Evenin' folks!
Janie, just a mug filled with decaf for me right now....
Another busy day around here. Finished mowing the lawn today. i shouod have gotten mowed about last thursday, but the rain made me decide to out it off. So yesterday and today I got to it. Grass was about 6 to 8 oinches high and the mower is set to about 2", so I got to see just what the new electric mower can do. All i will say is WOW! This is definiately not the B & D! The mower literally just walked right through it with no problem. When it starts to get tough the mower speeds up and gets the job done. It did lowewr the one hour run time do0wn to about 40 minutes... But, man, few gas mowers of that size would have been able to tackle that the way the EGO did. I am amazed. I had it on mulch as well which really adds to the work the mower had to do.
Had to be at Scout Commissioners meeting and Roundtable tonight (I'm still in uniform). Dealt with a number of emails concerning some NMRA stuff this evening as well. Yesterday I did finish up installing the now painted fascia board and getting the togle switches in and labeled. If you saw what I posted over the weekend in the "Fun" thread, here is what it looks like now:
Even played around with a bit of placement for a home in that part of Millo Mills a bit:
There is actually room for a couple more houses there as the depth is decieving.
Hope you all have a great night! They have a frost advisory in effect for tonight here, but the predicted low is 39°F???? Not a problem as the normal average last frost here in the Finger Lakes is May 15. Early yet. I would predict that we will not get another real frost this spring.....
Quotes worth quoting?
"Hell is empty and all the Devils are here." - William Shakespeare
"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit." - William Shakespeare
"'Tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems." - William Shakespeare
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Yannis we enjoy your posts. A few spaces between short paragraphs would make them easier to read.
Most of us (US us) don't realize the impact that Hollywood has had on the rest of the world and their knowledge, for better and worse, about the US. I recall only seeing two films with sub titles: Das Boot, which is better that way and El Mariachi about a guitar player who is mistaken for a hitman. You guys with Netflix should watch them both.
Your English, and that of nearly every foreign member who posts in the MR forum is better than some of our home grown members. It makes me glad I not be a teacher.
Looks like I got the top of the page. Flo deserts for everyone, except I am not paying for jello.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Steven OtteIf you could start over again with a new layout, would you build the same railroad or something different, and why? Assume you have the same resources and time as you did when you started your current layout.
I suspect that I would, and will, build something similar, but with a few changes based on all the knowledge I've gained from building this one.
I'm 70 years old now, so I would not start from scratch. I would re-use as much as I could.
I like the transition era and also the late steam era, so I would do something similar building a dual-era layout.
I would avoid putting a new layout under a 45-degree roofline. It gives me a size penalty for every inch I make it higher, and I would opt for a bigger layout which used its space more effectively. Also, I'd really like straight floor-to-ceiling walls so that I could employ a background.
My carfloat scene is an afterthought, but it's tucked into a back corner and hard to access, so I seldom run trains there. I'd certainly re-arrange things to put more of the "play" scenes which are fun to operate out front.
But, I still like the Milwaukee Road in the 1960s. That's one thing I would not change.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Steven: Many thanks for the spanakopita! Its delicious and you certainly made me feel at home! Out of coincedence, i had spanakopita at lunch today (homemade)!!!
ACY: Thank you very much for the kind words with respect to my English.
Here is how i chose ATSF and California. I love U.S. aircraft and i have been reading about them and building scale models of them for as long as i can remember.
When i became interested in model railroads a few years ago, North American railroads where my obvious choice. First because they fitted with my interest in USAF/USN/USMC aviation, and second because i grew up watching Greek trains which operated some U.S. built locomotives (similar to Alco FA's). So the aesthetics of U.S. railroads were right at home with me. Furthermore, due to the nature of the industry in the U.S. there is a great variety in rolling stock (many roads around...) which i really appreciated (freight).
With respect to the ATSF, i liked the aesthetics, the history and the fact that from what i have read they took great pride in the passenger service up to the last day in 1971. California was again an obvious choice, given it's similarities to Greece with respect to vegetation / climate and architecture (the mediterranean revival / colonial / Spanish revival part) and the coastline. Some movies i grew up with did play a part in this (1941 for example or Top Gun).
Thats about it, and apologies if i tired you with the lengthy reply.
mbinsewiCome on Ed, , couldn't you have said part 2, The only French I know can't be said in here!
Hey, I'm only tryin' to give da joint a little class, ya' see?
Heartland Division CB&QThat is a nice photo of you with your job many years ago working for Amtrak.
No, I wasn't employed by Amtrak, Garry, although I had several friends who were. One of them was a manager who worked with private railroad car owners who would use Amtrak's services for transportation of their cars. Through word-of-mouth I would be refered to these folks and work as a porter/steward/cook as needed. Great w**k for a kid still in high school!
To answer YGW and reaffirm Tom's statement, it CAN be fun and there are a few times, after the passengers are taken care of, that you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really enjoyed carrying on the Pullman tradition of TRUE first-class service the way Mr. Pullman intended it to be. I wonder what HE would think of passengers being physically dragged off of airplanes, these days?
Well, here it is lunch time for me. Being a tad chilly here with a high of only 55°F, how about some Union Pacific Black Bean Soup?
Good day to you all, gentlemen, and ladies too, if present...
Prayers to all in need
Regards, Ed
Heartland Division CB&Q FRRY ... Good to hear you keep busy working on your model railroad. The sand tower sounds like a fun project.
FRRY ... Good to hear you keep busy working on your model railroad. The sand tower sounds like a fun project.
That's another one of those long-term projects. Probably back to last fall at least.
Hobby Front: Got a knock on my door earlier this morning. The postal carrier brought me a nice delivery: Two sheets of decals: BN caboose sheet (need more caboose. Plan on 4 more in BN paint) and a sheet of stripes. (for some new bulkheads - prototype had stripes down the middle of the car and it wasn't modeled on the car.) They have been sprayed with a decal bonder to seal the decals. Even thought they are new, I still like to spray sheets with a layer of sealer - especially on stripes. Also got a tube of wire for a boxcar that I'm building (grab irons).
Also expecting a couple of freight cars later this week as well. Yet another caboose - needs a quick renumber then it will be ready to go and another boxcar - happened to look and what what else the seller had and the boxcar grabbbed my attention. (The boxcar will be my first Intermountain freight car. That is a company whose cars I haven't dealt with before. I should be getting anothe Intermountain car in July or August - new release from Value Line.)
Wait, wait, wait. If we are in Utah, the menu has to include green Jello with carrots.
Richard
Good mornng, all. Think I'll have a Spanish omelette, heavy on the peppers; rye toast, a fruit cup, glass of grapefruit juice, and of course black coffee.
Garry, yes, it seems like many of us trace our fascination with trains to our experiences in childhood and young adulthood. When I was four years old (1950), my mother took me on a long trip from Ohio to Florida to visit the grandparents. I don't remember much about it, but family lore says I was very disappointed that we took the Greyhound instead of the train, so I must have been a railfan even then. (By the way, I threw up on the bus!)
Yannis: Your English is impeccable and you have a deep knowledge and love of Santa Fe in California. Yet you live in Greece. Obviously you are under no obligation to explain any more than you feel comfortable with, but I find that interesting and would be curious to know more about what brought you to this line of thinking and model railroad preference.
Ed: Yes, working on the trains in any capacity can be a lot of fun, in addition to a lot of w**k, with long hours and short sleep. I have great memories of my years at Amtrak, but I don't think I'm quite up to doing it again. At least not on an every-day basis. When I was new at Amtrak, I remember being impressed with the attitude of a co-worker who loved his job as a sleeping car attendant. He said "I just love giving First Class service". That always gave me an ideal to shoot for.
Ed and Rick: Snow in Ohio in May?? Tornadoes in NW PA?? I think I'm inclined to stay in Maryland.
Dave: Sounds like good progress on the club space. Good luck. I don't belong to a club like the one you describe. I'm fortunate to have several friends with layouts, and our round robin group meets at a different layout every week for operating sessions. Some of the layouts are a GN layout, a midwestern MoPac layout, a freelanced Pennsylvania short line, a Pittsburgh area steel mill layout, a B&O/WM layout centered on the coal fields of West Virginia, a MILW layout focused on the electric operations in Idaho, a freelanced one focused on New England, and a proto-freelanced NYC/P&LE layout. If I can ever get all the other projects done around the house, maybe I can build more than the simple yard in the basement and have some operating sessions here.
YGW: Keep those quotes coming! I love 'em. Yes, the PRR had a lot of engines. But if I did the O gauge thing, I'd probably keep it simple. Most likely I'd look for one or two ancient Central Loco Works H10s Consolidation kits and use them as my primary power. I've loved that model ever since I saw the ads in the 1950's, but have never owned one.
Tom
Come on Ed, , couldn't you have said part 2, The only French I know can't be said in here!
Good luck YGW on siding that "down hill" side. I have some of that to do on our place in northern WI., only I'm using LP Smart Side. Those brick face forms are pretty popular here in WI, too. Are you going to finish it to look more like brick? or leave it plain crete?
Steve's question, I guess If I was to do it again, it would be along the wall, around the whole room, for longer main line running, and staging. I wouldn't change the time period. What I know about steam is what I've learned in the forums, and reading, videos, etc. I didn't start noticing trains until I was about 6 or 7, 1954 & 55. The SOO line ran close to Grandpa Bower's farm. Laying in bed during warm summer nights with the windows open, I listened to the trains. My current layout is the first of 4 previous attempts that actually has the scenery 99% complete, but I don't think any model railroad is ever complete, 100%.
That probably won't happen in our current home, a cape cod style, with lots of steps. Long range plan include a one story retirement community, hopfully with a train area? If they don't have it, I'll start it ! I bet I'll get lots of help.
Mike.
My You Tube
Good morning ...
Henry ... That is good advice to YGW about being careful on roofs. I have a relative who is an experienced roofing contractor who was very seriously injured when he fell off of a roof he was working on.
Ed ... The DVD project sounds like an interesting one. ... You mentioned shelf-type layouts, and there are advantages to them. That is mostly what I have. The only problem is when I want a photo of a long train. It is not easy to step back and get a realistic photo of a big train with all scenery. That is a nice photo of you with your job many years ago working for Amtrak.
Tom ACY .... I was very interested in your discussion when you answerred Steven's question. I can see you also have a long life of being interested in trains. As you do, I favor modeling trains I saw when I was young. I like the passenger trains before Amtrak.
YGW ... It's good to see the continuing progress.
Happy Model Railroading.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Morning all
Another beautiful day in Va. The skies are blue temps in the 70s, gentle breeze...
W**K Front the email sent to the district supervisor has produced results and an apology. Hopefully we are headed in the right direction...
Hobby barn - Ed thank you again ( I can never say this enough ) for your posting the photos. The pictures Ed posted on my behalf is rear view of the "barn". The steps to insytall the board and batten siding are : 1) Install a level line 2) install Ban board,3) synthetic plywood vertically 4) frieze board under the soffit 5) batten 6) tear down scaffold and move it down the line
Dave - hope you get a positive vote on the new club space. Keep us posted on how that goes.
Yannis - Thank you, Flo can I have a large ice coffee ? Yummy
Ricky W - Thanks I have discovered over the years getting angry back and yelling does not move the project forward in a positive direction. It is better to keep calm BUT firm and then speak to their supervisors to get stubborn or lazy people moving positively. It takes a thrird party sometimes to be heard
Herrinchoker - I do not have cows nor do I want cows. They do taste good though ! That is a ramp to drive the mowers into the storage area. Why do they call commercial fishermen Herrinchokers. What is the connection ?
Tom - PRR would be an excellant choice especially if you like engines. They owned just about any engine one wants to name.
Ed - What did you find so enjoyable about ebing a steward ?
Henry - Dont worry I have a healthy respect for heights. I have seen way to many fall accidents. I have tumbled off of a roof once my self ( that will put the fear of God in you !!) and I am very cautious and slow up on a roof where their is danger. Any roof is dangerous but a roof with a pitch starting at 6/12 and greater is always dangerous. I have vowed after this build never to do one again over 4/12 !
History qoute of the day:
There is nothing more corrupting, nothing more destructive of the noblest and finest feelings of our nature, than the exercise of unlimited power.
The prudent capitalist will never adventure his capital . . . if there exists a state of uncertainty as to whether the Government will repeal tomorrow what it has enacted today.
The only legitimate right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed.
Good morning, all! To make our newest Diner denizen, Yannis, feel at home, Chef Ryan has whipped up a batch of spanakopita as today's special. Dig in!
And Yannis!
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
I have to share some news with you. I am very happy to announce that our club (Barrie Allandale Railroad Modellers) has made some significant progress in finding a new location.
We have been stuck in the back of a wood working shop for a few years and the conditions are terrible. The first limitation is that the room is a whole big whopping 350 sq. ft.! Yup, 22' x 16' with a small storage area off to one side. When the portable layout is set up there is barely three feet of aisle space around it. The second limitation is the sawdust and paint fumes from the wood working operation. We could hardly breathe at the meeting on Tuesday night from the paint fumes, and the dust is incredible. Perhaps the biggest problem with the current space is that prospective club members usually take one look at it and say "Thanks, but no thanks".
Tonight we were actually reading a real bonafide leasing contract for a larger space (not huge but certainly an improvement) at a price we can afford! Next Tuesday we hope to be able to vote on making the move. If all goes well we will be moved by July! Please, everybody, cross your fingers!!!
Cheers all!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
First time in the Diner, I must say the atmosphere is extremely friendly! Glad to have visited! I ll bring some Greek food next time around to share.
YGW, thanks for the drink! Next round on me.
Good evening all.
Janie - A nice slice of apple pie with a scoop (or two) of ice cream, and a Coke please. Thanks.
Steve - I like the question! So many choices....
If I had space, time, and money, I would go with a slightly different layout. It would still be same era and locale, but would include much more of a mainline run, allowing longer(ish) trains, and 89' cars. (Passenger, autorack, and intermodal.) I would also include more of the class 1 line that my Proto-freelanced regional interchanges with. (The passenger trains would be prototypical length, others still "layout length" sized, but much longer than current.)
For a drastically different, a former Class 1, in detail, with enough room to model full length trains on it. (But, in a "what if" in the sense that it was never bought out and merged away.) (EDIT - I see my iPad deleted part of that last sentence... )
However, once our upcoming (1 year(ish) out) move occurs, the new layout will only be slightly larger, allowing a few larger (89') cars, but not prototypical length passenger trains. Sacrafices need to be made somewhere, and it's either go to N-scale, or lose out on prototypical length pax trains....
YGW - Nice progress! Also, glad you were able to keep your cool during the w**k issue.
Ken - Make a decision on the sound value?
Ulrich - Hope all is well.
Ed - You can keep all the snow over in Ohio, Thank you!
EDIT - Yannis - To the diner! (And the forums!)
Hello to any I have missed.
Weather - Another tornado* yesterday, destroyed a friends home, by sending a huge sycamore (twisted and snapped at the base) clear through from the roof on the second floor to the floor of the first floor. No one (the wife was home at the time) was injured though, thankfully. (Although they are afraid they lost a kitty.) Cooler, (50ish) but wet today, and the rest of the week. (50's for highs, 30's lows.) And, wet snow possible Sat night...
* - Although not according to the NWS, however the trees were twisted and snapped off, I didn't know wind gusts (NWS detirmination) could twist off whole, healthy trees.... It also flung the house debris in a odd pattern for a wind gust, as in in front of, to both sides, and behind the house... But, who am I to say they missed the second tornado in my area in the span of about 2 weeks... (11 days actually ) They only admitted the first one as too many had pics of it. (And, the first one the NWS never issued a warning for, the local 911 call center had too, after they received numerous calls about it already being on the ground.... This last one zero warnings period.)
W**k - We had a awesome couple days to end April, so that is good. I hit a few month end bonuses, so that will be nice as well.
Hope all are well, and all enjoy the rest of the night/day!
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.
YGW,
Really nice looking hobby barn. Question: is the ramp on the downhill side next to the window for the cow??
herrinchoker
Steve, over the past 60 years I've probably already gone through more changes than anybody has a right to. My dad and I started out with Lionel, but by my teens I had decided HO was the way to go because it was more prototypical, had a greater variety of available equipment at affordable prices, and took up less space unless very unconvincing tinplate curves were employed. Dad stuck with Lionel, and I still keep quite a bit of his collection for sentimental reasons.
As I was growing up in Ohio in the 1950's, the B&O and PRR were closest to my home, but I often saw trains of the AC&Y, NKP, and Erie. The NYC, Buffalo Creek & Gauley, Bellefonte Central, East Broad Top, and other favorites were encountered on family vacations. As a result, those are the roads I have favored through most of my model railroad experience, and my favorite era has always been the time of my childhood. As I got older, I traveled coast to coast and lived for various amounts of time in North Carolina, Chicago, Arizona, and various locations in the DC/VA/MD area.
Over time, I have occasionally bought and/or built models representing the Southern, North Western, Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Bessemer, N&W, C&O, Burlington, as well as various shortlines and regionals that have piqued my interest. I've even thought about traction. If I did that, it would be the Interurbans of Northern Ohio in the 1920's: Lake Shore Electric, Northern Ohio Traction & Light, and Cleveland & Southwestern. Narrow gauge has an undeniable appeal, and I've also considered other eras. Nevertheless, I keep coming back to the railroads of my youth, and I'm likely to stick with that even though I still like to keep some models that don't quite fit. You are free to sue me for that. Just try it.
If I were to change, I would probably sort through the collection and keep my favorite HO items for display cases. The rest would be sold or traded to get a smaller amount of O scale equipment. The new O scale layout would probably represent a low key late steam era version of the B&O, PRR, and/or AC&Y. Maybe a location where all three came together in close proximity.
After all these years of going through one phase after another, I keep coming back to the same thing, so a big change is not likely to ever happen.
yougottawanta FRRYKid - That is great that you volunteer to do that. How long does it take ? That is very nice they give you a car for your RR.
FRRYKid - That is great that you volunteer to do that. How long does it take ? That is very nice they give you a car for your RR.
It actually started out as a project associated with my work. There were a bunch offered and didn't find that I liked any of them. I started exploring and found the diorama. I suggested and it was accepted. The first time (4 years ago) it took probably 8 hours over two days. (Lots of items needing cleaned, fixed, rearranged, etc.) It then evovled into a volunteer project on my own. The last time (2 years ago) it was about 6 hours on one day (cleaning) and then about an hour on another as I purchased and donated a few passenger cars as the main engine is a passenger engine and it allowed me to move the appropriate cars to the yard making it look even better (at least to me).
Hobby Front: Didn't get much done on the layout. Got the sand tower a bit further along. Got the leg that snapped off reattached and got the nozzles glued on as well as the hoses bent to the needed shape. (Had some pieces bent preliminarily bent but got them bent to final shapes.) Got the damaged coaling tower closer to working order. (The repaired piece needs a bit of paint.) Also got a bunch more tree armatures made. I also have gotten three of the four wreathes that I forgot I had dismantled. (I think I should have plenty of tree armatures.)
I hope to get the coal hoppers worked on this evening as well. Maybe also get to my combo box car stirrup steps as well.
Yannis,
Welcome to the Diner, ask questions, enjoy.
herrinchoker ( a name given by Nova Scotians to commercial fishermen, usta be one, still am-sorta)
HOBBY BARN
Deuxième Partie
Additional photos of YGW's Hobby Barn that should have been included in the earlier post.
Hobby Barn with finished section of siding.
That's the update for now, folks.
Submitted in care of YGW—
Ed
Steve, Interesting question. I would keep the same era, the transition era, but I would start my plans with the mountains instead of a yard. Of course everyone wants 30" curves unless they can have 40" curves.
I am not sure how much expansion I will need from my current 2x7 to get adequate elevation for bridges. Yes, I know how to calculated grade, but turnouts and industries interfere with a straight line up to the top of the mountain, so to speak.
A double deck layout doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm watching Popp on MVRP build the Canadian Canyons and while it's interesting in a carpentry and design sense, I wouldn't want it.
YGW careful on the roof. I used to listen to a financial advisor on the Internet who was doing something on his roof of his McMansion and slipped. The guy was going to get married, had a successful business and more money than all of us combined and it was over in a couple seconds.
Good Day, Diners!
I thought I'd better jump in here before I fall too far behind!
Recent days have been more conducive to indoor activities here in NE Ohio, weather-wise. The possiblity of snow is forecast for the weekend. No matter— I have my hobby and I also have a huge project I'm tackling to produce a slide show DVD commemorating the history of the GE plant that I retired from last fall. The plant was built in 1932 and I have thousands of photographs that I have scanned regarding the plant's history. GE is finally closing the operation toward the end of this year and managers have asked me to put together this memento to be made available to current employees and retirees. I really have to keep my nose to the grindstone in order to finish it in time!
Thanks for the seamless move of the Diner, Ulrich. I recall being in the Union Pacific's headquarters in Omaha back in 1966. There was a very nice museum there showing a great number of artifacts related to the Great Linking of the Seas by Rail.
Happy Birthday to Amtrak, too! I recall being in Cleveland Union terminal as the last Penn-central passenger trains departed for the last time. Amtrak never used CUT and even skipped Cleveland completely for the first few months.
Ken, you can update JMRI by going to the download page here:
http://jmri.sourceforge.net/download/index.shtml
Before you do, I suggest you make sure you have the latest version of Java on your machine:
https://java.com/en/download/
I'll have to get back to you on the settings for speed table CVs on the QSI/BLI locos. If you can not access CV 5 & 6 you could possibly use the speed tables instead?
YGW, the GAF Stormguard runs about $70 for 200 s/f. They have a mineral coated product called WeatherWatch that is $50 for 150 s/f. I'm glad to help with the photos. Did you see my email about the missing photo?
Steven, In regards to doing a re-make of my layout I would no douby keep the era of late 1950s and the main-line operations, fast freights and even faster passenger trains ! The only change that I would give major consideration to would be to design the benchwork in more of a shelf-type arrangement with easier access. I made too many areas of broad expanse that makes access difficult.
ACY, Tom. Thank you for the Cicero condolences! Certainly our pets become part of our very own soul, mind and spirit and missing their companionship can be painful at times.
I had almost forgotten the Quiz from PM Railfan back in April's Diner! Thanks for scoring it for me and thanks for picking up the tab I'll go easy on your pension funds and just order a small appetizer!
Welcome, Yannis! Like others, I'm really impressed with Greek cuisine. As I mentioned in an earlier reply one of my favorite restaurants was run by George Papadopoulos.
Well, I've yammered on enough...
Amtrak was only two-years old back when these were taken. Here's a few photos of yours truly back in my Wonder Years when I served as a steward on Mr. DeWitt Chapple's former C&O private car. What great fun that was!
Dinner time !
Yannis - So glad you dropped in. Pull up a chair and stay awhile ! Flo get him his favorite drink please. I will cover the tab.
ACY - I didnt think about that but that is very true. I have heard of rivers silting in...That is true ! A lion can pretty much eat anything he wants : ) anyway he wants !
Lion - Spaeking of Lions , here kitty kitty.... Where are you....?
UP831 - So gald to see you again! Please share some photos of teh grand canyon. It is on my bucket list to visit....
TTYL
YGW
ACY Steven, your question about starting over with a new focus is intriguing. I'll have to give that some thought before I respond. Do I recall that your layout was featured in MR some tme back? Or is that a brain hiccup?
Steven, your question about starting over with a new focus is intriguing. I'll have to give that some thought before I respond. Do I recall that your layout was featured in MR some tme back? Or is that a brain hiccup?
Not exactly. Shortly after I met my now-wife, I drew up an HO scale plan for my railroad that would have fit in her garage. It was published in the September 2008 MR. However, since we moved to a house with a basement in Milwaukee after getting married, it was never built as drawn. All the prototype information described in that article still fits my current layout, though.
Hello All:
I haven't stopped in for a while, but I have poked my head in the door to eavesdrop now and then.
My pension check arrived, so I think I'll splurge while there's still money in the till. How about a nice salad with blue cheese dressing to start? Glass of water with that. Then a nice Porterhouse, medium rare, with baked potato and a nice seasonal vegetable. Asparagus, maybe? Lots of butter & sour cream & black pepper for the potato. No salt, and no steak sauce. A good steak needs neither. And of course one nice tall cold Bass Ale (just one) when the steak is served. I'll think about dessert later, if there's room.
Ed wins the prize for the quiz, so get him whatever he wants and put it on my tab. Fortunately for me, he's probably still full from his big meal on his visit to Cleveland, so it shouldn't cost me much.
Then I'll get down to business paying bills. There won't be anything left by this time next week, and I'll be back to Ramen noodles!
Ed, I can only sympathize with you on the loss of Cicero. Samson, my Husky cross, is going to be eleven years old this summer, which makes him about the equivalent of my own human age. There's no telling how much time either of us has left. I do know it would be hard to lose him.
Angelo, Herrinchoker, Ulrich, and all those with health issues: BABY YOURSELVES! Take it easy and take your medicine and take the doctors' advice.
I have been wrestling with the yard work, which is one excuse for not dropping in. I agree with Ray that a cordless electric mower is a great option for a moderate city lot. They are easy to start, quiet, and dependable. My Toro 20" cordless is showing its age though, and is probably due for replacement. I had a devil of a time with the first and second cuts this year, and bought a new blade. But it just seems to be tired and showing its age. I'm curious about your exprerience with the new Ego. Please keep us posted.
Cudaken: You might be interested in looking at cordless electrics if you're in the market. They always start, and there are no fuel quality issues, which is better than you can say for a lot of gasoline mowers. Some time ago, you mentioned a folding ladder that you were thinking about buying at Harbor Freight. A fellow came over to inspect my roof for an estimate on needed repairs, and he had one of those. It was large enough to get up on the roof of my ranch home, but it folded up neatly to fit into his compact car. He said it was a great investment.
YGW: Some time ago, I think you asked how a lion eats noodles. My first reaction was "Any way he wants to." You also mentioned the Battle of Ball's Bluff. I've noticed historical references to Indians paddling canoes on streams that are impassable today due to erosion, reroutings of the channel, silting, diversion of the source water away from the old stream for irrigation, and any number of other factors that have affected the natural order of things in the past 150 years. It's no real surprise that a waterway that was passable in the 1860's might be impossible to navigate today.
I'm curious about the hobby barn. How much of it will be devoted to railroad pursuits?
Mr. Beasley: The knee issues were bad enough. The divorce is certainly another difficult issue on top of it. What to do about the house? Whether to relocate to another area? These are all tough things to work through. I was divorced myself many years ago and never remarried. If it's any comfort, my ex and I are on pretty good terms today. All you can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and press on. If I were to relocate and move away from Maryland, it would probably be to my home State of Ohio where I have family, or to North Carolina where I lived in the 1966-67. I lived in Gullford County, NC, which is about midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains. The climate was reasonable, with winters and summers that weren't too extreme. I lived about 100 yards from the busy Southern Railway mainline.
Never thought much about Montana, but who am I to say? And of course since we're curreetly dining in Utah, you might think about that.
Yannis, Welcome! One thing I miss is Greek food. There's only one Greek restaurant here in Hagerstown. They're pretty good, but the menu is limited and it's take-out only. We need a good Greek sit-down restaurant! Opaah!
After my Porterhouse, I think I'll just sit back with a cup of strong, black coffee while I decide whether there's room for peach pie.
Good afternoon.
Yannis ... Welcome to the Diner. ... Before we moved to Kentucky, my wife and I were living in Michigan where there are many Greek immigrants. Greek Town in Detorit is famous for its many Greek restaurants, and we developed a liking for Greek food. ... In fact, we recently ate at two Greek restaurants in St. Augustine , Florida (America's oldest city).
Steven .... I like your question about possible changes if we could start over. Actually, I have started over a few times in the past. In the 1980's, I did model the 1900's era with a fictional railroad serving three communities named Hither, Thither, and Yon. I was inspired by John Allen's layout as published in MR and other publications. However, it was in a Midwest setting instead of the mountains. The layout was dismantled because of moving to another house. There were some other moves until 2002 when I started my current layout which is a fictional division of the Burlington Route in 1962. My current layout has sectional construction so it can be relocated if we ever move again. ... I can go into further detail in the days ahead.
Also, Steven ... Please tell us more about your layout. It looks very interesting to me.
Happy Model Railroading
to the Diner Yannis, all are welcome here (if you behave).
Read the rules as Br. Otte (steven) has put out for the Moderators to follow. NO Politics, NO Religion, No Weapons, or anything else that could get into heated arguments etc.
Have never been to Greece or the Greek Islands, but have visited too many Greek Restaraunts and too often as well. Love the food.
There are are a great bunch of Guys here and the odd time a Lady as well. Lots of great information and answers to questions when you get stuck on something.
Tell us about yourself and your layout and hopes for the future.
Someone is usually here 24/7 as we have a world wide Gang that frequents the Diner.
Best Wishes,
Johnboy out.................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
Hello fellow diners,
First time visit to this friendly diner! Just dropped by to say hello from Greece.
With respect to Steve's question, i would start over, same theme/prototype, different knowledge/experience.
Yannis
Afternoon Diners,
Although I haven't started my current 2x4 layout. I wished on a way larger one when or if that happens. (When I move out?) I have several N Scale middle size and room size layout designs and one in HO.
In N Scale I have collected freight cars from 1950s thru 2006. Several locomotives in the 1970s-2006. I basically focused on Conrail in 1987-1999, UP/BNSF 1998-2007, Amtrak 1971-present, New York Central 1956-1967 (it works with ATSF, UP) Chessie System 1978-1984?? Southern Pacific 1980s-1996 (it works with ATSF, BN)
But I mainly want to model the 1990s because you could model almost any or all railroads before the mergers. Like AMTK, ATSF, BN, BNSF, CR, SP, UP. Probably like CNW, NS, CSX, KCS if I was more interested in them.
In HO Scale just a simple Southern Pacific in the 1990s with a mix Amtrak Superliners I & II in Phase III and IV with F40 and 8-40BHW.
If I was I was going to restart again I'll just one railroad, but I like them all. But I do have favorites. I don't know on what railroad (CR, SP, BNSF, UP). The one railroad that will stay is Amtrak.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Steven Otte Sure has been quiet around here. Let's start a discussion. If you could start over again with a new layout, would you build the same railroad or something different, and why? Assume you have the same resources and time as you did when you started your current layout. Although I'm still enamored of the same prototype and era as my current layout (1906 PRR in southwest Ohio), I would seriously consider updating it to the late 1920s, just to take advantage of all the USRA steam out there like Pacifics and Mikados that I can't run in 1906. And I've always loved the look of heavyweight passenger cars, and would like to run troop trains. Can't do any of that in 1906. Of course, I would have to redesign my layout to broaden its curves (currently 15" minimum), which would mean an unacceptable compression of my main line; I'd have to go double-deck (which would be tough in my low-ceilinged basement) or lose about half the modeled prototype. So what would you do differently?
Sure has been quiet around here. Let's start a discussion.
If you could start over again with a new layout, would you build the same railroad or something different, and why? Assume you have the same resources and time as you did when you started your current layout.
Although I'm still enamored of the same prototype and era as my current layout (1906 PRR in southwest Ohio), I would seriously consider updating it to the late 1920s, just to take advantage of all the USRA steam out there like Pacifics and Mikados that I can't run in 1906. And I've always loved the look of heavyweight passenger cars, and would like to run troop trains. Can't do any of that in 1906. Of course, I would have to redesign my layout to broaden its curves (currently 15" minimum), which would mean an unacceptable compression of my main line; I'd have to go double-deck (which would be tough in my low-ceilinged basement) or lose about half the modeled prototype.
So what would you do differently?
I am building a new layout, and for all practical purposes I have started over. New house. The era is the same (modern, 1975 to present) and the rolling stock is the same. The only change in resources is a larger room, much larger. Previous layout in a 12x13 spare bedroom; new layout in a spare 24x25 garage.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog