Hey all
Went home early yesterday just couldnt do a whole day at w**k. Back today. Feel stronger but fading fast. A little concerned. The tube that is draining the fluid has some "parts" floating down. This morning there seemed to be a piece of blood vessel and a bit of "meat" in the tube. Wasnt told that would happen.
Train front : The excavator is supposed to lay the building out again today. Hopefully start forming footing tomorrow. It sure is frustrating reading about all of the modeling projects and not being able to start my RR ! Its like having a race horse in the gate and the gate will not open to let the race begin !
CG - Do you have chains for your tractor ?
Howmus - Yes those are photo copies of the plans for the train/barn. It is a bit distorted because the paper wouldnt lay flat.
MoeLarry - Softball size ! WOW. I do not know how she even functioned with that size of a lump in her skull !
FRRYKdd - Sound like you are have a lot of modeling fun ! I cant wait until I get to start building mine !
Ken - I am not sure what photo system it is. It is taken through a Verizon phone. What did your daughter do with the cat ? Trains running good : ) There should be a T-Shirt with that statement. Maybe saying someything like - "Any day is great when the trains run good" or perhaps " A good day today, the trains ran great" or some variation of that.
Dave - 90 snowblowers in a week ! That is a LOT od snow blowers.
Henry - Do you still have your American flyer ? I wish I had been able to keep my train stuff.
Garry - Yea I have a face book account. If you are interested PM me.
Rob - Howdy good to see you in here.
V8 - How is it on the west cost today ?
Ed - Is that really you ? Thta is a neat photo ! How long ago was that ? Why that style hat ? Why do they cinch the pants legs tight at the ankle ? Is that so machinary cannot grab clothing ?
Bill - Did you get selected for jury duty ?
Lion - Hope you are recoverying well
Ulrich - You okay ? Havent seen a post in here from you.
RickyW, Ed, Garry and anyone else who said a prayer - Thanks - I appreciate those very much.
History qoute :
Insurrection is the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties.
In my idea General Washington is the greatest man; for I look upon him as the most virtuous.
No, I never did get lost, but I was bewildered for three days once.
Afternoon Diners,
Ken- Did your daughter get rid of the cat? Plus why did she decided to get it with her allergies and a dog.
Everyone- Its lucky I don't get snow. I don't have to worry about getting a snowblower, salting, and warming up/ protecting pipes.
Yesterday that started fixing our fence and gate. These dogs are barking and running frantically inside the house. I walked them to relax them and go to bathroom, calming down and sleeping on couch. Works.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Day six, and still no Scout. My daughter has been monitoring every lost pet site imaginable, include sites that include animals that have been hit by cars. (May sound morbid, but it does provide closure for those whose pets have been killed.) It has taken its toll on her. He seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. We have flyers posted all over the neighborhood. We are telling ourselves he was taken in by a nice family.
I have a rehearsal for my recital tonight. I have invited a couple friends over to the house and I will play the program in its entirety. We will also be video recording the performance. I am calm now but will probably be climbing the walls in a couple of hours.
Richard
As a long time cat owner, my own experience with indoor cats tells me Scout sought cover once he realized he did not know where he was or how to get back. Experience also tells me he may actually be close by, possibly trapped in some hidy hole.
Cats can go a long time without either food or water. The domestic house cat is descended from desert dwellers and seems to be adapted to scarce water supplies, which means all is not lost if he is trapped somewhere.
It may be a long shot, but I would conduct a probing search of any and all nearby structures in which he could be trapped, in or under.
Best of luck finding him.
CG
Good evening.
I was in Nashville today for doctor appointment. This was post surgery follow up and all went well.
CG and Richard. I just recalled a story in the local news a few years ago. A soldier and his wife moved from Hawaii to Fort Campbell, and they lost their cat before the move. Their furniture arrived and they found the cat in a dresser drawer. The cat was in there with no food or water for a month. They took him to a vetenarian who restored the cat's health. ... CG is correct cats can survive without food or water.
YGW. Yeah I have FB but I'm not very active with it . Perhaps I'll get back with you on that after the busy Christmas season.
Does anybody recall the date Jeff Wimberly passed away?
it was about two years ago in middle of December.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good evening all.
Chloe - Brownie sundae please. Thanks.
Cudaken - Well, not sure if I could get away with actually taking a model train ti work or not, I've never tried... Although when there is absolutely nothing to do, I wish I could! Depending on the day, I might be able to get away with it, but I am not about to try... I would probably choose the wrong day!
Weather - Cold, snow and blow again... Forecasters are calling for another major lake-effect snow event starting tomorrow, through Friday.... Yippee kiyay...
W**k - Appliance truck never showed today... He "got stuck" at another store, where they were too busy while too short handed to unload him. He will be coming tomorrow though. Thursday we get our other truck, and it includes..... A whopping 18 (yes, 18!) snow blowers! Although, we are currently sold out, and already have sold 2 of those 18, so we will have 16 available for sale.... So, feasible that we are going to go through them. I sold our last one today, so got about $180 in spiff/contest money, counting other sales as well, YAY! We did more than double our sales goal for the day, and are now equal to our goal to date this month, so we have a shot at getting more spiff money at month end.
Trains - Nothing to report yet....
Hope all are well, and have a good night!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Good evening to all. It has been a very busy weekend around here. Saw Tanya Tucker in concert Friday night. Don't know what posesses a 58 year old performer to travel by bus all over the country after having as many big hits as she has had but she was in our town in SE Ohio Friday night and was performing Saturday night in Salsbury, MA which has to be at least a 14 hour bus ride. Saturday night it was off to the community playhouse to see the granddaughter in Its a Wonderful Life. Sunday night the local college choral group presented their annual Christmas program along with the local orchestra. This was a nice community supported program with a capacity crowd. Today, our senior citizens bridge group had a Christmas luncheon followed by four rounds of cards. The result was a rare win for me as I managed to be the high point winner for the day.
The workbench top went in like I had really planned. I now have the 1/8 inch hardboard for the finished top surface and hope to get it cut and installed tomorrow. Then I have a drawer to fabricate to finish this project. Can hardly wait to get it finished and on to finishing several kits. The first is an old Frisco freight car that was started back in the 70's and never finished. I don't remember why I never completed the car as it looks like all that is left is installing the trucks and couplers. It already has a fully detailed undercarraige including brake piping and valves. I think I have everything needed to complete it as I order some small taps and screws to mount the KD couplers and the trucks.
ROR, good luck on your recital
YGW, hope your healing progresses satisfactorily and that you have solved the foundation rock problem. From experience, large rocks are a real pain when doing footings. I have actually been able to pin some footings to bedrock shelf in the past. I did one basement that required two days worth of blasting to open up the area for basement footings. Your barn looks like a great project for a railroad layout and workshop from the drawings Ken posted.
About time for some shut eye.
Best wishes to all.
Jim
Evening Diners
Flo, I will have a
Mixed Day Today At Home And Work Front.
Home Front Around 8:30 my wife came out to the garage / offices / train room to tell me the furance would not come on. Seems it was only the pilot liite but for some reason I just cannot get it cleaned and stay lite? Called our heating guy and left a credit card with the wife. Funny thing, in the 20 years we used him, I never knew he did not take credit cards? What really sucks, I am really short on cash this month.
Work Front Seemed to start out good and went down and back up the hill again? Over all it was a good day by this company current standerds, which means it was better than a stick in the eye. $1900.00 in sales and I made around a extra $20.00.
YGW I think it is more you are waitting for your Race Horse to be born! Then you have to rasie it (build bench work) then train it (lay rail) then you are off to the races.
Train Front and the Mighty BLI B&O F7's. Not sure what the heck to think!
1 F7a Still cannot read the decoder using decoder pro? Cleaned the wheels and track with my Bright Boy (think that is what it is called) and still got the 308 error? So I say, what the heck and see if I can write to the decoder? Seems the decoder will take comands? When writing the F7a would move on the programing track and number lights would blink?
2 F7b was running it yesterdey with a B&O Gp7 and a C&O RS2. Sound stopped working (has happend more than once) but engine kept running. Normally rewriting the cv's get the sound going again, not tonight. Guess it is time to read the book Ed sent me!
Ed I know you are not a QSI fan and at this point neither am I! What sound decoders do you like? So far I have not had a problem with my BLI Steam QSI, but as far as Diesel power they suck! I will be sending you the E-8 POS QSI engine and see if you can do something with it beside beating it with a hammer!
Daughter Cat Far as I know she still has Ann, cats name.
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Evenin' Folks
I'll try to get this posted between DSL outages!
I think a Manhattan will do nicely, Chloe. You can have the Maraschino cherry!
First, Garry, ATSFGuy, YGW and others— Questions about the guy in the derby...
Yep, it is me. Around 1975 and I'm all of 19. It is at the B&O W. 3rd St. Roundhouse and I (we) had just opened the smokebox door to clean out the cinders. I can just make out a bucket at the clean-out plug. The engine is the GTW 4070, formerly 3734, a 1918 USRA Alco product.
I was heavily involved with that crew from about 1970 to 1978. Fantastic opportunities for a kid interested in railroading! Some of the things we did back then would have the railroad and FRA managers spinning their heads! It was all legal and by-the-book mind you, but those were sure different times back then!
Quite a few years 1974 to 1981 the 4070 ran between Cleveland and Akron on the B&O's C&TV Branch.
My late, good friend, Cliff Hadlock and I both wore bowlers and got a lot of thumbs-up and nice comments about it. No Hi-Vis safety vests back then!
Me in the gangway and Cliff in the engineer's seat. We bought those hats at a gentlemen's haberdashery on Fifth Ave. New York City, mind you. Rode the Broadway Limited there and back! As Henry pointed out, the bowler was the working man's "top hat" of the day.
Well, I'll tell more tales in future installments. I have to get on with business with Ken.
KEN I have the package ready for you AND there is another QSI decoder in there for an E7/8 that I came across. Maybe it is the right one. Try it before you send me the engine. Somewhere around the shop I think I have a couple of QSI F7 decoders, too? I'll have to dig through the layers... I am sending you a couple of speakers that fit BLI, 28mm I think.
[edit] You have a PM!
(And IF you were planning to send a bottle of anything, I really appreciate the thought but you shouldn't go through all the bother!)
I know what you mean about QSI. I just ran an A-B-A set of F7s using the Sprogg test track and they ran beautifully. I took them out to the layout and then ONLY the B unit would run?? but all three made sound!
Then I remembered the silly F6 shutdown thing. I Tapped F6 quickly, twice, and they took off like nobody's business! I imagine that was what you were encountering with the Mighty B&Os?
Right now my sound decoder of choice is the ESU Loksound Select. I also have the Lokprogrammer. BUT before you jump into the Loksound pool, keep in mind that ALL DCC decoders have their quirks and especially sound ones.
My close-second runner up is WOWSound from TCS. Still more—and different, stuff to learn.
der5997On another matter, IIRC you helped a while back when I was having trouble with “Script has stopped working” issues in the Forum. You fix worked like a charm – but since there have been Windows 10 Updates the issue has resurfaced.
{Ed is scratching head?}
I really don't recall that episode, DER? I fumble through computer stuff and somehow, eventually, get things worked out but I can't seem to recall anything with the forum... maybe someone else can chime in?
Ken, Did this little railroad ever run into Saint Looie?
Hummm... I wonder???
Regards, Ed
Good morning all.
Brisk morning.
Not much going on just sitting here wt w*rk. I need a bowler hat. I can wear it here. I might get funny looks. I had a nice fedora once but the moths ate it.
I feel like I might be coming down with a bout of the crud.
Don't know what posesses a 58 year old performer to travel by bus all over the country after having as many big hits as she has had
As Jimmy Stewart said in Rear Window when asked what inspired the song writer in the loft apartment acrsos the way to write such beatiful music. " The Landlady once a month."
Some entertianers still need the money. Also for some it is a high to get out on stage and perform.
My radio customer brought 8 radios to be fixed 30's ,40's. 50, and 60's sets.
luckily he says " no hurry"
Dreary at the beach.
I didn't get picked for jury duty, and as expected they had a light court docket as Christmas approaches. They had a murder case but a plea deal was reached that Monday morning. I thus only earned one day's pay - drat. I did enjoy the drive down to Conway on Rt. 90. That road was laid atop the right-of-way of the old Gardner & Lacy Lumber Company's logging line which used to cut cypress back around World War One. When I travel Rt. 90 at 45 and 55 mph I try to picture what it must have looked like rocking along in a logging locomotive through Wampee, Nixonville, Jones Big Swamp, and Tilly Swamp.
No Corman locomotives or action at the Conway (S.C.) train station Monday, either.
On the snowblower purchases: I'm working on developing a theory. After Hurricane Matthew we were without power for 45 hours. I saw three of my neighbors unloading portable generators and then the power came back on within two hours after that. My generator had been keeping the freezer frozen and providing for hot coffee the whole time. But it might be a good sign - The folks shelling out for snow blowers might mean that the snow will end!
Bill
Good morning, everybody.
Ed ... You asked Ken about CB&Q going to St. Louis. CB&Q had a route along the west shore of the Mississippi River from Burlington, Iowa to St Louis. The Q also operated into St Louis from Illinois crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis. .... Your railroad adventures of your youth sound very interesting
Beach Bill .... Only one day of jury duty sounds like it was hardly anything. Since living here in westerm KY, I have not been asked to be on a jury.
Have great Wednesday, everybody.
cudakenWork Front Seemed to start out good and went down and back up the hill again? Over all it was a good day by this company current standerds, which means it was better than a stick in the eye. $1900.00 in sales and I made around a extra $20.00.
LION understands not the matress business. Sleepys in the NY area is well known, around here there is America's Mattress. If we were to buy mattresses we would use I. Keating, w local chain of fine furnature. The owner is a good Catholic who contributes heavily to many Catholic institutuins here about. He recently gave us 150 custom built dining chairs.
Great man, you can see why we would keep our business with him. But a Mattress store? Only one product. How often does someone buy a mattress. They buy cars more frequently than that. They say mattresses should be replaced after eight years, some of ours date back to the 1950s.
Getting permission to buy a mattress at the Abbey is an issue. The springs in mine are fairly well shot, but they would just send me up to the 3rd floor to choose a 'new' one from the discards that are up there.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Extra strong Italian roast coffee in an "Undecorated" mug, please.
***Ed, cool pic and I like that hat! Do you still have it?
Have a terrific day all.
Cheers! Rob
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I could use a bowl of hot oatmeal w/ brown sugar and a pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roastr Coffee to keep my FGLK mug full for the rest of the morning...
Well......... (Very deep subject this morning) there is a large number of city vehicles sitting across the street from my house (a Ten Wheeler Dump Truck, a large equipment truck, two pickup trucks and a car belonging to some other entity). I seems there is a water main break right in front of my neighbors house. They have it all marked of after a lot of meter reading (to find where the pipes are) and measuring, and painting the snow, road and other things.... I just went out to talk to the crew boss as they now have my short block cordoned off and are just waiting to get the backhoe up here... Need to be sure I will be able to get my car out of my driveway this afternoon for my Podiatrist Appt. He said no problem and if they are still here they will just move things and get me out. I also just slipped on the ice and landed on my sore knee again! Driveway is a glare of ice.
Currently 23°F and partly sunny outside. I'll be sitting in my dining room watching the project going on in the street for the rest of the morning.
Quotes for the day:
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” - George Carlin
“Some people have no idea what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Beach BillI didn't get picked for jury duty, and as expected they had a light court docket as Christmas approaches. They had a murder case but a plea deal was reached that Monday morning. I thus only earned one day's pay - drat.
I'm just 3 months shy of 70, at which point I will be exempt from Jury Duty in the state. I could still serve if asked, but there's no way I will be the Commonwealth's servant for $8 a day no travel reimbursement and the nightmare of commuting and parking. Been there, done that. I was never selected for a jury, so it was just a waste of a day every time.
Now, if I got $300 an hour and the lawyers got $8 a day, I bet that would change my mind, and make the courts work more efficiently, too.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The various US states sure do differ in jury duty rules. In Tennessee, no one is exempt due to age. And Tennesseeans get a whopping $11 bucks a day. That said I have never been called since moving here.
Previously, I was called in California, just as I was moving, which exempted me. I was also called for federal jury duty in Florida after I had moved out of that particular US court's jurisdiction. The federal notice to report was nasty and threatening in tone, but mailed to my previous address. I did not serve in that case either.
Regarding jury duty.
I served on jury duty when I lived in Oakland County, Michigan. ... It was a civil case. The jury room had windows with a clear view of the GTW yard in Pontiac, MI which was very busy handling mostley carloads of General Motors business. So, I got paid to watch trains, but it was not much money. .... Two or three months later, I was contacted to be a juror for Federal Grand Jury in Detroit. However, I was excused because I just served in the Oakland County courthouse...... That is the same courthouse where Dr. Keverokian was on trial.
Cheers, everybody !
Flo, Ed will have a Manhattan and I will have a
Was up way to late last night watching U Tube so I got a late start today. But that is what days off are for right! Did boring stuff like paying bills and so forth.
gmpullmanKen, Did this little railroad ever run into Saint Looie?
Ed I knew Gary would answer that question as soon as I saw it! And yes I knew they ran to St Louis, Simon 1966 (from this site) is all so into that railroad.
gmpullman(And IF you were planning to send a bottle of anything, I really appreciate the thought but you shouldn't go through all the bother!)
Ed pretty much against the law from what I have found out unless I lie about what is in the package. I still hope to send something.
gmpullmanI Tapped F6 quickly, twice, and they took off like nobody's business! I imagine that was what you were encountering with the Mighty B&Os?
Not this time around. The B unit will move but no sound. When I first started running the B unit that was the problem. Hum, seems I could not get it going using Decoder Pro (use the computer thottles most of the time) but I think I got it moving using the DT 400? Might just give that a try, see if F8 will get the sound going again?
Far as the F7a, have not put it on the main line yet. With my luck it will run great and make me feel like a
Far as ESU I am with you. My PCM Y6b has one and the slow speed is all most unbelive able dragging a long train!
One way or another the Mighty B&O F7's will grace my rails again, you can count on that!
BLI Hudson Seems the engine it self has lost power pick up. Need to call BLI and see if they still and the engine to tender plug.
Trains are running great, after cleaning the Bessemer's wheels so I am happy.
cudaken Ed I knew Gary would answer that question as soon as I saw it! And yes I knew they ran to St Louis, Simon 1966 (from this site) is all so into that railroad.
Well, yeah, I kind of knew it too!
http://www.burlingtonroute.com/docs/route/wotz_mtz.html
It was more of a little riddle
Be back later!
YGW I misssed that you needed surgery. I am glad that it was successful.
Found a couple youtube videos on Luxury Trains. Evidently it takes 1/2 a million to restore one and about 5 years. More $ if you don't do a lot of the work yourself. Time is running out for me to win the lotto and get started. Maybe I need a new dream.
I can't get the youtube video to appear normally. https://youtu.be/dQIEwylcK-I
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Evenin' folks!
Janie, a cup of decaf would suit me well right at the moment....
Long, interesting day here in the Finger Lakes. The city DPW Crew spent most of the day excavating the street right in front of the neighbors driveway and repairing to broken water main. At one point they even had someone from the Gas and Electric Company there to oversee some work next to the Gas Main.... By the time I left for my Podiatrist Appointment they were filling the trench back in. When I got home, the street had been repaved and except for some mud on the street you wouldn't have even known there had been a problem. Those guys do good work! When I had to leave, both dump trucks that were blocking the street immediately moved so I could get out....
At the Doc's, he checked out my feet and proclaimed that they are in fine shape considering my advanced age and diabettes! Actually, he said the feet were in good shape and there were no new problems. Diabettes is still being well controlled. I did mention that I messed up my knee falling out on the deck a few days back. He looked at me and told me to pull up my trousers so he could take a look at it. Tore off the bandage that I had over it, and remarked that I had done a real good job of skinning myself! Shook his head, sterilized the wound and said that will take a while to completely heal and keep it covered and an antibiotic on it. He washed the wound and put a new bandage over it. I have some minor edema on my lower legs also. I told him it tends to be better when I am regularly walking..... He started to laugh and said, "well yeah! Excercise keeps the blood moving." Checked out a couple vericose veins I have and said that sooner or later I will have to either have them removed or start wearing a compression stocking. Told me not to worry about it until they start bothering me though.
Tonight I printed up 100 flyers for the MLK committee and then headed down to do some odds and ends in the train room...
Have a great night and stay safe out there!
Last Saturday while coming back from visting my daughter with my wife and son, our car blew a rod and punched a hole in side of the engine, about 130 miles from home. It took 13 hours to get home after that, and of course it started to snow also. So now my car is still there, they want to much to replace the engine, and we cant get a loan to get even a used car as we have too many bills. Trying another car place today so hope that works out. Been riding the bus to work and back. However on Sunday nights it does not run that late at night.
Lest we had good luck ( And thanks!! ) with perosn that helped us on the freeway, the tow driver, the repair place that the car got dropped off, the cop that gave us ride to McDonalds and let us stay till my dad got off work and drove up to get us.
With all that has been going on have not got any model work done this week.
Modeling on the cheap
fourtour car blew a rod and punched a hole in side of the engine, about 130 miles from home. It took 13 hours to get home after that, and of course it started to snow also.
fourt! Bad luck my man. I feel for your situation.
A little while ago our old Honda Odyssey fractured the fan blade when my son was driving it on his own. The broken pieces took out the radiator which in turn caused the engine to overheat. Unfortunately my son was on a notoriously bad stretch of highway so he decided it would be unwise to stop on the shoulder. He didn't realize the severity of the problem. As he got to the next off ramp the engine seized but at least he was able to get off the highway. The bottom line was that between the blown rad and the blown head gasket the van was not worth repairing. It only had 260,000 kms on it which is pretty low mileage for a Honda but the repair estimate was 25% of the price of a new van. We donated it to the Kidney Foundation.
I didn't blame my son for damaging the van, I blamed myself. I had broken my cardinal rule about always running on premium quality tires (Michelins) and had purchased a set of Goodyear snow tires from Canadian Tire. We Canadians affectionately refer to them as "Crappy Tire", and in my case the moniker was spot on. I could never get the Goodyear tires balanced properly. There was always some vibration, and in fact two of the tires failed and had to be replaced. I figure the constant vibration from the tires caused fatigue in the fan blade and that is why it came apart. Bottom line is that my decision to save a few bucks on winter tires ended up costing me thousands in lost resale value for the old Odyssey. Never again will I buy cheap tires!!!!! End of rant!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hello all
Very busy week at w**k. Two predrywall meetings, two walk with homeowners, inspections, home inpsectors and they have sold another house. Absolutely stunning turn around since the end of the elctions. Before the elections we couldnt hardly give a house away. Now we cannot build them fast enough ! Our sales lady is gonna have one heck of a Christmas paycheck with four million in settlements and another six million in contracts !
Train front - today the excavator is supposed to restake the ftgs. I hope !
Jim - How did you pin the ftg to the rock ? Drill the rock and epoxy the rebar into the rock ?
Ken - Yep I think your description is way more accurate. Which ever description used it is frustratingly slow ! I cant wait !
MoeLarry - I bet you wopuld look great in a Bowler hat !
Bill - You know I think you are on to something with your snow theory !
Lion - WHAT ?! Lions sleep on mattresses ? Oh no ! My life is over ! I thought lions slept in the tall grass waiting to pounce on tasty wildebeast !
Mr. B - Hmmmm I think you are onto something there ! $300 a day for jury duty.
Henry - Yes, thank God the surgery went well. I had the "drainage tube" removed yesterday - thank God that thing is out and gone too! All is well now : )
Howmus - How is the knee feeling ? Ouch! That sounded painful.
Fourt - Sounds like even with the bad luck you still had some good luck with help from the police, good luck finding a car.
Dave - I would bet the cause of the fan going bad had more to do with metal fatigue than tires. Did you check to see if there was a recall on the fan blade ? Soemtimes when there is a recall on a part you can get some help from the manufacture.
History qoute of the day:
To say that a bad government must be established for fear of anarchy is really saying that we should kill ourselves for fear of dying.
Militias, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves and include all men capable of bearing arms. [...] To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.
It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government.
Good morning.
Rememebring Jeff Wimberly today. ... (One of the memebers of the coffee shop across the street remembered he passed away on December 15.)... It was two years ago.
RIP, Jeff Running Bear .... .....
When I was a kid, my father was in the U.S. Coast Guard. Every couple years, he'd get orders, and we'd have to move, sometimes across country. Once, when I was between second and third grade, we got orders to move from Long Beach, Calif., to Point Pleasant, W.Va. Everything we owned was sent out ahead of us in the moving van, so the last night, we stayed at a friend's house before setting out. My father built a plywood box with screen walls that would fit in the back of the station wagon for our three cats to ride in. One of our hosts was allergic, so we left the cat box in their carport. That night, one of the cats rattled the latch loose, shoved the lid open, and bolted. We never saw him again. (Though we heard from the next inhabitants of our old house that about a month later, he strolled in through the cat door, bold as brass. They adopted him.) So this was an inauspicious start to our cross-country journey.
We finally set off, late, after having fruitlessly searched for our missing cat that morning. My father tried to make up time. We stopped for gas somewhere in the California desert (perhaps Victorville), where things got worse. After filling the tank, my father backed into the station's sign pole, and punctured the gas tank. He ordered us out of the car and drove into a vacant lot next door, trailing fuel all the way. This was Sunday morning in the middle of nowhere, and nothing was open. The gas station loaned my father some tools, and my mother, the cats, and I sat in the shade under a parked semi-trailer while my father detatched the empty gas tank, hoisted it on his shoulder, and walked two miles into town. We waited for hours as the heat of the day built. Finally he found a place that would patch it for him, walked back, reattached it, and we were on our way, most of the day gone.
We only just made it out of California, stopping for the night at a touristy roadside lodge in the woods in Arizona (perhaps near Lake Havasu). My parents collapsed on the bed while I wandered off. Suddenly they realized they had no idea where I was. Panicked I had fallen into a canyon somewhere, they mounted a search. Finally I was found safe, in the gift shop, sitting behind a spinning rack reading Archie comics. Overall, it was quite a day.
That night we ate in the lodge's dining room. The special was beef stew and cornbread. It was the best meal any of us could remember, less because of the food itself and more because this horrible day was over, and we were finally on our way. Ever since then, beef stew has been the greatest comfort food for me.
Reading the Diner thread this morning, it seems like a lot of people here could use some comfort food. So, have some beef stew, on me.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Lost it all editing.
Extra strong coffee in a NH I-4-c w/ Vandy tender mug, please.
***Steven Otte, that is one of those unforgetable adventures your family had. Thanks for sharing it!
***Garry, some of Jeffreys work remains on my layout to this day. He will always be remembered here.
Healing thoughts for those in need.
Steven: That was a great story. You should really consider writing as a career. Oh, wait. Nevermind.