Jeffrey's Trackside Diner — October, 2018, Fall in New England

[gmpullman]

Aye, Bear...

I've still retained some of the gray matter between the ears...

A rack line might be a fun little branch line for a garden railway but maybe not for the whole line.

I hope everyone is well this day!

Looks like I've been kicked to the top 'O the page. Everyone dig in!

SPAM & Eggs for everyone  Maybe some yummy Velveeta melted over the top!

Spam_55 by Edmund, on Flickr

There's some good eatin' for sure!

 

Regards, Ed

 

[NeO6874]

I hope this worked ;)

 

oops, must've deleted things on accident -- 

 

Mornin' everyone!  Hope the day's looking to be a good one for all.

 

Those LED controllers will be fun to make. The most annoying part of sharing the plans will be the control chip (as it's a bare chip, rather than an arduino; and will either need to be programmed by the person making the project, or sold to them pre-programmed ... and selling them runs foul of the forum rules).  

 

 

[BigDaddy]

Poor Stephen, he has to figure out a way to tell Cody and David, that in his latest MRVP video on weathering a bow wave on an engine is not pronounced the same as a bow tie.   It's like bow and stern.

My wife gets her car detailed, which is surprising, because in between, it looks like she lives in her car.  The guy picked it up this morning, took it back to his place, only to discover his brother in law "borrowed" his air compressor and vacuum, without his knowledge.  That bil has a lot of gaul.  

Gorgeous fall weather.  Nothing on the MR front.

[maxman]

BigDaddy

Poor Stephen, he has to figure out a way to tell Cody and David, that in his latest MRVP video on weathering a bow wave on an engine is not pronounced the same as a bow tie.

Hopefully he'll get them to have Cody say "decals" instead of "details" first.

[NeO6874]

maxman

 

 

BigDaddy

Poor Stephen, he has to figure out a way to tell Cody and David, that in his latest MRVP video on weathering a bow wave on an engine is not pronounced the same as a bow tie.

 

 

Hopefully he'll get them to have Cody say "decals" instead of "details" first.

 

 

That might be asking a bit much.

[hon30critter]

gmpullman

SPAM & Eggs for everyone  Maybe some yummy Velveeta melted over the top!

Gee whiz Ed, gimme a break! I ate lunch just before coming across your Spam advertizement. Nearly lost my cookies!!

I got lots of Spam and Corned Beef (almost as bad - I hated the fat) and canned ham as a kid. The canned ham was OK if we fried it. Canned food was a neccesity when we spent time at the cottage. No refrigeration.

We were in Cuba a while ago. One of the restaurants offered a "hamburger". OK, we all know what a hamburger is, or so I thought. Unfortunately in this case it was fried Spam on a hot dog bun. Dianne could hardly stand to smell the thing! I took a couple of bites. Then I remembered why I hated Spam!

Dave

[NWP SWP]

Spam, it makes good fishin bait, that's bout all, actually its Vienna Sausages, but same difference.

Took the front tires off my truck again to hunt down the source of the grinding sound at low speed braking, I changed the pads and now there's a noise.

One of the rotors has slight ridging, not enough to be a problem, but I'll be changing it next time round.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good afternoon ... 

Ed ... I see you were spamming the Diner thread ..... 

Henry .... Thanks for let us now how to pronounce "bow" if the context pertains to weathering the front of a locomotive. 

Ulrich ... I am very worried about your absense. 

Everybody .... Have a nice afternoon. 

[NWP SWP]

Yes "bow" is pronounced "bau" as in like the front of the hull of a boat or ship.

Ulrich, where art thou?

[hon30critter]

Heartland Division CB&Q

Ulrich ... I am very worried about your absense. 

I emailed Ulrich 5 days ago and he hasn't responded. I'm not sure what to think.

By the way, in keeping with the current cuisine theme, I checked my Spam folder (seriously!)

Dave

[howmus]

Afternoon folks!

I'm really glad to be here....  Yep, I'm glad to be here!  What?  Oh... Well just before noon I almost wasn't!!!

Decided since I am about out of the wonderful Organic, fair traded, dark roast coffee I have been using for many years (Mother Earth Natural Foods here in Geneva closed recently), that I would drive to Canandaigua to try a Coffee Shop there.  They have a large variety of organic coffees from around the world and roast the bean on site in many different strengths.  Bought a couple lbs. of coffee beans and headed home using the back road route I usually use.  Got to the intersection of Rt.4 and Freshour Rd. (right in front of the old schoolhouse my Uncle Eli lived in) an older guy in a pickup truck stopped at the stop sign as he was supposed to, but I think he thought it was a 4 way stop.  (I told that to the police officer and he nodded his head in the affirmative.) It isn't!  He started through right as I reached the intersection and another car reached the intersection coming in the other direction.  I hit the brakes with everything I had, but the car across the way T-boned the pickup truck at speed.  Somehow I managed to miss him.  I did hear a crunching sound as the car nailed the truck and at the same time my volt shook badly.  I thought for sure I hit him too.

He took out a stop sign across the intersection, both cars deployed airbags, but somehow only the guy in the pickup was injured...  He had a head injury, but not too bad.  Was bleeding pretty good and a lady from the house came out and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.  There were car parts strewn all over the place.  I would bet both the other two vehicles are totaled!  Took about 5 minutes for the County Sherrif Deputy to show up, a town of Hopewell truck responded first and directed traffic and secured the intersection.  Finally a first aid responder from the hospital came and checked out the injured driver.  As a "Witness" I had to give my name, address, phone #, and age to the deputy.  He asked for my date of birth, and I think to make sure I was not impaired asked me my age..........

I figured out what caused the shaking in my car.  I think it was the traction control that kicked on to help stop the car.  If it didn't, I know I would have t-boned him as well.  This is about the 5th. time since I bought the Volt that the safety items, suspension, and my being aware of my surroundings have saved me.....  The Volt handles amazingly in emergency situations.  I was told when I bought it that it basically has the same suspension system that the Corvette has, but a lower center of gravity.

Well...  That was my excitement for the day.  Hope yours was nice and boring....

Anyway.........

73

[saronaterry]

Evening, all!

42 and sunny.

I love Spam!! 

Fried with Lawery's Season salt !!!! Yum. Spam on toast with mustard. Oh boy, I gotta tell the missus to stop and get a couple cans!!

Terry

 

 

 

 

[BigDaddy]

Ray glad you escaped unharmed.  My neighborhood had a 3 way stop, with one of those being a right turn on red and they turned it into a 4 way stop.  It as confusing as a rotary to the masses.  I always flash my light to let opposing traffic know it is ok to go.  Indecision and uncertainty leads to accidents. 

Under the old system, I had 2 near misses from people turning right from the left turn lane. 

Spam, I don't think I've ever had spam in 66 years.  Hawaii is supposedly the number 1 state for spam consumption.  I was in deer camp last week and there was hors d'ouerves of various sausage, sausge with cheese and pastrami.  I think it isn't really venison, but mostly pork.  Not so healthy or as free ranging as you thought. 

[cudaken]

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, give the gang and I a and a big plate of Spam. Leave a can of Spam outside for Ulrich as well!

 Ed really Spam? Now I don't hate spam, I like it cold with cheese, mustartd and toast. Don't care for it fried, I will eat it but that is about it. When I was in the Army it was a treat! Come to think about all most all the C Ration Stuff tasted like Spam?

 Ray I had all most the same thing happen to me, but I nailed the the guy. I was at a intersetion that for years had been a 4 way stop but had been changed to a Stoplight. Saw a 1974 New Yorker (which is not a small or lite car) stop at the intersection. I had the green light so I kept going. He pulled out right in front of me and hit him in the left rear quarter panel and spun that New Yorker 260 degrees while I kept going. I was drving my 1975 Eldorado, you want to talk about a car that was bulit like a tank!

 Guy and wife got out of the New Yorker remains on walkers and the driver said "Son, didnt you see the stop sign?" Pointed at the traffic light and told him the stop signs are gone sir.

 All I had to replaces was the left front part of the bumper on the Eldorado! New Yorker on the other hand was a total. Eldo had a seven pices front bumper at the time,I replaced 2 parts.

 If anyone wants to do a search for what is going on with Ulrich let me know in the dinner. I have his last name and address if you don't know it. I sure hope we don't need to add to the RIP list.

 Trains are running fine and wishing I had some Spam.

 Later, Ken

 

[Track fiddler]

Evening Diners

Okay this is the way I look at it..... why eat Spam with the availability of really good ham

PS   I do remember Ulrich saying not too long ago the area around him was getting kind of bad. In the same sentence he said time to move. I didn't know whether to take that as sarcasm or seriousness. 

I do know if I was moving though. I wouldn't have much time for anything else. Moving is rough. Maybe it's just something like that.

[MisterBeasley]

I've emailed Ulrich as well.

I hope all is well with him.

[gmpullman]

Track fiddler

Okay this is the way I look at it..... why eat Spam with the availability of really good ham

Actually, I don't believe I've ever had Spam. I know my mother cooked a few canned hams in my younger days. I think a lot of the post-war 1950s kids were raised on some of the "Wonder Foods" of the day. That's why I mention the Velveeta.

I call all those "odd" meats floor sweepings — begause whatever was left on the slaughter house floor at the end of the day wound up in the  (pick one) head cheese, scrapple, souse, potted meat, or, yummy, haggis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offal

Yummy!

hon30critter

I got lots of Spam and Corned Beef (almost as bad - I hated the fat) and canned ham as a kid.

Every now-and-then Mrs. Pullman will bring home a can of corned beef hash. I read the label to her once, something like 30 grams of fat, 980 mg. sodium, 60 mg. cholesterol! Keep the defibulator handy! 

Track fiddler

 I do remember Alrich saying not too long ago the area around him was getting kind of bad. In the same sentence he said time to move.

 

I remember he, Ulrich, mentioned not having the funds to support a move. I wish we could set up a go-fund-me account to help them out. Fingers crossed that they're OK. (Is it really that difficult to remember how to spell his name, TF?)

Ray, glad you escaped serious harm. MANY distracted drivers out there.

I hope everyone else is doing well—

Still hungry?

scrapple1 by Edmund, on Flickr

Regards, Ed

 

[NWP SWP]

Evening folks,

Saw this great Ford Truck commercial today.

Well I'm tired so I'm hitting the sack.

[herrinchoker]

Ken,

I talk with Ulrich on average, twice a month--There is much going on at this time in his area that he is unable to discuss here. 1935 comes to mind---Spoke with him three days ago---

herrinchoker

[gmpullman]

herrinchoker

Spoke with him three days ago---

Thanks for letting us know 

We send them our wishes for a safe outcome.

Thank you, Ed

[Tinplate Toddler]

Just dropping by to say how much Petra and I appreciate your well wishes and prayers in times, which are more than challenging for us.

We had hoped to be able to leave this country before things turn rather life threatening for us, but we have to face the fact that we will not be able to do so - for a number of reaasons beyond our control and which I cannot discuss here.

With great sadness we have to let go of our dream of relocating to your grand country and being able to spend the rest of our lives in a tiny, cozy cottage by a lake, with a red pickup truck parked in the driveway.

I hope you will understand that under these circumstances I am not in a position to talk about  model railroading or other trivial topics.

God bless you all!

["JaBear"]

Spam by Bear, on Flickr

[NeO6874]

Tinplate Toddler

With great sadness we have to let go of our dream of relocating to your grand country

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

[gmpullman]

Thank you for letting us know you're OK, Ulrich.

Myself, and I'm sure many of us here, feel helpless in regards to your plight.

Please keep us informed occasionally. Our thoughts and prayers to you and Petra —

Regards, Ed

[Track fiddler]

Good morning Diners,  I'll have a coffee with you.

The wife and I were doing a little reflecting over coffee this morning, like we have for 24 years.  She's a better reflector than me.

I'm going to the dentist this morning to get my molar pulled, it's cracked and giving me pain. I was somewhat complaining about old age and getting my first tooth pulled. She said this is not your first tooth pulled. You wiggled your first tooth and pulled it yourself when you were a little boy. Your tooth is just a little stronger now, you need a little help pulling it. The only difference is, it won't grow back this time.

She sees a positive side to everything. God I love that woman!  She looked at me, smiled and said..... old age isn't just handed to you, it is a privilege,  it was earned.  Look at all the people that went before us. Be happy and thankful you're still here.

I need to think more positively like she does.... I'm trying.

Take care       Track Fiddler

PS. I guess I didn't see Ulrich dropped by, while I was rubbing the sleep out of my eyes this morning. Welcome back Alrich. I'm glad you're okay. I am sorry your relocation did not work out for you.

[NeO6874]

Got a test version of my LED randomizer working.  (Hopefully the video works -- I'm hosting it myself instead of uploading to youtube).

Edit --- Err .. helps if I link it yeah? 

http://www.djph.net/media/TestLights.mp4

(If you can see it - it's dark on purpose - I way over-valued the resistor since I didn't have anything smaller on hand and having the lights on washes out the LEDs on camera).

It's still running in "test mode" -- approximately a 100 millisecond delay between choosing random numbers, and then when all 16 LEDs light up, waiting approximately 5 seconds before looping.

I'm in the process of making a 32-LED test array (4x8 LEDs) to allow testing the full program (I shorted something in the DIP sockets yesterday, so have to start over after work -- least I caught it before torching some chips).

Once I get that built, and a quickie vid shot, I'll post something bigger :)

[Steven Otte]

Well, I'm back, after taking yesterday off for my cardio tests. Stress test, echocardiogram, and 24-hour Holter monitor. That last one records your every heartbeat for an entire day. I'm still wearing it now -- I'm wired up like a Mob informant. I get to take it off in about half an hour, and I'll be glad to be rid of all this itchy tape, but I'm not looking forward to peeling it off my chest hair. Ouch.

I think that when you have at least three regular -ologists, you're officially old. (In my case, cardiologist completes the trifecta.)

Anyway, let's have something heart-healthy for breakfast. How about some oatmeal with nuts and berries?

Dig in!

[Steven Otte]

Driving around with my wife to various appointments and errands yesterday, the song "Oh, Mickey!" by Toni Basil came on the satellite radio's '80s channel. I said to my wife, "I think this is what I would call a perfected song. Not perfect -- it's not necessarily better than other songs -- but for what it is, it could not be improved. Every bit of it is exactly right."

To perhaps clarify what I mean, I offer in contrast Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," which I would say is a very good song -- I'd probably rank it above "Oh Mickey!" -- but it's not by any means perfected. There are parts, particularly the bridge, where the song builds up the listener to expect something gloriously transcendent -- and then it just doesn't deliver.

So can you think of any songs that, by that definition, you would call "perfected"?

[ROBERT PETRICK]

Steven Otte

I think that when you have at least three regular -ologists, you're officially old. (In my case, cardiologist completes the trifecta.)

Yeah, I have about five or six on the payroll: cardiologist, urologist, ophthalmologist, dentist, in addition to the GP quack who keeps insisting that it's time for my second colonoscopy (no idea what kind of '-ologist' does that).

The dentist is easy and twice-a-year on schedule; based on sound advice from Granny, "Be true to your teeth and they'll never be false."

So look up, Steve. At least you're two or three years younger than Brad Pitt.

Robert 

[Steven Otte]

ROBERT PETRICK

Yeah, I have about five or six on the payroll: cardiologist, urologist, ophthalmologist, dentist, in addition to the GP quack who keeps insisting that it's time for my second colonoscopy (no idea what kind of '-ologist' does that).

Proctologist. Or maybe gastroentorologist.

And "dentist" doesn't count. Not only does it not end in "-ologist," but you're supposed to start seeing those while you're young.