Good Morning,
A frosty -34C right now with a -44C windchill. I jusr spent a half hour outside tending the bird feeders and water. Sorry for not doing tmps in F. We have been metric here since '77 but I grew up with F and Imperial measure so I can still relate to it. Sure hope it warms up soon. I have to do errands this afternoon so good thing the block heater is plugged in. Mind you the car would start anyway as it comes from Sweden where they do understand cold.
Just a few shrubs to add and my scenery repair will be done.
JR, what type of cars do you take to Sebring? Sounds hectic but exciting.
NorthBrit Dave, isn't that cold for you? Hope you have double glazing.
Time for more coffee.
CN Charlie
Good Morning All,
A near tropical 20F this morning with a light dusting of 3 -4 inches of s**w. At least with the cold temp the stuff is showing up as fine powder so it's easy to shift.
Nothing much else to report at this point - we are waiting on a soil report after the oil tank was dug out of the prospective house. Then on to the lawyers to start to sort it all out. The shop is a bit nuts still with cars coming and going and DOT inspections happening on the rolling stock so we can go next week. Hopefully nothing else too crazy.
I'm enjoying the tour Ed. Time for me to pick up tools and get after it.
Ciao, J.R.
well no power loss here in my neck of the woods but my car is frozen to the ground. we got a bunch of sleet on top of the ice so its all nice and slick.
Good morning all. The heating is on. At -10 degrees some serious warming up to do.
Generators. When we visited the In-Laws, many a time the power would go and FiL would start the generator. The power seemed to go around mealtimes! Such a panic so the meals would not be ruined.
Coffee Time.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
SeeYou190 PM Railfan Have a great evening folks! Douglas... I sent you a PM yesterday. My PM notification does not work, so just letting you know. -Kevin
PM Railfan Have a great evening folks!
Douglas... I sent you a PM yesterday. My PM notification does not work, so just letting you know.
-Kevin
Mine doesnt either, so im glad you said something! -Douglas
Edit: kevin I gotcha! Read yours, i sent one back. who evers tending bar today Kevin gets an extra one on me - Douglas.
Dbl Edit: just noticed im top of the page, so thats two drinks for Kevin on me. Must be get Kevin plastured day. And being the good guys we are who are we to hold him back? - Douglas
PM RailfanHave a great evening folks!
Living the dream.
Hello Railfans!
Top of the evening to ya. A pleasure as always! Had to run out for a bit, but errand done and back home now. Highly unusual because like alot of you, i havent left the house in a while. But she kisses good, so you know how it is!
Ed) Fantastic story! I hope my first experience with an F is similar. Though i doubt it. Not because of the circumstances yet the rarity of F units these days plus my age.
Yessum, it indeed was a different time back then. I think the ole hoggers understood though were foamers, we have a useful purpose. Even if it is to be under their feet so to say ga-ga'ing over everything.
I miss those days, and the railroaders who won them. Even more sad is they will never come again. It was nothing to pull a Tom Sawyer and head down to the tracks.... camera, notepad, and tape recorder in hand, and spend the whole day just you, the hot sun on your shoulders, and the smell of creosote! My saving grace is i got just a small taste of it before the era ended.
Ive always said i was born 100 years too late. Railfanning the steam era, well i just cant describe how much of a better experience that woulda been. By the time i got my hand on the throttle, its was a trio of SD40 High noses lashed together in the diesel facility of the ole Asheville yard. I musta been just a pinch younger than you were on your first F. (Because dear ole mom still had to drive me to my long distance railfan events.)
They sounded good, felt good too, but nothing like the whine of an ole 567, aye? I noticed the seat fit my rear-end REALLY well. So did that throttle handle. A missed calling and a lifetime regret.
Still holding out hope though. One day.... someones gonna offer me a chance to pilot steam. And not just the shovel seat either, the big seat!
Tim Crunch) Dont let this get out, but the T1 is amphibious. Thus the "shark nose" and the "tanker chin". Naw naw j/k. Seriously, there isnt a thing i can add to Ed's explanation. The pic pretty much shows it all. (the open smokebox front pic deserves alot of study too - note the coupler, the mailbox marker light, etc)
One more thing Ed, I think i kinda prefer Dreyfuss to Loewy myself. I dont think you can streamline a better looking loco than the 20th or the Empire E. Hudsons. The T1 isnt bad, but Id give the Daylight Gs4 a higher notch on the likes too. A sure thumbs down would be C&O's streamlined Hudsons. Hideous! I think there were 5 examples of that one.
Garry) You make it back home?
Kevin) Thats one expensive cup of coffee. The first 2 years i got here it snowed 12", twice. Have a decent sized cement driveway so a snowblower we bought thinking no more back breaking. Aint snowed since! Dang thang is sitting, dusty, NIC as in.... New In Corner. So in case anyone is wondering, it only costs $400 to keep it from ever snowing again.
Have a great evening folks!
Clear Ahead!
Douglas
Heartland Division CB&Q I am recalling the 2009 ice storm when we were stranded in the house without power, landline phone, cell phone, or county water for 9 days. After that, we bought the generator.
After Hurricane Charley in 2004, we were without power for almost two weeks. I bought a diesel stand-by generator and transfer switch the next season.
We have never needed it. The only time since then we have been without power was after Hurricane Irma, but I evacuated with my wife to Atlanta.
I got rid of the generator last year.
I had to replace the fuel every few years, and maintenance was expensive.
Sometime after we had the generator for a few years, I woke up one weekend and the power was off. I threw the transfer switch, and started the generator. Then I made a pot of coffee.
My wife refers to it as the $10,000.00 pot of coffee! That was honestly the only time we used the generator.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
moelarrycurly4 Garry , Be glad you are down there, we are having Ice storm here at home. Nasty, at least we still have power in my neck of the woods. just and FYI, not sure when you are coming back, we have another round coming next Monday/Tuesday with models showing 12+ inches of snow right through here. Keep an eye to the weather sky. I can deal with snow, I don't like ice.
Garry ,
Be glad you are down there, we are having Ice storm here at home.
Nasty, at least we still have power in my neck of the woods.
just and FYI, not sure when you are coming back, we have another round coming next Monday/Tuesday with models showing 12+ inches of snow right through here. Keep an eye to the weather sky.
I can deal with snow, I don't like ice.
MLC ... Thanks for your thoughts about weather conditions . i have been very concerned about that. If power is lost at our house, I must be home to hook up the generator. We have neighbors watching the house and taking care of cats, but if roads are too icy, they can't get there. It could be a bad situation. I am recalling the 2009 ice storm when we were stranded in the house without power, landline phone, cell phone, or county water for 9 days. After that, we bought the generator.
Everybody ... Have a nice night.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
CapnCrunch It's case appears to cover functional equipment and is more than an aesthetic element.
There's an air cooler, reservoir and a pair of cross-compound air compressors under the hood.
BLW_T1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Wrap it in sheet metal and give it a "flashy" look. I wasn't too big of an adherent to the Raymond Lowey look. I personally thought Henry Dreyfuss had just a bit more "class" but both made their distinctive mark on the "streamstyled" era.
T1_fe by Edmund, on Flickr
The T1 went through three modifications to the front end since delivery. The War years had a negative effect on much of the sheet metal trimmings of all the streamlined locomotives as turn-around time was precious and man-hours involved in the removal and replacement of ornamentation was a luxury not afforded in the effort.
Regards, Ed
gmpullmanIn one of those "never woulda' believed it in a million years" stories, my first time behind the throttle of an F7 happened while I was bumming a ride on a Penn-Central freight with a friend who was a brakeman.
Wow Ed! You have certainly had some interesting railroading experiences!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Ed, that story is amazing! Great memories and thanks for sharing it and the pictures.
I got my second Covid-19 vaccine shot today, first back on the 20th, and so far I'm feeling fine. I was a bit tired and the place the injection went into is still sore, when I got home and took a nap, but otherwise, no issues. When I went the first time, the hospital was running behind and people had to wait up to a half hour for their shots, but today it was much better organized and I got in and out within 20-minutes including the wait time for them to make sure I didn't have any negative interactions.
I helped a friend move a fridge he bought off of Facebook to a place he's renting. Nice place, but the cats were of no help ha ha. I've moved all kinds of things many times before but I don't think I've ever had to take off doors and other things on a fridge to move it inside a place.
I ordered a Skil cordless screw driver and waiting to see if it works with the 1/4" chuck to hold micro-drill bits. I hate doing manual drilling of numerous holes with a pin vise, so *fingers crossed* this is an improvement. If not, it certainly will not hurt to have a cordless drill nearby.
Alvie
gmpullman What the... This ain't no railroad ticket? It's a filled out bingo card! Who's this Bear fellow? Captain by Edmund, on Flickr Meanwhile — at the head end... Amtrak_563 by Edmund, on Flickr Rolling right along. Tomorrow morning we leave on the Pennsylvania Railroad's Spirit of Saint Louis for Columbus, Pittsburgh and Altoona via the Panhandle Route. PRR, United States by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr https://www.american-rails.com/pennsylvania.html Cheers, Ed
What the...
This ain't no railroad ticket? It's a filled out bingo card! Who's this Bear fellow?
Captain by Edmund, on Flickr
Meanwhile — at the head end...
Amtrak_563 by Edmund, on Flickr
Rolling right along.
Tomorrow morning we leave on the Pennsylvania Railroad's Spirit of Saint Louis for Columbus, Pittsburgh and Altoona via the Panhandle Route.
PRR, United States by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
https://www.american-rails.com/pennsylvania.html
Cheers, Ed
Question for Ed or Douglas: On the PRR T1 shown in the picture, what is the purpose of the bulbous streamlined projection at the front of the locomotive? It's case appears to cover functional equipment and is more than an aesthetic element.
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....
gmpullmanWell, here goes... set the reverser, release the independent and away we go! We were beyond the "plant" so we were about a half mile beyond the yard. I backed 88 cars into the yard nice and easy. we had five "covered wagons" on the head end, I remember that. What a beautiful sound
OK .......... I'm officially envious.
York1 John
PM Railfan But somehow, over all the years, i have never gotten in the cab of an operating E or F.
In one of those "never woulda' believed it in a million years" stories, my first time behind the throttle of an F7 happened while I was bumming a ride on a Penn-Central freight with a friend who was a brakeman.
The train was eastbound out of Cleveland and I was in the cab when we neared Ashtabula, Ohio. The brakeman friend dropped off since we had to make a setout and a pickup so I was left in the cab with the engineer.
Mind you I was maybe fifteen at the time. Didn't even have a driver's permit. The engineer says, "I'm going back to the can. When the yardmaster gives you the OK, take 'er back. Go kind of easy, that's bad track in there." and with that he's gone through the engine room door.
Not a minute later I hear a crackly "Head-end, ONF-8, OK to back down for your setout" over the radio. Well, here goes... set the reverser, release the independent and away we go! We were beyond the "plant" so we were about a half mile beyond the yard. I backed 88 cars into the yard nice and easy. we had five "covered wagons" on the head end, I remember that. What a beautiful sound
You should have seen the look on my brakeman friend's face as he saw me making the shove into the yard. That's the way things were back then. Nobody said a thing.
P-C 3246 by Edmund, on Flickr
On another trip, with newer power
Man i never really payed attention to how distracted i get when here (she is cute). Yall snuck in 3 posts whilest i was typin. And i can type pretty goodly.
Ed) In reply to "take her for a whirl" above, i was gonna say grab the firemans seat because 'i would'! Been in just about every type of 2nd gen cab, and quite a few steamers. But somehow, over all the years, i have never gotten in the cab of an operating E or F. Or a working switcher - SW/NW.
Now as for the Pennsy, are we gonna get to ride behind a T1? Im curious to see if she'll run at 150mph like most think (shaking my head). No mistaking that tender though. Holy bejeebers look how it dwarfs the car behind it. Almost like its an S-scale tender on an HO train.
BTW, you sure its a bingo card, coulda been a golf score. The diff being one has alot of erasures on it.
Top of the day to you! Man, what a warm day we had today. Had I had the memo on this i might not have slept it away.
Tisnt much going on yet, the days just getting started. I did spend more time on that drawing i was working on. You know the one, with the cure in it. Added about another 500. Talking about tedius repitition! I dont know about the model, but the drawing sure is looking good.
Recieved a whole bunch of goodies in the mail today. Everything from truck springs to phospher wire. But was too tired from the riveting to do anything about it all. I spose thats for this evening.
No thanks TF, ill pass on the stinky stuff. Someone else can have mine though i remind you, friends dont let friends eat seafood.
Havent seen Ed post today, I spose hes in his laboratory conjuring up something good for the trip.
Was good to see Dave Critter - Hi Dave! Keep your chin up.... just keep telling yourself.... "what would John Wayne do"?
Ok folkses, about time to go rattle some cages. Ill see yall later.
Edit: Theres Ed!
Sparky RailEd, Serial lurker chiming in here (yup, I lurked on the lurker thread too).
Thank you, Tom I try to stay "content-aware" when I post a link to a YouTube video. There ARE some treasures there but, as always, one must be selective, too.
Since we'll be spending some time on The Standard Railroad of the World, here's a nicely transfered old Blackhawk film:
PRR_7-8-65 by Edmund, on Flickr
Enjoy the ride! Ed
BigDaddyThe county has compiled a waiting list, but vaccinations, in large part have been turned over to CVS. CVS is ignoring the county claiming incompatible technology. It's a list. How hard can it be to look at it and call the people who signed up?
Here in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS, There are a few drug stores that are giving the vaccine but never seem to have any.... Rochester Regional Health where my main Doc. is, sent out an email to all patients telling them to answer any phone call that comes in from (xxx) xxx-???? (could be any last four numbers). I was looking daily at the Rite Aid Site, and following any other news about it I could find. Got a call from (xxx) xxx-xxxx last Friday afternoon telling me to show up at the doctors office part of Geneva General Hospital and get the jab! I did and got the first shot. Second appointment was made at the time I talked to the lady on the phone who called from Rochester Regional Health. Clinic was very well run and I was in and out in no time at all (did have to sit for 15 minutes to make sure I didn't have any reaction to the vaccine).
My lady friend has an appointment for early March in Rochester to get her first dose. We are both looking to the time we have had both doses! Hopefully we can spend more time doing more varied types of things. Neither of us feels safe being in places where there are crowds of people at the moment. We have been to a couple restaurants that were kept to standards, but bowling we had other people packed into the lanes right next to ours which was not supposed to happen! Hoping movie theaters and such will get to reopen, and we could visit some museums, and even spend time together watching TV, and playing games....
We are going to go for a long walk at a large Mall not too far away tomorrow and will get lunch there (they have fast food places and lots of well spaced seating in the mall. When the weather was nicer (last summer and fall) we went for some hikes, bike rides, and long walks at some of the Finger Lakes and some parks. Too cold and icky outside right now to do that... LOL
Have a great evening and stay safe out there!
37
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Good evening
Imgure isn't working for me tonight but the offer still stands.
Slow hardwood smoked Minnesota walleye fillet, a loaded baked potato and asparagus with sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese melted on top!
It's falling apart and full of flavor Grab a plate and a beer. Join me for some Good Eats my Friends!
TF
Good Afternoon,
Still cold but sunny.
Dave, glad to hear you are feeling a little better. Torn muscles or ligaments take a long tme to heal. My lower back sure did.
Doing some work on the layout today fixing the scenery from the turnout change I did a while ago. I found some N scale trees I hadn't used so I put them on that layout.
TF, looking forward to the walleye, or pickerel as we call it up here. It is one of the best tasting fish I've ever had.
Think I'll send the K5a around as it is sitting un front of the station ready to go.
Shoulders can hurt really bad. Bad enough you can't hold up a cup of coffee. They can also get really stiff if you don't move them. Getting them unstiff is almost as painful. I'd suggest some physical therapy.
There is a whole black market of knowledge about where to get the vaccine. A lot of my neighbors have been vaccinated have heard about places to go from friends. As the new kid on the block, I haven't heard anything.
The county has compiled a waiting list, but vaccinations, in large part have been turned over to CVS. CVS is ignoring the county claiming incompatible technology. It's a list. How hard can it be to look at it and call the people who signed up?
Since many of us are seeing snow, how about a summer scene.
https://tinyurl.com/y5h3qjak
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Good morning
You better believe I'll have an extra special filet of that smoked walleye for you tonight John and an ice cold beer waiting for ya!
We woke up to Pac-Man music on the TV this morning. It made the typical Groundhog Day a little different as we trotted out of bed
Nothing better than waking up laughing and It's the first time in years we didn't turn the TV off as we left the bedroom
Have a great day gentleman
Good afternoon all. More snowfall throughout the day.
J R For the past few day the weather forecasters have said snow is on its way. Now it has arrived the country has ground to a halt. "We have been caught by surprise," say Councils who should clear the roads etc. They are always 'caught by surprise'.
For dinner tonite it is a Creamy Chicken Potato-Topped Pie and vegetables. A Cheese & Garlic Baguette. A Mixed Fruit Salad with a Toffee Sauce for dessert.
Stay Safe everyone.
Good morning! Another day stretching before me with nothing to do, but can't go outside.
We buried a friend yesterday at a cemetery about 50 miles from here. It's an experience to be standing in two feet of snow, below zero F, no trees, and a grave. My wife said it looked like the Doctor Zhivago movie.
Dave, glad to hear you're getting a little better. It seems most of us have had unpleasant experiences with those drugs.
Always good to meet in the diner. TF, I'll expect some good fish tonight along with some ice cold beer. Thanks for the invitation!
13F(-11C) this morning. Just a regular to go please Zoe. We already had a parts delivery from Indy this morning and got the driver launched back on the road before the next storm hits. I have no idea how we are going to load the trailers at this point but we will figure something out.We have to.
David, all that cold and snow is unusual for GB isn't it? The Brits I work with here are remarking that for quite a while it rarely snowed at all in winter. Next thing is we'll have Bear reporting snow in July (his winter).
I get to sign up for the vaccine supposedly tomorrow. We shall see. It took weeks to get the care workers and over 75's to the point that they can start to schedule 65 to 75s so we will see.
I am the same with pain killers. When my foot was crushed I had to take them but only for a couple of days, same with the surgery on the back of my knee. I can tolerate the pain a lot better than the loopyness from the pills anyway. I also have a deep respect for the ease you can get dependent on pain pills. We had one ex employee who went that way and I know it was years and more than one attempt before he got straightened out.
Sebring False Grid for evening race by J.R. Mitchell, on Flickr" alt="Sebring 12/19" />
Back to the shop, lots to do again today. Ciao, J.R.
Good morning all. More snowfall overnight. Is our village 'cut off from the outside world'? Probably not, but it is retty quiet.
Dave. Good to hear from you. Remain positive. Sending our thoughts.
Busy today making lift-out wagon loads for the railway.
First Coffee Time.