Continued from Post 1,
I'm not sure if you guys are aware, but Trainweb.org experienced a major web server failure a few days ago. (Wed July 26, 2016). Because of this it seem my favorite website that I use for reference is no longer available. When I click on the name (www.trainweb.org/mccann/offer.htm), it says the page does not exisit. Do you think this website will return to the internet or is it gone for good?
Heartland Division CB&Q FRRY ... you mentioned flat cars for your era. What is your era?
FRRY ... you mentioned flat cars for your era. What is your era?
ACI era. Mid-70's to 80-81 (end is somewhat flexible). Hard to find accurate RTR flat cars for that era.
cudaken Train Front Man I still have it bad, the rolling stock sickness. Guess I am going to have to throw away more rolling stock boxes. I have ran out of places to store them again. I just don't understand why we all want more? I now have 120 cars on the layout, around 75 under the layout (project / Junk ) and 110 wrapped and in storage from a few years ago I was going to tear the layout down. Yet I still buy rolling stock?
Train Front Man I still have it bad, the rolling stock sickness. Guess I am going to have to throw away more rolling stock boxes. I have ran out of places to store them again.
I just don't understand why we all want more? I now have 120 cars on the layout, around 75 under the layout (project / Junk ) and 110 wrapped and in storage from a few years ago I was going to tear the layout down. Yet I still buy rolling stock?
I know the feeling. I won that gondola that I placed a bid on. Miniumin bid. but still it's not like I really need more freight cars.
Construction Project: I managed to get both of the new sections built. Unfortunely, I ran into a few problems in the process. First, I ran out of screws. (I thought a 1/2# of drywall screws would be enough. {I had a few extra from another project so I could attach the main section. But I couldn't attach the triangle section.} I also got that batch somewhat too long.) Second, I had the legs cut too short. I had them cut at 30" when I should of had them cut @ 36. I happened to have a couple of 2x2s that were good enough to rig the section so I could attach it. I will go to the lumber yard tomorrow and get replacements (I will get 5 from a 16' board. I can use the extras anyway.) and another 1/2 or 3/4# of the right length drywall screw.
I also managed to get the river extension sketched, the turning wye bedded and laid as well as extending the main line. The industrial yard will have to wait until I can get a cork sheet ordered. Another disadvantage of not having an LHS.
The other thing I will need to find is my jigsaw. Again, it has been too long since I used it to remember where I put it last. All for next week.
Hello Railfans!
Top of the evening to yas! Very nice outside which made the trip home this evening rather pleasurable. I certainly hope everyone is doing ok. Since its been very slow today I figured now would be a good time to use up my internet crayon.
Ed - Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a good program to use. So is Ad-Block. Zone Alarm (by Check Point Software) makes a great firewall with anti-virus too. Best thing about these three programs is they come in a free version. They work just as good as their 'paid for' counter parts.
While there are many to compare to Malwarebytes and Zone Alarm, there is no substitute for Ad-Block. It is a gotta have in todays internet society.
Ken - Hit me up when you can. I understand your having 'technical difficulties' at this time.
Garry - Nice shot of the 'Red Birds'. Never heard that name for them before. I was always a bit partial to that paint scheme though.
Howmus - Nice scenery work. Cant wait to see a shot of something rolling through it!
In General - Same ole grind. Back to work tomarow.
Railroad front - See 'In General'.
Have a great rest of the evening folks!
Douglas
G'mornin' Diners...
Just popping in for a warm bag of Beignets and some Double-XX Java made with Boiler Wash Water
KEN! Love that shot of the B&O EM-1. I live a few miles from the former B&O Lake branck (now a bike path ) sure is hard to imagine those monsters (usually two up-front and one pushin') hammering through the sleepy countryside around here on their way to Fairport Harbor on Lake Erie .
I have two of the Bachmann models of them (7607 in your pic is one of them!) and they ARE fantastic! Sent you a PM
Douglas, I cant believe how simple it was to setup Ad-Block! Right now just on Chrome but I'll do IE11 later today. Perfect! I like the little icon in the address bar that tells you what it's up to Thanks Again...
Well, I see FLo has my order up already. I'm hittin' the sack, the coffee and puffy pastry is for the little lady!
I'll check in on the return trip!
Regards and Happy Monday,
Ed
ATSFGuyWhen I click on the name (www.trainweb.org/mccann/offer.htm), it says the page does not exisit.
Good morning folks. I haven't spent any time on this site, but there is a www.trainweb.org/mccann page. It look like just a place mark. From what they say on the home page, they lost a good bit of their website and the people that had those pages need to upload their pages again.
There was a guy on Fox Business this am, dark rimmed glasses, dark sport coat, and bow tie that was the spitting image of Cody Grivno
I did not go to the Greenberg Train Show this weekend. With travel time it would have taken most of the day.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Herrinchoker ... You remind me of observing construction a few years ago near my wife's sister's home in Nashville, TN. Work was being done to upgrade the rail line from Nashville to Lebanon for a commuter train. At the same time, I-40 was being expanded from Nashville to Lebanon to have 8 lanes. .... Now, the 8-lane highway is packed with cars and trucks. The commuter train, called the Music City Star, typically has only two ex-Chicago bilevel commuter cars following its ex-Amtrak F-40. There are plenty of vacant seats on the train.
Ray .... Nice work on your scenery. ... I currently have a scenery project too.
Douglas .... Thanks for the comment.
Ken .... Not trying to convince you to add another railroad, but it is tempting to have more than we need with so many nice looking choices.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Folks,Even though the Diner thread allows off-topic conversation, it's still subject to the Forum's prohibition on political discussions. Talk infrastructure all you want, but once you start getting into which party or politician is responsible for it, you're getting into prohibited territory. Just a friendly warning.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Morning diners,
I last time I spoke was like 2 days ago?
If we're still talking talking about freight cars, I try to have 8 of each type of boxcars, reefers, covered hoppers. It's harder than it sounds, since I look up freight cars to see if their still roaring the rails.
The most harder freight cars are tank cars, and Auto Racks they wear logos or plain, safety strips and it hard to place them in the era your modeling. 99% of the time there's no picture.
Hoppers, trailers, 1980 TTX flatcars- I buy them if they don't have photos like Conrail trailers and hoppers. Conrail owned over 1,000 hoppers and barely no pictures until the coalporters in late 199Os.
I can't found good accurate gondolas with 13 panels for CR. Or found 60' flatcars other than the 89'.
I have to owe apologies to people. (Who has children and/or multi pets)
It's starting to get a hard to write with two dogs now, it's like having two toddlers under the age of 5. Almost barkings, high maintenance agility, drinks a ton of water, knocking things or taking things he's not allowed to get. I have no time to sit or do any railroading work. Concentrating on walks is 6 times more work.
Wants the point of dogs when both of their owners do absolute nonething, and a parent who's a couch potato since he retired at the age 55. He's financial not ready to retire. He spend a lot of money going to the casino. (And since he retired he completed turned off his brain and legs to do anything except more around the couch.) I hope you guys aren't that lazy and self-sufficent. My mom can't retire until she's reaches 70.
Maybe soon I'll have a photo of the dogs and show you. But for now I'm a little busy. See you when I have time.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Good morning from the beautiful sunny West Coast. Even though we are a few Kms. in from the ocean we are getting a good whiff of salt air this morning.
CN Charlie, I was born in Winnipeg and the family had summer cottages at Ottermere Lake in Ontario. The only way to get there was on the train and CN would run a train called the campers special. Friday nights at the lake were when all the supplies the people would have had shipped down would arrive. Most of the time it would be in the baggage cars, even lumber orders, however, if there was a lot, a box car would be taken out and spotted on a small siding. You would then see tiny boats piled high with lumber and other supplies making their way down the lake, back and forth over the weekend.
ROR, It sounds like your wife had a good trip, it is always exciting to see Orcas in the wild. We use to Salmon fish a lot out on the chuck and the orcas would come up very close to the boat and just float there and have a visit. It is a powerful experience looking them right in the eye and having a chit chat. Sometimes they would remain for quite a while, twenty minutes would not be uncommon.
YGW. The kids are having a great time doing this movie thing and at first I had the same impression as you and so did my son as far as thinking the whole thing was very inefficient. I have changed my mind and as is sometimes the case, I didn't know what I didn't know. This filming location covers a huge area (acres) and I overheard that there was about fifteen hundred people involved counting some six hundred extras. I now am beginning to realize what a finely tuned machine it all is.
On Friday the kids arrived at 0645Hrs for my daughters 0700Hrs call. My sons call was for 1145Hrs. He went and was looking out over the Pacific Ocean and fell asleep on the lawn with a couple of big blankets. They took my daughter right to the set she was on the day before. There were 250 extras on this set but my daughter was right in with the main characters. As the day went by they let more and more of the extras go as they didn't need them. Then at 1600Hrs they had to let the final dozen or so go as anyone fifteen and under can't work over eight hours. That is all except my daughter. They had to get a special exemption for her to work past eight hours as she is only fourteen. So it was once again just my daughter with five of the main stars. Do you think she was thrilled?
In the early evening she had to go to wardrobe for an outfit change and then was taken to a different set (outside). This is where my son had been working. They were shooting first day at school scenes for a hoity toity private school in New York. They then changed the same spot to a very cold winters day. This involved another trip to wardrobe to be outfitted with heavy down winter jackets and woollen hats. It was still about 25C/78F outside in real life, so they had to work fast.
While they were waiting between shots the director went over to my daughter and had a long talk with her about a lot of things. He told her that they will often have someone play an instrument in a scene and will usually dub the music in later. They do like the person to know enough about the instrument to at least be able to do a good fake. He then asked her if she played any instruments. She said she plays Piano, Clarinet and Cello. He goes "alrighty then". He then yells for everyone to places.
While the director was talking to my Daughter, the assistant director went to talk to my son who was quite far away from where my Daughter was. He talked to him about how tough he was and could he take a little knocking around. (My son is solid muscle with a major eight pack from all the hockey he plays.) He also asked him a bunch of general interest stuff. I told my kids they were trying to get a feel as to there personalities. They both said at the same time "I think you're right Dad, by the questions they were asking. The funny thing is they didn't know they were Brother and Sister at the time.
At the end of the day they announced they would not need anymore extras until the last week of August. So after 13 plus hours on location Friday with my Daughter having eleven and a half hours on set, they were done.
Halfway through the ninety minute drive home the phone rings in the car. They ask if the kids be at the new location on Thursday.
They are really having a lot of fun. My daughter is a little choked that she has to give up her riding, I think she will get over it though.
As you can guess this household has been turned upside down. It was all suppose to be a day here, a couple hours there. Major schedule rearrangement going on. I can't wait for school to start.
The walking wounded list is long in the diner lately. Lest I miss anyone, best wishes for speedy recoveries.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Flo - let me have the 'playing hooky' special, and an incognito dessert to follow please.
In General - Somehow I managed to get a day off. Not by choice mind you. So I decided to come here and take it out on you guys .
I see Cousin Vinnie has been here but for the life of me I cant figure out who broke the rules doing what.
RR Front - In response to Kens' - 'why more cars', here's my excuse....
....because they are there to be bought!
I dont believe in the saying "i have too much" when speaking of model railroading. That term does not apply in this hobby and never will. There are 5 distinct things in this universe no one can have too much of....
Money, Food, Love, Peace, and..... model trains! Period.
(Some will say good health should be on that list. Good health is a given, as none of the list would matter if you didnt have your health to begin with.)
OK folks, enough of my proverbing around, I will check in later on.
PM RailfanI see Cousin Vinnie has been here but for the life of me I cant figure out who broke the rules doing what.
I think it was the discussion about the Highway Act of 1944. No politics, even if it was 72 years ago. Just a friendly reminder from Vinnie
Be back later,
gmpullman PM Railfan I see Cousin Vinnie has been here but for the life of me I cant figure out who broke the rules doing what. I think it was the discussion about the Highway Act of 1944. No politics, even if it was 72 years ago. Just a friendly reminder from Vinnie Be back later, Ed
PM Railfan I see Cousin Vinnie has been here but for the life of me I cant figure out who broke the rules doing what.
I could not figure out what was the concern. I'm guessing, we were talking about railroad history, and the decision makers in our democacy happen to be politcians. Nobody was advocating a political party or a politcian. I recall riding the beautiful and comfortable trains of the 1950's, and I sometimes talk about why they are gone. To this day, government spends nearly all of its transportation funding on competitors of railroads (highways and airports). That is how things are. Sorry if that is offensive. Maybe, I should have commented in the Trains Forum.
BATMAN. . .ROR, It sounds like your wife had a good trip, it is always exciting to see Orcas in the wild. We use to Salmon fish a lot out on the chuck and the orcas would come up very close to the boat and just float there and have a visit. It is a powerful experience looking them right in the eye and having a chit chat. Sometimes they would remain for quite a while, twenty minutes would not be uncommon. . .
The guide told us, since Orcas are an endangered species, we were not allowed to bring the boat any closer than 200 yards. However, if we stopped the boat more that 200 yards away, and the Orca decided to come closer to the boat, that didn't violate any rules. There were a couple who decided to come a little closer, not nearly as close as your encouter, but something less than 75 yards. Mrs. ROR even got to see one of the Orcas breach. (I was in the bathroom and missed it. Lousy old man prostate.)
BATMAN. . .So it was once again just my daughter with five of the main stars. Do you think she was thrilled?. . .
I looked up the movie on IMDB and saw that there were a couple of big names in it. I hope they are decent people.
I now have most of the fascia up on my layout. I still have a little tricky area, but it is almost there. Now I am also looking for a source for skirting to attach to the bottom of the fascia. I am anxious to "hide" all of the junk under the layout.
Richard
I think the discussion also included references to the proposed high-speed rail in California as well as a couple of related politicians.
RideOnRoadThe guide told us, since Orcas are an endangered species, we were not allowed to bring the boat any closer than 200 yards. However, if we stopped the boat more that 200 yards away, and the Orca decided to come closer to the boat, that didn't violate any rules. There were a couple who decided to come a little closer, not nearly as close as your encouter, but something less than 75 yards. Mrs. ROR even got to see one of the Orcas breach. (I was in the bathroom and missed it. Lousy old man prostate.)
The Orca use to scratch their backs under the boat and give us a bit of a ride. We were usually in a 30' boat, so no worries. They seem to be the most gentle creatures. I can't recall anyone ever being hurt by one up here. I never saw one while diving, however, I have talked to lots of people who have.
We use to just mooch for Salmon so the motor was not running, however, if we were trolling and they came up to the boat, we would immediately shut the engine(s) down. You can see scares on some of them from prop contact. You could sometimes give their nose a rub when they would scratch their chins on the side of the boat. They do smile at you.
Here is a video that shows an encounter. I suggest you click on the link and view fullscreen. Also if you don't want to watch the whole thing, go to the five minute mark and start there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIrsrRnerHY
My daughter said everyone involved in this movie thing is incredibly nice and very friendly. They all seem to love their jobs a lot. She is having a wonderful time.
Good Afternoon,
Thought I would drop in even though supper is in the oven and due out very soon.
Nice Orca video and stories. We did the Orca viewing thing a few years ago when we were in Victoria visiting friends and relataves. We went out in a high speed boat that was sort of like a Cigarette racing boat. It hit 50 mph with 20 passengers. When boarding I told my wife to grab the seats right behind the captain. Turns out good move as those farther back got soaked from the spray. Amazing rooster tail on a boat that size going that speed. Saw the Orcas too.
Quiet day here. We did take a young Gold Finch to the Wildlife rescue early this morning. I found it sitting on the lawn at 6 a.m.. It couldn't fly but just flutter its wings. Hope it survives.
Thanks for the kind wishes regarding my cancer issue. Turns out they caught it very early and the 5 year survival rate is over 90% so I am not very worried about it spreading just the surgery. It was caught because my GP insisted on PSA tests so be sure you get one too. A friend from high school days died from prostate cancer when he was only 64. He had a very aggressive form that wasn't detected until too late. He was a model railroader too and had a fabulous layout.
Well dinner time is nigh.
CN Charlie
V8Vega,
I agree, supporting yourself is easier than supporting a family. You're in charge of your life, you can go to bed when you want, get up when you want, and live like you want, you take care of yourself while getting things done and keeping it organized. No one is getting on your nerves every 5-10 minutes, believe me kids tend to get in the way. As long as you know your responsibilities and plan things out, you'll be fine. This format can work if done correctly.
Don't need anything tonight Flo unless you want someone quietly creating lumber in the diner. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
Hobby Front: Got the extra 2x2s this morning as well as the screws. The lumber yard doesn't sell 2x2x16s so ended up with 4 pieces 3' long and 2 pieces 2' long. With a little bit of "surgery", I can make the miscut legs work. Using Dad's radial arm saw, I can make scarf joints on the too short legs and and the scrap pieces in order to get the right length. (I checked YouTube to make sure I was on the right track.) More efficient use of the lumber I have.
Gotta start my week again tomorrow. Not really looking forward to it but without it, can't do my love of trains.
Evening Dinners
Flo, I will take a , give Ed what ever he wants and don't forget the Buick Guy either. Good to see you Douglas.
Take A Train To Work Day. Well I picked a good day to do it! I did not get a customer till 7:00 PM? It was a waste of effort to put my book down.
Work / Train Front Finally hard wired a DH166 decoder in my PK 2000 GP7 today. Only have had the engine, what 4 months. Guess wiring a HO engine is a lot like cutting the grass. I don't want to do it and put it off as long as I can. But, when I get started, well that was not that hard after all!
Only thing that gives me fits are the LED's! Question for you folks. How short can you cut the srtalks of the LED and Restistor and then solder with out causing heat damage? Only problem I have is how long I leave the stalks then trying to get them to fit on some engines. F, E, SD's and other larger engines not a problem for me. Smaller GP engines?
Ed I read your PM, are you Santa? I feel like a kid outside of a Train Store! Sure hope to meet you some day!
Douglas I happen to live with in 1.25 miles of a old Nickel Plated Rail Line Right Away. It is hard to belive steam engines could fit down the now bike path.
Well I am beat, felt good most of the day but after I got home I felt sleepy. Never evan test ran the GP 7.
Later Ken
I hate Rust
Ken!
You must be reading my "photographic" mind!
Take a look at what my roundhouse sunshine tracks look like at this very moment! Just took these pics ten minutes ago.
Later in the day the hostler pulled the E-9 out and an A-B Shark moved in.
Could there be a hint in there? I go through different "moods" about roadnames. I might see a video with lots of PRR action and for the next six months I'm trying to get my hands on everything Pennsy. A week after that, maybe B&O or NYC. Don't 'ya love the variety this hobby can provide!
Just passin' through for the moment. I'm not even going to sit down, just a quick Hi —Bye...
Good morning, everybody ....
Lots of blue locomotives have been here lately ... The original B&O scheme was very nice.
Here is a photo of CB&Q E-units hauling the combined GN Empire Builder and NP North Coast Limited towards Chicago.
Good Afternoon!
As you know I have not been feeling well lately and I am afraid there has not been any improvement in the past couple of days. There are very few moments in a day I can actually do something beyond eating and drinking. I try not get overwhelmed by this, but I certainly can´t say I am having a good time. I do enjoy sitting in my comfy chair, watch a train circle on my layout and recollect the fond memories of 50 years ago, when I first rode a train down the Furka Oberalp line from Brig to Fiesch.
The political post in question was deleted. That's why you don't know what happened.
As the cosmic entity said in "Futurama": When you've done things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
gmpullman I go through different "moods" about roadnames. I might see a video with lots of PRR action and for the next six months I'm trying to get my hands on everything Pennsy. A week after that, maybe B&O or NYC. Don't 'ya love the variety this hobby can provide!
I go through different "moods" about roadnames. I might see a video with lots of PRR action and for the next six months I'm trying to get my hands on everything Pennsy. A week after that, maybe B&O or NYC. Don't 'ya love the variety this hobby can provide!
I too have that problem. I got Amtrak, Conrail, BNSF, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and New York Central. More on my radar like CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific/National (foreign power) Burlington Northern, Southern Pacific and my fictional line the G.N.O. Railway.
Another railroads I thought of modeling are Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio, Chessie System, Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard (variety)
Nothing much other than raining outside, early in the morning killing your morning walk. I really don't want to rant about my sister's dog after going after my face and hands that needed stitches.
I had to buy two more BLMA BNSF BX-166 cars because my hobby store shipped out 2 instead of 4 that I pre-ordered. So I had to get the other ones that they forgot about. They wrote back said "No one was interested in them in the beginning, but in late end they wanted to them. Now with low quantity." I was a little upset because I preordered them when they came out, and they forget two cars.
angelob6660I too have that problem. I got Amtrak, Conrail, BNSF, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and New York Central. More on my radar like CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific/National (foreign power) Burlington Northern, Southern Pacific and my fictional line the G.N.O. Railway.
LION thinks that the mergers were done all wrong.
How about the Penn-Northern. LION would, if him were modeling long distance stuff, would work on that idea.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Steven Otte. . .As the cosmic entity said in "Futurama": When you've done things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
Well said, and well done.
ATSFGuy You're in charge of your life, you can go to bed when you want, get up when you want, and live like you want, you take care of yourself while getting things done and keeping it organized. No one is getting on your nerves every 5-10 minutes, believe me kids tend to get in the way. As long as you know your responsibilities and plan things out, you'll be fine. This format can work if done correctly.
You're in charge of your life, you can go to bed when you want, get up when you want, and live like you want, you take care of yourself while getting things done and keeping it organized. No one is getting on your nerves every 5-10 minutes, believe me kids tend to get in the way. As long as you know your responsibilities and plan things out, you'll be fine. This format can work if done correctly.
My wife is in Florida for two weeks. I've got peace and quiet, or I can turn on some music and listen to old rock 'n' roll all day. The fridge is full of my food and if there are dirty dishes in the sink, well, they're mine, too. I eat when I'm hungry and drink when I'm dry. I could get used to this.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Mornin' everyone!
Zoer, looking out into the kitchen, there seems to be a huge pile of dishes waiting to get washed.... Oh. Mr. Beasley made the mess and he has to clean it up???
I guess I'll just have a pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast coffee in my R&GV RR Mug please... Huh? That needs to be washed too? How about my Finger Lakes one... Oh,. good, use that then....
I have the Granddaughtrs with me all day. Right now they are in the Living Room playing computer games... #1 is playing Mario Brothers on wii and #2 is creating a "world" on an iPad she has... Later they are going to help me ("Papa) clean off the back porch and the deck for the party in a few weeks.
I'm sitting here at my iMac getting caught up on a bunch of STUFF I have put off too long. Some is MLK business that should have been finished last Friday, but I didn't get to. Actually the lady who processes the Scholarship checks was not in on Friday, and I was gone all day yesterday... Don't want to keep our students waiting to pay the bills for their education!!!
Catch you all later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
For the second day in a row, an unexpected day off (so far). Cant explain it, and not sure i want to. But here I is.
Flo - I will have the lucky mans special for lunch followed by a slab of Lotto-Winners pie please.
Cousin Vinnie - Ahhh, that makes sense. I see your delete button got a workout. I noticed the thread with the dissolutioned newbie got yanked too. No rest for the weary, right?
Ed - Yeah, I agree whole-heartedly..... I love the variety. The world would look a little funny if all our trains were one color or one roadname. Just our luck it would prolly be 'Google Rail lines' in this day and age. Or the 'Facebook Railway'.
However, one wonders if oneself isnt 'cheating' on the home road when our eyes wonder to other roads. I, myself am guilty of wondering eyeballs when a Berkshire crosses my path. Anyones Berkshire!
Same goes for C&O locomotives in general. Such a unique smokebox front, it has captivated me since I first saw an F class Pacific. All polished up and ready to roll. Only others likem are the NYC Hudsons. My goodness I am so glad Dreyfuss was on the payroll!
Ofcourse, theres alot to be said about the GS-4 Northerns too. The Daylight scheme is just too striking to look away. Perfect match of color and coordination. Now, I am a PM guy, but all this would be for nought, if not for the absolute beauty of the SF Warbonnet F-Units. Indeed, our hobby is the Greatest - variety abounds enough to make everyone happy.
Ken - Its a crying shame old roadbeds are utilized for other things than intended. Who gives a flying hoot if someone can ride their bike there. Put the railroad back, then itll be worth something!
It has always seemed to me such a waste for a rail line to be removed. Think of all that went into putting it there in the first place. Was it all for nothing? Even if the line has no business anymore, dag gone, leave the bleeping tracks in place. Is that too hard to understand? Ya know?
Wouldnt it be nice to head down to the tracks and catch one of those famed NKP 'Million Dollar' freights thunder by at about 75mph? But no, instead all we get is some coupon cutting, Oprah loving, tree hugger on a tricycle! Who the heck ordered that???
RoR and Batman - You two are certifiably looney! I dont care how friendly or smiling they are, a killer whale under a kayak (crazy!) would be cause for me to walk on water all the way back to land. In a somewhat brisk manner no doubt!
I got to the part in the video where the 'KILLER' whale went under the kayak, that was it for me.
Can I have your trains?
In General - As mentioned I managed to get the day free today. But its early yet. The phone may yet still ring. I will check back later. In the meantime Im going to find some trouble to get into. Inside that is, as per usual its eye-bleeding bright outside. Not going out there less I have too. See yall in a bit....
PM RailfanKen - Its a crying shame old roadbeds are utilized for other things than intended. Who gives a flying hoot if someone can ride their bike there. Put the railroad back, then itll be worth something!
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. We have a lot of old rail beds which are no longer in use, including a narrow gauge right of way right down the street. As rail lines, they were no longer economically viable and they were abandoned. By the time I got here, the rails themselves had been removed and the ties were seccumbing to nature.
Fortunately, people took notice and realized that they remained a great resource, even if trains no longer ran there. We now have a network of fine, flat trails. Some, like the very popular Minuteman Bikeway, is paved and beautifully maintained. The old Billerica and Bedford RR is covered with crushed stone dust, and the B&M Reformatory Branch remains a dirt trail but crews still come through to remove fallen trees when necessary.
These trails would have fallen to developers, in time, if we hadn't made better use of them. The paths would have been lost forever. Instead, we can walk or bike along them, recalling the history back to steam engines, still crossing streams on old stone bridges and seeing the restored whistle posts. There's an RDC unit parked at the end of the Minuteman trail, where the pavement ends. It's been saved from the scrapper's torch and restored as part of the small museum in the old engine house it sits next to.
Sure, I'd love to hear a steam whistle as a locomotive once again passes through what was once a busy depot. But, that's not to be. I'm just glad that we still have the trails-without-rails that we can all enjoy.