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Welcome to the October, 2020 Jeffrey's Trackside Diner in Michigan

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  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, October 10, 2020 10:47 AM

York1
We're headed out for a ride to see the fall colors.

It just occurred to me that this will be the first year since 2012 that I will not see any of the fall colours. I will not be travelling for work, and will stay here in Florida.

I am going to miss that.

In South Florida we only have one colour for Fall foliage... Green!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by "JaBear" on Saturday, October 10, 2020 2:33 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
I was living in Kalamazoo...

CoffeeSmile

"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 Heartland Division CB&Q on Saturday, October 10, 2020 7:48 PM

Howdy ....

Bear .... Nice old song. 

Mr. B ..... I never got to Timbuktoo. LOL

Lion ... I think there was a small zoo there, but I did not go there. 

Does anybody recall Checker Motors Corportion which manufactured taxi cabs? How about the Checker Marathon, which was an automobile sold to the general public ? ...... The company was located in (Yep, you guessed it ! ) Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

Kalamazoo has had numerous other manufacturers over the years including a large General Motors parts plant. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, and that is where I went to college. To pay for it, I first worked in a Sears store in Kalamazoo. Next, I was a city transit bus driver there. I worked full time driving buses while at the same time taking a full class load. No time for socializing for me back then. I earned two degrees: BBA and MBA. 

I remember I bought model trains from a hobby shop located in the owner's basement of his house in Kalamazoo, but I did not have much time for them. 

Everybody.... Have a nice evening. 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, October 10, 2020 8:28 PM

DISASTER!

My battery has died in my Canon Digital Camera!

I cannot locate the charger in this mess of a construction zone that I am living in. It could be absolutely anywhere. The last time I charged the battery was when I was in Michigan back in June/July.

Oh No!!!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, October 10, 2020 9:35 PM

SeeYou190

DISASTER!

My battery has died in my Canon Digital Camera!

I cannot locate the charger in this mess of a construction zone that I am living in. It could be absolutely anywhere. The last time I charged the battery was when I was in Michigan back in June/July.

Oh No!!!

-Kevin

 

I lost my charger, and ordered a new one on line.  Dirt cheap and it works fine.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, October 10, 2020 11:29 PM

Hello, folks —

MisterBeasley
I lost my charger, and ordered a new one on line.  Dirt cheap and it works fine.

As much as I try to buy "Genuine" Canon batteries for my several cameras, I've had MUCH better luck with the generic "knock-offs" than with the Canon batteries.

My $63. Canon battery began to fail after three months, the imposters are still going strong four years later and they were 2-for $26 and that included a charger.

Here's a neat look at the Glazier Stove Works in Chelsea, Michigan. I believe this view is right across from the depot depicted in Kevin's photo:

 Glazier_Chelsea-Mich by Edmund, on Flickr

Lots of neat stuff to see in this 1908 scene. B&B? Near as I can discarn, B&B stands for Brightest and Best Stoves.

I hope everyone is doing well,

Cheers, Ed

 

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, October 11, 2020 12:33 AM

Good evening from the West Coast where it was sunny and warm today.

We are just hanging out in preparation of a litter of puppies likely due tomorrow through C-section.

Got the shower finished in the worlds slowest bathroom remodel. Toilet will be mounted after the moulding is done, neither should take long once I buy the moulding.

 

Just when I thought I was done with this Estate I am looking after I took a day and drove to pick up the ladies personal effects to go through. My sister and wife were assigned that job and they found a lot of gold jewellery in the boxes. She came from a very wealthy Boston family and I have been reading up on their history as I had to get legal documents sent up that go back to the 1800s. We are talking pounds, so now I have to deal with that. GRRRR! I was also chatting with the Bishop of her church as she gets a bigwig full meal deal send-off by the church at some point. I guess I'll have to go.Indifferent

Ed, some cool pics you are posting. I saw the broken gutter and downspout right away but thought it had to be something more so didn't reply.

Someone posted this pic of Revelstoke with a few visitors.

I also have been buying knockoff batteries with great success. I have bought them for old video equipment, R/C toys, phones and a camera. They all seem to last better than the originals ever did.

Garry, you working two jobs with a full school load is what my kid is doing right now and he is thriving. He is packing away money like crazy and will make the Deans list again. Maybe I should charge him room and board?Laugh

Meeting the train in Vancouver 1898.

Time for the upper birth, my beautiful bride is taking the lower. In other words, she is sleeping down with the pregnant pooch tonight. I just hope I don't get the 0300hrs call for a rush to the hospital for an emergency C-section. I need all the beauty sleep I can get. Being married to a Vet meant a lot of middle of the night calls to the hospital over the years. When the kids were young they would have to go as well and would often end up helping out if the rest of the staff were delayed. I don't know how I ever survived on no sleep. To be young again.

Better call ahead for a pusher.

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."

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, October 11, 2020 12:42 AM

BATMAN
Got the shower finished in the worlds slowest bathroom remodel.

Brent,

Great job on the shower! The tiling looks very nice. I love the huge shower head too!

Good luck with the new litter!

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 SeeYou190 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 1:46 AM

MisterBeasley
I lost my charger, and ordered a new one on line.  Dirt cheap and it works fine.

I found a charger and two batteries on Amazon for $20.00 and placed the order.

Hoping it works out!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by "JaBear" on Sunday, October 11, 2020 3:46 AM
Another interesting old photo from Ed, followed by one from Batman. Good fare on a cold damp Sunday evening.
 
Radii by Bear, on Flickr
Sox by Bear, on Flickr

“Everything is a railway junction where past and future are sliding over one another, not touching”.-Timothy Morton.

Have a great Sunday, Northern Hemisphere ffolkes.

Thoughts and Best Wishes to All who need them. 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 gmpullman on Sunday, October 11, 2020 6:30 AM

Another interesting old photo from Ed, followed by one from Batman. Good fare on a cold damp Sunday evening.

Thank you, Bear! Appreciate the feedback Big Smile

Looks like both Petoskey and Chelsea are dog-friendly towns (not to mention the equines)

 Petoskey_dog-days-1908 by Edmund, on Flickr

 Glazier_Chelsea-Mich_puppy by Edmund, on Flickr

Here's a look at building 12, the brass foundry:

 Glazier_Chelsea-Mich-12 by Edmund, on Flickr

The flat car — No air brakes, no end sill steps, bent brake staff, wood brake beams, no springs! That was railroadin' !

I had two friends that both owned Checker Marathons. One was a '64. I rode with him to the Kalamazoo factory to get a part he needed. I was only 14 at the time but he let me drive a good part of the way. It was a different time, then. They had a counter in the plant and you could buy truly factory-fresh parts there. They let you wander around the plant a little, too. Just stay inside the yellow lines.

https://k1025.com/checker-cab-plant-final-day/

 

Have a great day, folks!

Regards, Ed

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 7:14 AM

Good morning.  No breakfast for me this morning -- I get my once-a-week donuts after church.

It's a warm morning, but rain and cooler weather is predicted.

Kevin and Brent, both nice looking bathrooms.  You certainly do much better work than the one I put in our basement.

I have been wondering what structure my layout needed, and someone suggested a church.  Yesterday, my wife and I went for a drive to see the harvests and the trees.  I noticed quite a few country churches of the typical style for our area -- white, high-pitched roofs, tall steeples.  I think I will attempt to build one like that.  I'm not sure how to make stained glass windows, but in N Scale, the details will be a little easier.  I can just make some colors to get the effect.  Today should be a good time to start.

Even without the trees, this time of year has wonderful scenery.  All the fields are golden in the afternoon sun.  The huge combines are slowly moving through the fields.  It's quite a sight.  I even counted four BNSF coal trains headed east.  There aren't nearly as many as there was just a few years ago.

Have a good day, everyone.

 

York1 John       

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Sunday, October 11, 2020 10:09 AM

Good morning ..... Coffee and a donut, please. 

Ed ..... Those are some interesting historic photos you posted. Also, I did open the link to the story about the closed Checker Motors factory. .... I never rode in a Checker Marathon, but I had countrless rides in taxi cabs they built. 

Looking at old photos, we can see just about everybody wore hats back then. 

John York 1. .... You said you are thinking of putting a church on your layout. I have one in the background on my layout as you can see in the left side of this picture.

 

 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by ROBERT PETRICK on Sunday, October 11, 2020 10:24 AM

Heartland Division CB&Q

Looking at old photos, we can see just about everybody wore hats back then. 

Nowadays, just about everybody in Wyoming still wears hats, and I mean everybody and everywhere . . . the baseball variety. Frontwards. Grease-smudged green John Deere, checker-board Purina, red, blue, brown, camo, Ford, Chevy, Case I/H, If it ain't a CAT it's a DOG . . .

Kinda classy, actually.

Robert

LINK to SNSR Blog


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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 10:25 AM

York1
Kevin and Brent, both nice looking bathrooms.  You certainly do much better work than the one I put in our basement.

Thanks John.

I just started work on the 1/2 bath in the guest bedroom. This one will be very plain. No wall tile and nothing fancy.

I will be adding a second doorway. This bathroom will have two doors so it can be accessed from either the living room or the guest bedroom. 

This project should be quick.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 1:57 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
John York 1. .... You said you are thinking of putting a church on your layout. I have one in the background on my layout as you can see in the left side of this picture.

 

Garry, that church looks nice.  I see your windows have what looks like stained glass.  Was that in a kit?  I'm still not sure what I want to do.

York1 John       

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, October 11, 2020 2:48 PM

Good (what's left of it) morning from the Pacific Rim where it is a cloudy but pleasant day. 

Apparently, we are to get a bit of a blow overnight so I will need to have the generator ready to go in case the puppies are making their way into the world. Not likely as her temp has not dropped yet.

Thanks for the compliments on the bathroom. The rain shower (head) was supposed to come out of the ceiling, not the wall, however either the wife ordered the wrong one or they sent us the wrong one and because of the massive covid delays we did not want to wait for the right one. It made no real difference to us anyway.

I have never been a hat wearer at all, only in the worst weather.

Eds pic of the Glazier Stove Co. shows an interesting light that looks like it can be lowered by pully to change the bulb. I spent hours looking at old pics on the Provincial and City Archives yesterday as I had no energy for anything else.Sleep

There is a church in the opening and closing of the IMAX movie Rocky Mountain Express that I want to build for the layout at some point.

It is the Canadian Thanksgiving and the wife is doing the turkey dinner tonight. It will be weird with no big family gathering as we are doing our bit to knock this virus out. We usually have 20 or so for Christmas as well and everyone is in agreement that it is not a good idea either. Health is more important than tradition. Things may improve so we have not written Christmas off completely. The only sad part is it may be the mother-in-laws last the way her health is declining. We may sneak them down for Christmas dinner.

I intermittent fast most days which means I eat my calories in a six-hour period of time, so it is almost breakfast time for me followed by dinner in four hours. I usually have an omelette with ham, cheese, onions and tomato. No bread as the carbs add to the Arthritis pain I will get if I don't behave.Grumpy I may misbehave at dinner though.Laugh

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canuckleheads!

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."

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, October 11, 2020 3:15 PM

BATMAN
Eds pic of the Glazier Stove Co. shows an interesting light that looks like it can be lowered by pully to change the bulb.

I seem to recall that we had some discussion about the carbon-arc lamps that were part of the thread on the Drake St. Vancouver, roundhouse photo you posted a while back, Brent.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/282232.aspx

 

They had to be lowered frequently in order to change out the carbon/copper electrodes. I remember working with old carbon arc lamps in movie theater projectors!  I went to Charles F. Brush high school. The Brush Arcs was our football team. Brush developed early arc lamps, some being demonstrated here in Cleveland. He was a pioneer in wind energy, too, using a 12 kW generator on a windmill to power his home.

For anyone modeling the late 1800s through about 1915 or so there should be a way to represent these lamps. I don't recall seeing any commercial models?

I'm headed back outside for more chores Confused

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 3:34 PM

BATMAN
I have never been a hat wearer at all, only in the worst weather.

 

I didn't wear one for many years.  However, after several bouts with skin cancer, the doctor told me to not go out again without one.  I think it was years of New Orleans sun while coaching football and softball.

Now that I'm used to wearing one, I don't feel quite right being outside without one.

York1 John       

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, October 11, 2020 4:00 PM

gmpullman

 

 
 

 

I seem to recall that we had some discussion about the carbon-arc lamps that were part of the thread on the Drake St. Vancouver, roundhouse photo you posted a while back, Brent.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/282232.aspx

 

For anyone modeling the late 1800s through about 1915 or so there should be a way to represent these lamps. I don't recall seeing any commercial models?

 

Cheers, Ed

 

Hi Ed 

Here is the pic of that light again.

 

Here is  the one I made hanging on my water tower. I have not powered it up yet but so far I like it.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Sunday, October 11, 2020 5:17 PM

SeeYou190

DISASTER!

My battery has died in my Canon Digital Camera!

I cannot locate the charger in this mess of a construction zone that I am living in. It could be absolutely anywhere. The last time I charged the battery was when I was in Michigan back in June/July.

Oh No!!!

-Kevin

 

 

How come taht sounds familiar to me! I bought a charger and some batteries at ebay.

But here you are... You can buy them directly from the distributer

www.mykastar.com

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by cudaken on Sunday, October 11, 2020 5:36 PM

 Eveing Diners

 Flo, give the gang and I a Beer please and Dirk and Robbie a Dog Treat.

 Sorry I have been MIA so much lately. Just not much to post about.

 Dirk is a cone head. Vet says he needs a cone so he will stop chewing on his bad paw. There is not yest or bactiare (spell check) on the paw. He has chewed off part on his center paw pad becuse it itches. New med seems to be helping.

 Only problem is I cannot get the dang thing on him! Had to take it off when we got home from the vet to get is harness off and I cannot get it back on? He is not fighting me, he is a Good Boy. But it is just a stupid pain in the ash pitt hooking system!

 Daughter bought a better collar off Amozona. Should have Monday.

 Train are running well.

 Time to sit outside with Dirk and the Wife.

 Later, Ken and Dirk says "Daddy, I don't want to be a cone head, Woof, Woof!"

I hate Rust

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, October 11, 2020 5:53 PM

BATMAN
Hi Ed  Here is the pic of that light again.

I found a nice photo of an arc lamp located in Salem, Mass.:

 Salem-MA-arclamp-crop by Edmund, on Flickr

I recall reading about how hazardous it was to be a lineman in those days. No surprise there!

 Salem-MA-arclamp by Edmund, on Flickr

You are being a good doggy-daddy for Dirk, Ken Bow Good for both of you!

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, October 11, 2020 9:30 PM

Well, I just did something that some of you might think was crazy, and perhaps others will agree with.

I won a Proto 1000 Canadian Pacific RDC on ebay, and I got it for well under half of the usual selling price. It was listed at an unrealistically low price to begin with and there were almost no details in the listing, so I decided to ask a few questions, i.e. "Does it run?". The seller didn't know. He explained that he was selling a number of model railroad items for an elderly neighbour but he knew nothing about them.

I got the RDC today and it is in superb condition and runs like a top. If it had been in poor condition or not running I would have said that the price I paid was fair. However, given the excellent condition, I felt like I was ripping the older gentleman off. So, I just sent a message to the seller offering to pay another $40.00 for the RDC. That still makes it a bargain, and it will make me feel better too.

Some of you will think me a fool. We all have different values.

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 BigDaddy on Sunday, October 11, 2020 9:33 PM

Kevin the neighbors keep telling me to drive to WV, but things are starting to change here in VA.

Ken My Rescued Coonhound group on Facebook calls it the cone of shame.  Not sure why it is called shameful, except as black humor, but they run into stuff with it, like going up stairs or bumping into corners.

I went back to MD "celebrate" my mother's 92nd birthday.  The way that is done is that we see her outside, my sons and I could only see her 2 at a time over the course of 45 minutes.

She has been confined to her room since March or maybe February.  This is the first time she has seen her grandchildren since New Years day and hasn't seen her great grandchildren since then.  It appears unlikely that there will be a family celebration for Thanksgiving, so at the very end of her golden years she is in solitary confinement and doesn't even get to talk to her fellow residents.

The assisted living facility has had a half dozen staff get covid, but no patients have, and they are proud of that record.  If I am lucky enough to live that long, I hope no one does that to me.  I want to see my grandkids, and great grandkids and eat turkey and pumpkin pie. If some disease kills me, well it's better than living as a specimen in a zoo that no one is allowed to visit. 

My son bought my other son a bottle of Pechuga Mezcal, it's an over simplification but it is kind of like tequila.  It is distilled over a raw chicken breast.  As unappetizing as that sounds, it gets worse.  Imagine you pulled the inner tube out of your bicycle tire and set fire to it.  That's what it tastes like.

We then had a discussion of single malt scotch and they don't like peaty scotches.  They didn't get that from me.   

There were two highlights of the day, both scatalogical.  My son spilled a plate of hors d'ouerves on the ground and said a naughty word, which was repeated by my 3 grandchildren, over and over like a Gregorian chant.  I was in tears and my 4 yo granddaughter said "What's so funny?"

Later on the same group was together and there was a gaseous sound of undetermined origin. I said "Who did that?"  My granddaughter answered "Your son"  More tears.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 9:35 PM

Dave, thanks for doing the honorable thing.

 

Edit:  Top of the Page

It's 9:30 p.m.  It's too late for food, but a glass of wine sounds good to me.  You can all join me.

York1 John       

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 9:40 PM

Dave: I do not think you a fool at all.

I have seen similar situations where people were selling for others and had no idea what they had. I could have bought some of the items for a song, but instead I have contacted the seller and help them rewrite the listing so the item sells for a better amount.

John: I will join you. Thank you.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, October 11, 2020 9:59 PM

BigDaddy
There were two highlights of the day, both scatalogical.  My son spilled a plate of hors d'ouerves on the ground and said a naughty word, which was repeated by my 3 grandchildren, over and over like a Gregorian chant.  I was in tears and my 4 yo granddaughter said "What's so funny?" Later on the same group was together and there was a gaseous sound of undetermined origin. I said "Who did that?"  My granddaughter answered "Your son"  More tears.

Hi Henry,

Sounds like you had a great time with your family!

Isolating seniors is certainly a huge problem. Unfortunately the current reality is that if we don't do that we may literally kill them with kindness. I do think that many of the seniors' homes have not stepped up to the plate. They did not prepare properly and they could be making much more use of plexiglass separations and HEPA filter fans etc. to control the air flow. It is likely an issue of a lack of funding.

It is a really sad situation.

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 Sunday, October 11, 2020 10:00 PM

SeeYou190
John: I will join you. Thank you.

Count me in!

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 "JaBear" on Monday, October 12, 2020 12:22 AM

To the Mad Fool, well done , Sir. Thumbs UpThumbs UpBow

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

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