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So, how has this virus affected you. Locked

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  • Member since
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  • From: Central Vermont
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Posted by cowman on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:48 PM

First blow was cancellation of a show I planned to sell some excess at, as well as a friends things.  He can no longer get to his layout.

Now that we are mandated to stay home if at all possible,  It may mean my grandson will be around to help, but I may not be able to get the lumber I need to work on the new train room.

My son that was going to help "sometime" is stuck close to base  in case needed in a hurry.

Oh well.  Will see what I can do.

Stay safe,

Richard

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:52 PM

andrechapelon
Apparently, several of the drugs lead to hair loss. This is a good thing, as I badly need a hair cut and there's nowhere to get one out here. I believe the word I'm looking for is "serendipity ".  

Andre,

If my aunt Ruth was any indication your hair will grow back. Unfortunately it may not be what you expect. She had been a blonde since birth. When her hair grew back after chemo is was thick and as black as black could be! Will wonders never cease?!?

Good luck with your treatment!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:58 PM

Hi jacon12,

That is a really nice layout! I wish I could come and suffer the isolation with you!

Cheers!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by Drumguy on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 9:22 PM

hon30critter

 Hey, hair loss isn't such a bad thing. Your showers are much faster, and you can save a fortune on hair care products. Wink We all need a little levity right now. 

 
andrechapelon
Apparently, several of the drugs lead to hair loss. This is a good thing, as I badly need a hair cut and there's nowhere to get one out here. I believe the word I'm looking for is "serendipity ".  

 

Andre,

If my aunt Ruth was any indication your hair will grow back. Unfortunately it may not be what you expect. She had been a blonde since birth. When her hair grew back after chemo is was thick and as black as black could be! Will wonders never cease?!?

Good luck with your treatment!

Dave

 

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Posted by Drumguy on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 9:26 PM

Man, how do I manage to always get my replies stuck inside the text I'm trying to quote? Argh-- clearly I'm social media challenged. Apologies to whomever I seemed to hijack. Regardless, a years worth of savings on shampoo and conditioner might equal a good loco.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 10:39 PM

Drumguy

Man, how do I manage to always get my replies stuck inside the text I'm trying to quote? Argh-- clearly I'm social media challenged. Apologies to whomever I seemed to hijack. Regardless, a years worth of savings on shampoo and conditioner might equal a good loco.

 

After you click "quote", scroll down the page, make sure the cursor is after all the text and after the word "/quote" in brackets.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 11:07 PM

cowman
First blow was cancellation of a show I planned to sell some excess at, as well as a friends things. He can no longer get to his layout.

The train show in a few days in Port Charlotte was cancelled. I was planning to sell off all the props and the "prop fleet" that I have been using on my 30 by 30 photo diorama for the past couple of years.

If I can't sell them, that is OK. I sure got my money's worth out of them. Dollar per enjoyment, I think the props and photo diorama have been an incredible bargain.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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  • From: West Australia
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Posted by John Busby on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 11:09 PM

Due to stupid "HUH!!" type panic buying and inconsistent government announcements I don't know which way is up any more.

It would be a big help if I could just go to the supermarket and know I can get a normal full fortnights shopping with no silly restriction caused by idiot panic buyers.

I can't even find a drawing for a tiny shop (store) or something as an escape  corona virus frustration card structure project, if I had that I might survive this with at least my sanity intact.

Its a little scary I am in the at extra risk group due to an exsisting medical condition.

I saw the doctor with out seeing him a couple of days ago to get the scripts I will need so will be OK on medication strips and lancets

Sounds weird  but all I had to do was write a list of the paper work I needed and all was done and waiting without the need for a consultation obviously my doctor though it was safer to do it that way.

regards John

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, March 26, 2020 12:17 AM

andrechapelon

Sure you want to know? Cancer diagnosis after 5 days of some heavy diagnostics in the hospital. Treatable, but that's not not the big deal. I REALLY have to stay the hell away from people. The pandemic is more likely to kill me than the cancer. I realize I rarely post, and I apologize for that.

The irony is (and it's actually funny as far as I'm concerned), the whole thing has the air of a gigantic cosmic practical joke. On a lighter note, my wife finally got her wish. I had my first MRI. As I told one of the people involved, "She got her wish, I'm finally getting my head examined".

 

Wow someone who thinks the way I do. I always tell the truth when someone say "and how is your day", sometime they wish they hadn't. Sorry about what happened to you but at least it is treatable. I worry about that as my sister has had a very rare, ussually untreatable typeand others, luckily so far so good .

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, March 26, 2020 12:40 AM

As for me, getting bored out of my skull and I have been retired for 15 years. Trouble is I ussually do alot of walking and shopping, they frown on that behavior now or outright make it illegal. Tried to do a trail today and the gate was locked, went to the other end and it was open. Went to costco today and no line and easy checkout, as we were leaving there was a long line starting. I have all the train layout stuff I need for this layout (except for a digitrax throttle for my DCS51) but track not down yet but cork in. Only thing I may run out of is caulk but hardware still open and I am sure my nearby kin has some. Was getting a bit worried about some of my investments but things seem to have stabilized in the muni market. Daughter got a job a moth or two before this hit and the school are continuing to pay their emplyees, other daughter works in grocery. And yes I realy like to hear other stories, good, bad or other, someone to talk to, LOL.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, March 26, 2020 12:50 AM

This is a community.

We ARE all in this together.

Smile

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, March 26, 2020 1:43 AM
Having been in self isolation already since last Saturday, when my daughter managed to get home from Eastern Europe, I  find that due to that the country is now in official lockdown, that I get another four weeks off! The slight irony is that having had less than 20 days off in the last six months, I’m not essential!!LaughLaugh
 
That said, (and with best wishes to Andre, Sheldon’s wife, and others if I’ve missed them), if my current biggest problem is trying to decide which of the many ½ done projects, I should get back on to and restart, then I have no problems at all!!
 
Stay Safe, Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by mlehman on Thursday, March 26, 2020 2:39 AM

Thoughts are with Andre/Mike for a good recovery. Heck of a time to get a worry like that. Had my own little scare and things seem back to normal after a couple of years, knock on wood, thanks to the sharp eyes of my primary care physician.

The slight irony is that having had less than 20 days off in the last six months, I’m not essential!!Laugh

Richly deserved days off, I'd say. Time for some fun, once your compass settles down and tells you which of those projects should come first. I just start working on things and quit and go to the next until I get bored with it, then...

It sure helps in this mess to be retired, mostly. The wife is working from home, so that's different for me and the cats.

Biggest burden so far was having to manage to cancel our local train show as gracefully as possible. I'd stocked up on what I needed to finish up a couple of modules, one new and one a rehab of a much missed departed member's fine work, shortly before that. Bob was a well-regarded professor and a skillful model railroader, so as a historian I was inspired to build a memorial, which would have also debuted at the cancelled train show. It's still a work in progress.

Here's a reminder to not overdo the modeling, at least no more than for the couple of weeks leading up to the cancelled train show...

His module protruded through the entry to the living room/wife's new office while the new HOn3 4x8 was taking up most of the dining room.

Finally got it all out of the house today and stashed in the garage in our Canadian surplus 1/4 ton trailer until it's needed.

Funny how that Rustoleum Camo Green paint on the layout as ground cover blends right in with the trailer, ready to roll in case of the zombie apolcalypse if I need to take it along...Whistling...Next scheduled public show of the assemblage is December. That might happen, we'll see. At least my marriage is saved with the in-house layout confined to the basement again...Stick out tongue

I do have enough kits and trucks to build more narrowgauge rolling stock, at least for a month or so. Next up will be figuring out what to do about April's divisional meeting, which is scheduled to occur right after the current stay-home orders expire. Will it be virtual? Maybe. More worrisome is that our (ITD, MWR, NMRA) yearly divisional business meeting is scheduled for May. The usual host has most of the most worrisome predisposing bad mix of conditions where you don't want to get the virus, so we need to keep his health in mind first...and most of the rest of us aren't in much better shape. We all gotta survive, there's already barely enough of us to pull off the train show anyway!

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by andrechapelon on Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:32 AM

Thanks, Martin. I'm retired, so have time on hands. Or rather had. Actually, since this whole fiasco started, it's  almost become a scheduling nightmare as I'm booked solid at least a week ahead. Train stuff is going to have to wait a bit until it becomes clear thatthe chemo is actually working. My oncologist said evidence should be coming within next 2 to 3 days as the first round was an attack on the tumor itself. 
I've always been a partisan of the SP, first going along with everyone's love of the big engine classes before realizing what I really love are the small local freights and switching, lots and lots of switching. Found that out about 12 years ago, when I attended my first OP session as a rookie.

I will probably never be as disciplined as Sheldon, as even though my favorite area is late small steam on the SP, I can't help having a soft spot in my heart fo the SP "Cadillacs" (SD7/9) in their 80's guise and a real soft spot for SP's collection of SW1500's.  

Well, got an appoint to go to in about 90 minutes, so a little more rest won't hurt . Stay safe out ther.

 

Mike

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:58 AM

Andre/Mike ..... Prayers for you as you undergo treatmnt for cancer. I'm impressed by the comments to you from Sheldon and other forum members in this thread offering prayers and encouragement to you. Model Railroaders typically are good people. 

I'm retired. Today will be my 15th day for my wife and I to be isolated from other people. I am working on the model railroad. I can't take a chance with this virus because I have congestive heart failure. 

Steve Otte said in his sticky about the virus: " In these stressful times, people need this escape now more than ever. " .... I think forum members will agree. Our hobby is good for "sanity breaks" because it takes our thoughts away from real world problems. 

I normally post my off topic comments in the DIner, and I appreciate MR allowing for that. .... EVERYBODY is welcome in the Diner. Feel free to comment there if you wish. 

Praying all MR forum members with their families and MR staff with their families do not catch the virus. 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by LensCapOn on Thursday, March 26, 2020 9:16 AM

The Train Nut, er MODELING, community seems to be "Wait! I'm stuck inside with my trains and nothing to do? What problem?" I have seen lots of images of new work done.

 

As for myself, I cut in a new cuved switch eliminating a host of troubles, test run my most troublesome equipment after, cleaned, lubed, tuned, and adjusted the coupler height on the long stored engines I expect to use (they all are sweet runners now) and made a list of equipment that is surpluse to my needs. Practicing carving foam for scenery is next on the list.

 

Oh, I have a panting program for the house. As a start the basement ceiling is now completely white with 2+ coats!

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 26, 2020 9:49 AM

LensCapOn
The Train Nut, er MODELING, community seems to be "Wait! I'm stuck inside with my trains and nothing to do? What problem?"

I can tell you what problem.  I'm working from home and yes, that means working and not skiving.  I need to be useful as well as ornamental if I want to stay in good standing.  Just saying.

So all this staying at home seems to really affect those who are not working or retired?  Or am I wrong.  Confused

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, March 26, 2020 9:59 AM

A thank you goes out to Steven Otte for letting this thread live. Good bad or indifferent, people need a place to vent and or tell their stories. Sure we are all model railroaders but we are people too. 

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Posted by Doughless on Thursday, March 26, 2020 10:03 AM

It hasn't impacted me much at all.  I have a job that is conducted mainly via laptop, so teleworking was always part of the process for me.

Since my wife has accurately pointed out that my normal social lifestyle already looked a lot like a quarentined basement dweller, such mandates would not have much impact. 

After all, I've been practicing proper "social distancing" for over 50 years.  Six feet apart seems too close to what I'm used to.....lol.

As far as trains, my new layout has prompted me to recalibrate my equipment needs, so I bought some stuff from the popular online hobby shops before they closed their shipping departments.  Just bad timing for me where I actually wanted some items about the time the pandemic hit, or else I would not have bought.

- Douglas

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Posted by csxns on Thursday, March 26, 2020 10:03 AM

riogrande5761
So all this staying at home seems to really affect those who are not working or retired?  Or am I wrong. 

I say yes.

Russell

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, March 26, 2020 10:04 AM

Now as an update. I live in the SF bay area  and public transit is starting to shut down compleatly, slowly but some systems have stopped all. I don't drive but I have lots of kin nearby, this will be very hard for those without such support.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 26, 2020 11:04 AM

rrebell

Now as an update. I live in the SF bay area  and public transit is starting to shut down compleatly, slowly but some systems have stopped all. I don't drive but I have lots of kin nearby, this will be very hard for those without such support.

 

I know people live that way, but I could not imagine a life without driving and owning a car......

 But then again, I live in the rural countryside, with the dairy cows, corn fields, and little towns where three stories is a tall building.........

Sheldon

    

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, March 26, 2020 11:53 AM

riogrande5761
So all this staying at home seems to really affect those who are not working or retired?  Or am I wrong. 

I think that needs to be seperated a bit.  Not working because of the shut down of "non essensial" business, and not being an "essential" worker, has to be tuff, and stressfull.

Retired? as I am?  I don't think so. Smile, Wink & Grin  My LHS still takes phone and on line orders with curb side pick-up.  Yes  I'm good!  

Judging by some comments and replies I see on Face Book, I think this whole thing will be the start of 2 sub classes of the Working Class.

Now you will be classified as "essential", or "non-essential", which probably always excisted, but now it's defined.

Mike.

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Posted by Lazers on Thursday, March 26, 2020 1:10 PM

I'm working from home too, because the company decided that the least No. of people on site would be best and it does add-up, in my opinion.

Ironically I am writing 'Safe Systems of Work' for machinery and other H&S documents. Amongst the Safety Sign Icons I might start to include ' Now wash your Hands'.

The upshot of this is that I have had time to do a lot more to finishing-off my MRR Baseboards, build a Work-Top (on an old B&D Workmate frame) cut my first two bits of Track (Shinohara) and assemble 2No. 30-degree Diamonds and 3 No. #6 T/O's. So, progress at last on my MRR.

But classification exists, as my boss said to me, "you are classified as non-essential, Paul"

"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".

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Posted by LensCapOn on Thursday, March 26, 2020 1:30 PM

riogrande5761
  

I can tell you what problem.   Confused

 

I could have taken that route but chose not to. My wife is working from home and worried about how long the job might last. The essential business designation is closing many businesses that are essential to the owners and workers,  many will not return. Let’s not talk about my 401K, OK? I’m old, my father is older and lives several states away. It might not even be LEGAL to visit him on Easter, and god help us if he gets sick.
You are clearly in a funk. Some of us are trying not to be, even if we have to go to dark humor to laugh.
 
Good luck to you, and God bless!
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Posted by andrechapelon on Thursday, March 26, 2020 1:55 PM

hon30critter

 My hair is white. I expect it to grow back that way. Who knows, maybe I'll go all Steve Harvey for a while.

 

Aw crap. Embedded answer iin your text. Getting transfusion right now. Sorr.

 
andrechapelon
Apparently, several of the drugs lead to hair loss. This is a good thing, as I badly need a hair cut and there's nowhere to get one out here. I believe the word I'm looking for is "serendipity ".  

 

Andre,

If my aunt Ruth was any indication your hair will grow back. Unfortunately it may not be what you expect. She had been a blonde since birth. When her hair grew back after chemo is was thick and as black as black could be! Will wonders never cease?!?

Good luck with your treatment!

Dave

 

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
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Posted by Marc_Magnus on Thursday, March 26, 2020 2:34 PM

Really I don't care a lot about it, but I don't ask to play with the devil,  I stay home for the most of my time.

 

The best thing about this situation is free time, a lot of free time, peace time, no more hurry for my job.

I'm now able to work for my layout ( new project of extension) 7 hours a day, first time I ever had such time to work on my layout and most better continuously

And I see already new steps fowards, in a few days I'm able to clean the old wood shop where my layout will take place in a near future; Guys I never had seen so much wood dust in all my live;any small holes is full of dust,  the room has also a suspended ceiling and inspection, show I need to dissasemble it completely  to be sure to vanish dust for ever.

Now the wheather is less cold,  this free time comes just about at the good moment.

I hope to have still a good week free time so clean job will be mostly finished.

Big work will come with a contractor this summer if the period allow it to do it, we seen, it later.

After cleaning, may be I will begun to build some of the metallic structure I will use to support the benchwork; really I hope to have the time....

 

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Posted by selector on Thursday, March 26, 2020 3:02 PM

This pandemic hasn't affected me much at all.  I still live the life of a (married) hermit essentially.  I have my computer time, rails time, gardening (a fair bit of yard work each spring), my daily run/walks of about 8-10 km, cycling,...although my few social events have been cancelled until further notice.  No more choral singing, no Crime Stoppers (I'm on the local board), no volunteer shopping at our grocery store for shut-in seniors and those with disabilities, no rehearsals with my trio for Sunday morning services where my aged father, a woman acquaintance, and I sing hymns during communion...no services period, in fact.  I haven't really missed them yet...perhaps by mid-May, when I hope much of this has blown over and things are slowly returning to normal (I'm betting on the fall, though).

I sincerely wish all of you great fortune and good fate, if that is all that will save us.  

I began to warn my extended family and friends about this virus back in early January when the late Dr. Li first posted his video imploring the world to prepare.  By then, it was already about 3-4 weeks into the epidemic in Wuhan.  Ever since, I have relied on MedCram and Dr. John Campbell on youtube for daily updates, and it looks positively horrible for the next three or four months, possibly late into the fall.

Stay safe, friends.  

[Edited by admin. No medical advice or statistics on this Forum, please.]

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 26, 2020 3:11 PM

LensCapOn
You are clearly in a funk.

No, not at all.  Perhaps my comment was misread or wasn't stated clearly enough, common enough on internet since I was first on forums in 1977.

Re comment: "LensCapOn

The Train Nut, er MODELING, community seems to be "Wait! I'm stuck inside with my trains and nothing to do? What problem?"
 
If I wasn't expected to work my 8 hours at home, I too would be saying, ain't nothing wrong with being stuck at home because I'd be able to work on the layout instead!  Not good or bad, just is.
 
 
So basically for those working at home, nothing has really changed as far as getting more time for trains.  Thats all.  No funk.  It may be different for people who are staying home just to avoid the Corona virus but are retired or not working.  Otherwise they would be out doing other things possibly, taking them away from trains!  Stick out tongue
 

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 26, 2020 3:33 PM

csxns
 
riogrande5761
So all this staying at home seems to really affect those who are not working or retired?  Or am I wrong. 

 

I say yes. 

Skiving then?  Pirate

 

mbinsewi
 
 
riogrande5761
So all this staying at home seems to really affect those who are not working or retired?  Or am I wrong.  

 

I think that needs to be seperated a bit.  Not working because of the shut down of "non essensial" business, and not being an "essential" worker, has to be tuff, and stressfull.

My comments were more in the context of those saying they were home due Cornoa having extra hobby time; I was thinking at least those who were working from home, not so much extra hobby time.  Those home for other reasons ya ya. 

For sure it's going to be a stressful time for those losing or at potential for losing income.  Uncertain times. 

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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