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Elliot´s Trackside Diner July 2011 Locked

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 9, 2011 6:51 AM

Lunchtime in northern Germany!

Janie, I´ll have a hot dog and a RBF, please - I have to watch my diet!

Did some work on my module this morning - it´s taking shape. Nothing presentable yet, but I cut and glued the Styrofoam for the scenery. It is now upstairs in our attic to wait for the paint to dry.

I did something crazy yesterday - I ordered a set of coaches for October delivery. That leaves me enough time to save up the funds and I hope to collect a little bit of birthday money next month as well.

Lee - I am joining you in that cold - must have caught a bug somewhere. I have a sore throat and a runny nose Ick!

Ken - I hope your job situation improves soon. With all that you have been through lately you need a break on the work front! My Angel for that.

Stan - aside from my sincere congratulation on that awesome picture, megawd, going through the experience of a derailing train with the loco turning over must be something else. Glad you came through that.

TSF - I took my first driving lesson on my high school´s 1967 Plymouth Fury - no stick shift! When I returned to Germany, I had to drive my Mother´s VW Beetle. Took me some time to get used to the stick shift, which is much more common in Europe.

Galaxy - what is the exact name of the stuff you´re taking?

My Angel go out to the fireman who lost his life in the line of duty and to the ones he is leaving behind.

Have a good one, y´ all!

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Posted by LSWrr on Saturday, July 9, 2011 8:06 AM

Ulrich, go get it checked out before you wind up with pneumonia or bronchitis   

BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret)
 L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Saturday, July 9, 2011 8:24 AM

Ulrich: Do as Lee says ..get it checked out...I have to do the same here..as Audrey commanded...oops..now she is telling you as well!!

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by TMarsh on Saturday, July 9, 2011 8:49 AM

Good Morning!! Coffee and a couple of them breakfast hot pockets please. Ham thank you.

Sunny, with a high near 88.

Forgot what I was gonna say. I know it was real important.Laugh

Drew- Ripped the power meter off the house? Wow. Brave or stupid, I don’t know which.

HOA’s- I don’t live in one, but I have no objections to them. I mean if you want to live in a certain area and have certain desires for the area in which you live and ALL owners are in agreement to the rules, I see many good reasons for them. Luckily, you’ll know about an HOA and have the opportunity to go over the rules prior to purchasing. Like shoes, HOA’s appeal to some, but not all.

Double clutching? Now there’s something I rarely hear anymore. THAT‘s how they taught us to drive in the Aaaaarmy. Won’t win any races doing that.

Ken- Ooops! Embarrassed Sorry. I moved your fuel injection system ahead a few years didn't I. No worries, you aren’t wasting my time and I don’t mind. The only problem I have with it is I could be sending you in the wrong direction not seeing the thing in person. But, if you don’t mind…neither do I.

Welp, today will be like any other day. Unsure of most of the events. I do know I must mow the yard here. I was out at Mom’s yesterday I don’t think hers needs mowed for a couple days yet sooo I got that goin for me.

Friend of mines oldest son is getting married tonight so we will be attending that shin dig. Other than that, just some yard work here. A few million weeds have shown up in the patch of gravel she has surrounding the house on the back half so I guess I’ll get to use some Roundup today. Got that going for me too. Life's looking good.

Brenda has been on me to do some work in my sisters old room I guess. Talking about it last night, I realized I don’t think this is the first time she’s “mentioned” it to me based on the amount of “like I said’s” and “I still think’s” and most concerning is "have you had a chance to yet's", so I've obviously responded before. Sounds like more than once too. Good thing I paid attention to her when I did, THAT might have come back to haunt me later. And from the sounds of it, sooner than later. There is some wainscoting in there that, well, I'll have to admit, just doesn’t look good I guess you’d say to be nice about it. And Pink shag carpet. She wants me to change that. I say…..maybe. I’ll have to check the finances. Of course she will get involved and say we can do it for cheap. That is until after it gets going, then she will say “gee, I didn’t think it’d cost that much” to which I’ll mutter “ gee, that’s what you always say”Grumpy.

Best get a move on

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

Todd  

Central Illinoyz

In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.

I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk. Laugh

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Posted by TMarsh on Saturday, July 9, 2011 9:14 AM

Ahem,

 Ken- I know I said I was gonna quit with the Tabs stuff, But I..I...well I couldn't resistWhistling. This is the type tablature I learned on. Taught myself actually, but as you can see, what I had before me was a lot more helpful than what you have. Used this way, tablature does have what you need to make a song you've not heard before sound as it should unlike what you have. Also, when just using Tab on certain parts, you lose where you are without the corresponding.......don't know what to call it. The musical score above the Tab. You'll also notice the symbols for bends are different. A swooping arrow but also gives you direction as to how much. Anyway, it's a song you'll recognize so have at it and I'm sure you will catch on. If you still have probs......we'll talk. 

    

Todd  

Central Illinoyz

In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.

I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk. Laugh

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Saturday, July 9, 2011 9:23 AM

Actually Todd: That is actually a lot easier to get what is going on than with the other tab...

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by Seamonster on Saturday, July 9, 2011 9:34 AM

Chris:  I'm with you on traffic circles.  They seem to work in some places, but not everywhere.  Our city planners seem to have fallen in love with them and they'e popping up all over the place.  When they first started putting them in, they called them "calming circles." Laugh LaughLaugh They've dropped that silly name now, thank goodness.  They work only where there's enough space to make a big circle, like on new streets.  I came across one that replaced a 4-way stop where two residential streets crossed.  Two narrow streets just wide enough for two cars to pass.  The circle in the middle was just big enough for a potted plant.  As soon as a vehicle entered the circle, it was already right across the intersecting road.  I pity the drivers of the big delivery trucks.  They don't stand a chance of driving around that one.  The first time I ever encountered a traffic circle was in a city I had never been in before, I was lost looking for an address and I didn't have a map.  And I was towing a trailer.  And it was afternoon rush hours.  The traffic circle had two lanes and since I was driving very slowly I stuck to the outside lane.  Slow moving traffic keeps to the curb lane, right?  Wrong!  The right lane has to exit at the next intersection.  I sure p'd off a lot of locals!  I went out of my way to avoid that intersection for the rest of my stay.  Did I mention that I don't like traffic circles at all?

 

..... Bob

Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)

I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)

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Posted by howmus on Saturday, July 9, 2011 9:40 AM

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a bowl of the organic cinnamon date cereal and my cup of dark roast coffee to start the day.  Just took my blood sugar.  It was 113 again this morning.  Was good last night (in range at least) even after taking my sister out to Capt. Yogi's for a fish dinner last night.

She was in one of her good moods for most of the evening, which is a rarety....  She also showed off her ability to bend over and touch her head to the ground along with the palms of both hand while not bending her knees.  She then looked at me and said, "Can you do THAT?"  I looked back at her and said, "Why would I want to?"  She is big time into YOGA and such stuff....  When you get right down to it she is in good shape for a lady who just turned 68! 

Todd, yep double clutching does slow you down at a drag race...  THAT's for sure.  The old Chevy trucks would go up through the gears without a problem, but if you had to downshift you had to match the engine to the transmission just long enough to let them mesh.  I got to be pretty good at it.

Today looks like another good day to paint the shed here in the Finger Lakes, so I will soon grabbing the paint brushes and wandering out back to get started.  I hope to have the sides painted by the end of the day, and most of the trim put up.  We shall see.........

[edit] Todd, THAT type of score using western notation and the Tab I have seen.  It is often used for the guitar parts for Jazz groups.  I haven't used it very often, but as Barry said it is very accurate compared to the other Tablature type.

Have a great day!

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, July 9, 2011 10:29 AM

Good morning. It's 83° and mostly cloudy. The high will be 97° with a thunderstorm possible this afternoon (20% this afternoon increasing to 50% this evening).

Not much going on here today. I called my sister (in Pennsylvania) last night to wish her a happy 49th birthday. She was born two years and a day after me. July 7 1960 and July 8 1962.

Today I'm going to see if I can get my layout cleaned up a bit. I have to be careful though to keep the weight off my right foot foot as much as possible. My ankle was bleeding quite badly last night and it was a messy job changing the dressing on it. The layout looks like my mind. Absolutely cluttered. I guess I could start with the extension and proceed north, working my way along the west side toward the front wall then turn and work along the east side as I head back to the south ending up at the front door. The layout seems real big when viewed that way.

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Space Mouse for president!
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beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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Posted by Cox 47 on Saturday, July 9, 2011 10:29 AM

Good saturday Morning all...Its sunny and 77 here..Just coffee for me..please..Thank you..Sallie cooked up Biscuits and Gravey with hash browns this morning..

Did some more work on fiddle yard yesterday...Not much planned today...

You all talking about what you learned to drive on for me it was a IH Model B....Little eggs to market tractor..Dad had an old F 20 but I never got to drive it..it was crank start and kicked like a mule...Logged alot hours on a IH Model H...

You all have a good one...Jerry

ILLinois and Southern...Serving the Coal belt of southern Illinois with a Smile...
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Posted by twhite on Saturday, July 9, 2011 10:42 AM

Morning, everyone.  Happy Saturday and all that. 

I'll have two eggs over easy, Home Fries, peaches (naturally!) and some of that Major Dickenson's coffee, Flo. 

Well, didn't make the Vendor Show at the Convention yesterday--I'd thought about it, then I remembered that the Friday traffic in downtown Sacramento is absolutely INSANE after about 1:00 PM what with everyone anxious to get out of town and head up to the mountains or the seashore.   Anyway, I'll drop down there this afternoon before Vespers and wander around a little bit. 

Gotta see that HO Bachmann EM-1 that everyone's talking about.  OMYGAW, a plastic RTR Yellowstone.  How many years have we been grousing about getting one of THOSE on the market, LOL?   Okay, it's not a Missabe M-3 or 4, but it's the same chassis, and let's face it, plastic is a lot easier to 'kit-bash' than brass (ask me, I know, LOL!).   What really amazes me is that this big hunker of a loco is from Spectrum, a company so well known for its SMALL steamers.   

Went out to work on the layout again yesterday and just wasn't in the mood to slap Sculptamold and plaster cloth all over the place.  Decided to just run some stuff.  Mainly my new MTH "Daylight".  Hooked up my Balboa GS-4, doubleheaded it with my new Genesis MT-4 Mountain and let 'er rip.  Well, not really 'rip[', understand, this is Mountain Territory, LOL!  Of course, just WHY the "Coast Daylight" is suddenly in the Northern Mines territory of the Sierra Nevada is ANYONE'S guess, but I think it looks pretty cool.  Here's a shot at Bullard's Bar:

Those MTH Daylight cars are just FLAWLESS--beautifully detailed and run like a dream (can I say MTH around here, LOL?)  My only 'carp' is that the couplers are only adjustable for two radii--22" or 48".  I tried adjusting only ONE coupler back on each car, but it 'freezes' the radii to about 40--my minimum is 34".  But the space between the cars isn't THAT noticeable once the train's running.  At least not for me. 

As you can see, the North San Juan ridge is still pink foam--gotta cure that, sooner or later, LOL!

Paul:  Don't have your e-mail, so I'll PM you instead.  I'm so sorry to hear about the firefighter--you guys in the Southwest have been having  a real summer of it, so far.  I put myself through college working summers for the US Forest Service in Truckee, so I know first-hand what it's like to fight wild-fires--hard, hot and DANGEROUS!   Firefighters are my Real Heroes, believe me. 

Ray:  I see I got you and Jim mixed up on my Tablature comments.  Oops!   Another Senior Moment from this end (he blushed).   Oh, and PS:  How did I know IMMEDIATELY that your MS photograph was Vivaldi, LOL?  I love the old joke that he either wrote 500 Concertos or 1 Concerto 500 times.  It's Good Stuff, though, and this from a musician who is NOT a fan of the Baroque.  For some reason I stop at the end of the Renaissance and take up again in the middle of the Classical Period with Haydn.  Just me, understand. Stick out tongue

Ulrich/Lee:  Take care of those colds, my friends.  Summer colds are NOT the nicest thing to have, they like to just stick around and gnaw at you.

Well, time to feed the Beasties (again) and go out and run my Daylight again.  I left it parked overnight in Deer Creek, with part of it in the tunnel.  I'm sure all those little people would like to get going again to wherever they're headed (if they're thinking Santa Barbara to see the Prince, they're outta luck today).

Best to all.

Tom  

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Posted by TMarsh on Saturday, July 9, 2011 10:42 AM

Welp, guess that means I don't know more than RaySigh  Smile, Wink & Grin  Laugh

Seriously, I think that will help Ken because I'm sure he has heard the most covered intro in band history and it also helps him see just what he is doing by having something to compare it to if he can read music (or whatever it's really called. Western notation?). That's how I picked it up. Many guitar players, because of tabs, can't. Not a bad thing since many are very good, but like we said, you have to know the song or it will be just a bunch of notes.

When playing, I must admit I prefer the tabs. It's much quicker especially for a novice like me who when choosing a note or a chord variations, I think (sometimes quickly, sometimes not so quickly) strings and fret numbers. With tabs you just play by the numbers and it comes out pretty quick for me. Problem is, if you don't use it you lose it, so from time to time I will practice, and I use the term practice loosely ( I was / am the guy like Ray referred to when the teacher said spend time practicing the guitar instead of playing), playing the notes on the staff just to stay somewhat familiar with where they are on the guitar. Like MRR my problem is with getting good at the basics. I have trouble sticking with scales and excersises and Mary Had A Little Lamb. My mind gets bored with that stuff before my physical abilities progress to the point where I should move on. Therefore I am a very sloppy and unrefined player and have reached a point of stagnation in progression because I do not have the basics down and physially can not progress. Something I'm sure Ray and Tom have seen all too often in their teachings. Sad part is I am rather musically inclined and if I were to "just buckle down and work for a bit", as my band teacher used to say, I supposedly could be fairly decent. No James Burton maybe, but not bad.  Being self taught, I think my best bet is to break out the Mel Bay's and start again. Or more acurately....practice the guitar for at least 20 minutes instead of trying to play it, then pink around with some songs. That will be better for those around me too.  

Roundy things- First one I ever encountered was in Alexandria LA. Jeff probably knows which one I'm talking about. Was trying to get to the Lonestar restaurant. Drove around it two or three times before getting off where I wanted to be, only to find out the place was closed down (chuckle). Ended up at Capt D's I think. Or was it that western looking BBQ joint up the road......Can't rememer which but I've been to both on that little adventure courtesy our Uncle Sam. Never did get a crwafish pie while I was down there either. Seems they are a hot commodity as the gas stations sold out quick.

Ray- After the drivers test in training ( I originally entered the Army as a heavy truck driver before changing to a mechanic after a few years due to civilian job), it wasn't long before the upshift double clutching came to a halt except for the occasional old beast that just didn't want to cooperate. But you're right, the downshift was very noisey if you didn't. Whistling

Fooled around long enough gotta mow.

Todd  

Central Illinoyz

In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.

I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk. Laugh

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:12 AM

Me again!

I was given an old Minitrix 0-6-0 from the early days and tinkered around with it, just to see whether I get it to run again. And it does! After 40 years stuck in a box in a basement, all it needed was a clean up and lube job to get it moving on rails again!

But, boy, what a difference when compared to today´s standard!

John - see the box car?

Jeff - nice picture! I like how the backdrop blends in!

TTFN

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Posted by last mountain & eastern hogger on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:19 AM

Whistling

Good Morning Gentlemen,  and you to Barry, 

WEll guess what time it is???????   It is time for your next Railroad Class, so pay close attention there will be a test in the third quarter of the forth semester, I think......  This time we go back to the early 1920 era and see what the great minds of the Military came up with for coast defenses etc.

THE COMPLETE SCHNEIDER COAST DEFENSE TRAIN AS BATTERY
Scientific American—December 20, 1913

 

MOBILE batteries running on rails are well qualified to defend along line of coast. Their use renders it possible to do away with batteries which it would be otherwise necessary to provide for the defense of areas included between the principal defensive fortifications. By reason of their great mobility, these batteries can be rapidly moved to points where it is necessary to reinforce the defense, to enter immediately into action, or to withdraw, either because they may be required elsewhere or to escape a well-directed fire.

The temporary consolidation of a certain number of guns will constitute a kind of movable fort, powerful and very economical. The mobility of the batteries will be a protecting element far more efficacious than the ramparts of permanent forts, upon which, because of the advanced position of the outworks, the fire of an enemy can be concentrated.

In addition to these various advantages, mobile batteries present other merits, the principal ones of which are:

(a). Since the mobile batteries can take the place of fixed coast batteries of the same offensive power, but of much more costly construction, there is great economy in the preparation of the defense. It is necessary merely to provide a railway.

(b). Complete secrecy of the plan of defense, since the placing of a battery in position is not betrayed by preliminary work.

(c). A better utilization and economy of material, since the guns will not be uselessly stationed in fixed positions in permanent work.

(d). The material can be more easily kept in condition; for in time of peace the batteries can be stored under cover and sheltered from intemperate weather.

(e). It will be unnecessary to establish strategic roads for conveying siege or field artillery material on wheels.

(f). The railway can be employed for other purposes than those of the artillery. Thus in time of war it can be used for the rapid transportation of infantry and the conveying of the necessary ammunition to the defending batteries; and in time of peace for the economical development of the coast by the transportation of merchandise and passengers. The system herewith illustrated has been developed by Schneider & Co., the well known makers of armor and guns.

The Battery—The mobile battery consists of two massive steel cars, each carrying an 8-inch rapid-fire gun, an ammunition car, and an observation car, the whole constituting a train of four cars drawn by a locomotive on an ordinary railway. The gun car is provided with two bogie trucks and a sheet-steel platform, lower in the middle than at the ends, in which lower part the 8-inch piece is carried on a central swivel-mount. The gun and its carriage are similar to other modern coast-defense weapons designed by Schneider. The body of the car, the frame, and the brakes are all similar to the corresponding parts on the ammunition car.

The observatory consists of two movable tubes, telescoping one within the other, and of a short, fixed section of tube carried on the car itself, and extending down to the frame. The fixed tube section serves to guide the movable sections. The movable tubes are telescoped into the fixed tubes when the train is traveling to its destination. The smaller movable tube has an observation platform at its upper end. The tower is operated by means of a hand-operated hoisting apparatus within the car.

The gun has a caliber of 8 inches. Weight of projectile is 220 pounds; initial velocity, 1,400 foot-seconds; total length of the gun barrel, 11 feet; maximum elevation, 60 degrees; maximum depression minus five degrees; arc of fire, 360 degrees; weight of the gun without breech blocks, 3,560 kilogrammes; weight of the breech block is 140 kilogrammes; weight of the entire gun mounting and car, 1,145 kilogrammes. The hydraulic recoil brake is so constructed that the recoil can be readily taken up by the truck and the rails of the track. The mechanism for returning the gun to battery is sufficiently powerful to bring the piece into position, even when the gun is trained at the maximum angle of fire. The side members of the platform carry two articulated swinging supports, the outer ends of which carry screw-adjusted base plates, which are employed when the gun is swung around with its longitudinal axis at right angles to the length of the car. Ammunition is served to the gun by means of a small carriage, which runs on a circular rail surrounding the piece.

 

 

The Ammunition Car.—The ammunition car is placed between the two gun, cars in the train, so as to supply both pieces with projectiles. The projectiles are stored in racks arranged within the car in a horizontal position. The car is armored with plates one inch in thickness.

The Observation Car.—The observation car is usually coupled directly to the locomotive. From this position the commanding officer can place his guns in the most favorable positions, or to select a more advantageous point of observation.

The observatory at full extension provides an excellent platform for spotting the fall of the shots.

There should be some military modelers among us out there that would probably give a shot  (pardon the pun) at making a replica train,  any takers????  Lets see what you come up with.   I do hope that "Red Horse" still drops in occasionally and catches up on things.  He would be a real candidate for this challenge.

Well, I am back at work today. Boy, I have to do something about this, I sure hate working the week-ends.  What am I saying, I just hate work period.....  Lol.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those families fighting fires, floods, tornados, drought, etc.  It seems as though there is no shortage of disasters this year.  It sure raises havoc with peoples lives and it makes some -40 degree weather here on the Canadian prairies in the winter look not to bad in comparison.

Have a great week end Gang and hope you are all smiling.

Johnboy out...............................for now



from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North.. 

We have met the enemy,  and he is us............ (Pogo)

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Posted by howmus on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:21 AM

Zoe, 'nother cup of coffee if you please.......

Todd, it took me a good many years into adulthood as a musician to become efficient in my "practice" time.  Lets face it, it is always more fun to play something you know and can play well, than to sort out and learn something new....  You are not alone, believe me!  Back at Eastman in the 1960's there was a visiting artist, violinist, one of the worlds greatest.  He was addressing the student body and taking questions when a Freshman violinist (this was a set up I think) asked him if he liked to practice.  The answer came back rather loudly!  "What? Are you nuts!  You some kind of weirdo?  I hate to practice.  Practicing is boring, tedious, makes me completely pi**ed at myself!  I HATE to practice!  What kind of a stupid question is THAT!"  He then went on to tell us he practiced 8 hours a day.....,  because he loved to see his name up in lights and to be considered one of the finest musicians alive!  Puts a different twist on it.  My freshman year at Eastman I was friends with a visiting Artist/Teacher by the name of Karen Rascher.  One day I was having a very bad day practicing a vocal technique I was working on....  Had a lesson the next day and knew that Anna Kaskas (Voice Teacher) was  going to be very disappointed with my progress!  I had just lost it and was throwing books and furniture around the room and swearing up a storm!  in walks Karen......  Saw a gentleman behind her but didn't think much about it.  I calmed down, and Karen said, Finished?"  I said yes and then she said, "Just wanted you to meet Daddy!"  Yep standing there in the practice room with me was Sigurd Rascher!  I started to apologize, he said "Don't!  You just showed me you want to be a fine musician!  I have done the same thing a few thousand times."

BTW I use the term 'Western Notation' as there are many, many other ways of writing down music.

Tom W, IIRC THAT joke was by Aaron Copeland????  I love music from all over the world and from all times, but have a big soft spot for Renaissance through the Classical Period.  Man I gotta find time to get the guitar out again!  Unfortunately, my singing days are over due to my hearing loss....... With the new regimen for my Diabetes, I have lost about 10 lbs. over the last 6 weeks...  May be enough to be actually able to hold the thing correctly.  Love the shot of your layout!

Time to feed the cats their lunch, and hang up some laundry.

Later!

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:24 AM

Johnboy - how´s that for coastal defense:

The pic shows the anti-aircraft guns on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, awaiting Herrn Hitler´s men to invade the country. They never saw use - fortunately.

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Posted by last mountain & eastern hogger on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:55 AM

Whistling

Ulrich, what do you think the guage of those tracks are ?  They sure look extra narrow....

Johnboy out..................................................

from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North.. 

We have met the enemy,  and he is us............ (Pogo)

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Posted by tcwright973 on Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:57 AM

All this talk about double-clutching brought back some nice memories. Back in the early sixties, I learned to drive and operate my first fire truck. It was on a 50's open cab Ward LaFrance pumper. You had to double-clutch going up through the gears as well as coming back down. Eight  cylinder in-line gas engine and standard steering and brakes. When I retired, it was all diesel, automatic transmissions, power steering and power brakes. Even air conditioning. A couple of the trucks were twin engine, twin transmissions and twin pumps. My how things have changed. But that Ward LaFrance has always remained my favorite engine.  Tom

Tom

Pittsburgh, PA

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 9, 2011 12:06 PM

last mountain & eastern hogger

Whistling

Ulrich, what do you think the guage of those tracks are ?  They sure look extra narrow....

Johnboy out..................................................

Johnboy - it´s 15" gauge!

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, July 9, 2011 12:28 PM

tcwright973

All this talk about double-clutching brought back some nice memories. Back in the early sixties, I learned to drive and operate my first fire truck. It was on a 50's open cab Ward LaFrance pumper.

The first fire truck I drove was a 1968 American LaFrance. It was originally an open cab but a roof was added sometime in the 70's. It was automatic with a 2-stroke Detroit V8 diesel. It had a 1,200 gpm pump and a 1,000 gallon water tank. It wouldn't go over 50 mph but it'd get you there. The next one I drove was a 1971 Ford Custom Cab 800 COE (cabover) pumper with a 534 V8 gas engine and 5 speed manual transmission. That was 27 feet of solid steel. Our tanker (water tender) at that time was a 1973 Ford Custom Cab 650 I think, also COE with a 429 V8 gas engine with a manual split 10 (5 low-5 high) transmission. It had a massive 2,000 gallon water tank and could take off from a dead stop lifting the front wheels in a 4 foot high wheelie if you accidentally dumped the clutch with the engine revved. I drove that one off and on for 7 years and was driving it back from a fire scene when the engine blew. It had a cracked block and a broken camshaft. The LaFrance by that time was having pump problems and the tank was rusted out so we stripped everything from the back of the cab off, cut the top half off the transfer case, locked the transfer gears into drive forever and welded a cover over the opening. We then took the tank body from the now useless Ford and put it on the LaFrance chassis. All that was done in our own station with no professional help and no crane whatsoever and just basic tools, a jury rigged oxy/acetylene rig and a small but powerful arc welder. The pros told us we wouldn't be able to do it but having no professional knowledge we did. We did the same thing several years later when we moved the tanker body over to an International chassis bought brand new just for the purpose.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Winter Garden, FL
  • 1,546 posts
Posted by Curt Webb on Saturday, July 9, 2011 12:34 PM

Afternoon All,

Got back from the Train Show. What a waste of time. It comes every 3 months but I am probably through going to it. We do have one in August that comes to Orlando that I will go to but it is nowhere close to a 2 hour round trip like the one I went to today.

Going to the club in a little bit, then on to the LHS for the turnout that I need (it's close to the club). Hopefully tomorrow it will be installed with the Tortoise and I can start fine tuning the installed track. After that the electrical part of the layout is complete, until I do lighted buildings and signals.

John Boy- Another interesting story.

I will check in with you later.

Curt Webb

The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad

http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Carmichael, CA
  • 8,055 posts
Posted by twhite on Saturday, July 9, 2011 1:26 PM

Just a question:  How do you PM another poster on this newer format?  I was going to, but I can't find out any way to do it. 

Please help an old computer-illiterate, okay?  Thanks, guys.  Big Smile

Tom

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Finger Lakes
  • 10,198 posts
Posted by howmus on Saturday, July 9, 2011 1:37 PM

Hi Tom!

It is now called "Conversations".  You will see it your profile box over on the right side of the page.  If you click on it you will see all your old PM's aka: Conversations.  You can reply to a conversation from that spot.  to start a new conversation, simply click on "Start Conversation".   For instance if I want to have a private conversation with you, I can click on "Start Conversation" at the bottom of your post and then start chatting.....

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Posted by Cederstrand on Saturday, July 9, 2011 1:55 PM

Coffee in a BURLINGTON NORTHERN mug, please.

***Tom, beautiful layout you have going there. YesCool

After my last post, went outside on the porch with Storm Cat (our fearless house cat) and enjoyed quite a show.

Y'all have a good day.

Cowboy Rob

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Saturday, July 9, 2011 3:10 PM

Good afternoon.

We were in Land Between the Lakes this morning, and I took this photo. This is an extremely rare RED WOLF. Conservationists say this animal is almost extinct, and there are only about 200 survivors of this species remaining.

Glad to see the Diner is busy today.

Cheers

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

Moderator
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    November 2008
  • From: London ON
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Posted by blownout cylinder on Saturday, July 9, 2011 4:04 PM

Good Afternoon.

Well...not too deep...I've pretty much finished some of the benchwork for another expansion...and I even found that I had enough of the pink stuff lying around to actually get something of a surface on itConfused

Chloe, I'll have a superhuge Quadruplex burgr with the tub of fries with gravy as well as a large RBF....I'll be at the corner booth...Dinner

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: upstate NY
  • 9,236 posts
Posted by galaxy on Saturday, July 9, 2011 4:31 PM

Well, according to our agent, teh sellers are apparently "sleeping on it" on our verbal offer. If they verbally accept it, we will put it in wirting of course.

I figure the longer they sleep on it, the less likely they are to sell it at our offer.

Their agent hasn't heard back either a phone call or a message via email as of 4 pm today.

So we wait. If they wait to long, we will withdraw our offer. AS I told our agent, our verbal offer should also have include a time deadline so we are not strung out waiting on edge as we are.

If we don't hear by Tuesday. I think we will withdraw our offer. That would be 6 days to decide to entertain our offer or not, and with nothing in writing and no verbal  time deadline on the horizon for an answer, they could string it along indefinitely just in case "somehting better doesn't come along". We won't play THAT game. A written offer would have 24-48 max for an answer written in it. WE would expect no less for a verbal offer.

So the more WE get to sleep on it, the more WE could decide not to buy either and they may loose out on the only reasonable offer tehy get for awhile. Houses around here either A] move for quick sale and are snapped up.. or B} languish on the market and usually get marked down by $10k-$15K and Sitll may nto sell.

WE realize everyone thinks their house is "perfect" and "turnkey" and they want "top dollar" but it still really is a buyer's market around here. Hoolding out for a "top dollar listing price" can leave tehm wanting. A long time. A lot.

Oh well

-G .

Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.

 HO and N Scale.

After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.

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Posted by AmanaMedic on Saturday, July 9, 2011 5:20 PM

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoon everybody,

TC WRIGHT: A 1950s Ward LaFrance you say? Something maybe kinda like this??

 

First stick-shift I ever drove was a sort-of/sort-of not girlfriend's (long story, very long story) 1980-something Ford Escort, then her father's 1980-something Toyota pickup.

The first fire engine I ever drove was a 1977 Ford/Howe (Grumman) cab over engine pumper. Gas engine, manual transmission. The first tanker was a late 1960s Chevy with a 1200 gal. tank. First time going down the steep hill of Central City Road toward very busy State Highway 13 was...interesting. I hate driving stick, but THAT tanker made it kinda easy. It was like a big pickup truck, and if you got the stick close to where you wanted it, it would just "click" right in. Had the "hi-lo" thing, I never messed with it. We had a guy who could zip through all possible forward gears ("lo side" and "high side" in the two blocks from the station to the 4-way stop.The 1987 GMC/Simons tanker was similar, but getting into 2nd gear was always a struggle. THAT truck seemed happiest in 3rd, no matter what.

Chris

 

 

The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!

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    June 2006
  • From: Maryville IL
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Posted by cudaken on Saturday, July 9, 2011 6:44 PM

 Evening Dinners!

 Flo, just a Beer please. Going to BBQ here in a few.

 Sure not much of a day off. Lets see, at 8:30 AM, on the phone with the warehouse making sure my orders are correct. 9:00 AM tried calling the store oh say for 20 minutes, no answer? Got hold of Shaun at 9:20 AM, he forgot my store opens at 9:00 AM, not 9:30 AM like the rest of the stores.

 9:30 AM, one of my couples come in while I am trying to explain the order to Shaun. 9:45 Shaun calls me back so I can do more explaining to Shaun. 

 11:00 Shaun calls and said they sent the wrong mattress and he sent it back. No Shaun, that was the right mattress, call the delivery truck and get it back to the store!

 11:30 Shaun calls to tell me he did get the mattress back and was calling the customer.

 1:00 PM Mallory from the warehouse call's me. (I was taking a nap) One of my customers has a problem with a delivery, there is a small tear on the bottom of the mattress. (it was a showroom model) Told Mallory to tell Karen the tear will not effect the warranty on the mattress or effect the comfort.

 1:10 PM Mallory calls me back and the customer is ***. Karen want's to talk with me! Great.

 1:15 Call Karen, bump noses and make nice. Explain things again and explain to her I was off. Asked her to call me Monday while I was at work. Seems Mallory *** her off on the phone.

 1:30 Call Mallory back and told her all is good till Monday and delivery truck is back on the road.

 2:00 Shaun calls and tell me today sucks!

 3:00 Head to K-10 Model Trains to test the motors I am getting strange reading from. All so picked up need BBQ supplies.

 Get home around 5:00 and while talking to wife, phone rings, it is Shaun. While I was off, I had more sales then he did but was till a suckey day. One of my customer will be back in Sunday to buy.

 5:30 Shaun calls again about installing the new computer. He thinks I should do it because I have a 4 gig thumb drive to back up some of the need files. Hum, he is a computer nerd, so I should install the computer because I have a thumb drive? Laugh

 Just glad the store closed at 6:00 PM, no more calls.

 So that is how I spent my day off with out pay.

 One thing I will tell you, if they mess up again (90%) they will and go a head and pay my normal bases pay, I am not saying a word!

 Train Front  While should have worked on the layout, I did not. Whistling But the repaired 40 Life Like box car is tracking like a champ with the Athearn Truck Replacement.

 Curt Thinking of you. Giving my PRR M1A a workout, I forgot how much I enjoy the engine.

 Time to light the grill.

                  Ken

  

 

I hate Rust

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Posted by Cederstrand on Saturday, July 9, 2011 7:21 PM

Coffee refill, please.

***Garry, when I lived in WA., a friend of mine ran the Red Wolf breeding program. I have a boat load of photos of them from her facility. Last I heard (and it's been many years now) the DNA tests did not support that they were entirely a separate species and the breeding program was going to be closed. Lost touch so don't know what the final verdict was, nor the disposition of all those wolves(?).

Cowboy Rob

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