I have reached THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
A 'Lancaster Bomber' for everyone, (or the drink of your choice).
beer_17536 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Good evening Diners. Russian Caravan Tea in my North British mug please, Brunhilda.
Had family visiting from Yorkshire today. They have just gone home. Now to prepare for Christmas.
A lot of people these days are in a hurry. Getting nowhere fast. Driving (almost) dangerously just to gain one car length.
No respect for other people. Gone are the days of holding a door open for someone. Please or thank you is alien to a large number of folk. I could go on and on, but life is too short.
Carluke Station, Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI3woYfqXnw&ab_channel=Train_PlaneHub
Settle & Carlisle Railway Line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5LSIhcbjk&ab_channel=981smithy
Flying Scotsman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce9LmRHdsL0&ab_channel=981smithy
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Thanks for the Thwaites, David
Remember when the Diner used to pull in a crowd like this?
Lunch_Crowd-1942 People's Drug by Edmund, on Flickr
Look at how many "grown-ups" are drinking milk. Interesting
These guys really made some cleanup progress!
I've sometimes got locomotives scattered around the layout and not on any track. So, here's the real thing I can point to as an example.
Cheers, Ed
Good afternoon to the Diner! Nice to be able to check in for my yearly visit once again. Being a seasonal visitor to the Diner, I am humbled to see the list of those we lost during the year, and this year was no different. RIP to those no longer with us. I hope to be able to finish a few projects that were sitting on the bench all summer long and post a few pics of the HVBL coming back together at some point. Wow, a hefty slice of NY style cheesecake and hot cup of hi-test sounds pretty good right now. Cheers......
Rich
Good Afternoon,
Just one more errand today. Streets are quite slippery with the snow pack.
Kevin, my wife does Wordle and Spelling Bee most days or I should say nights as she is usually up until 3 am. She has gotten Wordle in 1 try several times and usually does it in 2 or 3. She is far smarter than me and has close to a photographic memory. I have very little memory apparently.
Brent, her problems only really showed in 2018 but had been brewing for many years. Bear's daughter is right about how differently our brains are wired.
Forgot to buy some mandarin oranges. Our first Westie, Ian, was mad about them. He was a very neat eater, only one section at a time he would take carefully from your hand. He even ate his food from a plate in rows.
Just back from last errand today. Roads were basically clear but quite slippery. Most people were being cautious, driving 50 instead of the 60 limit. That is kph, not mph.
Time for tea.
CN Charlie
Good afternoon choo choo fans
Just got in from plugging and mudding plumbing holes. They still need a squirt and some paint.
Brent. Was your Son's girlfriend alright after totaling your Son's car you bought for him? Hope she was OK.
Those new high-end Mustang's are something else. Had a ride in one with my Brother-in-law, the Ford senior tech. As I'm sure you know, the red key is illegal to use off the strip. Steve found a back road. Whoops!.. Wrong Key THEY'RE QUICK!
Chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight
Make it a great evening gentleman
TF
David, you're absolutely right about the absense of manners these days. I still remember sitting at a bar one evening and actually scolding a young man for not pulling out the bar stool for his date. She didn't seem to mind, but I guess others have low expectations. As an old man, I nevertheless pull out chairs for women, and open doors for everyone. It's a small thing, but it gives two people a chance to smile at each other for no other reason, and we need more of that.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Afternoon from the beautiful West Coast where it is currently -14c.
Day two of shoveling snow, the wife was phoning John Deere dealers to get me the blower attachment for the tractor and they were sold out at both local dealers as well as the one just over the border in Washington State. I am just as happy they are because if we bought one it would never snow again. It is nothing to go two or three years and never see a flake.
I went to PWRS to get my Rapido coaches and phoned first to make sure someone made it into the store. With all this snow lots of places are still closed. One hero made it in and she asked if I could bring a snow shovel as the plow had just pushed a ton of snow in front of the door. I took a shovel and had to dig my way to the door about six metres. Got my coaches though. The things we do for love, I mean trains.
Ed, I remember when the Diner rarely got more than two or three spots down the list. Jeffery always had something to chat about if you stopped in for a while.
Track fiddlerBrent. Was your Sons girlfriend alright after totaling your Sons car you bought for him? Hope she was OK.
She was fine TF, thanks for asking. She slammed into a high-end Mercedes at highway speed. Not sure what was going on that she was so zoned out. She is 21 and is the manager of a large grocery store for an international chain and had a very stress-filled day apparently.
We bought the car for my son to use when he started doing movies/TV in high school, it was not his fault we live in the middle of nowhere, so it was the least we could do. When he graduated from University we signed it over to him as a grad present. He moved in with his GF right after he graduated. The car had very few km on it as it mostly sat in the driveway for the four years he was in Ottawa at University. He got a really good settlement on it.
The wife went out so I came in to watch Moma dog as she is in early labour. Got the clamps and sutures all lined up and ready to go just in case. I had to whelp a litter about twenty years ago when the wife got called in for an emergency surgery. It is not something I look forward to doing but it is no biggie either. The things we do for love.
My Bud, sticks to me like glue all day long.
Time for another cup of Tims.
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Bomb Cyclone, I don't remember this term being used 20 year ago or more. We might get an inch in the Shenandoah Valley.
Wrecks: https://abc7.com/train-crash-derailment-caught-on-video-tennessee/12597537/
This looks realy bad for the crew, but they only had minor injuries. Fortunately no concrete came through the cab window. Do they wear seatbelts? Another article that I can no longer find, shows the leading unit at about 45 degrees.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
If buying a snowblower would guarantee it would never snow again I would happily purchase one and park it in the driveway.
maxmanHave you found Stephen yet?
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
The GF and i ran in to one of those Bomb Cyclone things in Maine about 7 years ago. We were right on the coast. Yes, it was a lot of snow, but we waited for the crews, packed up, went to breakfast and went home. Maine knows how to deal with snow. No problems. And breakfast was spectacularly good.
Hi Everyone,
Brunhilda, an herb tea, please.
Getting ready for the snowstorm of the century. No, wait, The expected snow totals have gone down from 18-24" to around 6". But wait, there's more, 53 mph wind gusts and wind chills (not actual) of down to -30F. Ok, we're going to get some snow and it will be cold. Take precautions, sure, but this is pretty much normal for this time of year.
Brent: we thought you lived on the warm side of the Rockies. What's with all the snow? Also, the picture a few posts back of the guitar and the dog. It looks to be a Martin D-28 Herringbone. Am I correct? I have a D-35. It is a real cherry axe. My D-35 has a very warm tone. I had stopped playing altogether for about 20 yrs, but I'm now starting to pick it up and get interested in music again, just on the hobby "play for the fun of it" level.
John: Petra is on my bucket list. I knew those structures were big, but I didn't know they were that big. Maybe model the Treasury in N scale as the mouth of a tunnel. Uh,...maybe not. Anyway, it's great that you got to go there.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
gmpullman However I've heard of some nasty wrecks where there were escort vehicles and supposed route planners.
Good morning
Cold+Snow=Winter. Everything seems seasonal up in this neck of the woods. At least warmer than Frostbite Falls.
Always like seeing the Flying Scotsman David.
Pinterest
Stay warm
Good morning Diners. I see there is 'a crowd' in the Diner. A coffee and blueberry muffin please, Chloe.
Bear. Old School. I'm with you there. I learned so much at 'Old School', and did not have to be told twice or more times.
Japan
Riding on a snowy 'Bullet Train'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qwfRpzMAIc&ab_channel=Kuga%27sTravel
More Japanese trains in the snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9qJ4IAzJrU&ab_channel=%E8%B6%85%E6%A2%93
Snow Plough Train in Hokkaido
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnNJ9auCAJo&ab_channel=%E3%81%9F%E3%81%91%E3%81%A1%E3%82%93
Morning, diners. Bacon and eggs. Someday on my death bed I'll ask the doctor about the breakfast diet.
NorthBritA lot of people these days are in a hurry. Getting nowhere fast. Driving (almost) dangerously just to gain one car length.
David, that is a problem in the U.S. also. There's nothing more satisfying than to be passed by one of these idiots, only to pass them further down the road after they've been pulled over by the state highway police.
CNCharlieOur first Westie, Ian, was mad about them. He was a very neat eater, only one section at a time he would take carefully from your hand. He even ate his food from a plate in rows.
Charlie, that's pretty amazing for a dog. Our Daisy the Dachshund gobbles food down so fast you need to get your fingers out of the way or they'll be victims of sharp teeth. We never used to feed her people food. Then the vet told us she had only days to live, so we decided what the heck, we'd give her what she wanted. Now, 1½ years later, she's going strong and we're still giving her people food treats. Maybe that's why she is still with us.
Henry, I also had never heard of the term 'bomb' storm until several years ago. I really believe the TV meteorologists come up with these terms because they know that after years of warning us about 'storms', most people tune them out. Add the word 'bomb' and you get people's attention again.
Today we are in the midst of a 'bomb' storm. Snow, 40 mph winds, below zero F temps. It sounds like snow storms we've had for years, but no, it's a 'bomb' storm.
Jim, Petra really was worth the entire three week trip. We only spent one day there, but we easily could have stayed longer just to enjoy exploring. One problem was that our hotel was at the Dead Sea, several hours away. For anyone who's adventurous, I'd recommend Petra. It's the only place I know of with that kind of history.
JaBearI’ve been accused of being “out of touch,” “not up with the play,” “old school,” (the latter I particularly proud of), ... Of course, this problem is not just confined to my particular sphere of work, unfortunately is seems to be wide spread!!
Bear, you are right that it's not confined to any one kind of work. In my line of education, during my career I watched educational 'reforms', technology, self-esteem emphasis, etc. become the norms. At the same time, educational achievements dropped. What to do? Double down with the reforms and blame lack of money for the problems! The best education came from old teachers using old-style teaching methods.
Kevin, I know you must be drooling over finally finishing all the house projects and you can get started on the 'dream' layout. Maybe 2023 will be the year you can make it happen. In the meantime, your SGRR boxcar continues to run around an N railroad in the middle of Nebraska.
Two more 'non-train' vacation photos. One of the surprises (for me) was the Dead Sea. I had in my mind visions of a deserted, lifeless, dreary place. The opposite was true. The Dead Sea is a beautiful inland sea of fairly clear water with mountain backdrops. Even though very little grows around it, the palm trees growing there and the hotel resorts make it an amazing place to visit.
It really is true. It's almost impossible to sink. This photo of me floating in the water looks like I'm in about three inches of water laying on the bottom. I'm actually floating in about two-feet-deep water. You can wade out from the shore and literally just sit down in the water and float. Amazing! I got to enjoy Jordanian beer in a wonderful hotel bar.
OK, that's enough of my vacation report. I promise.
It's a good day to stay inside. Unfortunately, it's more house-cleaning instead of layout work.
Both mentioned and unmentioned posters, I hope you have a good healthy day today.
York1 John
While there is at least here, now an apparent emphasis on work place safety, to me, it’s all smoke and mirrors which highlights how some companies can spend less on actual safety training by using buzz words and employing safety devices.
Been there, done that!
GE instituted, in cooperation with OSHA, the VPP program. "Voluntary" compliance. Hours and hours of documenting and recordkeeping with no actual remedy to the actual safety or environmental issues.
PX_TPP_sept-13 by Edmund, on Flickr
"STAR" = Start Taking A Responsibility. You are responsible for your safety and well being. Smoke and mirrors is just the beginning of it.
A snow bomb:
Metra F-40 at Bartlett IL station by Mark LLanuza, on Flickr
Spilt_Fries by Edmund, on Flickr
Since it quit snowing, I guess we are no longer in a 'bomb'. Of course, the snow is blowing so much it looks like it's still snowing. They'll have to come up with a new name for this condition.
From Wikipedia:
In the 1940s and 1950s, meteorologists at the Bergen School of Meteorology began informally calling some storms that grew over the sea "bombs" because they developed with a great ferocity rarely seen over land. By the 1970s, the terms "explosive cyclogenesis" and even "meteorological bombs" were being used by MIT professor Fred Sanders (building on work from the 1950s by Tor Bergeron), who brought the term into common usage in a 1980 article in the Monthly Weather Review. In 1980, Sanders and his colleague John Gyakum defined a "bomb" as an extratropical cyclone that deepens by at least (24 sin φ/ sin 60°)mb in 24 hours, where φ represents latitude. This is based on the definition, standardised by Bergeron, for explosive development of a cyclone at 60°N as deepening by 24 mb in 24 hours. Sanders and Gyakum noted that an equivalent intensification is dependent on latitude: at the poles this would be a drop in pressure of 28 mb/24 hours, while at 25 degrees latitude it would be only 12 mb/24 hours. All these rates qualify for what Sanders and Gyakum called "1 bergeron".
In the 1940s and 1950s, meteorologists at the Bergen School of Meteorology began informally calling some storms that grew over the sea "bombs" because they developed with a great ferocity rarely seen over land.
By the 1970s, the terms "explosive cyclogenesis" and even "meteorological bombs" were being used by MIT professor Fred Sanders (building on work from the 1950s by Tor Bergeron), who brought the term into common usage in a 1980 article in the Monthly Weather Review. In 1980, Sanders and his colleague John Gyakum defined a "bomb" as an extratropical cyclone that deepens by at least (24 sin φ/ sin 60°)mb in 24 hours, where φ represents latitude. This is based on the definition, standardised by Bergeron, for explosive development of a cyclone at 60°N as deepening by 24 mb in 24 hours. Sanders and Gyakum noted that an equivalent intensification is dependent on latitude: at the poles this would be a drop in pressure of 28 mb/24 hours, while at 25 degrees latitude it would be only 12 mb/24 hours. All these rates qualify for what Sanders and Gyakum called "1 bergeron".
The term is 70-80 years old. It wasn't made up in the Internet age.
AEP528The term is 70-80 years old. It wasn't made up in the Internet age.
The confusion for me is that in New Orleans since 1970 and Nebraska since 1992, it is only in the past three years that the term has been used by local meteorologists on TV.
Good afternoon Diners. I have been at the Hospice best part of the day, so I need a strong coffee please, Zoe.
The Met Office. In a time not so long ago the weather was simple. Strong wind; strong breeze; heavy rainfall; really bad weather. Whatever it was we 'got on with life'.
Now the people under 55 years of age are paranoid. Weatherpeople give names for weather. Here they have taken great lengths to use names for hurricanes, storms, strong gusts of wind etc.. The Beast from the East was a favourite of theirs for a while. The country grinds to a halt at a mention of name for any kind of weather.
Snow Bomb has to stay Stateside perleese!!!
Flying Scotsman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMyU1IraVws&ab_channel=PhilipFearnley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DtC0kw2Ax4&ab_channel=preservedrailway
Good morning from the beautiful West Coast where it is -14c.
Environment Canada has issued a severe weather warning for tonight until late Christmas eve. Should be fun. I am going up to Vancouver to get my son tonight and he and his GF will stay until Monday. His Mustang is not getting anywhere near the place even if it had winter tires which it does not.
I found a hummingbird laying in the snow yesterday while shoveling. I thought it was dead and picked it up to make sure, it must of liked the heated gloves as its little eyes looked over at me. I took it into the house and handed it to my wife and said I brought you a present. Another one saved from becoming an icicle.
We started with a regular light bulb and the feeder froze in minutes, then moved up to the 125-watt heat lamp and it lasted a couple of hours until freeze-up, now we have a 250-watt heat lamp hanging, business is brisk.
John, nothing wrong with bacon in my book. I love the stuff but don't generally don't eat it as it is high in calories. However, I have been burning so many calories this week that I have been having a mountain of bacon every morning with my eggs. Looking at that skinny guy floating in the Dead Sea I would say bacon is not doing you any harm. Man has been eating bacon long before sugar-coated chocolate sugar bombs hit the market. We get our bacon from the butcher so it does not have all those preservatives added to it as you get in the grocery store brands. We either buy it as a slab and cut it ourselves or the butcher will run it through the slicer.
Jim, that guitar is a Yamaki 335s and is 52 years old, it cost me an arm and a leg when I was 13. It is in pristine condition and is quite rare apparently as only a handful of the model was made. It was only a fluke that I ended up with one of them. It is indeed a Martin knockoff but I would not trade it for a Martin as it sounds and plays better. I have two friends with Martins and my Yamaki at 52 years old is a much nicer guitar. I have posted videos on some of the guitar player FB sites and have had two people ask me about the guitar and offer me a ridiculous amount of money for it once they confirmed the model#. I also have a Yamaki 12 string that is also 52 years old and plays and sounds incredible, it is also in pristine condition but is a much more common model. Read this funny post by a guy that wants a 335s. He is not talking about me but shows the interest that the model has.
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263751
My theory on the TV weather people and their terminology. When I was a kid the guy on the TV was just some guy who drew the short straw and had to do the weather with his chalkboard. The two weather people that we have watched over the last 20 years or so are highly educated meteorologists that did many years with Environment Canada before getting their TV gigs. The increased knowledge they brought with them on the nightly news was noticeable and they brought a lot of new terminology with them. I must admit that on occasion people on TV have made me roll my eyes so hard, I have had to go look up their educational background.
Lots to do today, I better stop procrastinating, but first another cup of Tims.
maxman Have you found Stephen yet?
Listened to song and admit I have no clue as to what it's about. I'll have to google it and see if I can find the Cliff Notes.
South for Sunshine —
SR_South-Winter by Edmund, on Flickr
I don't know about the weather where the rest of you fine gents are, but here, IT IS COLD! It isn't the temps. It's the wind.
Hi again Everyone,
It is cold here, true. But, it's not "snowmagaddon". Yes, the wind is cold and we're supposed to be in single digits on Saturday. The weather forecasters emphasize wind chills and how cold they are, but -20F is nowhere near -20F actual. That is cold. The wind is dangerous and can give you frostbite in a matter of a few minutes, but I'd take that over actual sub zero temps because the wind isn't sustained like a hurricane.
im just staying warm in the house with a cup of hot tea.
I hope everyone is warm and safe.
Good morning Diners. A large coffee please, Janie. Also give the diners across the pond a hot toddy each and put it on my bill.
U.K. 1962. I remember it well travelling to and from Dewsbury and Leeds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_cKbukgYs&ab_channel=TrainsTrainsTrains
1961 Over Stainmore Summit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXObLbUn2gc&ab_channel=AlanSnowdonArchive
Good Morning Diners. Flo, I'll take a large white chocolate and cinnamon latte, my hot toddy from David (Thank you!), and an english muffin please.
Blizzard my foot! We're supposed to be having a blizzard right now, and all we are getting is an average at best winter storm. It's cold (7F), but the winds aren't that bad yet and while it is and has been snowing, it isn't snowing hard. Maybe it will change today as our blizzard warning started last night and goes into tomorrow, but I'm doubting it at this point.
Went for a drive last night to look at Christmas lights in town. It was nice. There were dead stretches and even whole neighborhoods that were dark, but there were several nicely done houses and a few good stretches where a bunch of homeowners decorated. When we got home, the Polar Express was put on, followed by Charlie Brown. It was a great evening.
Hope everyone is ready for Christmas. Cheers!
Mike
The snow storm fizzled here as well Mike, but we surely got the COLD! Not surprized as snow storms usually get stronger in milder temps. Bummer...No whipping fishtails in the truck for me
As being a New Orleans boy John, you'll understand my humor that you gave new definition to a Float. The Dead Sea has never been so full of life, as the day you were in it... Would have liked to join you in that Jordan Pub for one of those Petra beers.
That's nice you saved that little Tweety from freezing Brent. Wonder if you have a newly found pet hummingbird, after that thing thawed and started zinging around the house Furthermore, wonder what the bird dogs think of it
Liked the Flying Scotsman going over that Viaduct and highway bridge David. Thanks for that
Well, most of our family is quite spread out. We decided risking the extreme cold to Wisconsin in the old Ram, wasn't the greatest idea. That's when even the new stuff breaks. We'll be having Christmas Dinner with my Daughters this year.
iStock Happy Holidays gentlemen