gmpullmanI could never warm up to those Dash 8 B-39s. E-8s belong on that train, or better yet, PAs.
I definitely agree with you Ed, I'll go for the E8's, I never could warm up the the PA's!
gmpullmanI'll be sitting with the cheerleaders...
You better move over my friend as I will be joining you!
GO RAMS Not that I really care, just tired of Pats.
Mike.
EDIT: TOP, OK breakfast on me!
My You Tube
BigDaddyCaboose railings are coming along and look better than expected. Still aren't doctorwayne railings, but not bad. Should I paint them black or yellow? I'm afraid a bright color will highlight the deficiencies.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Back on January 30, 1988 the Southern Pacific railroad ran a special train for customers and executives from Oakland to San Diego for the Super Bowl XXII.
I don't know the first thing about football but I do know that I like special passenger trains!
SP_1988_Superbowl_Extra by Edmund, on Flickr
Thanks to Roger P. Uta and Marty Bernard for allowing this photo to be shared
I could never warm up to those Dash 8 B-39s. E-8s belong on that train, or better yet, PAs.
For those of you who follow the Super Bowl kind of thing, I hope your team wins! I'll be sitting with the cheerleaders...
Rah! Rah! Ed
Late evening Diners
I was out today. I had my afternoon BBQ on the lake outside the Fish House with my friends. I was in my t-shirt for a lot of the time but did put on a flannel a time or two.
38° did feel nice. Erv caught a 14 inch bass but that was about it.
The steaks were good, Chuck Eyes medium rare..... with Jack Daniels beans and camp potatoes.
Those are prepared and recooked on the lake..... it was all good. TF
PS Erv re-told me about the time I was sick and I missed the winter vacation trip to atikokan Canada at Browns Resort. I think it was clear lake or clear water lake or something like that.
They had a 80 foot honey hole and we're catching 5 to 7 pound lake trout all day.
Unfortunately I missed that one.
TF
Evenin' Folks!
Janie, a mug or two of very hot decaf coffee would be great right now....
I see the groundhog, Phil, didn't see his shadow today at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and therefore predicts an early spring. But since he is right only 40% of the time, I offer my usual grumpy cartoon for the day...
And of course the snowman's take on it...
Got all the way up to........... 39°F here in the fingerlakes today! A lady friend I am chatting with these days said it was 72°F at 8am where she is in Key West.... Hmmmm..... Still way too hot the other half of the year for my liking down there. LOL
Nice with the heater on down in the trainroom.
37
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Tinplate Toddler Track fiddler Dave introduced himself to me with his full name and asked what my name was. In response, believe it or not it is John Allen. You are aware that this name is an obligation in here, aren´t you?
Track fiddler Dave introduced himself to me with his full name and asked what my name was. In response, believe it or not it is John Allen.
You are aware that this name is an obligation in here, aren´t you?
No..... I only have an obligation to die and pay taxes. I can't help my name is the same as a Great Model Railroad Master.
With that I decline any obligation suggested. (I understand the humor here)
I will remain Track Fiddler, Thank You
Yosemite was wall to wall people when I was there in 1971. I went back about 10 years ago and stayed in one of the park hotels. There was an excellent singer/entertainer who told us about the Fire Fall. They used to build a bonfire at the top of one of the cliffs each night, then push it over the cliff. That ended in the 60's
John Henry I never googled myself until I saw your post. Lots of obituaries. Added my middle initial...more dead people. Eventually I was listed, but no compromising pictures that would call for my resignation. There might be one somewhere of me streaking as a college freshman. I discovered there was such a thing as being too drunk to swim, or to jump over a 3' chain link fence.
Caboose railings are coming along and look better than expected. Still aren't doctorwayne railings, but not bad. Should I paint them black or yellow? I'm afraid a bright color will highlight the deficiencies.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Lone Wolf and Santa FeIt is my favorite place in the world. I look forward to seeing your video.
Well, that deserves a little teaser —
CZ_onboard-clip by Edmund, on Flickr
Don't tell the Conductor but I violated Amtrak policy and opened the Dutch door
CZ_6_a by Edmund, on Flickr
While traveling through this area I thought to myself, how could a train-crew member ever tire of seeing this beautiful scenery!
CZ_eastbound by Edmund, on Flickr
Enjoy the weekend, everyone!
Cheers, Ed
Afternoon Diners!
Flo, give the gang and I a please.
Finally a day I did not leave my property! Flatten some boxes from my wife hording room and have my car loaded up with them to take to the dump. Filled her trunk with junk for Good Will.
No Raccoons in the traps today. Critter Control guy screwed carboard over the hole it has been using and it is still intact. If it has not been breached by Monday I hope this part is over!
Hope to have a contractor coming over Monday to give me a estimate on fascia. Friend of mine had used him in the past so I have a reason to trust him.
Hum, John Allen. Yep I can understand why you did not want to post that name on a Model Train site. It would be like me on a Mopar Site and my name was Don Garlits! Or use the screen name Big Daddy! As soon as I saw Henery use the screen name Big Daddy I had to ask!
Humidity in wife Hording Room. Ran a dehumidifier in there for 24 hours and have the humidity down to 45% so slowly I am getting some where.
Stretching The President Adams Legs tonight. It is a Pargon II Heavy Pacific in B&O colors. Darn thing pulls like a mule but the chuffs cut in and out? Going to have to give her a run at K-10 Trains layout and see if it the engine or my poor wiring skills! Either way, I sill love the engine!
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
gmpullmanLone Wolf. I agree with your assessment on the scenery while climbing toward Donner Pass. I'll have to prepare the video that I shot along that route while riding the California Zephyr back in '03.
It is my favorite place in the world. I look forward to seeing your video.
BATMANI see we are in Nevada. Love that part of the world, use to go ski at Heavenly all day and then sit in the hot tub with a bottle of wine for a couple of hours and then walk over to HARRAH'S for prime rib and gamble to the wee hours and do it all over again the next day. Was going out with a drop dead gorgeous blond for eight years and that was a winter must do during our time together.
Sounds familiar. I'm done the same thing numerous times except it was at Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, or farther south at Mammouth Mountain. Hiting the hot tub after skiing is always the thing to do.
BATMANHeaded over to Yosemite once to do some hiking, however, when we got there it was so crowded with wall to wall people (not what we expected)
I never cared for Yosemite for that very same reason. I always prefered the eastern side of the mountains. You can go camping at almost anywhere along hwy 395 and have the whole place to yourself.
Good Afternoon,
Another mild day here, it's 5F right now going up to 7F. Nearly a heat wave.
Brent, did you see the Rapido announcement of a couple on new Ten Wheelers and a RS18? They are doing the CP D10 and the CN H6. I will likely get an H6 and I am tempted by the RS18.
Track Fiddler, I used ME code 55 and like it even if it is very stiff to bend. Don't be tempted by the pre-weathered track! I was and regretted it as soon as I had to join a couple of sections and do the wiring. To get around the soldering to track I used the rail joiners with the leads attached as scrapping off the weathering just to join rails properly was tough enough. Also the turnouts aren't available pre-weathered so you have to apply a solution to them so they will match the other track.
I am happy to say that I got that RDC fixed and it now runs just fine. To tempt fate I put the PA's on the rails and I guess they enjoyed their rest in the box as both run fairly well and one runs quite well. I have them MU'd so if one hesitates on a turnout, the other will pull/push it through. The hesitation is intermittent and so it has been driving me crazy.
Robbie had his ultra sound yesterday and he certainly wasn't happy about being put on his back to do it. Hopefully the results are good as we have a major trip planned that we will have to cancel if he isn't better.
Speaking of last names, I am with you Track Fiddler in not wanting mine out on the net. As far as I can find, I am the only person with my last name in Canada. There are a few in the U.S. but no relation. There are a few in England too, which is the home country of my grandfather.
We are going out to friends for dinner tonight and I am looking forward to that.
CN Charlie
Track fiddlerDave introduced himself to me with his full name and asked what my name was. In response, believe it or not it is John Allen.
I am not reluctant to disclose my real first name here in this forum, but I would not go as far as Dave did and give away my complete name. I am the only one with that name in my country and most likely in the world, and there is already too much floating around about me in the nirvana of the WWW. There are a few people of this parish I communicate with by different means, who know my full name and address, though.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Track fiddler since it is very unique and I am the one and only in the United States.
Wow! Incredible! Acording to the 2017 statistics, you are 1 in 325.7 million.
Amazing, since you have about 1 in 13,983,816 chance at winning a lottery.
Mornin' everyone, thanks for the warm welcomes! I'll just have a cup of coffee, straight out of the pot. It did start raining overnight here in Southern Nevada, supposed to increase throughout the day. I'll probably work on some weathering skills today and maybe refine the wood pallet assembly.
Ulrich - I just received an email from Mig Jimenez indicating Ammo will have a booth at the Toy Fair in Nuremberg. Sounds like a very popular event, wish I could attend.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Track fiddlermy apologies for spelling your name wrong once again. Dave's right, I would feel bad if someone kept spelling my name wrong.
No offense taken, TF! In fact, in my days at Bainbridge Island, WA high school, my classmates had considerable difficulties getting the pronunciation and the spelling of my name right, so I changed to something more familiar to the American tongue - but I won´t tell you what that name was
Gdod Morning All,
Up to 15F here as well this morning. In the shop now doing the sorting and stuff that is not feasible with all the Smedleys here and the phone ringing. TF I have the same problem with the phone posting the wrong letter or misspelling thing for me (I can make mistakes myself just fine). I got pens with rubber stylus ends last time we bought handouts for the business so I use a stylus to type on the phone most times.
Steven - I thought that was what you meant with the polar flag. Glad you got the issue out ok. Those donuts were good!
Still putting in yard tracks now that the turnouts are up and working. Still need to secure the joints, isolate the zones and power it all up but it's starting to look good.
TF - When I redid the mainlines at the museum N scale display, I used the Peco code 55 track. That worked real well especially with the rail carried down into the ties. Super stable and curved well. The Peco N turnouts also look substantial. I didn't worry about expense as I was using budgeted funds but I think for reliability it was less expensive.
I have been to the Sacramento Rail Museum twice and really thought it was superb. The cab forward was why I went the first time. Really impressive.
Time to take my coffee and head into the shop. Catch y'all later, J.R.
Good morning.
Thanks for opening the Diner Ulrich and my apologies for spelling your name wrong once again. Dave's right, I would feel bad if someone kept spelling my name wrong.
It's kind of tricky posting from a phone with such a small keypad and my burly calloused fingers so I usually voice command things and go back and make the corrections. I've been known to miss things a time or two. I am making a mental note to hand type names from this point out.
It has not been intentional not responding to anybody the last two days. It has happened before when I try to get on the Forum and the little wheel just sits and Spins and Spins and doesn't let me on. I keep myself logged in for this reason but even then sometimes it doesn't let me on.
Dave introduced himself to me with his full name and asked what my name was. In response, believe it or not it is John Allen. That is my first and middle name. I'm a little leery about plastering my last name on the internet since it is very unique and I am the one and only in the United States.
Charlie I haven't had time to get to my locomotives yet but I am very appreciative for the suggestions and look forward to that project one afternoon. I will update my results.
The track I have decided on is ME code 55 N scale with number six ME turnouts on mains. Atlas code 55 on spurs and yards, where I need smaller turnouts. I have one spot on the main that's hidden, it will be accessible but I am going to put an Atlas number 10 there.
Finally starting to thaw out up here. Have a great day all. TF
Good Afternoon!
I took a nap after lunch, but instead of feeling refreshed, I seem to be even more tired.
Dang!
End of January each year, the European model railroading community looks towards what is going on in Nuremberg, site of the Nuremberg Toy Fair, supposedly the largest of its kind in the world. News keep seeping out right and I am very pleased to say we will have a firework of interesting new products coming up, some of which will find their way over the Big Pond to you guys. The focus, hoiwever, is on European model railroading, so the show does not get much covering at your end.
There are clear signs that the hobby is growing at a steady pace. A number of new businesses have sprung up, mainly small enterprises, which are a lot more flexible than the old dinosaurs like Marklin, Roco and the likes. Aside from a large number of businesses offering accessories, there are also new names around offering an interesting selection of locomotives and rolling stock. For me, the most interesting new suppliers is a firm with the unusual name Zeitgeist (there is no translation for that) producing models of the German NG line to the Zugspitze, Germany´s highest mountain.
The picture shows the yet unlettered model. Pricing? Not cheap, but reasonable! The set includes a loco, one coach and 3m of NG (12mm) Riggenbach rack track. It´s the train which ran when the line opened in 1930.
Highly tempting!
Service on this line is now by modern EMUs, but a new loco also entered service just recently.
Some impressions in a short video:
Good Saturday Morning.
Heartland Division CB&QI also have been to the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. It is a great RR museum. I saw the cab forward there with other interesting locomtives and railcars.
Yes, Garry, I agree. The 4294 in the museum looks so pristine I think you could fill the boiler with water and fire up the burners and have no problem putting a few thousand more miles on her! The California Railroad Museum is a class act!
Someone mentioned Keddie Wye. It was always fascinating to me. I never got a chance to ride over it. It looks like a modeler's dream!
UP_WP-Keddie_1980 by Edmund, on Flickr
This is a 1980 UP inspection train when they were planning to buy it from the Western Pacific.
We're already up to fifteen degrees here. Possibly rain tomorrow!?
Enjoy a hearty breakfast on me... Cheers, Ed
BATMANThink I'll take my Port, give it a play and hit the hay.
Dianne and I enjoyed a nice bottle of Port just last night. Mind you, it wasn't 40 years old, just about 1/4 that age. None the less it was very enjoyable, especially with the two of us together.
Dianne and I are headed to Edson, Alberta in early August for her niece's wedding. We want to make the trip into a holiday and we would like to spend a few days after the celebration in a cabin in the mountains near Jasper. Does anyone have any suggestions? Just so you know, we aren't going to spend $800 per night at the really posh places. We would like a small water front (river front) cabin with a decent view of the mountains, definitely not in downtown Jasper. I have found a few places worth considering, but anything that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Evening all, it was a showery day on the Coast with a high of 10c.
Didn't get my taps installed yet as I got a call for help from my daughter yesterday just as I had gotten all my tools upstairs for the job. She is in grade 12 and there was grad work to be done after school so that put an end to that.
Tonight I had to drive her into Vancouver for her grad photo's at a hoity-toity studio. That was a five-hour deal start to finish and now I sit with a glass of 40-year-old Port my Royal Navy cousin gave me way back then. Nice way to relax while catching up on forum goings on.
I see we are in Nevada. Love that part of the world, use to go ski at Heavenly all day and then sit in the hot tub with a bottle of wine for a couple of hours and then walk over to HARRAH'S for prime rib and gamble to the wee hours and do it all over again the next day. Was going out with a drop dead gorgeous blond for eight years and that was a winter must do during our time together.
Went to the Reno Air Races a few times in September with a buddy. That was a whole lot of fun for a guy that loves airplanes. Always took a ride on the train in Virginia city if it was running when we were passing through.
Headed over to Yosemite once to do some hiking, however, when we got there it was so crowded with wall to wall people (not what we expected) it felt like Disneyland, so we decided to actually just carry on and we went to Disneyland as a change of plans.
I have been to a few places in my life and for most of them I have a song that I associate to the places I have been. For Nevada, it is this one. It was written by Steve Gillette and (if interested) he gives You-Tube lessons on how he plays it. I play it note for note the way John Denver plays it and it is one of my top five as far as the enjoyment I get while playing it.
Here's Johns version.
Think I'll take my Port, give it a play and hit the hay.
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."
We had a good birding day. We saw five red tailed hawks. Two of them were flying together so the mating season has started. We also saw one snowy owl. It gave us a long lesson in primping and cleaning, which they do constantly. The sighting of the day was an immature bald eagle which seems out of place for Ontario in the winter, but they are known to winter over near Midland and we weren't too far from there.
hon30critterWhat is the proper name for those 'weasels'?
Weasel is not far off, Dave - it´s a marten - the same family. They area big pest here and cause quite a substantial damage by chewing the wiring harness of your car. For quite some time, they preferred to "feast" on Volkswagens. VW spent an enourmous amount to protect the cars from them, but were not really successful.
These varmints are protected in my country, so you can´t even hunt them. They have to be trapped, taken away and released. You´d be surprised what kind of distance they can cover!
We leave in a rather rural setting, so it´s no wonder we have these "visitors", mainly in winter.
I edited my post about members of the weasel family not venturing into populated areas in North America to restrict that to Ontario.
Howdy, everybody .
It is good to see the Diner was so busy on the first day. I had hardly any time for computers. Tomorrow we are headed to Nashville again. I let Shelley decide when she wants to visit her Mom there.
Ed .... I also have been to the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. It is a great RR museum. I saw the cab forward there with other interesting locomtives and railcars. .
Richard .... I have read the Ambrose book, too. It is very worthwhile reading it.... Not sure what you are doing with flickr ... The curved arrow to share a photo is on the bottom right corner of a Flickr image page. Click on it and you should have four choices of codes. Copy the BB code and paste in in the post body in the forum. You can shorten the code so it does not post extra words with the picture.
Happy Model Railroading.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
AKA: Varment , or ferret.
We get the Ringtailed Cat's here, and they are NOT afraid of human's ... AT ALL!
Yea, ... their cute as all heck. But their chicken eater's / egg sucker's, and raise all kind's of trouble.
We had one trapped under my shed. My wife tried to shoot it with our 22..... She missed it 14 times..... it stood still for all 14 shot's ! They are NOT afraid of human's !!!
( That, and my wife is a REALLY bad shot. She was only 8 feet from it ! )
Rust...... It's a good thing !
hon30critterWhat is the proper name for those 'weasels'? Friends of ours have an apartment in the south of France and they have had a terrible time in the past with what I believe is the same animal, but I can't remember what they were called.
Hi, Dave
I'm not sure of what Ulrich gets but we occasionally find an "Ermine" or lesser weasel around our "paradise":
Ermine by Edmund, on Flickr
Like so many animals it goes by different names. Stoat? (Rhymes with Goat ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat
I trap raccoons frequently. They will wreak havoc amongst the chickens and ducks. The county animal control authority will air-drop packets of poison twice a year to keep the population down. We have had rabid raccoons around and you don't want to be around when they're out. Every now-and-then you hear of children being bitten and they have to seek treatment.
Richard, I have enjoyed that Steven Ambrose book and several others. My preference is to download the audiobook and listen to it while doing other tasks (layout w**k) Our library system has thousands of audiobooks available for free download.
Lone Wolf. I agree with your assessment on the scenery while climbing toward Donner Pass. I'll have to prepare the video that I shot along that route while riding the California Zephyr back in '03.
This shot is a little closer to the coast:
Coast_cal2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Happy Trails, everyone!
Regards, Ed
Tinplate Toddlerwe have a frequent visitor in our attic, but fortunately, the critter just "parades" through it and doesn´t stay.
Hi Ulrich,
What is the proper name for those 'weasels'? Friends of ours have an apartment in the south of France and they have had a terrible time in the past with what I believe is the same animal, but I can't remember what they were called.
Fortunately the members of the weasel family who are native to Ontario don't usually venture into urban environments. They very much stay in the wild. However, they are not shy of human beings. Many times when Dianne and I would sit on the dock at our family cottage after dusk we would have mink on the dock structure right beneath us happily crunching away on a crayfish. We have even had them walk right under out deck chairs on a couple of occassions. We also had otters playing off of the end of the dock many times. They loved to taunt the dog!
Fond memories!