Elliot's Trackside Diner XXII-Just a track over

[der5997]

Good noontime Diners: here's   the sausage rolls (Kris says the burnt ones are for Todd LOL!) and some mince pies and the snacking quiche.   Had one for lunch yesterday, and shortly after Kris took a call from our doctor's office informing me he was referring me to a specialist about my allergy to eggs and penicillin. She said "I hope that isn't right, as we've just had a quiche for lunch! John hasn't got any such allergies - here, I'll let you speak to him..." So I took the phone and told the secretary (medical specialist associate?) that Kris has it right, and I don't have any such allergies. "He must have the wrong file" I said. It isn't me.  I got to thinking how times have changed. Years ago one would never have talked back to, or questioned the Doctor; even in the persona of his staff!

Todd: I just go ahead and get a few things anyway, despite whatever arrangements we may have made for "no big gifts"...I figure I'd like something under the tree myself, and so probably Kris would too. Besides that, we always do a stocking,  things to eat mostly, for each other (and Kris' mom ), and those "magically" appear at the foot of the bed Christmas morning. They always have, whether the place we live in has a chimney or not! LOL.  Same stockings BTW, put away with the decorations each January 6^th. Those puppies must be close to 35 years old now!

On the Happy Holidays thing, I was in the Esso station picking up the repaired spare yesterday. One of the staff is Heather. I said to her "Heather I'm going to resist the temptation to wish you "Happy Holidays Heather!" and instead say "Merry Christmas!"  She said "Good, because that's just what I would say too! - Merry Christmas"

PC: A funeral for a close friend, or especially a relative, isn't easy. AS many have said, you are in our thoughts and prayers. I'm sure you'll be given just "what to say and how to say it" (John 12:49)

Chris:

I think Loving Wife wanted to continue our "tradition" of opening Christmas presents early...

...As kids we had a family tradition of opening one present on Christmas eve after getting back from the "midnight" service. (so technically it was Christmas day anyway LOL) However, that tradition did not transfer to our marriage, so for over 45 years I've had to "suck it up."

Silver Pilot: Welcome to the Diner. I hope you'll tell us about your mrr / railfan interests. On your remarks, I agree with Chris.

Things to do, and a trip into the Harbour to pick up Kris' Mom from her Seniors' Day Clinic (Usually Thursday but there was space today, so she's gone in a day early.) TTFN.

 

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello ...

We're leaving this afternoon on our trip. We'll have about 300 miles of cold, wet weather. I will have hardly any computer time the next few days.

Prayers continue for Rob, Jeff, Ulrich, and others in need.

Todd.... If I get computer time later I'll read you rant message. Cheers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Cox 47]

Howdy all...Its rain and 40 here but not shoveling snow!..

Prayers for all those in need..

I'll drop back latter..have a good one...Jerry

[pcarrell]

Afternoon all!

Strange turn of events here in the coffee shop this morning!  One I can hardly ignore (being a pastor and all)......however.......as has been pointed out, this is not the place to delve into these subjects in any real depth.  (Too bad, as it makes for excellent conversation!)  I will say this though.....

At, and for long after the time of Jesus, I do not know of ANY credible sources who actually denied His existance.  Believers and unbelieves alike, even those who hated Him and His followers, all agree that Jesus was a real man.  Also, the events recorded in the New Testament were all written down within the lifetime of people who would have been eye witnesses to those events, and those documents were widely circulated throughout the area, and as far as I'm aware (and I've looked into this in pretty high detail), NOBODY ever stood up and said, "Thats not the way it went down, and I know because I was there".  The historicity and humanity of Jesus was never questioned at or around the time of His life.  There are WAY too many sources OUTSIDE of the Bible to really have that statement hold any water.  I mean, we know more about Jesus from sources OUTSIDE of the Bible then we know about George Washington, and nobody questions Washingtons existence.  That's simply a non-argument.

Yes, it's most likely that Jesus was born in the spring or fall.  If you remember your Bible stories, it says that the shepherds were out in the fields grazing their flocks.  That only happens in that part of the world at two times a year.....spring and fall.  On the other hand, there are lots of holidays that we celebrate on days other then the actual date......Washington's & Lincoln's birthdays for example.

As to our third President, Thomas Jefferson, he is the source of this "Seperation of Church & State" that you hear so much about.  More on that in a second.  First, let me say that the seperation of church & state is NOT in the Declaration Of Independence, The Constitution, or the Bill Of Rights.  Strangely enough, though it's not in any of those sorts of United States documents, you will find it in a document of that caliber of another large country......The Constitution Of The USSR!  Interesting, huh?  Now, back to Jefferson......

Thomas Jefferson was a man of deep religious conviction - his conviction was that religion was a very personal matter, one which the government had no business getting involved in. He was vilified by his political opponents for his role in the passage of the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and for his criticism of such biblical events as the Great Flood and the theological age of the Earth. As president, he discontinued the practice started by his predecessors George Washington and John Adams of proclaiming days of fasting and thanksgiving. He was a staunch believer in the separation of church and state.

Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 to answer a letter from them written in October 1801. A copy of the Danbury letter is available here. The Danbury Baptists were a religious minority in Connecticut, and they complained that in their state, the religious liberties they enjoyed were not seen as immutable rights, but as privileges granted by the legislature — as "favors granted." Jefferson's reply did not address their concerns about problems with state establishment of religion - only of establishment on the national level. The letter contains the phrase "wall of separation between church and state," which led to the short-hand for the Establishment Clause that we use today: "Separation of church and state."

The letter was the subject of intense scrutiny by Jefferson, and he consulted a couple of New England politicians to assure that his words would not offend while still conveying his message: it was not the place of the Congress or the Executive to do anything that might be misconstrued as the establishment of religion.

Note: The bracketed section in the second paragraph had been blocked off for deletion in the final draft of the letter sent to the Danbury Baptists, though it was not actually deleted in Jefferson's draft of the letter. It is included here for completeness. Reflecting upon his knowledge that the letter was far from a mere personal correspondence, Jefferson deleted the block, he noted in the margin, to avoid offending members of his party in the eastern states.

This is a transcript of the letter as stored online at the Library of Congress, and reflects Jefferson's spelling and punctuation.

Here is that letter;

Mr. President

To messers Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem & approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful & zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more & more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. [Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect.] Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.

(signed) Thomas Jefferson
Jan.1.1802.

The idea here is "Freedom OF Religion", not "Freedom FROM Religion".

As to the personal religious beliefs of Mr. Jefferson, I've found this link to be a fair assessment of that.

Now, speaking to the horrible attrocities that have been done in the name of religion, Christian and otherwise, it's all sin.  It's all bad.  It was done by sinful people who made horrible mistakes, and it continues to this day.  While I don't wish to, in any way, dismiss those actions and their consequences, those actions do not necessarily represent the God of the Bible.  We must be careful not to confuse the two.

Now, for my model railroad tie-in.......

Clearly, this nation was founded on Christian principals.  As such, most any government building built before, say, 50 years ago, had some sort of religious statue, inscription, or reference somewhere on the building or property.  To accurately model the building, we must include that detail.

Now, I've said way more then I intended.  I'm sorry if I bored you all to tears, but I've tried to present nothing but actual facts, not opinions, because, as a friend of mine is famous for saying, "Opinions are like armpits....everyone has a couple, and some of them stink!"

Anyways, Merry Christmas everyone!

[JimRCGMO]

Hi, Zoe - I'll have a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup, with a RBF for my lunch, please. Thanks! It's in the 50's (F) today and dampish, so something to warm me up would be good.

blownout cylinder

How long did you have that cork roll around? There is a roll of this in our neighbour's garage that he is trying to find out how long it does last---

 

Barry, I would guess I'd had that roll at least 10+ years. I glued it down, and used pushpins (and in some bigger places, weighted the cork down) to make sure it stayed flat until the glue dried (plain ol' Elmer's, I think I used).

Todd - you mean, understand them BEFORE you have to pick yourself up off the floor? (Those cast iron skillets hurt, don't they?)

Rob, glad to hear you got back in with your 'old' doctor (and sounds like he (she?) is open to some additional choices for you). As you said, now comes the part of him/you figuring which options/choice are more likely to help. will continue.

Ulrich, to borrow your analogy a bit, maybe some feeder wires got crossed? The symptoms do sound stroke-like, though. Does your doctor have any therapy planned for you to try to 'rewire' things, so to speak? Ah, your son is 6'2" - I was guessing your 'wee one' was probably not very tiny! Enjoy your holiday and may your Christmas be blessed (since you're half a day closer than we are currently).

Todd, I'll limit myself to: "Hear, hear", and 'check your email'...

CN Charlie, it wouldn't warm up there so much if you'd quit sending your 'clippers' (Alberta and otherwise) down SOTB to us in the USA.. And if I had the time off and gas enough, I might take you up on that invite! Sounds like your CFO will have you busy today and maybe the rest of the week. And you know, you could post some pics of your forested layout (to shame me and the other (few) slackers who haven't done as much lately on our own layouts...

Ray, sounds like your son's in-laws must not have enough places at all the tables. Heck, when I was younger, we'd just get out those folding tray tables for any overflow. That, or use the (low to the floor) coffee table and sit on the floor...

Silver Pilot, I'm with DerJohn - tell us about your layout/plans (era modeled, any particular RR - or freelancing like myself and others - etc.)? I've been back to MRR'ing about two years (or maybe a little longer this go-round), and sorta follow a Four Corners area idea (AZ-CO-NM-UT intersection), set in the 1950's. Yourself?

Chris, when you have power outages in the winter there, does it take very long most times before they get things back up and running? I've been spoiled by living in towns for so long (where they have more resources (and maybe more people calling the utilities company, 'asking' when the power will be back on in *their* part of town). Hope THAT editor and her publisher hubbie drop off somethng to stuff your Christmas stocking.

It has been amazingly nice at w**k today - two phone calls is definitely what I would call 'nice'... Tonight I want to get some groceries, see if maybe the store has a small turkey *** I could easily fix, but at least get some eggnog and some jellied cranberry (couple of things I associate with both Thanksgiving AND Christmas dinners). Also, want to get pad and paper and try to decide what things I'd like to fiddle with/w**k on over my vacation time next week (including layout stuff). One thing I think I'll do is get back to the scratchbuilt 'community church' building. Need to cut the openings for the arched windows and for the doors first before I start gluing the walls together.

For any who may be travelling tomorrow or who won't be in the Diner until afterward, I will offer my wishes for a Christmas that may be a blessing for you and your family.

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[JimRCGMO]

JimRCGMO

Tonight I want to get some groceries, see if maybe the store has a small turkey *** I could easily fix, but at least get some eggnog and some jellied cranberry

 

Dang forum software filters - okay, the part of the turkey that has the 'white meat' in it... Sheesh!  (walks back to counter muttering...)

Now, back to my lunch...

 

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[tcwright973]

Good afternoon everybody,

Well, I almost made it through an entire year without some medical problem or physical therapy. That record went out the window yesterday morning. I took my usual three mile walk in the morning and safely negotiated many ice and snow covered sidewalks, only to lose it in front of the house next door on the way home. Yep, 25 feet from my front door and look out, I'm coming in for a landing without brakes. Other than my dignity, it seemed the only damage was that I jammed my wrist. However, after dinner my wrist was really thumping away, as well as my shoulder, So we took a ride out to the Emergency Room. Fortunately, x-rays didn't show any fractures. The doctor said it was a really good sprain and all I needed was a wrist splint for seven to 10 days. Pretty sore today, but fortunately no biggie. At least I can remove the splint for showers, etc.

All I'm going to do this afternoon is take some photos of 4 new pieces of rolling stock I recently acquired for my Western Pennsylvania collection. Needless to say, I've been explaining to my wife why I should be giving this wrist plenty of rest. Maybe I'll hang onto this splint longer than required.

Have a good one and Merry Christmas to all...

Tom

[AmanaMedic]

Good afternoon,

JIM: Welp...it depends. We were out for 30+ hours a couple of years ago when "the big one" (ice storm) hit and tore down hundreds of miles of power lines: transmission, sub-transmission, distribution...you name it, if it carried 'lectricity, a lot of it was down. Local TV reports the suspected cause this morning was ice-covered lines slapping together, tripping breakers. THAT makes sense as it went out, came back...went out......came back, went out. Done. My theory is the system tried to reset itself, but then the right (wrong) breakers tripped...and THAT was THAT until the guys found it and reclosed it.

TOM: Glad you came through the crash-landing mostly OK... Hmmmmm, maybe we oughta keep a stock of braces here in the Diner... Honey-Do list? Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooooo, sorry, I got this brace on you see... Nah, I think some of us are ducking the skillet enough as it is!

PC: Nope, didn't bore me at all...I found it very interesting. Hopefully, some others did as well.

“Our Nation’ s motto - "In God We Trust" - was not chosen lightly. It reflects a basic recognition that there is a divine authority in the universe to which this nation owes homage." - Ronald Reagan

Have a great, SAFE afternoon...

Chris

 

[pcarrell]

AmanaMedic

PC: Nope, didn't bore me at all...I found it very interesting. Hopefully, some others did as well.

I just hope I didn't cross a line.  I know this whole subject is dangerously close to the line!  It's just that it can be such a fruitful topic for dicussion.  I think that if it remains civil and factual, and not given to opinions or namecalling (which our one dissenter opened his post with......not the best foot forward there maybe), then we should be OK.

[AmanaMedic]

pcarrell

I just hope I didn't cross a line.  I know this whole subject is dangerously close to the line!  It's just that it can be such a fruitful topic for dicussion

My thoughts exactly. I just don't want to be the one who gets the padlock put upon the door... while trying to push back the frontiers of ignorance. Informed, educated, respectful debate "should" be OK...but, with some people THAT just isn't possible. I've got a cousin who is 180 degrees opposite of my views...which is fine. BUT, it just isn't possible to have a discussion with her. I have several friends whose politics I don't agree with and vice-versa. When all is said and done, we agree to disagree. No harm, no foul.

'Twere THAT THAT were possible with all.

I quote Thomas Sowell: "I refuse to be reasonable with unreasonable people." THAT's part of why I like this Diner so much...it's been (at least during my brief time here) populated with reasonable people. I can't say the same for the rest of the Kalmbach property.

Chris

[GMTRacing]

Good Afternoon All,

   I'll have a coffee and a slice of blueberry pie ala mode please. Still beavering away on the Cooper but making good progress.

While the little ones are waiting for Santa I see we had a visit from the Christmas troll. Hope he can get the burr out from underneath his saddle before he rides on. As an historical aside, the Danbury Baptists became the Church of Christ, Disciples (affiliated with the American Baptist Convention) and that is in fact the very church to which we belong. It is now up the hill from the original building which burnt down last century.

Jef, Ulrich and Rob - we're thinking of you all and keeping you in our prayers.

Jim - thanks for asking. We're still doing trim and finishing work in the house and sorting through the stack of boxes we had stored in container. The container however is gone though we haven't done anything with the yard and still have a coupl;e of stacks of off-cuts , old radiators, etc in the back yard. The neighbors have been very good about it all, but we will start on the yard and landscaping in the spring. Hopefully the interior will be 100% by then.

The pie was good - time to wander back to the shop.   CUL, J.R.

[fec153]

PC- Philip- You are right, not the place for this BUT it is the time. We are off track with this and all I can say, everyone has there own belief. The how and why of it is up to them. I personally don't care what others believe in

. If it brings comfort and peace of mind, great. I respect all that LIVE by what they believe as long as it does not hurt anyone else.  That said, I wish everyone  MERRY CHRISTMAS.     

To All, I wish you Enough sun to keep your attitude bright, Enough rain to appreciate the sun more, Enough happiness to keep your spirit alive, Enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger, Enough gain to satisfy your wants, Enough loss to appreciate all that you possess Enough hellos to get you through the final Goodbye.

Prayers for all.

Flip

 

[EMD F7A]

pcarrell

AmanaMedic

PC: Nope, didn't bore me at all...I found it very interesting. Hopefully, some others did as well.

I just hope I didn't cross a line.  I know this whole subject is dangerously close to the line!  It's just that it can be such a fruitful topic for dicussion.  I think that if it remains civil and factual, and not given to opinions or namecalling (which our one dissenter opened his post with......not the best foot forward there maybe), then we should be OK.

The line! Haha yes, MR's forum guidelines.... No matter which side of the line we stand on, there's no better a season for the basic principles of your comments to serve as a reminder of the good intent our forefathers had in mind for future generations, and their keeping of freedoms. Now let's all go have an extra libation or two and sing some carols!

[AmanaMedic]

EMD F7A: Let me buy you a cup of Diner coffee...

Still off-track, but non-controversial, local TV is reporting a "dangerous" ice condition, on guy wires on another TV station's transmitting tower. The question is, is it the one way out in the countryside? Or the one just a few blocks from my parents' house???

Winter in Iowa...ya gotta hate it just a little.

Chris

[Packer]

Hey ya'll, just a quick stop.

Got the U25C shell taken apart to get it ready for detailing. I though the handrails were unprotoypical, but apparently they are right for the ex-NP unit I want to model. I'm probably just going to put sperate MU hoses and coupler bars on the unit, since I really don't want to try to scrape some of the ladders off since they are molded onto grilles. Drilling out the gyra-light and making it work is on the list of things to do. I'm going to do some work on the dchassis e because the electrical pick-up isn't that great since 1 truck gets power from 1 rail. I have a bunch of busted kadee centering springs I can use to make wipers. Also have to mill a place so I can mount the Kadees to the frame.

Jim, I found what was causing the problem. It's a little nylon nut of some sort on a slide. It wasn't far enough up the slide. I didn't start the car yet, but I finally got voltage to the starter. Right now the battery is being charged since it doesn't have enough juice to start the car.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Afternoon-

Notice that the diner got a little lively in the last while-- to Silver Pilot and EMD F7A ---- tell us a bit about yourselves and what you model sometimes!

Got the relatives home after we picked them up from the airport( flight took a bit longer to get here) and  took them to some stores here in town. The car was a little stuffed needless to say

Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a bagel with cream cheese please---i'll be at the RC for a bit--

[fec153]

Jeff- LHS gave me an old Tyco BN #4301, looks like a UC28 or one of dem types. The body reminds me of early Athearns with the metal rails, each upright seperate. Real pita to install. My question is- what, if any , more modern chassis will the body fit? If any.

Flip

 

 

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Choe I'll have the BBQed Chicken ........  (you know THAT word we can say.....), green beans with almonds, a baked potato with sour cream, and I'll wait 'til later for desert.

I'll go sit in the back and relax for a bit.

I won't get into the "Conversation of the day", except to say it was probably "over the line" right from the beginning.  Frankly I can't get too far over on any side of the issue, as I think the "Season" is way more than what most of us take it to be.  I have been getting ready to do my "Nicholas, Bishop of Smyna" routine and have spent most of the day preparing stuffing for the local "Community Lunch Program, Christmas Dinner"  It is a Council of Churches and Synagogue continuing program for the needy here in my community.   I have been so well blessed with all kinds of friends.  Some right here at the forum.  I have many friends who are Black/Hispanic (notice I didn't say Black/Hispanic friends!  They are just friends, who happen to be black), friends who are Native people and of almost all other ethnic groups that make up my country, friends that are Jewish,  friends who are Islamic, friends who are devout Christians and many other religions, Friends who are agnostics, even friends who don't believe at all...  friends from the right and friends from the left.  Only thing we have in common may be the friendship, and that is based on a mutual respect that we have for each other!  I try my best to inclusive whenever possible with them even when it means I have to hold my tongue.

From the Valluvar (Hindi),

"Guard your tongue, for it is highly dangerous; Unguarded words can cause terrible distress.  A single bad word can destroy a vast quantity of good.  A wound caused by fire will eventually heal; but a wound caused by the tongue leaves a scar that never heals."

May you each have a most joyous Christmas Season (however you celebrate it) and a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!  (Yes Mabel I do know that Christmas isn't really until Jan. 7.....  Mabel is an Orthodox Teacher Friend of mine!)

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

fec153

Jeff- LHS gave me an old Tyco BN #4301, looks like a UC28 or one of dem types. The body reminds me of early Athearns with the metal rails, each upright seperate. Real pita to install. My question is- what, if any , more modern chassis will the body fit? If any.

I think I squeezed one of those onto an Athearn GP38 chassis one time.

[GMTRacing]

Home Sweet Home,

  Ah Ray - leave it to you to put it all in perspective.

Just having a lazy evening - no house stuff, just watching the UConn women play a bit of hoops and partaking of dinner (sorry ladies - not that often the CFO cooks but it's always good).

I see where mother MTH has announced an HO lil Joe. Could it be too much to hope a New Haven EF-4 is in the cards as well? I have a Brazillian kitbash of an EF-4 in stasis just now. Really need to do a shell (hence the emphasis lately on developing casting skills). But much like the projected Sayre coal distribution project, if a kit or finished model emerges from the ether, I'm willing to support it. Thank you Lasermodelling 3 in the case of the Sayre, Pa. facility. Lots of plans so far and little action on my part.

J.R.

 

[TMarsh]

Silver pilot- I take it you disagree. By and large what I believe and have been taught, right or wrong, is a repeat of PC’s response so I shall not go into it farther as I also believe we are stepping too far off track for the fine people at Kalmbach to tolerate. Oh, and don’t get me started on telemarketers. I know it’s a job, but……..I don’t dislike the people, just the job. I apologize if I upset you, that was not my intention. I am used to associating with people who  either offer our civil differing opinions or we don’t remark at all. Something I apparently got too comfortable with and stepped over the line. Sometimes yes, the conversation gets a bit heated we just buy another round and keep a yakking. If this were the right place I’d buy you a round and we’d “match wits” You may be surprised at what I know in a serious conversation.

And to all- I regret my original post because I did not think of the rules as it just sort of came out as I was typing. In case you haven’t noticed, many of my choices of words are sometimes an exaggeration. Most people I’ve grown up with or been around for a long time understand this and I admit where I come from usually you talk to people as if you‘ve known them for years. This is my mistake and it is understandable people mis take what I am really saying. I also use sarcasm probably way to often around those who do not know me. ( I have had several conversations with the Hare Krishna over the years in bus stations and airports as they try to convince me, persistently, their “leader” is real and mine is not because there is a picture of him in the back of their book) I did not mean to imply that no one has a right to believe or engage in any activities they want because I disagree. Nor that because they are minorities they should be dismissed as second class citizens, nor that my beliefs are all that should matter. It was a point that was addressed in a reverse of rolls so to speak. That is what the “offended” sound like to me. Only I replaced their arguments for mine. Most people are as tolerant of my views as I am of theirs. Others are not. If you or anyone extends to me the appropriate greeting for their beliefs or life styles in person, generally I respond like in kind as a courtesy to them. Unless of course it is too far out for me to accept. They are expressing their greeting for their season and I respect that. . We all know one thing however, no one is intending on insulting anyone. Sometimes things don’t read as they are meant.

That being said as others have said Silver Pilot, please do tell us of your RR. Believe it or not we talk of that stuff too.

Aaannd I have to go get some things at the restaurant so in the words of Tigger and DerJohn TTFN

[Packers#1]

 Hey folks. Just thought I'd drop in. Ain't been home today, went to my dad's family in Latta. Had a blast hanging with them and chillin.

[AmanaMedic]

Good Eve'nin... Rerun and I will have us a plate of cheeseburgers please 'n thank-you! Oh, and a large Coke for me...and a dish of H2O for Mr. Rerun

TODD: I don't really think you had too much to apologize for. Yeah, you "crossed the line," so did I and probably a few others. I think the main point you were making...and I don't want to beat a dead horse here or presume to speak for you...is that while "inclusiveness" is the "in" thing, and has a nice sound to it; some of us are fed up with "their" "inclusiveness" including everything EXCEPT our beliefs/traditions/values. Its sad how some of the most "tollerant" people out there are tollerant of everything EXCEPT certain beliefs/traditions/values. If you disagree...suddenly YOU are the "intollerant" one. I once had a bumper sticker partially torn off of my truck by a "person of tolerance."

I for one, am sick of it.

SILVER PILOT: I too would sit and have a brew or two with you... hopefully, when all is said and done, we'd agree to disagree. I can talk with/work with/get along with just about anybody...but I'm gonna stand up for traditional American values, and I will not apologize for them. Buy ya a cup of Diner coffee? And yes, by all means please tell us about your RR interests/modeling efforts.

OK...back to trains?

Loving Wife couldn't contain herself any longer...and we went ahead and opened up the "one box each." I managed to get her a chess board and strategy book, both "high priority" items on her wish list. She also got a pair of blue (the color of "hope" and not the "hope" associated with a certain Washington DC dweller...) BUGS, and another Pepsi glass for her collection.

I swear, I'm getting back to trains...

I received the third Atlas roundhouse for my on-going project. This thing is quickly turning into a monster! She also acquired a covered hopper for me THAT will probably require a small amount of re-numbering, and some real coal! Dollar General apparently is selling small bags with two pieces of coal, for a buck. With a little hammer w**k...I'll have a genuine coal load for at least one hopper.

I've got an amazing wife, no doubt about THAT!

Somebody, JIM maybe? suggested THAT and Mr. Owner/Publisher might have something for me. I spoke with THAT this morning, and she mentioned something about a "gift basket" waiting for my next trip to the office. I'm still hoping for a monetary bonus in with the paycheck...should find out tomorrow if we get mail service.  

The weather here is raw... cold and very windy (20-30 mph sustained out of the east) with rain/freezing rain/sleet. The snow band is up in NE Iowa...we're looking at rain and rain variations through Friday.

'Ol Rerun and I will just hang out here at the RC for awhile... Hey Chloe? How's 'bout a couple RBFs? Yes Ma'am...one for me, one for Rerun. He LIKES rootbeer...

Chris

[TMarsh]

I'm back. How about some sugar cookies, since I just had two and they tasted more like shortbread than sugar, and a cup of Hot Chocolate.

Chris- How big is this Roundhouse going to be??!!! Sounds like a plan with the coal though. I don't forsee myself getting any train related stuff for Christmas  due to the aformentioned plan of one gift. Just as well as I'm not sure I'm comfortable with where I'm going with the layout myself. Let this be a lesson to those who take off without a plan and just wing it. Anyway, sounds like loving wife did pretty good so far. Hey, even one thing for the railroad is a great haul as far as I'm concerned! 

Prayers for good doctors and those in need.

[JimRCGMO]

Evening, Chloe - I'll have a RBF and join Chris and Rerun there at the RC, please. Thanks! Yeah, get Rerun another greaseburger too, please. He still looks hungry - dog must have an empty leg or two...

Chris, good that you were able to get Loving Wife a present before she decided it was gift-opening time, and good that you even got something that was high up on her preferred list! When the gift basket arrives, you may want to check it over carefully, in case there is a check of another kind hidden in there. On the ice storm thing, I think it was last year that we had the ice storm that hit from 30-40 miles south of Cape, all the way down into the Bootheel of Missouri, and left a lot of folks without power for - I think - a couple of weeks until they got the lines back up. Snapped a bunch of power poles, as well as the lines. One company who sells backup power supplies has been running ads on TV the majority of the rest of this year (trying to scare people into buying their products). Ah, marketing...

PA Tom, how long do you think you might be able to make use of that splint/brace? Could maybe get a lot of layout w**k done, I'd guess (just not any that involves lifting anything heavy). But play it with a straight face (as best as you can do that). If she suspects anything, you may wind up in major deep 'doo-doo'...

JR, good to hear the containers are gone (and I bet you are happy about that!). Doing the trim and finishing w**k will save you some , I'm sure. Great that your neighbors are understanding about the (temporary) clutter in the yard, and hope between now and spring that you are able to get the rest of things taken care of.

Flip, thank you for your wishes/prayers. 

to the Diner, EMD F7A! Liked your photos of your layout on your site. Are you modeling a particular RR for your layout, or freelancing? We have several 'iNvisible' scale MRRers in the Diner, as you may have noted already.

I believe that tolerance is a two-way street (or ought to be, anyway). Even my brother who doesn't believe in anything supernatural or that can't be measured, smelled, touched or seen, has mellowed out enough that he no longer refuses me the option of expressing what I believe in. He used to want to cut me off if I even ventured to speak of my beliefs. Guess he might agree with me about that real tolerance thought I mentioned...

I still need to get my presents for daughter, son-in-law, grandson and brother (but since I expect the first three will be out of town, I have a little flex time to get those). My brother and I have been exchanging e-certificates, so that won't take long at all.

Didn't find a turkey part that has white meat at the grocery store today - they had one little one that was bigger than I wanted, and also some frozen ones that were way too big. So I'm going with a beef roast for Christmas dinner. I have the cranberry sauce, the mashed potatoes mix (and butter to help the taste out), salad fixin's, olives (both kinds) and I may pick up a bottle of wine on the way home tomorrow from w**k. (Sorry, Ray, I don't think I recall seeing Finger Lakes wines when I've looked in the wine section - but I'll think of Finger Lakes wines when I raise a glass with my dinner...)

One more day at w**k tomorrow, and then it's VACATION TIME for a whole week!

 

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[AmanaMedic]

Awwww JIM, I see Rerun conned you out of a burger...he's pretty good at THAT! In fact, "burger" is one of his ultimate favorite words... No, he's not spoiled...just very well cared-for and loved.

JimRCGMO

good that you were able to get Loving Wife a present before she decided it was gift-opening time, and good that you even got something that was high up on her preferred list!

Thanks. I'd originally thought we'd have to "cancel Christmas" this year...but I knew she either had or was about to get me something...and I knew one way or another I'd get her something. Funny how that works. We agreed to the "one box" rule, and somehow both boxes ended up pretty much the same size... Guess we make a good pair!

TODD: The prototype roundhouse was 12-stalls...I'm doing selective compression and going with 9. It won't be an exact match on a number of fronts...but will hopefully "look the part." The RR it's going on is still a few years away, but, I figure if it ends up too big for where it's supposed to go; I'll just borrow a trick from JEFF and break out the Dremel tool. This will be a background structure anyway, so if'n I have to chop off a few inches of depth...no biggee. To borrow a quote from a school board member the other night: "...it's kinda gotta go where it's gonna go." She was talking about an intercampus road...I'm talkin' 'bout where the roundhouse will end up. I'm calling it a monster as it is quickly overwhelming my w**k space! Now THAT I've got the third kit... youwza. This could get interesting. I still need some Pikestuff doors and Campbell corregated alluminum, but THAT's several paychecks in the future. Glasses, truck repairs, oil for the furnace...then maybe I can look at a Walther's order again. I call it fiscally responsible fiscal irresponsibility.

Here's a shot of a "Spine Line detour" coming through the North Yard in CR with the roundhouse in the background, showing how it fits into the overall scheme of things. I'll be compressing THAT distance considerably as well. But, hopefully you kinda get the general ideer of its function in life.

I remember shooting this like it was yesterday. By fluke, I caught some radio traffic and blew-off classes to get to the yard ahead of the train which was running from Mason City to Manly, on ex-RI trackage now owned by the Iowa Northern. It must've been quite a sight when this massive freight rolled through Vinton, Shellsburg, and Palo before crawling alongside the Cedar River. By the time it hit the yard, I was able to walk/jog ahead of it, trying to get a good, clear shot of the 6805. Naturally, my "best" shot was aimed right into the early morning sun... AND, to make it worse, I went from "plenty of time to line up the shot" to "HOLY CRAP, it's HERE!"

Yep...remember it like it was yesterday instead of May, 1991.

Uh Oh...I think Rerun needs to make a trip outside... so, have a good, SAFE rest of the night, and an even better tomorrow.

Chris and Rerun

[pcarrell]

Back to trains.......yes, I think thats an EXCELLENT idea!

Speaking of which......I have a confession........one that should come as little surprise to some of you.  As some of you are aware, I lead a pretty hectic life.  I'm the head of the service department for a major phone company (dial tone, long distance, telephone systems, data, etc.).  That can be a huge strain on anyone.  On top of that, I just graduated college with my BS, and I'm also the director of childrens ministries at our church, basically the associate pastor (only without the official title), I'm in the church band, And I work at the local mission and the battered womens shelter.  Throw in my most important duties as a husband and father of two teenagers, , all three of which have muscular dystrophy, and my plate is pretty full.

As such, I have not done virtually anything on my model railroad in almost two years.  Oh, I've collected a few things for it, tinkered here and there, but not much REAL progress has been made.

I'm hoping to change all that, starting this weekend.  It's time to get busy and do this thing.  I need the outlet from the business of life, and I just really feel I'm ready to back off a little from some things and inject some new life in my creative side.

So, I need some help here.  (This is where you all come in!)  I know myself........I know I'll get caught up in a thousand things, and this will get shoved to the side.  But I need this or I'll simply burn out on the other stuff, and I can't do that.  So........I need for you all to hit me up for updates from time to time, OK?

I'll post some current pics this weekend, and we'll use that as a starting point, alright?

And Silver Pilot........could I ask a special favor from you?  I need some inspiration to get me rolling.  Please, share a little about your model railroad......no matter if it's still in your head or if it's a huge club layout in it's own dedicated building.  Can you do that for me?  Please.........  

 

[Anonymous]

 Good Morning Everyone,

Gosh, the diner looks nice, with all the Christmas decoration! You folks have done a super job this year, Flo! Yeah, I´ll have my usual dose of coffee and a blueberry muffin.

Christian did not come yesterday, but he is now on the way - just in time. Hope he has a good train ride - the trains are usually packed. We have lots of sn*w and ice, so it is a "White Christmas" for us this year. I will drive to the train station in two hours to take our little one home 

I am not quite sure what to think about the past discussion - all I´d like to add is, that with a little more respect and tolerance, our planet would be a better place - isn´t it that, what Christmas is all about?

Today is a busy day for all fathers and mothers over here. The Christmas tree has to be put up and decorated, a nice smell coming from the kitchen fills all houses. Christmas Eve is the big day for all children, as Santa is coming as soon as it gets dark. The living room is usually off limits for the kids during the day. A little silver bell is rung when Santa has brought all the presents, the kids have to sing Christmas carols and then the door opens .... 

After all presents have been unwrapped, it is time for dinner. In my family we had a special dish, originating in Eastern Prussia, the home of my parents. Its main ingredient is a special sausage, made only for Christmas. There is  also bread crumb dumplings, sauerkraut and a thick and rich sauce. We ate so much of it that our father made us drink a "Schnaps" to help digest it! With the passing away of the people  born there, when it was still German, this tradition is dying out, as the ingredients are not available anymore...  But it is still a fond memory of my youth.

We don´t have a Christmas tree - for the first time in my life. But at about $ 80 for a 5´ tree, we cannot afford to buy one. I am a little sad about this.

Blessings to all of you!

[LSWrr]

Dinner at Ulrich’s!!!!!!!

 

Good morning to all and to all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 It’s a little early I know, but I have a full schedule this weekend.  I’m working today, and then tomorrow it’s off to visit with my family in Bowling Green, Toledo, and Detroit (sounds like a short line RR doesn’t it?).  Then I have a couple of friends coming over for train time on Saturday, and then Sunday it’s off to my Uncle’s in Lorain to visit with the rest of the family.  Between driving, eating, presents, driving, eating, and sleeping I might not be back to the diner until Monday.

 

[pcarrell]