Hi Everyone,
Well, it looks like the pictures didn't post. I either forgot to imbed them or goofed it some other way. I know you guys hav explained how to do it, but I don't seem to have much success. I do virtually all of my posting through my iPad and Flickr doesn't work on that platform because I can't get a BB code on it. I have to go back to my old PC. I'll try it again in the next day or so. Sorry for the goof up.
Edit: Top o'the page. A steak taco dinner with a gallon size reposado margarita on me. Or, if that doesn't cut it, your choice!
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Hi Gang,
We got back from our rented cottage on Wednesday afternoon. Our son Cole and his wife Kaitlin joined us for the 10 days. We had a great time. The food was excellent (I went to the cottage with loose fitting jeans. They're not so loose anymore!). We had a couple of rainy days but the cottage has a beautiful sunroom so we were nice and cozy while we watched the rain pour down.
I got some good videos of a great blue heron hunting for prey along the shore right in front of us. It was only about 30' away. I have a good friend who makes documentories for a hobby. He is working on one about herons right now so I have forwarded the footage to him.
We have reserved the same cottage for 2023 and 2024. That's how much we like it! This is one of the views from the front of the cottage. The covered outdoor kitchen is great.
We spent most of our evenings around the campfire.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning Diners. A large coffee and blueberry muffin please, Janie.
The granddaughters have gone home. Peace and quiet it is.
Today a trip on the Flamsbana, Norway. A short line from Myrdal to Flam.
Travelled on it twice. First time during Summertime, then Winter. Both 'magical' journies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A5m_Line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdcghWhW1sA&ab_channel=WanderingBirdMotorhomeAdventures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHuGHrzwlqE&ab_channel=RailCowGirl
Stay Safe Everyone.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good Morning Diners. Zoe, waffles with strawberries, sausage, and an orange juice please.
I just received a handful of freight cars I bought off ebay. The seller was only an hour away from where I live, and we are regularly in their town as my daughter plays soccer there. I thought about contacting them to see if they would offer pick-up to save myself shipping charges, but decided against it as between my wife, me, and another family we carpool down there with (recruited their daughter to my daughter's team), I wasn't sure when I would be down there next. Well, I looked up the return address, and go figure. About 2 miles from where the girls practice! Oh well. They were reasonable on both the price and shipping.
Looking forward to getting this day done with. Tomorrow is draft day for my fantasy football league. One of the best days of the year. Most of us have been playing in this league since we started it 12 years ago. All of us work together (That's actually a requirement we have. If you leave where we work, you are out of the league.) and that makes it a lot of fun. Plus we get together in one of the guys basement who has a perfect set-up for it. Total sports man cave going on there. The trash talking in non-stop. Its so much fun!
Have a good day guys!
Mike
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Good morning, everyone. It's another beautiful day outside. Hot weather is supposed to come back soon, but for right now, we are enjoying the unusual cool temps.
up831Top o'the page. A steak taco dinner with a gallon size reposado margarita on me.
Jim, I'll take you up on that for this evening. However, I'm not sure I can down an entire gallon of margarita and still sit upright while I eat.
Mike, that dorm refrigerator looks great. Your child will love having that at college.
Attuvian1In the early 50s (yikes!), all the military ordinance on flats was enroute west. Tanks, Jeeps, half-tracks, even howitzers. Plenty to turn kids into that era's version of "railfans"!
John, I also remember seeing all the military equipment on the trains as a kid. On some Burlington cars near our house, we found a bunch of WWII tanks on flatcars sitting for several days. Naturally, we climbed on them and had a great time.
Tin Can, those peaches sound good. Our local Eagles club takes orders each year for Colorado peaches. When the semi pulls in with the orders, everyone says they are the best peaches they've ever had.
Dave, great photos of a great place you had for a getaway. Some vacations are busy seeing things. Your pictures show the best vacation may be in a great setting just relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
Mike, fantasy sports is something I've never done. My son-in-law invites me to join him on an NFL league, but I've never jumped in. It sounds like you have a fun time with it.
We had rain the other day, and naturally, what happens next? The grass grew enough that I have to go out and cut it today.
In South Dakota, a new shortline was started just last year, the Ringneck & Western RR:
For all the diners, especially the ones I didn't mention, I hope you have a healthy enjoyable Thursday. For those of you working, tomorrow's Friday!
York1 John
Good evening Diners. Brunhilda, give everyone their favourite drink whilst I tell a true ghostly story.
The scene.
In days gone; not so long ago there was a small mining community. Whilst miners worked their shifts down underground little 0.6.0 locomotives with empty coal trucks would leave the main line and climb the hill to the mine, some two miles ahead. Uncouple the empty trucks and collect the full ones and return back down the hill.
It was the 1970s. Coal was becoming hard to get, so a decision to close the mine was made.
A couple of years passed. 1975 to be precise. A decision was made build houses on the site of the mine. Everything was demolished, except the pithead wheel. A new road where the track had been and new houses over looking the pithead wheel. 107 houses to be exact. The pit head wheel was now free of any chains, so the wheel was permanently fastened so as not to move.
Starting at one side of the street was number 1 the house numbers went up one side, then back down the other. Therefore the lowest and highest numbered houses were opposite each other. Families moved in to the houses. Young children played. Neighbours became friends. Women would get together at a chosen house and have a few drinks and chat. No wild parties or that. Just little get togethers and talk as women do.
A Summer's Night 1980
One such party was at 105. Well I say party; there were four women and the hosts husband present. Like I mentioned a few drinks were had with a few snacks. Nothing unusual. Just good company.
It was nearly midnight and the party wound up. Two of the women lived two or three doors away. The third lived at number 36. The husband of the host offered to escort the lady home and was accepted.
They were not ten yards away from number 105 when they heard what sound like a steam engine hard at work, CHUFF,CHUFF, CHUFF up a hill. The owner of house number 1 was walking his dog and stopped as he heard the sound also.
CHUFF, CHUFF,CHUFF the sound continued.
Then the sound eased as if it had made its journey to the top. A clanking sound of trucks as they relaxed from the pressure of the hill climb. The sound of a locomotive was heard as if it was connecting to other trucks. The sound of locomotive and trucks was heard going down the hill.
Then silence.
'What was that?' was asked, but no answer could be given.
Walking to number 36 the man and woman looked towards the pithead wheel.
It was turning.
Goodnight Diners.
Geez, looks like David scared everyone away. Flo, I'll have a hot fudge brownie sundae please. Make up a few. Let's see if that will bring anybody back in.
Good evening diners-
Mike, nice job with the fridge. Brought back memories. I'm an MSU grad myself. 30+ years ago I bought a mini fridge from the MSU surplus store, so it had to have already been at least 10 or 15 years old when I got it. The thing is still going strong as a secondary garage fridge when needed. Somehow I doubt it has much of an Energy Star rating...
I'm here for the sundae. If anyone doesn't want theirs, I'll take it, too.
After I finish the sundaes, I'm heading to Dairy Queen for a Reeses Blizzard. Large.
maxmanWas okay until they had a shot of a string of enclosed auto racks going by in the distance. Didn't know they had them in 1943.
I get a kick out of catching anachronisms and other goofs in the movies. Here's Pearl Harbor (2001) and supposedly Rafe is leaving New York (sure looks like Denver, though). Is that an AMTRAK P42 on the next track?
Amtrak_1941 by Edmund, on Flickr
And here is Evelyn standing next to a California Zephyr car that won't be built for another eight years!
CZ_1941 by Edmund, on Flickr
I forget what D-Day movie I was watching but it started off with the raising of the Stars and Stripes. Sure enough, fifty stars! Sometimes I can let a minor thing slip by but didn't anyone on the set notice?
I've been mucking about the pond by dredging out tons of cattails and other reeds.
Kioti_cattails by Edmund, on Flickr
Usually Dee Ann keeps them at bay by hand-yanking them from the row boat. She has been busy with her mother's estate and stuff and they just started overtaking everything. Time to get out the heavy equipment!
Kioti_cattails2 by Edmund, on Flickr
It will be nice to get our shoreline back. I drained about five feet of water, off the top, of course.
"My" Indiana Northeastern has been busy hosting the Nickel Plate 765 this summer:
Getting Underway by Craig Sanders, on Flickr
Crossing West Broad Street by Craig Sanders, on Flickr
Thanks for that brownie sundae, Mike!
Cheers, Ed
Good afternoon Diners. It has been a busy morning with a quick shopping as friends are arriving soon.
Zoe, save some of that Sundae (that Mike left) for me.
Mike. I have more 'ghostly' tales, but not railway related.
Ed. I also look for 'goofs' etc. in films and plays. At the moment we are watching a tv series 'The Nest'. It is set in Glasgow. There is a scene shown regularly of traffic on a bridge over the River Clyde. It is the same cars crossing throughout the film. In the film a woman travelling from the North West of Scotland, should arrive at Queen Street Station, but no she arrives at Central Station.
Back later
I have not been able to check in much in the last couple of days.
I will catch up, and be back later.
gmpullmanI forget what D-Day movie I was watching but it started off with the raising of the Stars and Stripes. Sure enough, fifty stars!
Saving Private Ryan begins with a 50 star flag, but the opening and closing scenes in that movie are in the 1990s, so it is correct. When the movie goes back to 1944, all the flags had 48 stars.
My daughter's cat has been clawing the table leg.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
It's been a busy morning. Too busy.
Ed, it's fun to spot things like that in movies. I always watch for those errors, but I'm not real good at seeing them.
In the detective series, Monk, there was a show about UFOs. When Monk went to the sheriff, I spotted a model railroad in the front window of the sheriff's office. I was looking at that when someone else saw that the shades on the windows kept changing during different views. I missed it -- too occupied with the model train to notice anything else.
I'm really sleepy today -- it's almost 1:00 p.m., time for a nap.
The Ellis & Eastern Railroad runs on about 40 miles of track in South Dakota and Minnesota. It mainly hauls Sioux quartzite, sand, and gravel, along with agricultural products. It's on old Chicago and North Western track.
Hope everyone has a good Friday. We didn't have many takers on Mike's sundaes. I hope our missing diners are doing well.
Good evening Diners. A large whisky, no ice please, Janie.
No scary story tonight --- unless there is a request.
Ffestiniog Railway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog_Railway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o8YJsVOH58&ab_channel=Timsvideochannel1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB2mMoU-vGo&ab_channel=RailAdvent
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
SeeYou190Saving Private Ryan begins with a 50 star flag, but the opening and closing scenes in that movie are in the 1990s, so it is correct.
Yes, I remember Saving Private Ryan. I recall it was a different film but can't specifically remember which.[1] The veteran in that opening scene reminded me of my dad, which was the intent, of course. He had a very similar windbreaker he frequently wore. My dad wasn't at Omaha Beach but was at Anzio.
York1In the detective series, Monk, there was a show about UFOs.
I used to enjoy the Monk series until they canned Sharona.
Is the CSS&SB a short line or regional?
SouthShore_104-Michigan-City by Edmund, on Flickr
[1] It may have been Windtalkers (2002)
Well .... it's Friday night, and it seems like the diner closed for lack of business.
Time for me to head to bed.
Sorry for not getting here sooner John, but I was busy entertaining some members of my family.
As many of you are aware, Dianne and I like to cook. Usually the food is pretty good, but last night we came up with a dinner that our guests raved about! I would like to suggest that the recipe should be added to the Diner menu. It is a savoury version of a stuffed pork tenderloin.
Here is the recipe. It is actually simpler than the long list of steps suggests. If you are not a foodie than you needn't read any further:
- Start with one or more pork tenderloins, silver skin removed, and butterflied lengthwise from the thinner side of the tenderloin.
- Cover with plastic wrap and pound the tenderloin until it is about 1/2" thick. The tenderloin should end up about 6" wide.
- Salt and pepper the tenderloin lightly and then cover it with a double layer of mild or medium salami of your choice. I used peppercorn salami but pretty much any salami will do.
- For each tenderloin, in a frying pan saute a cup of sliced mushrooms until browned and then add two cups of raw spinach, 1/2 cup of chopped sundried tomatoes, two tablespoons of minced garlic, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of grated havarti or gouda cheese. Cook until the spinach has softened.
- Spread the spinach filling over the tenderloin leaving about 1/2" between the filling and the edge of the tenderloin.
- Cut a round of Boursin (or other) garlic and herb goat cheese into 1/4" thick slices and lay them end to end down the center of the tenderloin.
- Cover the Boursin with a generous layer of bread crumbs. The bread crumbs will stop the cheese from melting out of the filling, but they won't be obvious in the finished dish.
- Roll the tenderloin to enclose the filling and secure with toothpicks or butcher's twine (toothpicks are easier - just make sure you remove them all).
- Cover the tenderloins with lemon flavoured olive oil and fry in a medium hot pan, turning every few minutes to lightly brown all sides. Start with the toothpick side down.
- Cook until the pork (not the filling!) reaches a temperature of 135 degrees F.
- Remove from the heat, cover with foil, and let the roast rest for 10 minutes. The temperature will go up to about 145 degrees so the pork will be properly cooked but still juicy. Do not overcook!
- Slice into 3/4" rounds. We served ours with bearnaise sauce, potato and sweet potato grilled wedges, a cherry tomato salad and green beans both fresh out of our garden.
This recipe came mostly out of my own head and everyone raved about the results, so I couldn't resist sharing it.
Bon appetit!
Good afternoon Diners. A coffee on the go please, Chloe. A list of jobs to do before any relaxation.
On this day 1940
Good afternoon Diners. An Irish Cream coffee please, Flo.
A tough day for Dawn today. Nevertheless a battle we will win.
Today - The Welsh Highland Railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Highland_Railway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT0mKjwTXUw&ab_channel=Timsvideochannel1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg34JpOIC4M&ab_channel=Timsvideochannel1
gmpullman I recall it was a different film but can't specifically remember which.
I have seen so many WW2 movies that I can't even remember the names of them. Back when I was young, in the 1970s, the station that showed my favorite cartoons on Saturday morning always followed them up with a war movie, usually in black and white.
I must have watched 100 different war movies. They all used Sherman tanks for every armored fighting vehicle. Green for America, Beige for Italy, Tan for Great Britain, Gray for Germany.
Every character was a charicature, especially the bad guys.
I remember the first time I saw Kelly's Heroes where they actually made a good attempt to represent a Tiger I on screen. The prop was built from a relic Soviet T-34, and looked pretty good. I was amazed.
They put a good effort into the Panther G in A Bridge Too Far by adding skirts, fenders, angles to the turret, and a raised engine section. You can still see the Leopard I hiding underneath all that disguise, but it is not too bad.
The perfect example of a purpose-built movie prop is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This armored fighting vehicle is complete nonsense, but it fits into the movie flawlessly. For a vehicle anything like this to still be operational at the dawn of World War 2 is laughable, but it all works for the movie's story. This prop is currently near Orlando just rotting away. Universal was supposed to restore it for their resort, but never has.
In Saving Private Ryan they also used Soviet T-34s to represent the two Tiger I tanks, but this time they had Steven Spielburg's production budget to play with. They went through the trouble to change the front track sprockets to give the appropriate "raise and droop" to the tank tracks. That feature alone sold the prop for me. I wish they would have CGI'd in interleaving road wheels for the "Sticky Bomb" scene, that would have blown me away.
Enemy At The Gates (my favorite war movie) made a nearly perfect Panzer III-L for the movie. It was made from a RUAG model 61 Panzer. It is an amazing prop, and it was barely featured in the movie.
In Fury someone decided to use the real (and only "operational") Tiger I tank, from the Bovington Tank Museum in the movie. Everything in Fury is a good example of how NOT to make a movie, and the Tiger scene is a great example of that. Using a barely functional, unreliable, unrepairable, priceless museum artifact in a movie proved to be a horrible decision. The Tiger scene is supposed to be the climax of the movie, and instead it is almost humorous in its terribility. The Tiger only moves about 4 feet in the entire sequence, and all the firing, smoke, and damage is very poorly done CGI. The scene is the worst part of a terrible, almost unwatchable, movie.
We did finally get those interleaving road wheels though.
Good morning, everyone. Full breakfast this morning.
Dave, that sounds like a great meal. If you travel down this way, I will let you stay at my house (for free!) if you cook the meals.
David, that is really neat about the RAF, and it's true that your country owes those brave men everything. I think I told you my father spent time training in England as they prepared to cross over to France. He loved certain off days when they could sight-see in Scotland. He said is the most beautiful countryside.
Kevin, I also watched a lot of war movies, but I didn't pay much attention to the tanks. I never took the time to learn the differences in the types of tanks. My son-in-law is a big board gamer, and he pays a lot more attention than I did.
I've hit kind of a roadblock on the layout, and I've let it sit for several days while I try to figure something out. I think I will just dive in today and go ahead. If I find out later it's not what I want, I'll just rip it out and do it again. So much for planning.
The Sunflour Railroad (not sunflower!) has about 19 miles of track in South Dakota. From what I can find, the locomotive below is the only locomotive, and it is parked and hasn't moved in years. It sounds like the railroad is basically used for car storage.
Have a great day, diners.
I have come across this film taken at Beamish Museum, County Durham.
Have a glass of what you like and sit back enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqOx-aN1io4&ab_channel=preservedrailway
Tanks.
My father was in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. He joined the Regiment at the Battle of El Alamein
The Lancers landed in France to cover the retreating French, Belgian and British armies on 20 May 1940 and took part in the Battle of France.[12] Withdrawn to England, the regiment landed in North Africa in September 1941 and undertook a leading part in the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942.[12] According to General Sir Richard McCreery:
"The 9th Lancers took part in many decisive battles, none more so perhaps than the long withdrawal from Knightsbridge, south of Gazala, to El Alamein. Many think that Egypt was saved when the Eighth Army defeated Rommel's last big attack in the Western Desert at the end of August 1942. Actually, Egypt was saved earlier during those first few critical days of July when Rommel drove his tanks and self-propelled guns and trucks forward along the Ruweisat Ridge in close formations, to be stopped by the 25-pounders and the remnants of the 2nd Armoured Brigade with their "thin-skinned" Crusader tanks. In this critical action the 9th Lancers took the principal part. Throughout that long withdrawal from Knightsbridge, when the fluctuating Battle of Gazala had finally swung against the Eighth Army, past Sollum and Matruh to the Ruweisat Ridge, only seventy miles from Alexandria, the 2nd Armoured Brigade with the 9th Lancers always there but often reduced to only a handful of tanks, fought on skilfully and with gallant endurance and determination. Egypt was then saved indeed and with the arrival of the 9th Australian Division from Syria about the 6th of July, the tide of the whole war was turned."[26]
McCreery went on:
"Right well did the intensive training of the 9th Lancers with the Sherman bear fruit in the great battle which followed. As the world knows, the breakthrough at El Alamein did not come quickly. Rommel had had two months to build up defenses and minefields in depth. However, in the ten days "dog-fight" tank crews with their new 75-mm guns were knocking out far more enemy tanks than our infantry appreciated at the time."[27]
The regiment's marksmanship was renowned; their best shot was Corporal Nicholls of B Squadron, who was once personally congratulated by General Bernard Montgomery for knocking out nine enemy tanks in one day.[12] The regiment landed in Italy in mid-1944, where it saw action at San Savino in the battle for the Gothic Line in September 1944 on the Italian Front.[12] The regiment formed the spearhead of the British Eighth Army in the breakthrough to the River Po in the Spring of 1945.[12] By the end of War, 143 members of the regiment had lost their lives.[28]
hon30critterHere is the recipe. It is actually simpler than the long list of steps suggests. If you are not a foodie than you needn't read any further:
Dave, that sounds amazing. I copied your recipe to a Wordpad file, and I will try it next time my wife goes to Seattle.
Thanks for sharing this.
York1 My son-in-law is a big board gamer, and he pays a lot more attention than I did.
I used to be a huge Board Game fanatic, but since the Covid Lock-down my board game group has disolved. Some of the people moved, some cannot participate now, and some have never come out of hiding.
I tried to join a group at the local Game Store, but they were all kids, and I am just too old for that. I need to find some guys in their 50s again.
NorthBritMy father was in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers.
The 9th Lancers were a legendary force for the Allies in the war. They earned an amazing reputation for bravery.
York1I've hit kind of a roadblock on the layout.
Roadblocks are hard to overcome, just diving right in is the only thing that works for me.
After a long delay, things can move forward on my house remodel again. I needed some HVAC work done above the living room. Getting an AC company to respond to a non-emergency call in Florida in the Summertime is difficult. I went through three companies and countless re-schedules until someone finally showed up yesterday.
Now the new primary mixer box is installed above the living room, and all is well to move forward. Now I can install the insulation and drywall in the living room ceiling and finishe that room.
Clean And Green for progress now... as long as the drywall texture guy shows up on Friday!
York1John. 'Jump in with both feet'. Do something; no matter what it is. Paint a figure. Throw down some scenery. Repaint a building. Place the warehouse on the layout. Do anything and it will come together (surprisingly). Amazing how a layout can be built.
SeeYou190The perfect example of a purpose-built movie prop is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This armored fighting vehicle is complete nonsense, but it fits into the movie flawlessly. For a vehicle anything like this to still be operational at the dawn of World War 2 is laughable, but it all works for the movie's story. This prop is currently near Orlando just rotting away. Universal was supposed to restore it for their resort, but never has.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
The World Is A Beautiful Place
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
hon30critterWe have reserved the same cottage for 2023 and 2024.
My wife and I stayed in the same hotel room on Daytona Beach every year for her birthday for five years. Room 105 in our resort of choice. The room was perfect. You could walk right out into the pool, there was a great kitchen, and the views of the sunrise over the Atlantic were amazing.
Then, on our sixth year there they put us in room 505, and we never went back again.
I made Barbeque pork sandwiches for dinner tonight. I found a bottle of Duke's Carolina Gold sauce that I forgot I had... JACKPOT!
Then I could not get the lid off. There was a piece of heat-shrink plastic over the cap that I could not cut. I ended up goint to the garage and getting a pair of diagonal cutters.
I won... the sandwiches were delicious.
SeeYou190I made Barbeque pork sandwiches for dinner tonight. I found a bottle of Duke's Carolina Gold sauce that I forgot I had... JACKPOT!
My dear, departed sister got me hooked on Duke's Mayonnaise. I was forever a Miracle Whip guy (and still am with some recipes) but the Duke's mayo on a sandwich, or for dipping fries into, is now a favorite of mine
Jerry Jacobson's Ohio Central Railroad was a true gem!
OHCR, Baltic, Ohio, 2003 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
OHCR, Conesville, Ohio, 2003 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Yeah, he'd run the occasional diesel, too:
OHCR, Newcomerstown, Ohio, 2002 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Regards, Ed