Mornin' boys. (well seems like it still...) Damp and 46 along the Patterson Creek cut-off today. Everyone departed an hour ago. Wifey now cleaning, and my job is to stay out of her way. Had a nice first Christmas in our new mountain digs. Eight overnight visitors made for tight accomodations, but we all survived. Fifey was really treated nicely, and specifically has some fundage for the new layout. Got nothing with flanges, but oldest Princess did pick me up a Lefton Blarney Barn (circa 1998) off da bay. It's polygonal in shape, has dancers inside, and is perfect for a foreground structure.
Did have a downer as Fifepup wrecked his car (again...) Thursday, so eliminated coming to WV over the holidays. I pray for better fortune for him in 2017.
Brett's Steelers eliminated the Ravens. Anyone but NE. 62 days til Daytona.
Chief - BRAVO!!! I needed that chuckle. Makes me wonder if flamingo tastes like chicken, or shrimp...?
Morning gang!
Had a great Christmas. We survived and woke up around 10 this morning.
Kids spent the night Christmas Eve. Got up Christmas Day with coffee/mimosas and cinnamon rolls. Opened presents and started cooking for dinner. Watched football, talked, goofed around. Kids had a couple of drop in visiters. As usual, dinner amd pies took 6 hrs to cook, 15 min to eat, and 2 hrs to clean up. It was great and yes a 15 lb turkey can feed 4 people. Kids took lots of leftovers home with them.
Don - the only thing I can guess is if the red "lights" were indeed lights is that was a unit train of refrigerated cars, as freight does not typ have power down the train. There is a RR standard called something like "train line" that provided for electrical down the train for electrically controlled pneumatic brakes (ecp brakes) which act faster than current pneumatic, which could run the 70 volt power down the train. But I do not think that is in common use. Locally I have seen some UP trains with these very efficient red reflectors on most of the cars to help avoid people running into long trains as rural crossings late at night. Those reflectors are very bright. But finally keeping in mind you were in W TX, it may have been a train of space alien equipment which would clearly explain all the moving/glowing lights!
Regards, Roy
Good Morning,
Temp around 73 right now, going up to 83 or maybe 84. Maybe a chance of scattered showers.
Still trying to get my 2 MTH Reading Lines T-1 steam engines(PS-2) to work correctly. One(has replacement tration tires) goes over the Ross switch but needs to be going at a good rate of speed and the other one(still has original traction tire) derails after the Ross switch. No other problems with them, just the switch issues. So I tried the MTH Norfolk Southern SD-70 Heritage Engine(Reading Lines, PS-3) and it works great.
Not sure if I mentioned it but I have finished the new shelf, painting, I put up the other day and have trains on it.
Lee Fritz
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Good Morning All!
Looks like everyone had a great Christmas, really enjoyed reading all the reports!
Made it back home, safely as well. This trip was totally unplanned, and very unexpected, but the smoothest and on of the best I've ever been on. I will be posting more as things settle down a bit. However, there is one thing I've been thinking about and wanted to see what you guys thought about it. (I did talk with John Fullerton and got his ideas.)
I was approaching Amarillo, and it was shortly after dusk. It was dark. I noticed a string of red lights ahead that were perpendicular to the highway. As I got closer the spacing between the red lights seemed to grow a bit, and was a very long string. Got closer and the line got shorter, but remained perpendicular. Eventually, I thought I would pass them and they would just disappear, as something I passed. Then the road curved slightly and I saw a whole long line of these red lights that were parallel to the highway. As our paths merged closer together, the lights were extremely close. Now, they were not moving but staying with me, (a specific light). And again, it was a very LONG line. I rolled down the window and heard the wheels of a train squealing and rattling of train cars. I was going about 60-65, and the train was moving at the same speed. Began to see numerous crossings, and the crossing gates were down with the red lights flashing. It truly WAS a train on a set of parallel tracks to the highway. And it was not a passenger train! Could not see the specific cars as too what type of car it was, but the only lights were these red lights on the side of the cars. Like clearance lights. I was side by side with a "set" of specific lights for quite awhile, and the sounds were obvious, as the crossing lights. So here was a freight train with clearance lights running down the tracks, and long one at that. Could not find an RR name indication on anything or at a crossing. So have any of you heard of a freight with clearance lights? John and I thought it must have been a "local" dedicated consist for a specific industry in the area. (Really John's idea). So maybe Roy or someone is familiar with such but it sure looked cool.
Considering creating a specific thread to post trip results, so I don't clutter up the Coffee Pot, thoughts?
Don
Good morning,
Got up to 60 overnight so all the snow is melted and everything is slop.
Temps will fall all day back into the 30s. Good day to try to figure out some issues with my Lionel Blue Stripe passenger cars.
Had a great time at the daughters yesterday along with 26 other people. it was a house full of fun.
Good morning all. Cloudy and 51 degrees. No rain they say. ????? Going hunting. Return whenever I want to. Not sure. Depends on who is there and what the weather is doing. Also what the deer are doing. Been fun, seen lots of deer but the big guy. May want to stay home and do some Train Box stuff for a change.
Hope Santa brought everything you wished for.Hope all have a great week ahead.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Hey Joe was just thinking of you yesterday when I was on the other forum. Glad to hear all is fine over in Germany. Never made it there. Did make it to England,France,Italy, Spain and a few other places over there.
Morning all. Not much going on here today. Going to build some shelves in my closet I think and then start rearanging some items to make more room up above for all my Train sets.
54* out there right now going up to 60* they say.
Well you all have a good day, talk to you all later.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Merry Christmas!
It is actually Boxing Day (St. Stephens Day) here in Germany today which is a public holiday. Due to all my work travels (was in Africa from 13-20 Dec), Christmas came and went too quickly. Either way, we had a great time yesterday and are thankful for the many blessings we have.
I hope you all had a great day.
Joe
Good evening all,
A good day today. Everyone got here and back home ok. Lots of food. Grandkids wanted to play LEGOs more than watch trains and that was ok as well. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
Merry Christmas.
We had a quiet one this year. Was just my wife, myself, and the dog. Cooked a small rtb roast. Came out well. Not quite as good as what mom used to make, but close. Took notes for next time.
All for now.
Hello there,
we enjoyed a nice Christmas. Mrs and I slept till 9 then made cranberry salad and candied sweet potatoes as our contribution to Christmas dinner at daughters.
Had a great time with the grandkids. This evening is wind down time.
One last Merry Christmas before heading to bed.
Prayers for those in need.
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
May God Bless us one and all
Jim
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Hope all are having a good one. 59 degrees.
For Fifey: From the rifle forum.
Enjoy the season.
Hello all and Merry Christmas!
I woke up today to a snowy, windy scene here in Colorado Springs. Not a whole lot of snow but enough to make it a white Christmas.
Helping mom out w/ dinner. The smell of turkey is now in the house. We will have seven of us here later. Mom and myself, my brother and his 3 kids. His daughter is dating a yound man from Ft. Carson, so he will be joining us as well. Nice to be able to support a serviceman.
This new little tablet is working out ok. Having the real keyboard makes a big difference.
Bob
Tucson, AZ (aka the Ol' Pueblo)
Home of the Mt. Graham & Arizona Eastern Boiler Shops
I was reminiscing about how long I have been on the forum (it’s almost 13 years) and how many of you I have met in person. Before this forum, I had no idea how many of us were still enjoying our trains, many times procured as a gift from our parents at Christmas. I have seen in person and in photos the unbelievable talent from Maryland to California. God bless!
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
Merry Christmas all!
Homemade cinnamon rolls and mimosas for brunch. Turkey prep and pies next.
Good morning all,
A moment of quiet before the thundering herd arrives. Time to wish all of you and your families a Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a good day.
Ted_Yor I usually stay in the background reading all the posts. Today I want to wish you One and All A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS Ted
I usually stay in the background reading all the posts. Today I want to wish you One and All
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
Ted
How are we to learn from your knoweledge if you don't share it
Merry Christmas to all on CTT!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS to All.
Cloudy and 40s today. Lot's of snow melt but still enough for those that like Christmas snow.
S.J.
"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
Merry Christmas
Home from Midnight Mass. Had some wine, cheese and beefstick to unwind. Just crawled into bed.
Prayers for those in need
magicman710 Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas to all!
Long time no see
Merry Christmas to you too
Trains were thundering today! Take 2 prewar standard gauge trains, add track on bare birch plywood, turn throttle to max speed possible thru turns, serves deafening noise to all within 50 miles!!! Add the smell of ozone and you are probably as close to heaven as you can get on earth (ok, maybe a girls sectional soccer title or an Indy car by AJ's team are up there as well). All three layouts have running trains now. Grandkids should be impressed. Went to 7 PM Mass and it was not full for once. Had my aunt over for a visit afterward. It was a good day. Pictures will follow soon. I hope everyone has a good day.
I did pull the trigger on that Great Lakes Express set. Should be here in a week to 10 days. Looked to be an un-opened set in the pictures.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
At mom's house in C. Springs. Trip on Amtrak from Flagstaff to La Junta, CO was great, bus ride from Tucson to Phoenix was ok, and Phoenix station/ride to flag was surreal to say the least.
Went to see Rogue 1 w/ my bro and his two sons this afternoon. Was pretty good anf I think Disney redeemed the horrible Lucas last 3.
Couldn't decide what to get my brothers 3 kids. Was thinking of paypal giftcards, but I finally just said uncle and got cash out of the atm. They are fairly used to their blacksheep uncle from Arizona:)
My bro and I will go up and see the CO RR museum next week and try and drop in on caboose hobbies in Denver.
Tonight I think I will crash early. Still getting over coming off shift and being up for over 40 hours on wed/thurs.
Hope all have a good Christmas
Happy Christmas Eve all!
Countdown is ON.
4 pm candlelight service, nice dinner at a fine restaurant with the kids, and now all relaxing at the house with a fire and some silly movies.
It was over 70 today and damp. Same for tomorrow. Then back to 50's on Monday.
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