Good evening. It's 72°, 96% humidity. It's been a good day for me. My family has showed that they are ready and willing to help. My old RAM van has about had it. The engine and tranny work OK but the rest of it creaks, bangs and rattles going down the road and these sounds are LOUD! It's also drafty as an old castle. That's not too bad in the summer but in the winter it can be hard to stay in with NO heat. Now work is starting on a 1996 ChevyVan 20 aka G20. This one is in the 3/4 ton to 1 ton weight class. This vehicle has both A/C and heat. However the brake system is "out to lunch"! The brake booster doesn't work at all. It looks to need brake work all around.
Time for me to call it a night. 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
angelob6660I would believe the new built date is either in railroad symbols or never placed on when they repaint the cars. Jeffery you can paint and decal it other than white. I hope it's an easier project and keeping you busy than being bored.
I'm not bored by any means, but what exactly are you talking about?
Speaking of weight, I've gone from 265 to 222. That's a reduction of 43 pounds!
howmus Jeffrey, I know you have mentioned it before, but what year is the Chevy Van? That could end up being a good vehicle for you! Good luck with it. Do watch that spot on your right leg!!!
1996It's 18 years old. In comparison, my 1981 RAM van is 33 years old.
cudaken Computer Question Before I forget to ask again, how do you turn off programs running in the back ground on XP? Computer is running slow at times and the AVG scan says it is clean.
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a refill of the decaf please....
Man, am I exhausted! Was an incredibly busy day out at the museum today. Every trip was packed right up to the end of the afternoon. We were short staffed as well, with one person in training for both Engineer and Conductor being the 4th. person on crew. That worked fine when he was doing conductor, but put us with the conductor doing both that and car host when he was in the locomotive.
I have been catching up with a lot of NMRA stuff tonight. Tomorrow morning will be spent on the phone as I need to call for an appointmemnt for my follow up visit for the colonoscopy, call the dentist for an appointment for some major tooth work, call the hearing center to get an appointment to get the hearing aids cleaned and once again reprogramed. I also need to stop over at the LHS to pick up a couple items to continue work on the layout. By 5PM I will need to watch the Granddaughters so their Mom can attend a Girl Scout Meeting. Father will be at work, grandmother will be at work. I haven't seen the girls in a couple weeks so I will enjoy myself!
Jeffrey, I know you have mentioned it before, but what year is the Chevy Van? That could end up being a good vehicle for you! Good luck with it. Do watch that spot on your right leg!!!
Have a great night!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Evening Dinners
Flo, Please.
Computer Question Before I forget to ask again, how do you turn off programs running in the back ground on XP? Computer is running slow at times and the AVG scan says it is clean.
Work Front I need to get off my butt and start looking! Not one person came into the store this Sunday!
Workout Had a pretty good one again. While I was slightely dissapointed in the bench press, (Only got 7 Rep's on the 4th set) I had added a 5 Lb jump in weight. So I really have no reson to be dissapointed. 5 Lb's is a good jump in weight. Fixed the weigt belt so it would fit. So I threw in a Military Press as the last shoulder exercises. I can sure feel the effect right now, but it is a good pain. I had done 3 other Shoulder exercises before the Press so I was happy.
See you all Monday, Ken
I hate Rust
I would believe the new built date is either in railroad symbols or never placed on when they repaint the cars.
Jeffery you can paint and decal it other than white. I hope it's an easier project and keeping you busy than being bored.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Last day of regular season baseball today, always a somewhat sad day when your a die hard baseball fan and your team isnt going to be playing in the postseason. A few great games today though.
Beautful day here today too, only down side is I think I may be getting a cold but am hoping its just my allergies. They usually bother me the most in the fall. Might just kick back and watch some tv tonight. I was able to clean up the lawn ealrier this morning.
We had another good weekend of railfanning. Spent about 3 hours watching 11 trains on Norfolk Southern's main line on Saturday. There were 3 mixed freights, 1 road railer, 1 denatured alcohol tank train, 2 intermodals, 2 coal drags, 1 slab train & 1 train consisting of 11 flat cars with a variety of track maintanence equipment on board.
Another interesting thing was an NS bathtub gondola with a logo I haven't seen before which included NS's "Horsehead".
I couldn't find a build date on them, nor could I find anything with a quick peek on the internet about the type of car, which was labeled G117R. So I'm thinking they may be kind of new, but I'm not positive about that. The one coal drag had the Central Railroad of New Jersey heritage unit in the consist. Didn't expect to see that one, but I was hoping to catch the Conrail heritage unit which was reported westbound earlier out of Lilly, PA. But it never showed.
There were also 3 BNSF engines as foreign power on various trains.
Today we went 1st to CSX, & caught 1 mixed freight. But 1 of the engines was a CITX lease. So that was different. Leaving there we headed back to NS & caught 5 trains in 2 hours. 1 mixed freight, 2 intermodals, 1 crude oil & 5 engines running lite. Foreign power today was a couple of Union Pacifics.
The weekend was topped off with a nice Sunday dinner of boneless chuck roast, mashed potatos & gravy, sweet peas, & chocolate pudding. All washed down with a bottle of Reisling from Seneca Lake. Bad news is I noticed there are only 3 bottles left in my stash. Looks like a road trip might be in our future plans. Here's hoping your weekend was as enjoyable as mine. Stay safe...
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Dennis ..... Good to hear the move has been completed. I hope you can have time for model railroading soon now that is over.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I finally finished moving into the new place today..........boy am I tired.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Heartland Division CB&QTires might look good, but old tires can be hazardous, however. Rubber deteriorates. ...
Jeff.... The Chevy van looks clean on the outside, and no rust is visible in the pictures..... It may be a great vehicle.... Nice of family to chip in on the proejct, too. ... Tires might look good, but old tires can be hazardous, however. Rubber deteriorates. ...
galaxyCOngrats on the new van! That is one I'd and fix up. I like that style of chevy vans...WHat year is it again?
Well, Golly, Jeffrey!!
COngrats on the new van! That is one I'd and fix up. I like that style of chevy vans...WHat year is it again?
You might be able to get a new door for it if you have "recycling yarads like our "gary's U-pull it" or our "interstate parts" where they will retrive them for you {got new rims for the '98 there}. Simple enough. Could possibly even get the grill part too.
IF i were to find that model around here, it'd be rusted out even if the engine was still salvagable. I think I've only seen 3 on craigslit in the last 2 years {'90s chevy vans}, as I routinely cruise CL for funsies nad see what rediculous prices people keep asking for their old vehicle. The ones that sell fast are reasonable, the ones that linger, well lets just say their asking price is "out of this world", hence the reason it is one for ever and ever!
well, In other news,
MOH, who has the day off, has spent most of the day sleeping off the sickness. I hope I don't get it, but MOH has had it for a week now. only 2 more weeks and MOH will be over it! Head/chest cold. IS miserable. I will come down with it next week, I am sure. now you watch.
I ma taking a day of rest too, not doing much. usually i'd be doing laundry and bedding, but can't really while someone is in it!
I have 5 Dr.s appts to go to this week. Only one is NOT mine. I have 4 appts over 2 days this week, about back to back. Then there is hte checking on my father too. TOmorrow I spend fillingout accidnet forms AGAIN, for another entity representing the hospital and sataellite services after teh accidetn. Haveto call the agent rep lady to find out..do I REALLY HAVE to fil out YET ANOTHER form? FOr the SMAE accident? probably. They want to see if your story changes!
Its simple. A guy in a pickup stops, waiting to cross traffic into a gas station, I stop behind him, and the kid behind me slams into my backend because he "didn't see {I/WE} was stopped". He got ticketed for "following to close". End of story. Now my life is miserable mess what with all this insurance stuff. I actaully THOUGHT The reason I hired an agent was for the AGENT to file all necessary forms. guessed wrong! He does nothing more than tap a few keys on the 'puter and everyting else is left to you and the staff at the parent company! FOr that he rakes in a commission on my policy{ies-homeowner is with him too}. NAd they all call at teh wrong time when I am out and leave messages to the same 800 # as a boiler room full of people who don't know nuttin' 'bout nuttin' on my claim!
Then a form for Pat D scritps on Medicare. Thats a whole nutter story.
Tehn another form to fill out.
have to look somnething up for MOH for the wedding MOH is doing in Oct. the QQuicker the better I get to it.
In short, I wil have a busy week!
I can't wait till tuesday to find out what the orthopedic surgeon wil do for my shoulders! Now watch. nothing.. "let it go away on its own"!
Ok...I have been fighting yet another headache so I think i'd best go lie down too and lower my BP now.
later
Congrats again, JEffrey!
-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.
More news on the Chevy van 20. It's been moved to my sisters property, minus the dozen dogs that were running around it before. The only body damage I can see is on the right rear door. The tires are in fair shape considering it's been sitting in a field for several years. It's already become a 'family' project. My father, my sister and her husband feel that's just right considering they screwed me out of the pickup. There won't be any original owner getting in the way with excuses like 'It's sentimental' as he's deceased, a victim of brain cancer and his heir doesn't want anything to do with it. He was going to sell it for scrap. It'll be several months before it can be driven. I'm not a Chevy man but it'll be a big step up from the old RAM van. Parts should be cheaper too. Starting now, Jeff's 'Van Project' is moving forward.
Good morning. It's 69° with 94% humidity. The high high will be 85° and cloudy with a slight chance of rain. with I don't know why I call it a 'good' morning. I've been up most of the night so the first birds of morning are vile sounding creatures. Watched 'Patton' this morning to help pass the time. Checked my right knee the other morning and found a small tear that's took it's turn at getting infected. My immune system is a joke and I can almost get an infection by thinking about it. Washed down the area this morning with a alcohol sanitizing wash and it sure lit up that spot. I applied more antibiotic and a 2x2 dressing. I'll check it again tomorrow. When I found it initially it smelled like an infection. This morning there was no such smell so that's some good news.
GOOD SUNDAY MORNING!
Ken: Like I said, I was waiting for the "magic rested feeling" in the morning after the CPAP, but it never came. SO, no, no fountain of youth! BUT {and there is always a "but", and sometiems a "get your butt..."}BUT {actually 2 buts}, I DO feel more rested during waking hours!{as long as I get my afternoon nap too}.The second but is that i can still have moments of "sleepiness" during the day even after a full night of sleeping, especially when bored, tired, or exhausted. Sems like you are more bored at the store now! STICK WITH THE CPAP and over time of adjusting to using it, you will see some improvement! Took me 3 whole months just to get used to breathing normally while it blew {seemingly} strong gale force winds at my nose! To me it felt like sticking my head out of a car window into the wind going 100 miles an hour! Now, it is "old hat" I can put it on while it blows air and immediately adjust to breathing normal while it does it's thing. ONE MORE THING:IF you don't use up all the water in the humidifier at night, EMPTY IT and start with fresh distilled water at LEAST every other night if not EVERY night!!! They say it can go and grow nasty things like mold and mildew while it sits in the resevoir!! Wash out your resevoir too! {o=if yu can, mine opens up for that} You DOn'T want to breathe those things in either! One final thing: yes that card in the back record your daily total usage of the CPAP, tells them the pressure it uses {mine fluctuates a bit if my breathing changes} and other details about the CPAP machine and it's use that will HELP them to set it on the rihgt setting for air pressure you need for it to the most good. I have one too! {I ALWAYS FORGET to take the card with me to the Appts. with the pulmonologist! DON'T FORGET IT! They NEED it to adjust settings on it!}
Quotable Quotes:
In a world of fugitives, the person taking the opposite direction will appear to run away. -T.S. Eliot, poet (1888-1965)
Language is as real, as tangible, in our lives as streets, pipelines, telephone switchboards, microwaves, radioactivity, cloning laboratories, nuclear power stations. -Adrienne Rich, writer (1929-2012)
Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
cudaken Jeffery Yep the DH 163 as the BIFM what ever it is called. I never had the Bachmann GP 30 shell off so I had no clue what would fit in there. For a cheap engine, I do enjoy it. By chance, does it use a 9 pin harnnes or does it have to be hard wired?
Janie, a cup of decaf would sure be good right now... Hmmm. Gimme one of those frosted cinnamon rolls the Mennonite lady brought in today.... Why save them just for breakfast?
Pretty much a relaxing day around here today. Other than going over to the Mennonite Farm Stand for some sweet corn (and those cinnamon rolls) I mostly worked on the layout. I have been looking for a kit of a dairy of the type that would be found with railroad connections back in 1925 or there abouts. Nothing I can find will fit the space I have for it. I then remembered a plastic kit i put together back cl;ose to 30 years ago that I hyad saved all this time. I never completely finished the kit. I was working on it about the time my wife got leukemia and died. A little rumaging around down cellar and I foud the kit. Perfect size for the place I need it but... Some parts are really yucky! I made a number a mistakes assembling it and the old kit is in need of some major work. i removed the roofs and will build new ones for it and need to bring the doors height up to the level of the rail cars. I just got more "stone" in from New England Brownstone, and the 1/8th inch pieces will do nicely for a foundation under the building. I'll get some photos as the project progresses. I am also srting to plan the next bridge project. This will be a curved bridge over the other tracks in the area I have been constructing.
Tomorrow I will be once again volunteering at the Museum. Most likely will be found being car host on Erie C-254.
About time I headed out to bed for the night! Prayers for all in need...
Flo, Beer please.
Galaxy ad Ray Thanks for answeing some of the questions I have about the CPAP machine. I was hoping for the Fouatin Of Youth so I am dissapointed. There is a card in the CPAP that reads what is happing at night. So maybe when (Or if) the VA has me bring it in they can tweak the thing. I will have the wife pick up some distalled water for it and give it a try that way. What has be more worried is the fact I feel sleeper now during the day than before I started using the CPAP machine.
Workout It had been 5 days with no workout. Between depression and poor sleep I was just not up to it! Tonight when I got home I would just rather gone to sleep than workout, but I did workout. It was a Killer Workout, I was pretty sure it was going to kill me! I had added weight to a couple of exercises. While I will be feeling it Sunday, it was still a good one.
Jeffery Yep the DH 163 as the BIFM what ever it is called. I never had the Bachmann GP 30 shell off so I had no clue what would fit in there. For a cheap engine, I do enjoy it. By chance, does it use a 9 pin harnnes or does it have to be hard wired?
See you all Sunday!
Ken
Evening guys
Got home showered and ordered a pizza and after that played a little PS3 for a while. I cant belive that tomorrow is the last day of the regular season in baseball. My team is the Jays and its another year of no postseason baseball. Its a little sad too because wont get to see them now until April. I guess though I can still play MLB the show on the PS3 and play strat o matic baseball where its always warm sunny and the smell of fresh cut grass.
Tomorrow I have to cut my parents lawn and then am coming home to watch the Jays game and football before going back over around 6 for dinner and a party for my 2 year old niece. The wife has to work until 5 tomorrow.
Talk to you guys sometime tomorrow
Alaska Railroad f7B with AAR trucksBachmann F7A shell on modified Proto chassis with AAR trucks.Rare, extremely hard to find all-metal Bachmann 0-6-0. Only one I've seen.
Good Evening!
It´s been a surprisingly pleasant day in my neck of the woods - both in terms of our weather and what I did during the day. We had some fog this morning, but it cleared up pretty quickly, followed by a lot of sunshine and temperatures up to 19°C. Nice and calm autumn weather! I spent the morning sorting out my thoughts on my future layout. Whatever thought I have, I end up in a dead end street. It´s either the space or the money, or even both, which set strict limitations to what I can do. Maybe I want too much at a time, so I decided to step back for a while, find a new (mental) approach to the issue and see how things develop. I definitively go for continuous running! No compromise on that! Basta! Meanwhile, I will review those many plans I have made in the past - maybe there is one I can use as a basis for future plans!
In the afternoon, I went to see my friend Lothar. He has finished his tug boat (pictures will follow soon) and has spent some time completing his Z scale briefcase layout he built from leftovers I had from the big Z layout which was given to me some time ago. He fabricated a 31" by 20" "briefcase, in which he built a folded figure 8 layout, using mainly Styrofoam as a basis. It´s a toy, but so what! It looks nice and we played with it for some time while enjoying the sunshine on his patio. Next time I´ll take some pictures - I bet Galaxy is keen to see what he made out of very little! Just a hint - the layout sports a tiny engines house with the doors being opened by a little servo drive my friend built!
Well, that´s all from me today - have a happy one!
WEll,
its just after noon here, and we just got back. MOH didn't spend much time graveside, I know MOh was close to my MIL, but...really? we drove 1 & 1/2 hours up here for less than five minutes time of putting flowers on the grave? BUT: MOH has to go into job#2 to work for an hour paid meeting at 4 pm and was worried about missing it and wanting to get back. I explained 3 days ago and again this morning that we'd have PLENTY of time.
Flowers were nice.
Ray, its making as much solar down here as it is up here and we WILL turn ont he A/c here sooner thna later too!. SInce it's not central adn tis built in thermostat doesn't work well, we will be turing it on and off all day, depending on too cool or to hot in here! Only we won't be "walking on sunshine" like you do!
Man sittting still for 1-1/2 hours in the minivan sure took its toll on my shoulders..not enough range and motion, just sitting there! cannot Wait to get something done about them! Only NOT hoping for full open rotator cuff surgery as no one we know who had it was happy with the results! Here's to hoping only for "needling and lavage" type surgery!
well time for a nap...
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, Another cup of dark roast please and a couple of those glazed sour cream donuts over there please...
Sun is busy spilling all kinds of solar energy here in the Finger Lakes today. In other words it is a nice day outside. I feel a lot less stressed today for some reason. Plan on cleaning up the house a bit and working on the railroad. May bring the rest of the onions from the garden, do a bit of weeding, and drive over to the Mennonite farm stand to buy some sweet corn (which is on the list of things I shouldn't be eating with diverticulosis... Don't really care! My favorite vegetable).
Have the windows open to air out the house this morning. Outside temperature is 69°F at the moment. Will probably have to close up the house in an hour or so, maybe even turn on the air conditioner for a while as the temperature is supposed to hit 78°F this afternoon.
Hope you all have a great day!
Good morning. It's 67° with 97% humidity. It will be cloudy with a high of 85°.Unwrapped my foot this morning and inspected it closely. It's starting to heal. The exposed tissue (lots of that)is starting to scab over. Looking at it is somewhat like looking at a canyon. I packed it with gauze and wrapped it up. Maybe this one can heal quickly if I can keep the docs from playing in it.No plans for today.
Hi Guys
Thought I would drop in before I go to work for only 6 hours today, mostly to help out. If I knew it was going to be this nice out today I would have said No,lol
See you guys later on tonight
cudaken Bachmann GP 30 What decoder did you use Jeffery? Main thing I don't like about the Bachmann POS decoder (Besides bad speed control) is when it hits a grade the speed really drops! Do you think better decoder will help?
GOOD SATURDAY MORNING!
Today's agenda is a long one for mainly one thing. Pick up a floral arrangement, go the 2.25 hours to the Military cemetery to "visit" the MIL, then come back. MOH has a work meeting so we will not tarry as we go. MAYBE eat out on the way back. If there is time. Pick up floral arrangement at 8:30, then onour way to Bath, NY.
MY CPAP mask is one that covers my entire nose, and doesn't cover my mouth. It is also NOT the "two nasal pillows {one for each nostril} ONLY. It is the NOSE model Like this one:
http://1800cpap.com/images/products/detail/MirageFXforHer2_62128.jpg
There is a gel liner covered by very thin material of some sort that will "fill in the gaps" on the nose covering mask as it "seats itself" on my nose. I use a HEADBAND {a SWEAT HEAD BAND that one uses in working out} to cover my eyes and ears and HELP HOLD on the MASK RIGHT during the night, otherwise the harness behind my head slips off and the whole thing comes loose.
Now, I only use the humidifier during the winter when the air in the house is dry. Summer I don't as It just clogs my sinuses already "able to fill up" due to allergies. BUT, KEN: USE the DISTILLED water!!!! It has had "everything" distilled out of it... I once made the mistake of using tap water; in our case municipal derived from a well and chlorinated; and besides inhaling all that chlorine, I also INHALED WHAT SMELLED LIKE A SWAMP!! YOU DON'T know what "critters" could be in the water you could be inhaling, and it definitely has a stinky smell to it! SO DOES SPRING WATER {I erroneously did THAT once too in despiration for water.}. DISTILLED water will have NO SMELL OR "CRITTER" to it! The ONLY Reason I tried tap water and spring water was cuz I was at a hotel and had forgotten to pack distilled with me! BAD on boht of them. Distilled water is really cheap, and I have found different brands have diffferent levels of "Distilled-ness" and smell different.
KEN: Like RAY said:I go through about a gallon bottle a month or so during the winter. I set it on the lowest setting as otherwise I get clogged with too much water, and my asthmatic lungs can't handle the extra moisture either. It KEEPS YOU FROM GETTING DRIED out nose and lungs, so YES, use it, BUT USE DISTILLED H2O. The soft water will STILL smell like a swamp!
KEN: It will take about a month to 3 months to get "used to it". You siad you were "tired" after using it. I kept waiting for the "magic day" when I woke up "refreshed, feeling like a daisy" and "not tired at all". THAT never DID happen, so don't look for it! Just know that you WILL be getting a more deeper, less interrupted sleep when you use it! In time, you will adjust to it and WON'T BE ABLE TO SLEEP WITHOUT IT!
Well, all have a GREAT day,
I need to get going to get ready to go to the cemetery.