Jimmy_Braum Just for the record, I LOVE Ketchup on my dogs. Hey all, I guess I can finally show off my new house.
Just for the record, I LOVE Ketchup on my dogs.
Hey all, I guess I can finally show off my new house.
Congratulations Jimmy!
The wife and I bought our house at about your age and it was the best decision we made. Sounds like you've been wise.
No shame about ketchup on your hot dogs. I was raised a suburban heathen and still request it at Portillo's. I have developed an appreciation for the wonders of celery salt though.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
I'm right along with Ed, Jimmy. Congrats on the new house. A 26 year old with his own place? a house and not an apartment? That is very cool! You go!
Mike.
My You Tube
Jimmy_BraumHey all, I guess I can finally show off my new house.
Your house looks sharp and should be a source of pride for you, Jimmy.
I'm impressed with your collection of books
Most young people today wouldn't know how to open a book, much less how to plug the USB charging cord into one. I'm glad to see you are building a real library.
I wish you many years of comfort and security in your new home!
Cheers, Ed
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a and leave a stein outside for Ulrich.
C&N Charlie hope you are enjoying Aferica. By chance have you visited Egypt? That is one of the few countrys I would like to visit, that and Italy or should I say Rome and Pompeii.
Jimmy What No Ship Lap! Did you do the work, or just some of the work? Either way it looks good. Far as the cabints, are you leaving them bare wood?
Later, Ken
I hate Rust
drgwcs Eilif Loving the Chicago pics and videos that folks are posting. Keep 'em coming! joe323 Since I will be Chicago in a few weeks coming in by train is there any must sees besides Union Station while I am there? If you've got any favorite quisine's let me know and I can probably make a restaurant recomendation. Feel free to message me if you have other questions. You are right about adding cuisine recomendations- While there there are three things that you need to get. 1- Chicago Deep Dish Pizza- there is a lot of debate as to who has the best- giordanos, Lou Malnatis (pronounced kinda like the secret organization) or Ginos East- others could be thrown on here. 2&3 You also have to get an Italian Beef and a Chicago Dog- (do not ask for ketchup on your hot dog whatever you do) Al's Beef has several locations and has a great Italian Beef. Portillo's is good for these and has a location in River North but there are many other places that serve these. I missed Chicago Pizza when we moved away to VA but I did find a really good place just outside of Raleigh (we are right on the state line)
Eilif Loving the Chicago pics and videos that folks are posting. Keep 'em coming! joe323 Since I will be Chicago in a few weeks coming in by train is there any must sees besides Union Station while I am there? If you've got any favorite quisine's let me know and I can probably make a restaurant recomendation. Feel free to message me if you have other questions.
Loving the Chicago pics and videos that folks are posting. Keep 'em coming!
joe323 Since I will be Chicago in a few weeks coming in by train is there any must sees besides Union Station while I am there?
Since I will be Chicago in a few weeks coming in by train is there any must sees besides Union Station while I am there?
You are right about adding cuisine recomendations- While there there are three things that you need to get. 1- Chicago Deep Dish Pizza- there is a lot of debate as to who has the best- giordanos, Lou Malnatis (pronounced kinda like the secret organization) or Ginos East- others could be thrown on here. 2&3 You also have to get an Italian Beef and a Chicago Dog- (do not ask for ketchup on your hot dog whatever you do) Al's Beef has several locations and has a great Italian Beef. Portillo's is good for these and has a location in River North but there are many other places that serve these. I missed Chicago Pizza when we moved away to VA but I did find a really good place just outside of Raleigh (we are right on the state line)
I'm going to come right out and say that Lou's is the best for real Chicago Deep Dish. Lou Malnati's dad was the guy (or one of two) who invented it at Pizzeria Uno and I think he perfected it. Ginos I can take or leave, Giordano's is good, but not quite original, but Lou's is it! There's also at least one or two Lou's downtown and probably near where you are staying. I also have a particular respect for the good work Lou's has done in my neighborhood.
For Chicago Dogs, Portillo's is a great choice. I'm hesitant to say so since they actually started out in Villa Park, but they do Chicago dogs right. I'm not an expert on Italian beef.
A couple other train things...
1) Head up the Red Line El to get to the "Garfield Clarendon" Train club. Definitely a layout worth seeing. I've not heard for sure, but it's days might be numbered if that park gets redevelped so see it now! http://www.garfieldcentral.org
2) You have to take METRA, but the Elmhurst Model Train club is only a ride away. http://www.emrrc.org. Definitely a nice destination if you're the sort of person for whom a ride on some 1960's bi-levels -virtually unchanged since the 60's- appeals to you!
I'll also amend my Zientek recommendation to say:
-Ask John the proprietor if you can see his basement layout.
-Ask if there's something you're looking for in particular. He has quite a bit of backstock and a fair amount of consignment stuff.
Three other food/entertainment things.
-Downtown The Drake Hotel has free Jazz on Saturday evenings in the lovely Palm Court. A classy hang with no jeans or shorts allowed.
-For the best Ethiopian food I've ever had, "Ras Dashen" is just off the Thorndale Red Line stop.
-A drink at the almost-top "Signature room" of the John Hancock building is far more relaxing and much cheaper than paying to go to the very top observation deck.
Hey all, I guess I can finally show off my new house. To begin, we are looking in the kitchen towards the dining room, master and spare bedroom. This room has been repainted, re-tiled, cleaned, and other stuff. The Appliances are brand new to.
Next, we see the finished cabinets. These were sanded down from an orangish brown, to this light brown. They were really fun to hang up (Sarcasm). The old Counter top was this dated coral color and flower pattern.
Next we move onto the brand new bathroom. Basically the original bathroom was gutted completely, and has had everything from the subfloor up redone. There was a giant window behind the present Shower enclosure.
Here is the floor in the living room, After I cleaned it off and polished it.
Don't forget, there is a 26x 30 ft room downstairs for my model railroad when the time comes to start on it.
(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).
Howdy ..... I'll have a slice of Chicago style deep dish pizza please. ... One slice is a big meal.
Ed .... The K4 double header is a nice picture...
How about a CB&Q S4 (4-6-4) ?
Also, here is a photo of the Galesburg Local .... It operated daily between Chcago and Galesburg, It stopped at numerous small, rural towns between Aurora and Galesburg.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
drgwcsYou also have to get an Italian Beef and a Chicago Dog- (do not ask for ketchup on your hot dog whatever you do)
Why not? What's their "beef" with that?
Eilif Loving the Chicago pics and videos that folks are posting. Keep 'em coming! joe323 Since I will be Chicago in a few weeks coming in by train is there any must sees besides Union Station while I am there? drgwcs summed up the big two quite well. Museum of Science and Industry and Zientek are musts. If you have time, getting a bite at White Palace Grill (corner of Canal and Roosevelt) and then walking up on the roosevelt viaduct to see the South end of Union Station and the Amtrak yards is defintiely worth it. Great views from there. Ogilvie station is a couple blocks from Union Station in the opposite direction. not a particularly impressive station aesthetically, but ALOT of METRA traffic. If you've got any favorite quisine's let me know and I can probably make a restaurant recomendation. Feel free to message me if you have other questions.
BATMANLike to see those switch machines in action.
USS Electro-Pneumatic machines. They have a really neat sound to them. I watched/listened to them for quite a while when hanging around Washington Union Station. They have a pleasing air-hiss, gear whirr-klunk kind of sound to them .
Not sure, I'll have to look but they may have removed them all from Chicago when they upgraded the track/switch/signal system here some years ago.
Is it just me, or does that track have a really high profile? Like to see those switch machines in action.
This is cool.
https://www.facebook.com/UNILADTech/videos/2195436874101998/
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Happy Monday!
What's better than a K4 leaving Chicago on a cold, January, 1943 day?
Double-headed K4s, of course!
PRR_Eastbound-K4s by Edmund, on Flickr
Thank you Jack Delano and OWI for saving these beautiful moments in time! {please click to make bigger}
Regards, Ed
Inside the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry they have a captured German U-Boat from World War 2.
.
It is impressive, but much more fascinating are the displays of some of the inner workings of the vessel. It is amazing how primitive things were in 1944. Compared to the way things are made today, it was really interesting.
This piston really stood out to me. Compared to a squeeze cast steel monotherm pistons mounted to fracture split forged steel rods like we use in diesels today, this thing is either a bear skin or a stone knife.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good morning from the sunny West Coast. All this rain we are waiting for seems to be not happening as we have not had much of what they keep promising. Not good.
Spent a lot of time in the trainroom the last few days and that has put a smile on my face, I have been doing more work on lighting for structures and a few other things. I have become a soldering dynamo!
There is an Amazon TV show called "The Man In The High Castle" that had four seasons. The kid was an extra in two episodes and got really good screen time in one of them. They are selling off 80,000 set items from the series this week, so the wife and I might go buy his costume from it as a souvenir for him. He really enjoyed working on that one. He wore the same costume both times, in fact, he found his long lost "good pen" in the pocket of it when he went back the second time a year later. He had been doing homework between takes, that's why it was there.
There is a huge shortage of bodies for the TV/movie biz this year, It looks like the kid will be on the production side of things this summer as they have been talking to him about it quite a bit. Maybe I'll go be a movie star this summer if I can work on the same thing the kid is working on. It would be nice to see what he gets up to. I would make a good Zombie.
I am still enjoying the tour of Illinois, it is nice to have so many pics and vids. Not so sure about all those heart attacks on a plate food pics, at least I don't have to eat it. When you get North of sixty years of age and do intense workouts they tell you to get a BP monitor to keep an eye on things. My BP was 109/68 HR58 this morning. Had my sister and BIL, and wife's parents over for the usual Sunday dinner last night. Fil is 82, BIL is 72 and I am 62, all three of us are really, really fit, the three wives, not so much. It is weird that it is like that.
Were off for probably a 10 km walk with the dogs and then it will be back in the trainroom for me with some good tunes playing. It is a day off from training, the walk doesn't count.
All the best to all.
Since you are coming in by train your choices will be more limited- many of the hobby shops are suburban or further out and don't have rail service or will be a LONG bus trip for those that are in the city. That being said Zienteks at 2001 W 18th is a short walk north from the Damen station on the pink line (CTA Train) It is all HO. They are a wonderland of old out of production stuff upstairs and downstairs. They do close at 5- get there earlier and allow at least an hour to browse probably more. Zienteks is a must stop. The only other one that I can think of that is close to a rail line is Grayland Station which is about a block away from the Metra Rail MD-N (Milwaukee District North) line Edgebrook station. Metra is a seperate ticket from any CTA ticket or pass you might get. Check their hours before you go- they are not open Sun- Tues and their hours are different on other days. This is a small shop but packed to the rafters. If you are into N it is a must stop. Their HO selection is smaller but they do deal in used stuff and have a good book selection as well. Never failed to find something. Those are the two that I can think of that will be easy access.
One thing that you absolutely MUST do is go to the Museum of Science and Industry. Allow quite a few hours on this one to explore. Their layout is incredible and features downtown Chicago as well as a trip to Seattle. For an interesting perpective on it go up to take fight in the airplane suspended above. I dare say it is the only layout you can feel like you are flying above in a plane! Downstairs as you come into the museum is the Pioneer Zephyr. They have a neat tour inside. There are other railroad exhibits as well as many other things including a tour of a coal mine (extra charge) It will be a bus ride but they run express busses. Go to Transitchicago.com to plan your route from where you are staying.
There are a lot of other hobby shops and such to do but they are much easier if you are renting a car- and Chicago traffic isn't much fun. Way Way out is the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union about an hour with no traffic- figure longer- but there is no way to get there except by car. It is fantastic- the largest in America. Check Schedule only open on weekends until May 20th. allow an entire day.
I don't have much to add for the diner location in Chicago, but here are a couple of pictures I took when I was visiting Chicago back in December:
Howdy ...
Kevin ... That looks like a BBQ restaurant with character. Glad you ad a good meal.
Ed ..... I liked the video you shared of the Nebraska Zephyr.
The artuclated train set of the NZ was originally used on the Twin Cities Zephyr which had the "shovel nose" locomotives of the 1930's. Below is the TCZ with that train set.
Below is the NZ with a baggae car ahead of the articulted train. It has an E7 locomotive.
By the late 1950's, the NZ was combined with a mail train, and it would have maybe 8 to 10 unmatched headend cars between the locomotive units and the train. Then, it typically had three E-units.
In the late, 1950's the train was also combined with the Kansas City Zephyr from Chicago to Galesburg. Then, it normlly had 4 E-units to Galesburg.
In the 1960's two coaches were removed, and the train set then had 5 cars instead of the original 7 cars.
In the late 1960's, the articulated train sets were removed from service, and the NZ would have about 4 or 5 cars (not articlated). The Post Office was no longer hauling mail by railroads, and the mail cars were gone.
The NZ was a daytime train between Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska.
ROBERT PETRICKThis bridge is the prototype (inspiration) for the Win Littlefield Bridge on my layout. The project manager for the engineering company that built it was Winston Littlefield, an old-school engineer
That is a great story. There are some beautiful examples of architecture and design in Jacksonville. I am so glad they are revitalizing the city and keeping the real gems.
I drove through Georgia today down the meandering backroads to get to Atlanta.
While passing through Madison, we happened upon this nifty joint, "BIG KEV'S BAR-B-Q. Well, I am a "Big Kev", so we stopped in.
The smoker is housed in an old 40 foot boxcar, how cool!
Pretty good Georgia Bar-B-Q too.
I'm glad Ulrich is safely out of Germany. He has told us about his health issues, which are serious.
Medicine doesn't always have answers and the healthcare we expect in the US doesn't happen in much of the rest of the world.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Afternoon Diners
Flo, give a the gang and I a and leave a bullet proof vest and stein outside for Ulrich.
Jan Thank you for the up date on Ulrich. While he is out of harms way I worried about his medical condition and getting proper health care outside of Germany! He had been lamenting about living in a cabin for years now, just wish his health was better. Other wise I am sure he would be enjoying him self.
It was a little warm today. High is 78 degrees and got hot working outside. Got some more trash cleaned off the rear patio. I am sure not the man I use to be. After a tad over 1 hour I was beat.
Train Front Seems HO engine wheels do have a break in period. My BLI Bessimer SD 7 #802 could not pull much by it self. Been using a PK 2000 Penny SD 7 to help for sometime now. By it self it is pulling 14 cars with no problems.
Later Ken
GMTRacing Interesting building. If DMIR would it be some sort of multi track loader building? Based on a prototype? Nosey people would like to know. J.R.
Interesting building. If DMIR would it be some sort of multi track loader building? Based on a prototype? Nosey people would like to know. J.R.
I must have overlooked your question J.R. Multi Track Loader yes. DMIR prototype building.... not at all. It was just a freelance design on a whim
The drawing was inspired from Sewell, Mann's Creek, West Virginia. A Railroad owned coal mining town. It has been posted in MR many times through the years, (One of my favorites of all time). Sometimes I wonder why I'm not modeling Sewell...?
I like how the coal was dumped from above, transferred to loaders below. I'm using the same concept for my ore mine, only with a different loader design.
It is my thoughts I will mix scales. I will have some old school, smaller Z scale ore cars dump the ore from above conveyored to the loader.
TF
A compilation of Burlington's Nebraska Zephyr scenes, some great and others — well.
Still, worth a look.
The EMD E5, Silver Pilot looks stunning in its all stainless steel shrouding. Can you imagine the cost for such a fabrication today!
Enjoy your Sunday, Folks!
SeeYou190 We rode the River Taxi for about an hour. We got some amazing views of the bridges across the St. Johns River. .
We rode the River Taxi for about an hour. We got some amazing views of the bridges across the St. Johns River.
Hey Kevin-
This bridge is the prototype (inspiration) for the Win Littlefield Bridge on my layout. The project manager for the engineering company that built it was Winston Littlefield, an old-school engineer from a time when there were giants who built this country using little more than a piece of paper, a piece of pencil, and a slide rule.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Good morning.... We were in Nashville again yesterday. ... Long day..
Herrinchoker .... Thanks for relaying the message from Ulrich. We Diners have been very concerned about him, and it is good to hear he is in a safe place. Of course, we understand his location should not be disclosed in a public forum on the internet. I am concerned he may be isolated because he has health issues that might require emergency medical care. I did have email contact with him for a while, but I no longer have his email address. So please let him know I am praying for him and for Petra.
Also, Herrinchoker, we are thinking of going to Maine this summer. Maybe you have suggestions on things to see.
Kevin ... I recall being in the CSX building before it was CSX. Origianlly, it was Atlantic Coast Line. Next, Seaboard Coast Line. It was Family Lines when I was there.
Meanwhile, back at our visit to Illinois. Below is a Burlington commuter train before Budd bilevel coaches and E-units.
herrinchokerRecieved a reply from Ulrich. About the time of his last post to the forun he and Petra recieved additional threats, and they fled Germany.
Thanks for the update.
Pretty scary stuff. I hope they can weather the storm.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Ulrich-----
Recieved a reply from Ulrich. About the time of his last post to the forun he and Petra recieved additional threats, and they fled Germany.
A friend of theirs has provided a cabin on a island for them to live in, no heat, no hot water. However, they are safe for now, and out of Germany.
He advised that he had returned to where they had been living to pick up items they need that had been left in their haste, and was leaving Germany again upon lettting me know as to what was going on.
They have no phone service where they are, and I have reason to believe that contact via E-mail will be spotty at best.
I Do Not have his permission to divulge his whereabouts, and would not do so without it. Because he was one of the founding members of a opposition party in Germany he is in greater danger than most perhaps realize.
Ulrich asked me to pass on his reguards to the forum, and to let you all know what has happened.
herrinchoker
Evening folks!
Went to a car show this morning then had an op session at the club.
The weather speculators over hyped the forecast for today, called for "severe" weather, other than being warm, humid and sunny no rain in BR, but anyways not too many classic mustangs were at the show, two 71-73 mustangs, and around 4 or 5 65-68 mustangs but no 69-70s and all the others were either newer ones or the showroom models, I'm guessing the weather forecast scared a lot of the classic stang owners off.
Ken, that Cudas nothin' to sneeze at! Post some pictures soon!
Kevin that's a LOT of TTX Yellow!
Speaking of ethnic wedding receptions, my sisters wedding is this fall, shes half Italian so it should be pretty big!
Anyways, church is in the morning so I better start winding down for the evening.
Heres a little nudge to the juke box, we might have to move some tables to make room for the jitterbugs with this one!
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
We had a completely great day today. My function I have been attending in Jacksonville wrapped up about noon.
Mary and I went to an early dinner at a five star Brazilian Steakhouse here in Jacksonville, and the experience was amazing.
Back at the hotel we decided to explore the Riverwalk Waterfront parks. Jacksonville has done an amazing job in the past few years revitalizing the downtown area.
We could not get close enough to the the railroad bridge for any good pictures.
We did see the CSX corporate office building on the riverfront.
On the river taxi we met a couple from Russia. Turns out they are at the same hotel we are for a wedding. The wedding ceremony was over, and they were riding the boat untilt the reception.
They invited us to join them at the reception back at the hotel.
If you are ever invited to a Russian Wedding Reception... GO! We had a amazingly good time. We left pretty early because we just could not keep up.
I finished boiling the syrup. It came down to about 4 oz. My parents are buying it for $3.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube