I am indulging in one of my favorite pastimes - watching train videos.
A few moments ago I found one showing the steam operated line between Oberwald and Realp in Switzerland. The line was closed when the base tunnel was completed in 1981, allowing year- around train services, while the mountain line had to close for operation in each September. After a few years of laying dormant, the line was resurrected by the members of a preservation society formed immediately after the line had been closed. It took thousands and thousands of hours of volunteer labor to bring the line back to life. Even more thrilling is the fact, that a crew of people went to Vietnam, to where the original steam locos had been sold to in the early 1950´s, after the line was electrified in 1942. Bringing back the locos from that Vietnamese mountain village must have been some adventure. The locos were restored from rusty hulks to working order in Germany.
I was able to ride the line as a 10 year old in 1966, not behind a steam engine, but one of the old electrics from the days of electrification - the one in my avatar!
Enjoy the following video:
cudakenOn the sticky you said something about " few of you who use an older Internet browser may need to update your software to log in". I use Firefox, will that still work? What about XP Pro, will it still work as well?
Firefox is up to version 45.0, and everything above version 20.something was self updating. If your version of FF is in the 20s then update it (Help... Update).
Windows XP is an operating system, not a browser, nonethelss, newer updates of java and flash will no longer run on that platform. An XP machine should be replaced unless the contents are non-critical and can be lost to hackers. There have been no updates for XP for many months. The machine may or may not be updatable to Windows 10, and in any event will not be a free update.
When you add the cost of Win 10 plus memory for an obsolete machine, it is cheaper to buy a new one.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Good morning ...
Steven ..... Thanks for informing us about the new password requirements. I think mine is already consistant with the new requiremnts. ....... If you want to do all of us a big favor...... not only the Diners, but all forum memebrs...... Can you arrange for the post bodies to allow our spell check to work. My tiping is terrrible.
Passwords ........ As great as the computers are, the certainly can be troublesome.... Password requiremnts are becoming more strict. Even a model railroad site must do that now. ......
Computers ...... Hard to believe our Imac is now five years old. We've been having issues with it. I called Apple technical support. I was please with their willingness to help. I spoke with Americans located in the USA. (What a concept !) ....... We still had the orignal operating System, and they helped update that. It took hours for the computer to prcess the update. (from mid afternoon to midnight) . We are just getting started with the new OS now, and it is too early to say if it is working well for us. .... Getting used to a differnt format for Safari is already challenging to me. It is not working as it should for some of the things we do.
That's all for now. .... Happy Model Railroading
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a bowl of Raison Bran cereal and a large pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Coffee for my FGLK Mug please (and Thank You).
Sun is out shining today here in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS this morning. Supposed to be mostly sunny all day. I will be heading to Rochester thise evening for the annual Banquet of the R&GV RR Museum. Keynote Speaker this evening is Mike Smith, President of the Finger Lakes Railway! Always a fun time.
Didn't get in here yesterday to post. Every time I started to, something came up that needed my attention....
Garry, what was your old OS on your iMac? I too have a five or six year old machine running "Lion". I know I will have to update sometime this year or I will not be able to do my own taxes next year.... I don't like what I hear about the new OS from Apple... Among other things they say there is no support for CDs and DVDs. Can you still run and burn them on your iMAc now that you have "upgraded"? They have made so you have to spend, spend, spend to do the things that you used to be able to just do on the computer... Not happy about the things I hear. Guess it's OK if you want to do everything in some cloud someplace or other. I have my own backup and extra harddrives right here by the computer. Don't want to send all my information off to someplace that I'm sure will make use of all my personal information...... (Rant over!)
I have to get a long list of things done today, so I best get moving. Catch you all later!
73
Ray
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Ray ... Our computer was slowing down. Next, Microsoft Word stopped working altogether. Re-intalling Office did not work. So, I called Apple tech support,, and they said I should upgrade to new. The upgrade was just completed at about midnight last night, and I have not tried doing much yet..... I'll have a list of complaints for technical support when I call them back.
Well, I certainly wouldn't want someone to hack into my account and change all my rolling stock to Life-Likes with plastic wheels and horn-hooks.
Back when I was working, I had way too many passwords for various things at work. For some of them, they insisted that I change my password every 90 days. The passwords had to be 16 characters and contain letters, numbers and "special characters" like #%&#! and others sometimes used to represent impolite language. And, because I was working on classified systems, I couldn't write them down. Some of the computers had different rules, and no one, not even the admins, could tell you what they were.
Anyway, it's a pleasant sunny day outside, even though it will probably not meet the predicted 62 degrees and my exercise will be walking instead of biking.
Today's political climate is one reason I retreat into the Transition Era. The cars and trains were more interesting, gas was under 20 cents a gallon, and the music was so much better than anything on the radio today.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Oh, yes please - bring back the spell checker! I am with Garry on this, my typing gets worse day by day and I now have to go over a post a minimum of three times before I post it, only to edit the post a couple of more times. Even that is no guarantee for having it right!
Well, I couldn´t resist installing the sound device - withouth the help of my electrician friend Lothar. It´s a redneck style installation, involving a lot of duct type, but the electrical side of it was just a plug-in matter, so that should be safe. I will re-do the installation when I turn the layout upside to do the final bit of wiring (street lights, signal).
I am into my 10th week of working on the scenery, so it might be a good idea to match the achievement with the plan I made:
I think I am quite close to the plan!
Only two big things are yet missing - the backdrop and the catenary. The remainder is just those many nitty-gritties which give a layout this unique character and atmosphere. This will come - eventually, most certainly, but not right now!
Yet another fantastic video - this time traveling the Bernina line in Switzerland.
This video reveals why I just love Swiss narrow gauge trains!
Flo, gimmie a shot of espresso and some dutch courage.
So I have a 25 X 12 layout - the two 12 x 4 boards are connected by a 4 x 4 board - so its basically a "U" shaped layout. My question is how do you figure out the "scale" speed of the locomotives. It takes about 1 minute to get from "A" to "B" in other words a compete circuit.
I know this is the Diner - but since I have been here I know that this is a good place to go for comment or help. I am just hoping I can get "estimates" not absolutes.
Or I could just mention ATF as a good way to clean tracks and get swamped by the waring factions. That's a joke folks - I don;t need that type of attention.
Chris.
Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.
Sit back and enjoy your track...
Coffee Zoe, it's 52Ëš and starting to sprinkle. Spent a couple hours this morning cleaning up the neighborhood. 46 homes plus some waterfront yielded 2 trashcans of trash + cans and bottles. Only 4 of us showed up and I had to take a nap after lunch.
Chris you need an exact distance to measure time and a stop watch or a smart phone.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/165951.aspx
sorry I cannnot seem to make the above clickable today.
SCARM tells me I can put a Wather code 83 left had turnout on the end of the right side of a right hand turnout. It does not tell me what to do with the point ties that overlap the other track. Since I haven't laid 1" of track yet, it is not a crisis, but I wonder what other surprises I will find.
Speaking of those ties, on what side is a Caboose Hobbies ground throw supposed to go, the point tie, or the pair of ties on either side?
1Password works reasonably well in Firefox to generate or remember passwords and logins. I think I have 200+ different logins and passwords saved. I have the Iphone editon as well and that works less well because mobile sites are different than what you access on your computer.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Henry, you will have to cut the ties to fit - nothing special, that´s something you always to to account for. The ground throw can go either side - just as in real life.
Past 10pm here - to to go to bed!
Good Night, everyone!
Good Afternoon
Been a busy past couple of days...I'm expected to be well enough to leave on Tuesday.
Once I am out of here I will be entering the recording studio to start up on the new project and begin prepping for the tour for the summer concert series in Europe!!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Sir MadogOh, yes please - bring back the spell checker! I am with Garry on this, my typing gets worse day by day and I now have to go over a post a minimum of three times before I post it, only to edit the post a couple of more times. Even that is no guarantee for having it right!
Er... Um... Works not that way it does...
Your BROWSER provides the spell check. But these forms are not normal HTML but are part of a PHP or FLASH or whatever they used, and so the browser is blind to what happens inside of this text box.
Din't used to be so, but so it is now.
To fix it will require a whole new forum system, or perhaps a third party spell check on your computer.
Evening Dinners
Flo, please.
Did not sleep worth a darn last night, had a lot of nightmares that woke me up.
Work, was a little busy, but mainly Frame Kickers and the buyers where low end stuff. Jerry beat me by $5.00.
Barry Great to hear you are getting out soon. More than likely you have posted videos of your group but I must have missed them or just forgot. Getting old sucks! Blue Grass right? Do you have a viedo of Old Rock Top? Or Smokey Mountain Breakdown?
I am beat, so later.
Ken
I hate Rust
I'm going to borrow this here thread for some stream of consciousness rambling.
Today I made contact and introductions with a local modular club. I'm cursed to rent forever in these parts (in order to assemble the down for a house, I'd have to not spend a penny for two years) and I've tried to have a sectional layout that can move with me, but...not always a guarantee I'll have the space for it. Plus, I'd always sort thought I'd like switching layouts until I had one. I mean, I like breaking down a train and putting things where they go, but once I "solved the puzzle" so to speak, it wasn't very interesting. I like watching the trains go, apparently.
A few years ago, I'd picked up a P42 and two Superliners with the idea of putting together a Capitol Limited for display. That seed has grown to a pair of P42s, three sleepers, lounge, diner, and one coach. Two more coaches and a baggage car and I've got the whole thing. Will be lovely to actually run the dang thing!
Good morning ....
Once again I question the foolishness of Daylight Savings Time. No matter what you do, there are still 24 hours a day because of Earth rotating. Changing clocks makes no difference.
We still haven't figured out the lates ghost event. Perhaps it has something to do with our man-made lake submerging ancient burial mounds.
Raining today; so maybe I can work on the layout late this afternoon.
Happy Model Railroading.
GARRY, Tell us more about the latest ghost event.
Johnboy out..........
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
last mountain & eastern hogger GARRY, Tell us more about the latest ghost event. Johnboy out..........
Shelley's I-phone has had a protective cover on it. The cover is hard to remove, and we have no need to do so. It has been on her phone for a year or two. She put her phone in the charger. She returned to the phone after a couple of hours. The cover is gone, and we can not find it. ... Another mystery
Mornin.... Uh,,,, Ahem... Afternoon folks!
Uh, Chloe, I could use another pot of dark roast coffee to keep my FGLK Mug filled for the next couple hours, please.
Combination of the daylight wasting and not getting home from the Banquet until the wee hours last night. Was a good evening though, I must say. Mike Smith, the presedent of the FGLK Railway was the featured speaker for the event. He brough with him a lovely lady who has worked as the person in charge of the Passenger Operations on the FGLK way back when to be his asst. in charge of running the slide show. Deb is very, very easy on the eyes... I met her when she did a clinic for the NMRA Division back about a decade ago when I was first the Super of the Division. After the program I went over and shook hands with Mike, told him my name, and said we had met down at Lake City Hobbies back several years ago. He thought for a second and said, Yes.... I believe we did! Then went over to say hi to Deb, who immediately recognized me as well. They gave the history and what is hoped for the future of our little short line here in the Finger Lakes Region. Very enjoyable night! It was about 1AM when I pulled in my driveway and then had to feed and water the kitties, take my meds, and head to bed after changing the clocks....
What is the echo in here this morning??? Oh Lion showed us an empty subway station.....
Currently 52°F and hazy outside here in the Finger Lakes Region today. Yesterday was a good day for solar energy. The panels kicked out 20.64 kWh yesterday! Likely the first day this year the panels have made more electricity than I used.... Today won't be as good. Probably about half that much.
Catch you all later!
Well, most of the clocks are reset, anyway. I walk around the house with my cell phone to get them close to correct. I slept as long as I felt like, pretty much like any other day. I'm still catching up on sleep as this cough finally fades into history.
The weather gets cold and dreary again tomorrow, so I'm going to grill some steak tips and make a steak tip salad. It's one of my favorites.
Late morning afternoon diners,
I am upset. I found a roach in the spice cabinet. I finished cleaning the spices and the cabinet. Waiting for them to dry. I sprayed that sucker and tortured it roach spray than hot water, and finally squish him my can drainer. I really hate cockroaches, I wish I could live in a cockroach free house.
Train News: I didn't know the BLMA NS TopGon came with Accumate coupler (3rd release).
I measured the dimensions of my Amtrak station I got yesterday converting it to N Scale being 6_7/16"x 4_5/8" a little longer than HO by 3 by 1 feet.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Good Evening!
I am around, but I was forced to spend most of the day either in bed or on the sofa. It isn´t some kind of a bug that makes me feel so terribly weak, it´s the old ticker again. I guess I will have to have a new motor installed ...
Ray - you seem to have had a good time, great! Easy on the eyes, eh?
Back to bed - CU tomorrow!
I forgot to mention in the past post, thanks for the advice on the pigeons. I will do that when funds are available. Thanks.
Heartland Division CB&Q last mountain & eastern hogger GARRY, Tell us more about the latest ghost event. Johnboy out.......... Shelley's I-phone has had a protective cover on it. The cover is hard to remove, and we have no need to do so. It has been on her phone for a year or two. She put her phone in the charger. She returned to the phone after a couple of hours. The cover is gone, and we can not find it. ... Another mystery
Spirits move in mysterious ways, OR the "borrowers" have it. It will tunr up sooner than later,no possibility it fell off in her purse?
-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.
Chris, since there's no diner where I'm currently at (35,000 feet in the air), I'll reply. You may want to look into getting one of those railroad speedometers and put it on an area of the layout and run the loco thru it. While I don't know how to determine it visually and without doing any type of math calculations, I rely on the speed steps of my NCE Pro cab. Slow and steady especially when the engine has quite a few cars on it. I always slow down thru switches, even on the #8 which are supposed to be hig speed crossovers.
Now, how to get a good cup of coffee up here? Anyone, anyone?
Neal
Evenin' Folks...
Just got home from dinner and Wii at my Granddaughter's house... #1 got her Guitar lesson before dinner (Lasagna) and then we played Wii Golf after that.
Chris, seems that no one has given you simple answer to your mph question.... I could go into all the math about HO scale being 1/87.1 and the number of seconds on an hour and the scale length of a mile (1/87.1 mile), etc. but simply put and accurate enough for hobby use, if your locomotive travels one foot in a second, it is going about 60 scale mph.... If it takes 2 seconds to go one foot, it is going 30 mph, if it is going 15 mph it will take about 4 seconds to go one foot..... So measure off a one foot length on your layout and time your train covering that one foot. That will allow you to approximate how fast the train is going in scale... Hope that helps.
Janie, I could use a good cup of decaf, please.....
Catch you all later... Maybe tomorrow.
Work stunk and Jerry was a hour late. I knew he would be.
Ulrich I am reading between the lines here and I hope I am wrong. But do you need a Heart Transplant? If I am right, I am so soory to hear that. When you said you need a new Motor that is what got me thinking this way.
Neal unless you are on Airforce 1 or riding with the Donald, there is no hope for good coffee on an airplane. Used to be better but then so did train food.
Dennis Ebay allows air rifles? Some things go for crazy prices on Ebay.
Ulrich I thought for sure I was headed for a transplant last year. AFAIK hearts are in short supply everywhere. Somehow Dick Chenny managed to get one. Politics aside, he is an old man. See if you can get an appointment with a heart failure specialist. I had the same cardiologist for 30 years and I don't think he kept up with the latest.
I'll share a family ghost story with you. When my mom was 8 or 10 her aunt died of what they called 'dropsy'. Congestive heart failure, probably rheumatic heart disease. She took food over to her cousins house and there in the living room with her cousins was her mom's rocking chair, rocking. The cousins said it was just mom. A couple years later she saw that same aunt at the top of the stairs in her own home. She dropped all the laundry she was carrying and almost fell down the stairs. She didn't tell my grandmother what really happened until 60 years later.