morning coffee in the diner..
GOOD SATURDAY MORNING!!!
Today is Saturday, November 16th, 2013!
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!
Today's fun limmerick:
There once was a boy named Lee,Who always threw rocks at a tree.One day when it shivered,Lee shaked and quiveredWhen out shot hundreds of bees!
Today's weird words:
sumpter: a packhorse or mule
rhyparographer:a painter who paints unpleasant or sordid subjects
jacquerie:a peasant revolt, esp. a very bloody one
As used in a sentence:
The rhyparographer sat atop his sumpter painting as the jacquerie took place.
-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 Folks!
A typical gray November morning here in northern Germany - ideal for hiding away in a basement, attic or wherever you do your MRRing!
Janie, I´ll go for a light breakfast this morning, just coffee and a cinnamon roll to munch on, please.
Uploading the pictures of yesterday´s train show to the "bucket" took ages this morning. I forgot to resize them. Quite a number did not turn out well. There was a nice On30 layout which had no layout lighting, so I had to use the flash. Those pics are not worth showing here.
Here are just a few of my favorite ones:
There is a train in that window which actually circles a loop!
The red fan in the car rotates! It´s HO scale!!!!
Scene from a Belgian layout.
A Z scale model of Hamburg-Altona roundhouse.
A Fremo HO scale US-prototype layout.
... and now my favorite layout:
It was built by an elderly gentleman (funny that I write this, I am also regarded as an elderly man) in his late 70´s, based on childhood memories right after WW II. It´s basically just two loops of a light railway going through the streets, hauling the rubble to a barge loading facility. He did an extraordinary good job in capturing the colors of those years. I talked to this guy and asked him why he had chosen such grim scenes. It helped him to work over his bad dreams he got while enduring the air raids in a bomb shelter. He plans on touring German schools with this layout to show kids what Germany (and, in fact, many European cities) looked like when he was their age.
Make it a great day!
Evening all, Chloe, just a hot chocolate please. Looked like a good variety at show Ulrich. Th elderly gents post WWII layout , looks great, especially for a sobering theme, I hope it really did help him. About a month after 9/11 and while it was still a lead item on our evening news, two elder gentlemen were conversing at our local club and while both agreeing what a terrible and tragic event it was, they had both endured some years of it in their childhood. They both inquired where they had been ? Allan, Coventry: Hans, Hamburg. They both sadly commented on mans apparent inability to learn from the past. Two marvelous gentlemen.
Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Morning, All,
I will have,what will be my usual, a cup of high octane, black. Cool this morning.
Ulrich, They sure have some,really skilled Modelers, out your way!
Cheers,
P.S. RB, Keep your chin up, prayers, are with you!
Frank
Good morning. It's 65° with 100% humidity and patchy fog. The high will be 78° with a slight chance of rain. with a No plans set in stone today. I feel much better than I did yesterday. Not so many aches and pains. Today I may see if I can get Oliver out the observation car and into the next car in the train, a coach without getting too many aches and pains or worse getting killed. So far I've positioned three keys, a note and a manual and put in a TV spot for 'Mr Blurry Guy'. Somewhere I'll put in a radio message from 'Mr static Voice'.
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
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a short stack of Buckwheat Pancakes with real NYS Maple Syrup, and a cup of Marrakesh Express dark roast Organic coffee with real half and half this morning please.
Got to finish breakfast quickly and head out to mow the lawn for the last time this season... Blackie seems to be tolerating the new dose of his med so far. just hope this brings him into control for a long time.
The big bright yellow thing is up in the sky this morning, but low on the horizon. It's that time of year up here. In the mid to late afternoon there are now 3 pine trees that block the sun from hitting my roof now. Most of the year they don't reach anywhere near my property. This will happen every day until February so power is s bit compromised on the Solar Voltaic panels. Still, they should make about 10 kWh today if the sun stays out.
Got to get myself moving! Later...
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good Morning!!!
Just coffee please. Thanks.
Ray- Did I understand correctly? The supervisor from Apple called you? As in telephone? Wow. Talk about personal service.
Supposed to be windy today (pretty windy now) and rainy later so I doubt I’ll get anything done outside to amount to anything. I did get the cushions and the um-ber-ella brought in and I do have to go into town to do some grocery shopping, but I’ll wait to see if Brenda wo*ks tomorrow. If she doesn’t, I’ll wait until then to do it with her. Scratch that. Oh, I see someone already did. She just called and she’s closing at noon and off tomorrow so….this afternoon will be in town and tomorrow just may turn out to be a good old fashioned day of rest. (fingers crossed)
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.
TMarshRay- Did I understand correctly? The supervisor from Apple called you? As in telephone? Wow. Talk about personal service.
Yep! Of course I called and talked to several people before getting him on the line. He asked for my telephone # to verify what they had in their files. Told me he had to verify some other info and would get back to me before tghe end of the day. I might add this is the first time in the over 20 years I have owned Apple products that I have ever had to call customer service... That alone tells you one of the big reasons I stick with Macs! I was not happy when the Video Card started acting up right after the warranty period was over, so I am happy that my dealer was on top of this offer to fix any of the cards that were a problem but also to pay back for repairs already made. My biggest goes to the dealer who went back in his files and notified me of the program!!!
Got some of the lawn done... About 1/4 of it. Went through both batteries very quickly. Grass is very tall, heavy, loaded with leaves, and wet, and since I am mulching, it takes a lot of power. I should get one side done this afternoon before sunset. Since tomorrow we will get some showers, I will get it finished Monday or Tuesday.
Currently 56°F outside under still sunny skies. Hopefully I will make a goodly amount of power today for this time of year.
Later!
Hey look! ...... Conjoined twin roundhouses!
Sir Madog
Ulrich..... Thanks for sharing the great modeling with us!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Afternoon All,
Currently it is 46 with an expected high of 57 under mostly cloudy skies.
Although yesterday was a tough one it was not as bad as I thought. I met my daughters and brother-in-law and his wife and we all had PHO, which was really good. The girls went off to get ready for the play and we did a bit of shopping at Costco. The play, Les Miserables, was excellent. My daughters were in it a lot, but in the ensemble cast, no major parts, but did a wonderful job. Afterwards we went to Bully's for some late night snacks. I got home around 0130.
Since today is the younger one's birthday, I think there will be a repeat of last night.
Need to vacuum the whole house, so that should take a good part of the day. I may get some railroad time in, not sure.
Ulrich - Some real nice modeling there.
Prayers to all in need.
Paul
Living in Fernley Nevada, about 30 miles east of Reno, also lived in Oregon and California, but born In Brooklyn NY and raised on Long Island NY
Heartland Division CB&QHey look! ...... Conjoined twin roundhouses!
Here is a picture of the real thing - the shot was taken in 1952, when steam was king in Hamburg!
Edit: - I shouldn´t have answered - now I got TOPS! Eat up folks, the coming orders are on me!
That's a round house.... two turntables that had to've been an engineering nightmare.
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
Ulrich, That is the neatest railroad item I think I have ever seen.
I would have loved to experience the original but also would have liked to have been with you to see the model.
Thanks for sharing, and glad you got to go to it.
Johnboy out...............................to finishing up the main bathroom floor.
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
grumble grumble
I have managed to do my morning greetings, but not much else. Have had a migraine the last 3, count'em three days.
The weather is doing roller coaster thingys and I pay for it.
MOH only get a finger twinge and a bach ache when the weather changes, I can be wiped out for days.
So I have not done much but take the scritp pills which put me to sleep and thusly, to sleep!
Argh! I wish it AWAY!
later
Good Saturday evening, Diners. 44 and clouds.
I've been keeping up with all the chatter in here, just haven't posted.
Friend of mine is a pro photographer and wants to try shooting the layout. Told her OK, but I need to clean it up a bit. She's coming Wednesday afternoon. She has brought her 2 boys over to see the layout previously. I also told her about Model Railroader's Trackside photos. Maybe she'll get published. ( And me,too!) Fun!!
I've been making alot of trees, both deciduous and pines. I need to get them planted tommorow, then get all the stuff off the layout and put away.
Deer season starts next Saturday. Can't wait! That also means the start of heavy MRR'ing season for me!!
That's all for now!
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Evening guys
I know it's been a while, but I've just been so busy. I went to Ohio to drop my brother's truck off last weekend. He traded his 94 Mustang Cobra to my dad for a 2005 Explorer Sport Trac. The latter only had 35,000 miles and was garage kept, for 6500 I think it may have been a good deal. Reason being is my dad told my brother he can't take the mustang to Ohio, and he didn't want to take the Miata. My father suggested a truck, and my brother liked the sport track. So we pretty much sent a pristine one up to him to deal with the northern winters (or in the words of a friend "sent a nice truck up north to die"). It's kinda funny cause the underside and most of the bottom of the truck is covered in some kind of plastic, so it may not rust up that bad.
Trainwise, I finally got those BN SD40-2s, the pack of kadees, and 4 lok-pilot basic decoders. I converted the SD40-2s to LEDs (save for the beacons) and installed the decoders. Well it turns out those decoders don't support programming of any of the 3 light functions, consist addressing, speed tables, and the CV for mid voltage. However these decoders were really inexpensive, even had an 8-pin plug, and they actually ran very well. I'll probably stick one in my Pacific. I'll probably just wind up selling the other 3. The SD40-2s actually ran ok out of the box, just some cogging and grating noises from the start. I lubed the bearings in the motor and gave them each about 45 minutes of run time in each direction. They run nicely now. A friend in the MR club sold me some 4-function DH123s to try. I rarely ever use the rear light, but for $5 I can't beat it. He also gave me a pile of detail parts. Several plows, ditch lights, an AC unit for a GE Dash-8, a platform for a heavy weight observation, Grills to convert a P2K GP18 to a GP9, and a few other odds and ends. I don't have any plans for the ditch lights or the AC unit.
I do have a 4th BN green SD40-2 (not counting my bicentennial) that is close to finishing. I just need a numberboard from an RTR SD40-2 to finish the body. But I want it to have LEDS so I ordered some clear acrylic rod of ebay, as a bonus the seller had the BLMA light blank-out plates I had been looking for.
Today I have changed my car's oil, re-did 2 of those SD40-2s with the DH123 (I wish I hadn't cut off the 9-pin plug, but I can solder them back in). I stopped after the 2nd one cause my back and arms were starting to bug me (I had been at if for about 5 hours, I take forever to solder stuff)
Ulrich, how does that thing even work? My head hurts trying to think about it.
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.
Nice Pic Terry
It was a nice day here. Started at 9:30am raking grandma's leaves and 3 hours later there was a total of 19 bags to be hauled away for yard waste ( there were also 20 two weeks ago ). After that I went to my mom and dads house to rake leaves there and put up Christmas lights. Never got home until 4:45, all I did was have some dinner and watch F1 qualifying from earlier. Tomorrow we have alot to do also.
- Put roast on in crockpot
- Couple loads of laundry
- put up Christmas tree with wife ( she wants it up early )
- Change cats litter box
- Vacuum house ( and mop upstairs )
- Watch F1 race and final NASCAR race
And a few other items to get to, at least I can do a few of those at the same time. I'm just not looking forward to having to lug all that Christmas crap, I mean decorations up from the basement.
Evenin', Janie - how about a Santa Fe mug of hot chocolate, please? Thank you.
Things have been - is that possible? - more hectic at w**k; being in the new program part involves w**king with clients for a total of fewer face-to-face hours in the day, but less 'free' time where there isn't as much going on (in other words, no time to post anything in here). And at the end of the day, I am (quite) ready to head for home. (Boy, would I love to be able to retire soon...!)
On my personal MRR'ing front, I have put together the walls for Merchants' Row I, and am somewhat happy with how it looks, other than the back walls (not quite weathered enough - not very much showing of 'mortar', and a bit too clean). But with where I plan to put it on the layout (eventually), it won't show, so I may not fret about that. Need to put some interior details/suggestions of same inside, divider walls, possibly some kind of lighting, and then a 2nd floor, plus add the roof piece and paint that. I hope to put up a photo or two fo the exterior tomorrow after lunch...
I did get word about Bill N. (from Duke); sorry to hear about his passing.
Congratulations to all you Diners who have had 's! (Johnboy, CN Charlie, Dennis, and...? - I know I'm missing some more here...) I still have several pages of posts I haven't read yet). Sorry I missed your parties, but I see that the Diner's still standing, at least!
Galaxy, I appreciate your word histories and limericks!
Oh, Todd - if that thing on your foot/feet also goes by the name of "Plantar's wart", I hope your doctor's treatment takes care of it. When my (ex-)wife had "Plantar's wart," her doctor wound up eventually burning the spots off (electrically, I think it was). Wasn't a comfortable procedure, that was for sure!
Jeff, good to hear of your progress on your Apple II systems, and your progress on the adventure. Glad you found some sources for the CP/M card and the other Disk II parts.
saronaterry Deer season starts next Saturday. Can't wait! That also means the start of heavy MRR'ing season for me!!
Terry - you have another train layout in your deer stand?? Hope to see your (main) layout in Trackside Photos before too much longer.
(CB&Q) Garry, hope your job on the passsenger cars (& rebuild of that one).
Ulrich - how much longer until you have winter weather? I saw that the temp's in the upper 40's over there tonight (well, the app said it's 3-something in the morning).
I may have missed it, but has anyone heard from Cudaken? Seemed (last time I stopped by the Diner) like he hasn't been in, but I did get an email from Ken, so I'm hoping it's other stuff going on than health problems for him.
And, if I can get things cleared off the top of it, I want to see about getting my layout sections wired up for the holidays (nope, I will be celebrating in December, no matter when the stores try to get me to come in and buy gifts....).
I'll be at the RC, sipping on my hot chocolate for a bit.
I'll have to check the posts I've missed and see what new prayer requests are in order. But will add/keep the needs I know about on my list for various Diners.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape G.
JimRCGMOJeff, good to hear of your progress on your Apple II systems, and your progress on the adventure. Glad you found some sources for the CP/M card and the other Disk II parts.
*
I didn't get Oliver to the coach yet but he's in the diaphragms between the observation car and the coach. The train on which he has found himself also got it's roadname today as you'll see if you read the text in tonight's screen from the game. The observation car is finished. Oliver didn't encounter any resistance there. Next I'll start working on the first of the coaches and bad guys and dangers will start cropping up.Well it's time to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.
Sunday - time for my big breakfast! Or should I go for a light one? Petra has just calculated my BMI and found out that I am "slightly overweight". But who wants to start the day on mineral water and carrot sticks?
I terminated my party membership on Friday and now get inundated by emails from folks who feel really sorry about me leaving. I was a founding member in our state and my "departure" has sent a strong signal to quite a lot of people. I am just glad the press is not yet on my back. My comment on the reason wouldn´t be too flattering.
Still making plans on that last, little "big" layout of mine. As I don´t have a proper workshop, I cannot mess around with power tools that distribute dust and dirt into every little hidden crevice in our household. So I need to build it in some sort of self-contained, easy to transport and quickly to finish sections, but at my new friend´s place. He has a separate work shop, so messing around will not be an issue there.
I will w*rk on that plan again today, just to see what I can come up with.
JimRCGMOUlrich - how much longer until you have winter weather? I saw that the temp's in the upper 40's over there tonight (well, the app said it's 3-something in the morning).
Jim - as we are fairly close to the coast, winters tend to be quite mild over here, meaning that temps below freezing are rather rare. Only in recent years it has started to get quite cold and snowy, but not before December. Our weather guessers predict a long and cold winter for this season, starting in time for Christmas and not ending before April
CUL & make it a great day!
GOOD SUNDAY MORNING!!!
Today is Sunday, November 17th, 2013!!
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!
There once was a cowboy named Boone,Who always hung out in a saloon,He sat on a thistle,And boy, did he whistle,And he sat, picking them out by the moon.
jacquerie: a peasant revolt, esp. a very bloody one
sward: a portion of land covered with grass
zuzwang: a position in which a person has to move but cannot do so without disadvantage
Samuel was stuck in a zuzwang while the qacquerie played out on the sward
galaxyzuzwang: a position in which a person has to move but cannot do so without disadvantage
Galaxy - the word is "Zugzwang" - A person subjected to Zugzwang is forced to make a move without wanting to do so.
Sir Madog galaxyzuzwang: a position in which a person has to move but cannot do so without disadvantage Galaxy - the word is "Zugzwang" - A person subjected to Zugzwang is forced to make a move without wanting to do so.
Apparently either my source has it wrong, OR more likely "zuzwang" is the acceptable version in English, or the USA. Because that is how that source spells it,
See also this video with the zuzwang spelling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwgY_G_rWA
However, on consulting with wikipedia, it shows also as "ZUGZWANG" like you say.
English has a way or "tormenting" words coming from other languages. { i can't use the "proper english" word here to describe that action}
and i find all kinds of references to German phrases that include something called "zu Zwang":
"
Good morning. It's 71° with 100% humidity. The high will be 82° and will feel like 86°. It's looking like it could be a wet day. with a Well today I hope to get Oliver into the last coach (one of four). The order in which he'll progress through the train is observation (been there and done that), fourth coach (ready and willing to dive in and give somebody an attitude correction), third coach, second coach, first coach, diner (glorious name for a car full of vending machines), baggage, crew, service, last GP40 (L&A, on the way to the shop), second GP40 (KP&W), first GP40 (KP&W).Now a word about Oliver. He's nothing special. Just an out of work computer engineer who couldn't keep up with the technology. In an effort to make ends meet he fell in with some very questionable types who were planning to pull off the crime of the century. He didn't feel good about that and leaked information to a friend in law enforcement. How was he to know the 'friend' was a bribed informant for the group. Oliver was quietly set up and was to be 'taken care of' by 'Mr Big', the groups boss at the end of the line. And now you know why Oliver is in the pinch he's in. He has one chance. Defeat his captors, get off the train and get away.Time to get on with the day.
Good Evening Gang!
The girls must be bored - no one in here for over 4 hours!
Spent the afternoon giving some more thoughts to that plan of mine, before I go out and by all the plywood I need for it. I had to check some of the dimensions - especially those of the structures, resulting in the need to rework them a little.
Well, that´s hopefully the plan I can work with:
... and the main building:
This one will be built using miniature bricks...
Have a good one!
Sir MadogThe girls must be bored - no one in here for over 4 hours!
Good Afternoon, Flo, how about the lunch special, with cheese & some red onions 'n' ketchup on my burger along with some cheesey fries? Oh, yes, and could I have a RBF with that? Thanks!
Jeff, sounds like Oliver in your game has been having a bit of bad luck. Are you in the home stretch with programming on it (last couple of hundred lines of code...)?
Ulrich, yep, I forgot about Hamburg being pretty close by the water there. Like your new layout design - and it sure is a good idea to do the cutting/sawing/messing at your friend's. Can imagine how much trouble you'd be in with Petra if you got sawdust all over your place.
I would've been by the Diner earlier than this, except for some nasty weather moving through our area in the Midwest...Lots o'winds and the occasional twisty thingee, y'know. Then went by a local eatery once most of the storm fronts moved through, to help a couple of guys from church men's group celebrate their respective birthdays (40 and 55, speaking of which). Now, I'm ready to fill in the cracks between that with some more grub from the Diner here!
I did get some photos of the Merchants' Row progress done. Here's the front (I'm thinking on the next to the rightmost store, to have a reddish color for the top. I also want to clean up some edges, where I had just masked off edges of storefronts, and either a bit of paint slipped under the tape, or I got the tape a bit too far over).
and the backside, that I may weather some more (or may not), since it'll not be visible from the viewing side:
Not sure what's going on, but the walls don't have the yellowish cast when I just look at them, compared to the way they look in the photos here. Puzzling...
I'll be doodling at the corner booth, and see what the switcher's doing over on the industrial tracks...
Jim in Cape G. (where it's been windy today)
JimRCGMOJeff, sounds like Oliver in your game has been having a bit of bad luck. Are you in the home stretch with programming on it (last couple of hundred lines of code...)?
Hi Guys,
Been busy here today. Scary weather Illinois way and I hear mid west in general is getting nasty weather. See the bears games was delayed due to tornado??
We are under a storm and wind warning, warmest day in a month and we are putting up Christmas tree. We have a roast in the crock pot that has been making the house smell delicious all day. Just finsih up watching the F1 race now and will switch over to the final NASCAR race of the year in a moment. Are Santa Claus parade is on at 4:30 ( Toronto one ) and the wife wants to watch it.