Welcome to the APRIL edition of Elliot's trackside diner!
I have spit polished the RIvet Counter to abrilliant sheen!
The OLD diner is here:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/227936.aspx?page=21#2553699
Make it a great one!
-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 evening all!
Yes, let us give March a good swift kick in the pants, and get on to better weather! Spit polish, Galaxy, really?? We gotta eat off that thing!! Next time,,,try some Lysol will ya!
Karl
NCE über alles!
Hello! and !!
The month of April's theme will be "What is in YOUR backyard?"
We invite all routine posters and the hidden lurkers to POST about what trains are located near you!
It could be 1:1 current running, it could be 1:1 tourist lines, It could be steam, diesel, OR even Major MRRs near you!
It could be LINKS, PICS online, PICS YOU took, whatever that gets us TO THE TRAINS!
Ulrich has been so kind to share some of Europe's to START US OFF!
AS many of you know, I live near Steamtown, and frequently visit, and can't wait for it to open this summer season now either! They have had some problems keeping at least one steamer operating and they have been working on the Boston and Maine loco for future "road use" that has been challenging for them!
We have contributed in the "donations box" on site for the B&M, and have mailed in donations too to get her FINISHED and RUNNING! {we have donated to a few others including 611!}
Here is Steamtown's Website, packed with info for your perusal:
http://www.nps.gov/stea/index.htm
Lets see hwhat all we can conjure up train wise this month!
You all know better than we do what is in YOUR neck of the woods, prairie, or seaside land!
SO SHARE WITH US!
Let's make this a dynamic month and share ideas of where to go to see trains, 1:1 or model this year's summer months!!!
thank YOu, now sit and have a or a or a and some ON ME!
kbkchooch Good evening all! Spit polish, Galaxy, really?? We gotta eat off that thing!! Next time,,,try some Lysol will ya!
Spit polish, Galaxy, really?? We gotta eat off that thing!! Next time,,,try some Lysol will ya!
I used a Product called "SPITZ" to polish the rivet counter, so no need to worry!
I used "RIVET SHINE" for the RIVETs.
"BRASSO", too, for the brass fittings.
It is clean enough to EAT off!
Just like the floors!
Daisy, get this man a drink on me!
Have a great beginning to the MOnth of APRIL! And that's no fooling!
I'll do a nice writeup tomorrow morning on the local MRRs around here, the standard NS/Wheeling traffic, and everything else around me. Dog tired, and laptop battery is dying.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Evenin' folks!
Janie, a cup of decaf and a couple of those chocolate chip cookies over there.... Thank you Ma'am!
Well, Sheesh! I write up a post and when I hit reply, the place has been closed! So.... I done brought it over here. So there!
Nice sunny day all day here in the Finger Lakes. Still a bit on the chilly side, but did make it all the way up to 43°F this afternoon. The white stuff is pretty much gone at the moment. Only still to be found where it was in a large pile or where the sun don't shine... So to speak. The solar panels on my roof responded by giving me over 27kWh of electric today. So the month of March ended about 18 kWh more than last year. So far this year is starting out very good for production.
As promised this morning I spent most of the day working on the scenery at the Blacksmith's Shop. A week ago it looked like this:
This evening the same area looks like this:
Still have a lot to do, need to grow a few trees and make a bunch of details, but it is getting there SLOWly...
Dennis and Galaxy, if I was to spend more than $50,000 on a car, I'd get me one of these, I would! Motor Trend's Car of the Year! The Model X may be my next vehicle in a few years.
I just got asked to work train crew this Saturday out at the Museum. We have a group coming in. A Boy Scout Troop will be staying over night and we will give them a trian ride while they are there. I don't think they are working the RR Merit Badge, but I will advertise that I can teach it.
Galaxy, hope you get the sugar under control and get to feelimg better!
Hope you all have a good night. Prayers for all in need of them! Good to see some new folks in here, BTW!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good Morning!
Strange - since we changed our clocks, I get up an hour earlier instead of later. That makes it two hours less sleep.
Ray - for that blacksmith shop!
I´ll be working on the next segment this afternoon. I hope Lothar and I can finish it, and maybe # 3 as well. With a little luck, the benchwork will be up by the end of the week!
We have not yet finished our tour of the northwest of Wales, so let´s board our minibus and head for Llangollen, home of the Llangollen Railway on the River Dee. You will notice that the gauge of the line is somewhat broader than the ones we have seen in the past days. It´s standard gauge, so let´s assume it is an honorary narrow gauge line!
In its 98th year of operation, the line fell victim to Dr Beeching´s axe. Resurrection came in 1972, after a decade of sleep. New track was laid withn the help of volunteers, and a viaduct refurbished. Progress was slow, so it was not before 1986 when the first train was run. The Llangollen Railway operates a number of steam locos, from small 0-6-0 tank engines to full-fledged mainline passenger locos.
Enjoy this video of the Llangollen Railway.
Have a great day!
morning coffee in the diner...
Quotable Quotes:
Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (1596-1650){easier said than done!}
Words are the only things that last forever; they are more durable than the eternal hills. -William Hazlitt, essayist (1778-1830)
No, I have not forgotten:
While sitting, the devil came byand tempted me: "Try just to lie."I started to talkmy mouth turned to chalkand worse, I swallowed a fly!
(A compliment of respect to Ogden Nash's poem)While reading the poem by Nash,I developed a rash in a flash.the symtoms were dueto the fly in the flueAnd I think Nash should publish for cash!
Here, In MY BACKYARD:
My copying/pasting of videos is NOT working right now {might be the 'puter, might be operator error}, SO if you click the link below {assuming IT works},
Here is a video of the Roberson Museum's Downtown Binghamton Video {it is 18 minutes long: with explainations of how it is built in sound bite bits}:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zj9aX3SUABc
The "smaller" layout was large enough, the larger is 40x36', and can walk almost all the way around it!!
It has involved over two year’s worth of VOLUNTEER work — 3,000+ hours, and generous contributions from local individuals and business sponsors.
If you know {or knew} the Downtown Binghamton area of yesteryear, you will recognize a lot of the layout!
Here is an excerpt form their website on the layout:
Roberson Museum and Science Center is home to the region’s largest public model train display. It is a permanent exhibition located on the first floor of Roberson. The layout depicts the 1950s era, with regional landscapes including Binghamton, Johnson City, Owego, Endicott and parts of Northern Pennsylvania.
With the help of Christine Lantz from WSKG, Roberson has been able to document the progress of a major project to TRIPLE the size of our Model Train Layout. It has involved over two year’s worth of VOLUNTEER work — 3,000+ hours, and generous contributions from local individuals and business sponsors. Take a look at some clips from WSKG’s “Making Tracks” footage and meet some of the volunteers and see the transformation and detail involved!
Roberson’s exhibition designers and Education staff, together with our volunteer Binghamton Model Railroad Engineers (BMRE), have developed a spectacular design for an even more impressive Expanded Model Train Layout.
OVER 3,500 VOLUNTEER hours have been put in since March of 2011 to design, construct, detail and expand our ever popular train display.
SO! That is what is in MY BACKYARD in HO scale layouts worth noting!
SO, WHAt is in YOUR BACKYARD?
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!
Good morning all. I will take a coffee this morning. Thanks. Well, here;s the write up I promised.
In the Monongahela Valley south of Pittsburgh PA. Well, while we do not have any tourist railroads within an hour or so, we have a lot of coal trains, locals, and three different railroads. on the former PRR side,we now have Norfolk Southern after Conrail split up, and on the former P&LE side, we now have CSX, and rarely Buffalo and Pittsburgh make a trip to the old Monongahela railway miles. Here on the NS side,I have actually seen 14 of the heritage units in the same spot- a parking lot next to the old PRR baggage office. For example, here is my shot of the Jersey Central unit
The closest yard is the Norfolk Southern Shire Oaks yard. Originally built as a PRR yard, this yard has been around since at least the early 1900's although Conrail rebuilt the yard in the early 1990's. There is no public space to view the yard like a deck( nestled between a river and the road is up on a cliff), but if you know where to pull off and walk up, there is a cut where you can watch for a little while. The main trains on the NS,CSX and the Wheeling are all coal trains, but occasionally, NS will run a train of covered hoppers down to Donora or farther south.
We usually have about 8 trains on a busy train, and 3-4 on a slow winter day. A scanner is required on this line,because otherwise you are going to wait for hours. the usual motive power are SD70ACE's, SD40-2, somethings a Dash8, and occasinally a couple ES44's.
On The Model railroad side, we are really better well off. First off, we have the Mid Mon Valley model railroad club in New Eagle PA. I am a member of this club btw. We model the Mon Valley in the 1950's from Shire Oaks to Brownsville PA as it appeared under the control of the PRR on a double decker layout that takes up a decent apparentment. We have a (functional) trolley, a nice steel mill, a scrap yard (that's my section), a 3foot or so helix, and a model of the usual strip mining of the area. Here's the link to the facebook page for the rest of the photos. Oh, the club is currently closed to the public so we can work on new scenes, track, operating session,etc.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mid-Mon-Valley-Model-Railroad-Club/158137024245344?ref=hl
We also have a lot of Abandoned railroad through here as well-if you are into that kind of thing. For example, left overs from the P&WV.
We also have the Carnagie Science Center layout in Pittsburgh, a layout in Gibsonia PA, and a few others around the area.
Oh yeah, we do have the Pennsylvania trolley museum in Washington PA. The museum has a variety of trolleys in PA broad gauge (5'2) and some standard gauge equipment as well. Well, so that is a little slice of Southwestern PA.
Good Afternoon!
I´ll be heading for my friend´s place in a few moments, so this will be just a short visit. Good news is, there are more translations coming in the next days, bad news is, I won´t have much time to work on my layout. Let´s see how far I can get today!
For those who are ew to the Diner, I live within earshot of the mainline between Hamburg and Bremen. There are 200+ train movements each day. Railfanning is easy, all I have to do is to look out of the window of our living room. I am just glad our trains don´t make as much as yours do
In the next days, I will tell you more about what can be seen in my backyard. Some of those places are not really in my backyard, but within about a two-hours drive. Well, then there is Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg Main Station and Hamburg´s network of underground (partly elevated) and suburban trains. Not to forget Maschen Rangierbahnhof, Germany´s largest yard.
Pictures and descriptions follow in the next days.
CU later!
Good morning! Wow, sunny and warm this morning in New England, low 60s on my way into work, and it should be in the mid 70s by the time I head home.
OK. April Fool. Sunny, yes, but it was still just below freezing at oh-dark-thirty when I left for work. 50 if we're lucky later on. I'm still wearing a ski jacket whenever I go out.
Ray, I love the placement of that blacksmith shop. Perched high on the bluff like that, it really catches the eye and lets your visitors look around the sides, too.
"Under the spreading chestnut tree,
The village smithy snoozes,
No horse since nineteen thirty-three
Has come to him for shoozes."
No trains in my back yard, but before I bought my house, I lived right across the street from the Fitchburg line of the Boston & Maine. One day, I was sitting in my living room when I heard a whistle. Not just any whistle, but a steam whistle. I went outside to see a steam engine drawing a few coaches go by. Thinking quickly, I called the B&M and asked to speak to the Dispatcher, who told me it was a charter for a wealthy wedding. I asked for the return date and time, he looked it up and told me. So, I was ready with camera in hand....
This may have been the last time a steamer ran on that line. The train came from Steamtown in Bellows Falls, Vermont, which is no longer an operating tourist railroad. The locomotives were auctioned or moved to Scranton, PA, to be part of the collection there.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
April 1st already!
38 years ago today Conrail was created. I was 15 and fired up that my beloved Reading Railroad was going by way of the dinosaurs by becoming part of Conrail. But Conrail grew on me...a little like athletes foot. No not really...I ended up going to work for them 12 years later in 1988 and railfanned them extensively. And the funny thing. The first locomotive I worked on with Conrail was the 3275 the first GP40-2 on their roster and orginally the Reading 3671. The Reading is still stong in my memory and I'm modeling them...at least the trains themselves.
Well I survived another night in that place I make my living...but I'm hurting. Arthritis, cold damp weather, and 10 hours on your feet heaving boxes don't mix. Two more nights of that crap then 3 off.
Then it'll be model train time. A little more urban planning on the layout.
Bed time...good night (or good morning)
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
Good morning.
Galaxy... Thanks for moving the Diner. You did a great job polishing too.
Ray .... That is a beautiful switch machine cover.
Mr. B. .... I know you said April Fool, but what you said was the forecast in New England actually is close to our forecast here in western KY.
Ulrich ... Thanks for the tour. Also, you said you could watch a busy railroad line from your window. That's what I could do growing up except I was watching the CB&Q main line while growing up in Illionis.
Mark H .... I know what you mean about your favorite railroad losing identity in a merger. My childhood favorites, CB&Q and ATSF, are fallen flags. You mentioned working for ConRail. I worked for CN's GTW in Michigan for a number of years.
We're still awaiting Jeff's return. I was not expecting him before the middle of this week, but we are now about there. I'm sure the hospital will not release him before he is ready. Prayers continue for him.
Happy Model Railroading
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good Morning,
It is a balmy 4F with a -14F windchill this morning. We are told to expect 40+ by the weekend but then again the weatherman is a little prankster so I expect we might get to freezing.
Local trains eh, well we have the Prairie Dog Central that is located on the north side of the city and runs on an abandoned CN branch line. They have a 4-4-0 built in 1882 for the CPR that runs on most weekends pulling wood passenger cars built before WW1. They also have 2 GP9s. One is an ex-GTW loco and the other is ex-BNSF. The BNSF loco was donated in 2010 and was located its entire life here in Winnipeg operating on a small shortline owned originally by GN and NP. When it was pulled out the local society asked BNSF if they could have it and they said ok, so here it is now. It is completely original except that the steam generator was removed some time ago. It had served as back-up power for GN when they still ran passenger trains from Minneapolis to Winnipeg.
Not much new on the RR front. I have been running trains lately both HO and N. Right now I have a SW9 pulling a short work train on the HO.
Choochoo Willie, I see you are looking at new cars. I personally can recommend Volvos. We have a 2010 S80 and it is a fabulous highway car. It is roomy and has incredibly comfortable seats. Further it has been completely trouble free. Volvos tend to look a little plain compared to others in the same price range but Swedes aren't known for lovers of bling.
Well time I got back to my door and window trim touch-ups.
CN Charlie
Me again!
My back is hurting like mad, but there is still a smile on my face. All three segments are built and rest in my attic. I guess it will be Easter time until there up on the wall. My friend will go on a vacation starting Friday, and I am going to be busy the next days with those translations. Nevertheless, the start of my layout has been a good one!
Tomorrow will be our final day of the Welsh tour. We will visit the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway and then head back to Manchester Airport. There are still a number of other little railways worth a visit, like the Mt. Snowdon cog railway, Bala Lake Railway and a little 15" gauge line I forgot the name of, but on our tour we hav seen the nicest ones.
After tomorrow, I will start to tell you a little about those steam lines which are not that far away from my place.
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buckwheat pancakes with real NYS Maple Syrup, a couple sausage links, and my usual dark roast coffee in a R&GV RR mug. Thank you Ma'am!
Cloudy and 46°F outside on its way up to 57° later this afternoon. The sun is peeking through every now and then (Enough to net me 8 kWh of electricty this morning...) so by the end of today the white stuff should be completely gone.
Ulrich, I will be waiting for progress photos soon!
I was about ready to get myself dressed and check out the flood down cellar this morning when the doorbell rang, and rang, and rang, and rang! I went to the door in my bathrobe and sure enough it was my son and granddaughter #2! They were just checking on Grandpa... We had a good visit, I got dressed, and sure enough there was water all over the floor down cellar. I waded through and got the siphon running. Then turned on the heat in the train rooms.
I have to print the envelopes for the MLK Scholarship Dinner invites today. Then run to the Post Office and get stamps for them. A member of the committee who lives a block away from me will will pick them up and stuff and mail them later today. This is another of those incredibly busy times of year for me.
I will catch you all later!
Well. Did some more work on some benchwork for a tabletop swichting layout (may need more support the table top weighs at least 30lbs!). Any advice on this would be seriously welcome! I also have the dermatologist appointment tomorrow. Hopefully nothing, considering I had a cut on the one that was worrying me the most, and there was a spot I have always had (birth mark-asked my parents about it-always been there,and they have the same mark in the same spot.). Still prayers and wellwishes would be welcome just to make sure I am fine.
Knock, knock.... Hello! hello? Anybody here?
Guess not.
Night all, hope they open up tomorrow morning.... I need my dark raost coffee!
What happened? This place is empty again? Did you all fell victim to that awful April fool´s joke that the place was closed for the evening?
Well, today´s April 2nd, so it´s open!
The last day of our Welsh tour. We will be heading back to Manchester Airport with a stopover at Welshpool for a ride on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway. It is a 2 1/2 ft. gauge line, which opened in 1903. It is a 8 and a half mile run from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion. Passenger service terminated in 1931, but freight service continued until 1956, when the line was closed down, but not dismantled. Preservation started in 1963.
Watch this video to catch some of the flavor of this beautiful little railway!
I hope you enjoyed this tour. Should you plan a trip to the UK, include a few days in Wales, it´s certainly worth it!
Have a good one!
I enjoyed the tour of Wales. Thanks. Well, here I go to get these looked at by a dermatologist. Wish me luck they are both benign. Update: completely benign, but worth checking out.
monring coffee...Sorry I am late, not feeling well:
Quotable Quotes;
One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines. -Emile Zola, writer (1840-1902)
A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be. -Abraham Maslow, psychologist (1908-1970)
I want to thank you all for the prayers/kind thoughts, it turned out to be nothing but a Nevus Spilus and a birthmark.
I didn't post extra yesterday because I wasn't feeling well.
With weather changes like we have had, I am bound to get Migraines. It was beautiful looking day yesterday near 60F, but I was inside in bed a lot and wore my sunglasses inside to block out painful lights.
It happens. FIL wanted to come over and use the computer, but I waived him off til today, but I told MOH to tell him I ma not still feeling well, so maybe another day?
Today i have what I call teh halo effect, which Drs tend to call the aura effect, which all means before or after effects. It means there is only mild pain, but still sensitive o light and sound, and The medication helps with a vertigo type feeling. I have my sunglasse on now wiht the glare of the computer.
JEFFREY! WE MISS YOU!
JIMMY BRAUM: good news from the dermatologist! Having had some major Basal cell carcinomas surgically removed, I hoped you had NOTHING, or only those which can be removed and are unlikely to spread. I have HUGE scar and a skin graft on my forehead for removal of those. Better to be safe than sorry!
ULRICH; have you been to these lines, or are you only aharing what GB has with us??
V8Vega: Unfortunately I have been wiatingfor cheap toner as well, but it will be whne hell freeze over that that happens. We have a Brother 4 way all-in-one that uses ink sparingly. WHat I think is so unfair is they mix in some color to the black so youuse colro as well. That IS to keep your color inks form "drying up" but i think is a waste. Mowing the lawn? You lucky decil outrs is still brown ugly nad dead for the most part. Winter here does that.
Ulrich, the start of the layout is looking good. Maybe if you spread OUt the finishing of it, it will be enjoyable? I know we all tend to get fanatical and want it DONE NOW. and I remember in short time your N scale was over, fini, finis, done. You want, I think, lots of enjoyment.
I want to THANK everyone for sharing "what is in your back yard"! It is makng the diner a splendid place! Its looking good and exciting to see what may not be so readily on the interweb. Thanks for sharing!
Here is a link to the preservation activities on B&M #3713! They are still seeking donations, and progress is slower than expected it seems. Skilled volunteers are harder to come by.:
http://www.project3713.com/
Tax deductible donations form is here:
http://laurellines.org/3713/donfm.pdf
Updates on progress with several photos is here:
http://www.project3713.com/news2013.html
We donated money at the donation box at steamtown and mailed in another donation. I think it time we mail in another donation! I think it is important to do so to preserve steam locos for future generations, as a static loco doesn't convey the sights, sounds and smells of a real live working steamer.
Steamtown has 4 steam locos that are rotated to run. though the last few years it has seemed more like "historical Diesel Town". They have a Mikado #3254,{which has been giving them fits since last rebuild}, a Pacific #2317{down for the inspection/teardown}, an in the works smaller steam, and the B&M #3713.
It may take a while Before they can offer steam excursions again. Historical Diesels run them now. Much to the dismay of visitors!
They have MANY static steam locos, including a "Big Boy", though some have "gone away" for asbestos removal and are not on display temporarily.
So, Please continue to SHARE "WHAT is in YOUR back yard". "Lurkers' feel free to post what is in your back yard!
MAKE it a GREAT DAy!
Good Morning All,
Just touching 40F and partly sunny today. Hope the worst of the cold and snow is over for now. I'll just have a Breakfast tea with milk to go please Zoe.
Jimmy - good luck at the docs today. I had a small basel cell lump behind my ear last year and they were able to cut it off at the office same day I went to have it looked at. I spend so much time outdoors that I keep an eye out for funny stuff like that. It just didn't look like a mole.
Ray - the blacksmith shop looks like it's coming along great. Are you planning the usual "pile of stuff" around it as well. Looks entirely too tidy .
Not much to report just now. The hip has hurt so much by the end of the day that I just went home, did my exercizes and turned in the last couple of nights. Boring but....
Gotta run - lotts to do in the shop. Cheers, J.R.
Yeah, I was completely clean and the doctor said if I have any changes in either spot, to come in and he will lance them that day for free. A clean bill of health is always welcome. It's too rainy here to go railfan, and I am starting to run low on model railroad stuff to do. As soon as my tax refund comes in, I may be getting a new steamer to redo for my fictional shortline, some decal paper, a hopper kit, and a weathering kit.
Yeah, the last time I was at steam town, the steamer doing the short run was the 2317.
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.
galaxyULRICH; have you been to these lines, or are you only aharing what GB has with us??
Galaxy - I visited those lines back in 2006 and I thoroughly enjoyed. That part of Wales is a steam fans paradise!
I am not having a good time right now. All my joints and muscles ache like h.ll. I´ll be going for a nap - maybe that helps!
We did go to our great nephew's birthday part over the weekend. Had a great time and saw some relatives I haven't seen in awhile. The trip up on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Saturday was one of the nicest drives I've ever had on that road. Good weather and surprisingly, little traffic. Just set the car on cruise control and relaxed. Coming home... well that was another story on Sunday morning. First we ran into a little rain. That turned into an ice storm when we hit the mountains. It was accumulating pretty fast on the roadway, so our speed dropped from 70 to around 40 or below. Fortunately, that only lasted for about 15 or 20 minutes until we hit the first tunnel. On the other side it was snow, but melting as it hit the ground. Once out of the mountains it was back to rain. It all added up to taking about 20 minutes longer to get home than usual. But it was a little nerve wracking for a bit.
Somewhere I picked up a heck of a cold though. Spent most of yesterday in bed and plan on doing the same today. I must admit, we have been railfanning so much on the weekends lately, that I had some withdrawl symptoms. Can't wait for Saturday to get here and go see some more rail traffic. Even the wife said she missed our usual weekend routine.
It was sunny with temperatures in the low 60's yesterday. Today it's raining and we might get into the low 50's. I knew it would rain this week as I got the car washed on Monday after we finished shopping and running some errands. Oh well, it was clean for 2 days. 3 days might set a personal record.
Take care & have a good one.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Good morning, all. I'll have a bowl of mixed fresh fruit and some Hazelnut coffee, please.
Tuesday Night Hockey was fun, as usual. We had a big crowd. It's that time of the year when we transition to half an hour earlier start time, and then a couple of weeks later we move from the front rink to the back rink. And last night was the first time in months that I didn't feel like I was stepping out on to the Arctic tundra when I left the rink.
Back Yard Department:
A couple of towns over is Lowell, once the industrial capital of the world. (Really.) It was built as a mill town in the 19th century, using technology essentially stolen from England. Francis Cabot Lowell visited British mills, where he was forbidden to make drawings, but he studied them and was able to reproduce the equipment later from memory. One of the reasons that the enterprise was a success was the abundance of cheap labor, particularly young women who moved to the city from the farms.
The Lowell National Historic Museum presents the history and some of the buildings, courtesy of the National Park Service. It's a nice place to explore. Part of the exhibit is this trolley line:
The trolley is run by volunteers from the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. You can ride this one from the station here around to the mill. (It's a short ride.)