Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Jeffrey's Trackside Diner: August, 2021!

34908 views
518 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Saturday, August 21, 2021 4:15 PM

Post Hog! 

I never had it So Good!

I'm up here at the source, clucking with the horse and she has just informed me she's making Scuba Steves Seaweed Surprise for dinner tonightDinnerDinnerDinner

Barb is a New Orleans Girl and that Woman can COOK!

It doesn't get any better than this Kids! Smile, Wink & Grin

 

I really enjoy talking to Judy's older sister.  She has this old Southern Drawl thing going on that sounds really coolStick out tongue  Judy doesn't have that.  I guess she didn't live down there long enough for that to rub off on herHuh?Laugh

 

 

 

TF

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Saturday, August 21, 2021 3:30 PM

CNCharlie

I think it will be a long day as I only got 4 hours sleep after cleaning up the water in the basement. My wife went to bed at 7a.m. 

Coffee is the answer.

CN Charlie

That sounds brutal Charlie.  I hate when stuff like that happens.  Especially after it didn't rain all summer and then all of a sudden you get a basement floodHuh?No

I wish I could have been up there to help you clean that mess up so we could sit under the umbrella again and drink some really good coffee after all that.

I would have brought this bag up because it don't get any better.  I brought this bag up to my brother and sister-in-law's but I could have just as well stopped by your place first!

She said she had to let the beans cool for 5 minutes before she ground them as they just came out of the roaster while I was thereDinnerLaugh 

 

This bag has made every place smell like heaven everywhere I brought it so farLaugh

 

 

 

SmileTF

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Saturday, August 21, 2021 12:30 PM

CNCharlie
John, Kato makes great stuff but my opinions are clouded by installing a decoder in a Kato RDC and installing MT couplers on a couple of PAs, both very frustrating. I also had contact issues with decoder installs in the PAs. 

CN Charlie

 

That is something I've never done.  For my eyesight and clumsy fingers, N is hard enough to work on -- I'm afraid I would really mess something up working on a decoder.

We could use more rain if you could send it south.

 

MisterBeasley
MisterBeasley wrote the following post an hour ago: John, the GF and I actually rode in a lounge car on a scenic railway in Massachusetts.  They had gathered and restored coaches and a few dining cars.  We were fortunately seated in an old lounge car for our lunch trip.  According to our guide, this car actually last saw service on the City of New Orleans.  Just knowing that made the trip magical.

 

That would be amazing!  Even though I rode the City of Portland as a kid, I don't remember the lounge car.  It's possible my mother didn't let me go there.  We spend a lot of time in the dome car.

York1 John       

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • 2,123 posts
Posted by CNCharlie on Saturday, August 21, 2021 11:52 AM

John, Kato makes great stuff but my opinions are clouded by installing a decoder in a Kato RDC and installing MT couplers on a couple of PAs, both very frustrating. I also had contact issues with decoder installs in the PAs. 

CN Charlie

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, August 21, 2021 11:44 AM

John, the GF and I actually rode in a lounge car on a scenic railway in Massachusetts.  They had gathered and restored coaches and a few dining cars.  We were fortunately seated in an old lounge car for our lunch trip.  According to our guide, this car actually last saw service on the City of New Orleans.  Just knowing that made the trip magical.

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

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Saturday, August 21, 2021 8:46 AM

Good morning, diners.  Bacon, eggs, and coffee, Brunhilda.

Charlie, that sounds like a mess.  I hope the basement dries out with no other issues.  It's too bad there was no rain for so long, and then too much rain in a short time.

Charlie and TF, my layout is N and I have both Kato and Atlas locomotives, all DCC.  To tell the truth, I like the Kato better than the Atlas, and it seems I never have a problem with Kato.   I guess I got lucky with the ones I bought.

Not much going on today.  That means my wife will be waking up about the time I'm ready for bed.  She can sleep all day and stay up all night, and I'm the opposite.

I know this was a staged photo for a UP ad, but wouldn't it be neat to be dressed up and have a cocktail in this 1950s UP lounge car, and then head to the diner for a great meal?

 

The last City of Los Angeles run by UP before Amtrak:

 

Have a good day, everyone.

York1 John       

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • 2,123 posts
Posted by CNCharlie on Saturday, August 21, 2021 8:11 AM

Good Morning,

Well my wish for rain came true last night when we had about 2" in an hour or less. The pond overflowed so I was out with the submersible pump in the downpour. Lucky I still have some rain gear from my sailing days. Then water came in a basement window. I thought I had fixed that problem a few years ago. I was outside with a bucket and flashlight bailing out a window well. I will have to build up the soil on that side of the house and get longer downspout extensions. We got 3" of rain yesterday so no more forest fires which is good not to mention the drought. It is still raining but very light. Strong winds though.

TF,  my best running N scale engine is an Atlas RS11 in DWP green and gold. I did fire up that layout yesterday and had to do some major track cleaning. Then the Trainmaster started running poorly so I had to remove the shell and the trucks. There was a couple of ballast bits stuck in the gears. It seems that it doesn't take much to cause a problem in those tiny N scale gears.  A pair of pointy tweezers is a must. 

I think it will be a long day as I only got 4 hours sleep after cleaning up the water in the basement. My wife went to bed at 7a.m. 

Coffee is the answer.

CN Charlie

 

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, August 20, 2021 10:47 PM

Ed: The Hiawathas certainly had unique tail cars that were full of personality. I like the syling of both the "Beaver Tails" and "Sky Tops".

Garry: I do not remember seeing a picture of that home made power unit before. It is truly distinctive. I wish I had the skills to scratchbuild something like that.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

The forum software is doing something annoying today. Everytime my bottom-ad changes, which seems like every ten seconds or so, my cursor disappears from the text box and everything I type just disappears. This is really a bother to deal with.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

The World Is A Beautiful Place.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, August 20, 2021 7:53 PM

CNCharlie

TF,  all my diesels on my N scale layout are Atlas. I had a couple of Kato PAs that kept stalling on turnouts. I never did fix the problem as it was intermitent. Drove me nuts so they are on consignment. I don't think you will have such issues if you stick with DC.  I  had an Intermountain F unit that ran really well that I regret selling.

Charlie good to hear from you. 

Ya know, I only have a half of a handful of hybrid DC/DCC locomotives.  They know what track they are on to operate in DC or DCC.  In both modes they have sound.

I'm done buying these hybrids!

They all were running glitchy out of the hole.  When I took them to someone that had a Power Pack Unit that could turn the sound off they ran smooth as silk.

I'm sticking to strait DC now.  I don't have time for this sort of thing.  Even if I could find time to iron out the butterflies I don't want to make the time to fiddle around with that.

 

I'm sorry you sold that F unit. 

I have this one Atlas Classic DWP that runs so good it's not even comparable to anything else I have and probably not comparable to anything else that anyone else has.  I have another Atlas Classic DWP that is the twin.  The other one don't even run close to that one. 

Maybe the copper wire is wrapped perfectly around the thimble on that one?

 

Hit or Miss I think they call it, just like that one perfect running car that everyone once hadHuh?

 

 

 

TF

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • 2,123 posts
Posted by CNCharlie on Friday, August 20, 2021 1:04 PM

Good Afternoon,

It is raining here and has been all morning with a forecast of rain all weekend!  Hurrah! I got a little wet bringing in the groceries but I don't mind.

TF,  all my diesels on my N scale layout are Atlas. I had a couple of Kato PAs that kept stalling on turnouts. I never did fix the problem as it was intermitent. Drove me nuts so they are on consignment. I don't think you will have such issues if you stick with DC.  I  had an Intermountain F unit that ran really well that I regret selling.

Think I will run trains today maybe the N scale that I haven't touched for many months but first lunch and then a run to the wine store to do a curbside pickup. 

I like the photos of passenger trains being posted. Like John I really like them and wish I had enough space to do a passenger based layout. Nothing like high drivered steam.

CN Charlie

 

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Friday, August 20, 2021 10:05 AM

Good morning, everyone.

It's a nice day after a night of good, soaking rain.  After a rain, the walk on the trail seems so much nicer.  Everything is damp and lush.  Even the birds seem rejuvenated.

I have several projects I'm finishing up before I can get back to the layout.  Not a lot has been done on my railroad for a while.  I  imagine when the cold weather hits, work on the railroad will get back on track.

I love passenger trains, and I have some on the layout.  I appreciate all the passenger train photos.  I also have an interest in the stations.  I'm not sure why, but wherever I go, I always check out the little towns to see if their station is still standing.

Another sideline of railroading is my interest in the old national park lodges built by the railroads.  Some people visit the national parks to see the wildlife.  I visit to see the lodges.  This one is one of the best, built by the Great Northern at Glacier National Park in 1913:

Union Pacific's turbine:

Hope everyone has a good Friday -- end of the work week for some of you!

York1 John       

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Friday, August 20, 2021 8:46 AM

Howdy .

 

Kevin .... Yes, they were Erie Builts. Here is the Santa Fe ABA set.

 

Ed .... I like the MILW pictures you posted. I recall riding on the Hiawatha between Chicago and the Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid. 

Here is MILW's unique power car. It was made in their own shops, and it was for hauling short trains.

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Friday, August 20, 2021 6:53 AM

The "Other" end of those Milwaukee trains:

 Milwaukee_Road by Edmund, on Flickr

 CMStPnP_Coon-Rapids by Edmund, on Flickr

Before the Skytops there were the "Beaver Tails" as seen in this wintry, moody shot:

 Milwaukee_Beaver by Edmund, on Flickr

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, August 20, 2021 2:12 AM

Garry: I love the MILWAUKEE locomotive you posted. Is that an Erie-Built?

Alvie: I have been pecking around for a part-time job a bit here and there. The job prospects are very slim unless you are willing to work a tipped position part time, or a government "contract position" with no benefits or job security. Good luck.

Fiddler: My friend Randy has a few U-Boats on his N scale layout, but they are all brass models. You are right, they are hard to find.

The World Is A Beautiful Place.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, August 20, 2021 1:33 AM

Heartland Division CB&Q

Here are better looking U-boats just built by GE. 

 
Although hard to find in N scaleSad
 
 
I still have some lawn mower money saved up and looking for a few of these U-boats GarryLaugh
 
 
Seriously though, they are hard to find! Indifferent
 
 
 
 
P.S.  I've been junked too much rolling the dice on used junk.  I only buy new Kato or Atlas locomotives anymore. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TF
 
  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
Posted by cats think well of me on Friday, August 20, 2021 12:22 AM

Hi all,

Sending good thoughts and prayers to all those who need them. 

I've been working some more on my shelf layout. I'm putting styrofoam pieces in place but not gluing much down yet. I have much I still need to get organized for this project. It's amazing how trying out a new project despite all the reading and research I've done shows how much I still need to learn in order to put this all together. I'm having a great time at it though. So far! 

Sadly no word on the Paralegal job I applied for, I'm disapointed, but it's a tight field these days and with current events as they are, it's been even harder to get into. I'll keep at the job hunt, I know something will come around and I did put out applications to other places.

Alvie

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Thursday, August 19, 2021 9:32 PM

Kevin .... Thanks. Very colorful. 

...

Here is a C&NW train ...

 

And a MILW train...

 

Everybody ..... have a good night. 

 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 19, 2021 1:11 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
If I had time, I would look for ACL purple E-units to post.

The "Champion":

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Thursday, August 19, 2021 9:43 AM

Good morning .... 

John York 1. .... I recall seeing U50's when I was in Wyoming in the 1960's. 

Kevin .... Those SCL U-boats looked like all work and no play. Here are better looking U-boats just built by GE. 

Ed .... The original Seaboard E-units certainly were colorful. If I had time, I would look for ACL purple E-units to post. I like the B&O observtion car in one of your photos .

Here are some more observation cars.

 

I took the photo of the CZ dome / observation car about five years ago in Arizona where it is on display next to the UP mainline (former SP mainline). 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Thursday, August 19, 2021 8:42 AM

Good morning, everyone.  Bacon, eggs, and coffee, please.

love all the pictures of the locomotives and trains!  Thank you, everyone!  I guess growing up with these locomotives makes this such a great time period for me.

We're still in the grips of the summer heat.  All of the irrigation pivots are running full blast, with the resulting high humidity.  I cut the grass this morning at 7:00 a.m. to beat the heat.

How about this UP GE U50?  I don't remember seeing these, which is why I guess they have an odd look to me.  The photo said these were built in the 1960s.

 

York1 John       

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, August 19, 2021 5:48 AM

The "Bluebirds" a little farther east of Chicago. Painesville, Ohio, just a few miles from where I am now:

 NKP_PE6 by Edmund, on Flickr

 GM_T-o-T by Edmund, on Flickr

They didn't start out in black:

 Seaboard by Edmund, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 11:18 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q
Kevin .... I never wasa fan of black painted diesels, but SCL improved it a bit with yellow stripes. 

I don't like it on the road switchers at all.

Apparently the Ad Targeters at Kalmbach think I am in the market for a quarter-million dollar used Ferarri!

The World Is A Beautiful Place.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 10:01 PM

Howdy .

Kevin .... I never wasa fan of black painted diesels, but SCL improved it a bit with yellow stripes. 

Ed .... I like the B&O passenger trains . 

Brent ..... The CP Canadian was beautiful especially in the mountain scenery .

.... 

 

Here are a few passenger train pictures from the '50's and '60's .

NYC in Chicago. 

Central of Georgia E-unit in Illinois Central colors for City of Miami train. 

Southern train from Cincinnati to Jacksonville. 

 

E units in Birmingham, AL

 

NKP PA1

 

 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 9:53 PM

I just found this picture.

The processing date on the back of the film is 1987. If this is my layout, it would be the first version of the SGRR, but I do not remember this building.

It is too early to be Randy's layout.

The building looks scratchbuilt to me. I did scratchbuild a lot of N scale buildings back in the day.

Oh well... into the "unkown" bin.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 8:54 PM

Train Bridges, Railway Bridges and Trestles, British Columbia and the  Territories

Good evening all. The weather returned to a more civilized state on Sunday. Probably another two months of sunshine before the monsoons start.

The photo in my avatar is of the Brookmere water tower that is off in the middle of nowhere. I just heard it is in the path of an out-of-control fire, my fingers are crossed as I do enjoy going by when I am headed that way. It is about 20km up a dirt road off the main highway. Part of the old Kettle Valley RR.

Ed, I really enjoyed the Spamfest video with all the Merchant Class locomotives, thanks for posting that.

Still missing Ken's daily report, hope he is OK.

The dinner bell!

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."

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 8:04 PM

Back in the early '70s I was in Erie, Pennsylvania at the PRR roundhouse and on a siding behind the building was a collection of Seaboard E6, 7s and 8s waiting to be "traded in" to GE.

 SCL_E72 by Edmund, on Flickr

Air horns, builder's plates, Mars lights... all going to be scrapped. No, I didn't touch any of it. I was just a "kid" then. I'll bet someone could have talked with the GE people and got permission. Oh well —

These are what passenger trains are supposed to look like:

 Thomas Underwood Coll B&O043 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Somebody forgot to Dullcote this one Whistling

 Thomas Underwood Coll B&O402 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

 Thomas Underwood Coll B&O442 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 12:45 PM

Florida railroading 1950-1980:

SEABOARD COAST LINE painted a lot of equipment basic black with yellow stripes. I don't like it on their road switchers, but this FP7 is certainly handsome.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 12:28 PM

York1

 

 
Doughless
John, a quick personal convo. Was the McDonalds on 2nd street built when you lived there?  When we came to town, the only fast food hamburger joint was the locally owned Golden Triangle.  Then GI got its first McDonalds in the early 70s right next to that restaurant.

 

Douglas,

I left GI in 1970 for college and then moved to Louisiana.  The only "chain" fast food was the Pizza Hut on South Locust.  The hamburger place we called Golden Point was just like McDonalds.

When I left town, the area out west with the mall was not there.  The only building out there was Skate Island.

I was just in GI yesterday to clear up some business with my father's estate.  Driving around, it's nearly impossible to recognize certain areas.  Five Points is completely changed!

The city has also grown -- something that is not happening in other cities in Nebraska.  I believe they are nearly 50,000 people now.

It's a shame that the UP station was torn down.  At the time, it was considered "progress" to take it down.

 

Ah yes, Golden Point.  Only lasted a few years after McDs built right next door.

We arrived in May 1971, and the whole town kept talking about the state university winning the football national championship.  We had no idea what they were talking about, LOL.

Five Points.  All of my friends worked at Skagway during high school. Skagway is long gone too.

Skate Island just got torn down this summer.  The roof collapsed and couldn't be repaired.  That was an icon, obviously still lasting 40 years after I left.

The low tan building in the pic is the post office.  I remember it well. I don't remember the parking lot, but parking lots aren't that memorable.

And the taller red brick building has been there forever.  A rail served business at one time, but I never knew what it was back then.

 

 

 

 

- Douglas

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 11:13 AM

York1
Did your wife get this idea after your visit to Ed's house?

That is EXACTLY where the idea originated.

I never would have even dared suggest something like this, then she saw how wonderful it could be, and now we need one.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 10:37 AM

SeeYou190
No, I did not. Honestly, I never have suggested a caboose, or any other structure, in the backyard. Ever since June, she has decided that we need a caboose back there. Not a shed, but a place to sit, bunk the grandkids, get out of the house, stuff like that.

 

I was just joking.  Did your wife get this idea after your visit to Ed's house?  If I recall, doesn't Ed have a pretty neat caboose in his backyard?

I have to admit that it would be pretty neat to have what your wife wants.  The grandkids would love it.  

York1 John       

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!