Good Afternoon Diners,
Flo, I'll have an extra large coffee with lots of cream, please.
Ulrich: I hope Petra recovers and becomes well quickly.
Big Daddy mentioned about a Sherlock Homes movie. I'm not necessarily enthralled with the newer one, but I highly recommend the old Basil Rathbone -Nigel Bruce versions. They're just plain fun.
When driving on a long trip, 75-80 seems to make sense with amount of time on the road with rate of fuel consumption, etc.
Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a refill for the decaf, please.
Been crazy busy with all the MLK stuff yesterday. Been doing banking, emailing schools to check on the correct spelling of Art and Poetry winners names (don't want to publish something with a kid's name spelled wrong....) today. Doing a couple loads of wash as well.
One of the high points of the celebration is getting to see many of my all time favorite students. Several sang in the MLK Choir and 3 of them were solists on songs! One of them is a gent we never thought would amount to much... He was a bit of a problem child in Middle School. Very low self esteem, but he not only graduated from HS, he won an MLK Scholarship, and now has his Master's Degree + and has been an executive with a major communications Company in the New York city area for a good many years. He was in my choruses back in Middle School and had an excellent voice. I walked by him yesterday, he turned around, and gave me a bear hug! Got several of those from many folks there during the day....... Guess I must have done something right... That guy drives all the way from NYC to be here for the MLK activities twice a year.
Very successful day and had huge attendance.
On the Speed Limit discussion.... Seems like every time auto manufacturers make better safety thingie stuff built into cars, we find a way to totally negate any benefit of it! LOL First off, I guess we just should waste as much fuel as possible by driving very fast: https://www.wired.com/2011/04/what-will-an-85-mph-speed-limit-do-to-your-mileage/ Second, have you really considered how much farther it takes to stop a vehicle as you drive faster? http://www.driveandstayalive.com/stopping-distances/ Now remember today nobody seems to able to drive wigthout holding a smatie pants phone in one hand, and I think the best thing is to just stay the heck off the roads...... Several times, driving the NYS Thruway every year, I see those people who fly by me at 90+ mph off into the ditch a few miles up the road and a freshly killed deer laying along the side of the road. (Darn Deer why do they let them on the highway....!) I do enjoy the ones who are sitting on the side of the road with their drivers side window down chatting with a NYS Trooper. Every once in a while Karma happens!
Oh, YGW, Bill has been a member here for many years. he just doesn't talk a lot. Good listener though....
Ulrich, keeping Petra (and you) in my prayers!
Have a good one!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good Evening,
Certainly has been slow in the Diner lately.
Ulrich, sorry to hear about your wife but glad to hear she is improving. Abdominal infections can be scary. My wife had one some years ago but after some very heavy duty anti-biotics she recovered just fine.
I continue to improve but find that I have ocasional discomfort that appears to be the muscle near the incision. I think I'll phone the docs office tomorrow. It is now 2 weeks since I was last outside and I'm getting cabin fever.
We are getting a heat wave starting tomorrow. It will go up to 32F!!!! Wow, sure wish I could get outside, perhaps pull up a lawnchair and just bask in the sun.
I might start a kit tomorrow or at least look at it. It is a Red Caboose reefer kit. I like their kits and buy them at the local train show when I can. For $4 how can you go wrong. Sure will be glad when I can go downstairs and run trains but that won't be for another month or so.
I agree with Dave, Ontario speed limits are crazy. I used to drive a lot in rural southern Ontario on business and never could understand an 80k limit. Here it is 100k but I usually go around 110. That is on a 2 lane road as I rarely drive on divided highways. When passing I do like to 'boot' it which means getting up to 140k. While it isn't a real rocket off the line my car really accelerates fast at highway speeds. It will drop down a gear with just a small push on the gas and it is gone. Great sound too. It has an inline 6.
Well think I'll go back to TV.
Have a good night,
CN Charlie
Ulrich, we are all hoping that Petra has a speedy recovery. Compared to the EU we have cheap gas but considerate would hardly ever be a description of US drivers.
Mr B are those foam castings flexible or stiff?
My DCC installation skills are graded F. The board is shorting out in my Atlas RS3 and I can't figure out why. The engine isn't supposed to be grounded to the frame, nor could I detect any continuity between the engine and the wheels but it trips the circuit breaker on a straight piece of track. Factory installed DCC engines run fine on the same track.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Great Evening Diners!
Flo, Ed gets all he wants of Crown Royal, SS Rich will have a Boston Cream, I will have a and I will pick up the Dinner Bar Tap!
Reason it is a Great Evening? The Might B&O F7's are dragging Coal!!!!!!!!
Work Front Kind of a lack luster day but not bad with $1519.00 in sales. I sold another $5,000.00 in close outs (running total) and summeted it today. Should be a extra $100.00 in next week check.
Ulrich Great to hear Petra is getting better!
YGW Far as living throught the slow days, I mainly read. In the last 3 years I have read 139 books. Two books where 1000 pages, so that slowed me down a lot. Lee Childs books take about 2 days. Easy reading. By the way YGW I have finally got logged back into photobucket. I will try to post some updates on the Train Barn in a few days.
Mighty & Strange B&O F7's. OK, I was right about the F7a's derailing problem, it was the cab for the crew. Pull the cab out of the engine, threw on the shell and the F7a tracked great again! While there was still no sound, I was happy just to see it drag Coal Cars.
Strange Part? I added the B unit, it had all so lost it sound. But I wanted a tad more pulling power so I added the B to the A unit. Ran both engines for 30 minutes or so. Guess what happned? Yeb, the sound started working in the B unit for some reason?
Could still be bad speakers. Voice coil could be burnt and just by chance the wires are touching now and the sound is working?
Ed I will check the PM's. Linda is not sending Sue any packages so we should be good.
Later Ken
I hate Rust
Good evening all.
Zoe - A hot chocolate please. Thanks.
Oh, and please make sure YGW gets a slice of apple pie tomorrow... Thanks.
Ulrich - Hoping that Petra makes a speedy, and complete, recovery!
Weather - It is January, right? Had a thunderstorm today, and tied the alltime high temperatutre for the day, @58F! Tonight, it is very foggy, and I mean very foggy! The "so thick you could cut it with a knife" style foggy. Cooler tomorrow, with our current temp also our forecasted high, but still not normal cold. We are still actually above freezing, sitting at 40F right now... Our (so far) low temp (38, this morning) is higher than our normal high temp (30).... Whoa! Normal low temp is 19, and our forcastrd low tonight is 33, with a range of 27-40 tomorrow and tomorrow night. (40 daytime, 27 tomorrow night....) More flooding issues because of the thunderstorm today, though not as bad as last week.
W**k - Huh? What's that? I'm not supposed to nap while at w**k? Well, had nothing else to do today... Unloaded our truck first thing this morning, then did..... Nothing. We sold one item, first thing this morning, so our sales for the day were way lower than normal, at a whopping 105.xx.... Normal is 1200.xx or so... Did have one really grumpy customer, who didn't buy anything, and was "this close" to being told to leave. She threw a hissy fit over my conversing with the customer in front of her, instead of stopping what I was doing to take care of her immediately, and stated "you are about to lose a sale over this." Trouble is, the other customer was there first, and was asking questions about a item. (So I was doing my job, even though the other customer was not buying tonight.) I did inform the grouch "I'm sorry, but this customer was here first. You can wait patiently for your turn. If that's a problem, then you are free to shop elsewhere, your choice. Otherwise, I will be with you as soon as I am finished with them."
We did not have what she wanted anyways.... So no lost sale for making her wait anyways.....
Some people....
Speed limit discussion - Tom, I find the same as you, most PSP (Pennsylvania State Police) in my area go above the limit, (sometimes a lot), if only to see if you will keep up with them, so they have a reason to pull you over.... Had one a couple of weeks ago riding my rear bumper on a two lane road, (no lights or siren, so no reason to move over to let him by), for about 5 miles, then pull alongside me and pass, in a no passing zone, on a hill no less! If I could have pulled him over and done a citizens arrest for crackerjack driving, I would have! As far as whom they pull over on the highway, lead car, middle car, or tail car, it seems that there is no standard, it seems that whichever one the pick tosday gets the ticket. Most don't bother you unless you are 10+ over speed limit on the highways though. (Or driving aggressively.) City and local roads on the other hand.... 3-5MPH above, no more...
Hope all are well, and all 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.
yougottawanta FRRYKid - That sound like a wreck waiting to happen cars doing 80 and trucks at 65 !
FRRYKid - That sound like a wreck waiting to happen cars doing 80 and trucks at 65 !
To further clarify, the 65 is intended for big rigs (semis).
yougottawantahon30 critter - Do you all drive 60 on the snow and ice ?
I'm assuming that by '60' you mean miles per hour. The answer depends:
On glare ice - no. When we have severe ice storms the police recommend that we all stay home. Those that do have to venture out drive pretty slow.
If we have deep snow, same thing - those who are on the roads drive pretty slow.
However, most of the time our roads are well plowed and sanded, and it is perfectly feasible to drive close to 60 mph (but not much faster mind you) under those conditions.
Of course there are always those people who assume that the laws of physics don't apply to them. I'm sure that every jurisdiction in the world suffers from their arrogance. Tonight we are experiencing freezing rain and unfortunately I had to go to the pharmacy to get some bandages for a bleeding toe (don't ask!). I was doing about 30 kph in a 50 zone and of course there was some idiot right up my butt trying to force me to go faster. My ABS light was flashing every time I touched the brake pedal, which I did frequently while trying to get him (her) to back off.
Me personally, I have never ended up in the ditch nor have I had an accident in 46 years of driving in Canadian winter weather. I've only had three speeding tickets in 46 years, and two of those turned out to be the result of a cracked speedometer drive gear in my '76 Chevy Caprice that was slipping on its shaft.
Regards,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
FRRYKidTo further clarify, the 65 is intended for big rigs (semis).
In Ontario we have a speed limit of 105 kph for big rigs on the major highways. What drives me nuts is when one truck is trying to overtake another truck on a four lane (two in each direction) highway. The governers prevent the overtaking truck from doing more than 105 kph. If the truck being overtaken is doing 104 kph the passing process takes forever. We have taken to scheduling our longer trips on Hwy 401 in Southern Ontario to the weekends when the truck traffic is greatly reduced.
Oh, by the way, if you are on Hwy. 401 in Southern Ontario i.e. west of Kitchener, don't even think about doing 130 kph. You will barely get away with 115 kph. That sounds like I am bitching but in reality the stretch of Hwy. 401 between Windsor and Kitchener is notorious for drivers falling asleep at high speeds and killing themselves. Apparently when there are long delays at the Windsor border crossing people underestimate their stamina when then think how far they can drive before they need a rest. It doesn't help that there are no flat shoulders on the median either. If you put your left wheel in the gravel you are likely to end up in the median ditch. That is if you don't cross over the median entirely and end up in the oncoming traffic in the west bound lanes.
There! I've done all my ranting for the evening and I don't think I have managed to upset the moderators (for a change)! I feel great. Thanks for listening!!
Just a quick HI before I turn in.
I started a thread about the end of the Ringling Brothers circus train but I guess I put it in the wrong Forum, Prototype Information. A nearly similar thread is in this Forum and it has almost 1300 views. I thought the General Discussion forum, as stated in the description—
Advice, tips, questions and general information on the hobby of model railroading.
is for discussion of modeling (with the exception of the Diner, of course)?
I wonder why the moderator hasn't combined the threads?
OK, I'll get my nose back between the rails...
yougottawantaGM - What is that caboose ? Does it have headlights ? I havent seen one with a fender !
YGW, Those cars were some of the last built by International Car Co. of Kenton, Ohio in 1972 for the Central Vermont. Yes, they had "track lights" which could be used as headlights for a back-up move. I think by "fenders" you are talking about the shields on the end railings? Those keep a lot of the mud and rusty rain water off the end platform and windows that gets slung up from the adjoining car. Also keeps ballast and junk from hitting crew members who may be on the platform as well.
cudakenOK, I was right about the F7's derailing problem, it was the cab for the crew. Pull the cab out of the engine, threw on the shell and the F7a tracked great again!
Ken, I'm thinking the improperly seated cab interior interfered with the gear tower coming up from the trucks? Not so much the steps. I could be wrong...
From a 1925 Pullman Safety campaign...
Take care, everybody.
Ed
Good Morning!
Petra is back home with me! Still very weak, but definitively on the road to recovery. The antibiotics have kicked in and the fever as well as the infection are on the retreat. The surgery, though, will have to wait some time.
I am very much relieved and happy to have her with me again!
hon30critterI've only had three speeding tickets in 46 years
I beat you there with 4 in 43 years - all of them for being a tad above the tolerance, no serioous speeding. Not that I have have always stuck to the speed limit, I guess I was just lucky not being caught more often
Ulrich:
You can beat me on the number of speeding tickets we have had all that you want!
I am very glad to hear that Petra is improving, but having to delay the surgery is obviously a PITA. I'm sure she is receiving the best of care at your hands.
When I was down with my back problems in 2008-2009 my wife Dianne was a saint! I married a truly good person (even if she does complain about the cleaning service not getting into our bedroom when I choose to sleep in!)
Like I said, hang in there! Brighter days ahead!
Steven OtteThing is, that would be true no matter what the speed limits were. When the national limit was 55 mph, everyone on the highways drove at 65. When they raised it, everyone drove 10 mph over THAT limit. People will always speed by a certain percentage. The traffic engineers who decide on speed limits know that, and the cops do, too.
Well, there have been studies that suggest that if you eliminate the speed limits altogether then most people will drive at a speed that is reasonably safe for the road conditions. Sorry, I can't quote them, and I'm not sure if they included the German Autobahns. Of course, there will always be the idiots who choose to behave otherwise, but the truth is that most of us are smarter than the highway rules would suggest.
hon30critterOf course, there will always be the idiots who choose to behave otherwise,
Thata behavior is self-limiting.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
BroadwayLionThata behavior is self-limiting.
Dear Brother Elias. Are we speaking of the process of natural selection here? If so, unfortunately those who have selected themselves for the process sometimes take some of us more intelligent folk with them too. Sad.
How is your leg doing? Good I hope!
All the best!
Mornin' everyone....
hon30critterDear Brother Elias. Are we speaking of the process of natural selection here? If so, unfortunately those who have selected themselves for the process sometimes take some of us more intelligent folk with them too. Sad.
Exactly right! I have only had 3 accidents in 54 years of driving (hope to keep it that way!) and all three were where some idiot hit my car. One of them I wasn't even in the car at the time. It was parked at the post office in Waverly, NY when I was teaching there. I was in the PO buying stamps, my wife and kids were in the car. Some idiot who should have had his driver's lisence pulled about 4 accidents before that backed his big truck out of the driveway of a auto repair place where he had just picked it up from the repair from his last stupid accident, backed right across the street into the door of my brand new VW Bug.... My insurance company tried to blame me for the accident...... I simply changed companies after explaining to a local agent exactly what happened. He had the accident removed from my record. (He knew the idiot who hit me and knew me as a local teacher....)
Another beautiful day in the Finger Lakes if you can call 39°F under dark thick cloudy skies beautiful...... I have to leave in a few minutes for a dermatologist appt. in Canandaigua. My car emailed me a diagnostic report yesterday.... Nothing wrong with it! Better not be anything wrong with it at 2 months of age..... says I drove 424 miles in the last month. 416 of them was on electric. Right now I am getting 158 miles per gallon on the gas in the tank (of course that doesn't include the electrons that come from my roof.
Hope everyone who has been ill is recovering well (Glad to hear Petra is home) and everyone else stays in good health!
Steven OtteAnother way I look at it is, if there's someone in front of me, he's the one the cop is going to get.
Ah, yes! The way to avoid a ticket is to let somebody else get one first! In my youth I had occassion to travel on Hwy. 401 between Oshawa and Trenton many times each summer (I was an Officer at the Air cadet Camp at CFB Trenton for several summers while I was in University). I loved it when another driver would pass me in my MGB to show me how fast he could go. I gave them about half a mile and then sped up to whatever speed they were doing. Several times I got to pass them while they were on the shoulder speaking to the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police).
I have to admit that I was pretty lucky some times. One day when I was on my way home to Oshawa from Trent University in Peterborough I was blasting along Hwy 115 when I looked up to my right to see the smiling face of the OPP Air Patrol Officer staring directly at me from the cockpit of his plane! I guess there were no cruisers available to pull me over because all he did was wave his finger at me. Yes, he was pretty low over the highway! In fact, he was far lower than they usually flew. Scared the poop out of me!
Morning diners,
Ulrich- I'm glad your wife has recovered. Still praying for her.
Ed- I love that campaign. Old campaigns can be very funny.
I'm still surprised we're talking about speed limits. I only drove four times overall. Three times when I was 17, and once in December. But I drove around the speed limit. I know nothing exciting.
I went to the store yesterday to get All in the Family season 1. Although my mom suggested to also get 1952 Superman tv show. If I didn't like it I'll won't buy anyone for $10. I'll try to watch it sometime this week.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
FRRYKidHow do you like using the Bragdon Molds and their resin? It was suggested that I get a few for a spot on my layout but as of yet I haven't as the cost was seeming to be a bit pricey to me, but any opinion would be welcomed.
It's quite a process. I suppose it would get easier if I did this a lot, but I don't. However, the results are excellent, far better than I get with Hydrocal rock castings. The foam really picks up the details better, and it takes paint very well. This is from my last castings a number of years ago.
The materials are more costly than plaster. For the 8 castings I did, the foam components probably came to about $30. You can get larger bottles and save some money. The shelf life in the bottle is a couple of years, but I had to discard the leftover casting resin because it eventually solidified in the jar.
I chose this method for "signature" scenes at the front of my layout.
BigDaddyMr B are those foam castings flexible or stiff?
The finished casting are stiff and very lightweight. However, you can used a hair dryer to warm them up and they become more flexible again, stiffening up as they cool.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Went to the local craft store to buy India ink. The millenial salesperson had no idea what I was talking about. "What's it used for?" he asked.
Good Afternoon,
A sunny, balmy day here in Winterpeg but I have to stay indoors.
I called the Doc's office today and was informed that I shouldn't expect anything different on the healing front as it has only been 4 weeks since surgery. I was told not to expect the area to feel normal until at least 6 weeks and to be careful.
We are debating whether or not to get Robbie tomorrow or just leave him with our friends for another 2 weeks when I hopefully will be able to drive down to get him.
Ulrich, great news !
Dave, great stories on your encounters with OPP. I have one for you too. I was driving near Aylmer back in early 1973 when I still had my Vega ( new Nova was on order) when an OPP officer pulled me over. He asked me what speed I was doing and I said 60 as I had seen him behind me. He said no, I was doing 70. He offered to put his light on when he hit 60 and sure enough the spedomter said 50. No wonder I was passing everyone on the 401 at an indicated 80 so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the engine seemed to be working hard. I've only had 1 speeding ticket and it was in Alberta driving a rental. I have been very lucky.
My wife went to make a purchase on a credit card and it was declined so I called the company and was told that they had placed a freeze on the account due to some suspicious charges, namely for airfare. Seems like someone got the number and was trying to use the card so they cancelled it and will send a new one. We have 2 credit cards and only use this one for online purchases with a relatively low credit limit. This is the second time this has happened. Glad the bank is so vigilant. I don't do online banking as I just don't trust computer security.
Well time for a little lunch I think.
Good afternoon all!! Flo, I'll have a tuna hoagie with hot peppers, a diet pepsi, and a boston cream for my sweet tooth.
Hooray!! My job search has come to an end finally. Took a position with another medical device manufacturing facility.
I got a call from dispatch telling me the CNJ is on the main with that reefer train. It should be here shortly. I haven't had this train on main in quite a while so it took a few loops around the branch line to work out all the derails.....crazy stuff I tell ya. We also have another string of empties on the schedule too...................somewhere.
yougottawanta SS Express - When you rebuild the S-2 what all do you rebuild ? Do you replace gears ? Electric motors ? Wheels ...?
SS Express - When you rebuild the S-2 what all do you rebuild ? Do you replace gears ? Electric motors ? Wheels ...?
YGW.......my rebuilds consist of mostly extensive cleaning and inspection. Nothing get swapped out unless it's burned up or broken in half. I tend to find severe amounts of crud and hair packed in places I can't see until it's under some magnification.
Anyways..............time to pick up the kiddies!!
Rich
hey all
Super busy day at w**k. Even worked through lunch! Will read post later. Wanted to stop in and say hey.
Hopefully have more time tomorrow.
YGW
So anyway... I've been trying to get a handle on exactly how many employees are on staff here at the Diner... In order of popularity I've seen Chloe, Zoe, Flo, Janie, and Brunhilda... but I think I'm missing one?
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Alice??
Steven Otte but I think I'm missing one?
Don't forget the most important! Chef Ryan, without whom our culinary delights would be for naught..
gmpullman Steven Otte but I think I'm missing one? Don't forget the most important! Chef Ryan, without whom our culinary delights would be for naught.. Ed
Br. Otte, how is it possible that you forgot Vinnie.
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
yougottawanta Johnboy - What does shiny side up mean ? What are they refering to ? YGW
Johnboy - What does shiny side up mean ? What are they refering to ?
Hi YGW, Your question is about an old over the road saying or good wish from one driver to another. MEANING>>>> "keep the wheels on the ground and the shiney side up."
Johnboy out...........and been trying my best to keep it that way for 60.5 years that I have had a licence.
Steven Ottebut I think I'm missing one?
Blaze Starr works in the back room
Hello all,
It's past my bedtime, but I cannot sleep.
The trains are still on the back burner as I am making plans and acquiring the stuff to get the green house permanantly set up behind the bonus room, which is behind the garage. It is 6' x 8', so I will need 20 cinder blosks for the base. I acquired ten of them the other day at Lowes. They are on the front porch.
I am also laying oput plans to raise the rasied beds on legs, using cedar wood for the boxes. That way maybe hte critters {rabbits, squirells, chipmonks, Oh,, My!} won't get a tasty tidbit from my garden this year coming.
Again, I will acquire a few cedar boards hefre and there until I have enough to do the job, hopefully by planting time.
Well that is aobut it.
ULRICH: glad Petra is doing better.
Prayers for those in nasty weather. Like Mr. B said, we are at or near 40s for most of last week adn all of this week and half of next week. I won't complain, last winter was very mild, and I said I expected a fairly mild winter this year as we usually get two mild ones in a row.....
-G
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.