A cold morning in Elgin, 1977:
Milwaukee Rd SD-10's at Elgin IL Dec 1977 by Mark LLanuza, on Flickr
Funny being nostalgic for 1977. I miss some of this stuff.
If you modeled that cantilevered crossing shanty visitors to your layout wouldn't believe it.
A hearty English breakfast for those lucky enough to visit the top of the page!
Lyme_Regis by Edmund, on Flickr
I had a blue-eyed lion like LION's:
Otis_woodpile2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
Good Morning,
Thanks for breakfast Ed. That looks like a full English that would go down a treat right now. I was out a 7 to shovel the paths to the feeders and clear the spaces for the ground feeders. The snow was about 10" of powder. Now the cold has set in with highs of -20C all week that is 13 degrees below normal.
There is a large flock of birds out there right now. Not sure if anyone else around here is feeding them. The 100 lbs. of shelled sunflower seed I bought last Monday will be gone by Wednesday so about 75 lbs a week.
I had hoped to get to the LHS this week to take in some stuff to sell but think I'll wait a week as the roads won't be good. Too much ice and hard packed snow that is slippery. I will likely get 2 months out of the last tank of gas.
Coffee time again,
CN Charlie
.
CNCharlieThere is a large flock of birds out there right now. Not sure if anyone else around here is feeding them. The 100 lbs. of shelled sunflower seed I bought last Monday will be gone by Wednesday so about 75 lbs a week.
Boids of a feather all flock together.
But there IS A PROBLEM with birds!
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Good evening, everyone. It's been a long Sunday afternoon, and it went quickly because I missed about three hours while I sat in my rocker-recliner. Anyone with insomnia should try my recliner.
I have a major victory to announce -- I think I've finally got a finalized track plan laid out. As much as I wanted to plan on paper, the end result was actually drawing it out on the table. There is still some work with passing tracks and a yard, but at least the basic double mainline track is mapped out. It's amazing how much this bothered me over the past several weeks.
Brent, it was nice seeing your four trains running, and TF, your bridges look great.
I hope everyone had a great Sunday. This was a nice day here, but the weather will be turning down starting tomorrow.
Time for a big bowl of ice cream.
York1 John
Happy Sunday evening everyone.
We went to a train show yesterday. Real Rail (formerly the Sarasota Model Railroad Club) has their annual train show over two days on the weekend of President's Day.
In the past, this has been a huge show with dozens of sellers and usually about a half dozen operating layouts.
There was no show in 2021.
This year, the show was very small. There were only around ten dealers, two operating layouts, and very few people in attendence. This was heartbreaking for me.
Scale Rails of Southwest Florida did not have a show in 2020 or 2021, and they will not have one in 2022 either.
Maybe the time of train shows in South Florida is over.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190Maybe the time of train shows in South Florida is over.
Now Kevin, stop that negative thinking right now!!! (he says with tongue firmly in cheek)
I think there is a lot of pent up demand for train shows but many people are still wary of going out in public thanks to the Covid issue. I'm crossing my fingers that by later this year things will have returned to some semblance of normal and people will want to start doing things again. I could be wrong but I sure hope not.
The number of people in Ontario hospitals with severe Covid is dropping rapidly. A couple of weeks ago we were above 5,000 hospitalizations due to Covid. Today we are just over 1,000.
Have faith! The train show wheels will be rolling again soon!
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 a Jordan Spreader at work on the Wisconsin Southern. It is really rockin' and rollin' down the track!:
Here is a CN Jordan Spreader doing its thing. Starting at about the 5:20 mark you can get a close up view of the spreader navigating around signals and switches:
How much snow does it take to stall a train? In this video it doesn't look like it took much, but I suspect that the train is on a graded curve. NOTE, you will initially get a black screen. You have to click on "Watch on YouTube" to see the video:
This is what it looks like from inside the cab when you are punching through snow drifts. Listen to the banter from the crew after they get through the heavy parts. It sounds to me like their laughter is a sign of relief:
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi Bear,
Tiny Tim! What a laugh! I remember him on the Ed Sullivan Show and how I grinned ear to ear when he came on. Even though I was just a kid at the time, IMHO it was British humour at its best. I don't think my parents got the joke.
Bear, did the Ed Sullivan Show play on New Zealand television? It was one of the most popular shows in the history of live television in North America.
Good Morning All,
A coffee and a blueberry bagel with cream cheese please. 21 F this morning and I think yesterday hit the high 30's. Trucks (3) left for Sebring yesterday after a quick turn around from Palm Beach International. Once we get through this we should have a month before we go back out but we are still waiting on several engines to return from rebuild so we aren't out of the woods yet. I can report that the Yardhouse has as many beers on tap as ever and the Jambalaya is still delish.
My Navy enlistment was all watch standing with rotating shifts on shore and in port usually 2 days/2 mids /2 nights-48off and onboard ship we did 12 on 12 off from the time we weighed anchor.I picked up a copy of The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club but it is set aside until I have more than an hour here and there to read it.
IIRC Tiny Tim was actually discovered in a New York club by The Who's Pete Townsend who promoted him. He was a popular novelty act as evidenced by his Rowan and Martin appearance though he was also obviously made fun of. Townsend also promoted (and produced) Thunderclap Newman later in the 60's.
So much for trivia. I have a Lotus 11 waiting on stands in the shop. Ciao, J.R.
Maple Pecan Sticky Buns are for Breakfast this morning...
Snowing it is out side, and all of our faries (farenhiets) have gone south for the week.
So windy it is that the snow-people are trying to sneak in under the weatherstripping.
Good morning, everyone. Guess what I had for breakfast this morning.
It's much colder now than when I walked this morning.
gmpullmanA cold morning in Elgin, 1977: Milwaukee Rd SD-10's at Elgin IL Dec 1977 by Mark LLanuza, on Flickr Funny being nostalgic for 1977. I miss some of this stuff. If you modeled that cantilevered crossing shanty visitors to your layout wouldn't believe it. Regards, Ed
Ed, that's a pretty amazing structure! This narrow ROW doesn't allow much room for someone in a car to see down the track. You'd better trust those crossing arms.
CNCharlieThe 100 lbs. of shelled sunflower seed I bought last Monday will be gone by Wednesday so about 75 lbs a week.
Wow! I thought we went through a lot of seed! We will go through about 40 pounds a week, but that is seed in the shells! I hope my wife doesn't decide to buy the shelled stuff -- my retirement plan can't afford that!
Kevin, that's too bad about that train show. They seem to be doing better in my part of the country.
Dave, I also remember seeing Tiny Tim on Laugh-in. The next day at school, that was what all the kids were talking about. Remember the marriage on Johnny Carson?
JR., it's good to hear from you again!
Everyone else in the diner, I hope you have a great day.
Not a train or snowplow, but a neat Bugatti:
They do have a rail connection:
My Word, did everyone over indulge on Br. Lions Maple Pecan Sticky Buns and are off for a quiet lie down???
Gidday John, would you care for a lamington, pink or chocolate. Lambingtons 1 by Bear, on Flickr Lambingtons2 by Bear, on Flickr
Lambingtons 1 by Bear, on Flickr
Lambingtons2 by Bear, on Flickr
Well, Bear, seeing that we're apparently alone here in the diner, and can therefore suspend some measure of guilt in not sharing, I would indeed be interested in lamingtons. If only for a first exposure. HOWEVER, they appear to be coated with that bane of personal culinary appeal - coconut. Since my days as a wee lad, I have never acquired the necessary appreciation of its qualities. In that regard, it is much like a few other things, beer being one. Tried it once and immediately recalled an item from the life and adventures of Tom Sawyer: spunkwater!
Now, if I might be allowed the impertinence of gently scraping away some of that outer coating (or the greater impertinence of asking if they are avilable with just the chocolate or strawberry base), I'm on.
My dear wife has regularly chided me for my lack of any sense of adventure when it comes to new foods. At least now I can appeal to my being an "old dog" resistant to "new tricks". An argument that goes absolutely nowhere with her!
John
(I can feel a particular response coming on . . .)
Good morning Diners. A coffee on the go please, Flo. With all this food around I shall have to call back later.
Been away for a few days holiday. The free wifi was useless at best.
Snowplough Compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma_VVXbZH5s&ab_channel=FailTube
Back later
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Gidday John, would you care for a lamington, pink or chocolate.
Hi Bear! I'll take three of each please (and probably suffer a sore tummy as a result).
My diet has been somewhat restricted recently. Dianne is on a diet and it is working very well for her. She has lost a lot of weight over the past four months. Unfortunately for me the diet eliminates almost all carbs so I am suffering a bit. Pasta is my favourite dish. I made a huge batch of bolognese sauce a few weeks ago but alas, it's all in the freezer! I feel guilty when I eat bread!
I shouldn't complain because I am losing weight too. My belt is at its last hole and my pants are still loose, and I am enjoying salads more than I have in the past. I am now down to less than 300 lbs. I have been well above that for more than 30 years.
I think I'm going to treat myself tonight to some of that bolognese. Dianne can have hers on a bed of lettuce (which she actually doesn't mind).
Real New York Crumb Cake... : )
BroadwayLionReal New York Crumb Cake... : )
Hi Lion,
That looks like it would be really good with some Canadian maple syrup on it!
I hope you guys are not getting tired of all of the snow plough videos that I have been posting. There seems to be no end of them on YouTube.
This one has some scenes that we have seen before, but the first minute or so really shows some action! As always, click on the 'Watch on YouTube' box:
I'll take some of that crumb cake. And some of the lamington's if there are any left.
hon30critterI am now down to less than 300 lbs. I have been well above that for more than 30 years.
Not much going on in my end of the woods lately. I've been checking in, but not posting a hello like I should. I'll try to be better about it, but no promises.
Have a good day everyone.
Mike
Attuvian1Now, if I might be allowed the impertinence of gently scraping away some of that outer coating
You can just scrape your undesirable coconut right into my Piña Colada over there
Have I posted this one? Pretty colors
LMS_Coronation_Scot by Edmund, on Flickr
She looks fast even standing still!
Yep, this poor kitty sure is having a tough time adjusting here!
Swiffer_2-22-22 by Edmund, on Flickr
Anytime a new box arrives it usually gets turned into a cat house
Warmer today and up to an inch of rain. It has turned all the snow into ice...
Great job on the girth-reduction, Dave
Haven't heard from Douglas, PM Railfan, lately?
Cheers, Ed
gmpullman Have I posted this one? Pretty colors LMS_Coronation_Scot by Edmund, on Flickr She looks fast even standing still! Cheers, Ed
Don't know if you have posted before. Still a good poster though.
Here is a model of 'Coronation' on her way to Leeds Central via Leeds Sovereign Street Station.
IMG_1996 by David Harrison, on Flickr
NorthBrit gmpullman Have I posted this one? Pretty colors LMS_Coronation_Scot by Edmund, on Flickr She looks fast even standing still! Cheers, Ed Don't know if you have posted before. Still a good poster though. Here is a model of 'Coronation' on her way to Leeds Central via Leeds Sovereign Street Station. IMG_1996 by David Harrison, on Flickr David
Eh... I liked the Hogwarts Express better!
Of course, I can apparate.
A frosty -32C with a -40 windchill here but it is sunny. We officially have the third most snow on record for this winter at 156 cm. and winter has at least another 5 weeks to go.
Another exciting day planned of picking up more birdseed! There is a wine store next door I plan on visiting too.
John, I share your disdain for coconut. My Mother tried for 30 years to get me to eat it but finally gave up. She loved it so naturally I should too.
Dave, nice weight loss. I used to work with a fellow who told me his knee pain went away when he lost weight.
Looking at a brass CN loco on eBay but will likely pass as I have to buy more birdseed. It is $55 for 25lbs of the shelled sunflower seed.
Charlie, my wife pays $20 for 40 pounds of sunflower seeds that are unshelled. But 39 pounds of that ends up on the ground. It's like walking on a bed mattress out there.
John, that is why we buy the shelled seed. There was too much mess with the shells and the shells are toxic to plants.
I had to go back to Sunday to find a post I recognized. It seems that a big chunk of Internet disappeared on Monday, and we were affected. We have, unfortunately, become rather tied to this beast of twenty thousand routers. I couldn't get the gas pumps to take my credit card and had to pay cash. Fortunately, it came back later that day but we went out for Sushi and then my GF had a medical appointment this morning she couldn't drive home from because of the anesthesia hangover, so I've been busy doing nothing for a day and a half.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.