The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Come on in. Sweet ice tea too.

[ChiefEagles]

Yes, I know. Had the scope down the throat last month. Nurses and I were laughing and the next thing I know, I was in recovery. I guess the best one was when I had open heart surgery. Dr. and nurses were talking to me and the next thing I knew, some guy was pulling a breathing tube out of my throat. That was 10 hours later in ICU. The reason I said that was the best is, I was put on heart machine, worked on and then heart started back. Sure glad it did. [:D] Good Lord looks after me.

[dougdagrump]

For all of you other retirees out there, as well as anyone else out there that pays for your own health insurance, make sure the service you receive from your insurance carrier is up to snuff. Just finished talking to my sis-in-law and her hubby in Fla, they were there for the winter after he had just retired from Ford in October. Last week they went in for a health screening and she was diagnosed, after an MRI and sonagram, with a fully blocked artery in her neck and extremely high blood pressure. She was immediately sent to a hospital for evaluation and consultation with a vascular surgeon and what was their insurance company's response "We will only cover the expenses in Fla if we consider it an EMERGENCY". They have had to pack up their 5th wheel and head back to Milford so she can be seen by their regular provider. [:(!]
[censored][censored][censored] insurance companies.

[FJ and G]

Roy,

Glad you like our digcam discussion.

Somepointers.

Anticipate or lead the action because there's about a half second or more delay. Frustrating! Esp. when tracking BB, can't anticipate where she'll turn. Just returned from the swamps, rivers and woods and will have photos tomorrow at work since my computer here isn't cooperating. I set the action on "action" and it really does increase the shutter speed to; i'll guess, around 125th (setting on film cameras).

Also, tom, enjoy your night shots and now my "night" mode is working but I'm kinda peetered out from lifting weights and running the hound and need a bath and some Port wine to relax and unwind.

One last thought on digcams. I'm literally taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures a week; something that I could not afford to do with film cameras. No more storing thousands of prints in boxes. A couple floppys will do ya.

And with my recharge batteries; the pictures and stuff are virtually free. My $200 camera has replace the thousands of dollars in regular camera gear and has stolen my heart.

Also, shot more train photos which I'll mix in.

[dougdagrump]

Off my soapbox now and something a little happier.

[Anonymous]

Hey Everyone,

Roy, good on you spending time with kids. Now more then ever young people need camping and stuff to round out there perspective on life.

Up here in Canada we have a state run medical system which means nobody is left in the lurch as long as they are in Canada. I know a lot of Americans feel this is a real socialist type idea thats not American but I find it just a better system. Universal Health Care means a national standard and not some private company nickel and diming your health.

I believe that even still the best possible picture you can get is with a film type camera and then scan it for internet or further processing. But I use a cheap digital camera and enhance many shots with Photoshop. Any version on your computer will make it easier to do all kinds of things with your pictures.

Mark

[ChiefEagles]

Dougsnotagrump, that is not good. I think I would be filing a complaint with Insurance Commissioner. She could have died. Maybe she should have gotten Dr.s to insist on a helicopter ride back. Bet they would have paid for it then. Hope she is doing OK. BTW, my medical ins. is paid by retirement system. Has a bid deductable so I am getting all the tests I can before July1 [when it starts over].

[bogaziddy]

Lets try it again fellas ... accidentally clicked my mouse button when the pointer was over the 'submit' button. It's late and I'm getting too sleepy to type accurately. Here's the pic ...

[ChiefEagles]

Hey Bog, it came out a little small. Read Tom [Spankybird's] directions on posting pictures. GOOD Night all and God bless.

[ChiefEagles]

Morning guys. Never got below 70 last night. WOW Hope all are well. Tom, get well. Off to get my Buckeye test. [;)] Then eat!!!!!! God bless all.

[spankybird]

Good Morning All,

NE Ohio is warm at 61 deg and heading to 77 today with rain and falling temp tonight.

Well we made it to work today, we will see for how long. It should be a full day, as no one does my work when I out. It waits for me to return. Nice to be needed.

Chief – good luck on your test. Did you study for it [?]

Pick of the Day


all be safe
tom

[laz 57]

GOOD MORNING GIZ,
Nice again today to get to 77.
TOM hope the ROCK and RYE worked.
CHIEF no cheating now.
Have a good one and enjoy this weather could snow next week?
laz57

[Buckeye Riveter]

Chief studies everyday for his BUCKEYE test. Thankfully I'm not his tutor. Wasn't Jon or Laz asssigned this job? If they can't do it, I'll call Clay for help. He owns his own oil can.[:D][:D]

Chief, I sure hope you pass this test, but most likely you will be told to forgo grits in the future. (I really don't see a downside to giving up grits.) [:)][:)]

[cnw1995]

Another beautiful day in Chicago. I keep wearing a coat expecting the temp. to drop to 40 or so like 'normal' this time of year - but it is in the high 60s even in the Loop - like June weather. Hope it keeps up. Good luck, Chief.

[Dr. John]

Good morning!

Chief, hope the test goes well even if you didn't study for it! Enjoy your lunch!

More rain on the way tonight and tomorrow - we really don't need or want it, but as the Bible says, "It rains on the just and on the unjust." Right now it is very warm and pleasant outside.

This must be national fund raiser month! My two kids who are still at home have been selling plants, chicken dinners, Boston butts, cases of Pepsi, and pledges for walk-a-thons (for church youth summer mission trips and varsity football). I think people are starting to run when they see me!

Say, any of you guys interested in a case of Pepsis? . . .

Good day to all!

[jonadel]

Good Morning,

Just getting going this morning. Yesterday was my long day of the year at my part time job, it was the Iowa Jazz Championships. 75 tremendous bands from the six districts of IA meet in Des Moines and vie for placings and trophies. It's the only kind of event of this type in the USA and they bring in college jazz band directors from everywhere to judge the bands. I had to be there at 6:00 a.m. and got to leave at 7:00 p.m. just as the two top bands in the 5 classes began their final competition, last year I did the 18 hour day and it about did me in, not this year.

If you ever struggle to believe in young people you need to attend one of these events, they were just tremendous citizens and would make any one proud to see how their hard work during the school year culminates at a event such as this.

The old feet were pretty tired last night so today is going to be a trainroom day. It's time to "scrub" the track clean again, it's a job I try and put off as long as possible. I'm always surprised at what comes off on the rag as this room stays fairly clean most of the time.

Have a good day.

Jon

[Anonymous]

Good morning everyone!

Chief, good luck on your test! Hopefully it will go good!

Haven't been to the coffee pot in a while, but not a whole lot's been happening lately. The weather's getting really nice here and the snow is melting very quickly. If all goes well, it should be gone, soon.

Graduation's getting closer and there's been different things I've had to do (a lot of nuissance, most of it). Last night, I had to go get my cap and gown pictures at a photographer who lives out on a farm all way out in the middle of nowhere. I maybe wouldn't mind this so much if it wasn't for the fact that there are two photographers with studios right in town!

I'm looking forward to Saturday. I'll be going to the Moose Jaw train show. I've been unable to attend it the past couple years. It's held in the Western Development Museum of Transportation, which has a lot of railway equipment on display, incuding a 1912 CPR pacific as well as an absolutely phenominal collection of classic cars, so that's a big bonus to the show itself. The only drawback the last time I was there was this obnoxious guy at the Moose Jaw model railroad club's layout. The club was selling trees they made to raise money. They were really expensive. It was something like $15 for a bag with a few trees in it. If you bought a bag, you got your name entered in a draw for a Bachmann HO set. This one guy was in charge of selling the trees. If you'd walk within ten feet of the guy, he'd be squaking at you to buy his trees, yelling out, "hey, you wanna buy some of my trees?" Needless to say, I avoided that section of the show afterwards!

I've also made plans for the summer. I'm going to be taking the Canadian from Edmonton to Winnipeg. I'll be travelling in Silver & Bue Class (Via's name for first class) and have a private bedroom. The train leaves Edmonton on July 2nd, which, appropirately enough, is the day fter Canada Day. I've already booked it and got my ticket in the mail. I can hardly wait!

That's about all I know for now.

[FJ and G]

Nickel switch stand and hound modeling

Here’s how to build a functioning switch stand for a nickel worth of copper. Also, it has come to my attention that certain model railroads are incorrectly portraying hounds on their layouts. I have taken the initiative to help correct that by photographing BB the Beagle hunting rabbits yesterday afternoon. Her various poses should serve as examples of hound modeling for the serious rivet-counter toy train hobbyists.

For the switch stand, I have assembled some tools of the trade.

Prototype reference photo.

The rail I use as an anvil.

Pipe cutter and copper plumbing tubing. I flatten the tubing on the rail and cut the edges. The resulting copper pieces are shown.

For the switch stand post and linkage, I use Romex copper wire, shown.

The linkage (not pictured) is a folded over figure 8 that attaches the throw rod to the switch stand post

The square piece of copper shown, is grounded into a circle on a bench grinder. You can trace a circle on the copper w/a penny.



Also, the holes were made with a drill press. Here are all the pieces include the linkage.

The hand lever is a flattened piece of 14 gauge copper wire with ends folded and filled with solder



Here’s how to flatten the wire for the hand lever



completed switch stand, painted



and placed on layout. When you twist the target, the points of the turnout move.



BB the beagle alerting to possible presence of a rabbit, which turns out to be just a cat



BB the beagle alerts to a real rabbit this time. She loves to walk on fallen trees, btw, hopping from one to the other.



Hound picks up scent, springing into action, crossing a swamp after the hare



Rabbit escapes into its hole, with BB trying to dig it out



early morning train to work next day; I try to sit up front

[Dr. John]

Great shots of the switchstand and of BB!

I remember the Beagle I had as a kid, he would chase rabbits until exhausted. I loved the sound of his howl when he picked up the scent!

[ChiefEagles]

Congrats to Saask. He's graduating. Great shots David. BB is a great friend and hunter. Could not access the forum for over two hours [other forums too but could get on the net???]. "Buckeye" test said my "Buckeye" was fine. Don't come back for maybe 10 years. Had 5 pieces of good old fried chicklen for lunch. Not good for the heart but good for the tummy. Pam is fussing because I want to do outside and work. Got two CN cylindrical hoppers from UPS. [:D] Might just go play trains. Tom, glad you are better. Don't rush it or you might get a return worse than the original. 80+ today. Might get some of Dr. John's storms tomorrow and into Friday. [:(] Think I'll take a nap [only 4 hours sleep last night, or should I say this morning]. Later.

[bogaziddy]

Okay boys, I'll try it one more time. Was so zombied out last night, I couldn't get anything to work. Here's McCloud Rwy.'s SD-38 #37 splitting the crossbucks at 17mph at the McCloud Ave crossing less than a mile from my Mt. Shasta home. The train is returning home (to McCloud ) after dropping off loads of lumber and Dicalite at the UP interchange in Mt. Shasta. This is out where I take my pooch, Hoppy, for walks



Here's a shot of Hoppy tied up out front. This was last December when we had quite a bit of snow down in town.


Here's a shot from my front yard of Mount Shasta which influences most of the weather we get around here. It's a 14,000 foot dormant (I hope) volcano.

[laz 57]

Congrats on Graduation SASK.
Nice pics DAVE V. Work that dogie! Took my lab on a 2 mile run on old railroad bed.
She dove into the creek at the half way point lots o fun.
CHIEF great news on the ole BUCKSTER. Guess things will flow smooth for a while.
BOGZIDDY great pics and wonderful views. Love your dog. Ever hike up on SHASTA?
DR JOHN no thanks on the pepsi but them chicken dinners sound yummy.

laz57

[bogaziddy]

Hey Laz

I've hiked up the mountain as far as to what's called Lake Helen ( it only has water in it in the early Spring ... then it all percolates down into the rocks ) and that's at about the 10,000 ft. level. Beyond there it gets very steep and crampons are advisable for climbing from there to the summit. It's pretty barren above Lake Helen and I've never been especially interested in climbing up there even though I'm told it's a breathtaking view. No ... kayaking and rafting are my outdoor hobbies and I just love it when we get a lot of snow. It all has to melt some time giving me plenty of thrills and chills in the Spring and early Summer.

That's me at the oars on the Rogue River a year or so ago ...

[FJ and G]

thx ; also nice seeing your other pictures and dog anecdotes

[ChiefEagles]

You are in there now Bog. Great pictures.

[Roger Bielen]

Today started off nice enough but it's really starting to cloud up this afternoon. We're due to get Dr. John's storm tonight and into tomorrow and then I'll pass it on to the Chief. Looks like the front extends up into Ohio, will it be rain or snohio?

[Dr. John]

Roger, we're starting to get some rain now (about 3:15 PM, CDT). I heard that there were some tornados in Mississippi earlier today. Pretty much all of Alabama is under a thunderstorm and tornado watch. Hope it just passes us all by with a little rain and wind.

[Roger Bielen]

Was just out running the trains. I was doing some switching with a switcher while a passenger consist was on one main and a freight on the other. I was cutting cars in and out of the freight consist with the switcher and setting them at an industry.

To do this I needed a number of switch throws and holding the mainline freight for the switcher to clear. Only one 5 car derailment with that move, forgot to reset the switch to mainline before starting the freight rolling. The other derailment was not clearing the points on a switch before throwing it and backing up, one set of trucks went straight the other took the leg.

I guess I was a bit more tired and inattentive then I thought. Also some tasks are probably done best with more than one engineer for three trains.

[laz 57]

What a day todat 83.
TRIBE looses another one oh well there is still 160 games left.
Planted sugar peas and KOHLRABI today. If you don't know what Kohlrabi are, they are like a turnip but has a sweet taste like cabbage gets the size of a baseball and they are best just to peel and eat.
BOG sounds like a cool thing up on Shasta. I would like to do that someday, on our honeymoon my wife and I hiked 40 miles around SHOSHONE Lake in Yellowstone then from there did a 75 miler in Kings Canyon Ca. lots of fun got as high as 13000 feet. I had no problems but my wife did we had to stop frequently till she was acclimated.
DR. JOHN batten down the hatches.
laz57

[ChiefEagles]

Went up and ran my new CN cylindrical hoppers. They are big and heavy. Got the rotating bearings. Pretty good. Ate big plate of spaghetti for dinner after all that fried chicken at noon. Making up for lost meals.

[laz 57]

DAVE V,
My dog JANE found a nest of rabbits today had to put her in the house otherwise she would have eaten the Easter Bunny again. BB would have gone nuts I bet.
laz57