Hi everyone!
Welcome to Jeffrey's Trackside Diner for the month of November!
At the beginning of each month we pay respect to the diner guests that have passed on with a memorial.
The theme for this month's Diner is the use of trains by the Military. As was pointed out in the October Diner, we must adhere to the Forum rules so please do not enter into the arena of politics or who beat who, and perhaps stay away from specific details of the weaponry. It might also be appropriate to avoid anything related to the Holocaust simply because of the nature of those terrible events. So, if in doubt about whether or not a post is appropriate, it might be best to not add it to the Diner discussion.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Here is an interesting article about the role that the Canadian Pacific Railway played in several conflicts:
https://www.cpr.ca/en/about-cp-site/Documents/cpr-and-war.pdf
Dave: Thank you for opening the new diner!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks for the new November Diner, Dave
I'm looking forward to sharing lots of photos and videos AND learning lots from others.
I am absolutely fascinated by how quickly Allied industrial factories geared up for the War Effort. Sometimes in a matter of weeks assembly lines switched over from domestic production to Wartime needs.
Tank by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Hello Railfans!
Top of the evening to yas! I hope everyone is well. I helped the SIL put in a new floor in her dining room this past week. Got things hurting that i didnt know i still had. But we're all ok for the most part. Looks like days of manual labor are more behind than ahead. I only hope i have enough left to build a layout before they blow the big horn on me.
Well, here we are in November already. Wow, quick year! I tried to sum up my procrastinations (projects) for the year and keep coming back to 'its November already???'. I didnt get as much done this year as I had hoped.
Usually Nov. is a big month for me. I dont know about yall, but yall do know what November is dont you (SHAME on YOU if you dont!!!)? It's "Railroad History Month", kinda like 'National Cheeseburger Day' except its four weeks long. Tis also a BDay in there somewhere for me.
One year older, one year wiser, but yet one more year behind. Ive often wondered being born in RHM... is this why I eat, sleep, breathe Trains? At birthday plus 1, I doubt I even knew, heard, or seen a train yet.... so how did i become infected? - Do any of us really care about that?
So in honor of Railroad History Month, here is the bug that got me infected....
Remember to thank a Rail Crew if you meet any! As you all know, we would have nothing, NOTHING(!), if it werent for Railroads.
I dont have any info yet on this months theme. Ive never really been a person fond of arming railroad equipment. Carrying ARMY equipment yes, but being the equipment NO! And during wartime Railroads become an obvious target. Something else I abhore, but understand.
While i know its all fair in love and war, i cringe everytime i see a fighter dive in on a train and blow 'pop-valve' holes in the boiler. Resulting in a very nice explosion, but still.... did we have to shoot a helpless locomotive that cant shoot back????? (if only trains were as easy to take in as a stray cat/dog)
Garry) sure am glad your back home now. But i dont know about not running any trains any time soon. I would think that would be a most theraputic way to recover.
Lion) "Wes juat wait a week or two and all of the leaves will simplyi blow into Minniesota."
Grilling, Broiling, BBQing etc) You can tell most of you are married..... no one mentioned microwaving!
Have a great day folks!
Clear Ahead!
Douglas
Good morning Diners. Tea and toast please, Brunhilda.
We are back from a wet week in Scotland. Not much better at home with the cold, wind and rain.
Thanks for opening the November Diner, Dave.
Garry. Glad you are home. Take things easy.
Mike. A speedy recovery to your daughter.
Others I have missed. A speedy recovery.
The Great War. Narrow gauge Railways in Frace.
Allied forces constructing railways throughout France to help move men and supplies during World War One. We see Army personel laying the sleepers and track for the extensive network of two foot (60cm) narrow gauge lines, ballasting work, loading and laying of pre-built trackwork. We also see scenes of the railway in action as the little trains trundle along country lanes and through the town streets. The film ends with scenes of the train taking soldiers towards the front lines.
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
Monday!
PRR_GI-coach by Edmund, on Flickr
BroadwayLion gmpullman I can see the PRR catenary in the background. I made a few guesses several pages back. Any other takers? Yes, someone guessed the answer way back in the big inning. It is the River Line termanal in Trenton.
gmpullman
Yes, someone guessed the answer way back in the big inning. It is the River Line termanal in Trenton.
Good morning
Thanks for setting up another Diner Dave I'd like to give you some host appreciation this morning. Thank you.
I don't have any War Train pictures in my photos so I'll have to rely on links.
My favorite war model when I was a kid was the Sherman tank. I also liked building the Tiger II. I enjoyed weathering them after they were built.
Taking a Bic lighters flame near to heat up the plastic and punching in a dent, adding some rust and mixing plaster with earth tones to splatter on some mud, even some dull silver on the outer creases to make it look like the paint wore off. Grime sure was and still is some wonderful stuff.
Testors had an abundance of military colors back then. The models turned out rather cool and realistic looking if I do say so myself.
This local video is my contribution to War and Trains this morning.
War never sleeps. It may take a break now and then but unfortunately always returns.
TF
Good morning, November diners! Bacon, eggs, and black coffee. I'll try that for a November breakfast. Nothing like a change to make me happy.
Back home! Driving home on I-80 at night is interesting. At midnight, there were solid lanes of cars and trucks all moving along at 80 mph, bumper-to-bumper, for 100 miles. Even though it was the middle of the night getting home, I had two drinks before bedtime. My fingers still ache from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
This is what I woke up to on the first of November:
Yes, that is snow directly over where I live. It was very pretty snow this morning. Ask me how I feel about snow next April.
Garry, I hope you are doing a little better. Dave, same with your daughter. Charlie, same with your home situation. David, it's good to have you back. Everyone else, it's good to hear from y'all.
Have a good day, everyone.
York1 John
York1Driving home on I-80 at night is interesting.
I have a very hard time adjusting to 80 MPH speed limits when I drive in the West. Not a fan at all.
Happy November to everyone.
I put the first coat of paint on my new closet yesterday. The countertops will be installed in the closets on the 18th. Hopefully we will be moved into the new bedroom by 2022!
SeeYou190York1 Driving home on I-80 at night is interesting. I have a very hard time adjusting to 80 MPH speed limits when I drive in the West. Not a fan at all.
And ... believe it or not, there are places out here that if you're going 80, you need to move out of the way to avoid getting hit from behind.
One change I've noticed lately is that most of the semi trucks are now going at least 75. Not sure if there's been a change in policies or if the trucking companies are just allowing higher speeds.
Here is another train loaded with military equipment apparently headed for San Francisco:
It looks almost the same as TF's video but I counted seven engines on this one.
York1 SeeYou190 York1 Driving home on I-80 at night is interesting. I have a very hard time adjusting to 80 MPH speed limits when I drive in the West. Not a fan at all. And ... believe it or not, there are places out here that if you're going 80, you need to move out of the way to avoid getting hit from behind. One change I've noticed lately is that most of the semi trucks are now going at least 75. Not sure if there's been a change in policies or if the trucking companies are just allowing higher speeds.
SeeYou190 York1 Driving home on I-80 at night is interesting. I have a very hard time adjusting to 80 MPH speed limits when I drive in the West. Not a fan at all.
Back in the day commuting from GI to Lincoln for college, the road was as straight as an arrow for 100 miles, a few cars in the right lane, hardly any in the left lane, and the speed was limited to 55 mph. Yawn.
There is simply more traffic on the roads today than in the past, even in places like Nebraska, as I noticed when I'd travel back home over the years. Kinda sad that they are so crowded and getting farther away from what Eisenhower intended.
- Douglas
Howdy all !
I have been absent from the forum lately, ( I have been doing a LOT of overtime at work so I havent even touched a kit in months.
Yesterday was my Birthday ( Im 55 , and apparently, the AARP wants to talk to me ) After doing a few tasks around the house, my wife decided we needed a new garden tiller. So off we went to get one. On our way home, I decided to stop in one of the many antique stores in our area.... and there it was !
I got it for $112 . .... My wife never knew what hit her .
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Timmy: Nice score. I have visited hundreds of antique stores with my wife, and never found something like that I really wanted.
you are pretty much the same age as I am.
For a few years, I hunted high and low looking for a Westside "Brute" to add to my roster. I decided that if I ever found one for under $400.00 I would buy it up immediately.
A couple weeks ago, I bought an IHC 2-10-2, and that crossed the Brute off of my "to buy" list.
Today a "Brute" ended that had a $325.00 opening bid, with no bidders. I guess my lack of interest caused the price to plummet.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks for that first-hand experience on your UH-1 test flight. Quite an insurance policy to strap the mechanic to the skids on the first flight after an overhaul! After a Topping Check I guess you didn't have to buy any tickets for a ride on the roller coaster at the amusement park.
Ground Resonance is something I wasn't aware of in vertical flight!
It has caught a few students and even some seasoned pilots off guard, for sure.
I haven't said anymore about it for a few days being that I hate to be a Debbie Downer. The Good news is CC's terrible cough is improving and her fever has broke to a much lower temp.
Thanks for your prayers, positive energy and support. Something seemed to work here, and we are all relieved. Not completely out of the woods yet but a definite improvement.
I found an old wartime train clip over coffee this morning.
That Huey helicopter test flight sounded like quite the experience Bear. I'm confident you're a great aviation technician from what I've gathered through the years.
I only rode in a helicopter once. It was when I was very young. There was this Vietnam Veteran pilot and you could pay for a ride at Paul Bunyan amusement park in Brainerd Minnesota. It was called the Shorty Hop, the cheaper ride my parents paid for and that was good enough I remember there was viewable glass by our feet and it was a really wicked ride. That pilot didn't hold anything back and was obviously quite experienced.
I have a little project in the building this morning and then I think I'll dust off my bridge project I started a while ago.
Have a great day gentlemen
Good morning Diners. A very quick visit as we are going out.
Will be back later
Track fiddlerNot completely out of the woods yet but a definite improvement.
I take my oldest back to the doctor again today. Been some goings on with her incision I'm getting concerned about. This may not be good. Praying for better than what I'm planning on.
Mike
Hi Everyone,
Brunhilde, coffee with cream, please.
I can't believe I went through the entire month of October without posting or saying hello. No excuses.
Growing up, I lived near military installations, but obviously wasn't able to see much of anything. I do remember that at Ft. Riley there were more tracks and activities in the 50s than later on. I guess that unless they want to move a bunch of tanks, trains aren't as popular as they once were.
Had an interesting experience. Last Thursday, I worked my shift and left my flashlight on the shelf (so I can see to the back of the shelf). I thought it was gone and I'd lost it. Funny thing. I went back next day and there it was, laying exactly were I'd left it 25 hours earlier. It was a good little Maglite and I would have hated to lose it. My wife picked up a 3pack of LED flashlights at Costco. So, thanks to her, I now have a new cheaper one to use at work.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Good morning everyone. Heavy fog here for the morning walk.
We're heading out the door to get our booster shot.
Jim, I also love my Maglites. I really don't think there is any better flashlight out there.
I will check in later. It's good to hear from everyone.
Right behind the old Lincoln, Nebraska, Burlington station. This is in the Haymarket section of the city. The area is packed with partiers for Husker games:
Water Level RouteI take my oldest back to the doctor again today.
Prayers going out for your daughter and all of your family! Hope everything starts getting better for her!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Lunchtime
Well it is for me anyway as I was up really early today.
Nothing more appetizing than pulling a toilet and stopping in for an early lunch Yes, I wear gloves and have good soap
Happy birthday Timmy
That train does look the same Dave. Except I was wondering if they were going to bring those green tanks in somewhere and have them painted a desert tone. I think they did
I noticed the military equipment and tanks were reversed on your video. They must have connected them from the other end
I did notice more locomotives on your video. The areas the video was filmed up here is all very flat. I would imagine once all that weight gets rolling it doesn't take too much to keep it rolling on a flat. I also noticed all the foothills in your video that probably explains quite a bit more grade there. Prettier looking country to view for sure.
I'm hoping things go well for your daughter at the doctor Mike. Hopefully it's not too serious. I know infections can be quite troublesome from experience with multiple surgeries on my knee from that. I'm continuing to put in a good word with the man upstairs and wish your daughter a full recovery soon.
Well, time to wolf this sandwich down and go put in the new toidie. The sink is done.
Good morning from a soon-to-be very wet West Coast. I will be heading out for a long walk anyway. I spent 38 years working outdoors and the only weather we hated was the heat.
I always had one of those small Maglites on my belt when at work. Sometimes light would be an issue inside some aircraft and I would be crawling around with it in my teeth.
York1My fingers still ache from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
I must admit, and I was a little skeptical at first, our new Highlander that steers itself and maintains speed and distance takes all the fatigue out of driving as it was designed to do. I would never buy a car without it again, though I think it will be standard equipment as it enhances safety so much. On the few times, I have driven into Vancouver using it, arriving home and not being fatigued was quite noticeable. You cannot let go of the wheel but all I have to do is rest my thumb on it so the car doesn't scold me.
Yesterday was a great day, I got an hour on the bike, played the guitars(s) for a good two hours, and then got going in the train room. Something moved on the layout benchwork enough to cause a bit of a bump on either end of a bridge I have. It has been driving me crazy trying to correct the problem as it is on a hill and curve, but alas she is smooth as silk once again.
You can hear those Hueys coming from a long way off and that thump is so recognizable. We would be out on the deck having a cold one and our friend would be coming back to Vancouver almost always from the North after taking tourists into the backcountry or to a remote lodge. He would fly right over the house and if we were outside he would circle a couple of times just to remind us to get the beer cold.
TF, glad to hear CC is on the mend, lots of rest is still required for her. Mike hope your daughter gets past her issues soon, it must be exhausting.
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."
Hello there fellas, I was told I should come over here and introduce myself to the group, so here I am.
I grew up in California and moved to Orlando in 1981 where I worked for Walt Disney World and retired five years ago.
I dont consider mydelf to be a model railroader like you guys because I am not serious about it at all and I am just building a set up in the recroom to spend time with my boy until he turns 16 and I never see him again, but we are having a lot of fun right now.
I don't know what else to say, but that is who I am.
1971_Z28,
Welcome to the diner. Don't worry, there is room for everyone here, layout or not.
I'm glad to hear you and your son are enjoying the trains. I didn't start my layout until I was 66 years old, so it's never too late.
Hope you can check in more often, and we love photos of what you're working on.
DoughlessBack in the day commuting from GI to Lincoln for college, the road was as straight as an arrow for 100 miles, a few cars in the right lane, hardly any in the left lane, and the speed was limited to 55 mph.
I remember those days. The original speed limit was 75, then lowered by the national government to 55, then raised again to 75.
Last year, the legislature had a big debate on raising the limit to 80. It didn't pass, but a by-product was that regular highways went up to 65, and divided highways (non-Interstates) went to 70.
The State Patrol lobbied pretty hard to keep the limit at 75. The argument was that everyone was going 80, and if we increased the limit to 80, then everyone would go 85.
The other night everyone was going between 80 and 85. I don't know how the State Patrol would ever catch anyone, both lanes were like a moving conveyor belt, with everyone going the same.
What I had difficulty with was on Atlanta's I-285. We had to travel about halfway around Atlanta to get to the inlaws, and that was the most nerve wracking drive ever. New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, -- I've driven in them all and in my opinion, none of them compare with Atlanta's I-285!
York1 The State Patrol lobbied pretty hard to keep the limit at 75. The argument was that everyone was going 80, and if we increased the limit to 80, then everyone would go 85.
Here in the U.K. the motorway speed limit is 70mph for cars. Many go over that and they are scary. Road haulage trucks are limited to 60mph.
Coming back from Perthshire and in Dumfriess & Galloway (last Sunday) in a torrential everyone (but the idiots) cut their speed to no more than 35mph. We were glad to get home.
Timmy.
TF I was going to post that film.
Mike. Prayers to you and your family for a speedy outcome.
TF. Glad to hear CC is recovering.
971_Z28
The Great War. U.S. Military Railroads in Europe.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
NorthBritHere in the U.K. the motorway speed limit is 70mph for cars. Many go over that and they are scary. Road haulage trucks are limited to 60mph.
Over here, each state sets their own limits. Many of the western states have 80 mph limits.
My state used to have different limits for cars and for trucks, but now both have the limit of 75. There are lots who disregard the limit.