Ulrich, Is it coming down under?
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
Good Morning on this last day of the year 2012!
Well, I am in a somewhat low mood today. Another year has passed, and none of the things I wanted to achieve this year materialized. Still no job in sight, in spite of all the efforts I have put in to finding one. My dream of living in a log cabin by a lake somewhere in the US or Canada moved out of reach a few more steps and we all are another year older - time for sentimental thoughts. I guess I should be just grateful we have come through this year unscathed.
I have some ideas about the diner´s next month/year location. Should I have the honors of moving it, I´ll let you know next year!
Have a good day!
Morning coffee made with melted sn*w.....
GOOD MORNING!!!
Today is Monday, December 31, 2012!!!
Happy New year's EVE!!!
Ye shall recognize me, as I shall have "A Feather In My Cap"...SO:
Meaning:
A symbol of honor and achievement
Origin:
The placing of a feather in a hat has been a symbol of achievement that has arisen in several cultures, apparently independently. The English writer and traveller Richard Hansard recorded it in his Description of Hungary, 1599:
"It hath been an antient custom among them [Hungarians] that none should wear a fether but he who had killed a Turk, to whom onlie yt was lawful to shew the number of his slaine enemys by the number of fethers in his cappe."
The Native American tradition of adding a feather to the head-dress of any warrior who performed a brave act is well known.
The figurative use of the phrase 'a feather in his hat' was in use in the UK by the 18th century; for example, in a letter from the Duchess of Portland to a Miss Collingwood, in 1734:
"My Lord ... esteems it a feather in his hat, that ..."
The children's rhyme Yankee Doodle is the best known use of the phrase.
Yankee Doodle went to town, Riding on a pony; He stuck a feather in his cap, And called it macaroni.
There are many version of the lyric. It has been suggested that this version originated with the British forces in the American War of Independence, in an attempt to mock the revolutionary militia. 'Doodle' was 18th century British slang for simpleton (a.k.a. noodle) and 'macaroni' was slang for a dandy or fop. The latter originated with the Macaroni Club, a group of London aesthetes who were anxious to establish their sophistication by demonstrating a preference for foreign cuisine. The thinking behind the theory is that the Yankees were so stupid as to believe that putting a feather in one's cap would make them appear fashionable.
I hope you all have a SAFE New Year's Eve, and don't get "three sheets to the wind" tonight!!!, SO:
Naturally, It means stone DRUNK
It seems to come directly from sailors. A ship sailed best when 4 sets of sails {also called 'sheets'} on the 4 masts were working. Sometimes only 3 were working as the fourth wasn't working or didn't get set up. When a ship was using only 3 masted sails {'sheets'} they were in trouble if a strong gale wind hit them. The ship, tossed on the sea, would be similar to a drunkard. So, when someone was drunk and toddled along tipsy turvy, he was said to be "three sheets to the wind".
{Of course, there may be alternative daffy-nitions!}
The prayer candles will be lit at 8 am
-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.
Good Morning! from Tipton IN.
Monday, December 31, 2012
IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE!
TIPTON
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Well it's time to call it a night here. See y'all tomorrow.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
GMTRacing Jeff - nice work ! Have the Sundown shops looked into one of those drill fixtures for the Athearn coupler boxes that allows the use of screws instead of clips or glue? That was quite some pileup you had.
Ah - back again. Don't get out much eh Ray? You can catch Dick and Guy at Madame Toussaints wax museum these days (as in "I think they're dead Jim) Of course Madame Toussaint also has a new museum open in Sydney next to the Marine Aquarium.
Oldest son and DIL are venturing (by train) to Times Square with friends tomorrow night so we have dog sitting duty. Along with Rupert and Amelia (aka Rattie) we will be hosting Allie McBeale and Grover the very enthusiastic black Lab puppy. No question we'll be up past midnight with that lot.
Jerry - your baseball diamond will give a whole new meaning to the term "Steaming towards home"! (there's one for you Galaxy).
Ken - we ended up with the better part of 6" of s..w. Can we ship some ice and slush your way to coat your local roads? We'd be obliged if you took it off our hands. Really.
Jeff - nice work ! Have the Sundown shops looked into one of those drill fixtures for the Athearn coupler boxes that allows the use of screws instead of clips or glue? That was quite some pileup you had.
Bama - my sympathies on the Landy water pump. Hopefully an older Land Rover? at least you can get to those. The newer ones had recycled BOP 215cu in V-8's which were non too easy to wrench on new.
Besides work in the shop today I also had to deal with the alternator in my daughters TSX Acura. Not too bad a job but whoever designed the routing for the serpentine belt spent way to much time in corn mazes! Good grief .
We never worried too much about critters here but lately we've had deer and a fox in the backyard (and we're in the middle of the city of Danbury. At the shop we have all that and coyotes as well so we have to check before we let the dogs rn in the field out back - especially Rattie who weighs all of 7 lbs soaking wet .Haven't seen any wolves yet but we see reports of black bears just north of us and one large cat though the official folk say it ain't so. Time to call it a night. Catch y'all tomorrow, J.R.
Evenin y'all!
Been a productive weekend at the Poplar Grove shops! 1st, we finally got these Chessie BL2's done, and email their owner to let him know they were ready.Then it was all hands on deck, lets kill off the little projects before we get back on the Midland power build!
So open went the Walthers bay window kit late yesterday, and paint was flying. Today, lettering and the complete build, tomorrow weathering. Then a half dozen other engines need some minor stuff done, 2 cars to decal, then the Midland units that have been sitting since last spring will be taking up all the shop space, til they are done!! There are other projects to do, but they involve complete builds and/or rebuilds, and they are gonna have to wait!
Well, I better toddle off to bed, before I get like Ray. Honestly Ray, you sin's house? And I don't know if news travels slow out in the sticks or what, but Guy Lombardo has been gone since 1977, and Dick Clark died last year. There is a limit on what makeup can do, and I think weve passed it!
Cya in the a.m. for coffee, then maybe me & CSX Road Slug will be taking a cruise to a no so LHS!
Karl
NCE über alles!
Good Evening All,
I will go back and catch up posts in a sec but here is the rough yard layout as of tonight. The plan is to use Fergie cables to manually throw the turnouts and avoid a wiring nightmare. The mainline turnouts are all Peco electric operated but the yard will have a seperate switching position.
Catch you in a bit, J.R.
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a decaf for me right now... Thank you Ma'am.
Went over to my sin's house for a soup and sandwich (sloppy joes) meal. Pumpkin pie for desert.
The cold seems to be a bit better today. My family think this the same bug they all had a week ago... some ended up with a cold like, flu like illness and some ended up with a spend lots of time in the Throne Room illness. Rather have the cold myself. We watched the Packers - Vikings game on the idiot box so I have had my years supply of football now. Will be spending New years eve out there as well... Is Guy Lumbago's Band still going to wobble its way through... "the Song"? Who will be holding Dick Clark up this year when the clock hits 12 AM? Will he still look like a teenager again this year? Has make up improved THAT much again? Will he remember why he is there?
Prayers for all in need!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Hey all! Just catching up on things! Been out for a few days as I've had a touch of illness (wife had the flu, guess I had crud since my flu test came back negative). We've also been without internet until last night (our MiFi lost its ability to charge, so we had to wait for Verizon to send us a new one!). Enjoyed a relatively quiet day at home today with the kids and Amy. Threw some chicken legs on the grill, did a pot of mixed veggies (english peas, corn and carrots) and threw together some mac and cheese for dinner. I have to w**k tomorrow which will be fun because I already know what I'm going to be doing (putting a water pump and an alternator on a Land Rover, oh joy!). Should not be an all-day job, but it could be! Might go to our pastor's house to ring in the new year, but not quite sure, Amy's still feeling a little under the weather at times. Speaking of weather, its turned a bit chilly down this way.
Galaxy, by all means, please keep up your tidbits, I really do enjoy reading them!
Oh yeah, to y'all speaking of the wild life coming into the yard, I live on 22.5 acres of land that is mostly hardwood/softwood forest, so my "yard" is also their "yard"! I get squirrel, deer, possums, even the occasional coyote (although the last one that happened by was unwise enough to stay around long enough for me to get my .30-06) Oh yeah, forgot, we've also got turkeys! Of course I've also got a dog and 6 chickens too (actually, AMY has the chickens, I have the dog!)
Welp, that's enough rambling for me, glad to be back in and amongst friends, I think I'll have a big mug of hot chocolate with a few marshmallows thrown on top.
Hi Folks
Flo, Beer to go pleases!
Just a quick hello.
Got home a little late and have to be back at work by 8:00 AM. Don't get off till 6:00 PM if I am lucky? You folks have been gaping a lot! Took sometime to read all the post!
Ken
I hate Rust
galaxy I like to point out the Vikings actaully got to the AMericas {New Foundland} first... {can you tell I'm a full 1/4 Norwegian direct decendant?} Ah...the pedigree, filigree, appogee, apologee.....
I like to point out the Vikings actaully got to the AMericas {New Foundland} first... {can you tell I'm a full 1/4 Norwegian direct decendant?}
Ah...the pedigree, filigree, appogee, apologee.....
Oh, Galaxy - add my 'yes' vote to those who'd like you to continue your - pardon the pun - your tidbits (even if you only do it on the weekends).
Well, looks like the cliff is a'comin'... Time to rein in the budget. I'll stop with that, before that soapbox creeps out from its corner. It might be a very good year for figuring how to get the layout wired, and then use what I have for scenicking, etc.
Oh, yeah, and we have a winter advisory at some point tonight through - IIRC - about noon tomorrow. Luckily, I'm on-call tomorrow, so I won't have to get in to the office anyway.
Stay warm and drive extra safe, if you are nawth of the Mason-Dixon line (Galaxy, you could explain that term to our younger Diners in the morning...). I don't know that our weatherguessers said exactly in what form our projected precipitation will be coming down tonight/tomorrow.
(Oh, Jerry, great job with the ball diamond - no matter about it being across the railroad yards!
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape G.
Cox 47 Afternoon All....Its sunny and 29 here..not posta be so cold tonite....I'll have a double RBF please..Thank You..Been a lazy day here..talked to my Brother in Florida He says its alittle cool but much better than here..I was thinking I am ready for baseball to start so I can watch a Cards game on Sunday afternoons!...The Greenup Mud Puppies are getting in alittle practice.. They were dead last in the class D Lower Midwest League last year... You all have a good one...Jerry
Afternoon All....Its sunny and 29 here..not posta be so cold tonite....I'll have a double RBF please..Thank You..Been a lazy day here..talked to my Brother in Florida He says its alittle cool but much better than here..I was thinking I am ready for baseball to start so I can watch a Cards game on Sunday afternoons!...The Greenup Mud Puppies are getting in alittle practice..
They were dead last in the class D Lower Midwest League last year...
You all have a good one...Jerry
Jerry! .......... The Superintendent said to install a diamond in the trackwork, but he had something else in mind! ............ Seriously, that's a nice job making the basball field. .... Also, praying for Sallie's health.
Curt ..... I like the reefers!
Home front. ....... Kids and grandkids are gone now. Sassy, the cat, feels more comfortable without small children around her. ..... It's birthday season for our 5 adult kids. 1 had a b'day 10 days ago. 2 have b'days tomorrow, December 31st (not same birth year), one has a b'day in 5 days, and another has a b'day in 2 weeks. ...... We ate a lot of b'day cakes when they were young.
The Diner front .......... Where will we go for January?
It's good seeing everybody here. Has Sue been in lately? Duke? Der John?
I recall John Reid was about to take a break so he could be with Mrs. Reid as she recovers from knee surgery. Anybody hear how that situation is now?
Speaking of knee surgery, one of my MRR friends here had his wife have double knee replacement surgery 3 weeks ago. Another MRR friend's wife will have single knee replacement surgery next week.
Layout Front ..... Not much to report. I did assemble a PRR boxcar kit. This is one of the Branchline Blueprint Series cars from before Atlas acquired Branchline. These kits have a lot of fine details.
Ken .... If you can have "Fronts", so can I. ..... That is a big dog in the picture!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Evening All,
Just finished supper and thinking about a cup of coffee.
Had a good time with the grandkids today for a couple of hours. After they left I soldered power leads on the TT approach track and the outer main. I also put ties under the areas that need them. Looking forward to my friend showing up next Saturday so that I can start progressing on the rest of the layout project.
Here are 3 Roundhouse Billboard cars that I just finished weathering with AIM powders.
Hope everyone has a good night and prayers for those in need.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/
LSWrr Richhotrain, Oh yes the AMTRAK Bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River, I know it well. The bridge was a swing bridge and was replaced by a lift bridge. A public notice was issued before it was replaced and nobody contested the 97 foot clearance the lift bridge would offer. Once the lift bridge was built a company owning 7 schooners complained that his vessels were 6 feet too tall to fit under the lift. The schooners were invited to cut 6 feet off their masts since they didn’t respond to the public notices or attend the public meetings. We just installed new motors on that bridge this past year…. Burlington, I got your list and sent it off to my N-Scale friends, thanks.
Richhotrain, Oh yes the AMTRAK Bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River, I know it well. The bridge was a swing bridge and was replaced by a lift bridge. A public notice was issued before it was replaced and nobody contested the 97 foot clearance the lift bridge would offer. Once the lift bridge was built a company owning 7 schooners complained that his vessels were 6 feet too tall to fit under the lift. The schooners were invited to cut 6 feet off their masts since they didn’t respond to the public notices or attend the public meetings. We just installed new motors on that bridge this past year….
Burlington, I got your list and sent it off to my N-Scale friends, thanks.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
well I suppose I should make my list of stuff that I'm going to sell, I saw your post LWSRR I'll send a PM when it's done.
Afternoon guys
Just got off from work, and had a bit of drama with Brooke (really attractive female co-worker who is also a friend I actually hang out with time to time). Apparently my boss noted I was in a bad mood the other day, and another co-worker (brooke's best friend) said something about me and brooke hanging out; and my boss though we were dating. My boss has a rule about no dating co-workers, and kinda thinks of me as one of her kids. So my boss called brooke and told her something about being nice to me, and about dating. I sent brooke a picture of Delilah (my puppy) and she kinda flips out on me, thinking I was telling people we were dating (we're just friends and we hang out from time to time, I didn't tell anyone at work we ate out once together; brooke did). I get to work and ask her what was wrong, and she sicks the manager on duty on me. I ended up asking the co-worker who told my boss what was going on. So we both ended up using one the the coworker as mediator until we find out the problem. We both realized it was niether of our faults, but our boss's fault. Brooke apologized, and I stuck my hand out and said "we cool now?" Brooke said yeah and asked for a hug... So drama caused by a misunderstanding between my boss and a coworker.
Don't think I'm going to mess with trains today, I'm watching the Packer's game now.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
TA462 richhotrain TA462 2-0 Canada VS the US. TA, I thought that you were banned from the Diner? Rich Then how am I going to eat???
richhotrain TA462 2-0 Canada VS the US. TA, I thought that you were banned from the Diner? Rich
TA462 2-0 Canada VS the US.
2-0 Canada VS the US.
TA,
I thought that you were banned from the Diner?
Rich
Then how am I going to eat???
LOL
You should have been around the night that I was flipping burgers and serving crow's pie.
Alton Junction
rdgk1se3019A redneck snowman would have on a flannel shirt (with the sleeves cut off), a pickup truck with a rebel flag on it, a can of beer in one hand and a blazing Bar-B-Q going on.
*
Good morning. It's 37° with 61% humidity. It'll be partly cloudy with a high of 52°.Despite this mornings balmy temperature it did get down to 26° this morning right about dawn then came back above freezing after a couple of hours. So much for the BIG freeze the weather guesser was shouting about.Today I'll be inspecting coupler boxes that were glued in place. I have a mess to clean up on the layout. It's left over from the DCC conversion yesterday. There was an uncoupling and derailment last night just past the Johnson mill north of Sundown that resulted in six cars going to ground. A 29 foot container was broken open and a gondola load of lead sheets was spilled. The train was heading to the Sundown turn that loops around back to Knutzville. There was a Diamond Chemicals tank car involved as well as a Magnolia Petroleum tank car. After an initial inspection the scene was deemed safe. The guys from the Sundown shops were busy with that one. The cause has been determined to be a Kadee coupler box that pulled loose from the Diamond Chemical car. The car ran over the box and derailed causing a five car pileup behind it. It was the eleventh unit in the train. The line back to Knutzville was not blocked.
LSWrr Good morning all, Richhotrain, I just happen to have access to all the permit files for most bridges built after 1899 in Chicago. The original blueprints are in those files. So if you have questions feel free to ask. I manage the maintenance, operations, and regulations on almost 3,000 bridges throughout the Great Lakes in my day job. If the bridge replaced a pre-1899 bridge I may have some limited insight to the original structure and why it was replaced. My work email is: Lee.D.Soule@uscg.mil if you have bridge questions. I also publish a weekly email summary of bridge projects I’m working on. If you wish to receive that you can request to be added to the bang list.
Good morning all,
Richhotrain, I just happen to have access to all the permit files for most bridges built after 1899 in Chicago. The original blueprints are in those files. So if you have questions feel free to ask. I manage the maintenance, operations, and regulations on almost 3,000 bridges throughout the Great Lakes in my day job. If the bridge replaced a pre-1899 bridge I may have some limited insight to the original structure and why it was replaced. My work email is: Lee.D.Soule@uscg.mil if you have bridge questions. I also publish a weekly email summary of bridge projects I’m working on. If you wish to receive that you can request to be added to the bang list.
Lee, I very much appreciate that offer, and I might take you up on it.
I am planning to kitbash/scratch build the PRR lift bridge at Alton Junction. I have several sources of data about the bridge, but your offer may prove invaluable. I would be particularly interested in the design and operation of the sheaves.
I will get back to you. Thank you once again.
jeffrey-wimberly Hmm, a redneck snowman. Would that be with or without a straw hat and corncob pipe?
That sounds like more of a farmboy snowman.
A redneck snowman would have on a flannel shirt (with the sleeves cut off), a pickup truck with a rebel flag on it, a can of beer in one hand and a blazing Bar-B-Q going on.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a nice big bowl of hot cream of wheat with brown sugar and my usual dark roast cofee this morning. Thank You Ma'am!
Todd, so with #3 you get eggroll? I have always been a big fan of freshly made eggrolls as I was introduced to them by a musician with whom I studied Pipe Organ many, many years ago. She was from the Philippines, but was directly descended from the Royal Family of China. Her part of the family escaped to the Philippines. Her daughters helped pay their college costs by making 30 or 40 dozen eggrolls (the Springroll sized ones) on weekends when they were home. The parents could have easily just given them the $$$ but they believed in teaching their children the value of hard work! The lady used to do a lot of local entertaining of the "Upper Crust" from the hospital where her husband was the head of radiology so they put in a full restaurant style kitchen in their home....
The sun appears to be shining outside at the moment... If I had a way to get some of the more than a foot of snow off the solar panels, the system might actually turn on and run today.
I have been fighting a cold the past few days. Last night before bed, I just couldn't get warm and was shivering badly. I spent close to an hour laying on the carpet next to the wood stove which was cranked up pretty good. felt good, but as soon as I went to bed, the chills returned. Nose was running a constant stream and had to get up and visit the little room at the end of the hall every couple hours all night. This morning I feel a bit better so I guess I am getting over whatever it was.
Catch you all later!
Morning All,
We had our Christmas get together last night because my daughter read her husbands schedule wrong, but it worked out. We had a pasta dish for supper with salad. I received some Pennsy videos and a really nice radio in the 40-50's design for the train room. The grand kids did very well.
The grandkids are coming over around 12 today. Peggy has something to do without them, not sure what it is, but that's OK. Depending on how late they stay I may solder some feeder wires to the 2 tracks that are without any issues. My friend will be at the house Sat around 1200 to help me with the reverse loop. It will probably turn out to be something stupid, it usually is.
Jeff- Nice videos.
Everyone take care and prayers for those in need.
Good Morning!!!
Coffee and the Sunday breakfast buffet please, thanks.
Didn’t make it in yesterday. Got to the website and then….. distraction.
Galaxy- Yes please continue. Admittedly I don’t read every one all the way through because either I know somewhat (rarely more like it), or that particular phrase or term doesn’t exactly interest me, and I’m sure that’s the same with everything for everybody. I don’t exactly care for every episode of a favorite TV show either, but I don't want them to take it off the air. Same with posts. I’m sure most everyone of us has skipped over a part of someone’s post at some time, like I’m sure some of you don’t find my little dealings with the waitresses amusing just because I do, but some have gotten a chuckle. But that doesn’t mean we want anyone to stop posting. Not everyone can say something that appeals to every person every single time. I enjoy trivial knowledge, if you wanna call it that, and enjoy reading, or at least scanning them. I have even used the new found knowledge a time or two in conversation. Thanks for the effort!!
Maybe someday I’ll post why the eggrolls in the United States look different than they do in China, or rather Asia I suppose…. Never had one in Korea so I don’t know if they even have them. Hm Odd as much time as I spent there. I have a friend who’s wife is Vietnamese, she and her parents came over when she was like 8. I don’t think the Mother speaks a lick more of English than “lazy!” and “you not waste rice!”. And her eggrolls look like the Chinese ones or what we call Spring Rolls. And it….is railroad related too. In fact, the railroad is a big part of why ours are different.
Not much exciting wildlife in old Williamsville. The usual pests of course, raccoons, ‘possums, skunks and toddlers. And of course “Red” the fox who works as the Rodent Control Officer at the elevator. Rumor has it there’s a couple three there, but no one I’ve talked to has personally seen more than one at a time. Hey, they all look the same. The deer pretty much stay in the fields and I haven’t heard of a coyote in town. Sometimes it sounds like it, but probably not. I still think there’s a Bigfoot out there, but most dismiss that.
I think I’ll poke around the forum and then see what happens for the day. Hopefully, not much because I want to start cleaning in Toddland (of which I’m king).
Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!
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.
Lee, We also feed the birds, The past couple of years we have had a coopers hawk or maybe a sharp shin hawk (they look alike) feeding in our yard on the Doves,Quail and what ever he can catch. He is a fierce hunter and has pretty much scared off all our birds. I was worried about him eating my little Maltese so I showed a picture of him to a friend of mine who raises and flies Falcons I found out he is only a bird eater. We can always tell when he is in the area the neighbors chicken go nuts... I would be interested in receiving you bridge emails could I please be added to your list? browntrucker@live.com Thank you.
Thayne
December to April I fill the bird feeders in the back yard and typically I attract way too many sparrows. This little owl I have hunting in my back yard is just laying waste to the sparrows and doves that land on my garage roof for more than a couple of minutes. My neighbor from 3 houses down asked me to stop feeding the birds. I guess the owl’s home is in the tree behind his house and the owl is dropping all the leftovers in his yard. I’m going to try and get pictures of my new Owl for you guys this week.
wish you a great 2013
BTW country bounderies were not always the same as they are today in Europe. Some countries even shared the same king. What are independent countries today might have been provinces (or states) of the same kingdom in the past.
Smile
Paul