MLCC - I truely hope that is not your work place. It makes Fibber McGee look like a neat freak.
No some picture I found on the net one time. If ours looked like that we all would not be working.
Some pictures from my recent drive through West Virginia.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Howdy .
JR .... Thanks very much for your comment about my recent eye surgery.
Steve O ..... Thank you for this morning's Mexican scrumptious goodies. I have had similar at an authentic Mexican restaurant here in KY.
Dave ... Thanks for sharing the videos.
Kevin .... Nice photos of WV scenery .
MLC ... What a mess of wires !
Everybody .... Have a good evening.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
More Mexico, but not Mexican trains...
I'm standing on the balcony of the vacation house in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.
The Gulf of California is right behind my wife taking this picture. You walked out the front door of the house to the ocean about 100 feet from the front door.
York1 John
gm pullman wrote: "Is that the throttle on an off-set, raised handle or the independant brake handle?"
Yup. That's actually an independent brake handle from a "26" brake valve (the standard handle for the "24" independent was small and straight, like in another pic above). I used to carry one of those z-shaped handles around in my bag (in freight), because they were "a closer reach".
I didn't know they would also fit into a 24 independent valve. I'd never seen one used like that before. Like I said, it seemed immediately out-of-place to me!
Good Morning All,
66F and rainy here but the temp is a nice break from the mid 80's we've had of late. I'll hav a regular and a blueberry bagel please Zoe. Driving in is still like a war zone with lots of power lines, cables and trees down all over. The roads are mostly clear though with only a few obstructions here and there. Still hundreds of thousands without power in the region.
Appraisal came back on the house lower than the CFO figured so we will need to reconsider somewhat how we do this. I think doing some of the tidy up stuff and cleaning more all around will help a bunch. We shall see.
Shop is busy getting ready for our two biggest weekends so I best get back to it. Ciao, J.R.
Good morning. I'm heading out to cut the grass.
I think we are officially off quarantine. Now what? I don't think we're going anywhere, but at least the jail door is open.
Hope all of you with health issues get some relief, and those with storm damage get back to normal.
York1I think we are officially off quarantine. Now what? I don't thing we're going anywhere, but at least the jail door is open.
I feel exactly the same way.
We are very happy that we went through post-travel quarantine and developed zero symptoms, but now what do we do?
We could go out, but I really don't want to.
We went out to dinner last night, but again we were disappointed. This usually festive and happy brewpub was quiet and seemed empty, although they were at their government-ordered maximum occupancy. No happy hour, and the menu was quite limited. This has gone on far too long and many small and medium sized restaurants are struggling.
Our governor has ordered another month of this level of restrictions, a move that seems more driven by railroad timetables of the 1940s than by science or logic.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Steven OtteAnd for those of you who don't like Mexican food, there's Taco Bell.
Taco Bell! Yuck!!
Been (bean) there once in 66 years! I'm going to keep it that way!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dianne and I went to our local diner for brunch today. That was the first time we have been in a restaurant since February. The service is always great and so is the food, but their business is suffering. Their usual regular clientelle are mostly seniors who aren't coming out for obvious reasons. Their take out business is just barely holding its own. I hope they survive.
Howdy everybody .
We have family members visiting us from Cincinnati this weekend. So, I won't be able to be here much until maybe Monday .
Have a nice weekend.
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a please and Dirk half a dog treat.
My brake handle is dragging in the ash pit! Work in the back jungel today and it was and still a mess! I cut the rear yard about 2 weeks before I broke my rib 5-29-20. My Son In Law cut it onces about 3 weeks later. To say it was over growen is a understatment.
Later, Ken and Dirk say's Woof, Woof.
I hate Rust
Good morning. The same breakfast as every day.
I think it's time to clean parts of the layout. I noticed the building roofs and train cars have a layer of dust on them. I clean the track fairly often, but I have neglected the scenery.
Tomorrow will be the first time in six months we will go to church. We also will go to our favorite restaurant for the first time in months. Both will have people spread out, but it will be nice to get a small taste of normalcy.
While this time is unprecedented for us, I am reminded of my parents' youth.
My father and mother were both born before 1920. Their early life was difficult, but nothing prepared them for their teenage years in the depression. During our pandemic time, we are living mostly normal but isolated lives. My parents' lives were not normal, as they often had very little to eat, their parents had no money, and the future looked bleak.
Finally, my father joined the army. His enlistment was nearly up when December 7th hit. He spent another four years traveling from army camp to army camp in the U.S. and the UK before landing in France. He spent the next year in mud and snow and fighting.
Basically, my parents lived through 15 years of horrible times, with much of it looking forward to a dark future.
When this pandemic gets me upset at my situation, it does me good to think of what my parents and millions of others went through back then. In spite of illness and masks and and toilet paper shortages, we are in a thousand times better situation than our parents or grandparents lived through. Enough of my ramblings.
One of the national parks I've never visited is Theodore Roosevelt Nat. Park in North Dakota. Since my wife doesn't really like traveling anymore, I think I will try to get there by myself. It's a little over a day's drive, so it will probably take several days. I want to do some hiking there, and I'd like to see why Roosevelt picked that place to set up his ranch. He loved it there, and I'm glad the U.S. preserved it.
It seems like the diner and some the other forum sites have been a little quiet lately. Hopefully posters who have taken a break will rejoin us. This forum has been a special retreat for me during the lockdown.
My computer updated last week, and it will no longer save any passwords, on any browser. I finally decided to do what should have been done a long while ago -- I installed a password manager. Now I only need one password for the manager. It encrypts all other passwords and automatically connects me with the sites I use. It even makes its own passwords out of strings of characters with no patterns. It also syncs with any other device, so my days of password problems are hopefully over. I just hope I don't forget the one password I need. There is no way to get it back if I don't remember it.
My little town has five RR crossings in about 1½ miles. We finally made the crossings into a quiet zone. I think I am probably the only one here who misses the sounds of the train horns. Since the coal trains have decreased, we are getting only 25 or 30 trains each day. Ten years ago we were getting over 80 per day, all blowing the horns at all the crossings all hours of the day.
I've typed quite a bit today. I hope no one minds.
Have a good day, everyone.
York1In spite of illness and masks and and toilet paper shortages, we are in a thousand times better situation than our parents or grandparents lived through.
Amen! Amen! and AMEN!!!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
York1My father and mother were both born before 1920.
The only elderly member of my family I had a relationship with when I was young was my Paternal Grandmother.
She was born in 1910 and saw everything change in her lifetime. She was a little girl during World War 1 on a farm in Wisconsin, and lived long enough to have email and an early cell phone.
My Mom's mom was born in 1899, her parents died in the 1918 flu epidemic. She ended up raising some of her siblings. Her favorite thing to say was she lived from the horse and buggy age to the space age, and she voted in every election since women go the right to vote. She passed at age 92 I was lucky enought to have video taped her telling "grandma stories" a few years before she passed.
well back to mowing the jungle, i had to let myself cool off.
My grandmother was born in a sod hut in Kansas. One of her first memories was going along the ATSF rails to pick up cinders to be used for fuel by the family. She was orphaned at a young age and taken by an older sister to be raised in the oil fields of California. During the Depression, my grandfather worked as a night watchman at an orange packing house to keep the hobos from pilfering. They had a camp nearby where he hung out with them and learned some great recipes that are still in the family. My grandparents and dad lived on small piece of land that afforded them a subsistance garden and grandpa scavenged through dumps to gather materials that enabled him to raise chickens and turkeys. After the depression, grandma worked in the the polio ward of the Rancho Los Amigos Hospital delivering food to the kids who were suffering from that awful disease. Our current situation is difficult but I am lucky to have family experience that keeps it in perspective.
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....
Good Morning,
A nice day here with sun and about 80F for a high.
My father's parents were born in the 1870s so they were adults in 1900 and my grandmother passed away in 1961 so she saw everything from the first car, airplane right up to Sputnik. My grandfathers on both sides had jobs right through the depression, one a post office supervisor and the other a railway policeman, so they and my parents didn't experience the hardship many went through. The post office one had a car from the mid 20s until his passing in 1947. He had a '32 Terraplane and then a '37. A Terraplane was a line of cars produced by Hudson. They were quite inovative and fast. My father said the '32 was more than a match for a V8 Ford. He said it could do 90mph. I wonder how he knew? It also was one of the first cars with metallic paint. Theirs was a copper colour that was only done on a very few cars. It just doesn't go with the reserved personality that my Dad said he had. My sister was able to get the exam results for the various tests he had to do for promotions in the post office. Amazing what is available on line.
That sums up the exciting time we are having here. Can't really complain but we do miss seeing our friends. I did run my beach special train yesterday.
Dust is a problem on my layout too. I use a puffer made to clean photo lenses. I bought it about 50 years ago and it does a great job as it has a very fine brush at the end of the puffer that doesn't harm engine details.
My brass engine is on its way here. It went from Ocala to Jacksonville and now is in the Miami International sorting facility. Next stop I guess will be somewhere in the NE and then on to Toronto.
Well time for a shower and then off for a veg pick up at our 'greengrocer'.
CN Charlie
Afternoon all from the sunny West Coast.
I tell ya, I am falling to pieces, put my back out and here I sit. I took a bunch of Yoga courses about 40 years ago and doing it now is really helping a lot to get me back in the groove. Yoga is amazing for what ales you though I tend to only do it when I have injured myself. If I did it all the time I probably would not hurt myself.
I have been watching a lot of hockey this week and loving it, the Canucks eliminated the Wild and so we are on to the next round. Sorry TF.
Speaking of TF, he is missing in action, a search party is required. I posted that photo on the Name The Place thread hoping to draw him out but to no avail.
Charlie, my Dad worked for the Post Office in Winnipeg starting in the 1930s and transferred to Vancouver in 1957 and retired in 1976. He probably knew your Dad. Small world. Dad tried to join the Army in 1939 when the war started and failed the medical, so he tried the airforce and failed the medical and then tried the Navy and failed the medical. He had Muscular Dystrophy and would never pass, but he sure tried.
I agree with those that say we have had it easy compared to those that came before us. I really worked hard to get what I have and have had my share of trials and tribulations, however, I never had to stop and go fight a war. Knowing no matter how bad things could get I would have a full stomach, somewhere to sleep, healthcare and access to education just made life a little easier.
Had the first Sledge Hockey session last night and it went well. I don't think the group will need our guidance for long as they are a capable lot. I guess if you have seen combat or have successfully managed a disability you can do just about anything. It is good to help get them up and running. The kid had left his skates in Ottawa and borrowed my 40-year-old Super Tacks. He loved them and I don't think I am getting them back.
Just about ready for the painters, only a couple of small repairs to do. I tend to keep everything as perfect as I can at all times. After the painters go the windows will be next if we can schedule it as we are going to be busy and away from home so it might have to wait until spring. The wife has pretty much narrowed down the hardwood floor colour and will figure out the new kitchen stuff before we pull that trigger. I'll be glad when it is all done but something tells me it is going to take longer than we think with our other commitments. Also, even with things somewhat back to normal on the covid front, it is taking time to get items from offshore.
On the news/ storm warning front, we always heed the weather office when a big blow off the Pacific is headed our way. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not. My sister lives 10 miles away as the crow flies but that is enough to make a huge difference in the amount of storm damage either of us may get. Don't blame the news for getting lucky.
In 1885 the town of Notch Hill came into being as a CPR pusher station. Notch Hill was the steepest grade in Canada and many engines would be added to help get the trains headed East started on the climb through the mountains. With pushers no longer needed this church from that seemingly forgotten time still stands watch over the railway and its workers as it did so long ago.
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Flo, give the gang and I a and Dirk his dog treat.
Seems the wall is working. It is keeping diners out of Mexico?
Seems I over did it yesterday. Felt like ash pit today at work . I left 2 hours early not that it mattered.
Summer is back.
Need to take Dirk and the wife out, so later.
Cuda Ken and Dirk says Woof, Woof!
It looks like it has been about a week since Track Fiddler dropped by the diner.
Maybe we should send out a search party for our post hog.
Just checking in quickly, no breakfast yet.
That's a neat picture of the church, Brent.
Our first day out in over two weeks! -- I'll hold my breath out the front door.
Good morning and Hello all
No sense sending out the search Posse but thanks for the concern Kevin, Brent. I'm still here, I've just been a little scarce latey. I finally got my Peco Unifrog turnout problem resolved. There is a shortage on Right turnouts but I finally found some and they are on their way.
My benchwork I originally designed and built was cantilevered out from the wall and the top of the layout would slide out so I could crawl under and work on the other side. This was a very unuser-friendly poor design (I hate it, I'm always moving stuff out of the way) and I have no idea why I spent the money and did things this way. So I've been busy with all of my spare time building new cabinet benchwork on wheels to get ready for laying my track.
Congratulations Brent... The overtime Canucks-Wild Tie-breaker game was intense! Joyous for you and heartbreaking for me. I'm sure Chris Tanev is a Great Canadian Hero up there eh?
Well, I ain't ready to give up hockey just yet! What's that saying? ..."If you can't beat em, join em"
Well, Back to my benchwork.
Have a great Sunday guys
TF
Track fiddlerNo sense sending out the search Posse I'm still here. I've just been a little scarce latey.
Glad to have you back, TF
Now to locate that missing LION. Wildebeest for bait? I hope the ol' boy is OK.
Something new from Broadway Limited:::
PRR_3768 by Edmund, on Flickr
I'm having some Boston Cream Pie for Sunday breakfast. Plenty here, grab a plate
BC_pie by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Right Ed!
I hope He's okay as well. Maybe your idea will help Lure Him out
Here Lion Lion, Here Lion Lion! Rare Prime-rib wildebeest here
And thanks for the pie
TF, glad to see you're OK and back. Your posts were missed. It's another sign of normalcy. It seems like Brent was missing for a while, too.
I hope Lion is OK. I know his family really was hard hit.
Church was fairly full this morning. The restaurant was fairly full after church. The grocery store was fairly busy. None of them back to pre-virus times, but a nice change from isolation.
We're back to August weather. Today will be in the 90s, with high humidity. We actually had a dew point yesterday of 81°. That's New Orleans or southern Florida type of humid weather. You are immediately wet when you go outside.
I'm going to start scratchbuilding a new bank for my layout town. The town of Altair has now grown enough that they need a bank. Progress.
We stay inside during these hot August days as much as we stay inside during the below zero days of January. Old age.
Hope everyone with health issues feels better.
Edit: Top of the page.
A Sunday brunch with a Bloody Mary for anyone who wants one with me.
Expecting showers here shortly. Hope they show up as I'm in the mood for a little rain.
Brent, What department did your Dad work in when he was in the Winnipeg P.O.? My Grandfather was in the Registered Mail Department. He retired in about 1944. It was a large post office so who knows. My father worked there briefly but quit to go work for Underwood as they guaranteed jobs for returning vets but the P.O. didn't at that time.
T.F. nice to see you back. I'm trying to imagine what your layout table looks like. Is it hinged to the wall? How big is it? I'm curious as to how you like the Peco track. If I had to do it over again I think I would use it too, certainly for my HO layout. Mind you the ME stuff is ok but tough to work with.
Nothing on the agenda today. Like most days. Yesterday I did the veg/fruit order pickup and wow the fresh stuff sure is expensive now. Perhaps I'll put together a train of express reefers. They are a nice solution to using passenger power on a small layout. I usually put the light mountain on duty for such trains but maybe the Hudson can be pressed into service. Express reefers at 100 mph. Why not?
I've been doing a little research on Terraplanes. Not surprising the '32 was fast as it had a 70 hp. six with another 10 h.p. using an optional head. Also they were quite light. That is more power than a Ford V8 that year. Seems that bronze paint was used on a promo car each dealer got so my Grandfather managed to get his hands on the one the Winnipeg dealer had. The wheels were painted red.
Well time for another coffee.
Thanks for all the WB greetings today
CNCharlie T.F. I'm trying to imagine what your layout table looks like. Is it hinged to the wall? How big is it? I'm curious as to how you like the Peco track. If I had to do it over again I think I would use it too, certainly for my HO layout. Mind you the ME stuff is ok but tough to work with.
T.F. I'm trying to imagine what your layout table looks like. Is it hinged to the wall? How big is it? I'm curious as to how you like the Peco track. If I had to do it over again I think I would use it too, certainly for my HO layout. Mind you the ME stuff is ok but tough to work with.
Here's a couple pictures from when I first built it Charlie. What I thought was a good idea at the time was a very bad idea. I had installed some large Industrial drawer slides since these pictures so I could pull it out 3/4 of the way to work on the other side.
After I started working in the building all my tools ended up under my layout as it was the only place I could put them. I got sick of ducking under it and tripping over tools. I'm keeping the table top of the benchwork of course as it's extremely light and strong but everything else has gone in the dumpster.
Love the PECO track. There is nothing more prototypical than N-Scale ME track. Beautiful stuff but Cosmetics isn't everything. With the consideration of ME only having a number 6 turnout and how fragile I found it is I decided on the PECO. My brother said I lucked out on how long I took to decide because now they have the unifrog turnouts.
I plan on taking my layout to train shows someday when I'm older as I love talking to people. I like how the rails are embedded in the ties on this track. I won't have to worry about anything breaking. I am now in the process of building cabinet benchwork on wheels. I'm doing the best I can on keeping everything ultra light and modular as I will have to move this stuff around someday.