Jeffrey's Trackside Diner- April 2016

[BroadwayLion]

MisterBeasley

big breweries are too big. Most people don't realize it, but the largest American-owned brewery is Sam Adams. The rest, Budweiser, Coors, Miller and the like, have all be bought up by international conglomerates.

Eh? Who has bought whom. Better for a USA company to MERGE with a foregin company, and then move hedquarters to the foreign location to avoid USA corp taxes. 

I could tell you more about this but Fr. Steve would not like it.

ROAR

[MisterBeasley]

der5997

….which is returning us to the situation in the middle ages in Europe where each watering hole brewed their own (and the government [read the king’s] assessors tested quality by the seat of their pants – did they stick to the bench when sat on in a small puddle of the home’s brew?) The landlord got to be know by the quality of their ale etc. I think that from an economic stand point it’s a refreshing change. IMHO the big breweries are too big.

Most people don't realize it, but the largest American-owned brewery is Sam Adams.  The rest, Budweiser, Coors, Miller and the like, have all be bought up by international conglomerates.  Those conglomerates are also starting to buy up American craft breweries like Goose Island, which, despite the claims, has lost something since the buy-out.  Fortunately, for every brewery that gets bought, 2 more seem to spring up to meet the demand.

Who knows?  Maybe they'll even bring back beer reefers.

[der5997]

Well  Diners, and welcome to a wondrous world of Spring white! (Spring White and the seven Blahs?)  Church was cancelled for the first time since winter 2014/15! So even if we had decided to try, it would have been of no avail. I truly hope the rest of the forecast (rain and rising temperatures) gets rid of it without our having to fire up the snow blower, not least because it’s wet and heavy and won’t throw well. 

It took only a bit of trying to get back to sleep last night to realize that I had unnecessary switches and tracks for handling traffic from the interchange. I searched through my available switches this morning and found a suitable curved one to pop into the loop at the far LHS of the top of the “L”. This now gives access to a small yard which could perhaps be used not only for dropping off interchange cars, but also for classification. Eliminating a now unwanted crossover tidied things up on the main at the other end, near the tunnel. So, here’s the latest version of the “Final” track plan: 

And in 3D

 

Mister Beasley:

We are also at the dawn of the Second Age of American Beermaking, and any decent bar is competing with all the others with selections of craft beers on tap.  That's the way to drink them.  Most of the time, I have dinner at home before going out, but sometimes I'll eat "pub fare" for a change of pace.

….which is returning us to the situation in the middle ages in Europe where each watering hole brewed their own (and the government [read the king’s] assessors tested quality by the seat of their pants – did they stick to the bench when sat on in a small puddle of the home’s brew?)  The landlord got to be know by the quality of their ale etc. I think that from an economic stand point it’s a refreshing change. IMHO the big breweries are too big.

 

Ray:

Another one of those things I just do not understand is why anyone would actually water a lawn?  Why????  Watering a lawn makes the darn thing grow...  Then you have have to go out and mow it.  I never would ever fertilize a lawn either.  That makes it grow faster so it needs to be mowed more often.  All that means wasted time that I could be using in the train room, $$$$ to pay for treated water and fuel for the mower.  Why would anyone want to do those things???  I just don't understand that.  I do water my vegetable garden, but that supplies me with fresh, organic, non GMO food to eat....

  Like, preach it Brother!  We have our mowers both set on mulch. That does all the fertilizing we need. We have 4 rain barrels at the down spouts from various roofs, and when that’s all used up, and only when, then we water the flowers and veggies with the town water.

 

YGW: Great news you gave us there

Der - Are the Quince "apples" in your area edible ? I saw on Nat Geo years ago that there is a tree in Africa that the monkeys like to eat the fruit of and it gets them drunk. They ended the show with a monkey holding his head in his lap - he had a hangover!

– Yes, but you wouldn’t want to try eating one like an apple. What we do (it is a combined op) is to juice them when ripe and make jelly / jam.  Those puppies will set your teeth seriously on edge if you go at them raw, even at their ripest. I think elephants also get drunk on fermented fruit – and that you wouldn’t want to film close up! 

 

Chris: Now, THAT is a Dalek!

Ja Bear:

 der5997 not sure if you’re aware but the flag referendum resulted in keeping our flag, something I’m quite pleased about.

 Yes, we caught that. We like the version which didn’t even make the cut – the fern with the red flash top left.

Following your development of your track plan has been interesting.

  Happy to add interest to anyone’s day! What’s your opinion? Will this thing work in its latest format? I don’t want to cut track if the whole plan fundamentally flawed.

 

Garry:

Der John .... I'm trying to picture where that bridge is located. It has been 15 years since we were in NS.

  Outdated  Images courtesy GoogleEarth. First please find Halifax NS on your map (Difficult for those of our neighbours to the South who believe the weather maps of the NE in most papers, which cut off the Maritime Provinces with a line due north from the easterly end of the Maine border! [clown] )  Then come east along the shore following the #107 Hwy to Musquodoboit Harbour, and the #7 Hwy thereafter until you get to Sheet Harbour. You’ll be entering this image as the road curves across the West River… Continue east through the village to the East river.  The crossing shown is the now-replaced suspension bridge. The new bridge crosses just downstream. Look for the concrete abutment at the river bank roughly centre screen in this image. That is the west abutment of the old swing bridge I mentioned. The new bridge follows that alignment. I’ve left the co-ordinates at the bottom of the images if you want to do your own Google Earthing.  

We still wish we could go back there. 

Nothing stopping you from our end! What’s more, your $ gets you more right now. “Will ye no come back again?” 

 

Henry:

but I suspect there are only a couple diners who are not on daily asprin,

  We were, but gave it up in favour of ground cloves (in juice) as a natural substitute.( see http://www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com/benefits-of-cloves.html for instance) tastier too!

I've been battling computers all week.  My Windows 10 decided I did not have permission to save files to any of the usual places one would save a file, including the deskop.  Everytime I thought I had it fixed, a reboot would restore the problem.  I think it's related to Onedrive and I think it is now finally solved.

  I’ve 2 downloads of W10 on my ‘puter. The first denied me access as you describe – and my fix was to re-install so that I could at least do something.  I had, before installing 10 the first time, backed everything up to a Seagate drive – so at least I had that to fall back on. So, it’s cack-handed, but the Seagate is where I store and work with all my files now.  But not for too much longer maybe as there is talk of my getting a tablet and ditching Windows entirely.  Chris, do you know if any Android tablets come with USB ports that would enable me to download from the Seagate? In the alternative, could I upload to the “Cloud” whatever/wherever that is, and download to a tablet? Babes in Toyland I’m afraid, so far as my knowledge of these things is concerned. (Except to say that I don’t particularly want to pay Apple for their logo!) 

Lion: Thanks for the Image Resizer link. I’ve been adjusting and resizing in Office’s Picture Manager, down and dirty but it gets the job done. Your solution looks très élégant !

I’ll take a green tea and a couple  of ginger snaps over to the RC and see who drops by…and that would be Alvie!

I've finally converted to DCC at home! My LHS had a gently used, complete, NCE Power-Cab set for a reasonable price. After the 2-minute set up, I had a lot of fun playing with a pair of BLI Pennsy steamers (a K4 and an L1), having them go backwards, and forwards independently, and playing the various sounds. 

What I like about the NCE is the programming on the main feature. Downside only 6 stored addresses –at least on the version I bought some years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cats think well of me]

---

Good day all.

Lion, thank you the link on image resizer, I'll check it out soon for uploading photos.

I've finally converted to DCC at home! My LHS had a gently used, complete, NCE Power-Cab set for a reasonable price. After the 2-minute set up, I had a lot of fun playing with a pair of BLI Pennsy steamers (a K4 and an L1), having them go backwards, and forwards independently, and playing the various sounds. 

-Alvie

[BroadwayLion]

ROAR

LOCO_GUY

I take the photos I upload here and use photoshop to reduce the size by about 90% and then it uploads really fast. They are displayed from my own online server so that's a bit of a cheat - but the rules still apply.

 

Photos in the digital world have three different ways or resizing. You can resize the "canvas" 8x10, 5x7 etc etc. Or you can resize the number of pixels per inch.

Printed work on a printer wants 300 px per inch. Viewed images on a monitor work best with 100 - 120 pixels per inch (for flat screen) and 70 - 90 pxi for CRT.

Monitors cannot display more pixels than that and besides.

The third way has to do with the code itself, and how much compression or cheating is involved with the code. Pictures in the 40 -60 KB range will load nice and fast, Pictures in the 100 MB range will take longer and will annoy people using dial-up or dsl.

Your computer takes the .jpg photo (file) and translates it into essentiall a .bmp file to display it on the screen. A .bmp image is a dot by dot raster image, where a .jpg file is a compressed code that will pack a 10MB .bmp photo into a 40 KB packate. When you save in .jpg format you will frequently see a slider or other method to select how much compression you want to apply to the immage. The more compression, the smaller the file, but the more loss of detail you whill have when it is unpacked for viewing or printing.

THAT SAID, LION uses a program called "Image Resizer" to handle this process for us. ALL PHOTOS posted by said LION have been processed with Image Resizer. As can be seen in the link above, there is nothing to see or do on your computer, and no program to launch. In a file folder containing photos, you right click on a photo and select "Image Resizer" and the job is done. You can email or post them.

ROAR says the LION

[BigDaddy]

Elias glad to see you are back home.  Did they give you a general anesthetic?

Asprin, I'm afraid I repeated some Internet or pre Internet fable.  It keeps for quite a while, but I suspect there are only a couple diners who are not on daily asprin, so there is no reason to have old asprin lying around

I've been battling computers all week.  My Windows 10 decided I did not have permission to save files to any of the usual places one would save a file, including the deskop.  Everytime I thought I had it fixed, a reboot would restore the problem.  I think it's related to Onedrive and I think it is now finally solved.

My wifes laptop would hang looking for Win 7 upgrades.  Like my problem, the suggested microsoft.com solutions involved running trouble shooters that did nothing, running programs that don't exist and changing specific code in the Registry that I couldn't find.  Restore was no help either.

Yesterday sleet, snow, rain and lots of wind, today sunny but still cold. 

I have boxes of old pictures.  I cannot find the Budd car going over the Thomas Viaduct so this will have to do.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good morning everybody .

Bear .... The cake looks elegent and delicious. Thanks for sharing..... Also thanks for your thoughts on our situation. 

Ray .... Hope you don't get too many bird droppings on your car. LOL ... Regarding grass, the soil here is not very good, and our grass is noting to brag about. I have never used the spray service for lawns anywhere I have ever lived. I do sometimes apply the powder fertizer with an old fashion spreader. I just did that a couple of weeks ago, and that was the first time in three years. Doing it in March with the correct product should reduce crab grass later in the season. 

Der John .... I'm trying to picture where that bridge is located. It has been 15 years since we were in NS. We still wish we could go back there. 

YGW .... Each of the two big lakes has a dam with locks for boats. Those river cargo ships are not used much. Instead, most cargo is bulk commodities in barges. If I see one coming, I won't cross on the old bridges. Every so often a barge will side swipe a bridge pier and the bridge is closed until inspectors make sure it is safe. The new bridge has much more clearance, and that should not be a problem anymore. Construction on the bridge on our lake lags the other bridge by about 1 1/2 years. 

Happy Model Railroading 

 

 

 

 

[RideOnRoad]

yougottawanta

Why do they call you "ole dude" ?

The moniker is of my own making. My uncles used to call my grandfather "the oldtimer" and I thought it was a pretty cool nickname. I decided to update the term a little, thus "Old Dude." My kids just decided on the name--James Richard. I am happy.

["JaBear"]

Gidday All, Chloe a cup of citrus green tea would go down a treat, please. It’s been a busy weekend, apart from some w**k related paperwork, I’ve got the last of the firewood stacked away, the guttering cleaned out, and swept the chimney and cleaned the wood burner, so am ready for winter.

I see I’m too late for a slice of Stevens birthday cake but would offer you all a slice of the cake that my daughter and my sons girlfriend made for a friends’ wedding.  A bit of a mess was made in our kitchen and our electricity bill went up by 38% for the week but her-in doors and I reckoned it was good to have the family home for a few days.

 

 

der5997 not sure if you’re aware but the flag referendum resulted in keeping our flag, something I’m quite pleased about. Following your development of your track plan has been interesting.

Heartland Garry, sorry to hear of your family problems, especially hard when children involved.

Brother Lion, after skim reading while catching up on the goings on, I was shocked to read you were getting on the Turps, a slang term OZJim would be familiar with that refers to inebriation, however after a quick Google and seeing what it actually is, I’m sure a tender tasty wildebeest would be well deserved.

YGW, unless Asprin is different to the Asprin in use here, I believe that the expiry date is a Government regulation that requires the manufacturer to guarantee that the asprin maintains its strength up to that date. However as part of a w**k related matter, 3 different  pharmacists have told me that, in their opinion, as long as the seal is still intact the asprin would still be effective for at least another 5 years, and that after that, if the required relief was not happening they would probably just take another asprin.   

I’m pleased to see that your SIL has started on the long road to recovery and on that note I’ll wish....

Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them.

Cheers, the Bear.

[LOCO_GUY]

Ken,

Don't forget that "photos" or "images" can have large files especailly if you are using hi-def cameras. The solution is to use some software that can reduce the size of the images before uploading. This may not be something you are familiar with - but in any case you can buy a fancy new computer and upload large image files and it will still take a long time to upload to the target site like photobucket.

I take the photos I upload here and use photoshop to reduce the size by about 90% and then it uploads really fast. They are displayed from my own online server so that's a bit of a cheat - but the rules still apply.

P.S. I am not talking about the "Actual" size of the image when I say - reduce it by 90% - just the physical file size. So you will lose a little resolution on the image but it will still diplay fine.

[dougdagrump]

I also have an Older Dell with Vista Home Prem sounds as though the hardware is the same. Almost everywhere I go I am somewhat politely told that your stuff is no longer supported so either upgrade your O/S or a new computer. Tried windows 8, , tried my wife's laptop with windows 10, , so I am kicking around the idea of windows 7 ultimate if I can find one if the price ain'rt outrageous.

As for the B&O photos keep'em coming. Was a fireman on the Toledo Div for about a year and a half out of highschool til Uncle Sam invited me to maybe go to a Tropical Paradise(?).   

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, please.

 Work Sucked Rail Spike!Besides spending 8.5 hour's with Jerry was a little busy but most where bed rail killers! Best part of the day when Jerry feel asleep sitting on a futon. Boy he ! Worst part of the day was when Jerry had a late be back (someone that has been in before) and he turned them over to me very quickly this time. She knows what she wants but with the $ amount they (Her Husdand ) it will not happen. Bottom line, got out 45 minutes late and no sale.

 

howmus

Another one of those things I just do not understand is why anyone would actually water a lawn? Why???? Watering a lawn makes the darn thing grow... Then you have have to go out and mow it.

 HowmusI am on your side on this one! I hate cutting grass, so now I cut weeds? Hum, they grow even faster than grass? This year I may have to kill some of the weeds and plant some grass seeds.

 Brother Lion Glad you are out of the hospital and eating real food! Just don't eat to much.

 Computer Question, and Lion please feel free to answer. I have a old Dell with XP Pro, Intel 2.80 Ghz thing, 2.0 Ram (most the board will handle) and it runs fine for 70% of what I do. Off line I am fine with it, on line is where I have some problem's. Wallmart site loads real slow as a expamle, Lowes and Home Depote do OK.

 Real problem is Photo Bucket. It just takes for ever to move from page to page, that darn little wheel spins around and around. Sometimes when I post a photo here at the site it darns near locks up the computer, all so one of the reason's I donot up load newer photos. Bigger the Bucket file is, the slower it goes.

 So Is It Op's system or the computer it self? Sure you folks are seeing the same photo's over and over again.

 Ken

 

[LOCO_GUY]

[LOCO_GUY]

["LOCO_GUY"]

I just need someone to give me a "crazy" idea and then I can go for it. 

 I'm putting a Tardis ph booth on my layout - that way I can travel between N and HO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Now that's a crazy idea - In a bizzare coincidence I have a 18" DALEK from the 50 year commenorative series sat on my workbench in the train room. And a bag of Jelly Babies hidden in the drawer of my workbench.

I might buy a load of HO Scale Daleks and a Tardis from Shapeways and re-enact the Dalek Invasion of the PRR Railroad.

I might even call my layout prototype "Time And Relative Dimensions In Space" then I can put anything I want out there.

 

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, I'll have a bowl of the home made chicken soup, some cheese doodly thingies, and a cup of decaf for supper please....  What?  Nah I had lots of fruit for lunch and there are several different Veggies in the soup I made....  I will have a nice bowl of Vanilla, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream with whipped cream for desert though.

OK while Janie is getting that ready for me...  Here is the Tree I've been talking about.  It is fully mature and is actually a bit taller than what I have read about the Japanese Flowering Quince.  This one is about 15' tall and is the same size as the crab apple tree that is just out of the photo on the left.

Here is what has been feasting on the berries and any dumb bugs outside in this weather...

There appears to be about 6 or 7 breeding pair of robins in the area this year.

This is a close up of the berries from last year.  The berries are about the same size, maybe just a bit larger than the crab apples which were eaten by the squirells last winter.  the squirells were busy eating the berries too untill all the birds showed up.  I have seen a couple eating from the tree today.  In about two weeks the tree will be in bloom along with the crab apple.  They are a beautiful sight in bloosom!  I'll get a few more photos then.

 LOL YGW!  We finally completely agree on something!!   You only forgot that the tank truck has to show up every other week to spray poisons on the whole lawn as well.  The lady across Bennett St. from me even after her husband died a horrible death from cancer still had ChemKIllYourLawn show up and spray constantly.  They sprayed for bugs!  They sprayed Roundup to kill the weeds!  Then they sprayed to kill everything else that didn't look like proper manicured lawn, and then back the next week to fertilize again and start over.  In between I would bag up all the dead birds, squirrels, and cats and dogs that were in my yard (they flew, crawled, and expired over where they should have stayed in the first place).... In between their sprinklers used thousands of gallons a week of city water (this included those tims when the city was on an emergency limited water use policy)....  You know what used to really tick them off was that I did nothing except mow mine when I couldn't put it off any longer (or the city would come and mow it for me for $$$$) and my lawn was consistantly the best growing and greenest one in the neighborhood!  She finally died of something or other and the new people just fertilize the lawn by letting their tiny little 110lb. Pit Bull run around the front yard.  The lawn looks very nice I might add.

Later!

73

[yougottawanta]

Happy Saturday to everyone !

Howmus - Been out mowing so I am back : ) Why water grass ? One word - Money - Lawn companies sell irrigation systems that they convince the HO that they will have the prettiest lawn, then they make money "grooming" the yard, then they charge to fertilize the yard, then they charge to mulch, then they charge to rake the leaves etc....Lots of money in green lawns. I heard that out in Calirfonia during a drought the the lawn companies were loosing money because there wasnt any work - So they came up with the idea of painting the yard green !

Angel - anyone loose the puppy ?

Ulrich - Hope you feel better soon

Mr. B - Oh. What bands do you follow ? Yogi Berri had some funny sayings !

Lion - Glad you came through okay. Sure they werent feeding you "Horse pital " food ?

V8 - Have you had your sugar levels checked ?

Richard congrats on the new grandchild ! Why do they call you "ole dude" ?

Garry - So they were drinking and sailing ! Not a good conbo. Glad I am not them ! How do they get the ships past the dams ? Lochs?

Der - Are the Quince "apples" in your area edible ? I saw on Nat Geo years ago that there is a tree in Africa that the monkies like to eat the fruit of and it gets them drunk. They ended the show with a monkey holding his head in his lap - he had a hangover! Yesterday I had an amazing Oppurtunity. I led one of the owners of a company we use to Christ. We were talking in one of the units. God opened doors and I told him about sin, how it seperates us from God, Jesus amazing gift of salvation... and right there he asked for Gods forgiveness and asked Jesus to come into his heart... What a great way to end the week !!

Ken - How is YOH doing has her injury healed ?

Started this morning by fixing everyone a nice breakfast, Scrapple, turkey bacon, grits, Omelete...Then on to mowing. Finished the yard and now resting before I start painting.

Well gotta get back to w**K

YGW

[howmus]

Afternoon folks,

Chloe, just a cup of hot chocolate for me right now please.

 AngeloB!  Do go put up some signs with information about the puppy that followed you home around the neighborhood where you found him!  Most likely he escaped from the owners yard much like he got out of yours.  Some little kid may be grief stricken because his puppy disappeared....  Put the phone # of the pound you took him to on the notice.  Poor little guy!  His day started out to be so much fun and now he is in jail....  Hope he gets his owner back!

I drove to the WASPS show and got the guys signature on the petition.  His demo layout was by far the best thing at the show.  He owns a small Garden Scale manufacturing company in the area.  Wish I was rich....  Would love to put a small garden layout in my back yard.  maybe in my next life or sumpin'...  All packed for the Batavia show tomorrow and have heard from two people that they plan to visit the display and sign the petition!  Yes!!!  We're getting closer.

Have a great one!

73

[der5997]

 Good late afternoon folks:

Ray:  Those birds getting drunk on fermented berries is a familiar later winter phenomenon. The Quince  we have are more like hard and very seed filled apples 

Are yours smaller and more like berries?

 

Garry: On bridge crossings new and old, we had the pleasure a couple of months ago to cross for the first time the new bridge over the East River, Sheet Harbour which replaces the suspension bridge built in 1952 or so which in turn replaced the swing bridge just down stream from the suspension bridge (and the alignment of the latest bridge). That swing bridge was for ship traffic to the Ruth Falls (end of navigation) before the hydro dam made the wharfs there irrelevant. The swing bridge replaced a ferry. But that’s all water under the – um - bridge now!

 

Richard:  Congratulations – six is truly venerable! And distance, they say, makes the heart grow fonder…

 

LION: That was fast! They kept me in for 5 days – something to do with ability to pee sans catheter and at a volume they were looking for. Who looks for that? Glad all went well.

 

Ulrich:  Thinking of you – I expect anyone finding you asleep will just let you be!

 

All those troubling family and health situations are in our thoughts and prayers.

 

So here’s the thing – I moved the interchange from the lower leg of the layout “L” to the upper. In the old location, trains entering the layout could turn on the reverse loop logically and with no violation of what I take to be sensible tunnel use protocols.

 However, in moving the interchange to the top leg of the “L” and having trains enter the layout from the most logical end from an available elbow room to work perspective results in a plan where in order to access the return loop, trains would have to reverse into the tunnel. I doubt that this is a “Recommended Operating Procedure”.   So, what to do? After playing around with plans which removed the hill sufficiently to have that long curve in the clear, so as not to violate those ROPs, the solution dawned on me this morning.  By keeping the main in the open air, and using a fiddle yard outside the long leg of the “L”, I can have trains enter the layout from the right, (East?) - I never did understand the North/ South only RR designation) and access the return loop quite naturally.  Providing elbow room for this is simply a matter of moving the entire layout, which is on casters, a couple of feet away from the wall. (Advantage of being of slight build!)

 

The latest “Final Plan” is therefore 

 

And in more detail at the portion under discussion: In 3D view it works out (forgive the non-existent bridge piers!) as 

 

I can certainly live with the long inside curve as it will help bunch up passenger or freight equipment in the curve to look better. It also means I only have to cast 3 extra portals rather than the 4 I would otherwise have to.  (Must check to see if we have any ammonia left before I try to dig through the crust on my Woodland Scenics rubber casting goop stuff. Hey, it’s been 4 or 5 years since I last used any…) I did find the cut squares of gauze lurking in the back of our medicine cabinet the other day, so that’s good.

 

I was planning on using a sound deadening floor underlay material I’ve kept by for the roadbed. Cutting it into strips and gluing them (like cork roadbed) to the Styrofoam sub-roadbed.  I’ve found however that the latex based contact cement I used previously, and wanted to use this time around is no longer being made .  Necessity being the mother of invention, the probable work-around comes on a roll of 30’ 2” wide self adhesive foam stuff 1/8^th inch thick! Ideal as I need 1’ wide (therefore 1 Roll = 60’) strips to cut into 1/2 ‘ wide on a diagonal cut like cork is done. I’ve just measured on the SCARM plan the total length of the N scale tracks; and guess what? I’ll need 59.71 Feet of that 30x2=60’ Roll!   Actually of course my laid out track on the table has wider curves than the SCARM drawing, so I’ll be sort, but  5 feet of the total is Fiddle Yard – and I can use whatever for that as the sound deadening won’t matter. Ergo, I have enough on the one Roll.

More snow in the forecast – we may not get out to church tomorrow. Vary wary of the causeway in snow since a near deadly incident.

Time once more to get ready for dinner. TTFN.

[angelob6660]

Afternoon Diners,

I was going to write this yesterday, but everything was busy.

I was walking the dog in the morning. Then we ran into another dog (puppy) a brown and black one. He followed me thru the entire walk, 40 minutes. I decided to take him home to call the pound. He escaped the backyard and come back, then put him back there again. He escaped three times. He was a energized little puppy. I give him food and water. Then we placed him in the car, he was so happy wagging his tail and moving around the car. We reached the pound. I hope he finds a good caring home with people who love him.

 

[Anonymous]

Good Evening!

Just a short visit today, as I still feel pretty miserable. The pain is not yet gone and my stomach is refusing any food I offer him. Certainly a way to reduce weight, but not a good one.

If you don´t mind, I´ll stay put in the backbooth. Give me a push should I fall asleep.

[MisterBeasley]

howmus

Mornin' everyone! Hello? So, where is "everyone"? Hmmmmmmmm.....

I was at the bagel shop.  It was shut down last fall when they demolished the building, and just re-opened in its new location a few hundred feet away.  Yeah, we've got a Starbucks and a Dunkins, but this Bruegger's Bagels is just more what I'm looking for.  It was completely mobbed.  The line to order stretched from the back of the store to the door, and I saw a few people just walk in and walk right out again.  As Yogi Berra once said, "Nobody goes there anymore.  It's too crowded."  I'll go back during the week.  Saturday mornings are just going to be too crazy.

[BroadwayLion]

HOME is the LION. TUR=P is not all that bad. But those hospital beds! They should be sent to Abu Grab or to Club Gitmo! Dis not sleep a wink (ther than was sedated for surgery) My own bed (last night) was much better. Percocet helped.

Hospital portions could not have fed a mouse, let alone a LION.

ROAR

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!  Hello?  So, where is "everyone"?   Hmmmmmmmm.....

Zoe, just a bowl of raison bran and a pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast coffee for me.  I'll sit in the back by the wood stove to stay warm and see if anyone else shows up.....

Another one of those things I just do not understand is why anyone would actually water a lawn?  Why????  Watering a lawn makes the darn thing grow...  Then you have have to go out and mow it.  I never would ever fertilize a lawn either.  That makes it grow faster so it needs to be mowed more often.  All that means wasted time that I could be using in the train room, $$$$ to pay for teated water and fuel for the mower.  Why would anyone want to do those things???  I just don't understand that.  I do water my vegetable garden, but that supplies me with fresh, organic, non GMO food to eat....

 YGW, I think that tree in my lawn is a Flowering Quince.  At least two different people who plant or cut down trees for a living said that is what it is....  Mine is probably a hybred of the Japanese small tree variety (only grows to about 12' tall).  The actual Quince tree has fruit that is not edible raw, but can be cooked down to make quince jam.  Mine has very small fruit about the same size as a small crab apple tree.  Many years the fruit will ferment and/or turns to some chemical that makes the birds rather tipsy.  They have trouble flying correctly...  Did have a robin try to fly through my dining room window already this year.  Didn't get seriously injured but was standing in the driveway shaking it's head for a while.  It finally flew away.  I have had smaller birds fly into the window and break their necks every once in a while....

I will be heading to Webster, NY soon to get a signature on the Petition...  May find a couple items to buy at the show as well.  Never know.  I contacted 5 people that live in the area and have not yet signed the petition.  Three contacted me back, two of them are out of town, and the other two just ignored my plea to get them to sign.   So I get to drive a little over 100 miles to get one signature today!  I will be very glad when and if I finally get the dozen more signatures needed to get this done!  Every one of the active members of the division signed it within about 4 months of starting the petition, the other 2 thirds I have never even met and they could care less about this....  I need to get at least 2/3rds of the members to sign to get this done.  When polled about the move 2 years ago 91% of the membership was in faovor of the petition, so go figure?

Enough of the rant for today....  Have a safe and enjoyable day out there, and my prayers for those who are in need of them!

73

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, please and tell the trains to stop picking on me!

 Train Front Having power pick up problems with 2 engine's. Monon F-3 A and the N&W Y6 b. I think the Y6 b problem is the track. I do not solder the rail joiners and do not have feeder wire every section. I am thinking the weight of the engine is causing the joiner's to lose contact to the other rail's.  Mono F-3 A I have no clue right now.

 Richard on the new one!

 Dennis Bermudagrass can be a pain in the caboose! It will grow on your drive way, your patio, your shed and your dog if it lay's down to long!

 Henry I would love some more B&O photos. I like C&O when they have the Blue and Yellow color's like B&O.

 YGW Have no idea what caused them to hit the gas line. Fire is out so it is out of the news.

 Brother Lion I read about what you have had done, hope you get well soon and I never have to have done what you had done! Hope you had a good Vet!

 Later, Ken

 

[RideOnRoad]

last mountain & eastern hogger

. . .if they live close that will really keep you busy. . .

Unfortunately, they live about 1000 miles away in Idaho. We get to see them 2-3 times a year. We do wish they were closer.

[MisterBeasley]

yougottawanta

Mr. B - why watch sports in a bar ? I have never understood that. Its noisy, dirty public bathrooms ( yuck ) , strangers you dont really know, cops tyhat wait down the street ( at least in Va ) to pull you over for a costly DUI....What is the fun in that ? Not knocking you I really just dont understand. What is the upside ?

Until I retired, I seldom went to bars, but since then I've found them a refreshing change from home.  At home, I've got no companionship for watching sports, or even drinking beer for that matter.  The wife has stopped drinking and has no appreciation for anything but tennis on TV.

We are also at the dawn of the Second Age of American Beermaking, and any decent bar is competing with all the others with selections of craft beers on tap.  That's the way to drink them.  Most of the time, I have dinner at home before going out, but sometimes I'll eat "pub fare" for a change of pace.

Like most businesses, smoking is prohibited in bars.  That, more than anything else, kept me out of bars for most of my life, but now that the air is clean inside I can enjoy the atmosphere.

The bars I like have live music.  Most have no cover charge, so it's free entertainment.  I've found quite a few local groups that I follow around.

There's an old saying that goes, "Chasing women at my age is like a dog chasing cars.  Not sure what we do with one if we caught her."  I enjoy flirting with the ladies, even though it gets me nowhere.  (Don't tell my wife.)

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Hey Richard,   Yeah the Ol' Dude,

Thats great news.  Six Grandkids, if they live close that will really keep you busy.

We only have one Grandson and we are busy enough. But, he is Great.

Congratulations  and enjoy them.

Johnboy out..................................

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Richard........ CONGRATULATIONS !  

[RideOnRoad]

At 5:00 this morning, my son and DIL made me a grandpa for the sixth time. The great thing is that my grandkids call me "Old Dude." The looks we get in public places when the kids yell, "Hey, Old Dude!" are priceless.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

YGW .... The ship was a river cargo ship with a load moving from Alabama to Illinois. Kentucky Lake is one of the largest man-made lakes anywhere, and it was made by building a dam on the Tennessee River. We live on Lake Barkley which was made with a dam on the Cumberland River. It is almost as big as Kentucky Lake. The US government owns Land Between the Lakes which is inbetween the two lakes. 

This news photo is about four years old. Our neighbors were crossing the bridge at the moment when the bridge collapsed, but they were not on the span that fell. Thankfully, no vehicles were on that span and no vehicles went into the lake. The shipping lane foes under the highest span which is 3 psans away from the one that fell. The crew went off course. I heard from a Coast Guard guy, there was a lot of drinking on the ship when it happened.