I still have some Miller High life leftover from the Super Bowl, so help yourself.
Two weeks ago I shared this picture of another new house under construction in my neighborhood. This one is replacing a house that was torn down.
Look how far it has moved along in just a few days.
I had an unpleasent surprise today. I cut an access hole in the ceiling to get to the HVAC air return so I could hook up the new returns from the guest bedroom and the master bedroom.
Fortunately when I was up there, the air conditioner kicked on, and I felt a cold blast of air. That cannot be good. I cut another big access hole in the ceiling, and I found a 5 inch duct had become disconnected from the pyramid duct board manifold on the far side of the house.
I wonder how long I have been blowing expensive A/C into the attic space.
So now I have two huge holes in my ceiling for access that I never planned to cut. This just added a lot more work, but I am very happy I found it. This is a money drain for sure.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good morning all. The Heavenly watering can is working overtime here in the North of England.
Brent Lovely pictures. Thanks for showing.
Dave. I have added more to my layout thread.
A busy day with grocery deliveries etc.. I might get time in the train room.
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
SeeYou190I wonder how long I have been blowing expensive A/C into the attic space.
Up here in the snowy north I always observe roofs and particularly eaves with huge icicles hanging from them. That means there's a "hole" in the insulation somewhere in the attic and the heat is escaping and heating the snow on the roof directly above, the water from the melted snow runs down along the shingles under the layer of snow on the roof where it re-freezes at the eaves.
Another no-no is venting an exhaust fan into the attic space. LOTS of moist air condenses on the under side of the sheathing and makes a big block of ice and also rots the sheathing.
My house was built in '77 a few years before I moved in. It has blown-in cellulose insulation. I hate that stuff. While remodeling the bathroom just a week ago I tore the drywall off the outside wall because I knew what I was going to find.
Sure enough, the insulation had settled and much of it had never even been distributed in the wall cavity. If it hits an obstruction, say a run of romex going horizontally, it will build up on top of it but not "flow" any farther down the cavity.
I try to correct this any chance I get while doing remodeling.
DH, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1974 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Thanks for the Miller, Kevin. That's my usual brand
Cheers, Ed
I have lots of big trees around my house. The result was that I had to clean gutters every couple of weeks.
I installed some gutter guards that have holes for the water to go in, but keeps the leaves out.
Bad move. They kept the leaves out. But ... the snow settled on the tops of the gutters. Then, under the snow, some ice formed and covered the holes. The result is that the water drained over the tops of the gutters, and I got icicles, which I've never had before.
This spring, I will remove the leaf guards, and go back to cleaning gutters.
SeeYou190Two weeks ago I shared this picture of another new house under construction in my neighborhood. This one is replacing a house that was torn down.
That's pretty amazing progress so fast. I know that houses in your area are all built hurricane proof, so I get the concrete block walls. Do the roofs have any kind of special construction for hurricanes?
TF, I hope your family's job situation improves.
Not much of a train, but this was in City Park in New Orleans, about 6 blocks from our house. The kids loved riding this train. This park has large numbers of Live Oak trees covered with Spanish Moss. A neat place.
York1 John
Good morning from the West Coast where it is O/C but pleasent.
hon30critter Hi Brent, Beautiful images! You are a lucky guy. Dave
Hi Brent,
Beautiful images! You are a lucky guy.
Dave
Yes I was and when I was a kid it was just normal, as an adult I realize it was something to cherish.
Talking about insulation, We have blown-in fibreglass, it is knee-deep when you go into the attic(s) When I bought it the house inspector was really impressed at how much there was and jokingly said the builder must have owned the insulation company. It was the builders own house and he went above and beyond in many areas. When I do work up there I take a plastic snow shovel to move the stuff out of the way.
John, have you thought of giving those heating wires a go on top of the guards. Just plug them in when they freeze up to get things moving. You could do a small test section next year.
Spanish moss is beautiful. Gord has a song about it. I used to play this one a lot as it was one of those songs your fingers just love to pick. The old arthritis kind of put a damper on playing it though as there are some big "stretches" my fingers can't make anymore, maybe on a good day.
Yesterday, my wife went to renew our contract with the company that provides our phone/cable/internet. We had minimal channels as the TV does not get watched except for hockey or Netflix, Amazon or Disney which are internet. They gave us 5G internet, a better phone plan and every channel they can provide which is about 500 channels as far as I can tell. Not that we will watch them. The best part is they dropped the price to $30.00 a month. The guy said the price may go down again as there is so much competition. The wife asked if the price could be lowered more if we didn't get all those channels and the guy said nope you just get them all now for the same price.I took a quick spin through all these channels, it is unbelievable some of the crap on TV.
Time for the 1000 calorie burn on the bike ( the cost of drinking rum) and then we are off to buy new cabinets for the laundry room. These Renos are wearing thin, I'll tell ya.
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."
York1 I know that houses in your area are all built hurricane proof, so I get the concrete block walls. Do the roofs have any kind of special construction for hurricanes?
As far as I know, there are different standards. Houses built to "Dade County" specs can withstand a category 5 hit.
I have Category 5 windows and roof, but my house was built before Hurricane Andrew, so the specs were lower. When the roof was done I had the trusses retrofitted with hurricane straps, and the lanai roof trusses were rebuilt and brought up to current code.
I believe building code on the West Coast only requires being able to withstand a category 3 storm. I do not recall a hurricane greater than category 3 hitting the West Coast where I live.
The biggest differences in building since Andrew have been how the trusses are anchored to the walls, and the types of fasteners that are required to hold it all together in 120 MPH winds.
Now most severe damage from storms is from falling trees and flood waters.
gmpullmanMy house was built in '77 a few years before I moved in. It has blown-in cellulose insulation. I hate that stuff. While remodeling the bathroom just a week ago I tore the drywall off the outside wall because I knew what I was going to find.
My house has very thin insulation above the ceiling, R-16, and the walls have no insulation. I guess the cinder block counted as insulation when it was built.
I have been incresing the attice insulation in areas where I have been working, but I cannot do the entire structure.
gmpullmanThanks for the Miller, Kevin. That's my usual brand.
Anytime... enjoy!
Good evening all. The good news is we are moving (slowly) out of lockdown. In two weeks time children can go back to school.
Creamy Salmon & Spinach Fusillioni followed by Apple & Tangerine Fruit Salad with a Strawberry Peach Sauce.
Stay Safe.
Scranton, Pennsylvania has rolled out the welcome mat for the Diner.
They even said they'll keep the lights on for us!
Scranton_Electric by Edmund, on Flickr
Ed: I love the electric city sign. Is that still there?
It seems to have been a very quiet day in the diner. I sure did not miss much while I worked on the house all day (again).
I decided since I was up there above the ceiling, I would just go ahead and replace all the flexible duct. I attached everything with brand new Pantone ties, sealed it all with Red Devil fiber reenforced sealant, attached the insulation with foil tape, and put an additional layer of duct sealant over everything.
I also built a small shelf for the duct board pyramid manifold to get it off of the trusses and I tied the flex ducts away from anything sharp.
This should last forever. It is much better than it was.
I will put a second layer of sealant on everything tomorrow.
Then, hopefully, I can get back to attaching the return ducts that I started on yesterday.
Then I will need to add insulation and repair the ceiling. All-in-all I think this will be about a week lost, but well spent.
SeeYou190Ed: I love the electric city sign. Is that still there?
Yes, thankfully. I guess it had fallen into a sad state and, as I recall had been somewhat restored around 2004, then again in 2014 with LEDs.
I was in Scranton back in the mid-1970s and don't recall seeing it then. It may have been inoperable then.
https://www.visitnepa.org/listing/electric-city-sign/4130/
Here's a dizzying tour of Steamtown.
My heart bleeds for the "Fall from Grace" of the beautiful CP Jubilee 4-4-4, 2929, . Someone please rescue her!
James Heinrich: Creative Commons
Surprisingly, I can not find a decent nighttime video of the Electric City sign
Miller Engineering makes an "Electro-Luminescent" version of this sign which is pretty neat!
Landing in a headwind: No runway? No problem
Regards, Ed
gmpullmanMy heart bleeds for the "Fall from Grace" of the beautiful CP Jubilee 4-4-4, 2929, . Someone please rescue her!
That is a sad sight. Certainly something that beautiful should be restored to former glory.
SeeYou190I decided since I was up there above the ceiling, I would just go ahead and replace all the flexible duct. I attached everything with brand new Pantone ties, sealed it all with Red Devil fiber reenforced sealant, attached the insulation with foil tape, and put an additional layer of duct sealant over everything. I also built a small shelf for the duct board pyramid manifold to get it off of the trusses and I tied the flex ducts away from anything sharp.
Nice work Kevin. Very thorough.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
We're in Erie and Lackawanna and Erie-Lackawanna territory. The Lake Cities was the first "real" overnight passenger train I rode from Cleveland (Youngstown) to Hoboken back in 1966.
The EL was a class act!
Tomorrow we ride the Delaware & Hudson from Scranton to the New York State capital in Albany.
D-H_19 by Edmund, on Flickr
I hope everyone is enjoying the tour.
hon30critterNice work Kevin. Very thorough.
Thank you for the compliment.
I really hope that these repairs are good enough to last the remainder of my lifetime.
gmpullmanI hope everyone is enjoying the tour.
You bet I am!
Just an update on the RDC that went to Australia by mistake and then took nearly two months to find its way to its intended destination in Canada. You may recall that Ed (gmpullman) sent the RDC to me so that I could use it to repair an RDC which arrived without one of the pilots. The USPS sent it to Australia by mistake. The deal was that I would scavenge the needed pilot and then send the RDC to AntonioFP45 in Florida so that he could use the shell to replace one with damaged windows.
I am happy to announce that I have my needed pilot and the RDC is now in Antonio's hands in Florida. By my calculations, it has travelled more than 18,000 miles to get to him!
All's well that ends well!!
Cheers!!
Good afternoon all. A busy day on a personal level. Dawn has not been feeling too good lately, but things are turning for the better. Now I am a little below par. Nothing serious (I hope).
Enough of that.
Ed. Enjoying the journey, thanks. I know when I was doing it I wondered a couple of times 'Is anyone interested?' Then realised 'Yes.'
BATMANAll the best to all.
And speaking of best, that is one of the best color photos of a USRA style 0-6-0 from back in the day that I've seen. It has smokebox and air compressor difference from original standard, but its design certainly is related to it.
Good morning. I'll have lots of coffee this morning. I wonder if the waitress will just leave the pot at my table?
I don't say it enough, but I read every post here, and I have enjoyed the diner's journey wherever it goes. Thanks to everyone who is responsible for our journey.
As the last Southern Crescent pulled into New Orleans in 1978, this was the view from the train as it traveled along on the top of the levee of Lake Ponchartrain. There were dozens of these camps lining the levee, and these could be rented. We did several times, and had a lot of fun times there.
gmpullmanTomorrow we ride the Delaware & Hudson from Scranton to the New York State capital in Albany.
Thanks for the D&H photos Ed. I love that Livery and Crest. Somehow CP's Heritage unit D&H GP38-2 7309 (P2K) keeps finding it's way onto the CSS. Paul
"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".
No where near as photogenic as the original station, this "stand-in" served Albany through the Penn-Central/Amtrak era.
PC_Albany by Edmund, on Flickr
We will visit more sights around the Albany area, maybe even a trip to the Watervliet Arsenal which is just north of town. Located here in 1813 to take advantage of access to the Hudson (North) River and The Mohawk River.
Troy_PC by Edmund, on Flickr
Troy_NY_unionstation by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's the New York Central's Alco switcher putting the train back together after setting out the Diner. D&H Train 35, The Laurentian will continue north to Montreal.
NYC_Rensseleaer by Edmund, on Flickr
Presently sunny and a balmy 40° F here on the south shores of Lake Erie.
Thanks for your support everyone!
Right on Ed! The second photo looks like a model!
Your trip around the country is going to be a tuff act to follow for next month!
A sunny 48 degrees in SE WI this afternoon. Been out shoveling, reclaimed the back deck and patio, and the back of my truck !
Mike.
My You Tube
LazersThanks for the D&H photos Ed. I love that Livery and Crest.
Well, that deserves another peek or two, yes?
DnH_PA_Montreal-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's the Laurentian shortly after arrival in Montreal.
DnH_PA_Montreal by Edmund, on Flickr
— and later, No. 16 is in CP's Glenn Yard for turning and servicing for the return trip. I was fortunate to have been able to chase the former Santa Fe PAs on a fan trip back in 1973.
The weather was lousy but the subject was wonderful! All three PAs were running this trip
Howdy everybody.
Perhaps the March Diner could follow the 18,000 mile route of Dave's RDC. LOL..
Ed : thanks for the pictures of railroads in northeast US and in Montreal as well.
Today, we received a phone call from the owner of the storage facility where we keep our boat for the winter. Bad news. A thief broke into several storage units including ours. In our case , items stolen were the battery, a charger, and a cable switch. Cables were cut and must be replaced. .... Makes me angry.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Heartland Division CB&QA thief broke into several storage units including ours. In our case , items stolen were the battery, a charger, and a cable switch. Cables were cut and must be replaced. ....
Wow! Sorry about that Garry! Seems to be a lot of that kind of thing going around these days. Been several items in the news in these parts about someone or group out there stealing Catalitic Converters off of vehicles. I guess they were something they could fence quickly because of the chemicals in them. They caught three people in one group a couple days ago.
I checked under my car, and mine was missing as well. Heck, I couldn't even find a tail pipe or anything under there! You know it has been very, very, quiet too. Wonder why???
Might have been a good day to go for a run, except it has been drizzeling about every time I went outside. Waiting for about 3 inches of pure ice to decide to slide off the roof over the living room... Nope no eaves on that one. The eaves caused the major water problem that cost close to $20,000 to fix out in that part of my house several years ago. The guy who repaired it recomended not having eaves on that particular roof. The water running off it doesn't cause any problem with it as it is built on a heavy slab and runs away from the foundation.
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Did we ever get to the state of Maine? It's really a beautiful place. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic still runs short freights up there. The Downeaster runs between Portland and Boston. I've ridden a tourist train up around Bar Harbor, and even eaten dinner in an old dining car, now gone, in Newry. Since we're only a couple of very small states away.....
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
mbinsewiRight on Ed! The second photo looks like a model!
It really does look like a model. The super-shiny rails and that phoney looking backdrop too! Heck, the track does not even have any ballast on it yet.
MisterBeasleyDid we ever get to the state of Maine? It's really a beautiful place.
We're headed in that direction...
Out of Albany over the Berkshires on the B&A back to Boston then north on the B&M.
Flying Yankee by Edmund, on Flickr
Those old hand-colored postcards can take on the look of a model, especially if any cleaning up of the photo was done before publishing.
Studying many of the old Detroit Publishing Co. photos you can see where things have been matted out.
I hope things are going OK for TF
gmpullmanLanding in a headwind: No runway? No problem
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I was playing with my camera today trying to get an action pan shot of the neighbor kid's car. He is really proud of this car and wanted a picture of it to use as his avatar.
I took about thirty pictures. This is the best one I got. He was only moving about 10 miles per hour in the picture.
It was a lot of work. No way to just aim and shoot and get a picture like this. I have tried to get pan action pictures of trains with no luck. You only get one shot at a passing train. The kid from down the street can drive around the block over and over.
When I get some trains running, finally, I am looking forward to trying to get some decent pan shots of the models.
This is his new avatar.
I think it looks stupid, but I was once 19 years old with a car I was proud of too.
Some of the many avatars I have used have been questionable too.
I took my wife to the dentist today, so I did not do any work to the house.
My daughter in Los Angeles is looking at replacing the Mustang we gave her for High School Graduation. The Mustang is 10 years old now, and she really wants something newer. She is going to look a new Mustangs tomorrow.
I got lucky with a pan shot at Horseshoe Curve some years ago. This isn't the best one but it's the only one out of the bunch I can find right now:
RR_views_0038 by Edmund, on Flickr
Pretty sure I was shooting at 1/30th of a second. Sometimes I like to take a pan shot on the model RR
NYC_4025-speed by Edmund, on Flickr