Elliot´s Trackside Diner July 2011

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good evening ...

Paul ... That's HOT ... Hot here, too.

Rob ..... We live adjacent to Land Between the Lakes. ( lbl.org )

Stan ... I like the Shay painting!

 On the model railroad front, I'm very gradually shufting towards DCC. I receive two more decoders in the mail today, and they are now installe in my 2 Atlas GN GP7's.

[teen steam fan]

Evening. 

Glad everyone's good. 

Just took two cars back to a dealer this afternoon and took my sister to dance and picked up stuff at Farm and Fleet. 

Oh yeah, I ordered two quad tires for my Polaris. Hard to track tires the same size I need down. 

Oh yeah, on cars, I like the Ford HD trucks, mainly because the 4x4 ones still use straight Dana axles. No IFS unless its the Raptor (Baja ready out of the factory too.) But I prefer mainly Jeeps like my XJs, the TJ JK and of course the CJs are all good for me. 

[cudaken]

 Evening Fellow Dinners!

 Flo, I take a Yellowstone Special with extra slaw and a in a frosted Monon Mug.

 Well had another good day at work and I feel guilty. Had $1794.00 in sales with only two customers and both bought. Now the reason I feel guilty.  As I have talked about Sealy will give me extra cash to sell certain beds. Well, a sweet (and darn hot  ) young lady came in with her Mon looking to buy a mattress for the hot one. She had a budget of $700.00 so I started showing her the mattress we have in her prices range. First 2 where a little out of her prices range and I knew that, but it builds value in the one I wanted her to buy.

 Then I took her to the mattress with the $8.00 spiff. Now it is a good mattress and was well worth the $1,200.00 we had it listed at before we started closing them out. Told her it was $699.00, the target prices. She loved it so I thought the deal was done. Then she flopped on a mattress called the Barrymore and it is a great mattress.

 Now this is one of our blemished mattress and I have a minimum I can sell it for but there are no prices on the mattress. Original retail for the set is $1500.00 So I told her it would cost $1100.00 hoping she go back to the $699.00 mattress so I could get the $8.00 spiff money.

 But NO she had to buy the $1100.00 mattress.

 Now why I feel guilty, I could have sold her that mattress for the same $699.00 as the other one.  But have she said she would take it at $1100.00 I could not just go "Tell You What, I will let you have it for $699.00 just because I like you!"

 She did get a great mattress, they sale like hot cakes (Flo, do hot cakes sale well here?) when we can get them. While I know I did not total cheat her we pretty much steal the factory seconds (blemished) mattress. Our cost on this mattress set is right around $197.00 so the owner made $903.00 on this sale. Heck, if I sold it for only $799.00 which I normally sale them for Berry would still have made $602.00.

 OK, I have got that off my chest.

 A/C Front I did some rough measurements of the Kitchen and Family room that I want to cool. While I know the Kitchen is big, I was still a little shocked when I added the family room and kitchen together. Kitchen is 468 square feet and the family room is 390 square feet for a total of 858 square feet. While it is a good sizes house this is still lager than I remember when I bought it. Living room is as big as the kitchen, plus the dinning room, two bathrooms, hallway and the two bedrooms.

 Remember, I only want to help the central A/C to cool the kitchen and family room.

 How do they rate a A/C unit, I know it is BTU's. But how hot is the stating temperature versus the finally temperature? From the old days I know a car A/C should make the car 20 degrees cooler than the out side temperature. So if it is 90 outside, inside of the car should be able to get down to 70 degrees.

 Anyone here know how it works for a house unit?

 Well I heading off for now, see you later.

            Ken 

 

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[Train Master]

He beat you again Galaxy

[Anonymous]

Good Morning,

beating Bill again, but that´s easy today, as I am up since 4 am. Just could not find any proper sleep. There are still too many bad thoughts in my head - probably triggered by the fact  that I have to renew my SSI claim today. Though this has not been an issue in the past, I always have a queasy feeling about it. It´s now two years since I had to do it the first time and there has been no improvement in our situation, despite all the effort I put in to find a job. I feel like I am waisting my life, but there is so little I can do in this country. Building my little layout certainly gives me a lot of pleasure and is a tremendous help not to turn nuts, but I can´t help it - I am missing out on quite a few vital things in life. Folks, please bear with me  - I´ve got the blues today.

Maybe a tall glass of OJ will help - Janie, would you please be so kind?

Ken - I am happy about your good day! And don´t have a bad (I typed bed) feeling about selling that expensive mattress to that young lady. You made her happy - she´s got a good mattress and thinks she got a discount. You are a good salesman!

Garry - I hate to have a close encounter with one of those guys. The fellow on the picture looks like wanting to have that car for breakfast.

Ray - I regard Bavaria being a part of Germany a historical mistake. First of all, they are all rude people down there, and their language bears only little resemblance to the language we civilized people in the north of this country speak. Second issue is that when Bismarck was aiming at forming the German Empire in the 1860´s, Bavaria decided to join Austria in the war against Prussia, but switched sides after receiving a heavy beating in the battle of Koeniggraetz on July 3rd, 1866, which ended with the utter defeat of the Austrian Alliance. Although Bavaria is much closer  to Austria in terms of language and culture, the Austrians are not to keen about their neighbors. We Prussians also have our second thoughts on these beer drinking and thick-tongued leftovers from Hannibal´s Army. My son regards Bavaria as some kind of Disneyland - put a fence around it and charge admission.

Well, that´s it for this morning - CUL & have a good day!

Edit: Bah, too late gain, Bill´s faster than the speed of lightning!

[Cederstrand]

Chamomile tea, please.

Here is a pic an aquaintence of mine took of a Heritage train loco in India. Thought it was rather neat looking and quite a contrast to those we usually see.

Have a good night all.

Rob

[Anonymous]

Me again!

Petra is in the kitchen, preparing a cherry crumble pie - yum, yum, yummy!

If the girls don´t mind, I´ll take some to this place later in the day

Got some pictures taken of the now finished module - well, there are still some details missing, like a car waiting at the grade crossing, a couple of figures, and some trackside detail items, but that will have to wait until I can order them in Japan - maybe Fall...

I also found a cheap shelving system that suits my needs. I will take all the necessary measurements to buy the right stuff and will probably put it up by the weekend, with the help of a friend.

Rob - colorful is what I think when I see the oic of Indian trains. How´s that:

or that?

CUL!

[L&NTim11060]

Good mornin all... uhh coffee please then it,s off to work

[galaxy]

Train Master

He beat you again Galaxy

Drats! Foiled again! I should start staying up and posting at exactly 12:00 AM To beat wetidlerjr!

WEll, I am up late for me anyhow, so here goes:

GOOD MORNING!!!

I'll be floating over the corner booth as have a new round of antibiotics and GOOD DRUGS for pain..

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

71F, 70% humidity and rain this morning.

I’ll have what Todd is having!

I painted the loading station for the coal mine, installed the control cable for the loader’s discharge chute, and painted the hillside behind the mine.

GMT, I could do that, what do you think it should read? Polar portable weathering or maybe Jeff’s cold storage warehouse?

Jeff, I wish your mom a speedy recovery!

Paul, did you hear the DM&IR and DWP will be merging into Wisconsin Central, losing the CN colors, but still owned by CN?

 

Ken, I need to drive down and buy a mattress, but I don’t want the $660 mark up, LOL.  You know there is a math formula you use to determine the optimum BTU furnace/AC.

 

First go to: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/air-conditioner-calculator and do the math.

 

Now you need to consider should the AC run most of the time (lower BTU) or come on cool the room off and shut down (higher BTU).  This is easy with a whole house unit.  The HVAC guy figured my Aunt’s house needed a 60,000 BTU furnace/CENAIR but it would run often and hard.  We upgraded to a 100,000 and it ran once in a while and isn’t over worked.  8,000 BTU will cool off a huge room providing people don’t come in and out often.  I would consider two 10,000 BTU units with one having the thermostat set just 10 degrees above the other unit.  If unit a can’t handle it unit b will come on to boost the cool.

[blownout cylinder]

Galaxy: Between you, Ulrich, and Bill there is no way I can compete with either of you!!! LOL!!!

Good Morning...we are getting one day of relatively dry cool weather then it will be right back to the swing of things with more of that ol' heat, haze and humidity....

Well...gotta go back to another doctors appointment today..have a good one pipples!!!!

[simon1966]

Hi folks!!

Glad to be back...  I have been over in the UK for a while and out of communication with the forum.   I have been gorging myself on a daily feast of Full English Breakfast, culminating in some wonderful Kippers on Tuesday.

So for breakfast today, I had better have some fruit and a slice of whole wheat toast.  Anyway, I hope you are all well.   There are rather a lot of pages to browse through!  It is only half a month and you are on page 35!

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

Hope all is well with everyone. At w**k today again. Supposed to be another scorcher today with 40% chance of rain today.

Ulrich- As expected, another excellent job.

Simon- Welcome home. I have been to England twice and Scotland once in my travels. I really liked my travels there, but it is always good to be back home.

Everyone take care.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! I’ll have the same thing I had yesterday. Thanks.  Say, how’d Lee know I was gonna have that? Or did he make me waaant to have it again with mind control. Hmmm, either way I need to talk lottery tickets with him.

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Oops, sorry Paul, just slipped out. Looks like we get a couple days break before back in the fire. It has already rained this morning, I wonder if that was the 30 percent chance or not.

Jeff- Prayers for your Mother. I know a little about what you're going through. Though not to the extent you do. Do you also get the "I can't I have plans to wash between my toes right now or whenever you'll need me" reasons for them not being able to help you, but when you say you can't they ask why? And you say "I have a surgery scheduled" They proceed to determine how badly you really need the surgery, rearrange your schedule in order of importence to them and tell you you don't need to do things now etc, to show you you now have time to do the favor for them? Hm?  When I was down in the back before it finally retired me, my family was very understanding about my need for inactivity, or at least a minimization of activity. It started out well, you'd have thought I was on my death bed or something. That lasted for about...., oh, what seemed a day..., day and a half, before they started wanting me to do things. You know the old, "when do you think you can.." stuff. " I reeeeally need that whatever done as soon as possible" ( harumph) Ask THEM to do something when they have a slight touch of the sniffles and it's like you're mean, cruel and a heartless inconsiderate evacuation port for a Donkey if you ask within a week of them using the first Kleenex. Not counting recovery time which could be who knows how long. You know, so to be sure they don't come back down with the Plague again. But when I was down and lifting a 3 pound weight could create a stabbing pain that would bring you to your knees and an after shock that would keep you there for a minute or two and then movement could only be tolerated to a place to lie down and try to find a position that would give me the least amount of pain...., Well I tell you what, THAT was horse of a different color. I need to go here and have this quack check me out, go to the bone cracker and that'll work, all sorts of advice to get me back in the saddle cause....they had something they wanted me to do. And THEN......    Sorry, your situation hit a nerve and it was out before I realized it.

Simon- Glad you made it back safely. Sounds like you had a great time.

Rob- I’m with you, all these pics and talk make me wanta drop everything and work on the layout. Ah but alas….

Ken- Naw, you didn’t cheat her so don’t feel bad. Had she balked at the price, you would have dealt with her. If she didn’t, she obviously felt the price was to her liking. Isn’t that when your wheeling and deeling normally stops? When the customer is satisfied with the price? (or of course you can’t, or won’t, go any lower). Besides, they obviously had more room in their budget that just $700. She came to the store ready to deal and you won. Simple.  NOW, if you were a bit younger and single…..I’d have been calling you STUPID for not cutting her a break and making it sound like you were gonna get nothing on this mattress but that's alright because you’re a sucker for a pretty face and a hotty etc, etc, etc.

When do Bison cross the road? Anytime they want!

Ray- Actually practiced the guitar yesterday before I went to w**k. Yup 6 ½ minutes of pure practice h*** before uncontrollably shifting to strumming a song. All I did was the major scale (or whatever it’s called, C to middle C) in a couple different positions and then two octaves. Boy, just that showed me my left hand dexterity is nil. Stretching exercises are again in order big time. Been just playing chords for so long I thought I only needed to work on my picking. Guess I need to work on it at all. Back to “Lightly Row”. I hate that song.

The rain put the damper on my early morning plans but I can alter then without a problem. I’ll just do some inside stuff and mow when the grass dries. Then I’ll come back home and mow and do some weeding here. That’s the plan anyway.

Gotta go, save me some Cherry Crumble!

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[B&O1952]

Good morning fellas!

It's going to be another nice day here, I should have pics of my NKP painting tonight. The new version looks much better. I was able to get the decals on my New York Central Lines Hudson. Here's a look:

Paul- I promise not to mention the temp here now if you promise not to mention the temp there in January! Anyway, if it's 100+ outside, I'd definitely be playing with my trains in the air conditioned house!

Rob- You might say that. But being in the cab of the last operational Lima built 2' gauge Shay tackling a 3% grade is awesome! He only hauls one car for riders with it. He only runs a couple of weekends in the fall, and I never know when it will be until about a week before.

Garry- I'm glad you like the Shay painting, I hope to knock your socks off with a good Burlington Hudson painting. You wouldn't know the color details of the streamlined model would you?

Ulrich- I only got to see Bavaria when I was stationed in Germany way back when.The countryside is beautiful there, and I never really got to mingle with the locals there much. I always wanted to see Hamburg, and if I can find a way to get there, my son's and I will let you know.

Simon- Welcome back! The UK was where I was permanently stationed in the USAF for 2 years with occasional TDY's to Germany, Italy and Denmark. I miss the UK. We would take the train from our base to London at least once a month. 

Curt- Good luck with your signals. We plan on installing Pennsy signals on our new mainline, and keep the semaphores on the B&O main. Up here on the B&O Buffalo Division, they kept the semaphores intact until they went with CPL's in 1969. Believe it or not, when they took the semaphores down, they cut the arms off and dropped them into the concrete battery wells next to the poles! Before they could collapse and fill in the wells, thus burying the arms, a couple of my friends were able to snatch up a couple dozen of them. Fortunately, I was able to get one from them.

Well fellas, I gotta get painting. Dad and I have to attend a viewing for our friend tonight. It's gonna be a long one!

-Stan

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

    Another lazy night last night - no museum, I turned in around 9pm though I did get some more track bed down at home. need to find 26ga solid wire now in bule green and yellow for the turnout wiring so I can start fitting turnouts to the track bed. I used all the same colors for everything last time and it was a nightmare tracing things so this time I'll have lighting, turnouts and track feeds all different sets.

    Ulrich - I love the modules and the way they came out. What model passenger set is it in the pics?

   Welcome back Simon. Only been to Old Blighty once but loved driving around visiting people and places I'd only read about.

   Lee - I would make the sign to read ... (whatever brand it is) Air Conditioners - Louisiana Division ... and send me the invoice SVP.

   Lots to do as usual and I've gotten a late start (had to see the vampires at the lab for blood w..k). CUL, J.R.

[Anonymous]

I just had a slice of Petra´s cherry crumble pie - what a delight!

J.R. - it is a Eizan Electric Railway series 900 EMU nicknamed "Kirara", made by Kato. This stuff is just great quality, it has lots of detail, even interior detail, and runs smoothly, though it does not have a flywheel. I still wonder where they put the motor, it is not visible.

Eizan Electric Rlwy. connects Takaragaike with the village of Kurama, located at Mount Kurama, north-west of Kyoto. It is now designated as a national treasure of Japan. There is a shrine on top of this mountain, which I will name "Tera gorinsosu ni" - Ken knows the meaning of that. Length of the line is about 5 miles, with two of those EMU´s shuttling back and forth on a half-hourly basis. To add interest, I will run an occasional steam railfan special, headed either by my JNR D51 Mikado or a C11 2-6-4 tank engine, which I should get by Fall.

Stan - it would be a pleasure to Petra and me to show you around Hamburg - there is lots to see, also in terms of model railroading and railfanning. And there will also be a slice of her cherry crumble pie, or apple pie or whatever pie waiting for you!

Jeff - it appears that we are sharing fate again. Somehow our families must be related. Are you sure you are not of German origin? I am not sure about my native American background!

CUL

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning, well maybe for someone out there it is. It's 82° and partly cloudy. The high will be 97° with a 50% chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Well yesterday my mother was in the ER because her ammonia levels were out of whack. The docs gave her the meds needed to bring it down and they came back into a normal level. She and my father continued on their way to Texas. Later I got a call from my father. They were in Jasper and she was semi-conscious but responding. I told my father that didn't sound good and he agreed but they needed to continue on their way as the stuff they to get is very important to her to continue living at home. I didn't like it but that was his reasoning on it. Last night I got another call. She relapsed and was admitted to a hospital in Smith Hill, Texas. My father has no idea of what he should do, I can't even think straight and this whole thing just seems to be spiraling out of control. I have no idea of what I'll be doing today or even if I want to do anything. I don't want to start working on something only to end up taking my frustration out on it and smashing it to pieces. My temper has always been just on the edge of control and when it gets loose it's a fearsome thing to see. I've done a pretty good job of keeping it in check as only two people have seen me truly loose it. Well, right now I'm right on the edge of that point.

[Curt Webb]

J.R.- When I bought 26 AWG wire for the control panel and Tortoise's I bought from www.bulkwire.com . They have solid or stranded in 10 colors. I puurchased 100' spools of black and red for power and 500' spools of blue and green.

[cudaken]

 Morning Folks!

 Flo, I will have what Todd eating and a Diet Dew Please.

 Simon Welcome home.

 Ulrich While I know how small the trains and other items are, they sure do not look small in the pictures. Enjoying watching your progress. 

 Far as feeling Guilty. Guess I should not, after all I showed her a very good mattress at the prices point she wanted. I all so did not try to get her to buy the $1100.00 she and her Mon did that on there own.

 Lee Thanks for the link. If I did it right, it said I need a 22,000 BTU unit for 800 to 1000 square feet? Family room does get a lot of sunlight.

 See you all later today.

                      Ken

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have the Eggs Benedict this morning, a cup dark roast coffee, and the morning newspaper please.

Wow, this has been a busy place overnight.  I'll be catching up on all the goings on for a few minutes, and then out to see if i can get a bit more done on the shed.  I have a Drs. Appt. in Canandaigua early this afternoon, Dermatologist recheck for my psoriasis.

Ulrich, I think it is more of a Human thing no matter where one is from.......   Hope your Social Security meeting goes well.  Save a slice of the Cherry Crumble for me please!

Currently 75°F here in the Finger Lakes with the possibility of a few isolated Thunderboomers this afternoon.  Oh!  Sorry Paul....  forgot.  Sun is out for the moment.  Decided I need to put a new roof on the shed sometime very soon...  It is the original very, very, cheap roof and has little or no gravel left on it.  i suspect some of the rotted ares are from the roof being bad.  Shouldn't cost too much to get it done even if I go with metal roofing.  The shed is 8' x 12'.  I'll be calling the roofer later today.

Best get moving!

Later!

73

[edit]  Jeffrey, you and your parents are in my thoughts and prayers!  Though situation for all of you.  Just don't you end up in the hospital trying to help them.  There must be some social services available where you parents are that could help them.......

[Anonymous]

Jeff said: "Last night I got another call. She relapsed and was admitted to a hospital in Smith Hill, Texas. My father has no idea of what he should do, I can't even think straight and this whole thing just seems to be spiraling out of control. I have no idea of what I'll be doing today or even if I want to do anything. I don't want to start working on something only to end up taking my frustration out on it and smashing it to pieces."

Jeff - you are describing exactly how I feel. We have found yet another place - this time a spacious three room apartment in an assisted living home. We will take a look at it tomorrow. The place is bigger than our apartment, in a beautiful setting, with all the help my parents need to master the daily life in their age & condition. I rang my father to tell him the good news - guess, what happened? See above!

Ray - just a human thing. Can´t be when Bavarians are involved. Someone described them as the missing link between humans and Austrians

More cherry crumble pie, anyone?

[Cox 47]

Good Morning All...Its mostly sunny here and much cooler after storm last nite...temp is 75...I'll have coffee and toast please...thank you..Sallie and I are trying not to get upset about SS...Worring won't help...

Jeff.....Prayers for your Mother and You too...Nice modeling on Dinner...

Ulrich...Hope all goes well with your SS...Your modeling looks great...

This is a old Aurora "postage stamp" GN gon...I like the extended sides...I spliced 2 B-Man frames together..It had no brake wheel and stand so I cut one off scap box car...Mounted new couplers and trucks..made load from "pink board" and glued scrap to it and weather the heck out of it..

Its now ready to haul srap to the Rowe Foundry on the I&S...

You all have a good one...Jerry

 

 

[LSWrr]

Jeff, what make AC is that and how wide is it?

Stan, what is the green building behind the Hudson?

[galaxy]

Hi all

First JEFFREY- good luck wiht your parents. Aging parents in dificulty can be dificult to handle. Hang on to your temper as you may regret what you say and how you say it. If they were on a trip to do/get things for her to stay at homecomfortably, then I would say the trip was necessary, they weren't out just galavanting. Everyone prefers, I think, to remain home as long as they can. I don't mind being inthe hospital, and don't even mind the hospital food {pretty darn good at our hospiotal}, but after awhile, I'd rahter be recovering at home. I would rahter stay at home when I am gravely ill, but knwo trips to the hospital can be a necessity. My MIL is now at a point where she will stay at home to die, rather than go bavk to the hospital or nursing home. I don't know what the will do when the 6 months of Hospice home care she was getting runs out, I don't know yet if they will exetend it due to her condition or what. SHe is no also on oxygen at home.

Second KEN- I would say if they will fit into your windows you mihgt want two 12,000 BTU units. We have a 12,000 unit in the living room/kitchen area that runs practically all the time all day now wiht the heat we are having. It can run on energy saver where it will cycle on and off, but we really need it to run. It will get the temp down to aobut 65* around noon, but by 5-6pm it will naturally rise to 70-72* if we don't let it run the temp down a liottle colder when it can. We do wear long pajamas around the house during the summer instead of shorts as it is a bit cold. Although the trailer has 2x6 insulated walls, and the reflective roof coating on it, it still heats up like a tin can on a campground campfire. That A/c takes care of LR and kitchen which is about 400 sq feet and the kitchen is is the front witha large bay window that gets ALL the afternoon/evening sun. It has a shade to draw on it, but it still gets hot in htere and cooking makes it hotter. At the back of the trailer is the 5600 BTU a/c that cools the BR and helps with that end of the house. It may make the Br about 65* running constantly when outside is hot, but when i turn on the oxygen generator for me for nap or night, it generates heat which brings the BR up to 70* to. The middle two rooms of the trailer are abut 3-4* warmer than the lr/kit or br. The whole trailer is only 910 sq feet, but the 12,000 and 5,000 units do well when outside temps are inthe 80-90*. They do, however pretty much have to run constantly and "super cool" the house to combat the rising day temp and sun's heat. You are only looking to supplement your C A/C which is dying, so I would say you could run 2 12,000 BTU units on the energy saver cycle {if they have it} and keep fairly cool if your C A/C can only do it's best to keep you at 78* like your wife says.We have only the window units to keep the house reasonably cool and livable.

Hmm, I was gonna comment on somebody else too, but don't remember now that I wrote Ken a book.

Oh, well, Headache still there nad hte good drugs "muting" or dulling hte pain. I started another round of antibiotics too. Boy, I can't wiat till this is all over and the root canal finsihsed and my jaw stops hurting. I'm beginning to wish they had pulled it instead.

I will have a muscle relaxer and a pain pill later which together make me go nappy-poo. I cancelled my other Dr. appts for this week to clear it to be home in misery adn not have to drive under the influence.

Talk to  you alllater

have a great day

 

[twhite]

Morning everyone.  Just a couple of over-easy eggs and toast (sourdough) for me, plus my usual Major Dickenson's.   Seems I've got tonight off from choir practice--everyone decided that they know all the music for the rest of the month at church, so that means that I don't have to DVR "Criminal Minds" for later watching, LOL! 

Actually, I'm just back playing at St. Francis for the rest of the month to fill in for the regular pianist's vacation time.   But it's fun.  Forgot how much I missed it--especially telling the soprano's that if they just sing from the throat, no WONDER they're sounding flat, LOL!  Ah, church choirs----

Have a meeting later on this week over at the school to find out how many choirs I'll be accompanying this year--I'm going back on a limited basis, three days a week.  We've got two choir directors (imagine that!) one for the beginning and intermediate choirs, and one for the Liturgy Workshop and Chamber Singers.  We think BIG around Jesuit, by golly!   I know I'll have beginning and intermediate choirs, and possibly Liturgy Workshop, but Chamber Singers have evolved into a student-run organization, and do mainly a-cappella work.  Besides, before I had my little 'bout' in January, I was training a student accompanist for them, and he's coming back this year.  So I think they'll be okay.  They have another invitation to Carnegie Hall next Spring, so that's incentive enough to keep them at the top of their game.

Ulrich:  Wow, buddy, tell us what you REALLY think about Bavarians, LOL!   I'm kind of chuckling about it because my own ancestry is Bavarian/Austrian.  So here's a little tidbit for you:  If North Germany is so great, how come both Beethoven and Brahms (north Germans) spent most of their lives in Vienna, huh?     Seriously, though, I love Germany.  ALL of it!  But those Bavarians certainly do Party Down--almost any excuse.  Hmm--Richard Strauss was Bavarian, wasn't he?   I always loved his comment on conducting:  "Never, NEVER look at the Horn section, it only encourages them."   Funny man, that Strauss.  He also commented on himself: "I may be a Second-rate composer, but I'm a FIRST-CLASS Second-rate composer."   Anyone who could write something as wonderful as "Rosenkavalier" is hardly second-rate in my book.  Even if he IS Bavarian, LOL! 

Jeff:  Good God, man, you've had enough piled on you the past few days to knock out an elephant!  I sure hope your mother can recuperate from that ammonia imbalance.   How far away from you are they in East Texas?  Keep us informed, okay?   Any news on your brace? 

Well, I was going to do some scenery work yesterday, but ran the Daylight instead.  And wouldn't you know it, I had my first derailment?  10 cars and the middle car of the 3-unit articulated diner kept jumping the tracks.  Found out that one of the little tabs that connects the lighting to the pickup trucks was hanging up (a-la-Walthers, LOL!).  Did a little adjusting, and it's fine, now.  Scary thing was that the first derailment happened just out of the tunnel on Yuba Pass.  That's where I've got my 6-drop to the garage floor, and that track is absolutely BULLET-PROOF!    Here's a photo of the train at Bassets, climbing up below the Buttes.  Double-headed, of course.  I can't believe how smoothly my Genesis Mountain and my brass Balboa GS-4 work together. 

Today is nice and balmy again, so I'm promising myself that I'll REALLY work on scenery, this time.  I even packed the Daylight up to prove it.   Of course, my Yellowstones are still at the engine terminal---hmm, decisions, decisions--

Have a great day everyone.  Best to all and prayers to those in need.

Tom

 

 

 

 

[GMTRacing]

Lee - Stans green building  is the out building with heat exchangers from Heljans' Brewery Malt House (Hudson Wire on my layout). J.R.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

Jeff, what make AC is that and how wide is it?

Frigidaire, 12,000 Btu, 19 inches wide, 13.5 inches high.

 

twhite

Jeff: I sure hope your mother can recuperate from that ammonia imbalance.   How far away from you are they in East Texas?  Keep us informed, okay?   Any news on your brace?

I estimate it's close to 230 miles. Smith Hill is above and west of Texarkana. As for the brace, I received the approval notice on it a couple of days ago. The doc should have received a copy of it about the same time. But that doesn't seem important right now.

[Anonymous]

Tom - Bavaria is a beautiful country, just like a fairy tale wonderland. Bavarians are rough and hearty folks, with a touch of arrogance. For over 100 years, they have been living of the contributions coming from Prussia - King Ludwig 2nd was dead broke. All his beautiful castles had been paid for by the Prussian tax payer. Up until the 1980´s, Bavaria received heavy subsidies from our Federal Government.

Basically, the like/dislike for Bavaria and Bavarians has historical reasons, as described earlier. One has to know that Germany has never been that one nation, even under the rule of that certain Austrian.

Austria is a different story - Vienna is geographically located in Austria, but has a much more multicultural background. There is some kind of a champagne atmosphere in the air, whereas the rest of that country is going for beer and schnaps. I like Vienna very much and have spend a lot of time in this wonderful city. When I talk about Austrians, I exclude the people in Vienna

I also like the Bavarian countryside, but would not want to live there. Hamburg is my place, it is a rich city, with open minded people. No wonder, it´s been Germany´s gate to the world for many centuries.