Eveing Diners
Flo get the gang, JR and I please.
Spent a large part of the so called day off doing medical stuff.
Took wife to her Podiatrist. Seems she cannot walk if she see's snow! OK to be fair drive is still a little nasty.
Did a little running and got three soft Taco's from Taco Bell. Did not have time to eat breakfast.
Then Off To The VA. Nothing really new so that is good news. Told them about all the tripping a lot lately. So they are setting me up with Physical Therapy to find out why I am walking like a Duck!. My feet splayed to outside so my toes catches things and then I fall.
Ed I have enjoyed the last video and photos you have posted.
Far as car collections don't sale Clive Clusser collection short!
Now my taste leans to Jay Leono collections, Clives is pretty impressive!
Later Ken
I hate Rust
Sounds good Ken. What do we have on tap? Clives collection looks pretty cool, I tend to lose touch with how lucky I am sometimes to be able to work with all these cool cars though most of them for us are European. I think of all the cars we work on less than half a dozen are US made and even then they have lots of bits from Europe. Except for Bantam and Crosley, we never had true small cars built here. Even then, Bantam was based on the English Austin 7. I suppose a lot has to do with our wide open spaces.
I haven't gone through all the old posts, but how is your train stuff coming? Last I remember you were wrestling with a Big Boy.
Good evening all.
First of all my condolences for your loss Jan. I don't think I could put words together in any right way for your loss.
Steven I was looking at the Stang. I have a positive opinion about it, I'm all for you kid. She looks straighter than the one I got when I was 23 years old and your getting a younger start than I did. My car was from California, I'm sure yours is probably from the South too. Usually road salt hasn't been spraying up in the panel's, the insides aren't so bad.
You got to determine what's really important to you when you're young. You have to set goals and make sure that you reach them. If that Mustang is priority to you.... I say go for it.
When I was young, I'd work all day and then I would come home and work in the garage till late at night. My social life took a number on the weekends. My car was my hobby then, like model railroading is now. Only difference is, I don't have as much energy after work anymore.
It took me from age 23 to 29 to restore this car. It was important to me, it was a dedication. Don't get me wrong, I didn't give up every weekend. I wasn't a slave to the car but I gave up a lot.
This car hasn't seen a drop of rain since I owned it. It doesn't get washed with a hose, it gets washed with two buckets and two microfiber rags. I have an alarm system in this car that calls my phone if the thing is bumped
Here is your Cars Bible, you will need to get yourselve one of these. It has every part to your car from bumper to bumper. Quality parts at reasonable prices. It has my last invoice sticking out of it. I don't have the current catalog because I haven't bought anything since then. Don't think I don't have my Stang fund going though, I have more plans
Here's your cars other book you will need.
You will need to acquire a wire feed welder and go to a metal scrap yard and get some sheet metal to practice on. You'll need to learn about filling with lead, don't make no bondo buggy.
I think you can have a lot of fun with that project if you're dedicated.
Track Fiddler
PS I am by no means trying to steer you away from your model railroad hobby. I know you are a member of a Model Railroad Club. You are young. You can keep up with two things at once, I kept up with three
Hi everyone,
Wow! Mustangs galore. Hats off to you guys that can do that kind of work. One thing I noticed was the green Mustang Steven was looking at is an automatic. Just Jim's unqualified opinion, but it always seemed to me that putting an automatic transmission on a performance car misses the point. But, to each his own.
CNCharlie: Beethoven's 7th is a good one. It is regarded by some as the greatest single piece of music ever written. That sounds a little lofty to me, when there's so many excellent pieces to enjoy. Personally, my Beethoven faves are 6, 3, and 5 in that order, but who's to quibble. It's all good.
I went to a trade organization meeting tonight. It was at a pizza culinary school. After the demonstration, plenty of pizza for everyone. I had the best gluten free pizza crust I'd ever eaten. It was delicious!
Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone is OK, safe, and warm.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good Morning All,
A regular coffee and a blueberry bagel please. Vegged out last night so no progress on the layout though I did get another auto reverser ordered from Tonys' my go to folks for stuff like that. I really like the PSX stuff as even an old person like me can figure it all out. Hopefully that will solve the non operable turntable bridge problem. I used a regular DPDT momentary toggle for the rotation part and that works okish though it is notchy in spots for no apparent reason. I spent so much time on all that stuff I don't want to give up on it.
Funny thing according to latest statistics, one of the best theft deterents these days is a manual transmission.... I first typed standard but I guess that the manual hasn't been a standard for quite some time now. Oh well. All our trucks except for the semis' are automatic now and to tell the truth, I don't miss rowing a 10 or 13 speed through heavy traffic one bit. When I worked for Bob Akin, we ended up doing a promotional tour through Upstate NY prior to Watkins Glen. I had to drive the long wheelbase Kenworth with 53' racing trailer through what seemed like most of downtown Syracuse to a plaza for show and tell. Even with a police escort to move traffic out of the way on turns it was all but impossible to make right hand turns. Ended up on the sidewalks twice I did. Ah, the good old bad days. Time to turn to and pick up tools. Cheers, J.R.
Good Afternoon!
The weather is still horrible, but that´s nothing new here. I got my new beepers - ordered them online from China through a German webshop for 1/3 of the price the local folks charge. I paid about $240 for them. They seem to be nicely done, which I´ll be able to tell once I have adjusted to them. It always takes a couple of days to get adjusted to a new set of spectacles.
GMTRacing Funny thing according to latest statistics, one of the best theft deterents these days is a manual transmission.
Manual gear boxes are still standard here, unless you ngo for one of those torque monster Diesels. For most smaller cars, automanic transmission are availablenas options, but you have to pay twice for them - extra cost when bying the car and a significantly lower resale value later on. As I began my driving career in the US on a 1969 Plymouth Fury, I have grown to like automatic transmission, but I am also fine with "Four on the Floor" - unless I have to double-clutch when shifting gears. I had to do that with the old fire truck I used as a campaign vehicle 6 years ago.
and in "war paint"
That´s me - the one behind the wheel, not next to it! During the campaign, I put 8,000 miles on that thing. Driving it was hard work!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Ulrich,
Good to hear from you again. I love the truck! Dog is cute too. You got spoiled with the Plymouth. The torqueflite auto was the best made IMHO. How is your layout going these days? J.R.
GMTRacing Ulrich, Good to hear from you again. I love the truck! Dog is cute too. You got spoiled with the Plymouth. The torqueflite auto was the best made IMHO. How is your layout going these days? J.R.
The fire truck was really an animal to drive, but lots of fun - for a while. Spending hours behind the wheel was exhausting, mainly due to the noise.
Not much happening in terms of model railroading these days. I have completely lost my steam and I am think about dismantling it and selling the bits on the Bay. I need to fill that "Getaway" kitty.
Tinplate ToddlerManual gear boxes are still standard here,
Mike
Water Level RouteIn an Alfa Romeo at that!
An Alfa Romeo or "Cuore Sportivo" with an automatic transmission is like a protestant service in St. Peter´s Cathedral in Rome! It´ll be a lackluster business
And then there's the Stelvio (with automatic as well just to twist the knife a bit)
Hello everybody ..
It is great to see so many of you here. Please continue the interesting conversations.
Shelley and I are concerned about her 93 year old Mom who is in ICU in Nashville . Each trip to Nashville is over 100 miles . Two of Shelley’s sisters live in Nashville and are handling things there. Nevertheless, Shelley feels she should be there as much as possible, and I understand. . ... So I’m not here in the Diner much now.
Have a good day everybody.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
GMTRacingAnd then there's the Stelvio (with automatic
GMTRacing And then there's the Stelvio (with automatic as well just to twist the knife a bit)
Ouch!
In my little world, those two were the last real Alfa Romeos:
The Guilia Super is still among my favorite cars. No BMW or Mercedes was at match to them in their days! With a couple of friends, I restored one in the late 1970s. It was a back breaking job, a complete body-off restoration and a lot of welding. These cars started to rust away in the catalog! I wish I could get my hand on one these days!
Not to forget this one:
Unforgotten: Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate"
I'm more partial to these
Good evening from the West Coast, it was another beautiful day on the Pacific Rim.
J.R. it is great that you have returned to the Diner. I have been around since 2006 and always found your goings-on, at and around the track most interesting.
I hate working on cars, however, I enjoy driving them immensely. I spent a lot of time behind the wheel when I worked for the Federal Government, Had to log every mile and they said I drove over 2,000,000 miles by the time I retired. Never had an accident in all those years behind the wheel.
I had a 1990 Mazda RX7 Turbo II 5 speed (of course) for 14 years. Went to take a sports car driving course and they took me out for a prelim drive and the instructor told me there was nothing they could teach me. Talking about getting fodder for a swelled head.
On the RR front, I have been adjusting coupler heights on my Rapido Streamline coaches in anticipation of my Royal Hudsons coming. They are such nice pieces of work however the couplers are horrendously out in the height department. I think I am winning the battle though. Also, some of the windows are popping out, I think the glue they used has an age limit. Fortunately, I have found all but one inside the coaches.
Spent the day cleaning the garage, it really needed it. I am ruthless at throwing stuff out, actually a little too ruthless as I sometimes regret getting rid of some items down the road.
Ray glad to hear you are back to chasing the babes, you will live a long healthy life doing that. I wish you great success in your pursuit of companionship. Didn't get married until I was forty and rarely was without a girlfriend before that. I found it a nice break when I was.
The dinner bell is ringing!
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Good evening everybody .
JR ... I am enjoying your car photos....
Brent .... You are very remarkable driving 2,000,000 miles wihout an accident. Not even hitting a deer ? ... I like my Rapido streamline coaches. They are lettered for GN and NP altohough I think they are CN prototype cars.
Ulrich .... I recall when you were campaigning in the fire truck .
Ray .... I am glad to hear life is good for you now.
We're still concerned about Shelley's Mom who is still in ICU in Nashville. ... I think we will go back there again on Friday.
Good Evening All,
A nice glass of red wine please. Been proving the yard tracks again tonight until coming up for the UConn/Tulane womens basketball game. Sometimes I think I should have just stuck to dioramas. I suppose the main problem is that I left it too long to really clean the rails and the white glue I got on some of the rails is now set rock hard. Sort of like trying to work old concrete. I'm thinking maybe I'll go right to the stainless washer for burnishing, then use a polishing pad. The only real issues are around the turnouts where the points don't sometimes conduct.
Brent. No, I didn't go 2 milliom miles accident free. I think I'm probably just too agressive. My dad worked for Armstrong Rubber and qualified for the test tire program where you got free preproduction tires on the condition that you had the car and tires inspected by the company engineers regularly. He came home just after I got my license more than a little agitated as the engineers had turned to him and said "your son must have gotten his license" (second try- yup). Anyway driving semis and every other sort of truck trailer combination for the last 40+ years plus the usual business and other travel not to mention racing has been less than trouble free. I am seriously in awe of your record.
Garry, Hope Shelleys Mom pulls through ok. I guess the longer we're here the more intense it gets. Love the progress you've made, the layout looks fabulous.
Cheers, J.R.
Flo, give the gang and I a please. Why yes Flo JR is part of the gang again.
JR Where reading the dinner post when the Big Boy slid down my leg? (Shorts caught the PCM Big Boy on the layout and it slid down my leg) Still messiing with it a little but have darn near gave up on Big Boys. Funny thing about them, it not been the 18" radius turns that cause the problems? Just stupid stuff.
Later, Ken
BATMANRay glad to hear you are back to chasing the babes, you will live a long healthy life doing that.
Absolutely correct. However, catching one might be another story.
maxmancatching one might be another story.
Sounds like he may have caught two! Tricky business!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hello, everyone.
I might remind fellows that Vinnie may pop in here and have a word about discussions of "catching" women. I'm an old timer, too, and sometimes I can't get used to the new ways of society but it can be easy to revert back to those "cave man" days when using a club and dragging your mate back to the cave by the hair was the right and honorable way to go.
In my case, with my first wife, we would have never built a relationship if SHE had not broken the ice and reached over to hold my hand. I was way too shy to be so assertive.
So, as Vinnie pointed out in an earlier reply, relationships are not like hunting competitions where you go out to try and catch the biggest prize.
I met my wonderful wife I have today through an on-line dating service and we are both very pleased with our results. I tell friends and folks we meet that she had a good "buy-it-now" price AND free shipping!
I wish everyone the best of luck with their persuit in their relationships but I do agree that some of the old, familiar concepts of the "Tarzan-Jane" mindset just doesn't belong in a civilized society.
Geez, I really didn't mean to get into a lecture here... but, you know what I mean.
Cheers, Ed
gmpullman Geez, I really didn't mean to get into a lecture here... but, you know what I mean. Cheers, Ed
Hi Ed,
I hope that everyone realizes that my response to the 'catching' of a partner was totally in jest. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between humour and chauvinism. I apologise if my comment was taken the wrong way.
gmpullmanIn my case, with my first wife, we would have never built a relationship if SHE had not broken the ice and reached over to hold my hand. I was way too shy to be so assertive.
Yup, same at this end! We should never forget it´s the women who choose their partners, not the men! - at least in the civilized parts of the word.
18 balmy Farenheight degrees this morning. I'll have a regular and whatever you can heat up back there Zoe. From hearing crickets to a roar (no - not Lion) the season is suddenly advancing rapidly on us. A month before the first weekend out and every single car going save one is in a million bits. At least we have enough bits to put them all back together......... Oh well, still beats working.
Catch Y'all Later, J.R.
GMTRacing 18 balmy Farenheight degrees this morning.
.
This is the second day in a row we have been below 45 degrees in the morning, and they have kept the schools open... crazy!
The news said they are saving the "snow days" for next week when it is expected to be in the 30's!
We are supposed to warm up this afternoon, and tomorrow we might see the low 80's again late in the day.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hopefully you kept your s**w suit handy. Depending on where in SF your are there has been s**w south of Orlando. I have been at Sebring in March when it has been in the thirties and raining sideways.
Good morning ...
JR .... Thanks for your thoughts regarding my wife's mother in ICU in Nashville. .... So far, it looks like we stay home today and go back to Nashville tomorrow. .... Also, JR, have you heard from Duke lately? Maybe he actaully is here in the Diner bit wont wake up from sleeping in the corner booth. LOL
The theme for the month is Texas. Does anybody have more Texas railroad photos to show? .... A Santa Fe PA1 is being rebuilt in TX. It would be good to see it.
Relationships ..... I'll simply say I could not be more pleased with my Main Squeeze.
Have a nice day, everybody !
Mornin' Everyone!
SeeYou190This is the second day in a row we have been below 45 degrees in the morning, and they have kept the schools open... crazy! . The news said they are saving the "snow days" for next week when it is expected to be in the 30's!
That just serves those Northerners right! The lady I am interested in will be leaving for West Palm Beach this Sunday, she hopes. LOL
I see I have been the subject of conversation in here..... Do know, I am not chasing the lady.... I'm hoping she might "chase" me though. I haven't smiled back yet at the second one that looks like she might be a good match, just waiting a bit. I did get a suggestion from both my pastor and the church secretary that I should close up my house and take a vacation to Florida in a month or so. Funny, I had even thought about that myself as I do have family down there. Problem would be getting my kitties watched nd properly cared for if I was to be away for 3 weeks or so. If I go somewhere for a few days, my son can come over and do the honors. But with the kitties now being quite geriatric I would worry that they might go into grief mode and not be there when I got back home. Oh well.
Just got an email that my 55th. class reunion will be held the same weekend that the NER NMRA Convention will be held next September. I am supposed to have my layout open for that and depending on timing it could be a major difficulty for me as I am doing sound (and a slide show for one activity) for both reunion events that weekend. I'm hoping I can work a suitable schedule to be open and take care of my responsibilities for the reunion. The convention itself I can miss for one year.
Old vehicle discussion: Personally I really wish I had the old 1924 two ton axile truck we used on the farm to fiddle with.... Looked a little like this -
Be Blessed!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good morning!
Dave, I understand completely. And the phrase "catch" can mean to catch one's gaze, etc. I simply wanted to save anyone from the wrath of Vinnie. Again, the impersonal interface of the "text" medium here makes it difficult to express emotion as the writer intended.
Here's a little something uplifting — Jimmy Stewart, Harry Morgan, those were the days.
How can something so huge display such gracefulness! Like a streamlined locomotive, I guess.
I have finally dusted off some old transfers of 8 and Super8 mm films to get posted on Youtube. For the money I paid to have the film digitized the "professional" service did a lousy job. I just bought a transfer machine to do my own. I hope to get better results.
Thursday already!
We're bracing for the big dump of snow that the experts have predicted. On its way up from St. Louis. Thanks, Ken
Enjoy the day, Folks, Ed