Good morning ...
I certainly hope the snow storms are long gone from the Great Lakes area starting a week from now when we go north to Michigan. I heard on the news the interstate near Flint was closed because of a multi-car pile-up. A few days ago, it was the interstate near Lansing that had a multi-car pile-up. We still have not had any snow here in western KY. ... There is a lot to be said for train travel if we had it.
Ed .... I bet the snow scene with the tractor looks better in the Summer. .. On your layout the tall grass between the tracks looks good ... As for sriving in snow, I suspect most tires have too much tread wear on them as well as not being snow tire.
Richard ... I certainly hope Scout returns home soon. Are you in a residential area? If so, somebody may have taken him in.
Cheers.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Sorry to hear it wasn't scout richard. im sure he will turn up, my friend who lives in the country was telling me a few weeks ago that it wasn't uncommon for some of his barn cats to leave for weeks at a time and come sauntering on back like they were gone for a few minutes.
the storm still hasn't hit yet so will go out in a bit to pick up some groceries. I'm off tomorrow and Tuesday so won't have to go out in it. Just plan on relaxing and playing some strat o matic baseball.
Ulrich:
Thanks for the proper spelling of 'Navvy'.
Canada wouldn't be Canada if Sir John A. Macdonald hadn't pursued the coast to coast railway and those people hadn't done the work. British Columbia was threatening to join the United States if they weren't hooked up to the rest of Canada.
I have taken the train from Toronto to Vancouver (a long time ago) and it is a spectacular trip all the way.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterbut I never understood the origin of the term 'navi'.
Navvy is a British term for railroad construction worker, based on the word navigator (UK) or navigational engineer.
Hi, Fellow Diners...
It's been a few days and I still don't have too much time now but I thought I'd stop by and finally partake in one of those fine cocktails that Ken has been graciously sliding down the bar toward me!
Did somebody say Gordon Lightfoot?
Please take a moment to watch and listen to this moving piece. The launching, "home movies" of the crew, the stirring, haunting chords and lyrics...
Every time I hear this it sends chills down my spine. About a dozen of those crew members were from areas near by to me. Saw the "Big Fitz" in Cleveland quite a few times.
Notice the shots of her in heavy seas beginning around 1:30. My feeling is that the loss of three-and-a-quarter feet of freeboard when the bean-counters said she could carry an additional four thousand tons was a contriibuting factor in her break-up. That's like stacking forty loaded hopper cars on her deck. OK, just my opinion...
Speaking of the Great Lakes, she sure did dump a bit of the white stuff here. 30 some inches in surrounding areas, about 20 here. Normally we take a beating.
Mrs. Pullman tried to get to the Cleveland Theater district last night but got stuck in traffic/road closings and had to find shelter at a motel! Every year it's the same thing, no plows to be seen and drivers that simply can not handle their vehicles! I'll add, too, that cars these days do not have real SNOW tires!
KEN, YGW, yes that film was a little faded AND the B&LE engines tend to fade to a pinkish orange.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=526680
Makes me want to adopt this poor girl!
Richard, I'm saddened to hear that Scout is still AWOL. I'm hoping for a good outcome
The weather has it's advantages, too. It has kept me in the basement even more! I'm playing with weeds and ground foam and static grass... all legally, of course.
I'm "weeding-up" the yard in the background, too. Thanks for the kudos Rob and Garry!
Well, just stopped by for a quick HI and to whet correction: wet my whistle Yep, works fine!
Thoughts and prayers to all who are in need. Hope you are convalescing well, and have all four paws on the ground, LION!
Regards, Ed
Richard
Evening Diners
Flo, I will have a and if Ed makes it in given a Crown Royal on the Rocks.
Work Front / Came Home In Kick The Dog Mood. OK, I would not kick a dog unless it was attacking me. It really was a good day for me, made a extra $130.00 in spiff! But boy did I ever earn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If this guy was ever in the Dinner Vinney would stick his Tire Iron up his Caboose then bend it around his neck from the Inside! Being X Military it takes a lot to offend me! My left leg is longer than the right, so I lean a little toward the right. (Hope that is OK Steve) This guy could be the Poster Child For Red Necks!
I had to put up with him and wife (she was sort of OK) but smiled every time he said something offence's. While I made a extra $130.00 from them buying, I can say it was not worth the $130.00 with the mood I came home in!
Angelo I do not like Chokers Chains or the Spike Collars (I do understand why Herrion Choker uses them on Bird Dogs, if you don't hunt them they go nuts. I had two of them) Being a large breed lover (Wolfhounds) I know there is a collar that some hows controls there muzzel. Not to stop them from biting, but it is hard to run away or around you when they have to look at you! I never had to have one with my Wolfhounds being 6'3" I could handle a 185 pound dog.
ROR I hope that is Scout! Inside pets need the chip the most if you ask me. My Wolfhounds knew there way home because I walked them outside of the fence. for you getting Scout back.
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
angelob6666
You might consider using a "spike collar" on the dog. If you do--the dog does all of the correction, don't pull or tug on the lead-let the dog surge ahead, lag behind, check out a side yard, etc. Hold your hand at your waist, and in a soft voice correct the dog. No, come, etc. A dog's fight/flight sensor is in it's neck. When he hits the end of the lead somthing fearful comes down from the heavens, and grabs it's neck. Keep your face emotionless, your voice calm--when training dogs they must never know the punishment is coming from you--you are their good buddy. Much of working with dogs is "setting them up", learn to read your dog, they all will give signals as to what they will do, you just have to learn what they are.
There are also leads attached to collars that contain a battery/capacitor. When the dog transgresses you mash a button and shock the dog. In using one of those timing is critical between the violation, and the stimulation. While I am not running my dogs in competition any more, I used and still have a variable intensity Tri-Tronics collar that is effective out to 1 mile. Bottom line if the dog does not respond to commands close in, it definately will not 300 yards away from you.
A book I can recommend is Training the Hunting Retriever, by Robinson--while you probably not interested in teaching your dog how to do blind retrieves, the information on basic obedience might be helpful to you. Your local library should have a copy , I know it is available online.
ROR
I hope your friend shows up--he looks like he has quite a personality.
herrinchoker
CG:
When I was in University I did my scholastic work late at night because I wasn't likely to be disturbed by someone wanting to party. To keep me company I would put a stack of Gordon Lightfoot albums on my record player, the kind with the spindle which would hold a half dozen records above the turntable and drop them one at a time when the previous record was done. By the time I had played both sides of all the albums it was time for breakfast, and I probably had a 'C' grade paper mostly completed.
Those were good times!! I still stay up all night frequently. My wife hates it, except when I clean the snow off her car.
"....Thanks for the memories...."
I never understood it either. Then a few years ago I decided to look it up. The song, which has always been one of my favorites, started to make more sense, and now I like it even more.
CG
Henry and CG:
I've been listening to Gordon Lightfoot for almost 50 years and I have seen him in concert several times, but I never understood the origin of the term 'navi'.
Thanks.
Hi guys
i hope its your kitty Richard. Keep us posted
had a pretty quiet birthday yesterday. We are expecting are first snow storm of the year overnight and into tomorrow so will have to shovel tomorrow probably.
With everyone mentioning weather, I might as well too. As I write this, it is 10 above. (The warmest it's been this time of day for quite a few days.)
Hobby Front: The twists and turns of auctions. The engine that I was planning to purchase to repaint and change the couplers on has gone high enough that after some figuring I decided to bid on a second listing for another NP engine like the one I was already bidding on. (Don't have to worry about painting or purchasing and installing Kadee couplers as both the units already have the Kadees installed. Once I change them to BN numbers, they should be ready to go.) I shouldn't have to get any more decals other than the BN caboose sheet already ordered to replicate the prototypes' BN renumbering.
angelob6660Richard- How long did that take you to get the picture?. . .
Not too long. He was asleep on the floor and I quietly laid the tape measure down by him.
cudaken . . .ROR Sure hope you get Scout back. Does Scout have a chip?. . .
Unfortunately, no chip. He is not an outdoor cat so we never felt the need.
We may have a lead, though. Someone brought a cat to the pound that looks a lot like Scout. We are trying to confirm that it could be him before we make the 60 mile drive to the pound. "Sixty miles!?" you might ask. Apparently it is not uncommon for cats to hitch a ride in cars and trucks. There is some construction going on in our neighborhood and it is possible he could have jumped into the back of a pickup and went home with the worker. We shall see.
BigDaddy The Navi's, as in navigation, built the canal system then build the railroads as migrant workers. The drank 9 pints of beer a day, on average. That's about 2 six packs.
The Navi's, as in navigation, built the canal system then build the railroads as migrant workers. The drank 9 pints of beer a day, on average. That's about 2 six packs.
35 Sunny cold and windy.
Tried to go to a train show and found out it's only a one day show and starts tomorrow.
Decided to work on some couplers and my cigar box with my tools and couplers is MIA. My wife is not answering her cell phone but it is in no place I would normally put it.
The VA I did a medical rotation in med school at the Baltimore VA. We always had one or two patients who would fake heart attacks and use the VA as their motel as they traveled the country. We also had patients who had no reason to be admitted, who were admitted with a phone call from their congressmen.
I was in Chapel Hill, NC for the snow storm of '77. On a flat street with 1" of snow people abandoned their cars, right in the middle of the road. And I thought Marylanders didn't know how to drive in the snow.
The difference today is traffic is so much worse. In the old days there was a 2 lane road and they plowed both lanes. Now it is a 6 lane road and they plow 2 1/2 lanes on each side, and none of the left or right turn lanes.
In the prototype thread I posted a link to a BBC series Full Steam. The development steam and the effect on life in Britain. The increased availability of coal for instance meant the end of open fire cooking, increased laundry and migration to the cities. I've only seen the first two out of 6 episodes.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Afternoon Diners,
Richard- How long did that take you to get the picture?
I have some troubles with Charles lately. He's been getting out of his collar for the past week. He's slowly destroying my mental and physical well-being, walking both of them.
He believes it's a game, walking slowly behind you, running into houses and yards in a huge circles. Ignoring him works but this time it didn't.
Long story short. He ran into the street and hit a car with a loud bang by the side. He walked off slowly and ran back home.
So I'll walk them again single handed (separate) again. He will be checked I hope to see any injuries. He might need a choker or a body vest.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Ray - OUCH! Hope you aren't going to have too much discomfort from your fall. I suspect that you might be stiff & a little sore for a few days. Hopefully, nothing more than that. In the meantime, I'm being extra careful, thinking that between you & Lion, this might be the start of a forum epidemic.
Windows 10 report. Well, let's just say I'm making progress. Slowly, but still progress. I'm getting a little more comfortable with it, & as soon as a new version of WordPerfect Office arrives, I'll start moving some files from the old laptop to the new one.
No railfanning today. Woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat & a bit of a fever. So I'll stay home & try to fight this bug off. You may assume that means lots of naps. I got thru all of last year without any bugs, so I guess I can't complain too much. I just know that there will be all sorts of interesting things rolling down the tracks now that I'm not there. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
Have a nice weekend everybody.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Is -17 on the Northern Plains... A little chilly even for this LION.
Snow Leopard is curled up in the lee of a boulder, warm furry tail wraped around him like a scarf.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Good morning. It is 15 F on the Plateau. A bit chilly for my taste.
Good morning, Everybody !
Flo, give Beach Bill and I a I was on his beach years ago while I was at Ft Bragg and if Ed makes it in, well you know right Flo!
Work Front I was shocked, I was busy selling stupid stuff. What I mean by stupid stuff is things we stock but only sell maybe 3 times a year. Did not amount to much, but 5 of 7 customers bought so that is a win.
Gary I had not looked at that photo for years. I must say it turned out very well. Guess it was taken around 2008. Have not ran the Monon for 6 years? Same problem, no power pickup from the tender.
ROR Sure hope you get Scout back. Does Scout have a chip?
Rick Did I read your post wrong? I thought you said you did not take any Trains To Work Today?
Beach Bill Whlle I was at Ft Bragg we got 2" of snow, guess this was around 1975. I would have been my caboose off at how bad folks folks down south handle snow on the road! But, I was not laughing, I was Military Police and we had 105 T/A 's in 2 hours and Ft Bragg was closed!
YGW Got photos of the drawings and will work on posting them Saturday or Sunday. I will all so send a test E Mail on the way I like to send the photos and text.
When I started K-10 Mining, the paint was still wet.
Richard ... I hope Scout returns home very soon.
UP 831 ... that is a funny story
up831. . .Ride On: Hope your recital goes well. What are you going to perform, if you haven't already told us?. . .
The program should last about 50 minutes and consists of the following pieces, all from memory: (<--The closest I could find to a panic emoticon)
Still no sign of our cat. It is wierd; it is like he dropped off of the face of the earth. I said he was a monster cat--here is some photographic evidence.
Good Afternoon Diners,
Flo, I'll have an extra large coffee with lots of cream, please.
Ulrich: That layout looks like it would be a good layout for anyone, let alone an eight year old. Nice!
Ride On: Hope your recital goes well. What are you going to perform, if you haven't already told us?
Speaking of the Vietnam Wall in DC, I've been to it a couple of times. Saw the names of two or three guys I knew and went to school with. It is very stirring.
We were coming back from visiting my sister and family for Thanksgiving. Somewhere in Iowa a beautiful black lab had gotten onto the freeway. I was able to avoid him, but a truck in the next lane couldn't. MOH said the truck hit him, but he probably died instantly. Sad!
With people losing pets and all, hopefully this will brighten everyone's day.
A man's dog had become unresponsive. The man, fearing the worst gathered up the dog's limp lifeless form and took him to the vet. The vet examined the dog briefly and turned and said to the man, "I'm sorry, your dog is dead."
The man man was grief stricken with disbelief. "How could that be? He was fine a little bit ago. I want a second opinion."
So, the vet opened a door and brought in a cat. The cat walked up and down looking the animal over from head to toe. The cat slowly shook his head and walked away.
The vet said, "Now do you believe me?" The man answered, "No! There must be another answer. I want a third opinion."
This time the vet opened another door and brought in a Labrador Retriever. The dog came up, sniffed the other dog, nudged him with his nose then looked at the vet, shook his head and walked away.
The man looked at the vet and said, "OK Doc, I believe you. How much do I owe you?"
The vet said, "$600.00."
"600 dollars, just to tell me my dog is dead?"
The vet answered, "Well, if you'd taken my word for it, I'd have only charged you fifty. But with the cat scan and the lab work....."
Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Hi Rob, #20 needs several fairly minor repairs to be put into service. We should have her running and in service next Spring for our train rides at the Museum.
Here is a photo of #20 being taken up the grade to the upper yard by two GE switchers. Beebee Station, the 45 tonner, also was owned and operated by the LA&L before she was sold to Rochester Gas, and Electric for switching dutes at Beebee Station Generating Plant in Rochester.
Here is more info on 1941 Beebee Station: http://www.rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rge1941/
Enjoy!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
yougottawanta Angel - I like the first drawing. It has ppoint to point and cont. running
Angel - I like the first drawing. It has ppoint to point and cont. running
The first drawing was connected to the top track for the staging yard. It made a nice transition to have an inner and outer loop with a small hill in between.
Later on I thought of adding another town. Since this branch line had three towns to go thru. It would been fun to continue. Unfortunately I decided to drop the third town and only serve two.
yougottawanta FRRYKid - How do you like Rivarossi equipment?
FRRYKid - How do you like Rivarossi equipment?
Just for clarity, these are the 70s-era Riv engines, not the very expensive newly released ones. The engines are actually on bid. I'm one of these people that wants to know as much as I can about something before I buy it. Those particular engines were suggested to fill a hole in my planned operations. (Early BN-era coal operations.) I had thought that GP35s and a 30 would work. I was informed that those weren't right. Hence needing the two additional engines. (Hopefully, these will be the last. I probably have too many as it and I have another one sitting on the project shelf.)
The other interesting thing will be painting one of the engines into BN paint and converting it to Kadee couplers. The procedure for Kadee couplers involves modifying the shell and making a shim. (The NP paint engine already has the Kadee couplers installed. The only thing that needs doing is change the number over to the BN number before the prototype was repainted into BN colors.) I am also keeping the NWSL replacement drivers in the back of my mind if needed as I have been told that the OEM drivers aren't the greatest by moodern standards.
That big ole cold front has finally reached the beach. Absolutely shocking to those up north, I know, but it is only 43 degrees here at noon, and it supposed to drop down to something like 27 overnight tonight. That should be the end of the annual flowers, which still have some blooms as of now. A Christmas party with long-term friends awaits tonight, with all sorts of those annual treats/flavors.
I had bought an old Hart Convertable Gondola at the local train show about a month ago - one of those built from the Silver Streak kits that we all worked with back in the 60's. This one was built and lettered for "M.O.W" in an oxide red, but the builder hadn't put on any brake equipment. I added some basic brake equipment (cylinder, brake wheel, etc.), repainted to black, and lettered for my line, replacing the trucks with Kaydee brand. All that is let now is waiting for the glue to dry on the coal load that I built up this morning.
STEVEN: That beestie meal looks pretty good. I'd like a good wholegrain roll or some crunchy bread with that.
Bill
Good morning, everyone! Oops, afternoon. I slept even later than usual.
It's my 69 3/4 birthday. Whoopee.
I think I'll have to make the transition to the gym for my exercise now. It's suddenly colder, and the 10-day forecast never gets above 40, so my walks will be uncomfortable at best. I hate the treadmill. I got headphones for my phone, so hopefully I can play music and make the treadmill more tolerable.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.