Evening Diners,
Flo, I'll have that beer that Ken give me. Thanks.
Ray- Grandma shouldn't have climbed up to the cupola. When I go to those railroad trips they always chain the area off. They watch your every move so you won't touch anything.
Going to the dentist tomorrow for my cavities and crown. So I'll know what to pay for Brent.
Edit: Top of page. I will pay for everybody's food and drinks.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Evening all! Don't need anything tonight, but thank you for asking.
Had an interesting afternoon. Got my eyes checked this afternoon as it had been two years since I had it done last. The current glasses are fine for my vision. Had a minor discussion with my eye doctor over the possibility of (the dreaded) bifocals as I has having problems with some fine print at work. Had a copy of the offending item with me. It is the occasional 5 looking like a 6. Doctor just stated that it is just darn fine print and bifocals wouldn't help much.
However, the pressure check was a different story. It went from 17 two years ago to 24 this year. Ended up having a laser check on my optic nerve. Given that I am severely near sighted which scrambles the nerve a little and the pressure, the doctor thinks I might have early signs of glaucoma! That is a little bit scary. I will pick up some eye drops in the morning. Three weeks of a drop in each eye once in the mornings and we'll see what happens. Then another pressure check. In doing some reading on interoccular pressure this evening, I wonder (hope) if the fact that the dilating drops and the other drops he gave me burned more than I remember which caused me to rub my eyes affected the pressure reading. (No, I don't know of anyone in the family that had glaucoma. Though genetics isn't a primary for that disease.) We shall see what comes.
Wow, Ray, I'm glad the grandma wasn't more seriously hurt in the fall. Question, do you normally allow passengers to climb up and sit in the cupola, or was she doing something she shouldn't have? If it's normally allowed, I'm thinking that the museum's insurance company would probably like it if you blocked that option, either by chaining off the opening at the top or removing the grab irons/ladder.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Oh, and I haven't done a Diner lunch special in a while, so today's is sausage-stuffed green peppers.
Save
Good Afternoon!
The prodigal son is back! I am just having a few bad days, which kept me from communicating.
Storm "Ophelia" which brought devastation to Ireland and killed three people, provided for an unusual phenomenon im my neck of the woods - a pink sun!
Steven - stuffed green peppers remind me of my childhood days, as my Mom used to serve it quite often - in fact, a frew times too often...Incidentally, it´s her 89th birthday today, but she already too far removed from this world to remember anything, inclusing her son. Sad!
Howdy
Steven... I never sausage good food. ! ... actually I do like stuffed green pepper and yours looks good Thanks
Ulrich. ... a pink sun! Remarkable.
My model railroad project of the day is to tidy up the train room which is messy.
Cheers
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Mornin' folks!
Well...... Growing season is over here in the Finger Lakes Region. We had a frost wanrning for most of the Western, NY counties, incuding the Finger Lakes region. Woke up to see white on all the roofs that the sun had not yet hit. haven't checked the graden yet, But I figure it at least got touched. About all that was still growing was the string beans and carrots. Next week I will probably dig the carrots. The ones I have checked are huge this year...
Mornin' Steven, The cupola on the Erie has been the only one out there where we have let passengers climb up and sit. It is a major attraction. The others are harder to get into and would be considered very dangerous. We have a couple crummies that should come on line soon that may be better actually. We have signs posted that children under the age of 12 have to have an adult sitting with them. Most likely the Board will be rethinking allowing people to ride up there. The accident could have been a whole lot worse than it was....... Other than possibly being asked for an opinion, I am not in the loop on it. On Sunday we told people not to climb up there until one of the crew was there to help them. I might add that over the years we have had a lot more problems with people tripping getting off the caboose when they don't follow the rules...... (It's legally a ladder and you have to go down backwards!) I am positioned to catch them when that happens.
Have today and tomorrow to get everything in order for the program I am presenting at the retired teachers group. Also, as usual have to drive to Canandaigua to take care of kitties and plants. The other thing I have to write is a letter to the editor in favor of one of my Eagle Scouts who is running for public office.... I do highly support him!
"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
FRRYKidThe current glasses are fine for my vision. Had a minor discussion with my eye doctor over the possibility of (the dreaded) bifocals as I has having problems with some fine print at work.
I went through that some years ago. I, too, did not want to go to bifocals, but once I had them I loved them.
I even thought of getting a pair of "plumbers' bifocals" which have the reading glasses part on the top for doing work under the layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Afternoon Diners,
Well today was a bad day. It was going to be a routine appointment. After he drugged my gums and teeth he realized the second go through. That my teeth needed a root canal because of infection. So no work until I see a specialist.
Fortunately I found a echo specialist to take me the next day. If he can do it then I have another appointment the same day for the crown.
Good afternoon from the sunny West Coast of North America, just North of the forty-ninth.
We had a good blow with heavy rain overnight and will get a repeat performance tomorrow. I have the generator ready to go.
Between Ulrich's videos of Switzerland and Germany and Bears Queenstown boat cruise, a lot of good memories come flowing back to when I use to just hop on a plane and go somewhere. Queenstown was where I hooked up with this beautiful girl from Switzerland and ended up with her at her place back in Switzerland for a while. We toured Germany and Switzerland and Italy a lot before I decided I had better get back to work. We hooked up later for more travels and had a lot of fun. She did not want to ever settle down and do the family thing, so once I hit forty and thought it was time to settle down and get married we sort of lost contact.
The kid got a call in Ottawa from the "Man In The High Castle" show and want him back for some continuity work. He said he was back on Friday for an eight-day mid-term break, they said great we'll make that work. Big bucks for him too. So he is home for R&R for eight days and has four days of hockey related events, two days of medical stuff, a TV shoot and a late Thanksgiving with all the family.
I have been busy getting his schedule settled, changing times and days of things. The TV work takes priority as there is extra money being spent by the show to accommodate him. He still has never had a line to speak, but they treat him like gold.
Someday I will get back into the train room, however, I like being busy helping the kid out. We talk often throughout the day on facebook. His school has asked him to forward his program outlines at University, just so they can keep on top of what "really" is being taught, post Secondary. They also want him to drop by the school for a visit if possible. I don't think that will happen this time. Next year, he will likely talk to the whole school as they often get alumni to speak on life after high school and he is having an interesting one, that's for sure.
My Daughter wrote her U.S.- S.A.T.s on Saturday and aced them. I doubt she will go to the U.S. as she has her sights set on Edinborough, Scotland for medical school.
I hope you get more prosperous days in the store Ken. The economy seems to keep improving, so maybe that will translate into more sales.
Let me buy the drinks to go with Steven's scrumptious offering. I could catch the aroma of that dish all the way up here in the Great White North.
Well, best get the patio furniture packed up before our 100 KM winds roll in tonight.
All the best to all and drink up.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Good Evening,
Been a while since I last dropped in so I thought I should make an apperance.
A really balmy day here with 68F and sun. That is considerably above normal for us and it is supposed to stay that way until Saturday. Hopefully we can get some yard work done as we have a couple of shrubs to plant plus clean out 100 or so pots. Most flowers are done now but a few are hanging on.
A lot of bird activity here with the Juncos and Sparrows coming through. We've been going through about 25lbs. of shelled sunflower seeds a week which is getting expensive.
FRRYkid, I have glaucoma and actually was at the opthomalagist today getting my 6 month check. Everything is fine. I have been on daily drops to reduce the pressures for about 5 years and will be so for the rest of my life. My father and grandmother both had it so I'm not surprised I do. Main thing is to get it regulated and by doing so drops will likely be the only downside. My father had them for many years. So even if you have it, early diagnosis is key and you have that.
Well nothing new on the RR. I did run a train for a half hour the other day and enjoyed it . I just watched a Mike pull a train and sipped a coffee. Very enjoyable.
Time to get the bird feeders in as we are still getting nightly visits from a couple of rancoons.
CN Charlie
Evening diners
I am getting really excited about the 30th of this month.
My daughter Kaylee informed me she purchased day passes online for the science museum and Omni Theater in St Paul.
The film is the Rocky Mountain Express. The footage was filmed from a helicopter and the filming started in 2006 and took over 5 years, released in the fall of 2011.
It is an IMAX film now for the first time to be shown at the Omni Theater Saint Paul Minnesota.
The Omni Theater is a 90 foot high doamed screen that's all around you. The seating is very steep.
The footage is the restored Canadian Pacific 2816 H1B 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive running the main line between Calgary to Vancouver Montreal Canada.
There's a trailer for it if you Google it.
Take care
Track fiddler
Track Fiddler, you should really enjoy that film. The loco is really a beautiful one that sadly is sitting in CP's Calgary shops thanks to Harrison Hunter.
I have photos and video I shot of it when it passed through Thief River Falls in the fall of 2007. The tracks follow Hwy 59 about 100 feet apart for many miles and I was able to video out the open passenger window while following the loco.
That's really cool Charlie.
Thief River Falls up by the Red River I do believe. I've only been there once when I was young.
It makes me wonder if you knew about it and went there to intercept it or you just happened to stumble upon it by chance. Either way I'm sure it was quite exciting. Big steam is always a great sight to see.
Thanks
CNCharlie FRRYkid, I have glaucoma and actually was at the opthomalagist today getting my 6 month check. Everything is fine. I have been on daily drops to reduce the pressures for about 5 years and will be so for the rest of my life. My father and grandmother both had it so I'm not surprised I do. Main thing is to get it regulated and by doing so drops will likely be the only downside. My father had them for many years. So even if you have it, early diagnosis is key and you have that.
I'm still kinda hoping that the fact that the numbing and dialating drops causing my eyes to water and burn had something to do with it, which they still are even this far out. (If they are still like this in the morning, I will leave early for work so that I can stop by and talk to them about the reaction.) The pharmacist told me when I picked up the prescription that it was quite early for me to be having glaucoma.
Hobby Front: Got another couple of projects further along (One on the layout, one came home to do it). The layout project is shown here:
It is a new crossing between the tail of the logging switchback and the tail of the PTTX/MTP turnaround wye. The car in the top of the picture is one of PTTXs fuel cars for the steam engines. (A 15-panel Con-cor hopper car. Used it as it was the largest car that would be running on that part of the crossing.) The logging tail was only long enough to handle two cars at a time. (The original end of the tail is the gap in the sections.) The extra section of bedding on the lower right section of the crossing is for a gate shanty, which is built. I will put another piece of bedding in order to clear the track. I will also eventually build a gate that can be positioned in such a way to block the line that is not being used. (Hence why the bottom right. The crossing is a customized Atlas 90 degree crossing which I removed the ties off the curved legs and used some spare flex tracks ties to give the ability to flex. Flex track was used to bridge the gaps on both the top and the bottom. On the bottom the first attempt broke. I tried to insert a shot piece of flex and sectional but the rail popped of the left hand side of the flex. For the second attempt, I pulled a section of flex track out of my storage tote and decided to redo the curve and replace the sectional track with the flex until the tail turned to the straight track. I haven't totally decided how long to make the right hand track. I have more room but I will have to mock-up a train to see exactly how long to make it. It still needs more work but the hard part is done.
The other project is building the fill-ins for the GP20s. I brought the pink engine home as it would need to have paint mixed for the plow and the fill-ins. That way I don't have to lug all the engines at once and can take the various pieces out when they are ready. A cardboard template and lots of pieces of .020" styrene. (Easier to cut than the thicker stock.) Another long term project.
Good morning .....
CNCharlie Track Fiddler, you should really enjoy that film. The loco is really a beautiful one that sadly is sitting in CP's Calgary shops thanks to Harrison Hunter. I have photos and video I shot of it when it passed through Thief River Falls in the fall of 2007. The tracks follow Hwy 59 about 100 feet apart for many miles and I was able to video out the open passenger window while following the loco. CN Charlie
Charlie ... Hunter Harrison moved from CP to CSX where he is now messing things up. A hedge fund took control of CSX and hired him to make a fast buck. Unfortunately, his short term increases to profits are offset in later years with shortfalls. In the long run, the railroad is worse off. Trains magazine has column on this topic in the current issue.
FRRY .... It is good to see you are making progress.
What´s that pungent smell?
Our landlord decided to let the windows get a new coat of paint, which was long overdue. In fact, the way the windows looked from the outside, they haven´t seen a paint job since the were installed some 30 years ago. Early this morning, there was a knock at our door and a person of seemingly lesser intelligence showed up, claiming he was commissioned to paint the windows. I called the landlord to get that confirmed and, bingo, this person was correct. Cuttiing a long story short, the windows have received that coat of paint, but the guy left a mess, which we had to clean up. Furthermore, the windows need to stay open, not very comfortable in the middle of October and 1-digit temperatures (in Centigrade).
Here I am, neatly wrapped up in a woolen blanket, shivering, trying to type this message with half-frozen fingers!
Flo, a hot cuppa tea, but with a generous swig from the bottle Vinnie is hinding beneath the counter! That oughta warm me up a tad!
Have a good one!
Afternoon Diners
Flo, Ed, Brent, Ray, Gary, Jan, Angelob and I will have a give Ulrich a Hot Toddy, Ok, give Ed one as well I will take his .
Ray I have heard that if a person stops beathing and there heart has stopped you no longer do chest compressions? I do understand the danger of breaking the sterm but seems odd. When I was a Boy Scout I did earn the first aid merit badge and taught first aid when I was in the Army. If there is a sucking chest wound I am your man!
Train Front Did not post yesterday becuse I was enjoying the trains. I am enjoying the now as I miss spell.
Question Ed, Gary and other diners. I am running my old UP PK1000 F's and I am either hearing wheel slipping, cracked gear or a bad speed match. Now I did a re-speed match last week and when warmed up it seemed perfect. Tonight I hear a thumping sound on certain areas on the layout. When the engines are close to me it happens going around a right hand turn? That is only where I can see them, some sections I cannot see the engines when I hear the thumping.
Still Love ATF on the rails! The PK 1000 UP F units I just typed about sat for 2 years with no track time. While speed matching wanted to stall, gave a dap of ATF on the rails and after 2 passes neither engine stalled. I did not clean the wheels.
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
Evenin' folks!
Janie.... Ah, from Ken? Uh... No thanks, but tell him thanks anyway for me! I will have a cup of decaf to settle my nerves before heading out to bed instead.
cudakenRay I have heard that if a person stops beathing and there heat has stopped you no longer do chest compressions? I do understand the danger of breaking the sterm but seems odd.
Gee, Ken, last I was taught, if a person is breathing, his/her heart (I think that's what you meant as if they have no heat they would be dead for some time already) would have to be still beating.... You don't perform CPR on a person who is breathing and the heart is beating. If they have a heartbeat but are not breathing, you help them get air by breathing for them after you make sure the airway is clear. If the heart stops beating they will not be breathing so you do full CPR until they either start breathing and have a heart beat, or help arrives, or you just can't go on. I'm not sure what a "Sterm" is but if you mean sternum, yes you very often will break the sternum (Breast bone) if you are doing CPR correctly!
At my age, I would not be able to do CPR for any length of time so I would sure hope someone else is there to help out.....
Hopefully I have everything ready for my presentation tomorrow for the retired teachers. I will be wearing my Conductor's Uniform for the day.... Very nice and dressy, it is.
Have a great night, and I hope that Ulrich has been able to shut the windows!
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice note saying I approved of it" - Mark Twain
Wow Ulrich! Lesser intelligence might be the understatement of the year.
Fall is the best time to paint. It's a given.
A quality contractor knows what to do with sash windows when it's cold outside.
After preparation a quality contractor knows how to slip poly between the window side sashes and the bottom where it closes and paints the window shut.
Nothing sticks to poly everyone knows that.
A little trip back, take out the poly a little scrape with the screwdriver. Perfect nobody got cold, no wasted heat.
Sorry you had to go through that inconvenience. If I ever move to Germany I will talk some sense into your landlord in hiring a quality contractor and come over and take care of you so you don't have to put up with imbeciles.
If I could I would.
Good to see you back
Track fidler
I had a long day to two different dentists. First at 9 for my root canal to get rid of my infection around the tooth. Which he told me it might had started with the cavity. My insurance company didn't cover it costing me $1,140.
Second trip at 1 to continue the crown which was cancelled yesterday for the reason on top. Since I couldn't pay because must of money went for root canal. I had only $600 left in checking account.
I have two more appointments on the 2th and 3rd of November. To finish my crown and cavities. In which I will pay additional $700 out of savings account.
Apparently both dentists almost agreed that my mouth was a ticking time bomb that hasn't started yet. My current dentist had that look of probably in the far distance future.
Ulrich- I hoped you survived the night with that opened window. If it got to cold from freezing temperatures just close the window. Suck up with the smell. It's not worth your life in -1 degrees.
Ken- Thanks for the cold beer, it will help the pain. I thought I could help on your locomotive problem. But I haven't opened a locomotive without breaking it accidentally.
Overall I'm a little lite headed, upset stomach that wants more food than liquids and somewhat tired.
Chloe, I´ll go for a sausage roll for a late lunch. Add coffee to that, please!
Well, it really got cold last night, so nwe dared to close the windows at sunset and turned the heater on. i kind of expected the windows to be glued to their frames this morning, but that was not the case. Most of the smell is gone now, but there is enough left to irritate my eyes. I wonder what kind of cheap paint they have used. My landlord has a reputation for going for the real cheap & dirty stuff, often paying more in the end.
Air traffic over my house sees the seasonal increase, as dozens of flocks of cranes or geese are heading south these days. Birds can really be noisy ctreatures!
No plans for the rest of the day. I may watch a few steam train vids on Youtube.
Have a good day!
Good morning ...
Coffee and a dount to go..... Be back later...
Have a nice Thursday.
Back again!
Petra and I watched an antique show on the idiot box (i.e. computer) and wwere both amazed what people think the stuff I´d classify as junk is supposed to be worth. A lot of the so-called collector´s items marketed by a certain "Mint" turned out to be destined for the bin instead of being turned into gold. I consider this stuff as "fools tax".
Harry Potter and the Black Five - now what kind of bell does this title ring in you?
No, it´s mot the latest Harry Potter movie hitting the cinemas, but is a suitable description of a steam train, pulled by one of the few remaining famous LMS (London, Midland and Scottish Railway) Stanier Five 4-6-0s over the viaduct en route from Fort Williams to Mallaig in the West Highlands of Scotland, which became of movie fame in the Harry Potter series of films.
Enjoy this train ride with me over one of the world´s most beautiful lines!
Good morning Diners,
Flo, I'll have an extra large coffee with lots of cream, please.
Been away for a bit. Actually just returned From Banff, AB and environs. The scenery there is absolutely breath taking. You're right in the mountains, and it snowed on us on Oct 2nd. We weren't very well prepared. All I had was a light fleece lined jacket and a "hoodie" sweatshirt. i did have a pair of gloves and a scarf, but MOH and I were a little underdressed for the occasion. I bought a knit hat, and that helped.
Pictures don't do it justice. Looking at the Canadian Rockies right there, the mountains reminded me a little of the Sierra Nevadas. One side sloped and the other side jagged and steep.
it is my understanding that the Canadian Pacific was largely responsible for promoting tourism in the area and built the world famous hotels at Banff and Lake Louise. The CP is very active there, with at least two trains daily. Consist was generally 2 GE units on the head end, one pusher, and sometimes one in the middle. Obviously, a lot of grain hoppers, and also a lot of tank cars. I believe Alberta is big in grain and oil.
Last Saturday evening, we were treated to Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. They were spectacular. I had kind of seen them once before, but never like that. They were like fingers dancing in the sky. All I can say is WOW!! Better than any fireworks show.
I recomend the area to anyone. Dahling, you must go!
Hello to everyone and I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Jim - Jasper, Banff & the Lake Louise area were on my radar, but now it´s too late for that. maybe in my next life!
Just watching a video of "life on the footplate"
The steam engine featured in this video is a British Railways Standard Class 4MT (=Mixed Traffic) 2-6-4T, built in 1956.
I'm off to soft foods for the next half of month.
UP831- Maybe one day I'll go to Alaska to see the northern lights and the railroad.
Ulrich- I have been enjoying these videos.
Ray- How was your presentation to the retired teachers.
Through the whole morning, I been thinking of changing my half complete desert layout into the Northeastern landscape. I'm in the mood for modeling Conrail and Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited on the old Boston and Albany line.
I do have the equipment except Gilford System Railroad locomotives.
Evenin' Folks!
Janie, tonight I'll take that that Ken offered last night. Oh, and have one set up for him when he stops by... Put it on my tab....... I only drink 3 or 4 a year anymore, but I think I deserve one tonight.
Well, Angelo, I am happy to report that the program went off without a hitch and was very well recieved by the 35 to 40 retired teachers attending. I had it arranged with a Scouting buddy of mine (who asked me to do the program) to use the old Woodbadge Staff trick of having him stand up in the back and point to his watch when he figured I had about 5 minutes left on the docket. At lunch he told me he was just looking at his watch and was about to do that when I announced the last slide. I was 15 minutes late being able to start and I ended 10 minutes before lunch was served. Worked out perfect! I had fun!
I should get everything put away from the program (took a bunch of items for "Show and Tell") and start getting the layout in shape to have the AP Chair and a couple other people come to evaluate several buildings for merit awards towards the Structures Certificate. The Octagon Blacksmith's Shop will be one of them. I had a slide of it in my presentation and about half of the teachers in the room knew where the building is and were quite interested in the model of it. I tried to emphasies the links to education and the hobby. Talked about Science, Art, History, Literature, and Technology needed to really create a model railroad.
Catch you all later!
"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense." - Mark Twain
Hey all, Been awol for a "good" reason.
Almost everyone at work quit in the past two weeks...So, I've been picking up everyone else's shifts...no higher salary, just more hours I can't keep working myself like this though. 4 days in a row with the general public, and two of those were by myself during the peak hours of shopping, so I am beat. I'm not afraid to work, Just being confronted with tons of random people at once makes me freak out. Never been examined for Anxiety, probably should be at this point...just for answers. Anyway...onto good news
Parts of my lighting project for the club arrived today, so tomorrow I will hopefully spend some free time wiring it up correctly this time- I had the wrong resistors.
Also good news- Found out the local city chamber of commerce is putting on Light up night again- Aka "Shopping with Santa". They actually asked the club if we would open our doors for the evening. We agreed, and will be open. Not at liberty yet to say anymore details, but we are promised to have visitors that evening...I might even be able to get a custom done Polar express locomotive for the evening.
I'm fighting with comcast again...The X1 box went out...again... They won't send anyone out to fix it...again.... until we go out and prove my grandfather is dead.
I'm also feeling under the weather maybe, although I hope it's just residual from all that extra time I got.
Hope the regulars here are all doing well. Hello to any new diners.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Just thought I would checkinto this diner from rhe dining car on The Lake Shore Limited
Joe Staten Island West