Aloha. Grey but warming. Too much rain to skate yesterday. There are still a couple of full-vo-ed HS in our area connected to apprenticeships in the trades. The only remnant in our local system is an auto-mechanics / small engine route but that's only electives to the college-prep focus. That's too bad.
I had some extra time to wait on a train home yesterday so took to noticing some station details to add to the layout: piles of fine sand at the head of every platform from where the engines start a heavy train using their sanders; the switch heaters with certain elements that stick out painted white so no one trips on them; the many many switch lights - now LED. The interesting fueling and sanding stop with blue flags, track where you can go below the engine and the various hoses and pumps...
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Morning guys, just got up for the second time. Wife came in the bedroom at 5:20am and informed me she could not get down the driveway because of a tree fall. So I got up climbed on the JD and headed up the lane in the dark of night. She was right. A 8" to 10" dead Ash had snapped off about 12' up and crashed right across the drive. So I shoved it back into the fence row with the snow plow and will clean up the rest of the mess today.
So I will be removing the plow and putting the bucket and grader on to repair the lane from yesterdays wash-out as well.
We never had Vo-Ed schools. It was part of the regular High School classes offered at every High School.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Mornin' FellasIMHO one of the reasons schools have started to drop Vo-Ed is because of the over emphasis on college degrees. Everyone is not college material, not everyone wants - nor needs a college degree. What about carpenters, plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, landscapers, mechanics, bakers, cooks, and general laborers? Those are the skills that were once taught by VoTech schools - and I have to agree with Banks, when you get to tour these facilities there is definitely something lost. Back when I was in HS the guys who were going to VoTech to learn to be mechanics drove some of the sweetest cars, not today. I have a few freinds who went to VoTech who went into pipe fitting, plumbing, electricial work, etc - they didn't want to go to college and their chosen career paths did not require them... I think that is changing and I think it is bad, very, very bad. What happened to apprenticships? You know where you take an apprenticship and learn a trade from a Master (whatever), then as your skillset grew you worked your way up through management and then became a Master (whatever) and opened your own shop?
https://brentsandsusanspicutures.shutterfly.com/
Hello there.
Belated happy birthday RT.
Got to put in my 2 cents. Most of the local high schools closed their "shop" programs years ago. The local vo-tech is next to worthless in most areas. I personally supervised industrial electricity graduates that didn't know which end of a screwdriver to hold. There were a few exceptions(my son was one) but mediocrity was the norm. I toured the building a couple of times and saw projects with high grades that would have gotten me laughed at. I happened to be seated with the vo-tech director at an event and expressed my concerns. Even though I had 20+ years of field experience he as much as told me I was full of sh**..
Best move on.....
Prayers for those in need
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
Good evening all,
Good day at work. Pain One was gone and so Pain Two was quiet. Izombie is on tonight. Lots of rain in SE Indiana. I hear what you are saying about voc-ed. Perhaps that is where Lucas should have gone. He does enjoy his factory work. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
Hello all
Very cold on the mountain tonight. About 3 deg out there.
They have done just about everything to kill voc-ed here in AZ. We stand dead last in spending per student anyway. The high school closest to me has a huge voc-ed wing, everything you could want, and it's been closed for the last 20 years. Some of the guys in the bus/trolley group have arranged some summer programs for youth, but if the current state budget for voc-ed is not changed, the program will be even worse off than it was before.
Looking forward to getting home tomorrow. Got a lot of projects going.
Bob
Tucson, AZ (aka the Ol' Pueblo)
Home of the Mt. Graham & Arizona Eastern Boiler Shops
Forecast for today was cloudy, drizzle and 50 degrees. Was sunny and 61 degrees. Zeroed several rifles. One new one 9 months old and hadn't shot before. Was in shirt sleeves.
Rich, happy house hunting. Move them in.
RT, belated birthday.
Fifey, I have a commercial airless paint sprayer you can borrow. They are great. Long hose, can spray from gallon or 5 gallon bucket.
Sir Walter Wally [for Sir Walter Raleigh] didn't see his shadow. Don't know how he didn't. Was sunny.
Dennis. Wranglers are REAL cowboy jeans. All others are want a bes.
Praying for poor Buckeye. He needs days of snow blowing. Withdrawal is killing him. May he have a blizzard.
Later.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Mornin' All.
Frost on the punkin again today, makes the morning walk feel good. The BetterHalf went with me today for the first time in a long time. Walk done & breakfast done, now to get ready for primary care Dr this morning then cardiologist tomorrow morning.
The new Lionel site = .
Free Tuesday at the museum today, will avoid that place like the plague.
DJ, Good score on the Dbl Stks. I've got the Maersk two car set but one of the bottom containers was missing, price was great, so now I am hunting for a single lower container that will work with it. Can't see buying the four car Lionel pkg when I only need one. Good excuse to go to the GATS show in two weeks.
My 81 Datsun pickup lasted for 27 yrs, finally had to get rid of it due to catastrophic rusting in critical areas.
School systems were very shortsighted with regard to the Ind Arts curriculum. I wonder to what extent the lack of an Ind Arts course may contribute to dropping out of school since some students may not feel that they are getting anything out of the school system.
Time to get moving, later all.
Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.
www.sd3r.org
Proud New Member Of The NRA
Morning/afternoon all!
Well good thing Punxatawney Phil does not live here. Have to look at your shadow to avoid being blinded by the sun! Not too cold today but 40's tomorrow.
DougnottaG - funny about the 75
V8 - HSs here have brought back limited industrial Ed. Surprisingly driven by the robotics programs where the kids have to build challenge robots from piles of wood and raw metal parts. I acted as an advisor for about 6 years. First part of class was teaching power tools safety and then how to use them. The teacher and I had a team arrangement to watch the students like hawks when they were using the tools. Did not want anyone to get hurt and possibly impact the program.
Have a great day all!
Regards, Roy
Morning all! Got a couple of IC cabooses this weekend from Da Bay; one is fine, another needs the lighting lead resoldered to the pickup. The boy now has a “boose” to put at the end of his consists.
V8: Your comment made me take a look at the courses offered at the HS I attended. Thankfully they still seem offer all of the industrial ed classes that I remember them doing (and perhaps a couple more). I didn’t take any (since I wanted to be a chemist or a computer programmer) and ended up getting a BS and MS, but I don’t understand the push to get everyone to go to college. I think most people would be much better served by trying to find a trade that they like and have a natural affinity for while in HS rather than being pushed into college prep coursework. A lot of kids coming out of college are finding a harsh reality: they probably shouldn’t have gone to college, can’t find a decent job when they graduate (or don’t) because of it, and are now saddled with a mountain of debt.
DJ: I agree 100% about the Lionel web site, it’s a hot mess. Unless you already know exactly what you’re looking for, you are likely not to find it. I cringe to think of what someone wanting to get into things for the first time must end up feeling like trying to make sense of it all.
IT consultant by day, 3rd generation Lionel guy (raising a 3YO 4th generation Lionel Lil' Man) by night in the suburbs of the greatest city in the world - Chicago. Home of the ever-changing Illinois Concretus Ry.
Happy Ground Hog day!
Wife is home just taking a personal day. So we going tile shopping whenever she gets up and moving. So it feels like Saturday.
Warm but will be raining within the hour a lot of wind.
Wow I am so glad that the media is there to tell me what I just watched just as soon as I am done watching.
Mornin' FellasNot much going on today... thank goodness. Dropped the kiddos off at daycare and realized I forgot Matthew's swim clothes at home... Re Lionel's site... took me all of 20 seconds to locate that item. I like that it uses my entire screen realestate instead of forcing it into an old 4:3 ratio, 4:3 screens have been out of use for over 10 years, Widescreens are now the norm. Design your site to adjust to the screen resolution - it isn't that hard. Their site is 1,000x better than a certain football message board I am a member of. Here 1/3 of my screen is white, very annoying. But as they say, you can't please everyone and when it is free...
Aloha. Grey and warmer today. Ankles sore from skating yesterday - I'll try the meandering skate path in another park today if it doesn't rain!
DJ, that looks great. I agree re Lionel's website. I blame Sharepoint too...Thanks Roy!
First 2016 superbowl commercial,
https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNN9nL2vppM?rel=0
End the day on a touch of humour.
Nite all !
Still snowing on the mountain. I guess we got a few more inches today.
RT - Happy Birthday!
Dennis - I started out driving VW's, so anything has more horsepower than that:)
Kev - the 1.8 L in the LUV was a good little engine and the tranny and transfer case shifted very nicely. In retrospect, if I had kept that truck I might still be driving it now, since I did so much work on it.
The Huntington car move is scheduled for this Saturday during the club tour, so I may get some pics of it. The other big project for me will be reinforcing the Phoenix car (only original AZ trolley we have). It's a wreck, but we want to try and save it.
Buckeye Riveter Snowblower still has not been out of the garage this winter, however the snow cannon hit its mark dead on.
Snowblower still has not been out of the garage this winter, however the snow cannon hit its mark dead on.
Buckeye, I have not had to plow yet this year, somehow just got to know we will pay.DJ how tall are those cars from the top of the rail to the top of the cars????. I have been looking but would like to be sure that fit through the tunnel. Corey made a great pick.
Happy Birthday RT! Wishing you many more.
November, check. December, check. January, check
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
We started out with shower this morning then stopped about 10. Messed around with the truck some, then finally got the lights off the second story of the house and put them all away. Dropped the twins off for a basketball game on the way to work and was about 30 minutes early so stopped and got new wiper blades for the car. Suppose to drop to the mid 30’s tonight, then sunny Tuesday, but hopefully I’ll be asleep!
RT- Happy birthday; 62 years young!!!!
Rich- Good luck with the fitness trial, is it graded for age or one fits all?
Fife- That terminal station really looks great! The wood floor instead of the brick look gives the station and entirely different look
JT-Get the bride interested in the trains is a good move.
Shift starts soon. Good night and may God bless
Jim
Good day at work. Did not walk much at noon. Got all caught up the first day of the month, which does not always happen. Got the latest Trains in the mail today, which has a nice article on the Hoosier State passenger train. I do have some belated sad news. Sarah Fisher, which again the people who have been here awhile know much I respect her, is no longer involved as a car owner in Indycar racing. While she still will be doing some work with "Special" Ed's team, her major partner, Wink Hartmann, had to cut his expenses due to the oil crash and that ended Sarah's ownership days. Sometimes life is just not fair....Sarah was a "real" racer..... Maybe she will be involved again....someday. Jane the Virgin is on tonight. Happy birthday, RT! I hope everyone has a good day.
V8, I identify with your story. I had just a few courses from college but was not interested in pursuing a career that required it at the time. I just did clerical jobs for about 20 years then finally landed a job on the railroad which is what I wanted to do all along. If it were'nt for that, I probably would have been unable to retire when I did. With your knowledge of being a machinist, you could probably have built a live steamer to play with like the ones they run in Griffith Park. I've heard that you had to be a machinist to build one of those things. One company called "Little Engines" in Lomita, Calif. had an add for years that said "just bolt em together". That was not quite true according to most of those guys I have talked to. I think even Walt Disney had to learn some machinist skills to build his 1 1/2" scale 4-4-0 "Lilly Belle" which he ran all around his house. This from the book, "The Walt Disney Railroad Story".
Ray
SPMan
Doug M., Sent you a message.
rt --->
dougnotta - Ouch.
No Doug just 61 please don't age me any faster than I'am Thanks guys Beautiful here today they say it's only 68 well it feels warmer than that I'm out there in a T-shirt and plenty warm. I need to get a outside thermometer I don't trust these weather guessers.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Fife - you know the number.Putting things back this morning I noticed how the new foyer color really sets off the oak railings and hall table we have. Very pleased with this choice. Now to find something I like for the basement. Need a lighter color as what is there looks like you are going into a dungeon...
Yesterday was a great veg-out day, rainy and cold made it great to just crash on the couch. Only bad part was the cable was out most of the day and into the evening, no TV or Net.
Real humdinger of a storm came thru late last nite, big winds and lots of hail. The harbor took a pretty good shot Fife so if you are looking for a saiboat at a really cheap price there should be quite a few that will be available, just bring your snorkel, wet suit and patdhing supplies.
Friday and Saturday at the museum went well, no catastrophies.
RT, .
Had to reread Roy's post, went fast and thought RT was celebrating a 75th birthday. Here's my sign . Need to go out in a bit to check the cars to see if there was any hail damage, should have checked earlier but I was to cold after my walk. 39* this morning.
Later y'all
Happy Birthday RT.
I think I got your present today, I got gas for $1.249
Morning all!
Page 1 - sweet!
RT -
To hit 75 today, cold front tomorrow - 40's - reprieve is over...
DougM - let me know if I can assist on the antenna. Good luck.
Aloha. Looks like a nice day - sunny and 40s. I hope to get out to the rink across the street during lunchtime. (I bought my skates to work.) Happy birthday RT! Roy, thanks for the antenna advice - it sure is interesting. The antenna I put atop the garage a few years ago and it's defintely dead. Everything checks out OK but it doesn't pick anything up anymore - I'm 43 miles from the transmitters so that doesn't help either. I think the weather just killed it. I'll look for that old school antenna. I also have to think through the coax cabling as currently everything goes into the basement and up; rather than from the attic down.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RT
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Morning, 29 heading to 43, 50s tomorrow then down it will head.
Pay day, Bills and pick up meds for today.
Your lucky Chief, The DNR here will come right on your land if they think they need to or your neighbor rats you out. Your property don't mean squat to them when it comes to poaching or taking protected critters. Once they showed up at Brian's door up the lane because someone reported deer poaching going on, on his land. Good thing is was not Brian. The power of the DNR in Wisconsin is even worse.
Ran the twin motor ALCO B-unit for over two hours yesterday. All is A-OK!
Thanks again to 8N, and John for the idea and help.
Bob, my 78 LUV rusted to dust in eight years still running good, just nothing left to drive. Made from to many tin cans I guess.
Over 50 murders in Chicago, countless injured in January and they have some of the tightest gun laws in the country. So what does that tell ya?
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