Elliot's Trackside Diner, DECEMBER, 2012!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Rob: Sorry to hear of your fathers passing. You have my condolences.

*

Been out working on the van. I found the power drain. It's the wiper motor causing it. As I see it there are two options. #1 I can replace it which means getting together the money for it. #2 I can locate the hot wire going to it and wire in a switch that I can turn on/off. My wallet is screaming for the second option.

[Anonymous]

Rob - I am sorry to read about your Dad´s passing. Petra´s and my to you!

[Cederstrand]

Mint tea, please.

***Garry, really like the layout pic. Nice work!

Cheers!  Rob

[Anonymous]

Good Evening!

Currently, it is - 3 C and a light drizzle - what that means for road conditions I don´t have to tell. Those folks who went Christmas shopping in Hamburg are in for a surprise on their way home.

The loco body is now nearing completion. It was really challenging today, with all these minute parts! The worst part was, that the instructions are just not worth the name, and without the help of pictures I have found in the Internet I would have been totally lost.

Today´s achievement looks like this:

Lots of nice detail!

Completing the body won´t be much of a job, but that will have to wait until after the holidays.

[galaxy]

Still blustery and cold outside....

Plow came around...

well,

I napped for an hour after MOH left, then spent 1/2 hour doing the leftover dishes, 3.5 hours shredding papers into three packed bags for recycle, spent 1 hour cleaning the bathroom and cleaning out the bathroom cupboards and off the counter top, 1/2 hr at lunch, and now the remaining hour before MOH comes home will be spent relaxing my back. MOH will ask what I did today, so I have my answer down pat.

I brought in the can and recycle bin when they came so they didn't blow around,

Now, wouldn't you figure ti...USUALLY the garbage truck comes around at about 11-11:30 am, and the recycle at noon-noon thirty. But today is the odd pickup day before Christmas, cuz our usually pick up day IS Christmas, and they won't do it. SO today and next Saturday is our pickup days of the holidays. Only 3 people on the road had it out today! NOW..I KNEW they would be early...and I got one bag smack full of shredded bits out for the trucks..BUT today the RECYCLE came FIRST, and the garbage came 1.5 hours later! SO. now I have 2 bags of shredded bits for next Saturday and one bag of odd envelopes and crap that doesn't need to be shredded. I wish they did it the usual way, then I could have gotten off another bag of shredded bits.

Well, I am exhausted.

Need to get the HUMIDIFIER going. Its a new one. FIlterless so that will be better savings. what we would have spent on filters for 2 months only is the cost of the filterless!Bought it a month ago and haven't cracked the box yet.

Whew...I am tired just reading what I did.

Odered a new coat and some flannel and microfleece pants.Wanna bet it got screwed up? Yep.hte UPS addy wasn't correct,BUT they got schmartz and turned it over to the Post Office, but i will probably have to go get it! At least maybe this time it will get here.

well, MOH be home in a 1/2. so off I go.

 

 

[chochowillie]

TC - Very vividly remember it  Not really all that bad a memory at all really.

[tcwright973]

Dennis - Remember the good old days of being on the end of a two & a half inch line in below zero weather.

[JeremyB]

chochowillie

JeremyB

Thats nothing Jeff wait until it gets down to -30c here

-21 ^°C

Observed at:

Red Deer Regional Airport

Date:

9:00 AM MST Saturday 22 December 2012

• Condition:

  Light Snow

   

  Pressure:

  102.9 kPa

   

  Tendency:

  falling

   

   

  Visibility:

  2 km

   

  Air Quality Health Index:

  N/A

   

• Temperature:

  -20.5°C

   

  Dewpoint:

  -24.7°C

   

  Humidity:

  69 %

   

  Wind:

  ENE 5 km/h

   

  Wind Chill:

  -25

   

  Will this do? This is what I got up to this AM

You can keep that weather out in Alberta and out of Ontario Dennis

[chochowillie]

Heartland Division CB&Q

 

   Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chochowillie]

JeremyB

Thats nothing Jeff wait until it gets down to -30c here

-21 ^°C

Observed at:

Red Deer Regional Airport

Date:

9:00 AM MST Saturday 22 December 2012

• Condition:

  Light Snow

   

  Pressure:

  102.9 kPa

   

  Tendency:

  falling

   

   

  Visibility:

  2 km

   

  Air Quality Health Index:

  N/A

   

• Temperature:

  -20.5°C

   

  Dewpoint:

  -24.7°C

   

  Humidity:

  69 %

   

  Wind:

  ENE 5 km/h

   

  Wind Chill:

  -25

   

  Will this do? This is what I got up to this AM

[JeremyB]

Morning all.

Cold out again here, -8c but at least we don't have snow, well not alot just a few flurries falling.

I was up today at 5:30 ready to start the day and I went and laid on the couch and fell asleep until 9:45 so I will try to start the day now,lol.

Not much planned other then house cleaning and laundry, the norm. We are heading to the the wifes sister later on tonight when she is done work at 6pm for a quick Christmas visit. Well off to do chores and maybe tackle that Sherman kit.

[GMTRacing]

Good Morning All,

   35F and s..wing this morning. A nice change from all the rain we've been getting. I'm in the shop doing some gov't w..k today on another of the Focai we have. At least for the weekend we have a respite from the nearly nonstop funeral processions (we're about a 1/4 mile from the center of town). Thankfully most of the media have taken a hint and have left so we're more left with ourselves and perhaps we can now get on with the healing. I do want to thank those of you who have sent your thoughts, prayers and sympathy. It is a comfort and hopefully helps the families most affected as well.

   After doing drops and connections all week in the evenings I finally have the main lines done and running. I still have some sticky track over one of  the bridges but I made a tool to spread the rails to gauge so we'll see how that goes tonight. 

   Jeff - hope you have luck finding your electrical fault. If you can reach both the regulator and the battery connection at the same time, by putting your hand on the regulator while hooking up the battery  you should be able to feel the click in the regulator as the points open up. If the wipers are the culprit they will park in a variety of different spots when cycled if those points are sticking.

    Well, coffees here - back to the Focus.    J.R.   

[jeffrey-wimberly]

howmus

Near blizzard conditions here in the Finger Lakes this morning.  Sideways snow, not much in accumulations except for where the wind dumps it.  Currently 28°F with 20mph winds and gusts up to 41mph.

I'm hoping we don't get any snow or ice storms this year, certainly no snow.It's a rare sight here, rare enough that there's no equipment to clear even a small accumulation. They have to make do with regular construction equipment. Ever seen a bulldozer or grader being used as a snowplow? Quite a sight! Especially when the 'plow' is the regular earth moving blade. They find high spots and curbs real quick! The usual snowfall here, when it does come on those rare occasions is around one to two inches. But half an inch is sufficient to get Fort Polk shut down, the roads closed and school cancelled. Worse than a snowfall if we get snow followed by an ice storm! An already bad situation goes from bad to worse and worse becomes extremely dangerous. Many of the people here have no experience driving on snow and ice nor are they equipped for it. The last bad winter we had here, back in the late 90's had the roads covered in snow and ice. You could hardly walk on the stuff and driving on it was near impossible. Well, a farmer who lived out near the Texas line decided he needed to go to town to pick up a shipment of cattle feed that was ready to be picked up. All he had to do was get there. Well this guy was a transplant from Vermont and was an old hand at driving in those conditions. He had kept his old snow chains (they're illegal here) just in case. He put them on his truck and set off on the near twenty mile drive to Leesville. He drove slowly and carefully, his chain clad tires breaking up the ice nicely. By the time he got to town he had a convoy of nearly a dozen police units that had been stranded along the highway following him. Think any of them had anything to say about him breaking the law by using chains? None of them said a word about it. He picked up his shipment of feed and made it back home without incident.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Looks like the world did not end, but for a while I thought it would blow away. It has been so windy. 

Here are so mill gons being switched at the rolling mill to haul away new structural steel.

[tcwright973]

Good morning everybody,

Well, it had to happen sometime I guess. There was just enough of that white stuff that I had to dig out the snow shovel this morning. Temperatures weren't too bad, around 30 degrees. However, there was a thin coating of ice on the steps and walk, so I had to throw some calcium chloride to get the melting process started.

No railfanning this weekend, just a lot of house cleaning as we are hosting Christmas dinner again this year. Except for last year, we have had the family for probably the last 40 years. Last year the wife had just been released from the nursing home and rehab, so my nephew and his family hosted because the wife was basically stuck living in our dining room.  Don't get me wrong, it's great to have everyone here, but it is an awful lot of work. Or maybe I'm just getting too old.

Todd - When I was growing up in the 40's & 50's, every little town and suburb outside of Pittsburgh had it's own little business district. If you couldn't find what you wanted in one, it was a short walk or ride on the streetcar to the next one. Around here, their demise can be directly linked to the arrival of the "Shopping Mall." I can say that my Mom & Dad did not do much shopping at the mall. Mainly because my Dad never owned a car or even had a drivers license. So we only went where the streetcars did. Or on special and rare occasion, we took a yellow cab. Great fun for a kid with little fold down seats in the rear. The small "Mom & Pop" stores were great, because the owners always knew what my Mom wanted when she sent me to the store. That personal relationship between the customer and the store keeper is what I miss the most. It's a different time now, but that doesn't mean I don't miss some of the old times.

[Cederstrand]

Strong coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please.

***Ray, try to avoid getting heat-stroke there.

Have a good day all.

Cheers! Rob

[howmus]

(Door opens....  Wind blows snow through diner...  Stomping of feet is heard...  Struggle to shut door ensues....)

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe...  Coffee!  Lots of hot dark roast coffee in a FGLK Mug please.  Bowl of hot steamy oatmeal would be good too.  Thank you Ma'am.  I'll be sitting in the back by the wood stove as soon as I get the hat, gloves, coat, and boots cleaned of the stuff from the Blizzard outside!

"We're having a Heatwave..., Tropical Heatwave...."  Near blizzard conditions here in the Finger Lakes this morning.  Sideways snow, not much in accumulations except for where the wind dumps it.  Currently 28°F with 20mph winds and gusts up to 41mph.  All kinds of travel advisories and warnings not to mention some warning of power outages.  Good day to finish wrapping presents, bake cookies, and tend the wood stove...

Have a good day and stay safe where ever you are!

73

(edit:  Eat up folks...  Looks like the tab for the rest of the morning is on me!)

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TA462

Garry, now that is one cartoon I've never seen before, lol.  Going to have to steal it.

Where you been? That ones been around for years.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Coffee and biscuits and gravy please. Oh and could you pitch some hashbrowns on there too? Thanks.

It’s cold. That’s all I’ll say about the weather. It’s cold.

Ray- I wish we had Mom and Pops to patronize. I listen to your trips to these small places and I’m reminded about the way things used to be. I wish things were the same here. I wouldn’t mind going to several small places. Just not too many left, and those that are are all but impossible to get to. Downtown Springfield is not for the weak.

In fact, a buddy of mine and I were just talking about that the other day. It would be fantastic if what was left of the buildings in Williamsville contained businesses. We were suggesting things they could be and should, should, make it. Problem is, Williamsville has turned into a bed and breakfast for those w**king in Springfield. They do everything but sleep there and do not support small businesses here. They think the small stores should have the same prices as Walmart.

I don't get it. They talk of how they love the small towns and all their charm....well they don't do anything but make a ghost town and a subdivision. Oh and want a stoplight....somewhere. Aaaaaalways whining for a stoplight. No real need for one, I guess they just feel they need a stoplight...somewhere.Yuppies. 

When I was a kid, they had supermarkets in Springfield like Kroger and…..oh can’t think of the name of the other one they had. And Mom would generally go to those for groceries. Can’t remember any Mom and Pop grocery store othern Curry’s here in Williamsville. Couldn’t really do your full weekly shopping there, but they did have a surprising amount of stuff packed in there. Aisles were wide enough for one of those small carts. It’s the restaurant now and from time to time, someone will stop in and look around saying “I remember…..”. It made it up into the '80's a few years after the IGA came. It too is gone. Shop-N-Save was cheaper. Now they cry because "we need a grocery store here". I say we had one. Two actually. Did you shop there? "well no. but they were too expensive. They need to be competeive with Shop-N-Save or Walmart."  Sometimes not having a solid object in your hands is a good thing. 

Does it mean you’re old when you actually enjoy talking about the way things used to be?

Rob- I’m sorry to hear of your Fathers passing.

Yes Jerry, Sally is still in my prayers here as well. You too.

G- I kinda like the tidbits, but if you’re getting tired of it, maybe a Sunday tidbit or weekend tidbits.

Welp, today is…..cold. No, today is a do what Brenda wants me to do day. Not sure what that will entail, but since I have no real plans to do anything, she will most assuredly assist me in my endeavor to be…..productive. Whatever the day brings, will probably be not conducive to a nap.

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

galaxy

Snowy, blustery and all. The storm is circling back on us, hope it doesn't mean  Nor'Easter that will sit and spin for days on end. We already have 6 of the next 7 days forecast to SNOW.

Keep that sn*w north of Shreveport and we'll get along just fine.

galaxy

The problem is all the meds I take though, help to destroy my teeeth.

I know what you mean. Some of the meds I have to take don't do wonders for my teeth either.

[galaxy]

26* F here and "real Feel" {R to accuweather} of 6F!

Snowy, blustery and all. The storm is circling back on us, hope it doesn't mean  Nor'Easter that will sit and spin for days on end. We already have 6 of the next 7 days forecast to SNOW.

The wind cuts right throught the trailer.

We just done with so much rain the rivers/creeks are high.

Well, I have things to do today. I took yesterday off as all I did was run around adn do things since My injections last tueday.

I still have my tooth, we are going to try to let it ride,Ihave antibiotic to fill if need be, we are just bascially postponing the inevitable, but I can hang on tho the tooth awhile longer if ti remains uninfected and unabsessed. It is harder to get a bottom partial to cover the missing teeth there, but we will see. Maybe i will have to get one to chew food with. The problem is all the meds I take though, help to destroy my teeeth. If I could live without one of the 24 mediacations I would iin a heartbeat! at one time it was 29 until i went to the Dr and siad :I think we can eliminate these 5".

Well, It si so cold i don't feel like doing much, but have to!!!

se ya later

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

Jeff didn’t you install a different key switch in that van a couple years ago?  Could one of the spliced wires have come loose enough to be causing a problem?

I put another steering column in it but that was a replacement taken from a van of the same year and model. There was no need to splice anything as all the connections were the same. The ignition switch has however exhibited problems.

*

Good morning. It's 29°F (-2°C) with 100% humidity. It'll be mostly sunny with a high of 65°F (18°C).


Cold here this morning. At least the wind is out of the south, so it's not coming off the lake. Where I am, the lake is to the north and west. On a day like today a wind coming from either of those directions would make you think you have icicles on your nose and ears. You can bet I won't be going outside anytime soon.

Later today I may get the chance to take a better look under the hood of my van and find out what's clicking in there when I hook the battery up. With the key turned off there shouldn't be power going to anything. So this could be a fault of whatever is making that click or it could be a fault of the ignition switch. I'll at least have to look for it otherwise I'm going to be obsessed with it to the point of rudeness. It's quite easy (and common) for me to do that. People who know me either accept it or make allowances for it. It is however the driving force in my model railroad projects. It's not so much something I want to do as it is something I have to do. I get started on rebuilding a loco and it's like I become obsessed with it almost to the point of all else. Oh well. It is what it is and things are what they are. The world moves on.

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Dull windy and snowy today and it i, perforce, CCOLD out here!!!

Got stuff to do today as well....gotta do dis!!!

CYABYE!!!!!! ZOOOOOM!!!

[LSWrr]

Good morning,

Jeff didn’t you install a different key switch in that van a couple years ago?  Could one of the spliced wires have come loose enough to be causing a problem?

Jim, I use one of those florescent desk lamps with the magnifying glass myself on several projects.

Today I plan on finishing up the gondola project then move on to the Proto 2K box cars.

["JaBear"]

Evening All, just a cup of hot chocolate please.

Not long returned from taking her-in-doors to the latest James Bond movie,she's a big fan so I'm in the good books for.............. 

JR. I see that you're coming into Auckland and if I remember correctly you're racing at Ruapuna Raceway. Guess you're going to be busy and while not knowing your itinerary is, here's a couple of sites that may help to take your mind off things at home, at least for a moment.

http://www.railfan.org.nz/

http://www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz/tranzalpine/?gclid=CP_x2YP6rbQCFQZcpQod1mMArA

http://www.steamscene.co.nz/

Haven''t been to the last two though the Tans Alpine is on our to-do list, preferably one of the steam hauled excursions. 

Currently 0109 hours, 23 December,  62 F with a forecast high today of 75 F so off to bed for me.

Thoughts and Beat Wishes to All who need them.

Cheers, the Bear

[kbkchooch]

Morning y'all! 

Flo, coffee please, in a big holiday themed mug!

2nd interview went well yesterday. Met the owner of the company, and got a tour of the assembly plant from the company comptroller. Just waiting for an answer. They say they will have an decision by January 2nd! I can't wait. If I can get out of the car business and not die, I will be sooooo happy! 

Brrrr. it's 36 degrees and windy out there. Weatherguesser says winds at 20 mph, with  gusts to 35, chilly! I set up a large scale train in the front garden , blew over. Basketball set, blown over, just missed the back of the Oldsmobile (whew). Sticks,twigs,leaves everywhere!

Today is the first of several Christmas celebrations for us. Today is the day we do Christmas for the kids. We will have all  5 of the boys, 3 grandsons,1 DIL, 1 future DIL, and MIL & FIL here in the house.

The Grandsons will also get their layout today. It was too big for Santa to put in his sleigh, so he had it shipped here so I could set it up and check it, then take it to their house tomorrow. At least thats our story, and were sticking to it! I'll kinda miss having it here, cuz its the only continuous loop in the house right now. However, it will be nice to have a garage bay back!

Then Christmas day is a low key affair, again with the in-laws, then the 26th is the day my side of the family comes together, before we again disperse to the south and the left coast.

So today is for the kids, then a few day to recoup then well do it all over again. Hopefully I will get some pics of some really wide eyed lil guys today!!

Cya l8ter!

  

[galaxy]

Morning Coffee...

GOOD MORNIING!!!

Today we are STILL HERE!!!

Since the Mayan's forecast didn't come true, I thought maybe "speak of the Devil" {as in apocalypse}, might be appropriate, if he, too, had appeared{?}:

Meaning:

A reference to someone who appears unexpectedly while being talked about

Origin:

This phrase is used to acknowledge the coincidence of someone arriving at a scene just at the time that they are being talked about. Clearly, nothing sinister is implied by this and it is just a jokey way of referring to the person's appearance. In fact, many people using the phrase might not be aware that, prior to the 20th century, the term wasn't meant lightheartedly at all. The full form goes like this - "speak of the Devil and he will appear". The phrase originated in England, where it was, and still is, more often given as 'talk of the Devil'.

The phrase is old and appears in various Latin and Old English texts from the 16th century. The Italian writer Giovanni Torriano has the first recorded version in contemporary English, in Piazza Universale, 1666:

"The English say, Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow."

Also, in 'Cataplus, a mock Poem', 1672 - re-printed in Hazlitt's Proverbs

"Talk of the Devil, and see his horns."

These both imply that the term was widely known by the mid-17th century. It enshrined the superstitious belief that it was dangerous to mention the Devil by name. This prohibition was strong, like the prohibition on speaking the name of God. The numerous synonyms for the Devil - Old Nick, Prince of Darkness, the Horned One etc. are no doubt a consequence of this.

People may not have believed that the mention of the Devil would cause him to actually appear. Shakespeare, for example, uses the term quite often. In The Comedy or Errors:

"Marry, he must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil."

Nevertheless, an open reference to the Devil or the occult was considered, at the very least, unlucky and best avoided. This belief was reinforced by the clergy. Richard Chenevix Trench, Dean of Westminster, 1856-63, wrote:

"'Talk of the devil and he is bound to appear' contains a very needful warning against curiosity about evil."

The original phrase began to lose its power during the 19th century. By then it began to appear as a homily warning against eavesdropping, as here from the Stevens Point Journal, Wisconsin, February 1892:

"No good of himself does a listener hear, Speak of the devil he's sure to appear"

The migration away from anything sinister, or even serious, continued when the phrase was taken up as an Ozzy Osbourne album title. The record company did hold with literary tradition though, by issuing it as 'Talk of the Devil' in the UK.

 

I believe for the the begining of the new year, I will stop these sayings and tidbits, perhaps find something else to amuse you with? And maybe not?

 

Meanwhile, I will have the prayer candles lit so the devil doesn't come near. OFr those who have lost loved ones, or who need our thoughts and prayers...

[Anonymous]

Good Morning!

December 22nd - which means we have survived the Mayan prediction of the world coming to an end on December 21st!

Just looked outside, only to find out, that we got a dusting of snow this morning. It isn´t here to stay, the weather guessers are predicting temperatures of up to 45F for the holidays. There goes our chance for a White Christmas.

Didn´t do any work on the kit yesterday, as I did not feel up to par. Our son called - guess who won´t be with us for the holidays! His GF has caught the flu, so he has to take care of her. While I feel sorry for her, I am also a little sad and mad. That girl is no good for him and I do hope he wakes up in time to see that. Why can´t he fall in love with a healthy, beautiful young woman, marry her and have kids with her? With that GF of his, the prospect of having grandchildren is close to nil. I start to fancy go-between marriages...

Well, I have to get ready for the day. I have to take Petra to town for the weekend grocery shopping. She does not like driving with snow on the roads. The afternoon will see some more work on the kit!

Jerry - good to see you again. My to Sallie and you!

A la prochaine, cher amis et bon weekend!

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

TIPTON