No changes that I'm aware of:
Century_2_covi by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
I am retired. Most of the changes are in social interaction. Many of the modelers in my area have other modelers come over once a week to help build layouts. That has stopped. Operating sessions are cancelled. Trips to the store are less frequent. No meeting other modelers for lunch. Other than that there hasn't been that much of a change.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I'm in IT, so about 99% of my job can be done from home. So that's what I've been doing. It means I don't have to worry about a one-hour commute each way, so I've had time to do other things in the mornings and afternoons.
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
I'm a lone wolf operator so that hasn't been impacted. In fact since the bowling alleys in Ohio have been forced to close and my golf course has delayed opening for the year, I now have more time than ever to spend on the layout.
As of last Monday, Ohio's governor ordered all non-essential businesses to close until further notice. That has force hobby stores to shut down. I'm now buy more things than ever through Amazon but even they are now taking longer to deliver. Things that would take one or two days are now taking a week.
Unrelated to model railroading, I'm going to the grocery story less frequently and buying more each trip. I've gone out twice in the last 17 days. I am slowly building up a small stockpile of non perishable food items just in case worse comes to worst and the supply chain is broken. I was a little worried last week when I saw dog food being cleaned out but that seems to have eased. The 50 lbs. bags are plentiful because not everyone can lift them easily. I've got about 150 lbs. now for my three dogs so we can handle a short term shortage.
This morning I felt like a won the toilet paper lottery. I did my shopping first at Kroger and got there at the open hoping to find the shelves stocked. No luck. After doing all my other shopping I headed to Wal-Mart and went straight to the toilet paper aisle. They were cleaned out too. As I started down that aisle out of the corner of my eye I spotted two 4 roll packs of low grade economy toilet paper all the way back in the corner of the shelf. It couldn't be seen from the main aisle because of the end cap. Apparently the horders missed them. Those 8 rolls have essentially doubled my supply. Hopefully that will carry me through until the panic buying stops. Surely the horders are going to run out of storage space for all the toilet paper they are buying.
[quote user="John-NYBW"]
my golf course has delayed opening for the year
I'd think the golf course could keep the 6' distance between people with little problem!
That has force hobby stores to shut down. I'm now buy more things than ever through Amazon but even they are now taking longer to deliver. Things that would take one or two days are now taking a week.
Totally down? I think Maryland is under the same order yet MB Kleins continues to fill orders and ship. Any hobby shop without an online presence could shut the walk-in but still fill orders online. Shops without online ability were already at a big disadvantge - even more so now.
My wife has been in the habit for years of buying a little more than we need each trip, and stocking up on essentials. She saves money too because she buys extra when Target or other stores have sales, so many things she mostly ever pays the sale price for.
That's one advantage to stocking up under normal conditions, you pay less by only buying items when they are on sale because you have enough to go from sale to sale. Same thing with cat litter and food, toilet paper etc. Always stocked up. Out of curiosity, I did rough count of toilet paper and estimated we had over 60 roles, and that was basically before this whole rodeo began.
Those 8 rolls have essentially doubled my supply. Hopefully that will carry me through until the panic buying stops. Surely the horders are going to run out of storage space for all the toilet paper they are buying.
Thats assuming stores will allow horders to continue to hoard like they were before this danced began. Stores in my areas are limiting quanitites to shoppers so they can't clean the shelves selfishly and product is left for other shoppers.
My wife and I went to Aldi last weekend and our neighbor was coming out as we were parking. He has 3 hungry big boys, wife, mother-in-law and a girl. They go through a lot of food. They were limited to 4 cans of greenbeans. My wife said, howay (she's a Geordie) and we bought them 4 more.
BTW, in that Adli's last weekend? The shelves looked pretty normal, plenty of eggs, bread, pretty much everything. Yes, even toilet paper. The toilet paper wasn't fully stocked but half stocked and customers were allowed to buy to big bulk packs. We didn't buy any because we are fine and left it for those who are low.
Hopefully people will learn a bit from this and not get so low. My wives suggestion, which works too for people who are on a budget - just buy one or two extra cans each trip and over a period of weeks and months, you will build up a surplus supply that could get you though some times like this. Buy a little extra toilet paper too, little by little so you have some extra.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761
I've only been to Kroger and Walmart since the shut down began. Walmart has ASKED people to limit themselves to one of any item but they aren't enforcing it. Kroger's sign said they were limiting purchases to one of each item but I don't know if they are enforcing it. That sign was on long empty shelves where the toilet paper was supposed to be.
The first week of the panic not only was toilet paper gone, but other essentials like bread and milk. I guess the horders figured out that those items are perishable and it makes no sense to get more than you can use in the short term. On my first trip to Walmart, processed meats like packaged lunch meat and hot dogs were cleaned out as was orange juice. This morning those shelves were at least half full.
My last trip to costco went well but no TP. Luckily I always stock up on things but would have bought some in case this lasts another month, don't mean to alarm anyone but if you study this stuff, it could last a long time. Been suffering a littler self dought as I am starting my track work. On old layout I had one section that was too small a radius even though I used gauges, might have been because it was on a long S curve. It was no problem to fix but it has made me overly conscious on the new layout.
I placed a small order at MB Klein last Sunday evening. Got word that it was shipped, and a tracking number today.
Wife was out shopping on Thursday. Walmart shelves were rather bare, but the grocery section of Loblaws Superstore was well stocked.
Trying to take dog for two walks any day it is not raining.
rrebellIt was commented on my first retirement as being affluent, I assure you I started with $0.
My wifes brother was like that and in a poor part of England to boot and has done very well for himself. Some naturally have the ability to do very well, even starting out with nothing. That's the good part about this country especially. Some, OTOH, work long hours and/or two jobs and just get by. It seems to be a talent some have more than others.
don't mean to alarm anyone but if you study this stuff, it could last a long time.
It may, but it seems there is plenty to be alarmed about as it is. OTOH, the alarm is causing some to panic which also is counter productive.
Been suffering a littler self dought as I am starting my track work. On old layout I had one section that was too small a radius even though I used gauges, might have been because it was on a long S curve. It was no problem to fix but it has made me overly conscious on the new layout.
Always best to be as conservative as possible on track work. My layout is pretty challenging and sometimes I have to stop and think things through, mock-up areas's to be sure things will fit as planned etc. I have scale drawing to keep me grounded but that is only in the X / Y plane. The vertical I have to keep rechecking.
John-NYBW That has force hobby stores to shut down.
What I consider my LHS (it's the closest) still has phone-in and on line sales, with curb side delivery. Call when you get to the parking lot, they'll bring it out, then you come up and pick it up.
We very seldom go to a tavern or restaurant, so really, not much has changed. It sure is a gost town around here, along with any place I drive to.
Gas is nice and cheap, so driving around rail fanning works well. Filled up my cans, and tractors, all ready.
BUT, I'm retired, don't have to worry about work and a cut in hours or pay. I feel for those young families that do have to deal with that. We were there once.
Mike.
My You Tube
I'm a retired physician who now lives with his wife on a farm in West Virginia. Isolation has been easy although we do miss the grandkids. Ordinarily it would be golf season by now, but that has been put on hold. So I'm getting a lot done on the railroad and the Maryland Midland Rwy is coming along a lot faster than I anticipated. Buildings are getting built and trains are running. No hobby shop though.I'm having to rely on our once per week trip to Walmart for paint and glue. Amazon and Ebay have been helpful.
This will be over soon.
Of course, when I ought to be working on my layout, I'm instead catching up on Star Trek:Enterprise. I sort of skipped it all when it was originally on. I gave up on DS9, right before it got really good apparantly. Voyager bored me to death, and I only managed a few episodes of Discovery. I'm actually liking Enterprise, I guess I always liked Scott Bakula from the Quantum leap days.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerI'm instead catching up on Star Trek:Enterprise. I sort of skipped it all when it was originally on. ... I'm actually liking Enterprise,
Randy, I was a fan of Enterprise when it was on, and made a point to watch the entire series.
After you watch the entire series and the last episode, let me know. I'd be interested to know what you think after the last show.
York1 John
maxmanCountywide there was 1 case on March 13; 2 cases on the 15th; 8 cases on the 17th; 18 cases on the 19th; 22 cases on the 21st; 39 cases on the 23rd; and 84 cases on the 25th. These are cumulative numbers. It appears that there were 957 people tested,
Now, a weekend update. We now have 4 people in the township testing positive. It would be nice if they told us if these were all from a single family or a specific area.
Countywide there are now 110 positive out of 1323 tested.
Attention Randy Rinker: I hope you used some of the plywood you bought to board up your windows. I'm just to the right of you on the map, so the virus is coming your way. Cue the Jaws music.
The better half is starting to get paranoid. Shes wants me to wash my hands after I read my emails. I'll have to do a Google search to see if Norton sells a Corona antivirus for PCs.
Almost got down into the basement to gather material for some train related projects, but wifey got me hooked on a computer game. Oh well, there's radon in the basement anyway.
I saw something interesting on Jesse Watters show tonight. He had a video from a NY doctor treating coronavirus patients. They believe that 99% of the people infected got the disease by contacting the coronavirus with their hands and then touching their face. The virus enters the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes. If you refrain from touching your face with your hands, there is little chance you will become infected. I don't know if this has been verified or not, but that is what this doctor is claiming. Of course, that is easier said than done. Just refraining from scratching an itch is difficult. It's almost an automatic reaction that you might do without even thinking. The real problem is handling food. How can you eat a sandwich without bringing your hands to your mouth. Just prepping food is going to require you to touch it. I guess the answer is to disinfect your hands, thoroughly washing and then applying sanitizer, before handling any food. Probably a good practice anyway but it seems imperative now.
HO60sNo change here, so far, my garage layout has been too cold since before Christmas, was able to run trains for 2 hours today. Needed that.
I'm just the opposite. I have a basement layout. I only find time to run trains in the cold weather months. That might change this year with the golf courses closed until further notice. I figure to get a lot done on the layout at least in the next few months.
John-NYBWOf course, that is easier said than done. Just refraining from scratching an itch is difficult. It's almost an automatic reaction that you might do without even thinking.
I almost believe that it is psychological. Never wanted to do it until told you can't.
When I worked at a nuclear plant they gave you a psychological test with a bunch of questions before they allowed you on site. For example, one of the yes/no questions may have been "I liked to torture small animals", or "loud sounds wake me up".
The one I specifically remember was "I liked to pull the fire alarm when I was in school". Never in my life would I have considered that. Now after being asked that same question multiple times, I have this strange compulsion. I make sure to avoid all the fire alarm boxes now.
maxman John-NYBW Of course, that is easier said than done. Just refraining from scratching an itch is difficult. It's almost an automatic reaction that you might do without even thinking. I almost believe that it is psychological. Never wanted to do it until told you can't. When I worked at a nuclear plant they gave you a psychological test with a bunch of questions before they allowed you on site. For example, one of the yes/no questions may have been "I liked to torture small animals", or "loud sounds wake me up". The one I specifically remember was "I liked to pull the fire alarm when I was in school". Never in my life would I have considered that. Now after being asked that same question multiple times, I have this strange compulsion. I make sure to avoid all the fire alarm boxes now.
John-NYBW Of course, that is easier said than done. Just refraining from scratching an itch is difficult. It's almost an automatic reaction that you might do without even thinking.
John-NYBW How can you eat a sandwich without bringing your hands to your mouth.
How can you eat a sandwich without bringing your hands to your mouth.
Well, I watched the entire Netflix documentary series "Tiger King" today.
That is something I don't think I would have ever done before, but Hermit Living is doing strange things to me now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
maxmanThe one I specifically remember was "I liked to pull the fire alarm when I was in school". Never in my life would I have considered that. Now after being asked that same question multiple times, I have this strange compulsion.
I did that a few times in first grade. Somehow I thought it was the timecard punch for the nuns. Wondered why the fire dept kept showing up...then someone spotted me in action, I guess. I was summoned to the classroom of the principal nun. In front of a whole room full of 8th graders, I was interrogated about what I'd been up to, which I stumbled through as I told the truth as best I could. Needless to say, I haven't felt the urge to pull an alarm since - now that I know what they do. I'm not sure it helped my case that my recently departed maternal grandpa had been an assitant fire chief in the local FD.
So I have been catching up on things that needed ctaching up on. One was building a memorial display honoring one of the long time members of our division, who passed away last year. He was a well-regarded professor, but also a pretty amazing narrowgauge modeler. Being the historian I am, I couldn't resist documenting the highlights of a life well spent in educating young people while also building some righteous models in HOn3 and, earlier, in TT. He also dabbled in the rather arcane 5.5 mm scale, which operates on TT track (12 mm gauge) using it to represent 2' gauge, apparently explained by other evidence of his interest in the Maine 2' lines.
His estate donated a lot of stuff to the ITD, includiong a collection of MR that dated back to Feb. 1939 when he started reading it, but also including a bound copy of MR's first year he'd pciked up along the way, Then there were the various Timesavers and other modules he built or started. I finally got around to do an inventory and came up with 18. This is what it looks like in the attic of my shop - at least until we find homes for some of it.
Plus there are three more modules up on a shelf in the garage. We are as they say, blessed in this regard, so will likely explore passing representative examples onto other NMRA divisions who can make good use of them.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
My life is completely on hold! The planned emigration to Denmark has been postponed indefinitively, all modeling activities have been cancelled. I spent most of my time sourcing food and the most important paper there is. In fact, I spend more time outside than ever before, as stores seem to be selling "sorry, we are out ofs", instead the groceries we need. This is sheer madness, and I just hope that our leaders come to reason soon!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
maxmanI almost believe that it is psychological. Never wanted to do it until told you can't.
Huck Finn found the same thing:
"There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn’t scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders. Seemed like I’d die if I couldn’t scratch. Well, I’ve noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain’t sleepy—if you are anywheres where it won’t do for you to scratch, why you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places."
Tinplate Toddler My life is completely on hold! The planned emigration to Denmark has been postponed indefinitively, all modeling activities have been cancelled. I spent most of my time sourcing food and the most important paper there is. In fact, I spend more time outside than ever before, as stores seem to be selling "sorry, we are out ofs", instead the groceries we need. This is sheer madness, and I just hope that our leaders come to reason soon!
Leaders can't do anything about panic buying. The fault for that lies with the consumers or as Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.”. When I was in Walmart a few days ago, I asked one of the clerks why there was almost no lunchmeat. He told me people are buying it almost as fast as they can put it in the coolers. There is no supply chain problem. The merchandise is getting to the stores. Hoarders are just taking way more than they need for the short term.
mbinsewi John-NYBW That has force hobby stores to shut down. What I consider my LHS (it's the closest) still has phone-in and on line sales, with curb side delivery. Call when you get to the parking lot, they'll bring it out, then you come up and pick it up.
I found out about the shutdown when I called my favorite LHS to see if they had curtailed the hours and got no answer. I have to drive almost an hour so I thought it would be best to find out if they were open first. It just happened to be the day after the shutdown which took effect the previous midnight. Since there is no answer, I'm sure curb service is not an option.
We very seldom go to a tavern or restaurant, so really, not much has changed. It sure is a gost town around here, along with any place I drive to. Gas is nice and cheap, so driving around rail fanning works well. Filled up my cans, and tractors, all ready. BUT, I'm retired, don't have to worry about work and a cut in hours or pay. I feel for those young families that do have to deal with that. We were there once. Mike.
I'm retired too and social distancing, especially in the cold weather months is nothing new for me. It was nothing for me to go days without face to face contact with another human being. The only people I would see were the ones driving their cars while I was out walking my dog. Now that's lasting a week or more. The only time I have left my property in the last 3 weeks has been to go to the supermarket which I have done twice. At one point I went ten days without seeing another human being other than the drive-bys. Being a hermit suits be well.
I'd like to help the restaurants out by getting the occasional take out meal but I don't feel safe doing it because of the possibility of contamination. Even the experts don't know how long food will survive on food. Cooking kills the virus but the food still has to be handled, probably by several people before it reaches the take out window. I'm not willing to bet my safety on the restaurant strictly adhering to safe practices. That's too much to leave to faith.
rrinker Of course, when I ought to be working on my layout, I'm instead catching up on Star Trek:Enterprise. I sort of skipped it all when it was originally on. I gave up on DS9, right before it got really good apparantly. Voyager bored me to death, and I only managed a few episodes of Discovery. I'm actually liking Enterprise, I guess I always liked Scott Bakula from the Quantum leap days. --Randy
Prior to when Corona hit, my wife and watched all the way through Star Trek Next Generation, something I've been wanting to do for a few years and finally convinced her. Then we started watching DS9 but yeah, the first season or two I may have to drag her though. After Picard, she's feels Cisco is a weak character and some of the first season episodes are really daft, but the show gets some big story arcs later with the Dominion and Gem H'dar.
CBS All Access is offering a month free, so being a fan of Patric Stewart we watched the 10 episode Star Treck Picard series. On the one hand, it's great to see Patrick back in action although I wished they didn't wait until he was so old, but he's still a great actor. The show has an exciting plot and the latest special effects.
Having seen the whole Picard series now, it's very dark, and Gene Roddenberry must be rolling in his grave. The writers take a very pessemistic view of the Federation and Genes optimistic view of the future is turned upsidedown. While it was entertaining and exciting and had moments of nostagia, the ending of season one left me feeling very empty and depressed. Not the good old Star Trek story and writing of the older series. My wife felt the same.
As for Star Trek Enterprise, I really liked it and it's a shame it was canceled after what, 4 1/2 seasons? It was really getting good in the last year.
I enjoyed Star Trek Voyager but it had a Gilligans Ilsand theme, i.e. they can't get home as long as the series is in-progress. But it still had the original series feel in that they were constantly meeting new alien races etc.
Since we still have CBS All Access for a couple more weeks, I'll probably get caught up on Star Trek Discovery, but overall I'm not a fan of it. The Klingons are not even recognizable and they've changed too much. Evidently the new producers/writers believe they know better than the long time fans. Their arrogance is maddening.
\rant The newer directors-producers of the newer series are taking too many liberties and for old school people like me, it's wrecking the new series. Star Treck Picard is just the latest example. There was an article I read recently that I really agreed with - read this and see if you agree:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/mar/27/star-trek-picard-is-the-dark-reboot-that-boldly-goes-where-nobody-wanted-it-to
As you can see from the article the new producers just brush off the complaint and tell us, in essence, tough, you get what you are given. They are the "gods" of the TV series and they can wreck it however they want. Shear hubris. But that's Hollywood isn't it?
Oh well, the nice thing is we can still go watch the series we enjoy as they were originally meant to be, such as the original series, next gen, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise.
As for Discovery and the new Picard series, whether we like it or not, as the article points out, they are "going boldly where nobody wanted to". I guess that means we can not expect any more new "good" Star Trek series.
rrebell Well we shall see who was right as Sweden has not shut down while the rest of scandinavia has.
Well we shall see who was right as Sweden has not shut down while the rest of scandinavia has.
That's good to know and should make for an interesting comparison with Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Right now Sweden has about 700 fewer confirmed cases but almost five times the confirmed deaths as Norway. 25 to 121. Finland only has 11 deaths but Denmark has 72. Sweden has about twice the population as those other three countries.
I suspected from the beginning that we have overreacted but because there were so many unknowns, I kept my mouth shut and went along. I bowl in the winter and play golf in the warmer months but that has all be taken away so I have no place to go anyway. I'm much better off than the people who lost their jobs and the ones who did get sick. My pension and SS payment keeps getting deposited and now I think I'm getting $1200. That will just about pay my golf course membership for the year if the course ever opens up.
I don't think anyone knows how this is going to play out. Everybody is making educated guesses. Somebody has guessed right but we won't know who that is for awhile. Hopefully we are learning fast how to treat it once people get severely sick so we can lower the death rate.
Never pulled a fire alarm, but cam close to trading blows with drunk morons who did it in college - not only did we have to all go outside, we all got charged for it if it was a flase alarm. ANd being on a small hall with only about 12 people to divide the cost vs some of the other floors with 10x the people made it hurt even more. Not that I was against drinking, I certainly drank my share in those days, just not every weekend and 4 or 5 nights a week (maybe low load business students could handle that, but as an engineering major - no way), but even on my worse night I never considered pulling the arlam.
I did, in kindergarten, get sent to the principal's office. I had afternoon kindergarten, and the last previous use of the bus I was on was to take the high school kids in the morning. Well, I found a book of matches on the floor at my seat, all burned - like someone lit the whole pack at once. Window was open, so I started tearing off matches one by one to see what happened when they went out the window in the air flow - always a nerd, I was doing science! But the bus driver didn't agree and reported me to the principal. And no getting out - my elementary school pricipal was an old high school friend of my Dad's. I don't remember how it all turned out but I think they did believe me that I wasn't lighting them and dropping them out like the bus driver said, they were already burned.
As for Star Trek - I'm not so sure I totally agree with that article. I've only seen the pilot of Picard, so I'm not sure all of what happens (and I don't want to know until I see it for myself), but this claimed utopia vision of the Trek universe is sometimes I think wishful thinking and perhaps Roddenberry getting a little senile in his old age. The original series leaves out most discussion of things like pay and any sort of commerce, although we have mining colonies and smugglers like Harry Mudd - so clearly there has to be some value gained. There certainly is plenty of conflict - Kirk's solution to problems are either seduce it or shoot it (I'm being cynical - I've always loved the original series - but really, that's pretty much what it comes down to. The few times he takes a different way out, it end badly - Khan, anyone?).
The first season of TNG is about the only time this "utopia world" was discussed. And it was HORRIBLE, in retrospect. Yeah, we sat trhough it, because it was Trek, back on a weekly TV series. I was in college - we made drinking games to it. Chug when Westley saves the day, drink when Picard says "Make it so", or "engage", etc. But compared to the following seasons when Roddenberry was no longer involved - it was HORRID. It got way better. The first few seasons of DS9 - boring as hell. Sounds like it gets MUCH better. After I finish Enterprise, I may go on to DS9 and catch up on all that. Though it now will be hard to see O'Brien as anyone other than Doc Durant.
Enterprise seems to be a lot of the reality of the world hitting home - they WANT to be peaceful explorers, but the rest of the universe seems to be saying "not so fast". At least that's the impression I get at 3/4 of the way through the first season.
Discovery - first couple of episodes it was "wow, this is going to be good" Then a few more and it was like - what....? I made the mistake of reading up on some of it where it mentioned that in upcoming epsidoes it was going to connect to the mirror universe from Mirror, Mirror on TOS and the alternate timeline that is supposed to be the new Abrams movies. That I think is when they lost me, and I haven't even watched any more even though I have the entire first season downloaded. This whole game of alternate universes, really. Yes, the concept os a multiverse seems to be all the rage these days, but did they really have to take Trek there? I guess they had no choice after having Nimoy in the first Abrams movie so there were two Spocks.
If you want to see some good TOS style Trek - on YouTube there is Start Trek Continues. It's the remaining 2 years of the Kirk Enterprise's 5 year mission. Yes, obviously different people playing the parts, but it's the same characters. Heck, Scotty is actually played by Dohan's son. It's set authentic to the original series. They even have some interesting guest stars - some reprising roles from the related eposide from the 60's. The real shame is that Paramount and CBS made them stop making more episodes. It's more Star Trek then some of the official series.
The only problem with Star Trek - there seem to be no trains in the 24th century. Though this is a consequence of cheap transporter technology - no need for cars, trains, or planes when you can instantly beam anywhere in the world. Good study on the effect of teleportation by Larry Niven in one of his collections. I like that transporters aren't really human rated in Enterprise, so they always use the shuttles to get between the ship and a planet, or another ship.