Jeffrey's Track Side Diner - February 2019
It's the place for you to go to relax and talk off topic about most anything - as long as you stay within the forum rules, which means certain hot button topics are excluded. Please refer to Steven Otte´s post on Forum Policies.
The staff - that´s Zoe, Chloe, Flo, Janie, and Brunhilda - is very friendly and will serve up plenty of virtual food with a smile. Just don´t forget to leave a generous tip!
At the beginning of each month, it is the time to pay our respect to friends no longer with us.
Barry Arnold aka BlownoutCylinderJerry Cox aka Cox47Wolfgang Dudler aka Westport TerminalBob Hartle aka cmrproductsEd MurphyBill NorthStein Rypern, Jr. aka SteinjrAndy SperandeoJeffrey "Running Bear" WimberleyAlan BTom MillsJames W. Rohde aka CapeJimMichael L. Myles aka Inch
"Gone, but never forgotten!"
This month´s Diner car is spotted on a siding in Nevada, just across the border to California. Coupled to it is Ed´s caboose, which is not allowd in the State of California, because Ed has painted it with lead-based paints
Ed will be our host this month and take us to some interesting places! Stay with us - anyone is invited to join!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Good Morning, everyone!
I took the liberty to move this month´s Diner to its new location somewhere in the no man´s land between California and Nevada.
While Ed is getting ready to host this month, I´ll take you on a short tour through Robinson Canyon on the Nevada Northern Ry.
Enjoy!
Tinplate ToddlerEd will be our host this month and take us to some interesting places! Stay with us - anyone is invited to join!
Well... I didn't really see too much enthusiasm from the crowd
Thank You for taking the bull by the reins and getting the Diner moved and set up, Ulrich!
Yes, I'll jump in and try to be the tour guide for this short month
I'll start us off with a short video that I made during my visit to Sacramento back in 2003. I rode out there on the California Zephyr and did travel through Nevada so I may be able to post a few views from there, too!
Hop on, everyone! Let's enjoy the warm, Pacific breezes and toast our new Diner location.
It looks like the California weather will be a little rainy for the first few days but temperatures will be in the 60s (11-14) so we'll have to tough it out
While I was thinking of the warmer climate of California, somehow it was suggested we visit Nevada, too. Well, I hope we fare better than the Donner party did back in 1847.
The Sierra Nevadas may not be the place to seek fun in the sun in February
Cheers, Ed
I know of at least one guy in here who is fascinated by electric traction and minimizes the use of "dinosaur dung" when moving about.
Here is the latest craze from Switzerland!
I like the sound of it - just like a modern streetcar! The car shown is just a prototype, there will be a lot of safety features added in mass production, which has just started. While not being a ded cheap vehicle, it will be certainly an affordable one.
Good Morning All,
A balmy 5F this morning, 8 above yesterday this time. High around 20F - where is my beach ball? Time to go! Or not. Just a coffee please Zoe, the bagel refroze yesterday between the counter and the car.
Ulrich that car looks familiar - ala Gogomobile, Messerschmidt etc. Probably ok for urban travel but looks to be a tad uncomfortable for the wide open spaces. Short of fitting 'roo bars, it will be a task to make it comply with any crash standards but to paraphrase Enzo Ferrari - "I make them to go not crash."
Nevada/Cali border is good. Haven't looked at the videos yet as I just got in the door at the shop and had to check the compressor, etc, etc. Too bad about the paint on the caboose Ed. We just get rental tractors now when we do the west coast trips as neither of mine comply with the newest level emissions and dropping them at the border with a rental company is too much agita.
Ok then, lets see what we have on tape. J.R.
GMTRacingUlrich that car looks familiar
That familiarity look is intended - the design is based on the BMW Isetta of the1950s.
In Germany, the bubble car was nicknamed "smooch ball".
Good Morning, Crew, and Welcome to February! It's 9° with light snow falling in my part of NE Ohio right now, so moving the diner to CA/NV makes me feel warmer already. I haven't been doing much in the way of model railroading as we're going through a series of vet visits with our cats and I have to deal with those expenses first before buying anything for the new layout. All that I have planned is to get off my round rear and get the track plan drawn out on the bench work top, but even doing that is subject to change because of the wife's chore list interference. It's all her fault! Another task that I need to do is to clean up my workbench. I seem to have ended up with a smaller and smaller work area surrounded by materials, tools, diesels in storage or waiting on parts, etc. I have a 7' workbench and a 2' work area. I'll have to use my weekend time wisely. Today I'm off to the Y for some therapeutic pool exercise and the whirlpool hot tub sure will make these ol' bones and joints feel better. Have a good day, everyone!
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
Well I never figured my suggestion to get as close to the Sacramento area as possible, but avoid California red tape would stick, but stick, it has!
I guess I'll have to stick (once again, pun intended) around and see what the area is all about, as I've never been to either.
I think the famous Keddie Wye is not far from here.
Carry on!
Mike.
My You Tube
Riding the Shasta Route back in the day...
Shasta by Edmund, on Flickr
I found all the recordings I made at the California Railroad Museum and sent them to the hard drive. Now for some serious editing...
Enjoy the day, Folks. I hope everyone is warm and well.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Does this mean Steven is emerging from his igloo or are we just in trouble in the diner again? Probably that snide remark about lead based paint. J.R.
Greetings!
Although I've seen, read and heard about the diner, this is my first time actually stopping and socializing. Obviously, seeing the location of the dinner caused me to dial in a little closer.
Tip-O-The-Hat to Ulrich for spotting the diner in what appears to be Northern Nevada and to Ed for being the host.
Not to much to report, in the planning stages for weekend activity. I will say that, I am a season ticket holder and avid supporter of the Vegas Golden Knights. Today, they completed their allstar break and mandatory NHL week off, resuming play with a 4 game road trip, starting this evening with Carolina. For Southern Nevada, it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow, I'll probably spend some time weathering a centerbeam flat that I've been working on for the past few months.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Hi Terry - from this old guy from the other end of the Big Pond!
I have fallen in love with this Isetta-like Microlino car! It is all the transport Petra and I actually need, as I don´t feel like driving long distances anymore. The car is supposed to hit the market at around Easter this year and will have a sticker price of 12K Euros - minus a government subsidy of 4k Euros, which makes that car really attractive. Time will tell how feasible that contraption is.
Hi Ulrich and Ed,
Thanks for opening the Diner Ulrich and thanks to Ed for hosting. I didn't do a very good job of hosting January I'm afraid.
Tinplate ToddlerI have fallen in love with this Isetta-like Microlino car! It is all the transport Petra and I actually need,
Ulrich,
Can you even get into that thing? Or worse, can you get out?!?
I test drove a Mercedes Smart for 2 when they first came to Canada. It was quite comfortable and suprizingly spacious, but the lack of power for merging onto our major highways was scary. It took Mercedes a couple of years to realize that the car needed a bigger engine. I never drove the more powerful version. I hope the Microlino does a bit better in that regard. I'm not in favour of cars that have to be driven with the pedal to the floor most of the time.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterI test drove a Mercedes Smart for 2 when they first came to Canada. It was quite comfortable and suprizingly spacious, but the lack of power for merging onto our major highways was scary. It took Mercedes a couple of years to realize that the car needed a bigger engine. I never drove the more powerful version. I hope the Microlino does a bit better in that regard. I'm not in favour of cars that have to be driven with the pedal to the floor most of the time.
The early Smart cars were a nuisance on wheels - underpowered, poor built quality and a transmission that really rocked you. The real improvement came only a few years ago when the bcurrent generation was introduced. They are actually quite good, but way too expensive! Incidentally, this year will be the last year you can buy the Smart with a gasoline engine. From 2020 onwards, all Smart cars will only be available as EVs.
The Microlino is purely a city car and it should not be driven on a highway. That certainly limits its usefulness. While I am in love with the design of that car, I doubt I will buy one. I´d like to have the option of driving on a highway - should that become necessary. There are a few more cars in the lower segment of e-mobility hitting the market during this year, which will in the end help to bring the cost down.
GMTRacingDoes this mean Steven is emerging from his igloo or are we just in trouble in the diner again?
I think it means he saw his shadow and were in for six more weeks of reduced rations
I think a box of donuts would help smooth things over
donuts by Edmund, on Flickr
Later we can visit San Francisco and get some Steam Beer and sour dough bread, then some Ghiradeli Chocolate...
https://www.ghirardelli.com/
Adfternoon folks from the sunny but still cold Finger lakes.
It was 3°F outside when I got up this morning and has now climbed all the way up to 10°F. Where are we? All I see out there is wasteland.... Oh that is what is out there so far. I will look forward to all the side trips for the month.... But is this the best you could do for the facilities?
28
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Ray, that gives a whole new meaning to a 'long drop' toilet.
We are having a heat wave here right now, it is 9F ! Feels positively balmy out there.
Track Fiddler, any luck with the engines? Say, did you decide on a brand of track?
We are about to head out to the vets. Robbie is having another ultrasound to see if his bile duct is clearer and to generally check his condition. The blood work we just did shows his liver enzyme values are coming down but are still far above normal. We are having his thyroid tested and also to see if he has Cushings disease.
Nothing new, I did put the RDC back together and will test it today to see if my repair on the drive couplers worked. If not the only option is to buy a new motor for $25 as they don't sell the couplers seperately.
See you soon,
CN Charlie
If you have a fair amount of spare time and want to read a little history of the railroad in the California/Nevada region, pick up a copy of Stephen Ambrose's "Nothing Like It in the World." Granted, as is the case of most of his books, there are a few liberties taken with the truth, but it is still an excellent read. The description of the effort required to complete the tunnel in the Sierras is nothing short of remarkable. (The effort was remarkable, not the description, just to be clear.)
(And no, I didn't find a way to imbed my own images. This is a direct link to the image used by Amazon. I still haven't overcome my Flickr challenge.)
Richard
Tinplate ToddlerThis month´s Diner car is spotted on a siding in Nevada, just across the border to California. Coupled to it is Ed´s caboose, which is not allowd in the State of California, because Ed has painted it with lead-based paints Smile, Wink & Grin
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reno,+NV/@39.4669825,-120.0024066,513m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x809940ae9292a09d:0x40c5c5ce7438f787!8m2!3d39.5296329!4d-119.8138027?hl=en
This month you are in my neck of the woods. Well actually there are no more woods on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada’s in this area. It was clear cut 100 years ago and never grew back. So for anyone not familiar with the area, you are in the mountains on a tiny sliver of land between Interstate 80 and the Truckee River, near the town of Verdi which is just west of Reno. You are about 30 miles east of Donner Pass summit. I used to live in Reno and my family had a cabin right next to the tracks in Blue Canyon California. It is amazingly beautiful up here. It is an outdoorsmen’s paradise with plenty of lakes and streams to fish or hike around. The current weather in Reno is 49 degrees. The low will be in the 30s with snow this weekend. If you like skiing or snowboarding there are world class resorts all along Donner Pass including Squaw Valley which hosted the Winter Olympics 50 years ago located in Truckee California next to beautiful Lake Tahoe. If you look to the south you can still see the remains of the log flumes which timber from the Sierras was floated down to the mills in Reno. If you like to lose money the Boomtown casino is in Verdi and there are dozens more places to lose your money in Reno and Sparks. I recall hearing a city council member once remark, "Gambling, we finally found a way to tax the poor." LOL Anyway you are on the Transcontinental Railroad which will be celebrating it's 150th anniversary this year. Before the line was built there were only two ways to get to California, by horse drawn wagon, or by steamship which had to go all of the way around the bottom of South America. The locomotives and cars which the Central Pacific used made the trip here by ship. There is a lot of history in this area. This is the route taken by most prospectors during the California Gold Rush and also the route taken by the ill fated Donner Party. The Southern Pacific yard is located in Sparks. Truckee Meadows is a section of Reno which was the starting point of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad which runs south to Carson City and then up the hill to Virginia City which was the largest silver load in the world. So welcome to the Sierra's. Put on your hiking boats and your winter jacket and go enjoy the wilderness.
p.s. I am currently 500 miles away in southern California where it is sunny and the temp is about 70 degrees. If you wanted to be warm you should have parked the dinner near the California Arizona boarder.
GMTRacing Does this mean Steven is emerging from his igloo or are we just in trouble in the diner again? Probably that snide remark about lead based paint. J.R.
That means that I, and almost as importantly, my car, survived two days of temperatures in the -20° F range, so I and my colleagues at Kalmbach are back at work today.
...and in 45 minutes, I'll be going home for another two days off. Oh, well. At least we got the April issue out on time. Had to bust our humps to do it, but we did. I'll have one of those donuts to celebrate, please!
At least you did not have to commute by TRAIN!!!
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
RideOnRoadAnd no, I didn't find a way to imbed my own images. This is a direct link to the image used by Amazon. I
Wow, you can do that? direct link an image from an Amazon page?
mbinsewi RideOnRoad And no, I didn't find a way to imbed my own images. This is a direct link to the image used by Amazon. I Wow, you can do that? direct link an image from an Amazon page?
RideOnRoad And no, I didn't find a way to imbed my own images. This is a direct link to the image used by Amazon. I
You can direct link any image posted anywhere, as long as it's 1) not on a site that requires a login to view, and 2) you can find the actual address of the image itself (ending with .jpg, .gif, or .png), not the web page it's hosted on.
Okay, here goes another Flickr experiment. I can see the picture, but can you?
Yup, I see it.
I'm so sorry guys, I have not a thing to contribute to this cold weather discussion. It is 74 degrees and clear skies down here.
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a please!
Terry to the diner!
Well we got a Raccoon! Question is was there more than 1? Stll have 3 traps set and we see what happens.
I feel some what sorry for it. It did not know any better and it was warm, dry and had Barbie Doll's to play with! (wife had them in the attic and they are all ove the places now)
According To Critter Control in the state of Illinois they cannot release them back into the wild. Well while I can understand that it does seem a shame. I looked at it and it was cute untill I sartred think about all the Raccoon Dropping and Pee that is over my head! Not so cute now!
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
It snowed all day for a total of no more than 1.5" and schools closed early. Our lowest temps in the big freeze were 8 and today it was in the low 20's.
I'm watching a DVR'd slalom race from Austria and Arnold Schwaznegger is there. He has a beard, and at first I thought it was less gaunt Lee Marvin. That would have been a good trick on Lee's part. He was my uncle's next door neighbor for a while. AFAIK they did not keep in touch after one of them moved. That was back in his palimony days.
Does the 6' gauge Albany & Susquehana ring a bell? Not for me, but it features some of the robber barons of the 1800's. Nothing to do with our present location in CA, but you don't want to read about Alferd Packer right after dinner.
I need to work on a caboose railing and I just saw Doc Wayne's pictures. His detailed caboose, looks like the details were part of a brass caboose. Mine are not going to look like his.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Again, one of these sleepless nights! I hate insomnia!
Ken, we have a frequent visitor in our attic, but fortunately, the critter just "parades" through it and doesn´t stay.
They look cute, but can cause a lot of damage!