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Jeffrey´s Trackside Diner March 2020 - This Month in Texas!

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  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:46 PM

A tornado hit a mall in Arkansas and just about destroyed it.  I don't think there were any fatalities.  Baltimore got hit by a thunderstorm Saturday morning and lightning hit a formerly Catholic church steeple, built in 1865 and burned it off.

Some guy in a rural town in MD got arrested after he hosted his second outdoor party with 60+ people.  Who would go to that?  The guests are as bad as the host.

Watching the Elton John Covid concert and I don't know any of these people or their music.

Ulrich are they using Chloroquine in your country?  No one is reporting that here.  I ask for medical not political interest. The German death rate is 1/2 the rest of the world, even with their increased numbers. 

Lady Gaga is on now.  She has a sign "Gaga" next to her desk.  Lizzo is up next.  I saw her on Graham Norton, a Brit Johnny Carson show with some twists.   I agree with Jillian Michaels.  No good comes from weighing 300 pounds.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by Attuvian on Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:47 PM

RideOnRoad
 Attuvian
. . .If you want some dirty looks, try sneezing while you're in line for Costco to open - even though it's not a Coronavirus symptom. . .

And if you want to clear out the line, cough and say, "Dang, cough! I just haven't been able to shake it since I got back from Italy." 

Ah, Richard. Can't imagine anyone topping that one. 

Hang in there, all.  There may be no medals, but there will be countless heroes, some of whom are your neighbors or a person living under your own roof.  Providence will see us through in the end.  And all the sooner if we can resist the temptation to shoot each other in the process.

John

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  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:51 PM

Our kitchen faucet needed a new cartridge, about 12 yrs. old, it was a Moen, I called, and they sent me a replacement, free.  No shipping charge.

Since then, Moen is all I buy.  I think their slogan is "Buy it for looks, buy it for life".

Mike.

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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, March 29, 2020 9:39 PM

Ken,

I sent you a PM with a USPS tracking Number.

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, March 29, 2020 11:04 PM

BigDaddy
Watching the Elton John Covid concert and I don't know any of these people or their music.

I watched it, and enjoyed it a lot. I posted my comments in the other thread since it was a coronavirus event... I will copy them here.

I watched the I Heart Radio Concert For America tonight. This was a coronavirus event.

Everybody was performing from their homes, some with their bands over the internet.

The Backstreet Boys were very good, surprisingly good. Nick Carter has not aged a bit, but AJ is looking like an old man!

Tim McGraw did not do very good. He was stradling his diving board over his pool, I think trying to look sexy. He looked awful and would have sounded much better if he stood up by a microphone.

I was impressed by how good Camilla Cabello was. She sounded a lot like Amy Winehouse to me. What a beautiful voice.

Billie Eilish's performance started out very weak, but ended well.

Overall, I am very glad I decided to watch it.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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    May 2010
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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 29, 2020 11:10 PM

I watched the Garth Brooks Library of Congress Gershwin Awards concert.  Great!

Mike.

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Sunday, March 29, 2020 11:55 PM

BigDaddy
Ulrich are they using Chloroquine in your country? No one is reporting that here. I ask for medical not political interest. The German death rate is 1/2 the rest of the world, even with their increased numbers.

No, they are not, at least not to the extent done in other countries. And most deaths reported occur with the virus, but not from the virus. From what I learned, the treatment is to ventilate patients and support their immune system with a high dosis of vitamins. In Italy, Spain and France they do not have a sufficient number of ventilators and their treatment follows the one recently published in the "Lancet", if there is any treatment at all. I wouldn´t call suppressing one´s immune system a successful therapy for a virus infection.

Although Steven has asked us to refrain from posting numbers, I wonder why 60% of all reported deaths occur in Italy, Spain and France.

Edit: It´s snowing here - a rather rare occurence at the end of March in my neck of the woods!

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, March 30, 2020 5:53 AM

Good Monday Morning —

No trouble finding a seat in the Diner this morning. C'mon in, the coffee's hot!

 Diner by Edmund, on Flickr

I hope everyone had a safe and healthy weekend.

Anyone hear from Mr. Track Fiddler? I haven't seen him in these parts lately.

Who said March Madness was cancelled? Sure seems crazy enough to me Surprise

BigDaddy
Ed your Amtrak girl reminds me of Judy Carne from Laugh In. 

Yes, I see the resemblance. She was on Love, American Style, too. Remember that blast from the past?

BigDaddy
Ended with a 20 minute video on the production of 3" anti aircraft shells.

For some reason YouTube has been pushing that one. It comes up all the time for me, too. Haven't taken the time to watch it yet.

Enjoy the day, Folks!

            Ed

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    February 2015
  • From: Ludington, MI
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Posted by Water Level Route on Monday, March 30, 2020 6:39 AM

Good morning all.  Flo, biscuits & gravy and a large apple juice please.

Week two of working from home.  It's different, and I sure miss the dual monitors on my work computer, but it's certainly better than: A. Being at work.  B. Being laid off.  Still, the company is struggling and announced pay cuts effective immediately.  Again, at least I still have a job.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.  I see from Ed's photo you are all practicing social distancing really well!

Cheers,

Mike

  • Member since
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  • From: New Milford, Ct
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Posted by GMTRacing on Monday, March 30, 2020 7:19 AM

Good Morning All,

    A regular and a blueberry bagel with cream cheese please Zoe. 37F and overcast again. It's getting to be a trend. Hope everyone is hanging in there. Living in interesting times indeed.

    Are we all done slinging 2" spanners around? At the first shop I worked at we used to fire finishing nails out the non-OSHA air nozzles. No, it wasn't safe, no it wasn't smart, yes it was fun to see if we could stick them in the walls. No, we didn't shoot each other. 

   Not much done last night on the layout. Cleaned up a bit more and started looking through my chain link fence collection. I had some scratch built pieces left over from a "box o' stuff" i bought at a train show and a Walthers kit. I like the chain link in the kit but the uprights are a nonstarter in my opinion. They are nicely moulded but flimsy and I don't see drilling through them to make something capable of holding up on a layout. I have taken the good enough route enough that making something less exact but sturdier has some appeal. i may try to make a drill jig to drill through small diameter brass tube so I can plant the tube in the foam with a piano wire through the tube top and bottom and then glue the Walthers mesh over that. Probably there are a hundred tutorials out there already and I just need to find them.

All for now, time to see if I can labor away and keep the doors open.   Ciao, J.R.

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Posted by York1 on Monday, March 30, 2020 8:21 AM

Good morning, everyone.

I'm venturing into the jaws this morning.  I'm heading to the clinic to get an allergy shot.  I'll park my car, start holding my breath, and not breath again until I get back outside.

My county is on lockdown, but we have not had any virus cases here (yet).

I know it's not good practice to post something from Facebook here, but my wife uses Facebook and got this from someone.  I don't look at Facebook at all, so she sent this to me in an email.  I don't know why she thought this was so funny:

 

 

York1 John       

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    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, March 30, 2020 9:02 AM

Good morning ..... Coffee and a donut. please. ..... This is Day 19 for us to be hermits. Actaully, I have not had a real donut in three weeks. 

We also watched the concert on TV last night. Today, we might play more board games. Maybe, they should be called "bored games". LOL 

I am working on the layout, and that's good. 

Everybody: .... Have a good Monday. 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
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  • From: 53° 33′ N, 10° 0′ E
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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Monday, March 30, 2020 9:17 AM

The houses in Denmark we wanted to take a look at have either been sold or taken off the market. There is no viable option left.

I am desperate!

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Paducah KY
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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Monday, March 30, 2020 9:23 AM

Good Morning,

Not much going on, I have recovered from the heater fall. ( me falling on the heater) I worked on a 1937 radio over the weekend. It passed the smoke test and had little to no volume. I traced it to a bad volume control. 

 Not much on railroad front. 

 

  • Member since
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  • From: New Milford, Ct
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Posted by GMTRacing on Monday, March 30, 2020 10:14 AM

Ulrich,

    You keep getting thrown new challanges but keep your chin up. Eventually the plague will end,  you will have all the financials in order and a way forward and houses you want and can afford all at the same time. When all the stars align we will applaud with you. Sort of like working all your life to become an overnight success.  Hang in there.   

LMC so a 30's radio with tubes and cloth braid over the wires? Do the switches disassemble for refurbishing like 30's British car electrics or did you take a short cut and spray some tuner cleaner on the wiper for the rheostat?  Inquiring minds want to know.

J.R.

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: Portland, Oregon
  • 658 posts
Posted by Attuvian on Monday, March 30, 2020 10:17 AM

Tinplate Toddler

The houses in Denmark we wanted to take a look at have either been sold or taken off the market. There is no viable option left.

I am desperate!

 
Think positively, Ulrich.  Available houses are like taxes: when the current ones are out of the way, there will be more in short order - and they will be even more expensive!
 
But seriously, I suspect that there will be plenty of Danish houses available in the future, and they might be cheaper. Here in the US there will be some who, because of job losses, may chose to sell for personal financial benefit.  Probably the same in Europe.  The only question may be the availability of your marks and their value at the time.  I think you've got this covered when some measure of normality is restored.
 
John
  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Paducah KY
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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Monday, March 30, 2020 10:38 AM

GMTRacing

   

LMC so a 30's radio with tubes and cloth braid over the wires? Do the switches disassemble for refurbishing like 30's British car electrics or did you take a short cut and spray some tuner cleaner on the wiper for the rheostat?  Inquiring minds want to know.

J.R.

 

 

Yes it is cloth braid over rubber coated wire. I have taken the control out and dissasembled it and cleaned it, (it was corroded) however it is still bad. Control reads fine from one end to center wiper and does not read correctly when hooked to ther end to center wiper, it makes no sense, the carbon track is not broken and why does it read correctly hooked up one way and not the other? it is a baffeling issue I have never seen a control meausre like this.  The control measures correctly across the whole control. 

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  • From: 53° 33′ N, 10° 0′ E
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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Monday, March 30, 2020 10:41 AM

Attuvian
Think positively, Ulrich. Available houses are like taxes: when the current ones are out of the way, there will be more in short order - and they will be even more expensive!

The house prices in Denmark are on the same level as in Germany, if you need to live near a city. Only in rural and remote locations, prices are within reach for us. Most of the houses require a complete make over, though. The places we had in mind were in a decent condition and that is as rare as hen´s teeth.

Thinking positively in the current situation and the economic perspective is hard to do.

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New Milford, Ct
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Posted by GMTRacing on Monday, March 30, 2020 10:56 AM

LMC

   Is the carbon spring loaded? Is whatever keeps the carbon in contact relaxed enough to affect the reading? I had that happen on a distributor cap that developed a misfire at hight RPM. Just a thought.   

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Monday, March 30, 2020 11:29 AM

GMTRacing

LMC

   Is the carbon spring loaded? Is whatever keeps the carbon in contact relaxed enough to affect the reading? I had that happen on a distributor cap that developed a misfire at hight RPM. Just a thought.   

 

No the wiper is the spring loaded portion. ( if it were failing it would measure the same no matter which way I hooked it up)If I measure it hooked one way it goes from 0 to 2.3 meg , when turning up the volume. ( which is what it is supposed to do) When I measure using the "top" of the control it should go from 2.3 meg to 0 ( zero being loudest volume)  Instead it measures 2.3 meg ohms all the way to the last 1/8 of turn then changes to zero, Which means  no volume for the first 7/8th of the control.  

Like I said nothing broken in this , could be internal resistance built up on the one contact. 

  • Member since
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, March 30, 2020 12:06 PM

GMTRacing
At the first shop I worked at we used to fire finishing nails out the non-OSHA air nozzles. No, it wasn't safe,

If you can get your hands on a 1970s-1980s Cummins PT/d injector, it is amazing. Uncrimp the plunger end from the actuator carrier, and it is a beautifully pointed projectile that fits into a 1/4" pipe perfectly. 120 PSI will launch it like a bullet.

We put one through a wall, across the parking lot, and through a windshield. Then we decided that was a dumb thing to do.

People still point out the "bullet holes" in the Fort Myers shop. Interesting they never notice the tears in the steel go from the inside-out.

Oh, the 1980s when I was young and stupid. What a great time to be young and stupid.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by York1 on Monday, March 30, 2020 1:23 PM

With the stupid things we did back then, it's a wonder we are here writing on the forum at our age.

Ulrich, you had mentioned several weeks ago that your friend had made arrangements to sell her house.  Did that work out, or did this virus kill those plans, too?

York1 John       

  • Member since
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, March 30, 2020 1:26 PM

York1
it's a wonder we are here writing on the forum at our age.

Yes it is. I am glad we are all here.

Heartland Division CB&Q
Today, we might play more board games. Maybe, they should be called "bored games". LOL

My wife and I have been playing some late night games of Carcassonne for the past few days. we are about 50/50 in the win column. 

We will play a couple more games today.

I have been playing too nicely. I think tonight I will be stealing her farms.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New Milford, Ct
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Posted by GMTRacing on Monday, March 30, 2020 2:12 PM

Judging by the last few posts we may all be present but I'm not at all sure we are all "here"...... So 60's, 70's, 80's accounted for did everyone wise up after that?  

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Posted by maxman on Monday, March 30, 2020 2:56 PM

GMTRacing
Judging by the last few posts we may all be present but I'm not at all sure we are all "here"

If you can remember the 60's you weren't really there.

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Posted by RideOnRoad on Monday, March 30, 2020 3:28 PM

In this new age of isolation, I just cut my own hair.

Richard

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Posted by howmus on Monday, March 30, 2020 4:19 PM

GMTRacing

Judging by the last few posts we may all be present but I'm not at all sure we are all "here"...... So 60's, 70's, 80's accounted for did everyone wise up after that?  

 

Nope!

37

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

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Posted by York1 on Monday, March 30, 2020 4:43 PM

RideOnRoad
In this new age of isolation, I just cut my own hair.

 

Don't brag too much.   For 30 years, I've cut my own hairs -- all four of them.

York1 John       

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Posted by howmus on Monday, March 30, 2020 7:54 PM

So.........  Where are we heading for next month?  Any ideas???

73

Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO

We'll get there sooner or later! 

  • Member since
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, March 30, 2020 9:29 PM

Earlier this month Belgium was suggested. Then Ulrich said all of BENELUX would be a better choice. But nothing other than those musings.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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