. Yeah, I'll have a Keith's.
Back with some pictures for this Saturday. Randomly picked, but some of them have kind of a connection to what we discussed lately.
Mike – Thanks for the info on the SP Cab Forward! It is probably not in operating condition. And more pictures! Not to forget William H. Rehnquist remarks! Interesting!Tom – No problem to stay up late when I can sleep in the following morning! I am going to have a second look at those 20 dollar bills to see if I can find another #10. Looking forward to see more of your pix!Thanks for the Cast of Characters! I haven’t seen Inspector Clueless for a long time! Vacation?An old “new” post from Rob. Thanks for posting it again! I never saw that one before. Same about Red P’s post! I don’t think he has visited the Bar since last fall.Just found your post about the movies for next week! Brief encounter, is really a classic one in my mind. I saw it once, maybe 50 years ago and don’t remember too much except that I liked it! Wind, didn’t know much about it but I found a Swedish actor in it, Stellan Skarsgård, so I’ll take that one too. And the Stooges of course!Lars – You are correct about the medical world being involved in a guessing game. That is why I have to go through that stuff on Wednesday, they are about to find out the hard facts! And we can’t live without them, that’s for sure. Quite a few name trains operated by NYC!Pete – Nice photos from Alan! I really don’t know much about the Irish railroads except they are broad gauge.DD1 – I actually remember one of those fireless boiler engines from when I was a kid. I wonder how soon the steam pressure went down due to temperature drop after they had been charged? Dave – I was afraid that 4294 was the only surviving Cab Forward. At least I know now!
A West Coast picture.
For DD1, a Bi-Polar Milwaukee electric (for DD1).
Easy to figure out what this is.
Eastbound freight west of Flagstaff, AZ.
Orange Empire Railway Museum (for Per).
X2000 cab car without the plastic nose (for Tom). Photo: Christer Sjöborg.
Have a nice weekend!
Eric
Details Tom, about time to replace my Myan callender, I got dibs on the middle row seats at the Mentor Theater for Sunday.
Dave
ENCORE! Saturday ‘n Photo Posting Day!
at "Our" Place!
We are CLOSED on SUNDAYs!
G'day Gents!
Not a bad Saturday - not the most active, but still not bad . . . Good to see Lars - Pete - Ron (DD1) 'n Dave! Specific comments on Monday . . .
For Dave: No, no, no, Mate! We celebrated our 27th MONTH Anniversary. The 3rd YEAR comes on April 12th, 2008!! <geesh> Details, details - trained investigators don't need 'em, eh <yikes>
HOWEVER, we'll hold you to the free drinks on the 12th of every MONTH!
And now . . .
Starting Sunday at the Mentor Village Emporium Theatre!
. . . July 15th thru 21st: Brief Encounter (1946) Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey & Cyril Raymond - and - Wind (1992) Starring: Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey, Cliff Robertson, Jack Thompson & Stellan Skarsgård. SHORT: The Three Stooges - Some More of Samoa (1941).
Brief Encounter (1946)
PLOT SUMMARY:
It so happens that their schedules coincide at the train station every Thursday, and their casual attraction grows, through quiet conversation and longing expressions, into the desperate recognition of mutual love. From this point forward, Lean turns this utterly precise, 85-minute film into a bracing study of romantic suspense, leading inevitably, and with the paranoid, furtive glances of a spy thriller, to the moment when this brief encounter must be consummated or abandoned altogether. Decades later, the outcome of this affair--both agonizing and rapturous--is subtle and yet powerful enough to draw tears from the numbest of souls, and spark debate regarding the tragedy or virtue of the choices made. A truly universal film, with meticulously controlled emotions revealed through the flawless performances of Howard and Johnson, and an enduring masterpiece that continued Lean on his course to cinematic greatness. --Jeff Shannon
from: amazon.com
Wind (1992)
As he proved with The Black Stallion, Never Cry Wolf, and Fly Away Home, director Carroll Ballard has a gift for creating exhilarating movie experiences. And although Wind received only mixed reviews when released in 1992, it's a technically astonishing film that does for yacht racing what The Black Stallion did for horse racing--it puts you right into the action with breathtaking camerawork and gripping excitement. Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey star as experienced sailors determined to win the prestigious America's Cup yacht race. Their love for each other is put to the test when she's removed from the crew and joins up with a maverick designer (Stellan Skarsgård) whose new boat design represents the cutting edge of sailing competition. Eventually Modine leaves his millionaire sponsor (Cliff Robertson) and reunites with Grey, and their race against the Australian World's Cup champion leads to a thrilling climax on the high sea. Cinematographer John Toll (who later won back-to-back Oscars for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart) takes his cameras where no sailing movie had ever gone before, and the results are nothing less than spectacular. --Jeff Shannon
SHORT: Some More of Samoa (1941)PLOT SUMMARY: Featuring Moe, Larry & Curly
An ailing eccentric millionaire hires three tree surgeons - guess who - to get a mate for his puckerless persimmon tree, which can only be found on the island of Rhum Boogie. The Stooges wind up on the cannibals' menu when Curly refuses to marry the chieftain's sister.
from: threestooges.net
Enjoy! Tom
Good day all, in honor of our founding I proclaim the 12th of each month free drinks for all who attend courtesy of the Sacred order of the grey beards, forward all bar and entertainment tabs as necessary to either Shane or myself. Uh oh, this can't be good, Boris must be responsible for compressing Frostbite into Lar's favorite wine bucket. That's gotta hurt Round of Pale Ale while I commusrate as to recent activity..
Tom, yet one more year under the belt, I must inquire as to all those lovely maidens.Don't believe I have been properly introduced. I truly enjoy being a grey beard, sure beats what the wife called me the other night On a more personal level I wish to think all who attended to make our 3rd anniversary spectacular. A special job well done to Sir Lars and Capt Tom.
Ok here we go:
DD1;
Indeed Dunsmuir is today a ghost of its former self, it featured a full roundhouse, turntable, machine shop and mallet shed. It was the winter headquarters for snowfighting and the summer headquarters for fire trains. It was the spot to add/remove/service helpers for the 2.2% grade up the sacramento River to cantera It was the spot that trains were reblocked to comply with tonnage restrictions. It was but a small but vital cog in the quest for efficient operation.
Pwolf,
Great material in the last couple of days, let me revisit a comment you forwarded regarding SP chime whistles, indeed these were unique and thus quite collectable. SP designed and manfactured each unit, thus no two have the same tone, and thus carry serial numbers denoting the shop, foundry and construction date. They were available in five and six chime versions, SP large power began recieving these in the twenties, in cases where they could be manually manipulated by a skilled engineer they could emit a most haunting sound throughout the octave range, to me this is the true SP, the era of the Sacramento headlight and chime whistles.
Eric;
Alas 4294 is the only extent Cab Forward, if not for a personal plea to JD. Russel, President of the SP at the time ,there would no preserved example period. JD will forever be remembered for his banishment of all steam in particular and a seething dislike of passenger operations in general..
Trainyard;
Good to see a left coaster among us, nope didn't get the oppertunity to chase up Cajon, heck didn't find out about it till after it occured!!!
Barndad:
What a fantastic write up, brings to mind the Cisco fire of 1960 that destroyed the snow sheds at Norden and all together eleven miles of sheds over Donner. In a twist of fate only the hand of nature and man can provide, SP had retired the last fire trains the previous year.
DL;
Ok I got it, I thought you were a Dave, seems I had partaken of a wee bit too much Boris juice during the celebration while typing in front of a mirror
Couldn't let the day pass without something SP: In 1951, the Los Angeles passenger and Operating Department decided to assign cab forwards to the San Joaquin in leiu of the normal double headed MT class 4-8-2's. This would reduce crew cost and fuel/water so reasoned the SP. The experiment was short lived when the cab forwards proved unable to maintain time between Palmdale and Mojave prompting the Passenger Department to insist that the Operating Department return their MT's!!!..
A hearty hello to all I have failed to mention, you know who you are, well my glass is dry and duty calls, back to the chain gang
Good afternoon Tom, Cindy and all fellow travelers. Libation of choice all around. The family got together last night to celebrate my wife's 59th birthday. To tell the truth, she doesn't look a day over 58.
Tom: Glad to hear you are having good weather in Mo. If you were where I am, you would have allergy problems, since it's been raining CATS and dogs and is forecasted for the entire week. Maybe I better get started on building that ark. The pics of the caboose brought back childhood memories of going through a parked caboose and stealing fusees and track torpedoes. What I did with those torpedoes is another story. I just hope there are no ex-railway police on this site.
Mike: Thanks for the DD-1 links. Too bad someone has never thought of attaching a big beak to the front of that engine. It looks like a huge owl coming down on you at 80mph. I'm glad they still have one preserved in a museum. What's a former traction engineer doing in Az?
EricAllan: Have you heard of fireless boiler engines? They are engines with a large insulated tank where the boiler would be. They were used here on industrial rail lines. The engine would fill up with steam from a stationary boiler and then go to work switching cars around the facility. When it ran out of steam, it would go back to the boiler for a refill. I mention this because I know that NZ has lots of geo-thermal energy that is used to run power generating facilities. Could or has this source of geo-thermal power ever been used to power a locomotive?
I'll see you guys Monday. Have a good'un
Well CINDY a pint of Holden's Mild would go down a treat as I have been doing some ‘honey-dos' and it is quite hot out.
I though I would drop these photos off while having a break and hopefully be back later to comment on the fine posts we have had.
This weeks photos from Alan are from Ireland in May this year.
The location for the pics is at Limerick Junction. The railtour Alan was on involed diesels one way and steam the other from Dublin. These diesel locomotives are I believe being phased out farily soon
They are General Motors Irish Rail class 181 Bo-Bo of 1,100 HP built in 1966 at La Grange Illinois
The steam locomotive is a class WT 2-6-4 tank engine built in Derby(England) in 1947 for the LMS(Northern Counties Comittee) in Northern Ireland.
The photos should enlarge.
Well CINDY back to work for me for a while then I should be able to enjoy a few drinks at Our Place.
Pete.
This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!
Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.
And one more ENCORE! "From the Legion of the Lost!"
This was Posted by ftwNSengineer Red P back on Page 182, 04 Dec 2005:
Nick - I dont have a regular run. Regular runs are locals and rostabouts. Im a road engineer and we work in pool rotation. If my spot is 10 times out, then I will get the 10th. train to be called. And it doesnt matter what time of day it is. It could be during the day or the middle of the night. P I also want to submit my contribution for sunday picture day. PC 9046 at Anderson,IN March 1972 PRR 9121 at Fort Wayne March 1969
We miss seeing our "irregular" customer, Red P, and wish him well wherever along those tracks he happens to be!
Tom
Here's one from way back - Page 150 of the Original Thread, Posted by trolleyboy Rob on 30 Oct 2005! We should call this ENCORE! "From The Legion of the Lost!"
Okay pictures for this week. As always I shall try to produce a couple of shots that will coincide with my classic juice posts from this week. So with Ted's approval I'll post a couple shoys of the museum's Witt's one large and one small. I don't have any shot's of traditional nearside cars but a couple of the museums "clones" will be posted in their stead. This is a large Toronto TTC Witt from the first 1921 order,built by Canadian Car and Foundry of Montreal ( cancar ) Bertha or the "beer" car 2424 This is small Witt 2786 from the 1922 order built also by Cancar. sister car 2766 is still owned a run by the TTC. It is available for charter work and once in a while it and TTC two PCC's also used for charter work will get the occational running time on the Harbour front line during the summer. This is a shot of small Witt 2894. This is from the last Witt order in 1923. This car was built by the Ottawa car company. 2894 is the backbone of our operating fleet. It is used daily during our operating season.She replaced 2786 as the go to car 10 years ago. 2786 is waiting for some restoration time. Next year 2894 will get a bit of a beak as 2424 will be back in the regular rotation. This is a shot of TR car 1326. This car was built in 1910 by the Toronto Railway Company in their own Witchwood shops. She is one of over 400 double truck TR's built between 1903 and 1911. An all wood car it was built originally before the PAYE system of fare collecting occured. This car was rebuilt in 1919 as a PAYE car following the lead of the nearside cars. 1326 is also the museum's reason for being.The saving from scrap of this car was what prompted the founders to start the museum. Rob
Enjoy!
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
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
<w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/>
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
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
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 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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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!
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.
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
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
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!!
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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!
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